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2008 Chronology

Chronology

345 events

2008 January 1

2008 January 2

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 01/02/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Love, Malenchenko, Tani, Whitson, Williams, Dave. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-120 ISS EO-16.

    CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. Additional Details: here....

2008 January 3

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 01/03/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Love, Malenchenko, Tani, Whitson, Williams, Dave. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-120 ISS EO-16.

    CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. Additional Details: here....

2008 January 4

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 01/04/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Love, Malenchenko, Tani, Whitson, Williams, Dave. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11.

    CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. Additional Details: here....

2008 January 5

2008 January 6

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 01/06/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Malenchenko, Tani, Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-120 ISS EO-16. Sunday -- off-duty day for CDR Whitson, FE-1 Malenchenko and FE-2 Tani (congratulations, Dan, to the nice write-up about you and your mom in today's Washington Post!).. Additional Details: here....

2008 January 7

2008 January 8

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 01/08/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Love, Malenchenko, Tani, Whitson, Williams, Dave. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-120 ISS EO-16, STS-122.

    CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. Additional Details: here....

2008 January 9

2008 January 10

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 01/10/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Malenchenko, Tani, Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-120 ISS EO-16, STS-122, STS-123.

    CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. Additional Details: here....

2008 January 11

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 01/11/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Love, Malenchenko, Tani, Whitson, Williams, Dave. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-120 ISS EO-16, STS-122.

    CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. Additional Details: here....

2008 January 12

2008 January 13

2008 January 14

  • First Messenger flyby of Mercury - . Nation: USA. Spacecraft: Messenger. The Messenger spacecraft flew by Mercury at 200 kilometers altitude at 19:04 GMT. This changed the craft's solar orbit to to 0.32 x 0.70 AU leading to further flybys and a final orbital capture in 2011..

2008 January 15

11:49 GMT - . Launch Site: Sea Launch Area. Launch Pad: KIR. Launch Platform: Odyssey. LV Family: Zenit. Launch Vehicle: Zenit-3SL.
  • Thuraya 3 - . Payload: BSS-GEM. Mass: 5,173 kg (11,404 lb). Nation: UAE. Agency: Thuraya. Manufacturer: Boeing. Program: Thuraya. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: HS 702. USAF Sat Cat: 32404 . COSPAR: 2008-001A. Apogee: 35,820 km (22,250 mi). Perigee: 35,756 km (22,217 mi). Inclination: 6.20 deg. Period: 1,436.20 min.

    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 16

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 01/16/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Love, Malenchenko, Tani, Whitson, Williams, Dave. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11.

    CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. Additional Details: here....

2008 January 17

  • Death of Werner Karl Dahm - . Nation: Germany, USA. Related Persons: Dahm. German-American aerodynamicist, worked at Peenemuende on A9/A10, A7, A4b, and Wasserfall winged missiles. Post-war completed studies, joined von Braun team in US as Head of Aerodynamics Analysis Branch, Aeroballistics Division, Huntsville..

2008 January 17

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 01/17/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Malenchenko, Tani, Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11.

    CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. Additional Details: here....

2008 January 18

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 01/18/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Malenchenko, Tani, Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-122.

    CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. Additional Details: here....

2008 January 19

2008 January 20

Launch Site: Balasore. LV Family: RH. Launch Vehicle: RH-200.
  • Meteorological Aeronomy mission - . Nation: India. Agency: ISRO. Apogee: 70 km (43 mi).

2008 January 21

Launch Vehicle: PSLV.
  • Tecsar - . Mass: 260 kg (570 lb). Nation: Israel. Agency: ISRO. Manufacturer: IAI. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military Radarsat. Spacecraft: Tecsar. USAF Sat Cat: 32476 . COSPAR: 2008-002A. Apogee: 580 km (360 mi). Perigee: 405 km (251 mi). Inclination: 41.00 deg. Period: 94.50 min. 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 22

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 01/22/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Love, Malenchenko, Tani, Whitson, Williams, Dave. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11.

    CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. Additional Details: here....

2008 January 23

2008 January 24

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 01/24/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Love, Malenchenko, Tani, Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-120 ISS EO-16.

    CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. Additional Details: here....

2008 January 25

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 01/25/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Eyharts, Malenchenko, Tani, Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11.

    CDR Whitson and FE-2 Tani started out with the daily reading of SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data accumulated during the night, for logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the SLEEP session file on the HRF-1 laptop for downlink. Additional Details: here....

2008 January 26

  • Death of Klaus Eduard Scheufelen - . Nation: Germany. Related Persons: Scheufelen.

    German engineer, V-2 test leader. At end of war headed development of Taifun unguided antiaircraft rocket, characterized as a 'desperation project'. Went to America after the war, working at Fort Bliss. Later returned to Germany and died in Lenningen in 2008.

2008 January 26

2008 January 27

2008 January 28

00:18 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-M/Briz-M.
  • Ekspress AM-33 - . Mass: 2,579 kg (5,685 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: Svyaz. Manufacturer: Cannes, Reshetnev bureau. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: KAUR-4. Spacecraft: Gals. USAF Sat Cat: 32478 . COSPAR: 2008-003A. Apogee: 35,795 km (22,241 mi). Perigee: 35,779 km (22,231 mi). Inclination: 0.0300 deg. Period: 1,436.12 min. 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 29

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 01/29/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Malenchenko, Tani, Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-120 ISS EO-16, STS-122, STS-124. FE-1 Malenchenko set up the pumping equipment and initiated (later closed out) the periodic transfer of urine from five EDV-U containers in the SM (Service Module) to the Rodnik BV2 tank of Progress M-62/27P.. Additional Details: here....

2008 January 30

09:56 GMT - .
  • EVA ISS EO-16-5 - . Crew: Tani, Whitson. EVA Duration: 0.30 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Tani, Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11. 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 January 31

2008 February 1

2008 February 1

Launch Site: Tilla. LV Family: Nodong 1. Launch Vehicle: Ghauri.

2008 February 2

2008 February 3

2008 February 5

13:03 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-U-PVB.
  • Progress M-63 - . Payload: Progress M s/n 363. Mass: 7,130 kg (15,710 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: RKA. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned logistics spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-120 ISS EO-16. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Progress M. Duration: 61.96 days. Decay Date: 2008-04-07 12:00:00 . USAF Sat Cat: 32484 . COSPAR: 2008-004A. Apogee: 339 km (210 mi). Perigee: 338 km (210 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.30 min. 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 6

2008 February 7

  • Death of Gay Ilich Severin - . Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Severin. Russian engineer. Chief Designer and General Designer from 1961 of OKB Zvezda. Specialised in spacesuits and EVA airlocks..

2008 February 7

19:45 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. LV Family: Shuttle. Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle.
  • STS-122 - . Call Sign: Atlantis. Crew: Eyharts, Frick, Love, Melvin, Poindexter, Schlegel, Walheim. Payload: Atlantis F29 / Columbus. Mass: 117,850 kg (259,810 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Eyharts, Frick, Love, Melvin, Poindexter, Schlegel, Walheim. Agency: NASA. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-120 ISS EO-16, STS-122, STS-122 ISS EO-16. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Atlantis. Duration: 12.77 days. Decay Date: 2008-02-20 14:07:00 . USAF Sat Cat: 32486 . COSPAR: 2008-005A. Apogee: 343 km (213 mi). Perigee: 329 km (204 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.20 min.

    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 8

2008 February 9

2008 February 10

  • STS-122 - Wakeup Song: Maenner - . Flight: STS-122. "Maenner" by German musician Herbert Groenemeyer for astronaut Hans Schlegel. “Maenner” translated is “Men.” Groenemeyer is also known for his portrayal of Lieutenant Werner in Wolfgang Petersen's movie Das Boot..

2008 February 10

2008 February 11

  • STS-122 - Wakeup Song: Fly Like An Eagle - . Flight: STS-122. "Fly Like An Eagle" ” written by Steve Miller, was played for Mission Specialist Leland Melvin on the day he will use the station's robotic arm to lift the Columbus research module from Atlantis' payload bay..

2008 February 11

11:34 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-M/Briz-M.
  • Thor 5 - . Mass: 1,940 kg (4,270 lb). Nation: Norway. Agency: ILS. Program: Thor Comsat. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: Star bus. USAF Sat Cat: 32487 . COSPAR: 2008-006A. Apogee: 35,796 km (22,242 mi). Perigee: 35,777 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Ku-band light geostationary satellite operated by Telenor Satellite Broadcasting..

2008 February 11

14:13 GMT - .
  • EVA STS-122-1 - . Crew: Love, Walheim. EVA Duration: 0.33 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Love, Walheim. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-122. 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 12

2008 February 12

  • STS-122 - Wakeup Song: Dream Come True - . Flight: STS-122. "Dream Come True" by Jim Brickman, was played for Mission Specialist Rex Walheim. "Doing a spacewalk certainly is a dream come true," Walheim radioed down to Mission Control..

2008 February 13

  • STS-122 - Wakeup Song: Oysters and Pearls - . Flight: STS-122. "Oysters and Pearls" by Jimmy Buffett, was played for Pilot Alan Poindexter..

2008 February 13

Launch Site: Sonmiani. LV Family: DF-11. Launch Vehicle: Ghaznavi.

2008 February 13

14:27 GMT - .

2008 February 14

2008 February 14

  • STS-122 - Wakeup Song: Consider Yourself at Home. - . Flight: STS-122. "Consider Yourself at Home." The song, which is from the musical Oliver!, was played for Mission Specialist Stanley Love. "That's a wonderful song, thanks so much for sending it," said Love, 42..

2008 February 15

  • STS-122 - Wakeup Song: Marmor Stein und Eisen Bricht. - . Flight: STS-122. "Marmor Stein und Eisen Bricht." The song's title translates as “Marble Breaks and Iron Bends.” It was played for Mission Specialist Hans Schlegel, a European Space Agency astronaut from Germany..

2008 February 15

13:07 GMT - .
  • EVA STS-122-3 - . Crew: Love, Walheim. EVA Duration: 0.31 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Love, Walheim. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-122. 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 16

2008 February 16

  • STS-122 - Wakeup Song: I Believe I Can Fly - . Flight: STS-122. "I Believe I Can Fly" performed by Yolanda Adams and Kenny G and played for Mission Specialist Leland Melvin..

2008 February 17

2008 February 17

  • STS-122 - Wakeup Song: Hail Thee, Harvey Mudd, - . Flight: STS-122. "Hail Thee, Harvey Mudd," the Harvey Mudd College anthem written by Amy Lewkowicz for Mission Specialist Stan Love. Love is a 1987 graduate of the Claremont, Calif., private math, science and engineering college..

2008 February 18

  • STS-122 - Wakeup Song: Over the Rainbow - . Flight: STS-122. "Over the Rainbow" What a Wonderful World,” sung by Hawaiian- Japanese vocalist Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.

2008 February 18

2008 February 19

  • STS-122 - Wakeup Song: Always Look on the Bright Side - . Flight: STS-122.

2008 February 19

2008 February 20

  • STS-122 - Wakeup Song: Hail to the Spirit of Liberty - . Flight: STS-122. "Hail to the Spirit of Liberty" by John Philip Sousa, for Pilot Alan Poindexter..

2008 February 20

14:07 GMT - .

2008 February 21

03:26 GMT - . Launch Site: Barking Sands. Launch Platform: CG-70. LV Family: Standard-ER. Launch Vehicle: SM-3.
  • US shoots down failed USA 193 satellite. - . Nation: USA. Agency: USN. Type: ABM. Decay Date: 2008-02-29 . 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.

2008 February 22

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 02/22/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Eyharts, Malenchenko, Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, Soyuz TMA-12 ISS EP-14, STS-122 ISS EO-16.

    Upon wakeup, FE-1 Yuri Malenchenko terminated his tenth MBI-12 SONOKARD experiment session, started last night, by taking the recording device from his SONOKARD sports shirt pocket and later copying the measurements to the RSE-MED laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground. Additional Details: here....

2008 February 23

08:55 GMT - . Launch Site: Tanegashima. LV Family: H-2. Launch Vehicle: H-IIA 2024.
  • Kizuna - . Payload: WINDS. Mass: 2,700 kg (5,900 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Mitsubishi. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: Kizuna. USAF Sat Cat: 32500 . COSPAR: 2008-007A. Apogee: 35,799 km (22,244 mi). Perigee: 35,775 km (22,229 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

    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 February 24

2008 February 25

2008 February 26

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 02/26/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Eyharts, Love, Malenchenko, Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-123. Concluding his first session with the NASA/JSC experiment NUTRITION w/Repository, FE-2 Eyharts completed the all-day Part 2, by collecting urine samples for 24 hrs, to continue through tomorrow morning.. Additional Details: here....

2008 February 27

2008 February 28

2008 February 29

2008 March 1

2008 March 2

2008 March 3

2008 March 4

  • ISS EO-16: Jules Verne ATV prepares for le voyage extraordinaire - . Program: ISS. When author Jules Verne imagined in 1865 the story that would become De la Terre à la Lune (From the Earth to the Moon), he envisioned a rocket that would launch people into space using a giant cannon to escape the Earth's gravity.. Additional Details: here....

2008 March 5

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 03/05/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Behnken, Eyharts, Foreman, Love, Malenchenko, Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-122, STS-122 ISS EO-16, STS-123, STS-124.

