Carried dog Laika. Study of the physical processes and conditions of life in outer space. After the surprise public impact of Sputnik 1, the satellite and launch teams were called back from vacation and in one month assembled the satellite (using equipment already developed for dog sounding rocket flights). After the launch, Soviet space officials said that the spacecraft would not return and that the dog had enough food and oxygen to live for up to 10 days. Only 45 years later was it revealed that Laika overheated, panicked and died within 5 to 7 hours of launch. What turned out to be the first space crypt remained in orbit a total of 162 days, then burned up in the atmosphere on April 14, 1958.

A Titan IIIC (Vehicle #9), the ninth research and development Titan III and sixth Titan IIIC to be launched from Cape Canaveral, completed the most difficult flight plan and most successful mission to date. The primary objective of injecting a modified Gemini spacecraft into a suborbital trajectory to test the reentry heat shield for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) program was accomplished. After dipping down to 80 nautical miles to eject the MOL load, the Transtage pitched up and placed a canister containing 11 experiments into a 160-nautical mile circular orbit. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

During the ascent to orbit, the Gemini capsule atop the MOL Cannister was ejected and made a suborbital reentry and splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. The spacecraft was the Gemini 2 reentry module, reused to test reentry with hatch cut into the heat shield. The capsule was successfully recovered and it was found that the reentry actually melted hatch shut, indicating that the design was valid for MOL.

A Titan IIIC (Vehicle #9), the ninth research and development Titan III and sixth Titan IIIC to be launched from Cape Canaveral, completed the most difficult flight plan and most successful mission to date. The primary objective of injecting a modified Gemini spacecraft into a suborbital trajectory to test the reentry heat shield for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) program was accomplished. After dipping down to 80 nautical miles to eject the MOL load, the Transtage pitched up and placed a canister containing 11 experiments into a 160-nautical mile circular orbit. This modified Titan 2 propellant tank represented the MOL station itself. It allowed study of the aerodynamic loads associated with launching the MOL into orbit and validated the very long length to diameter core represented by the MOL/Titan 3M configuration. It is possible certain prototype MOL equipment was flown as well.

The spacecraft walk-down team, established by ASPO in July in an effort to stem the increased number of human errors found in flight hardware, made a walkaround inspection of CSM-110 (Apollo 14 hardware). Cooperation of North American Rockwell and the Resident Apollo Spacecraft Program Office was excellent during the preparation and implementation of the inspection. No significant discrepancies were found by the inspection team during the several hours of inspection.

A Titan IIIC, launched from Cape Canaveral, placed into synchronous orbits the first pair of 1,200-pound advanced communications satellites of the Defense Satellite Communication System Phase II (DSCS II). After some initial difficulties with the satellites, telemetry and command links were established with both satellites by 5 November. Under SAMSO program management, TRW Systems Group manufactured these second generation communications satellites that were intended as replacements for the 26-satellite Initial Defense Satellite Communication Systems (IDSCS). Each of the DSCS II (Program 777) satellites would be able to handle voice, teletype, computerized digital data, and video transmissions. Defense Satellite Communications System. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Americas at 106 deg W in 1972-?; over the Americas at 81 deg W in 1977-1979; over the Americas at 100-110 deg W in drift 1979-1998 As of 1 September 2001 located at 103.05 deg W drifting at 0.044 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 110.10W drifting at 0.035W degrees per day.

Defense Satellite Communications System. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Americas at 112 deg W in 1972. As of 30 August 2001 located at 146.34 deg E drifting at 0.101 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 5 located at 36.33W drifting at 0.201E degrees per day.

