Previous Spaceflight Launches
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Atlas V 401 | NROL-38 (SDS) (USA-236)
United Launch Alliance | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
June 20, 2012, 12:28 p.m.
Long March 2F/G | Shenzhou-9 & Shenzhou-9-GC
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | ChinaJiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
June 16, 2012, 10:37 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
This is the fourth crewed mission for China's Shenzhou program which lasted 12 days. Being the first crewed spacecraft to visit the Tiangong-1 space station, it brought up the astronauts Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and the first Chinese female astronaut Lie Yang. They docked automatically to the station on 18 June. During their stay in the station, astronauts conducted various scientific and technological experiments, and performed manual re-docking on 24 June. Shenzhou 9 undocked on 29 June and landed safely back on Earth the same day.
Low Earth Orbit
Pegasus XL | Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
June 13, 2012, 4 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Designed to image high-energy X-ray radiation, the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) is tasked with surveying regions surrounding the center of own Milky Way Galaxy and performing deep observations of the extragalactic sky, studying black holes and supernovas.
Low Earth Orbit
Zenit 3SL | Intelsat 19
Sea Launch | RussiaSea Launch
June 1, 2012, 5:22 a.m.
Long March 4C | Yaogan 15
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | ChinaTaiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
May 29, 2012, 7:31 a.m.
Long March 3B/E | Chinasat-2A
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | ChinaXichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
May 26, 2012, 3:56 p.m.
Safir 1B | Fajr
Iranian Space Agency | IranSemnan Space Center, Islamic Republic of Iran
May 23, 2012, midnight
Falcon 9 v1.0 | SpaceX COTS Demo Flight 2
SpaceX | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
May 22, 2012, 7:44 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
SpaceX COTS Demo Flight 2 (COTS 2), was the second test-flight for SpaceX's uncrewed Dragon cargo spacecraft, launched on the third flight of the company's two-stage Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The flight was performed under a funded agreement from NASA as the second Dragon demonstration mission in the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. The purpose of the COTS program is to develop and demonstrate commercial sources for cargo re-supply of the International Space Station (ISS). The Dragon C2+ spacecraft was the first American vehicle to visit the ISS since the end of the Space Shuttle program. It was also the first commercial spacecraft to rendezvous and berth with another spacecraft.
Low Earth Orbit B0005 - Maiden Flight Atlantic Ocean
Proton-M Briz-M | Nimiq 6
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center | RussiaBaikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
May 17, 2012, 7:12 p.m.
H-IIA 202 | GCOM-W1
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | JapanTanegashima Space Center, Japan
May 17, 2012, 4:39 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The GCOM-W (Global Change Observation Mission - Water) or Shizuku satellite aims to construct, use, and verify systems that enable continuous global-scale observations (for 10 to 15 years) of effective geophysical parameters for elucidating global climate change and water circulation mechanisms. Water circulation changes will be observed by a microwave radiometer onboard the GCOM-W (Water) satellite (scheduled to be launched in Japan Fiscal Year 2011). The GCOM-W will observe precipitation, vapor amounts, wind velocity above the ocean, sea water temperatures, water levels on land areas and snow depths. Climate change observation will be performed by a multi-wavelength optical radiometer onboard the GCOM-C (Climate) satellite (under consideration) on clouds, aerosol, seawater color (marine organisms), vegetation, snow and ice. These satellites will enable us to perform comprehensive observations of the surface layer of the Earth such as the atmosphere, including clouds, land, oceans and the cryosphere. The Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) is a sensor to observe radiometers, or microwaves emitted naturally from the ground, sea surface and atmosphere, using 6 different frequency bands ranging from 7 GHz to 89 GHz. The strength of a natural microwave is determined by its characteristics and moisture, including the surface condition and temperature of the material. Although it depends on the frequency, the microwave is very weak. AMSR2 will detect such weak microwaves at an altitude of 700 kilometers and measure the strength of them with a very high accuracy. For example, by measuring the strength of a microwave emitted from the sea surface with the AMSR2, one can understand the water temperature of the sea surface to an accuracy of 0.5 degrees Celsius.
Sun-Synchronous Orbit