    In the COL (Columbus Orbital Laboratory), FE-2 Leo Eyharts had an hour allotted to perform troubleshooting on a structural element which earlier (2/17) had prevented installation of a K-BAR (Knee-Brace Assembly Replacement) capture mechanism on the overhead F2 rack, as required for relocating of the MSG (Microgravity Science Glovebox) and EXPRESS Rack 3 (ER3). Additional Details: here....

2008 March 6

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 03/06/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Eyharts, Gorie, Malenchenko, Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-122 ISS EO-16, STS-123.

    FE-1 Malenchenko started his day with an IFM (In-flight Maintenance) in the FGB (Funktsionalnyi-Grusovoi Blok), removing and replacing a sensor component of the SIT-9L Temperature Measuring System in the BR-9TsU-8 Radiotelemetry System (RTS) with a new unit, discarding the old box. Additional Details: here....

2008 March 7

2008 March 8

2008 March 9

04:03 GMT - . Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Complex: Kourou ELA3. LV Family: Ariane 5. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5ES.
  • ATV-1 Jules Verne - . Mass: 19,012 kg (41,914 lb). Nation: France. Agency: Arianespace. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned logistics spacecraft. Spacecraft: ATV. Duration: 204.39 days. Decay Date: 2008-09-29 . USAF Sat Cat: 32686 . COSPAR: 2008-008A. Apogee: 343 km (213 mi). Perigee: 336 km (208 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.30 min.

    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.

    Following extensive checkouts and maneuvering near the ISS, ATV Jules Verne docked at the aft end of ISS Zvezda module at 14:52 GMT on 3 April. While docked to the station, it was used several times to boost the station's orbit and to shift it in debris avoidance maneuvers. The ATV undocked from the ISS on 5 September and used a fuel-conserving 23 days to position itself for a safe re-entry over the South Pacific. Final destructive re-entry began at 13:30 GMT on 29 September.

2008 March 10

2008 March 11

  • STS-123 - Wakeup Song: Linus & Lucy - . Flight: STS-123. "Linus & Lucy" by Vince Guaraldi Trio. The song, which is from the album “Charlie Brown Christmas” was played for Mission Specialist Mike Foreman..

2008 March 11

06:28 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. LV Family: Shuttle. Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle.
  • STS-123 - . Call Sign: Endeavour. Crew: Behnken, Doi, Foreman, Gorie, Johnson, Gregory H, Linnehan, Reisman. Payload: Endeavour F21 / Dextre, Kibo ELM-PS. Mass: 118,950 kg (262,230 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Behnken, Doi, Foreman, Gorie, Johnson, Gregory H, Linnehan, Reisman. Agency: NASA. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-122 ISS EO-16, STS-123, STS-123 ISS EO-16. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Endeavour. Duration: 15.76 days. Decay Date: 2008-03-27 00:40:41 . USAF Sat Cat: 32699 . COSPAR: 2008-009A. Apogee: 346 km (214 mi). Perigee: 341 km (211 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.40 min.

    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 12

2008 March 12

  • STS-123 - Wakeup Song: Godzilla Versus Space Godzilla - . Flight: STS-123. "Godzilla Versus Space Godzilla" and the Blue Oyster Cult song “Godzilla.” The songs were played for Japanese Space Agency astronaut Takao Doi. "Good morning Endeavour. Doi san, ohayo gozaimasu," said Alvin Drew, shuttle spacecraft communicator..

2008 March 13

  • STS-123 - Wakeup Song: Saturday Night - . Flight: STS-123. "Saturday Night" by Bay City Rollers, was played for the station's newest crew member, Flight Engineer Garrett Reisman. "Just want to say that the song was an outstanding selection. Thank you very much," said Reisman..

2008 March 13

10:02 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC3E. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 411.
  • USA 200 - . Payload: Raven 5 / NROL-28. Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Surveillance. Type: ELINT. Spacecraft: Raven satellite. USAF Sat Cat: 32706 . COSPAR: 2008-010A. Apogee: 35,780 km (22,230 mi). Perigee: 1,112 km (690 mi). Inclination: 63.60 deg. Period: 720.00 min.

    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

  • STS-123 - Wakeup Song: Turn, Turn, Turn - . Flight: STS-123. "Turn, Turn, Turn" (To Everything There is a Season)” by The Byrds. The song was played for Mission Specialist Rick Linnehan..

2008 March 14

  • EVA STS-123-1 - . Crew: Linnehan, Reisman. EVA Duration: 0.30 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Linnehan, Reisman. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-123. 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 Complex: Baikonur LC200/39. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-M/Briz-M. FAILURE: Premature shutdown of Briz upper stage due to escape of turbine gases through a thin-walled tube.. Failed Stage: U.
  • AMC-14 - . Payload: A2100AXS. Mass: 4,140 kg (9,120 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: SES Americom. Manufacturer: Lockheed. Program: Americom. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: AS 2100. USAF Sat Cat: 32708 . COSPAR: 2008-011A. Apogee: 35,979 km (22,356 mi). Perigee: 35,592 km (22,115 mi). Inclination: 14.47 deg. Period: 1,436.03 min.

    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

  • Death of George David Low at Reston, Virginia. Cancer. - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Low. American engineer mission specialist astronaut 1984-1996. Son of former NASA administrator George M Low. 3 spaceflights, 29.8 days in space. Flew to orbit on STS-32 (1990), STS-43, STS-57..

2008 March 15

  • STS-123 - Wakeup Song: We're Going to be Friends - . Flight: STS-123.

    "We're Going to be Friends" by the White Stripes. The song was played for Mission Specialist Robert L. Behnken. "Thanks for that, Al," Robert Behnken replied. "Good morning to you as well, and thanks for that great wakeup music, that's one of my favorite".

2008 March 15

  • EVA STS-123-2 - . Crew: Foreman, Linnehan. EVA Duration: 0.30 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Foreman, Linnehan. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-123. 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 Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17A. Launch Pad: SLC17A. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Delta 7925-9.5.
  • USA 201 - . Payload: GPS 2R-19M / Navstar 62 / SVN 48. Mass: 2,032 kg (4,479 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft Bus: AS 4000. Spacecraft: GPS Block 2R. USAF Sat Cat: 32711 . COSPAR: 2008-012A. Apogee: 20,223 km (12,565 mi). Perigee: 20,142 km (12,515 mi). Inclination: 55.10 deg. Period: 718.00 min.

    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 16

2008 March 16

  • STS-123 - Wakeup Song: God of Wonders - . Flight: STS-123. "God of Wonders" by “Caedmon's Call”. The song was played for Endeavour's commander, Dominic Gorie..

2008 March 17

  • EVA STS-123-3 - . Crew: Behnken, Linnehan. EVA Duration: 0.31 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Behnken, Linnehan. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-123.

    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 17

  • STS-123 - Wakeup Song: Sharing the World - . Flight: STS-123. "Sharing the World" ” a song written by Pilot Gregory H. Johnson's brother..

2008 March 18

  • STS-123 - Wakeup Song: Hoshi Tsumugi no Uta - . Flight: STS-123. "Hoshi Tsumugi no Uta" , a Japanese song that translates to “Song of Spinning Stars”. The song was played for Mission Specialist Takao Doi, a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut..

2008 March 18

2008 March 19

  • STS-123 - Wakeup Song: Burning Love - . Flight: STS-123. "Burning Love" by Elvis Presley, played for Mission Specialist Mike Foreman..

2008 March 19

  • Death of Arthur C Clarke - . Nation: UK. Related Persons: Clarke. British writer. Leading science fiction writer, also wrote key books popularizing space travel in 1950's and 1960's. Created concept of geosynchronous communications satellite in 1946. Wrote 2001: A Space Odyssey..

2008 March 19

22:48 GMT - . Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Pad: 0.0 N x 154.0 W. Launch Platform: Odyssey. LV Family: Zenit. Launch Vehicle: Zenit-3SL.
  • DirecTV 11 - . Mass: 5,920 kg (13,050 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: DirecTV. Manufacturer: Boeing. Program: DirecTV. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: HS 702. USAF Sat Cat: 32729 . COSPAR: 2008-013A. Apogee: 35,788 km (22,237 mi). Perigee: 35,787 km (22,236 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

    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 - . Crew: Behnken, Foreman. EVA Duration: 0.27 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Behnken, Foreman. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-123. 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 20

  • STS-123 - Wakeup Song: Blue Sky - . Flight: STS-123. "Blue Sky" by Big Head Todd and the Monsters, was played for Mission Specialist Rick Linnehan, who will serve as the spacewalk coordinator for today's 6.5-hour-long excursion by Mission Specialists Robert L. Behnken and Mike Foreman..

2008 March 21

  • STS-123 - Wakeup Song: Enter Sandman - . Flight: STS-123. "Enter Sandman" performed by Metallica. The song was played for Mission Specialist Robert L. Behnken..

2008 March 21

2008 March 22

  • STS-123 - Wakeup Song: I Loved Her First - . Flight: STS-123. "I Loved Her First" Her First”. The song was played for Endeavour Commander Dominic Gorie..

2008 March 22

  • EVA STS-123-5 - . Crew: Behnken, Foreman. EVA Duration: 0.25 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Behnken, Foreman. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-123.

    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 23

2008 March 23

  • STS-123 - Wakeup Song: I am Free - . Flight: STS-123. "I am Free" ” The song was played for Mission Specialist Mike Foreman and performed by the Friendswood United Methodist Church Praise Team at his church..

2008 March 24

2008 March 24

  • STS-123 - Wakeup Song: Furusato - . Flight: STS-123. "Furusato" ” a Japanese folksong that translates to “home”.

2008 March 25

  • STS-123 - Wakeup Song: Con Te Partiro - . Flight: STS-123. "Con Te Partiro" an Italian song that translates to “I will go with you.”.

2008 March 25

2008 March 26

  • STS-123 - Wakeup Song: Drops of Jupiter - . Flight: STS-123. "Drops of Jupiter" by Train was played for Pilot Gregory H. Johnson..

2008 March 26

2008 March 27

00:39 GMT - .

2008 March 27

17:15 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: Plesetsk LC132/1. LV Family: R-14. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 11K65M.
  • SAR-Lupe 4 - . Mass: 730 kg (1,600 lb). Nation: Germany. Agency: KVR. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military Radarsat. Spacecraft: SAR-Lupe. USAF Sat Cat: 32750 . COSPAR: 2008-014A. Apogee: 502 km (311 mi). Perigee: 471 km (292 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 94.30 min. 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..

2008 March 28

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 03/28/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Anderson, Clayton, Malenchenko, Reisman, Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-117 ISS EO-15, STS-123 ISS EO-16.

    As per his voluntary 'job jar' task list, after wakeup and before breakfast FE-2 Garrett Reisman completed his first session with the SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment software for data logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the experiment's laptop session file on the HRF-1 laptop. Additional Details: here....

2008 March 29

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 03/29/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Drew, Love, Malenchenko, Reisman, Whitson, Yi Soyeon. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-123.

    Per his voluntary 'job jar' task list, after wakeup and before breakfast FE-2 Garrett Reisman completed his second session with the SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment software for data logging and filling in questionnaire entries in the experiment's laptop session file on the HRF-1 laptop. Additional Details: here....

2008 Mar 29?

Launch Site: NAMFI. LV Family: Super Loki. Launch Vehicle: STAR.
  • PAC-2 target - . Nation: Europe. Agency: NAMFI. Type: ABM Target. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi).

2008 Mar 29?

Launch Site: NAMFI. LV Family: Super Loki. Launch Vehicle: STAR.
  • PAC-2 target - . Nation: Europe. Agency: NAMFI. Type: ABM Target. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi).

2008 Mar 29?

Launch Site: NAMFI. LV Family: Super Loki. Launch Vehicle: STAR.
  • PAC-2 target - . Nation: Europe. Agency: NAMFI. Type: ABM Target. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi).

2008 Mar 29?

Launch Site: NAMFI. LV Family: Super Loki. Launch Vehicle: STAR.
  • PAC-2 target - . Nation: Europe. Agency: NAMFI. Type: ABM Target. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi).

2008 March 30

2008 March 31

2008 April 1

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 04/01/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Malenchenko, Reisman, Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, Soyuz TMA-12 ISS EP-14, STS-123, STS-123 ISS EO-16.

    From the US voluntary 'job jar' task list, after wakeup and before breakfast CDR Whitson and FE-2 Reisman downloaded the SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data from their Actiwatches to the HRF-1 (Human Research Facility 1) laptop, changed the lithium battery in Peggy's Actiwatch and initialized both their watches. Additional Details: here....

2008 April 1

12:20 GMT - . Launch Site: Kiruna. LV Family: Hawk. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion.
  • SSC APR ONE - . Nation: Sweden. Agency: SSC. Apogee: 101 km (62 mi).

2008 April 2

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 04/02/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Love, Malenchenko, Reisman, Tani, Whitson, Yi Soyeon. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-120 ISS EO-16.

    From the US voluntary 'job jar' task list, after wakeup and before breakfast, CDR Whitson and FE-2 Reisman downloaded the SLEEP (Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure during Spaceflight) experiment data from their Actiwatches to the HRF-1 (Human Research Facility 1) laptop. Additional Details: here....

