Vostok World's first manned spacecraft, it was developed into the later Voskhod, and numerous versions of recoverable unmanned satellites for reconnaissance (Zenit), materials, and biological research (Bion). These remained in service into the 21st Century. Launched 1961 - 1963. |
DS-U4-T Ukrainian materials science satellite. Cancelled 1963. Light satellite with recoverable capsule for low gravity materials and technology studies. Cancelled in 1965 and never flown. |
Iskra Russian amateur radio communications satellite. Launched from Salyut 7 airlock. Conduct of experiments in the field of amateur radio communications. |
Foton Russian materials science satellite. Adaptation of recoverable Vostok spacecraft for zero-gravity materials processing tests. 400 W available to operate experiments. Micro-gravity satellite built by TsSKB > TsSKB-Progress, Russia. Launched 1985 - 1999. |
Teknologia Russian materials science satellite. Study 1990. In 1990 KB Salyut proposed an unmanned derivative of the TKS to conduct zero-gravity materials production experiments. |
Eureca European materials science satellite. Microgravity experiments; deployed from one shuttle mission, left in earth orbit for extended periods, and retrieved and returned to earth on a later shuttle flight. retrievable satellite satellite built by MBB-ERNO (prime) for ESA, Europe. Launched 1992. |
Bioteknologiya Russian materials science satellite. Study 1992. In 1991 the Salyut Design Bureau proposed a satellite based on a derivative of the class of spacecraft which serve as the heavy add-on modules for the Mir space station, e.g., Kvant 2 and Kristall. |
Skif-DM Russian materials science satellite. Cancelled 1992. In 1990 KB Salyut proposed using the back-up of the Polyus 'star wars' test bed as a huge zero-gravity materials production facility. |
Space Biotechnological Complex Russian materials science satellite. Study 1992. In 1991 the Salyut Design Bureau proposed a Space Biotechnological Complex, for production of pharmaceutical products in zero gravity. |
TMP Russian materials science satellite. Study 1992. The enormous 88 metric ton Engineering Production Module (TMP) was proposed by the Salyut Design Bureau in the early 1990's. |
Tekos Russian materials science satellite. In 1991 Lavochkin NPO proposed this recoverable earth orbital spacecraft design, derived from their Venera planetary spacecraft, for materials and microgravity research missions. |
Express 1 Japanese materials science satellite. EXPRESS RV. At first thought not to have reached orbit. Later reentry vehicle was discovered in Ghana having reentered and deployed its parachute on Jan 15. |
SFU Japanese materials science satellite. Carried materials, astronomy, biological experiments; released and later retrieved by space shuttle. Microgravity, Astronomy (Infra red), Shuttle retrievable carrier satellite built by Mitsubishi Electric (MELCO) for NASDA, Japan. Launched 1995. |
WSF American materials science satellite. The Wake Shield Facility was released and later retrieved by the Shuttle in a single mission. It generated an ultra-hard vacuum in its wake for production of semiconductors and other experiments. Material research, retrievable satellite operated by NASA, USA. Launched 1994 - 1996. |
Nika-T Russian materials science satellite. Study 1998. By the late 1990's the Foton Design Bureau anticipated testing a much more capable microgravity spacecraft as a follow-on to the successful Foton program. |
USERS Japanese materials science satellite. USERS (Unmanned Space Experiment Recovery System) was a Japanese microgravity experimental satellite. Micro gravity and return satellite built by Mitsubishi Electric (MELCO) for Institute for Unmanned Space Experiment Free Flyer (USEF), Japan. Launched 2002. |
250 orbits. In addition to Russian materials science experiments, Foton 6 carried out the French Gezon experiment using the Russian Zona-4M electric furnace (Foton spacecraft have also flown the Zona 1, Zona 4, Splav 2, and Konstanta 2 electric furnaces as well as the Kashtan electrophoresis unit). Foton 6, which also carried the European Biopan life sciences experiments, was successfully recovered on the 15th day.
Microgravity experiments; deployed from STS-46 8/2/92; retrieved by STS-57; European Retrievable Carrier. EURECA is a European scientific and technology mission, launched by the US Space Transportation System. The spacecraft is scheduled to be retrieved likewise by the US/STS in late spring/early summer 1993. Designator ESA/92/01. Frequency plan: 2053.4583/22 30 MHz, 28 GHz/ 18 GHz (data-relay via Olympus).
At first thought not to have reached orbit. Later the re-entry vehicle was discovered in Ghana having reentered and deployed its parachute on January 15. At T+103 sec, during the second stage burn, the vehicle veered off course. The payload service module entered a 110 x 250 km x 33 degree orbit, instead of the intended 270 x 380 km and re-entered on its second orbit. The re-entry capsule was found later in Ghana. A failure of the second stage attitude control system was blamed, although it was considered likely that the payload was too heavy for the vehicle, being twice the mass of earlier MU-3S payloads.
Launch delayed from August 2002. First operational flight of H-2A booster. USERS (Unmanned Space Experiment Recovery System) was a Japanese microgravity experimental satellite. After 8.5 months in orbit, a reentry vehicle was to be returned to earth with the materials manufacturered in space.
Launch delayed from October 9. Foton-M No. 1 (Foton-13) was an improved version of the Foton materials processing satellite. The 6425 kg satellite carried a variety of microgravity experiments including those of the European Space Agency. The satellite was destroyed in the accident.
Microgravity mission with the experiments being returned to earth after 16 days in a spherical Vostok capsule of the type that first carried Yuri Gagarin into space in 1961. The capsule landed in Kazakhstan at 07:36 GMT on 16 June. For this mission a 385 kg European payload of 39 experiments in fluid physics, biology, material science, meteoritics, radiation dosimetry and exobiology was carried. A further 215 kg of Russian instruments were also flown. Many were experiments were being reflown following loss of Foton-M1 on 15 October 2002. The planned Fotino miniature re-entry capsule experiment was not flown.
Applied research included heat transfer experiments with the European FluidPac facility, chemical diffusion experiments in the SCCO (Soret Coefficients in Crude Oil), and material science investigations in the Agat and Polizon furnaces. These experiments were expected to contribute to new heat-exchanger designs, more efficient oil exploration processes, and better semiconductor alloys. The Biopan facility carried life science experiments, including a student seed germination test.
Recoverable spacecraft derived from the Vostok. Carried Russian and European microgravy, life sciences and technology experiments. After deploying the YES-2 tether on 25 September, Foton M-3 was deorbited at 07:23 GMT on 26 September and successfully landed at 07:58 GMT in Kazakhstan.
Foton-M, using the Vostok reentry capsule, but a new extended length service module. Microgravity and life sciences experiments were on board, including geckos and tardigrades. The return capsule included samples exposed on the exterior for reentry studies. On July 24 it was revealed that the satellite was not responding to ground commands, although it continued to send back telemetry. Control was later reported to have been regained, but a scheduled orbit raise burn was cancelled, and on August 12 the orbit was still 250 x 542 km. Landed in the Orenburg district on September 1 at 09:18 GMT. The geckos carried as part of the payload were found to have died.
SJ-10 microgravity experiment satellite launched into low orbit. SJ-10 was based on the old FSW recoverable film-based spy satellites. The main experiment section separated and returned to Earth at the end of the mission. Shi Jian-10 microgravity satellite's reentry vehicle separated from the service module on Apr 18 at 0815 UTC and landed in China at 0830 UTC. The service module remains in a 253 x 269 km orbit, recataloged as a new object. It adjusted its orbit on Apr 22 but as of May 18 had not made further maneuvers.