Chronology - Quarter 1 2008 home
topic index
PreviousHomeNext
2008 January 15 - 11:49 GMT - Launch Site: Sea-launched. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: KIR. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Model: Zenit-3SL.
  • Thuraya 3 Nation: UAE. Mass: 5,173 kg (11,404 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: HS 702. Manufacturer: Boeing. Agency: Thuraya. Perigee: 35,756 km (22,217 mi). Apogee: 35,820 km (22,250 mi). Inclination: 6.20 deg. Period: 1,436.20 min. COSPAR: 2008-001A. USAF Sat Cat: 32404. Launch vehicle return-to-flight after on-pad explosion one year earlier damaged launch platform. The satellite was positioned at 98.5 degrees East Longitude to provide L-band and C-band mobile voice, broadband, maritime, rural telephony, and fleet management to Thuraya subscribers. Design lifetime of 12 years.
2008 January 21 - Launch Vehicle: PSLV. Model: PSLV C10.
  • Tecsar Nation: Israel. Mass: 260 kg (570 lb). Class: Surveillance. Type: Military radarsat. Spacecraft: Tecsar. Manufacturer: IAI. Perigee: 405 km (251 mi). Apogee: 580 km (360 mi). Inclination: 41.00 deg. Period: 94.50 min. COSPAR: 2008-002A. USAF Sat Cat: 32476. Israeli military radar/optical surveillance satellite using synthetic aperture X-band radar, with estimated 10 cm radar and 1 m optical ground resolution.
2008 January 28 - 00:18 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Proton. Model: Proton-M/Briz-M.
  • Ekspress AM-33 Nation: Russia. Mass: 2,579 kg (5,685 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Ekspress. Manufacturer: NPO Prikladnoy Mekhaniki, Alcatel Space. Agency: PO Kosmicheskaya Sviaz. Perigee: 277 km (172 mi). Apogee: 4,999 km (3,106 mi). Inclination: 48.80 deg. Period: 142.00 min. COSPAR: 2008-003A. USAF Sat Cat: 32478. Stationed at 96.5 degrees east longitude to provide Internet, video, radio, and data services for at a planned 12 year life. The satellite also was earmarked to provide mobile communications for the Russian president and other top government officials.
2008 January 30 - 09:56 GMT -
  • EVA ISS EO-16-5 Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Crew: Whitson, Tani. Flight: ISS EO-16. EVA Duration: 0.30 days. The astronauts replaced a motor on the starboard truss beta gimbal and carried out further inspections of the failed solar array alpha rotary joint.
2008 February 4 - Launch Vehicle: Shahab. Model: Kavoshgar.
  • Iran tests satellite launcher. Nation: Iran. Iran's president tours new space launch facilities and a rocket is launched, said by some to be a test version of the Shahab satellite vehicle without operative upper stages.
2008 February 5 - 13:03 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Model: Soyuz-U.
  • Progress M-63 Nation: Russia. Class: Manned. Type: Logistics. Spacecraft: Progress M. Perigee: 338 km (210 mi). Apogee: 339 km (210 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.30 min. COSPAR: 2008-004A. USAF Sat Cat: 32484. Duration: 61.96 days. Decay Date: 2008-04-07 12:00:00 PM. Docked with the ISS at the Pirs module on 7 February at 14:38 GMT. Undocked on 7 April at 08:49 GMT and was deorbited over the Pacific later the same day.
2008 February 7 - 19:45 GMT - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Pad: LC39A. Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Model: Space Shuttle. LV Configuration: Space Shuttle STS-122.
  • STS-122 Nation: USA. Payload: Atlantis F29 / Columbus. Class: Manned. Type: Spaceplane. Spacecraft: Atlantis. Perigee: 329 km (204 mi). Apogee: 343 km (213 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.20 min. COSPAR: 2008-005A. USAF Sat Cat: 32486. Duration: 12.77 days. Decay Date: 2008-02-20 14:07:00 PM. Crew: Frick, Poindexter, Melvin, Walheim, Schlegel, Love, Eyharts. ISS flight 1E's primary mission was the long-delayed delivery and installation of the European Columbus module. The shuttle entered an initial 58 km x 230 km orbit at 19:54 GMT. The OMS-2 circularization burn at 20:23 GMT put it into a 215 km x 233 km chase orbit. Atlantis docked with the PMA-2 port of the ISS at 17:17 GMT on 9 February. Eyharts was dropped off at the station, Tani, already aboard the ISS, returned to Earth on Atlantis. Atlantis undocked from the ISS on 20 February at 09:24 GMT; began its deorbit burn at 12:59; and landed at the Kennedy Space Center at 14:07.