2008 April 3

  • ISS EO-16: ATV Jules Verne Docks with Station - . Program: ISS. The Jules Verne, the first European Space Agency Automated Transfer Vehicle, docked to the aft port of the International Space Station's Zvezda Service Module at 10:45 a.m. EDT Thursday. . Additional Details: here....

2008 April 4

2008 April 5

2008 April 6

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 04/06/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Malenchenko, Reisman, Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11. Sunday -- off-duty day for CDR Whitson, FE-1 Malenchenko and FE-2 Reisman except for housekeeping and voluntary work.. Additional Details: here....

2008 April 7

2008 April 8

11:16 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-FG.
  • Soyuz TMA-12 - . Call Sign: Eridanus. Crew: Kononenko, Volkov, Sergey, Yi Soyeon. Return Crew: Garriott, Richard, Kononenko, Volkov, Sergey. Payload: Soyuz TMA s/n 222. Mass: 7,200 kg (15,800 lb). Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Garriott, Richard, Kononenko, Volkov, Sergey, Yi Soyeon. Agency: RKA. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TMA-12, STS-123 ISS EO-16. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Soyuz TMA. Duration: 198.54 days. Decay Date: 2008-04-19 08:29:00 . USAF Sat Cat: 32756 . COSPAR: 2008-015A. Apogee: 343 km (213 mi). Perigee: 336 km (208 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.30 min.

    Launched the EO-17 long-duration crew to replace the EO-16 crew. The commander was the son of cosmonaut Aleksandr Volkov. Also aboard was Oleg Kononenko (no relation to the 1970's Buran pilot of the same name) and Korean astronaut Yi Soyeon. Soyuz TMA-12 docked at the Pirs module of the International Space Station on 2008 Apr 10 at 12:57 GMT on 10 April. Volkov and Kononenko stayed aboard as the EO-17 long duration crew. Yi returned to earth with the EO-16 crew aboard Soyuz TMA-11. Soyuz TMA-12 undocked on 24 October at 00:16 GMT with the EO-17 crew of Kononenko and Volkov, plus space tourist Richard Garriott, aboard. They landed safely at 03:37 GMT.

2008 April 9

2008 April 10

2008 April 11

2008 April 12

2008 April 13

  • Death of Vladimir Mkrtychovich Gevorkyan at Moscow, Russia - . Nation: Armenia, Russia. Related Persons: Gevorkyan. Armenian-Russian engineer cosmonaut, 1978-1987. Graduated from Bauman Technical Higher School, Moscow, 1975 Civilian Engineer, Chelomei OKB. From 1991 General Director of Science Corporation "Terra"..

2008 April 13

2008 April 14

20:12 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC41. Launch Pad: SLC41. LV Family: Atlas V. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V 421.
  • ICO G1 - . Mass: 6,600 kg (14,500 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: FS-1300. USAF Sat Cat: 32763 . COSPAR: 2008-016A. Apogee: 35,800 km (22,200 mi). Perigee: 35,774 km (22,228 mi). Inclination: 6.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. The satellite was to provide mobile communications services for ICO Global Communications, a successor company to Teledesic..

2008 April 15

2008 April 16

17:02 GMT - . Launch Site: Kwajalein. Launch Pad: RW06/24. Launch Platform: L-1011. LV Family: Pegasus. Launch Vehicle: Pegasus XL.
  • C/NOFS - . Mass: 395 kg (870 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: McLean. Class: Earth. Type: Seismology satellite. Spacecraft: C/NOFS. Decay Date: 2015-11-28 . USAF Sat Cat: 32765 . COSPAR: 2008-017A. Apogee: 852 km (529 mi). Perigee: 405 km (251 mi). Inclination: 13.00 deg. Period: 97.30 min.

    The C/NOFS (Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System) satellite flew the US Defence Department's Space Test Program P00-3 space weather forecasting mission. The L-1011 launch aircraft staged from Kwajalein atoll to a release point for the Pegasus booster somewhere over the Pacific at 10.5229 N 167.7562 E. The research satellite carring ionospheric instruments, including Aerospace Corporation's CORISS receiver which used GPS signals to determine electron densities in the ionosphere, and the Naval Research Laboratory's CERTO ionospheric radio beacon. The spacecraft was built by General Dynamics C4 Systems (former Spectrum Astro) and was managed by DoD-STP and the Air Force Research Lab. The objective was to provide data that would allow better forecasts of ionospheric scintillation which causes problems with communications and GPS signals. The satellite deployed six 10-meter booms after release from the final booster stage. Air dropped in Kwajalein Drop Zone.

2008 April 17

2008 April 18

22:17 GMT - . Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Complex: Kourou ELA3. LV Family: Ariane 5. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5ECA.
  • Vinasat 1 - . Payload: A2100A. Mass: 6,740 kg (14,850 lb). Nation: Vietnam. Agency: Arianespace. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: AS 2100. USAF Sat Cat: 32767 . COSPAR: 2008-018A. Apogee: 35,789 km (22,238 mi). Perigee: 35,787 km (22,236 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.20 min. First satellite launched by Vietnam. The Vietnam Post and Telecom Corporation communications satellite was equipped with C and Ku band payloads..
  • Star One C2 - . Payload: Spacebus 3000B3. Mass: 4,100 kg (9,000 lb). Nation: Brazil. Agency: Arianespace. Program: Brasilsat. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Spacebus 3000. USAF Sat Cat: 32768 . COSPAR: 2008-018B. Apogee: 35,790 km (22,230 mi). Perigee: 35,785 km (22,235 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Communications satellite owned by Brazilian operator Star One with C, Ku and X-band transponders.

2008 April 19

08:29 GMT - .

2008 April 20

2008 April 21

  • ISS EO-16: Expedition 16 Crew Lands in Kazakhstan - . Commander Peggy Whitson and cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko of the 16th International Space Station crew landed on the steppes of Kazakhstan around 4:30 a.m. EDT Saturday after 192 days in space.. Additional Details: here....

2008 April 22

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 04/22/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Kononenko, Love, Reisman, Volkov, Sergey, Yi Soyeon. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-12, Soyuz TMA-12 ISS EP-14, STS-122, STS-123 ISS EO-16.

    FE-1 Kononenko performed major periodic replacements on the SM(Service Module)'s ASU toilet facility, changing out replaceable parts with new components, such as a sensor unit (A8A-9060), two receptacles (PR and MP), four hoses, a T-connector, an elbow fitting, an indicator, a filter insert (F-V), and the pretreat container (E-K) with its hose. Additional Details: here....

2008 April 23

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 04/23/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Kononenko, Love, Reisman, Volkov, Sergey, Yurchikhin. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-10.

    Before breakfast, CDR Volkov, FE-1 Kononenko and FE-2 Reisman began their workday with the periodic session of the Russian biomedical routine assessments PZEh-MO-7/Calf Volume Measurement and PZEh-MO-8/Body Mass Measurement (first for CDR and FE-1, second for FE-2), using the IM mass measurement device which Oleg Kononenko afterwards broke down for stowage. Additional Details: here....

2008 April 24

2008 April 25

15:35 GMT - . Launch Site: Xichang. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 3C.
  • Tian Lian 1 - . Payload: DFH 76. Mass: 5,100 kg (11,200 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: DFH-4. USAF Sat Cat: 32779 . COSPAR: 2008-019A. Apogee: 35,806 km (22,248 mi). Perigee: 35,768 km (22,225 mi). Inclination: 0.40 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

    China's first in a series of new data relay satellites, and the first launch of the CZ-3C, a variant of the Long March with two liquid strap-ons. The satellite will relay data from Chinese manned and military satellites, beginning with the Shenzhou mission, from geostationary orbit at 77 deg E. Configuration unknown, but possibly based on the DFH-4 platform.

2008 April 26

22:16 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-FG.
  • Giove-B - . Payload: GSTB-V2/B. Mass: 530 kg (1,160 lb). Nation: Europe. Agency: Starsem. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft: SSTL-900. USAF Sat Cat: 32781 . COSPAR: 2008-020A. Apogee: 23,244 km (14,443 mi). Perigee: 23,104 km (14,356 mi). Inclination: 56.00 deg. Period: 842.60 min.

    Second European Galileo navigation system test satellite. The booster placed the Giove/Fregat stack on a suborbital trajectory. The Fregat stage then burned to enter a a 170 km parking orbit. The stage burned at least twice more before releasing the satellite into its operational orbit. Retired in 2012 as the production models went on-line.

2008 April 27

2008 April 28

03:53 GMT - . Launch Site: Sriharikota. Launch Complex: Sriharikota SLP. Launch Vehicle: PSLV.
  • Cartosat 2A - . Mass: 768 kg (1,693 lb). Nation: India. Agency: ISRO. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military Radarsat. Spacecraft: IRS. USAF Sat Cat: 32783 . COSPAR: 2008-021A. Apogee: 645 km (400 mi). Perigee: 623 km (387 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.40 min. Primary payload, an imaging satellite with a spatial resolution of better than one metre and a swath of 9.6 km. Data from the satellite was to be used for detailed mapping..
  • Can X-6 - . Nation: Canada. Agency: ISRO. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: Can X. USAF Sat Cat: 32784 . COSPAR: 2008-021B. Apogee: 638 km (396 mi). Perigee: 615 km (382 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.20 min. Nanosat built by University of Toronto Institiute of Aerospace Studies and Com Dev International; carried a payload for relaying identification beacon data from shipping..
  • Cute-1.7-APD-II - . Mass: 4.00 kg (8.80 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: ISRO. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 32785 . COSPAR: 2008-021C. Apogee: 635 km (394 mi). Perigee: 615 km (382 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.20 min. 2U cubesat for Tokyo Institute of Technology. Separation system demonstration and Avalanche Photo Diode sensor experiment. Successful..
  • IMS 1 - . Mass: 60 kg (132 lb). Nation: India. Agency: ISRO. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military Radarsat. Spacecraft: IMS. USAF Sat Cat: 32786 . COSPAR: 2008-021D. Apogee: 638 km (396 mi). Perigee: 620 km (380 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.30 min. Indian Mini Satellite, a small imaging satellite..
  • Compass 1 - . Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: Germany. Agency: ISRO. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 32787 . COSPAR: 2008-021E. Apogee: 636 km (395 mi). Perigee: 614 km (381 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.20 min. 1U cubesat for Fachhochschule Aachen nanosat. Demonstration of commercial off-the-shelf components and taking photos. Successful..
  • AAUSat-II - . Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: Denmark. Agency: ISRO. Class: Astronomy. Type: X-ray astronomy satellite. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 32788 . COSPAR: 2008-021F. Apogee: 636 km (395 mi). Perigee: 614 km (381 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.20 min. University of Aalborg 1U cubesat; carried a gamma ray burst detector for the Danish National Space Center. Successful..
  • Delfi-C3 - . Mass: 5.00 kg (11.00 lb). Nation: Netherlands. Agency: ISRO. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 32789 . COSPAR: 2008-021G. Apogee: 636 km (395 mi). Perigee: 614 km (381 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.20 min. Technical University of Delft 3U cubesat. On-orbit testing of thin film solar cells (TFSC) and autonomous wireless sun sensor (AWSS). Demonstrated the world's first linear amateur radio transponder on a CubeSat..
  • Can X-2 - . Mass: 2.00 kg (4.40 lb). Nation: Canada. Agency: ISRO. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 32790 . COSPAR: 2008-021H. Apogee: 635 km (394 mi). Perigee: 615 km (382 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.20 min. 3U cubesat for University of Toronto, Canada. Mission: Technology demonstrator for formation flying. Successful..
  • SEEDS 2 - . Mass: 1.00 kg (2.20 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: ISRO. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: Cubesat. USAF Sat Cat: 32791 . COSPAR: 2008-021J. Apogee: 637 km (395 mi). Perigee: 614 km (381 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.20 min. 1U cubesat for Nihon University, Japan. Amateur radio experiments and preprogrammed message sending. Successful..
  • Rubin-8-AIS - . Nation: India. Agency: ISRO. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Rubin. USAF Sat Cat: 32792 . COSPAR: 2008-021K. Apogee: 662 km (411 mi). Perigee: 619 km (384 mi). Inclination: 97.90 deg. Period: 97.50 min. Remained attached to PSLV final stage; carried a payload for relaying identification beacon data from shipping..

2008 April 28

05:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: Zenit. Launch Vehicle: Zenit-3SLB.
  • Amos 3 - . Mass: 1,250 kg (2,750 lb). Nation: Israel. Agency: SIS. Program: Amos. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: Amos. USAF Sat Cat: 32794 . COSPAR: 2008-022A. Apogee: 35,788 km (22,237 mi). Perigee: 35,784 km (22,235 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Communications satellite. The Block DM stage made three burns to deliver the payload into geostationary orbit..

2008 April 29

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 04/29/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Kononenko, Love, Reisman, Volkov, Sergey. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-123 ISS EO-16. CDR Volkov worked a major IFM (Inflight Maintenance) in replacing the compressor unit of the Russian SKV-2 air conditioner with a spare, after first verifying deactivation of SKV-2 and the associated NOK-2 condensate evacuation pump.. Additional Details: here....

2008 April 30

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 04/30/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Kononenko, Love, Reisman, Volkov, Sergey. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-12, STS-122, STS-123 ISS EO-16, STS-124.

