| astronautix.com | February 04 |
1948 - Nation: USA. Launch Site: Edwards .
First flight of reseach airplane Douglas D-558-II (No. 1), John Martin of Douglas as pilot. Airplane had both jet and rocket engines and was flown from ground takeoff. References: 17 .
1955 - Nation: USA. Launch Site: White Sands . Launch Vehicle: Viking.
Re-entry nose-cone heat transfer experiment; photography; atmosphere research. Launched at 1455 local time. Reached 232 km.
1959 - Nation: USA. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Complex: LC11. Launch Vehicle: Atlas B. LV Configuration: Atlas 11B.
1960 - Nation: USA. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Vehicle: Jupiter. LV Configuration: Jupiter s/n AM-30.
The 28th R&D firing was from AMR at 1919 hours EST to a pre-calculated range of 1,299 nm. The flight successfully accomplished all primary and secondary missions. The nose cone impacted 0.65 nm short and 0.52 nm right of the intended target. References: 439 .
1960 - - 18:51 GMT. Nation: USA. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: LC75-3-4. Launch Vehicle: Thor Agena A. LV Configuration: Thor s/n 218 / Agena A s/n 1052. FAILURE: Failed to achieve orbit.Thor cut off too early.
KH-1; 1st generation low resolution photo surveillance. Mission failed. References: 5 , 126 .
1961 - - 01:18 GMT. Nation: USSR. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Complex: LC1. Launch Vehicle: Molniya 8K78. LV Configuration: Molniya 8K78 s/n L1-6. FAILURE: At T+531 sec, the fourth vernier chamber of Stage 3's 8D715K engine exploded because the LOX cut-off valve had not closed as scheduled and LOX flowed into the hot chamber.
The escape stage entered parking orbit but the main engine cut off just 0.8 s after ignition due to cavitation in the oxidiser pump and pump failure.. The payload attached together with escape stage remained in Earth orbit. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 64 , 65 .
1967 - Nation: USSR. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824.
Central Committee of the Communist Party and Council of Soviet Ministers Decree 115-46 'On the Progress of the Work on the Development of the UR500K-L1 --confirmation of schedule for piloted lunar missions' was issued. References: 474 .
1970 - - 02:49 GMT. Nation: USA. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: SLC2E. Launch Vehicle: LT Thor Agena D. LV Configuration: Thorad 2L s/n 534 / Agena D (TA12).
Space Electric Rocket Test; electric ion engine tests. Two engines, operated until 1980 References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .
1971 - Nation: USA.
Powell's check flight, glide. Maximum Speed - 700 kph. Maximum Altitude - 13716 m. Flight Time - 235 sec. References: 49 , 97 .
1976 - Nation: Japan. Launch Site: Kagoshima . Launch Complex: M. Launch Vehicle: Mu-3S. LV Configuration: Mu-3C s/n M-3C-3. FAILURE: Failure - unknown cause.
1978 - - 07:00 GMT. Nation: Japan. Launch Site: Kagoshima . Launch Complex: M. Launch Vehicle: Mu-3S. LV Configuration: Mu-3H s/n M-3H-2.
Auroral studies. Active life - two years. Function: 1) Observation of wide angle global auroral pictures using UV television camera. 2) Spectrophotometry of ultraviolet air glow. 3) Observation of the energy spectrum of photoelectrons and auroral electrons. 4) Mass spect rometry of the ionized atmospheric species in the thermosphere. 5) Measurements of density and temperature of ambient electrons in the thermosphere. 6) Observation of electromagnetic and plasma waves and the emission associated with auroral phenomena. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .
1983 - - 08:37 GMT. Nation: Japan. Launch Site: Tanegashima . Launch Complex: O. Launch Vehicle: N-2. LV Configuration: N-2 s/n N-10(F).
Business communications. Launch time 0837 GMT. Launching organization NASDA (National Space Development Agency of Japan). N launch vehicle No. 10(F) (N-II launch vehicle). Osaki launch site, NASDA Tanegashima Space Center, Kagoshima, Japan. Geostationary position 132 deg E. Estab lishment of domestic satellite telecommunications network mainly for natural disaster, emergency and for remote islands using submillimetre wavelength and microwavelength signals. Development of the technology of communications satellite. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .
1986 - - 11:16 GMT. Nation: USSR. Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U.
Military cartographic satellite; returned film capsule. References: 1 , 2 , 6 .
1990 - - 12:28 GMT. Nation: China. Launch Site: Xichang . Launch Complex: LC1. Launch Vehicle: CZ-3. LV Configuration: Chang Zheng 3 s/n CZ3-6.
Shiyang Tongbu Tonxin Weixing; 98.5 deg E. National operational communications satellite. Designation 1990-2. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .
1994 - Nation: USA. Launch Site: Vandenberg .
Initial demonstration flight of the Astrid (Advanced Single Stage Rapid Insertion) interceptor vehicle. References: 88 .
1998 - - 23:29 GMT. Nation: International. Launch Site: Kourou . Launch Complex: ELA2 . Launch Vehicle: Ariane 44LP . LV Configuration: Ariane 44LP s/n V105.
Geostationary at 25.0 degrees E. References: 4 , 276 .
Geostationary at 84.0 degrees W. References: 4 , 276 .