Previous Spaceflight Launches
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Long March 2F | Shenzhou-2
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | ChinaJiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Jan. 9, 2001, 5 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Second test flight of the Shenzhou spacecraft, without crew on board. A monkey, a dog, and a rabbit were carried in a test of the spaceship's life support systems. There were also 64 different scientific payloads, including a microgravity crystallography experiment; animal species including six mice, small aquatic and terrestrial organisms; cosmic ray and particle detectors and gamma-ray burst detectors. To test the radio transmitting systems taped messages were broadcast from the spacecraft. During return to Earth the parachutes failed to open upon re-entry, which resulted in a hard landing of the descent capsule.
Low Earth Orbit
Tsiklon-3 | Strela-3 125 to 127 & Gonets 7 to 9
Yuzhnoye Design Bureau | UkrainePlesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
Dec. 27, 2000, 9:56 a.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:
Gonets- satellite were the civilian derivate of the military Strela-3 satellite system. The Gonets system was offered to support international health organizations to meet their global communications needs for the transfer of medical data and records to remote sites. Strela-3 was second generation of strategic store-dump military communications satellite. Development of this generation to replace the first generation Strela-1M and Strela-2M satellites began in 1973.
Low Earth Orbit
Long March 3A | Beidou Daohang Shiyan Wei. 2
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | ChinaXichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Dec. 20, 2000, 4:20 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The BD 1 (Beidou 1) satellites were the 1st phase of the chinese Beidou (Compass) satellite navigation system. The first phase uses only geostationary satellites, in contrast to GPS and GLONASS. This reduces the number of satellites, but limits the coverage to a less than hemispherical area. The basic constellation requires 3 satellites. The satellites are based on the DFH-3 Bus.
Geostationary Orbit
Ariane 5 G | Astra 2D & GE-8, LDREX
ArianeGroup | FranceGuiana Space Centre, French Guiana
Dec. 20, 2000, 12:26 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Astra 2D is one of the Astra communications satellite owned and operated by SES. Providing digital television and radio broadcast service to the UK and Republic of Island. GE-8 is also a commercial communications satellite operated by GE American, covering the USA, Canada and Caribbean. LDREX was an engineering test to validate the antenna on the ETS-8.
Geostationary Transfer OrbitAtlas IIAS | NROL-10
Lockheed Martin | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Dec. 6, 2000, 2:47 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Satellite Data System (SDS) spacecraft are communication relay satellites for transmitting real-time data from US reconnaissance satellites (e.g. KH-11, Onyx, Topaz) in polar areas. They are also used for communications to USAF aircraft on polar routes and connect the various ground stations of the Air Force Satellite Control Network (AFSCN). The spacecraft relay the downlinked data to a ground station at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
Geostationary OrbitStart-1 | EROS A1
Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology | RussiaSvobodny Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
Dec. 5, 2000, 12:32 p.m.
Space Shuttle Endeavour / OV-105 | STS-97
National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of AmericaKennedy Space Center, FL, USA
Dec. 1, 2000, 3:06 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
STS-97 was a Space Shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) flown by Space Shuttle Endeavour. The crew installed the first set of solar arrays to the ISS, prepared a docking port for arrival of the Destiny Laboratory Module, and delivered supplies for the station's crew.
Low Earth Orbit
Proton-K/DM-2M | Sirius FM-3
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center | RussiaBaikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
Nov. 30, 2000, 7:59 p.m.
Ariane 44L | Anik F1
Aérospatiale | FranceGuiana Space Centre, French Guiana
Nov. 21, 2000, 11:56 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Anik F1 is a Canadian communications satellite, which was ordered in March 1998. It is based on Boeing's BSS-702 model. The satellite carries 84 active transponders: 36 in C-band and 48 in Ku-band. The spacecraft provides general telecommunications services for North and South America. The satellite was designed for an end-of-life power of 16 kW. Anik F1 was launched in late 2000 on an Ariane-44L H10-3 rocket.
Geostationary OrbitDelta II | EO 1 & SAC C
United Launch Alliance | United States of AmericaVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
Nov. 21, 2000, 6:24 p.m.