    Upon wake-up, FE-1 Kononenko terminated his first MBI-12 SONOKARD experiment session, started last night, by taking the recording device from his SONOKARD sports shirt pocket and later copying the measurements to the RSE-MED laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground. Additional Details: here....

2008 May 1

2008 May 2

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 05/02/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Kononenko, Love, Reisman, Volkov, Sergey. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-12, STS-123 ISS EO-16, STS-124.

    CDR Sergey Volkov conducted the periodic auditing and restocking of the Russian SSVP (Docking and Internal Transfer System) accessory kits, located in the Soyuz BO (Orbital Compartment), FGB GA (Pressurized Adapter), FGB PGO (Instrumentation Cargo Compartment), Service Module PrK (SM Transfer Compartment), and DC1 (Docking Compartment). Additional Details: here....

2008 May 3

2008 May 4

2008 May 5

2008 May 6

2008 May 7

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 05/07/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Kononenko, Reisman, Volkov, Sergey. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-12, STS-123 ISS EO-16, STS-124. FE-1 Kononenko completed the periodic servicing of the active Russian BMP (Harmful Impurities Removal System) by starting the "bake-out" cycle to vacuum on absorbent bed #1 of the regenerable dual-channel filtration system.. Additional Details: here....

2008 May 8

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 05/08/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Kononenko, Love, Reisman, Volkov, Sergey. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-12, STS-122, STS-123 ISS EO-16.

    Hint: watch tonight's 'The Colbert Report' on Comedy Central, at 11:30pm EDT! Before breakfast, CDR Volkov, FE-1 Kononenko and FE-2 Reisman began their workday with the periodic session of the Russian biomedical routine assessments PZEh-MO-7/Calf Volume Measurement (second for CDR and FE-1, third for FE-2. Additional Details: here....

2008 May 9

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 05/09/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Kononenko, Reisman, Volkov, Sergey. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-123 ISS EO-16. Off-duty holiday for the crew: Russia's Victory Day, one of the most sacred national holidays for the Russian people, commemorating the dozens of millions of their countrymen fallen in the Great Patriotic War (World War II).. Additional Details: here....

2008 May 9

  • Death of Dr Ronald Anthony 'Ron' Parise at Silver Spring, Maryland - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Parise. American astronomer payload specialist astronaut 1984-1995. 2 spaceflights, 25.6 days in space. Flew to orbit on STS-35 (1990), STS-67..

2008 May 10

2008 May 11

2008 May 12

2008 May 13

2008 May 14

20:23 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-U-PVB.
  • Progress M-64 - . Payload: Progress M s/n 364. Mass: 7,056 kg (15,555 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: RKA. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned logistics spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TMA-12, STS-123 ISS EO-16. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Progress M. Duration: 137.02 days. Decay Date: 2008-09-08 . USAF Sat Cat: 32847 . COSPAR: 2008-023A. Apogee: 343 km (213 mi). Perigee: 336 km (208 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.30 min.

    Unmanned space station resupply mission. Docked with the International Space Station at the Zarya port on 16 May. Undocked on 1 September at 19:47 GMT. It then flew for a week in independent orbit, carrying out the Plazma-Progress experiment. On 8 September at 20:47 GMT it was deorbited to destruction over the Pacific Ocean.

2008 May 15

2008 May 16

  • ISS EO-17: Progress Docks to Space Station - . A new Progress cargo carrier docked to the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station's Zarya module at 5:39 p.m. EDT Friday with more than 2.3 tons of fuel, oxygen, air, water, propellant and other supplies and equipment aboard. . Additional Details: here....

2008 May 17

2008 May 18

2008 May 19

2008 May 20

2008 May 21

09:43 GMT - . Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Pad: 0.0 N x 154.0 W. Launch Platform: Odyssey. LV Family: Zenit. Launch Vehicle: Zenit-3SL.
  • Galaxy 18 - . Mass: 4,642 kg (10,233 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Intelsat. Program: Galaxy. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: FS-1300. USAF Sat Cat: 32951 . COSPAR: 2008-024A. Apogee: 35,799 km (22,244 mi). Perigee: 35,774 km (22,228 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Intelsat communications satellite, located at 123° W as a replacement for Galaxy 10R. 24 C-band, and 24 Ku-band transponders serving North American customers..

2008 May 22

2008 May 23

15:20 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: Plesetsk LC133/3. LV Family: UR-100N. Launch Vehicle: Rokot.
  • Yubileyniy - . Mass: 220 kg (480 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: KVR. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: Strela-3. USAF Sat Cat: 32953 . COSPAR: 2008-025A. Apogee: 1,508 km (937 mi). Perigee: 1,480 km (910 mi). Inclination: 82.50 deg. Period: 115.80 min. Test satellite with an amateur radio payload to commemorate (belatedly) the 50th anniversary of Sputnik..
  • Cosmos 2437 - . Mass: 220 kg (480 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: KVR. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: Strela-3. USAF Sat Cat: 32954 . COSPAR: 2008-025B. Apogee: 1,510 km (930 mi). Perigee: 1,480 km (910 mi). Inclination: 82.50 deg. Period: 115.90 min. Three Gonets store/dump communications satellites lofted in a single launch..
  • Cosmos 2438 - . Mass: 220 kg (480 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: KVR. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: Strela-3. USAF Sat Cat: 32955 . COSPAR: 2008-025C. Apogee: 1,508 km (937 mi). Perigee: 1,477 km (917 mi). Inclination: 82.50 deg. Period: 115.80 min.
  • Cosmos 2439 - . Mass: 220 kg (480 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: KVR. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: Strela-3. USAF Sat Cat: 32956 . COSPAR: 2008-025D. Apogee: 1,509 km (937 mi). Perigee: 1,479 km (919 mi). Inclination: 82.50 deg. Period: 115.80 min.

2008 May 24

2008 May 25

  • Death of Ernst Stuhlinger - . Nation: Germany, USA. Related Persons: Stuhlinger. German-American engineer. Member of the German Rocket Team in the United States after WW2..

2008 May 25

  • Mars Phoenix landed on Mars - . Spacecraft: Phoenix.

    The spacecraft successfully landed at 23:38 GMT at the edge of the expected landing area in the Mars polar region of Vastitas Borealis. It was the first successful soft landing outside of the earth since the 1970's (excepting touchdowns on asteroids or comets).

2008 May 26

2008 May 27

03:02 GMT - . Launch Site: Taiyuan. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 4C.
  • FY-3A - . Mass: 1,500 kg (3,300 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Earth. Type: Weather satellite. Spacecraft: FY-3. USAF Sat Cat: 32958 . COSPAR: 2008-026A. Apogee: 828 km (514 mi). Perigee: 826 km (513 mi). Inclination: 98.80 deg. Period: 101.40 min. Polar orbiting weather satellite. The FY-3 series will replace the older FY-1 polar system..

2008 May 28

2008 May 29

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 05/29/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Fossum, Garan, Ham, Kononenko, Reisman, Volkov, Sergey. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-12, STS-123 ISS EO-16, STS-124.

    Upon wake-up, CDR Sergey Volkov terminated his third MBI-12 SONOKARD experiment session for the long-term Russian sleep study, by taking the recording device from his SONOKARD sports shirt pocket and later copying the measurements to the RSE-MED laptop for subsequent downlink to the ground. Additional Details: here....

2008 May 30

2008 May 31

21:02 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. LV Family: Shuttle. Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle.
  • STS-124 - . Call Sign: Discovery. Crew: Chamitoff, Fossum, Garan, Ham, Hoshide, Kelly, Mark, Nyberg. Payload: Discovery F34 / Kibo PM / ISS-1J. Mass: 119,190 kg (262,760 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Chamitoff, Fossum, Garan, Ham, Hoshide, Kelly, Mark, Nyberg. Agency: NASA. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: Soyuz TMA-12, STS-123 ISS EO-16, STS-124, STS-124 ISS EO-17. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Discovery. Duration: 13.76 days. Decay Date: 2008-06-14 . USAF Sat Cat: 32960 . COSPAR: 2008-027A. Apogee: 351 km (218 mi). Perigee: 338 km (210 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.40 min.

    Discovery delivered to the International Space Station the Kibo Pressurized Module, the primary element of the Japanese portion of the station. Half an earth away from jettison of external tank ET-128, a 76 m/s OMS-2 burn at 21:40 GMT put the Shuttle in its low-altitude chase lorbit. Discovery docked at the PMA-2 port of the station at 18:03 GMT on 2 June. Using the shuttle and station's robotic arms, with assistance from spacewalking astronauts, the Kibo module was attached to the station's Harmony module at 23:01 GMT on 4 June. The previously-delivered Japanese Logistics Module was transferred from Harmony to Kibo on 6 June at 20:04 GMT. The Shuttle undocked from the station on 11 June at GMT and landed on 14 June at 15:15 GMT at the Kennedy Space Center.

2008 June 1

  • STS-124 - Wakeup Song: Your Wildest Dreams - . Flight: STS-124. "Your Wildest Dreams" by the Moody Blues. The song was played for Pilot Ken Ham..

2008 June 1

  • STS-124 MCC Status Report #02 - . Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-124. The seven members of shuttle Discovery began their first full day in space this morning, waking up to “Your Wildest Dreams” by the Moody Blues. The song was played for Pilot Ken Ham. . Additional Details: here....

2008 June 2

  • STS-124 MCC Status Report #04 - . Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-124. The massive Kibo laboratory is one step closer to its final destination as the shuttle Discovery is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station at 12:54 p.m. CDT today.. Additional Details: here....

2008 June 2

  • STS-124 - Wakeup Song: Away from Home - . Flight: STS-124. "Away from Home" performed by Jose Molina Serrano. The song was played for Mission Specialist Greg Chamitoff..

2008 June 3

  • EVA STS-124-1 - . Crew: Fossum, Garan. EVA Duration: 0.28 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Fossum, Garan. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-12, STS-124. Transferred the OBSS back to the shuttle. Prepared the Japanese Kibo module for installation. Replaced a bearing assembly on the failed starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint..

2008 June 3

  • STS-124 - Wakeup Song: Hold Me with the Robot Arm - . Flight: STS-124. "Hold Me with the Robot Arm" performed by Yusuke Hanawa. The song was played for Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Aki Hoshide..

2008 June 4

  • STS-124 - Wakeup Song: Have You Ever - . Flight: STS-124. "Have You Ever" performed by Brandi Carlile. The song was played for Mission Specialist Karen Nyberg..

2008 June 4

  • STS-124 MCC Status Report #08 - . Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-124. The crew of STS-124 and Expedition 17 will focus on continuing the setup and initialization of the Kibo laboratory today. . Additional Details: here....

2008 June 5

  • STS-124 - Wakeup Song: Fly Away - . Flight: STS-124. "Fly Away" by Lenny Kravitz was played for Mission Specialist Ron Garan..

2008 June 5

  • EVA STS-124-2 - . Crew: Fossum, Garan. EVA Duration: 0.30 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Fossum, Garan. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-12, STS-124. Continued installation work on the Kibo module and began replacment of the starboard nitrogen tank assembly..

2008 June 5

  • Death of Jan Dietrich. Natural causes. - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Dietrich. American pilot, one of the Mercury 13 female astronauts proposed in 1961, but never entered training..

2008 June 6

  • STS-124 MCC Status Report #12 - . Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-124. The crews of Discovery and Expedition 17 will work today to relocate the Japanese Logistics Module (JLM) to its permanent home on top of the newly installed Japanese Pressurized Module (JPM) of the Kibo laboratory. . Additional Details: here....

2008 June 6

  • STS-124 - Wakeup Song: Bright as Yellow - . Flight: STS-124. "Bright as Yellow" by Innocence Mission was played for Mission Specialist Karen Nyberg..

2008 June 7

  • STS-124 MCC Status Report #14 - . Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-124. The crew of Discovery began its eighth flight day this morning to the song “Taking Off.” It was performed by Godaigo and played for Mission Specialist Aki Hoshide. . Additional Details: here....

2008 June 7

  • STS-124 - Wakeup Song: Taking Off - . Flight: STS-124. "Taking Off" by Godaigo was played for Mission Specialist Akihiko Hoshide..

2008 June 8

  • STS-124 - Wakeup Song: The Mickey Mouse Club - . Flight: STS-124. "The Mickey Mouse Club" was played for the STS- 124 crew..

2008 June 8

2008 June 9

  • STS-124 - Wakeup Song: The Spirit of Aggieland - . Flight: STS-124. "The Spirit of Aggieland" performed by the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band was played for Mission Specialist Mike Fossum..

2008 June 9

  • STS-124 MCC Status Report #19 - . Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-124. Discovery's crew completed the major work on the Japanese Kibo laboratory that was planned for the STS-124 mission to the International Space Station.. Additional Details: here....

2008 June 9

12:15 GMT - . Launch Site: Xichang. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 3B.
  • Zhongxing 9 - . Payload: Chinasat 9 / Spacebus 4000C2. Mass: 5,054 kg (11,142 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Program: Chinasat. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: Spacebus 4000. USAF Sat Cat: 33051 . COSPAR: 2008-028A. Apogee: 35,804 km (22,247 mi). Perigee: 35,770 km (22,220 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Launched to support Olympic games; 22 J-band transponders; positioned at 92.2 deg E..