An Atlas/Agena D launched Mariner 10 (Mariner Venus-Mercury) from the Eastern Test Range. The spacecraft was scheduled for Venus f lyby in February 1974 and Mercury in March 1974 - it would be the first space probe ever to approach Mercury. Mariner 10 was the first spacecraft to reach Mercury. Mariner 10 was placed in a parking orbit for 25 minutes after launch, then accelerated to a trans-Venus escape trajectory. The television and ultraviolet experiments were trained on the comet Kohoutek while the spacecraft was en route to its destination. The vehicle's first planetary encounter was with Venus on February 5, 1974, at a distance of 4200 km. Mariner 10 took 4,000 photos of Venus, which revealed a nearly round planet enveloped in smooth cloud layers. The gravity of Venus bent the orbit of the spacecraft and sent it towards Mercury. It crossed the orbit of Mercury on March 29, 1974, at 20:46 GMT, at a distance of 704 km from the surface. Photographs taken during the pass revealed an intensely cratered, Moon-like surface and a faint atmosphere of mostly helium. After the first flyby, Mariner 10 entered solar orbit, which permitted two more rendezvous with Mercury. On September 21, 1974, the second Mercury rendezvous, at an altitude of about 47,000 km, provided another opportunity to photograph the sunlit side of the planet and the south polar region. The third and final Mercury encounter on March 16, 1975, at an altitude of 327 km, yielded 300 photographs and magnetic field measurements. The vehicle was turned off March 24, 1975 when the supply of attitude-control gas was depleted.

Stationed at 90 deg E. Operation of the long-range telephone and telegraph radio-communications system and transmission of television programmes. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 90 deg E in 1990-1993. Gorizont 28 replaced Gorizont 21 at 90 degrees E in 1993. This allowed Gorizont 21 to be repositioned from mid-November to late-December for the inauguration of a new station at 145 degrees E. 145 deg E in 1993-1999 As of 2 September 2001 located at 4.18 deg E drifting at 0.139 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 5.59E drifting at 0.135E degrees per day.

Carried Atlas-3 laboratory; deployed and retrieved CRISTA-SPAS. Payloads: Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS) 3, Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmo-sphere (CRISTA)-Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS) 1, Experiment of the Sun for Complement-ing the ATLAS Payload for Education (ESCAPE) II, Inter-Mars Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (ITEPC), Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SSBUV) A, Physiological and Anatomical Rodent Experiment (PARE/NIH-R), Protein Crystal Growth (PCG-TES and PCG-STES), Space Tissue Loss (STL/NIH-C-A), Shuttle Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS), Heat Pipe Performance (HPP).

The SPARTAN satellite was captured and returned to its berth this afternoon, successfully completing its two-day solar science mission. SPARTAN Mission Manager Craig Toohey congratulated the crew and flight control team on their performance in executing the mission exactly as planned. Toohey said that 30 percent of the science data already had been linked to the ground and the remainder would be off-loaded at landing. SPARTAN Scientist Dr. Richard Fisher noted that investigators were pleased to have the satellite in orbit near a solar maximum cycle and that its instruments had captured sought-after data on a solar mass ejection event. Additional Details: here....

The egg of Columbus! In my MirNEWS.465 I gave my vision on this movement control system, which had been introduced as a 'totally new computer'. In that report I doubted if I would be able to tell more about that system before the conclusion of the manned status of the Mir-space station, in that way more or less suggesting, that I would be pleased if I could do so. Novosti Kosmonavtiki published an interview of Mr. V.I. Lyndin with the Deputy Head of TsUP, Mr. V.D. Blagov. This interview and an own interview by telephone with Mr. Lyndin gave me sufficient details to return to that subject.

BUPO is in no way a computer based on new and advanced technologies. The abbreviation stands for: Unit for the Control of the Mooring and Orientation. But the Mir-complex is no 'ship' that has to be 'docked' at any object, so immediately after knowing the meaning of that abbreviation the word 'mooring' (docking) bothered me. Orientation was no problem at all. But as I indicated in the head of this report it was indeed 'An egg of Columbus' , for BUPO is a very old movement control system which has been used from the first to the last Progress freighter. It was just an analogue control system developed for that what a Progress or a Progress-M had to do: to approach and dock well oriented and flawlessly to space stations like Salyut or Mir.

So BUPO is not a supplement of the for many years existing orientation system on board of Mir, so the Main Computer TsVM-1 of the Salyut-5B type and SUD, the system for movement (or: attitude control). That is system is not 'analogue' but 'digital' and so technologically more advanced than that poor BUPO. But of what avail BUPO would be in the unmanned status of the Mir-space station? In the unmanned status the power consumption has to be reduced to an absolute minimum. This can be achieved by switching off all unnecessary systems. Of course the normal orientation system is far from 'unnecessary', but the power consumption is considerable: the Main Computer itself, but also the gyrodynes, the 12 gyroscopes for a stable control are gluttons. In the unmanned status all control systems are switched off and the station is in the so called 'free drift' with a very modest spin, but so that some solar batteries can deliver enough power to keep the accumulator batteries charged.