2008 February 11 - 11:34 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton. Model: Proton-M/Briz-M.
  • Thor 5 Nation: Norway. Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Star bus. Perigee: 35,777 km (22,230 mi). Apogee: 35,796 km (22,242 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2008-006A. USAF Sat Cat: 32487. Ku-band light geostationary satellite operated by Telenor Satellite Broadcasting.
2008 February 11 - 14:13 GMT -
  • EVA STS-122-1 Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Crew: Walheim, Love. Flight: STS-122, ISS EO-16. EVA Duration: 0.33 days. The crew assisted in the installation of the Columbus module to the station, removed a grapple fixture from the payload bay, and installed it on Columbus.
2008 February 13 - 14:27 GMT - 2008 February 15 - 13:07 GMT -
  • EVA STS-122-3 Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Crew: Walheim, Love. Flight: STS-122, ISS EO-16. EVA Duration: 0.31 days. The astronauts installed experiments on the exterior of the Columbus module and moved a failed ISS Control Moment Gyro to the payload bay of Atlantis for return to earth.
2008 February 20 - 14:07 GMT - 2008 February 21 - 03:26 GMT - Launch Site: Pacific Ocean. Launch Complex: -. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Standard SM-3.
  • US shoots down failed USA 193 satellite. Nation: USA. Agency: USN. USAF Sat Cat: 29651. The classifed NRO USA 193 spacecraft, launched in 2006, suffered a complete failure of its on-board propulsion system, putting the satellite in a rapidly-decaying orbit. The Pentagon said that the hydrazine propellant aboard consituted a risk and announced they would shoot the satellite down. The real objective may have been to demonstrated US antisatellite capability after a Chinese test in 2007. In any case, on 21 February 2008 the satellite was down to a 242 km x 257 km orbit. At 03:26 GMT an SM-3 missile was fired from the Aegis cruiser USS Lake Erie stationed west of Hawaii, to intercept the satellite. The hit-to-kill warhead successfully rammed the satellite, breaking it up into 153 catalogued items of debris with perigees of 170-250 km and apogees of up to 2700 km. References: 2.
2008 February 23 - 08:55 GMT - Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Vehicle: H-2. Model: H-IIA 2024.
  • Kizuna Nation: Japan. Mass: 2,700 kg (5,900 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: Kizuna. Perigee: 35,775 km (22,229 mi). Apogee: 35,799 km (22,244 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2008-007A. USAF Sat Cat: 32500. WINDS, the Wide-band Internetworking Engineering Test and Demonstration Satellite, was designed to demonstrate delivery of high bandwidth Ka-band Internet service to remote areas of Japan and Southeast Asia from geostationary orbit at 143 deg E. Users with a small 45 cm in diameter antenna could receive data at up to 155 Mbps and transmit data at up to 6 Mbps.
2008 March 9 - 04:03 GMT - Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5. Model: Ariane 5ES.
  • Jules Verne ATV Nation: France. Mass: 19,012 kg (41,914 lb). Class: Manned. Type: Logistics. Spacecraft: ESA Automated Transfer Vehicle. Perigee: 336 km (208 mi). Apogee: 343 km (213 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.30 min. COSPAR: 2008-008A. USAF Sat Cat: 32686. First launch of Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicle, a logistics vehicle designed for ISS resupply. The Ariane model 5ES launch vehicle, vehicle L528, had the enhanced EAP solid boosters and EPC core stage of the Ariane 5ECA, but with the new EPS-V upper stage with restart capability and a vehicle equipment bay instrument unit strengthened to carry the heavier LEO payload. Jules Verne carried 1300 kg of dry cargo, 302 kg of water and oxygen, and 860 kg of propellant to the ISS. For this test mission it had a dry mass of 10075 kg and 6475 kg of maneuvering propellant (in later missions the propellant could be thousands of kilograms less, in order to deliver more cargo).