2008 June 10

  • STS-124 - Wakeup Song: All Because of You - . Flight: STS-124. "All Because of You" by U2 was played for Mission Specialist Ron Garan..

2008 June 10

  • STS-124 MCC Status Report #20 - . Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-124. The crew of Discovery has begun its last day of joint operations with the International Space Station.. Additional Details: here....

2008 June 11

  • STS-124 - Wakeup Song: Centerfield - . Flight: STS-124. "Centerfield" by John Fogerty was played for Pilot Ken Ham..

2008 June 11

  • STS-124 MCC Status Report #22 - . Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-124. The crew of Discovery is a few hours away from undocking after almost nine days at the International Space Station. . Additional Details: here....

2008 June 11

16:05 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17B. Launch Pad: SLC17B. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Delta 7920H.
  • Fermi Gamma Ray Space Telescope - . Payload: SA-200HP. Mass: 500 kg (1,100 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Astronomy. Type: Gamma ray astronomy satellite. Spacecraft: SA-200. USAF Sat Cat: 33053 . COSPAR: 2008-029A. Apogee: 562 km (349 mi). Perigee: 542 km (336 mi). Inclination: 25.60 deg. Period: 95.70 min. Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope; renamed Fermi GST after launch..

2008 June 12

  • STS-124 - Wakeup Song: Crystal Frontier - . Flight: STS-124. "Crystal Frontier" by Calexico was played for Commander Mark Kelly..

2008 June 12

  • STS-124 MCC Status Report #24 - . Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-124. The crew of Discovery will enjoy some off-duty time this morning after yesterday's undocking from the International Space Station.. Additional Details: here....

2008 June 12

22:05 GMT - . Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Complex: Kourou ELA3. LV Family: Ariane 5. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5ECA.
  • Skynet 5C - . Payload: Eurostar 3000S. Mass: 4,638 kg (10,225 lb). Nation: UK. Agency: Arianespace. Program: Skynet. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: Eurostar 3000. USAF Sat Cat: 33055 . COSPAR: 2008-030A. Apogee: 35,801 km (22,245 mi). Perigee: 35,772 km (22,227 mi). Inclination: 0.60 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.
  • Turksat 3A - . Payload: Spacebus 4000B2. Mass: 3,110 kg (6,850 lb). Nation: Turkey. Agency: Arianespace. Program: Turksat. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Spacebus 4000. USAF Sat Cat: 33056 . COSPAR: 2008-030B. Apogee: 35,811 km (22,251 mi). Perigee: 35,761 km (22,220 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.00 min. Replacement for Turksat-1C, positioned at 42 deg E; 24 Ku-band transponders..

2008 June 13

  • STS-124 MCC Status Report #26 - . Nation: USA. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-124. The crew of Discovery has begun its last full day in orbit. . Additional Details: here....

2008 June 13

  • STS-124 - Wakeup Song: Baby, Won't You Please Come Home - . Flight: STS-124. "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home" performed by Louis Prima and Keely Smith, selected by Mr. Reisman's wife, was played for Mission Specialist Garrett Reisman..

2008 June 14

  • STS-124 - Wakeup Song: Life on an Ocean Wave - . Flight: STS-124. "Life on an Ocean Wave" performed by the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy Band was played for Commander Mark Kelly and the entire crew..

2008 June 14

15:15 GMT - .

2008 June 15

2008 June 16

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 06/16/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Kononenko, Volkov, Sergey. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-12. Today 45 years ago (June 16, 1963), Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova became the first woman to orbit the earth.. Additional Details: here....

2008 June 17

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 06/17/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Kononenko, Love, Volkov, Sergey. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-12. Major focus for CDR Volkov and FE-1 Kononenko today was on Orlan spacesuit activities in the DC1 'Pirs' Docking Compartment, to extend for the next several days.. Additional Details: here....

2008 June 18

2008 June 19

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 06/19/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Kononenko, Volkov, Sergey. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-12. Small sleep cycle shift: The crew goes to sleep half an hour earlier tonight for a 30-min earlier wakeup tomorrow morning in support of the Orlan training exercise, enabling suit telemetry over RGS (Russian Groundsites).. Additional Details: here....

2008 June 19

06:36 GMT - . Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: Kapustin Yar LC107/1. LV Family: R-14. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 11K65M.
  • Orbcomm FM 38 - . Mass: 115 kg (253 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Orbcomm. Program: Orbcomm. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Sterkh. USAF Sat Cat: 33060 . COSPAR: 2008-031A. Apogee: 672 km (417 mi). Perigee: 660 km (410 mi). Inclination: 48.50 deg. Period: 98.10 min.
  • Orbcomm FM 41 - . Mass: 115 kg (253 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Orbcomm. Program: Orbcomm. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Sterkh. USAF Sat Cat: 33061 . COSPAR: 2008-031B. Apogee: 672 km (417 mi). Perigee: 661 km (410 mi). Inclination: 48.40 deg. Period: 98.10 min.
  • Orbcomm FM 29 - . Mass: 115 kg (253 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Orbcomm. Program: Orbcomm. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: MicroStar. Spacecraft: Orbcomm. USAF Sat Cat: 33062 . COSPAR: 2008-031C. Apogee: 672 km (417 mi). Perigee: 661 km (410 mi). Inclination: 48.40 deg. Period: 98.10 min.
  • Orbcomm FM 39 - . Mass: 115 kg (253 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Orbcomm. Program: Orbcomm. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Sterkh. USAF Sat Cat: 33063 . COSPAR: 2008-031D. Apogee: 672 km (417 mi). Perigee: 661 km (410 mi). Inclination: 48.40 deg. Period: 98.10 min.
  • Orbcomm FM 37 - . Mass: 115 kg (253 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Orbcomm. Program: Orbcomm. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Sterkh. USAF Sat Cat: 33064 . COSPAR: 2008-031E. Apogee: 672 km (417 mi). Perigee: 661 km (410 mi). Inclination: 48.50 deg. Period: 98.10 min.
  • Orbcomm FM 40 - . Mass: 115 kg (253 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Orbcomm. Program: Orbcomm. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Sterkh. USAF Sat Cat: 33065 . COSPAR: 2008-031F. Apogee: 672 km (417 mi). Perigee: 661 km (410 mi). Inclination: 48.50 deg. Period: 98.10 min.

2008 June 20

2008 June 20

07:46 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC2W. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Delta 7320-10C.
  • Jason 2 - . Mass: 506 kg (1,115 lb). Nation: France. Agency: Martin. Class: Earth. Type: Earth resources satellite. Spacecraft: Proteus. USAF Sat Cat: 33105 . COSPAR: 2008-032A. Apogee: 1,344 km (835 mi). Perigee: 1,332 km (827 mi). Inclination: 66.00 deg. Period: 112.40 min. Ocean Surface Topography Mission follow-on to Jason 1. Carried Poseidon-3 altimeter for precision measurement of ocean surface and the NASA Advanced Microwave Radiometer to measure atmospheric moisture in the path of the altimeter beam..

2008 June 21

2008 June 22

2008 June 23

2008 June 24

  • ISS On-Orbit Status 06/24/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Kononenko, Tani, Volkov, Sergey, Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-12. Before breakfast and exercise, all crewmembers completed a 10-min session with the periodic Russian MedOps test "Hematokrit" (MO-10), which measures the red cell count of the blood, with CDR Volkov acting as CMO (Crew Medical Officer, Russian: Examiner).. Additional Details: here....

2008 June 25

2008 June 26

2008 June 26

23:59 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC81/24. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-K/DM-2.
  • Cosmos 2440 - . Mass: 2,600 kg (5,700 lb). Nation: Russia. Class: Surveillance. Type: Early warning satellite. Spacecraft: Prognoz SPRN. USAF Sat Cat: 33108 . COSPAR: 2008-033A. Apogee: 35,799 km (22,244 mi). Perigee: 35,780 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 2.10 deg. Period: 1,436.20 min.

2008 June 27

2008 June 28

2008 June 29

2008 June 30

2008 July 1

  • ISS EO-17: Busy Week of Spacewalk Preparations For Crew - .

    Spacewalk training activities and preparations continue for the Expedition 17 crew members aboard the International Space Station.

    The three crew members participated in meetings with specialists on Earth and conducted reviews and checks of the systems and procedures that will be used during upcoming spacewalks.

    Commander Sergei Volkov and Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko are scheduled to embark on the first of two spacewalks July 10.

    During that spacewalk, the cosmonauts will inspect their Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft, checking the attachment of the return module to the propulsion module. They also will retrieve a suspect pyrotechnic bolt for inspection by engineers on the ground.

    Volkov and Kononenko are scheduled to conduct a second spacewalk on July 15. During that excursion, they will install experiments and attach rendezvous equipment to the hull of the Zvezda service module.

    Flight Engineer Greg Chamitoff reviewed procedures that would be employed in the unlikely event that the Pirs docking compartment airlock fails to repressurize after either of the spacewalks.

    The crew members took a break from their activities to participate in an interview with KGPE-TV in Fresno, Calif.

    The crew members also completed a variety of station maintenance tasks and performed their daily physical exercise routines to counteract the effects of long-term exposure to weightlessness in space.

2008 July 2

2008 July 3

2008 July 5

  • Death of Robert C Seamans - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Seamans. American engineer. Key leadership positions at NASA 1960-1968 during the Apollo program..

2008 July 7

21:47 GMT - . Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Complex: Kourou ELA3. LV Family: Ariane 5. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5ECA.
  • Protostar 1 / Intelsat 5 - . Payload: Intelsat 5. Mass: 4,100 kg (9,000 lb). Nation: Bermuda. Agency: Arianespace. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: FS-1300. USAF Sat Cat: 33153 . COSPAR: 2008-034A. Apogee: 35,793 km (22,240 mi). Perigee: 35,782 km (22,233 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Originally Chinasat 8; sale cancelled due to new US export regulations. Sold to Protostar in 2006, still to serve Chinese market. After launch when Protostar closed down sold to Intelsat and entered service as Intelsat 5..
  • Badr 6 - . Mass: 52 kg (114 lb). Nation: Pakistan. Agency: Arianespace. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: Badr. USAF Sat Cat: 33154 . COSPAR: 2008-034B. Apogee: 35,801 km (22,245 mi). Perigee: 35,770 km (22,220 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

2008 July 10

  • EVA ISS EO-17-1 - . Crew: Kononenko, Volkov, Sergey. EVA Duration: 0.26 days. Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Kononenko, Volkov, Sergey. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-12.

    Inspected the Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft in an attempt to determine the reason for the failure of the service module to separate on earlier missions, removed a pyrotechnic bolt from the struts connecting the service and reentry modules of the Soyuz for examination on earth, and installed a docking target for the future Russian Multipurpose Research Module.

2008 July 15

2008 July 16

05:20 GMT - . Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Pad: 0.0 N x 154.0 W. Launch Platform: Odyssey. LV Family: Zenit. Launch Vehicle: Zenit-3SL.
  • Echostar 11 - . Mass: 5,511 kg (12,149 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: PanAmSat. Manufacturer: Palo Alto. Program: Echostar. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: FS-1300. USAF Sat Cat: 33207 . COSPAR: 2008-035A. Apogee: 35,799 km (22,244 mi). Perigee: 35,774 km (22,228 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Satellite provided direct television broadcasting services for the North American Dish Network..

2008 July 18

21:47 GMT - . Launch Site: Kodiak. Launch Complex: Kodiak. Launch Pad: LP2. LV Family: Polaris. Launch Vehicle: STARS.
  • GMD FTX-03 Target - . Nation: USA. Agency: SMDC. Type: ABM Target. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi).

2008 July 22

02:40 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: Plesetsk LC132/1. LV Family: R-14. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 11K65M.
  • SAR-Lupe 5 - . Mass: 770 kg (1,690 lb). Nation: Germany. Agency: KVR. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military Radarsat. Spacecraft: SAR-Lupe. USAF Sat Cat: 33244 . COSPAR: 2008-036A. Apogee: 501 km (311 mi). Perigee: 474 km (294 mi). Inclination: 98.20 deg. Period: 94.40 min. Fifth German SAR-Lupe radar surveillance satellite..

2008 July 24

  • Death of Robert Tralles Herres at San Antonio, Texas - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Herres. American pilot astronaut, 1967-1969..

2008 July 26

18:31 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: Plesetsk LC43/4. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-2-1B.
  • Cosmos 2441 - . Mass: 7,100 kg (15,600 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: KVR. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: Persona. USAF Sat Cat: 33272 . COSPAR: 2008-037A. Apogee: 735 km (456 mi). Perigee: 711 km (441 mi). Inclination: 98.30 deg. Period: 99.20 min.

    First in the Persona series of Russian military imaging reconnaisance satellites. The initial orbit was 195 x 726 km x 98.3 deg. The spacecraft maneuvered itself into its operational sun-synchronous orbit on 31 July. Reportedly the satellite married the Yantar electro-optical bus with subsystems developed for the abandoned Arkon-1 reconnsaisance satellite. Said to have shut down in February 2009 due to an electronics failure.

