On April 23 in Space History
Chronology
83 events
1910 April 23
- Birth of Ivan Ivanovich Utkin - . Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Utkin, Ivan. Russian engineer. Chief Designer 1960-1970 of NII IT. Specialised in spacecraft memory data recorders..
1952 April 23
Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Vehicle: Deacon. FAILURE: Failure.1953 April 23
19:33 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC35. LV Family: Aerobee. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee XASR-SC-2.1954 April 23
Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: Kapustin Yar V-2. LV Family: V-2. Launch Vehicle: R-1 8A11.- Operational test - . Nation: Russia. Agency: Korolev bureau. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
1956 April 23
Launch Vehicle: Redstone.- Army proposes Redstone satellite launch. - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: von Braun. Army informed the OSD that a Jupiter missile could be fired in an effort to orbit a small satellite in January 1957..
1957 April 23
- X-15 first public details announced. - . Nation: USA. Program: X-15A. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Spacecraft: X-15A. Details of X-15 rocket research airplane were publicly revealed for the first time..
1957 April 23
Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg.- Vandenberg AFB established by ARDC - . Nation: USA. Vandenberg AFB established by Air Research and Development Command (ARDC) on the north 64,047 acres (approximately 100 square miles) of what was then Camp Cooke..
1959 April 23
Launch Site: Grand Turk Island. Launch Complex: Grand Turk Island DZ. Launch Platform: B-52. LV Family: Navaho. Launch Vehicle: Hound Dog.- Test mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Program: Navaho. Apogee: 20 km (12 mi). First Hound Dog test launch..
1959 April 23
Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. LV Family: R-11. Launch Vehicle: R-11M.1959 April 23
05:30 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17B. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Thor DM-18A.- Series IV research and development launch - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 520 km (320 mi). Fourth recovery of a data capsule at AMR, USAF Thor 1,500-mile accuracy test flight..
1960 April 23
21:45 GMT - . Launch Site: Wallops Island. LV Family: Aerobee. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 150A.- Test mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 246 km (152 mi). NASA fired first of five Aerobee-Hi sounding rockets from Wallops Station in program to measure ultraviolet radiation..
1962 April 23
20:50 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC12. LV Family: Atlas. Launch Vehicle: Atlas Agena B.- Ranger 4 - .
Mass: 328 kg (723 lb). Nation: USA.
Agency: NASA.
Program: Ranger.
Class: Moon.
Type: Lunar probe. Spacecraft Bus: Ranger.
Spacecraft: Ranger 3-4-5.
Decay Date: 1962-04-26 . USAF Sat Cat: 280 . COSPAR: 1962-Mu-1.
The 6555th Aerospace Test Wing launched an Atlas D/Agena B vehicle that carried NASA's Ranger IV to the moon. This was the first U.S. instrument package to impact on the moon. Ranger IV was launched by an Atlas-Agena B booster from the Atlantic Missile Range, attained a parking orbit, and was fired into the proper lunar trajectory by the restart of the Agena B engine. Failure of a timer in the spacecraft payload caused loss of both internal and ground control over the vehicle. The Goldstone Tracking Station maintained contact with the spacecraft until it passed behind the left edge of the moon on April 26. It impacted at a speed of 9,617 km per hour, the first American spacecraft to land on the lunar surface. The Agena B second stage passed to the right of the moon and later went into orbit around the sun. Lunar photography objectives were not achieved.
1963 April 23
Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg LF05. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Minuteman 1A.1963 April 23
20:48 GMT - . Launch Site: Wallops Island. LV Family: Aerobee. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 150A.1963 April 23
22:07 GMT - . Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Blandine. Launch Vehicle: Veronique.1964 April 23
- Birth of Oleg Yuriyevich Moshkin - . Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Moshkin. Russian pilot cosmonaut, 1997-2002..