    The EPS stage made its first burn and placed the stack into a 137 km x 260 km orbit at 04:20 GMT. The EPS restarted at 05:05, burned for 30-seconds, and released the ATV into a 254 km x 272 km orbit.

2008 March 11 - 06:28 GMT - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Pad: LC39A. Launch Vehicle: Shuttle. Model: Space Shuttle. LV Configuration: Space Shuttle STS-123.
  • STS-123 Nation: USA. Payload: Endeavour F21 / Dextre, Kibo ELM-PS. Class: Manned. Type: Spaceplane. Spacecraft: Endeavour. Perigee: 341 km (211 mi). Apogee: 346 km (214 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.40 min. COSPAR: 2008-009A. USAF Sat Cat: 32699. Duration: 15.76 days. Decay Date: 2008-03-27 00:40:41 PM. Crew: Gorie, Johnson Gregory H, Behnken, Foreman, Linnehan, Doi, Reisman. Endeavour's main task was delivery of the Canadian Dextre robotic manipulator (fitted to the end of the Canadarm-2 robotic arm already installed on the station) and the Japanese Kibo ELM-PS Experiment Logistics Module - Pressurized. It also brought astronaut Reisman to the station, replacing Eyharts on the long-duration crew. The orbiter was placed in an initial 58 km x 220 km orbit at main engine shutdown, adjusted by the OMS-2 firing 38 minutes later to a 220 km x 233 km chase orbit. On 13 March the shuttle docked with the PMA-2 port of the International Space Station at 03:49 GMT. Mission accomplished, Endeavour undocked at 00:25 GMT on March 25, completed the customary ISS flyaround at 01:36 GMT, deorbited at 23:33 GMT the next day, and landed at 00:39 GMT at Kennedy Space Center.
2008 March 13 - 10:02 GMT - Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Pad: SLC3E. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V. Model: Atlas V 411. LV Configuration: Atlas V 411 AV-006.
  • USA 200 Nation: USA. Payload: NROL-28. Class: Sigint. Spacecraft: Jumpseat-2. Perigee: 1,112 km (690 mi). Apogee: 35,780 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 63.60 deg. COSPAR: 2008-010A. USAF Sat Cat: 32706. Classified National Reconnaisance Office satellite placed in a Molniya orbit; orbital parameters are estimated. Believed to be the second in a new series carrying combined signals intelligence and early warning payloads. Probable sensors included the SBIRS HEO-2 infrared missile early warning package and the NASA/Los Alamos TWINS-B magnetospheric research payload.
2008 March 14 -
  • EVA STS-123-1 Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Crew: Linnehan, Reisman. Flight: STS-123, ISS EO-16. EVA Duration: 0.30 days. The crew prepared the Kibo ELM-PS Experiment Logistics Module - Pressurized for installation and begin assembling the components of the Dextre robotic manipulator.
2008 March 14 - 23:18 GMT - Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Pad: LC200/39. Launch Vehicle: Proton. Model: Proton-M/Briz-M. FAILURE: Premature shutdown of Briz upper stage due to escape of turbine gases through a thin-walled tube.
  • AMC-14 Nation: USA. Payload: A2100AXS. Mass: 4,140 kg (9,120 lb). Class: Communications. Spacecraft: AS 2100. Perigee: 16,862 km (10,477 mi). Apogee: 35,608 km (22,125 mi). Inclination: 19.50 deg. Period: 976.90 min. COSPAR: 2008-011A. USAF Sat Cat: 32708. The Briz M stage failed during its second burn, shutting down by 2 minutes 13 seconds early, leaving the satellite in a 770 km x 26447 km x 49.2 deg orbit. The spacecraft separated and raised this to 772 km x 35576 km x 49.0 deg, but operational geostationary orbit could not be attained and the satellite was a writeoff. AMC 14 had a total mass at launch of 4140 kg of which 2130 kg was propellant. The final orbit attained was an inclined orbit at geostationary altitude.