2008 August 3

03:34 GMT - . Launch Site: Kwajalein. Launch Complex: Kwajalein OM. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 1. FAILURE: The new Merlin 1C first stage engine completed its burn, but the thrust took longer to decay than expected. It was still thrusting when stage 2 tried to separate, and the two stages collided, setting the second stage tumbling..
  • Nanosail-D - . Mass: 4.00 kg (8.80 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: SpaceX. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: Cubesat. 3U cubesat for NASA. Technology mission..
  • PreSat - . Mass: 4.00 kg (8.80 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: SpaceX. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: Cubesat. 3U cubesat for NASA. Technology mission..

2008 August 8

Launch Site: North Ossetia. LV Family: Oka. Launch Vehicle: Iskander-M.
  • S Ossetia war - . Nation: Russia. Agency: RVSN. Apogee: 50 km (31 mi).

2008 August 14

20:44 GMT - . Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Complex: Kourou ELA3. LV Family: Ariane 5. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5ECA.
  • Superbird 7 - . Mass: 4,820 kg (10,620 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: Arianespace. Program: Superbird. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: DS2000. USAF Sat Cat: 33274 . COSPAR: 2008-038A. Apogee: 35,804 km (22,247 mi). Perigee: 35,770 km (22,220 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Ku-band Mitsubishi Electric DS2000 class satellite for Japanese television broadcasting..
  • AMC 21 - . Mass: 2,500 kg (5,500 lb). Nation: France. Agency: Arianespace. Program: Americom. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Star bus. USAF Sat Cat: 33277 . COSPAR: 2008-038D. Apogee: 35,677 km (22,168 mi). Perigee: 276 km (171 mi). Inclination: 2.10 deg. Period: 630.40 min. Ku-band satellite for SES Americom's North American services, using an Orbital Star 2 bus and a Thales Alenia communications payload..

2008 August 16

19:32 GMT - . Launch Site: Semnan. LV Family: Nodong 1. Launch Vehicle: Safir. FAILURE: Second stage failed catastrophically..
  • Omid - . Nation: Iran. Agency: IRSA. Class: Technology. Type: Technology satellite. Spacecraft: Omid. Apogee: 152 km (94 mi).

    Iranian suborbital launch in support of development of an indigenous satellite launch capability. Western analysts claimed it was a failed satellite launch attempt, and that the second stage of the launch vehicle failed catastrophically at 152 km altitude.

2008 August 18

22:43 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC200/39. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-M/Briz-M.
  • Inmarsat-4 F3 - . Payload: Eurostar 3000GM. Mass: 4,960 kg (10,930 lb). Nation: International. Agency: Inmarsat. Program: Inmarsat. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Eurostar 3000. USAF Sat Cat: 33278 . COSPAR: 2008-039A. Apogee: 36,027 km (22,386 mi). Perigee: 36,009 km (22,374 mi). Inclination: 3.10 deg. Period: 1,447.90 min. Maritime communications satellite with a solar panel span of 45 m, and a 10-m diameter L-band mobile communications antenna..

2008 August 22

09:10 GMT - . Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: Wallops Island LA0B. LV Family: Pegasus. Launch Vehicle: ALV. FAILURE: Went off course and destroyed by range safety 27 seconds after launch..
  • HyBolt/SOAREX-VI - . Nation: USA. Agency: Clemson. Class: Technology. Apogee: 3.50 km (2.10 mi). Carried HyBOLT and SOAREX-VI hypersonic research experiments..

2008 August 29

07:16 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC109. Launch Pad: LC109/95. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: Dnepr.
  • Tachys - . Payload: RapidEye 1. Mass: 152 kg (335 lb). Nation: Germany. Agency: Makeyev bureau. Manufacturer: Surrey. Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: SSTL-150. USAF Sat Cat: 33312 . COSPAR: 2008-040A. Apogee: 632 km (392 mi). Perigee: 606 km (376 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.10 min.

    RapidEye AG of Brandenberg paid for launch of a constellation of five environmental monitoring satellites in a single launch, each with a mass of 152 kg including 12 kg of propellant. The satellites had an optical resolution of 6 meters, and were designed to provide on-demand images for agricultural storm damage assessment and support of emergency services.

  • Mati - . Payload: RapidEye 2. Mass: 152 kg (335 lb). Nation: Germany. Agency: Makeyev bureau. Manufacturer: Surrey. Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: SSTL-150. USAF Sat Cat: 33313 . COSPAR: 2008-040B. Apogee: 654 km (406 mi). Perigee: 624 km (387 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.50 min.
  • Choma - . Payload: RapidEye 3. Mass: 152 kg (335 lb). Nation: Germany. Agency: Makeyev bureau. Manufacturer: Surrey. Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: SSTL-150. USAF Sat Cat: 33314 . COSPAR: 2008-040C. Apogee: 631 km (392 mi). Perigee: 598 km (371 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.00 min.
  • Choros - . Payload: RapidEye 4. Mass: 152 kg (335 lb). Nation: Germany. Agency: Makeyev bureau. Manufacturer: Surrey. Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: SSTL-150. USAF Sat Cat: 33315 . COSPAR: 2008-040D. Apogee: 639 km (397 mi). Perigee: 620 km (380 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.30 min.
  • Trochia - . Payload: RapidEye 5. Mass: 152 kg (335 lb). Nation: Germany. Agency: Makeyev bureau. Manufacturer: Surrey. Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: SSTL-150. USAF Sat Cat: 33316 . COSPAR: 2008-040E. Apogee: 647 km (402 mi). Perigee: 623 km (387 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.40 min.

2008 September 6

03:25 GMT - . Launch Site: Taiyuan. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 2C.
  • HJ-1A - . Payload: Huan Jing-1A. Mass: 470 kg (1,030 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: CAST2000. USAF Sat Cat: 33320 . COSPAR: 2008-041A. Apogee: 662 km (411 mi). Perigee: 628 km (390 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.60 min. 'Environment' satellites that carried visible and infrared sensors..
  • HJ-1B - . Payload: Huan Jing-1B. Mass: 470 kg (1,030 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: CAST2000. USAF Sat Cat: 33321 . COSPAR: 2008-041B. Apogee: 672 km (417 mi). Perigee: 626 km (388 mi). Inclination: 98.00 deg. Period: 97.70 min.

2008 September 6

18:51 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC2W. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Delta 7420-10C.
  • GeoEye-1 - . Mass: 1,923 kg (4,239 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Martin. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: SA-200. USAF Sat Cat: 33331 . COSPAR: 2008-042A. Apogee: 687 km (426 mi). Perigee: 670 km (410 mi). Inclination: 98.10 deg. Period: 98.30 min. Commercial optical surveillance satellite with an 0.4-meter resolution. Primary customer was the US National Geospatial Intelligence Agency..

2008 September 10

19:50 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-U-PVB.
  • Progress M-65 - . Payload: Progress M s/n 365. Mass: 7,100 kg (15,600 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: RKA. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned logistics spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TMA-12, STS-124 ISS EO-17. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Progress M. Duration: 88.00 days. Decay Date: 2008-12-07 . USAF Sat Cat: 33340 . COSPAR: 2008-043A. Apogee: 357 km (221 mi). Perigee: 348 km (216 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.60 min.

    Docking with the ISS at the Zvezda module was delayed due to NASA Houston operations being curtailed during Hurricane Ike. The resupply spacecraft finally docked at 18:43 GMT on 27 September. It undocked at 16:20 GMT on 14 November, but then flew independently in orbit until 7 December in order to conduct continue ionospheric experiments.

2008 September 19

21:48 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC200/39. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-M/Briz-M.
  • Nimiq 4 - . Payload: Eurostar 3000S. Mass: 4,800 kg (10,500 lb). Nation: Canada. Agency: ILS. Program: Anik. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Eurostar 3000. USAF Sat Cat: 33373 . COSPAR: 2008-044A. Apogee: 35,749 km (22,213 mi). Perigee: 35,653 km (22,153 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,431.70 min. Geostationary television broadcasting satellite launched for Telesat..

2008 September 24

19:28 GMT - . Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Pad: 0.0 N x 154.0 W. Launch Platform: Odyssey. LV Family: Zenit. Launch Vehicle: Zenit-3SL.
  • Galaxy 19 - . Mass: 4,690 kg (10,330 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: Intelsat. Program: Galaxy. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: FS-1300. USAF Sat Cat: 33376 . COSPAR: 2008-045A. Apogee: 35,812 km (22,252 mi). Perigee: 35,643 km (22,147 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,433.10 min.

2008 September 25

08:49 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC81/24. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-M/DM-2.
  • Cosmos 2442 - . Mass: 1,370 kg (3,020 lb). Nation: Russia. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft: Glonass. USAF Sat Cat: 33378 . COSPAR: 2008-046A. Apogee: 19,144 km (11,895 mi). Perigee: 19,089 km (11,861 mi). Inclination: 64.80 deg. Period: 675.20 min. Continued replenishment of Glonass navigation satellite constellation..
  • Cosmos 2443 - . Mass: 1,370 kg (3,020 lb). Nation: Russia. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft: Glonass. USAF Sat Cat: 33379 . COSPAR: 2008-046B. Apogee: 19,142 km (11,894 mi). Perigee: 19,136 km (11,890 mi). Inclination: 64.80 deg. Period: 676.10 min.
  • Cosmos 2444 - . Mass: 1,370 kg (3,020 lb). Nation: Russia. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft: Glonass. USAF Sat Cat: 33380 . COSPAR: 2008-046C. Apogee: 19,145 km (11,896 mi). Perigee: 19,132 km (11,888 mi). Inclination: 64.80 deg. Period: 676.10 min.

2008 September 25

13:10 GMT - . Launch Site: Jiuquan. Launch Complex: Jiuquan SLS. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 2F.
  • Shenzhou 7 - . Crew: Jing Haipeng, Liu Buoming, Zhai Zhigang. Mass: 7,840 kg (17,280 lb). Nation: China. Related Persons: Jing Haipeng, Liu Buoming, Zhai Zhigang. Agency: SISE. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Shenzhou 7. Spacecraft: Shenzhou. Duration: 2.85 days. Decay Date: 2008-09-28 . USAF Sat Cat: 33386 . COSPAR: 2008-047A. Apogee: 336 km (208 mi). Perigee: 329 km (204 mi). Inclination: 42.40 deg. Period: 91.20 min.

    Third Chinese manned space mission. The crew consisted of Zhai Zhigang, backup astronaut for China's first manned space mission; and Liu Buoming and Jing Haipeng, backups for the second mission. The astronauts demonstrated the capability of the Shenzhou spacecraft to carry its full complement of three crew for the first time. Zhai, wearing a Chinese-developed Feitian space suit, emerged from the orbital module of the Shenzhou and became China's first astronaut to conduct a spacewalk. Liu, wearing a proven Russian Orlan spacesuit, remained in the depressurized orbital module, ready to assist Zhai in an emergency. A subsatellite, weighing 40 kg, was released after the EVA, and relayed back images of Shenzhou 7 from close range to a distance of several kilometers. The crew returned safely to earth in a pinpoint landing in Outer Mongolia, carried live on television. The orbital module remained in space, conducting space network experiments with the subsatellite.

  • BX-1 - . Mass: 40 kg (88 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Flight: Shenzhou 7. Spacecraft: Ban Xing. Decay Date: 2009-10-29 . USAF Sat Cat: 33392 . COSPAR: 2008-047G. Apogee: 331 km (205 mi). Perigee: 321 km (199 mi). Inclination: 42.40 deg. Period: 91.00 min. BanXing (companion satellite) subsatellite released by Shenzhou 7. If maneuvered away and back to the Shenzhou orbital module after the mission..

2008 September 27

  • EVA Shenzhou 7-1 - . Crew: Liu Buoming, Zhai Zhigang. EVA Duration: 0.0139 days. Nation: China. Related Persons: Liu Buoming, Zhai Zhigang. Program: ISS. Flight: Shenzhou 7.

    Zhai, wearing a Chinese-developed Feitian space suit, emerged from the orbital module of the Shenzhou and became China's first astronaut to conduct a spacewalk. Liu, wearing a proven Russian Orlan spacesuit, remained in the depressurized orbital module, ready to assist Zhai in an emergency.

2008 September 28

Launch Site: Kwajalein. Launch Complex: Kwajalein OM. LV Family: Falcon. Launch Vehicle: Falcon 1.
  • Ratsat - . Nation: USA. Agency: SpaceX. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: Ratsat. USAF Sat Cat: 33393 . COSPAR: 2008-048A. Apogee: 643 km (399 mi). Perigee: 622 km (386 mi). Inclination: 9.30 deg. Period: 97.40 min. First successful launch of low-cost Falcon launch vehicle. The second stage demonstrated restart. The payload was a dummy mass which remained attached to the stage..

2008 October 1

Launch Site: Dombarovskiy. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: Dnepr.
  • Theos - . Mass: 715 kg (1,576 lb). Nation: Thailand. Agency: Makeyev bureau. Manufacturer: EADS Astrium. Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: T200. Spacecraft: ROCSAT. USAF Sat Cat: 33396 . COSPAR: 2008-049A. Apogee: 693 km (430 mi). Perigee: 673 km (418 mi). Inclination: 98.80 deg. Period: 98.40 min. Thai surveillance satellite, based on EADS Astrium bus used for ROCSAT-2..

