| astronautix.com | March 10 |
1939 - Nation: USSR.
1948 - Nation: USA.
NACA flight 11. First NACA supersonic flight. First civilian supersonic flight. Mach 1.065. Nosewheel failed to extend for landing. Minor damage. References: 49 , 97 .
1958 - Nation: USA.
Reports were made on recoverable manned satellite configurations being considered by NACA. One involved a blunt, high-drag, zero-lift vehicle that would depend on a parachute landing for final deceleration. Another was a winged vehicle that would glide to a landing after reentering the atmosphere. The third proposal involved features of each of the above. Besides the configuration studies, significant reports were completed relative to motion and heating, stabilization, and attitude control. References: 483 .
1958 - Nation: USA.
A working conference in support of the Air Force 'Man-in-Space Soonest' (MISS) was held at the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division in Los Angeles, California. General Bernard Schriever, opening the conference, stated that events were moving faster than expected. By this statement he meant that Roy Johnson, the new head of the Advanced Research Projects Agency, had asked the Air Force to report to him on its approach to putting a man in space soonest. Johnson indicated that the Air Force would be assigned the task, and the purpose of the conference was to produce a rough-draft proposal. At that time the Air Force concept consisted of three stages: a high-drag, no-lift, blunt-shaped spacecraft to get man in space soonest, with landing to be accomplished by a parachute; a more sophisticated approach by possibly employing a lifting vehicle or one with a modified drag; and a long-range program that might end in a space station or a trip to the moon. References: 483 .
1959 - Nation: USA.
The Space Task Group was notified by McDonnell that several of its subcontractors were experiencing difficulties in procuring material necessary to fabricate Project Mercury components. This delay was being caused by the lack of a DX priority procurement rating. References: 483 .
1960 - Nation: USA. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Complex: LC13. Launch Vehicle: Atlas D. LV Configuration: Atlas 51D. FAILURE: Propulsion Failure.
1961 - Nation: USA.
1962 - Nation: USSR.
Korolev approved the technical project 'Complex docking of spacecraft in earth orbit - Soyuz'. The Soyuz would first be tested using multiple launches of an R-7 derived rocket. In this concept a large spacecraft was assembled in earth orbit by a Vostok-Zh (or Vostok-7) manoeuvrable manned satellite, piloted by a 'cosmonaut assemblyman'. Following completion of assembly, the Vostok would return to earth. The assembled circumlunar craft would put the L1, with a crew of one to three, on a circumlunar trajectory. The Vostok-Zh could be used on another mission to assemble a 15 tonne OS orbital station with the mission of observing the earth.
1964 - Nation: USSR. Launch Vehicle: Vostok 8A92.
Defence Ministry of the USSR decree 0045 'On adopting the Zenit-2 satellite launched on the 8A92 into armaments' was issued.
1967 - - 11:30 GMT. Nation: USSR. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Complex: LC81L. Launch Vehicle: Proton 8K82K / 11S824. LV Configuration: Proton 8K82K s/n 227-01 / 11S824 . FAILURE: Stage 4 failed. Partial Failure.
Protoype Soyuz 7K-L1P launched by Proton into planned highly elliptical earth orbit. The first flight four-stage Proton rocket began assembly on 21 November 1966, with mechanical assembly completed by 29 November. Electrical connections and tests were completed by 4 December 1966. Due to New Year�s holidays work did not resume until 28 January 1967. By 28 February the fully assembled booster / spacecraft unit was completed in the MIK, including the 7K-L1P boilerplate spacecraft. The launch tower was added on 2 March 1967 and the system was declared ready for launch. A serious potential problem during preparations was the discovery that fuel gases could lead to pump cavitation at the turbine exits. Tests on the ground showed that the problem was not the fuel itself, but in the monitoring equipment. The launch vehicle and Block D stage functioned correctly and put the spacecraft into a translunar trajectory. The spacecraft was not aimed at the moon, did not have a heat shield for reentry, and no recovery of was planned or attempted. A successful launch that created false confidence just before the string of failures that would follow. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 67 , 273 , 274 .
1970 - - 12:20 GMT. Nation: Germany. Launch Site: Kourou . Launch Complex: ELD. Launch Vehicle: Diamant B. LV Configuration: Diamant B s/n No. 1.
Engineering package. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .
Engineering package; monitored launch vehicle performance. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .
1975 - - 04:41 GMT. Nation: USA. Launch Site: Vandenberg . Launch Complex: SLC4W. Launch Vehicle: Titan 34B. LV Configuration: Titan 34B s/n 3B-50 (34B-1) / Ascent Agena D.
1976 - - 08:09 GMT. Nation: USSR. Launch Site: Baikonur . Launch Vehicle: Voskhod 11A57.
High resolution photo reconnaissance satellite; returned film capsule; maneuverable. References: 1 , 2 , 6 .
1977 - - 11:02 GMT. Nation: USSR. Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U.
High resolution photo reconnaissance satellite; returned film capsule; maneuverable. References: 1 , 2 , 6 .
1977 - - 23:16 GMT. Nation: Indonesia. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Complex: LC17A. Launch Vehicle: Delta 2914. LV Configuration: Delta 2914 s/n 612 / Delta s/n 129.
Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .
1978 - Nation: USA. Launch Site: Edwards .
Ferry Enterprise (OV-101) atop shuttle carrier aircraft from Edwards to Ellington Air Force Base, Texas (approximately 3 hours, 38 min) References: 15 .
1978 - - 10:48 GMT. Nation: USSR. Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U.
High resolution photo reconnaissance satellite; returned film capsule; maneuverable. References: 1 , 2 , 6 .
1984 - - 17:02 GMT. Nation: USSR. Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U.
Scientific mission using spacecraft based on Vostok/Zenit design. References: 1 , 2 , 6 .
1988 - - 10:33 GMT. Nation: USSR. Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511U.
Military cartographic satellite; returned film capsule. References: 1 , 2 , 6 .
1992 - - 22:33 GMT. Nation: Russia. Launch Site: Plesetsk . Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 11K65M. LV Configuration: Kosmos 11K65M s/n 53778-423.
Civilian navigation satellite. Positioned in plane 11 of constellation. Tsikada type spacecraft. Determination of the position of ships of the merchant marine and fishing fleet in the world's oceans and seas as part of the Tsikada space navigation system. References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 , 107 .
1994 - - 03:40 GMT. Nation: USA. Launch Site: Cape Canaveral . Launch Complex: LC17A. Launch Vehicle: Delta 7925. LV Configuration: Delta 7925 / Delta s/n 226.
Final element of initial GPS constellation. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C). References: 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 .