But this can go wrong and then the functioning of the normal attitude control by the Main computer, SUD, gyrodynes, etc. to readjust the sun-angle of the solar batteries might be needed. For the power supply as well as for the correct attitude during dockings, for instance a Soyuz with a crew or the unmanned tanker Progress-M1, is compulsory.

But, and this often happened in the past, the attitude control by the main 'digital' system can fail. If a crew would be on board they could adjust the attitude during that 'free drift' with the use of steering rockets and eventually with the VDU, the external X-roll control thruster in the Sofora girder. But when there is no crew, then BUPO can do the job. With commands from earth BUPO can do with the whole complex what her colleagues used to do on board of Progress-ships: control the movements (attitude) by the efficient use of the steering rockets thus preventing a catastrophically uncontrolled situation. The 'digital' attitude control (so with the main computer, gyrodynes, etc.) and the BUPO never can work simultaneously. So it is always 'this or that'. So BUPO is not a supplement of the first system , but an alternative during the absence of a crew in case of failures of the first system.

Regularly TsUP checks Mir's telemetry and if they see that the accumulator batteries do not get enough power from the solar panels TsUP cannot immediately switch on the normal 'heavy calibre' system. To do that more power is needed. In that case BUPO can help using the steering rockets, eventually with the VDU, and correct the attitude so that there will be sufficient power to switch on the main movement control system and to activate the gyrodynes.

Now Progress-M42 is docked to Mir. Progress-M42 cannot do anything with the attitude control of the complex. Progress-M42 has solar panels, but the solar angle of these panels is not enough for a sufficient power supply. So now Progress-M42 gets power from the accu batteries in Mir. If TsUP wants to put Progress-M42 into an autonomous flight, for instance to dump the freighter into the atmosphere, they can undock her and after undocking the solar panels can be put into the right solar angle and pr-M42 can fly autonomously under control of her own BUPO by commands from earth..

The present situation: Both orientation systems are switched off. Still working are the Thermo regulation, the Telemetry and the Radio Command Channels.

There still is that mysterious small air leakage, which is now more mysterious for TsUP is no longer sure that the leakage is in the Kvant-2 module. TsUP is sure that if there will be another mission to Mir (still unsure due to the lack of money), the pressure will be high enough for the crew. It is also possible to add air (oxygen and nitrogen) from tanks (the so called 'ballony') Chris van den Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202.

The last signal from the Mars Global Surveyor orbiter is received after ten years of service. The spacecraft had shown a few glitches in the day before, and was believed to have encountered some kind of solar panel control or software problem that took it off-line after a pass behind Mars relative to the earth.

The astronauts emerged from the Quest hatch and rode the ISS Canadarm II 50 m out to the snagged P6 solar array. Parazynski cut a snagged wire and installed homemade stabilizers designed to strengthen the array's structure and stability in the vicinity of the damage. Wheelock helped from the truss by keeping an eye on the distance between Parazynski and the array. Afterwards they observed as ground controllers completed successful extension of the array.

First launch from Wenchang Space Centre in Hainan. The CZ-5 configuration used four large liquid strapon boosters around a central 5 metre diameter core stage, with a second stage consisting of a stepped cylinder similar in configuration to the Delta 4/H-2A second stages. On this mission a Yuanzheng-2 third stage was also installed. The payload was Shi Jian 17, an experimental communications technology satellite with a secondary experiment to observe orbital debris. After launch at 1243 UTC the CZ-5 second stage achieved a 170 km parking orbit at 1257 UTC. At 1307 UTC the second stage made a six-minute-long second burn to 178 x 29127 km x 19.5 deg. The YZ-2 separated at 1313 UTC and shortly afterwards made a burn to 212 x 35802 km x 19.5 deg. YZ-2 then coasted to apogee and restarted at 1836 UTC to place itself in near geosynchronous orbit. The SJ-17 payload separated at about 1855 UTC into a 35886 x 38811 km x 0.8 deg orbit and drifted around the GEO arc. On Nov 12 it entered a 35771 x 35804 km geostationary orbit over 162.9E.