2008 October 12

07:01 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-FG.
  • Soyuz TMA-13 - . Call Sign: Titan. Crew: Fincke, Garriott, Richard, Lonchakov. Payload: Soyuz TMA s/n 223. Mass: 7,200 kg (15,800 lb). Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Fincke, Garriott, Richard, Lonchakov. Agency: RKA. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TMA-13. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Soyuz TMA. Duration: 178.01 days. Decay Date: 2009-04-08 . USAF Sat Cat: 33399 . COSPAR: 2008-050A. Apogee: 362 km (224 mi). Perigee: 352 km (218 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.70 min. Docked at the Zarya port of the ISS on 14 October at 08:26 GMT..

2008 October 19

17:47 GMT - . Launch Site: Kwajalein. Launch Complex: Kwajalein DZ. Launch Pad: RW06/24. Launch Platform: L-1011. LV Family: Pegasus. Launch Vehicle: Pegasus XL.
  • IBEX - . Mass: 107 kg (235 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Manufacturer: OSC. Class: Astronomy. Type: X-ray astronomy satellite. Spacecraft: Microstar. USAF Sat Cat: 33401 . COSPAR: 2008-051A. Apogee: 281,252 km (174,761 mi). Perigee: 69,563 km (43,224 mi). Inclination: 19.23 deg. Period: 12,855.81 min. Interstellar Boundary Explorer. Mission was to map, from its high earth orbit, the boundary of the heliosphere, the point at the limits of the solar system where the solar wind is overcome by the interstellar medium. Air dropped in Kwajalein DZ..

2008 October 22

00:52 GMT - . Launch Site: Sriharikota. Launch Complex: Sriharikota SLP. LV Family: PSLV. Launch Vehicle: PSLV-XL.
  • Chandraayan-1 - . Mass: 1,380 kg (3,040 lb). Nation: India. Agency: ISRO. Class: Moon. Type: Lunar probe. Spacecraft: Chandraayan. USAF Sat Cat: 33405 . COSPAR: 2008-052A. Apogee: 22,817 km (14,177 mi). Perigee: 225 km (139 mi). Inclination: 17.80 deg. Period: 403.00 min.

    India's first lunar probe. Placed by the PSLV into indicated orbit. It then used its own engines for translunar injection. It entered an initial lunar orbit of 504 km x 7502 km x 90.0 deg on November 8, maneuvering to the planned 100 x 100 km orbit by November 12.

  • MIP - . Mass: 29 kg (63 lb). Nation: India. Agency: ISRO. Class: Moon. Type: Lunar probe. Spacecraft: MIP. USAF Sat Cat: 33406 . COSPAR: 2008-052B. Apogee: 23,095 km (14,350 mi). Perigee: 277 km (172 mi). Inclination: 17.80 deg. Period: 402.70 min.

    Moon Impact Probe, released from Chandraayan-1 in lunar orbit on November 14 at 14:36 GMT. The MIP fired its own deorbit motor and impacted the moon at 15:01 GMT, near the Shackleton Crater at the south pole. The impact plume was scanned by the Chandraayan-1 orbiter and ground-based telescopes for evidence of lunar polar ice.

2008 October 25

01:15 GMT - . Launch Site: Taiyuan. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 4B.
  • SJ-6-03A SJ-6E - . Mass: 2,700 kg (5,900 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: SJ-6. USAF Sat Cat: 33408 . COSPAR: 2008-053A. Apogee: 603 km (374 mi). Perigee: 584 km (362 mi). Inclination: 97.70 deg. Period: 96.50 min. Third pair in China's SJ military surveillance constellation. It has been suggested that each pair consists of two differing satellites, a smaller minisatellite built by SAST Shanghai and a larger 300-kg CAST-968 bus satellite from DFH..
  • SJ-6-03B SJ-6F - . Mass: 2,700 kg (5,900 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft: CAST2000. USAF Sat Cat: 33409 . COSPAR: 2008-053B. Apogee: 605 km (375 mi). Perigee: 582 km (361 mi). Inclination: 97.70 deg. Period: 96.50 min.

2008 October 25

02:28 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC2W. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Delta 7420-10C.
  • COSMO 3 - . Mass: 1,900 kg (4,100 lb). Nation: Italy. Agency: Martin. Class: Surveillance. Type: Civilian Radarsat. Spacecraft Bus: Prima. Spacecraft: Cosmo-SkyMed. USAF Sat Cat: 33412 . COSPAR: 2008-054A. Apogee: 623 km (387 mi). Perigee: 622 km (386 mi). Inclination: 97.90 deg. Period: 97.20 min. Part of Italy's all-weather military surveillance constellation; carried X-band synthetic aperture radar..

2008 October 29

16:54 GMT - . Launch Site: Xichang. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 3BE.
  • Simon Bolivar - . Payload: VeneSat-1. Mass: 5,100 kg (11,200 lb). Nation: Venezuela. Agency: SISE. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: DFH-4. USAF Sat Cat: 33414 . COSPAR: 2008-055A. Apogee: 35,797 km (22,243 mi). Perigee: 35,777 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 0.20 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Venezuela's first satellite, a Chinese-built DFH-4 communications satellit with C-band and Ku-band transponders..

2008 November 1

Launch Site: Barking Sands. Launch Platform: DDG-60. LV Family: Standard-ER. Launch Vehicle: SM-3.
  • Aegis KV - . Nation: USA. Class: Military. Type: ASAT.

2008 November 1

Launch Site: Barking Sands. Launch Vehicle: R-UNK.
  • PacBlitz08 - . Nation: USA. Class: Military. Type: ABM Target.

2008 November 1

Launch Site: Barking Sands. Launch Platform: DDG-70. LV Family: Standard-ER. Launch Vehicle: SM-3.
  • Aegis KV - . Nation: USA. Class: Military. Type: ASAT.

2008 November 1

Launch Site: Barking Sands. Launch Vehicle: R-UNK.
  • PacBlitz08 - . Nation: USA. Class: Military. Type: ABM Target.

2008 November 4

Launch Site: NAMFI. LV Family: Super Loki. Launch Vehicle: STAR.
  • PAC-2 target - . Nation: Europe. Agency: NAMFI. Type: ABM Target. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi).

2008 November 4

Launch Site: NAMFI. LV Family: Super Loki. Launch Vehicle: STAR.
  • PAC-2 target - . Nation: Europe. Agency: NAMFI. Type: ABM Target. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi).

2008 Nov 4?

Launch Site: NAMFI. LV Family: Super Loki. Launch Vehicle: STAR.
  • PAC-2 target - . Nation: Europe. Agency: NAMFI. Type: ABM Target. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi).

2008 November 5

Launch Site: NAMFI. LV Family: Super Loki. Launch Vehicle: STAR.
  • PAC-2 target - . Nation: Europe. Agency: NAMFI. Type: ABM Target. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi).

2008 November 5

Launch Site: NAMFI. LV Family: Super Loki. Launch Vehicle: STAR.
  • PAC-2 target - . Nation: Europe. Agency: NAMFI. Type: ABM Target. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi).

2008 Nov 5?

Launch Site: NAMFI. LV Family: Super Loki. Launch Vehicle: STAR.
  • PAC-2 target - . Nation: Europe. Agency: NAMFI. Type: ABM Target. Apogee: 85 km (52 mi).

2008 November 5

00:15 GMT - . Launch Site: Jiuquan. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 2D.
  • Chuangxin-1-02 - . Mass: 90 kg (198 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: CX-1. USAF Sat Cat: 33433 . COSPAR: 2008-056A. Apogee: 805 km (500 mi). Perigee: 785 km (487 mi). Inclination: 98.50 deg. Period: 100.80 min. Microsat built by the Shanghai Institute of Microsystems and Information Technology) and the Shanghai Academy of Space Technology. The satellite was designed to collect and relay hydrological and meteorological data and data for disaster relief..
  • Shiyan Weixing 3 - . Payload: CAST1000C. Mass: 204 kg (449 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: CAST1000. USAF Sat Cat: 33434 . COSPAR: 2008-056B. Apogee: 806 km (500 mi). Perigee: 785 km (487 mi). Inclination: 98.50 deg. Period: 100.80 min. Built by the Harbin Institute of Technology and the DFH Satellite Company for 'experiments on new technologies in atmospheric exploration'..

2008 November 5

15:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Minuteman 3.
  • GT198 RV-1 - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF.

2008 November 5

20:44 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC200/39. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-M/Briz-M.
  • Astra 1M - . Mass: 5,344 kg (11,781 lb). Nation: Luxembourg. Agency: ILS. Program: Astra. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Eurostar 3000. USAF Sat Cat: 33436 . COSPAR: 2008-057A. Apogee: 35,795 km (22,241 mi). Perigee: 35,770 km (22,220 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,435.90 min.

    ASTRA 1M was positioned at Astra's prime 19.2 deg E position, providing pan-European coverage for Direct-to-Home services. Its entry into service would have allowed Astra to redeploy other satellites to its orbital position of 23.5° east. Total power consumption: 9.3 kW BOL, 8.3 kW EOL; Transponder capacity: 36/32 at 26 and 33 MHz; TWTA output power: 150 W; Channel capacity in10.7 - 12.75 GHz: 72 channels (bands D, B, E and F) .

2008 November 8

  • Death of John Sumter Bull at South Lake Tahoe, California - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Bull, John. American test pilot astronaut, 1966-1968..

2008 November 12

Launch Site: Semnan. Launch Vehicle: Sejjil.
  • Iran RV - . Nation: Iran. Technology payload..

2008 November 12

05:55 GMT - . Launch Site: Balasore. LV Family: K-15. Launch Vehicle: Shourya.

2008 November 13

  • Death of Gennadi Aleksandrovich Dolgopolov - . Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Dolgopolov. Russian engineer cosmonaut, 1966-1967. Graduated from Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI), 1959 Civilian Engineer, Korolev OKB. Retired due to medical reasons. Worked thereafter at NPO Energia..

2008 November 13

09:06 GMT - . Launch Site: Biscarosse. Launch Vehicle: MSBS M51.

2008 November 14

15:50 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: Plesetsk LC16/2. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-U-PVB.
  • Cosmos 2445 - . Mass: 6,600 kg (14,500 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: KVR. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Yantar. Spacecraft: Yantar-4K1. Decay Date: 2009-02-23 . USAF Sat Cat: 33439 . COSPAR: 2008-058A. Apogee: 327 km (203 mi). Perigee: 181 km (112 mi). Inclination: 67.20 deg. Period: 89.60 min. Recoverable reconnaisance satellite. Launched annually since 2005 with a typical 75 to 100 day mission, with recovery on an interim basis of two film capsules and final deorbiting of the camera and main film magazine..

2008 November 15

  • STS-126 - Wakeup Song: Shelter - . Flight: STS-126. "Shelter" by Xavier Rudd. It was played for Commander Christopher Ferguson..

2008 November 15

00:55 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39A. LV Family: Shuttle. Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle.
  • STS-126 - . Call Sign: Endeavour. Crew: Boe, Bowen, Ferguson, Kimbrough, Magnus, Pettit, Stefanyshyn-Piper. Return Crew: Boe, Bowen, Ferguson, Kimbrough, Magnus, Pettit, Stefanyshyn-Piper. Payload: Endeavour F22 / MPLM-1 / ULF-2. Mass: 116,500 kg (256,800 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Boe, Bowen, Ferguson, Kimbrough, Magnus, Pettit, Stefanyshyn-Piper. Agency: NASA. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Flight: Soyuz TMA-13, STS-124 ISS EO-17, STS-126, STS-126 ISS EO-18. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Endeavour. Duration: 15.85 days. Decay Date: 2008-11-30 . USAF Sat Cat: 33441 . COSPAR: 2008-059A. Apogee: 352 km (218 mi). Perigee: 344 km (213 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.50 min.

    ISS resupply and internal outfitting flight, docked at the Harmony module of the sation at 22:01 GMT on 16 November. The Leonardo module contained 6956 kg of cargo, mainly devoted to allowing a future full ISS crew of six: two crew quarters racks, a Galley rack, a Waste and Hygiene Compartment rack, two Water Recovery System racks, an experiment rack, a Combustion integration rack, and miscellaneous supplies in three Resupply Stowage Racks and six Resupply Stowage Platforms. On 17 November at 17:09 GMT the ISS robot arm moved the Leonardo module from the shuttle's payload bay to the Harmony module nadir port for unloading. The mission also rotated the ISS long-term NASA crew member, replacing Chamitoff with Magnus. Four spacewalks were conducted, primarily to repair a broken ISS Solar Array Rotary Joint.

    The unloaded Leonardo module was returned to the shuttle bay on 26 November. The shuttle undocked from the ISS at 14:47 GMT on 28 November. The next day, at 20:33 GMT, it released a 7 kg PicoSat Solar Cell Testbed Experiment, a prototype for a later picosat mission to geostationary transfer orbit to study degradation of solar cells while passing through the earth's radiation belts.

    Following two wave-offs for a Kennedy Space Center landing due to weather, Endeavour made its 89 m/s deorbit maneuver at 20:19 on 29 November, and landed at Runway 04L/22R at Edwards AFB at 21:25 GMT.