2008 March 15 -
  • EVA STS-123-2 Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Crew: Linnehan, Foreman. Flight: STS-123, ISS EO-16. EVA Duration: 0.30 days. The crew continued assembly of the Dextre robotic manipulator, located in a Spacelab pallet attached to the Station truss.
2008 March 15 - 06:10 GMT - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Pad: SLC17A. Launch Vehicle: Delta. Model: Delta 7925.
  • USA 201 Nation: USA. Payload: GPS 2R-19M / Navstar 62 / SVN 48. Class: Navigation. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2R. Perigee: 20,142 km (12,515 mi). Apogee: 20,223 km (12,565 mi). Inclination: 55.10 deg. Period: 718.00 min. COSPAR: 2008-012A. USAF Sat Cat: 32711. The Delta's second stage first cutoff at 06:20 GMT put the stage and payload into a 174 km x 205 km parking orbit. The stage fired again to place the satellite into a 188 km x 20325 km x 40.0 deg transfer orbit. USA 201 fired its apogee motor at 09:21 GMT on 17 March in and placed itself into its operational final orbit.
2008 March 17 -
  • EVA STS-123-3 Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Crew: Linnehan, Behnken. Flight: STS-123, ISS EO-16. EVA Duration: 0.31 days. The astronauts completed assembly of the Dextre robotic manipulator, installed the LWAPA adapter plate on the External Payload Facility of the Columbus module, and transferred spare equipment from Endeavour's payload bay to the station's External Stowage Platform 2. They were unable to complete the planned installation of the MISSE 6 sample exposure experiment on the LWAPA.
2008 March 19 - 22:48 GMT - Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Model: Zenit-3SL.
  • DirecTV 11 Nation: USA. Class: Communications. Spacecraft: HS 702. Perigee: 35,787 km (22,236 mi). Apogee: 35,788 km (22,237 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. COSPAR: 2008-013A. USAF Sat Cat: 32729. Placed in orbital slot 99.2° W Longitude. In combination with DirecTV 10, the satellite would allow the parent company to direct broadcast local HDTV to 90 percent of its customers in North America. The Ka-band satellite was equipped with 28 active and 8 spare TWTAs for direct broadcast to the continental United States and Alaska; 4 active and 4 spare for broadcast to the 48 stages and Hawaii; and 55 active and 15 spares for spot transmissions. Total power was 18 kW / 16 kW at beginning/end of life. Propulsion was provided by 445 N liquid apogee engine and four XIPS 35-cm ion thrusters. Mass at launch was 6060 kg and 3700 kg after on-board propellants were consumed to place the satellite in its operational geosynchronous orbit.
2008 March 20 -
  • EVA STS-123-4 Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Crew: Foreman, Behnken. Flight: STS-123, ISS EO-16. EVA Duration: 0.27 days. The crew replaced a power control box on the station truss and carried out the T-RAD experiment, repairing a sample damaged heat shield tiles using a putty-like material.
2008 March 22 -
  • EVA STS-123-5 Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Crew: Foreman, Behnken. Flight: STS-123, ISS EO-16. EVA Duration: 0.25 days. The crew completed installation of the MISSE 6 sample exposure experiment; assisted in the installation of the OBSS arm, used to inspect the underside of the Shuttle, on the Station truss. The crew finally made inspections of the damaged Solar Alpha Rotary Joint, required to develop a future repair method.
2008 March 27 - 00:39 GMT - 2008 March 27 - 17:15 GMT - Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: LC132/1. Launch Pad: -. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 3. Model: Kosmos-3M. LV Configuration: Kosmos 11K65M 11K65M-SL.
  • SAR-Lupe 4 Nation: Germany. Class: Surveillance. Type: Radarsat. Spacecraft: SAR-Lupe. Perigee: 471 km (292 mi). Apogee: 502 km (311 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 94.30 min. COSPAR: 2008-014A. USAF Sat Cat: 32750. Fourth of five planned German military surveillance satellites using synthetic aperture radar for target coverage at night and in all weathers. Orbital plane ascending node 143 deg, same plane as SAR-Lupe 1.
PreviousHomeNext
Contact us with any corrections, additions, or comments.
Conditions for use of drawings, pictures, or other materials from this site..
To contact astronauts or cosmonauts.

© Mark Wade, 1997 - 2008 except where otherwise noted.