    Cargo Manifest, Total = 17,370 kg:

    • Bay 1-2: Orbiter Docking System = 1800 kg + EMUs 3005 and 3011 = 260 kg
    • Bay 3 Port: APC/SPDU = 100 kg
    • Bay 3 Starboard: APC/SSPL Picosat launcher = 50 kg + PSSC Picosats = 7 kg
    • Bay 7 Starboard: ROEU 751 umbilical = 50 kg
    • Bay 7-12: Leonardo (MPLM-1) = 12748 kg
    • Bay 13: Lightweight MPESS Carrier (LMC)= 1495 kg
    • Sill: RMS 201 = 410 kg + OBSS = 450 kg

2008 November 16

  • STS-126 - Wakeup Song: Start Me Up - . Flight: STS-126. "Start Me Up" by the Rolling Stones. It was played for Mission Specialist Sandra Magnus. “I want to thank my family for that music and I'm looking forward to moving into my new home today,” Magnus radioed down to Mission Control in Houston..

2008 November 17

  • STS-126 - Wakeup Song: London Calling - . Flight: STS-126. "London Calling" performed by The Clash. It was played for Mission Specialist Steven Bowen..

2008 November 18

  • EVA STS-126-1 - . Crew: Bowen, Stefanyshyn-Piper. EVA Duration: 0.29 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Bowen, Stefanyshyn-Piper. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-13, STS-126. The crew began the multi-EVA process of repair and lubrication of the errant Solar Alpha Rotary Joint. A 14-kg tool bag floated away and could not be recovered, but the work could be completed with spare tools..

2008 November 18

  • STS-126 - Wakeup Song: City of Blinding Lights - . Flight: STS-126. "City of Blinding Lights" by U2. It was played for Mission Specialist Shane Kimbrough..

2008 November 19

  • STS-126 - Wakeup Song: Fanfare for the Common Man - . Flight: STS-126. "Fanfare for the Common Man" by Aaron Copeland. It was played for Pilot Eric Boe..

2008 November 20

2008 November 20

  • STS-126 - Wakeup Song: Summertime - . Flight: STS-126. "Summertime" played for Mission Specialist Donald Pettit. It was recorded by Bandella. Members of that group include singer Michi Pettit, Don Pettit's wife, and astronauts Steve Robinson, Chris Hadfield and Cady Coleman..

2008 November 20

02:21 GMT - . Launch Site: Barking Sands. LV Family: Oriole. Launch Vehicle: Terrier Oriole.
  • Aegis Target - . Nation: USA. Type: Anti-satellite system target.

2008 November 20

02:24 GMT - . Launch Site: Barking Sands. Launch Platform: DDG-176. LV Family: Standard-ER. Launch Vehicle: SM-3.
  • Aegis JFTM-2 - . Nation: USA. Agency: JMSDF. Type: ASAT.

2008 November 21

  • STS-126 - Wakeup Song: Unharness Your Horses, Boys - . Flight: STS-126. "Unharness Your Horses, Boys" ” a traditional song about Cossacks performed by The Ukrainians..

2008 November 22

2008 November 22

  • STS-126 - Wakeup Song: You Are Here - . Flight: STS-126. "You Are Here" by the group Dutton. It was played for Kimbrough..

2008 November 22

  • EVA STS-126-4 - . Crew: Bowen, Kimbrough. EVA Duration: 0.25 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Bowen, Kimbrough. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-13, STS-126. The crew completed repair of the Solar Alpha Rotary Joint, and then installed a television camera and GPS receiver in preparation for a future docking of the Japanese HTV resupply craft..

2008 November 23

  • STS-126 - Wakeup Song: Can't Take My Eyes Off of You - . Flight: STS-126. "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" performed by Frankie Valli. It was for Ferguson. It was his 23rd wedding anniversary..

2008 November 24

  • STS-126 - Wakeup Song: Can't Stop Loving You - . Flight: STS-126. "Can't Stop Loving You" by Van Halen was played for Mission Specialist Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper..

2008 November 25

  • STS-126 - Wakeup Song: Fever - . Flight: STS-126. "Fever" by Bandella was played for Mission Specialist Donald Pettit and sung by his wife..

2008 November 26

  • STS-126 - Wakeup Song: North Sea Oil - . Flight: STS-126. "North Sea Oil" by Jethro Tull was played for Mission Specialist Steve Bowen..

2008 November 26

Launch Complex: Damghan. LV Family: Kavoshgar. Launch Vehicle: Nazeat 6H.
  • Kavoshgar-2 - . Nation: Iran. Agency: IRSA. Apogee: 40 km (24 mi). Second in Kavoshgar series of biology missions; Capsule B recovery test..

2008 November 26

12:38 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-U-PVB.
  • Progress M-01M - . Payload: Progress M s/n 401. Mass: 7,290 kg (16,070 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: RKA. Program: ISS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned logistics spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TMA-13, STS-126 ISS EO-18. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Progress M. Duration: 74.00 days. Decay Date: 2009-02-08 . USAF Sat Cat: 33443 . COSPAR: 2008-060A. Apogee: 362 km (224 mi). Perigee: 352 km (218 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.70 min. ISS resupply spacecraft, a modernized version of Progress with a digital control system, docked at the Pirs port of the station on 30 November..

2008 November 26

13:20 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. LV Family: Topol'. Launch Vehicle: Yars.

2008 November 27

  • STS-126 - Wakeup Song: Hold on Tight - . Flight: STS-126. "Hold on Tight" by Electric Light Orchestra was played for Mission Specialist Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper..

2008 November 28

  • STS-126 - Wakeup Song: In the Meantime - . Flight: STS-126. "In the Meantime" by Spacehog was played for Pilot Eric Boe..

2008 November 28

Launch Site: Barents Sea Launch Area. Launch Platform: TK-208. LV Family: Topol'. Launch Vehicle: Bulava.

2008 November 29

  • STS-126 - Wakeup Song: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star - . Flight: STS-126. "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" was played for Mission Specialist Greg Chamitoff..

2008 November 30

  • STS-126 - Wakeup Song: Gonna Fly Now - . Flight: STS-126. "Gonna Fly Now" , performed by Bill Conti. It was for Ferguson..

2008 December 1

04:42 GMT - . Launch Site: Jiuquan. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 2D.
  • Yaogan 4 - . Payload: Jianbing 6. Mass: 1,300 kg (2,800 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military Radarsat. Spacecraft Bus: Jianbing. Spacecraft: JB-6. USAF Sat Cat: 33446 . COSPAR: 2008-061A. Apogee: 654 km (406 mi). Perigee: 632 km (392 mi). Inclination: 97.90 deg. Period: 97.60 min. Fourth 'Remote Sensing Satellite'; presumed military mission..

2008 December 2

05:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: Plesetsk LC16/2. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Molniya 8K78M.
  • Cosmos 2446 - . Mass: 1,900 kg (4,100 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: KVR. Class: Surveillance. Type: Early warning satellite. Spacecraft: Oko. Decay Date: 2017-05-06 . USAF Sat Cat: 33447 . COSPAR: 2008-062A. Apogee: 39,772 km (24,713 mi). Perigee: 625 km (388 mi). Inclination: 63.00 deg. Period: 718.60 min. Molniya-orbit early warning satellite..

2008 December 5

  • Death of Sergei Nikolayevich Gaidukov at Zvyozdny Gorodok, Russia - . Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Gaidukov. Russian navigator cosmonaut, 1967-1978. Retired due to medical reasons (injured during parachute training). Worked as an engineer until 1988, when he retired from all work for medical reasons..

2008 December 5

10:35 GMT - . Launch Site: SvalRak. LV Family: Sonda. Launch Vehicle: VS-30/Orion.
  • ARR ICI-2 - . Nation: Sweden.

2008 December 5

20:04 GMT - . Launch Site: Kodiak. LV Family: Polaris. Launch Vehicle: STARS.
  • MDA FTG-05 Target - . Nation: USA. Type: ABM Target.

2008 December 5

20:21 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. LV Family: Pegasus. Launch Vehicle: GBI.
  • MDA FTG-05 - . Nation: USA. Agency: MDA. Manufacturer: OSC. Class: Military. Type: ABM.

2008 December 9

  • Death of Yuri Nikolayevich Glazkov - . Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Glazkov. Russian engineer cosmonaut 1965-1982. 1 spaceflight, 17.7 days in space. Flew to orbit on Soyuz 24 (1977)..

2008 December 10

13:43 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-M/Briz-M.
  • Ciel-2 - . Payload: Spacebus 4000C4. Mass: 5,600 kg (12,300 lb). Nation: Canada. Agency: ILS. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft: Spacebus 4000. USAF Sat Cat: 33453 . COSPAR: 2008-063A. Apogee: 35,793 km (22,240 mi). Perigee: 35,779 km (22,231 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Communications satellite owned by Ciel Satellite Group, Ottawa and controlled from Saskatoon, Canada. Ciel was at the time using Echostar V (redesignated Ciel-1)..

2008 December 15

03:22 GMT - . Launch Site: Taiyuan. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 4B.
  • Yaogan 5 - . Payload: Jianbing 8. Mass: 2,800 kg (6,100 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military Radarsat. Spacecraft Bus: Jianbing. Spacecraft: JB-10. Decay Date: 2014-09-02 . USAF Sat Cat: 33456 . COSPAR: 2008-064A. Apogee: 496 km (308 mi). Perigee: 486 km (301 mi). Inclination: 97.40 deg. Period: 94.40 min.

    One of the two different series of military surveillance satellites launched under the YW designation, although YW 5 was in a lower orbit similar to the ZY-2 satellites, lower than previous YW satellites. The launch vehicle was announced as a CZ-4B, but appeared to be a CZ-4B with the CZ-4C's restartable YF-40A upper stage under the larger CZ-4C nose fairing.

2008 December 20

22:35 GMT - . Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Complex: Kourou ELA3. LV Family: Ariane 5. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5ECA.
  • Hot Bird 9 - . Mass: 4,880 kg (10,750 lb). Nation: France. Agency: Arianespace. Program: Eutelsat. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Eurostar 3000. USAF Sat Cat: 33459 . COSPAR: 2008-065A. Apogee: 35,792 km (22,240 mi). Perigee: 35,780 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Ku-band satellite slated to replace Hot Bird 3 at 13 deg E..
  • Eutelsat W2M - . Mass: 3,460 kg (7,620 lb). Nation: France. Agency: Arianespace. Program: Eutelsat. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: I-3K. USAF Sat Cat: 33460 . COSPAR: 2008-065B. Apogee: 35,843 km (22,271 mi). Perigee: 35,735 km (22,204 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.20 min. Ku-band satellite designed to operate at 10 deg E. It used the Indian Insat I3K bus and was the first foreign sale of an Indian-built satellite. It made it to geosynchronous orbit but suffered a power system and was written off eight days after launch..

2008 December 21

  • Death of Craig Anton Puz at Golden, Colorado - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Puz. American engineer military spaceflight engineer astronaut, 1982-1990..

2008 December 23

  • EVA ISS EO-18-1 - . Crew: Fincke, Lonchakov. EVA Duration: 0.23 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Fincke, Lonchakov. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-13. The crew installed a Langmuir probe on the Pirs module and returned the Biorisk cannister from the Zvezda module. An Expose-R experiment failed to activate and was removed and returned to the airlock.

2008 December 23

00:54 GMT - . Launch Site: Xichang. LV Family: CZ. Launch Vehicle: Chang Zheng 3A.
  • FY-2E - . Mass: 1,380 kg (3,040 lb). Nation: China. Agency: SISE. Class: Earth. Type: Weather satellite. Spacecraft: FY-2. USAF Sat Cat: 33463 . COSPAR: 2008-066A. Apogee: 35,806 km (22,248 mi). Perigee: 35,771 km (22,227 mi). Inclination: 2.60 deg. Period: 1,436.20 min. Member of China's geosynchronous weather satellite constellation..

2008 December 23

03:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Barents Sea Launch Area. Launch Platform: TK-208. LV Family: Topol'. Launch Vehicle: Bulava.
  • RV-1 - . Nation: Russia. Agency: VMF. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).

2008 December 25

10:43 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC81/24. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-M/DM-2.
  • Cosmos 2447 - . Payload: Uragan-M s/n 727. Mass: 1,370 kg (3,020 lb). Nation: Russia. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft: Glonass. USAF Sat Cat: 33466 . COSPAR: 2008-067A. Apogee: 19,139 km (11,892 mi). Perigee: 19,121 km (11,881 mi). Inclination: 64.80 deg. Period: 675.70 min. Three Glonass satellites launched as part of a continuing effort to reconstitute the full Russian navigation satellite constellation..
  • Cosmos 2449 - . Payload: Uragan-M s/n 729. Mass: 1,370 kg (3,020 lb). Nation: Russia. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft: Glonass. USAF Sat Cat: 33467 . COSPAR: 2008-067B. Apogee: 19,138 km (11,891 mi). Perigee: 19,117 km (11,878 mi). Inclination: 64.80 deg. Period: 675.60 min.
  • Cosmos 2448 - . Payload: Uragan-M s/n 728. Mass: 1,370 kg (3,020 lb). Nation: Russia. Class: Navigation. Type: Navigation satellite. Spacecraft: Glonass. USAF Sat Cat: 33468 . COSPAR: 2008-067C. Apogee: 19,143 km (11,894 mi). Perigee: 19,117 km (11,878 mi). Inclination: 64.80 deg. Period: 675.70 min.

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