1964 April 23
11:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg LF03. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Minuteman 1B.1964 April 23
16:19 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4W. LV Family: Atlas. Launch Vehicle: Atlas Agena D.- KH 7-07 - . Payload: KH-7 no. 7 / OPS 3743. Mass: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NRO, USAF. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: WS-117. Spacecraft: KH-7. Decay Date: 1964-04-29 . USAF Sat Cat: 786 . COSPAR: 1964-020A. Apogee: 336 km (208 mi). Perigee: 150 km (90 mi). Inclination: 103.60 deg. Period: 89.40 min. KH-7 type satellite. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). .
1965 April 23
01:55 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Molniya 8K78.- Molniya 1-01 - . Payload: Molniya-1. Mass: 1,600 kg (3,500 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MOM. Program: Molniya. Class: Communications. Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: KAUR-2. Spacecraft: Molniya-1. Decay Date: 1979-08-16 . USAF Sat Cat: 1324 . COSPAR: 1965-030A. Apogee: 39,300 km (24,400 mi). Perigee: 538 km (334 mi). Inclination: 65.50 deg. Period: 707.30 min. First announced launch of Soviet communications satellite. Television programme transmission and long range two way multi channel telephone and telegraph communications. Orbital characteristics after correction of 2 May 1965..
1965 April 23
03:01 GMT - . Launch Site: Wallops Island. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Cajun.1965 April 23
04:02 GMT - . Launch Site: Wallops Island. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.1965 April 23
17:44 GMT - . Launch Site: Edwards. Launch Complex: Hidden Hills DZ. Launch Pad: Edwards RW04/22. Launch Platform: NB-52 008.- X-15A HT/Abl TPS/BLN Test/Technology mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA, USAF. Spacecraft: X-15A. Apogee: 24 km (14 mi). Maximum Speed - 5760 kph. Maximum Altitude - 24293 m. Air dropped in Hidden Hills DZ..
1967 April 23
00:35 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511.- Soyuz 1 - .
Call Sign: Rubin (Ruby ). Crew: Komarov.
Backup Crew: Gagarin.
Payload: Soyuz 7K-OK s/n 4. Mass: 6,450 kg (14,210 lb). Nation: Russia.
Related Persons: Gagarin,
Komarov.
Agency: MOM.
Program: Soyuz.
Class: Manned.
Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz 1,
Soyuz 2A.
Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz.
Spacecraft: Soyuz 7K-OK.
Duration: 1.12 days. Decay Date: 1967-04-24 . USAF Sat Cat: 2759 . COSPAR: 1967-037A. Apogee: 223 km (138 mi). Perigee: 197 km (122 mi). Inclination: 50.80 deg. Period: 88.70 min.
Space disaster that put back Soviet lunar program 18 months. Soyuz 1 as active spacecraft was launched first. Soyuz 2, with a 3 man crew would launch the following day, with 2 cosmonauts spacewalking to Soyuz 1. However immediately after orbital insertion Komarov's problems started. One of the solar panels failed to deploy, staying wrapped around the service module. Although only receiving half of the planned solar power, an attempt was made to manoeuvre the spacecraft. This failed because of interference of the reaction control system exhaust with the ion flow sensors that were one of the Soyuz' main methods of orientation. Additional Details: here....
1968 April 23
- L1 launch failure - .
Nation: Russia.
Related Persons: Mishin.
Program: Lunar L1.
Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz.
Spacecraft: Soyuz 7K-L1.
The cosmonauts and VVS staff will watch the Proton launch from Area 130. Kamanin observes from Area 81, near the pads. It is a warm, starry night and the booster heads toward space on pillars of fire. Up until T+260 seconds all proceeds normally, then the stage 2 shuts down 79 seconds into its burn. At 02:50 it is reported that the capsule separated successfully from the inert booster and has landed 520 km from the launch pad, 110 km east of Dzhezkazgan. Two Il-14 search aircraft and one Mi-4 helicopter fly over the recovery zone, but no signal is received from the capsule. Mishin immediately blames Chelomei's TsKBEM for the booster failure -- later it is shown that Mishin's L1 spacecraft sent an erroneous abort command to the rocket, which then shut down it engines! The capsule is sighted after dawn and picked up by a Mi-6 helicopter and delivered to Dzhezkazgan airfield at 15:00. It is then taken to Moscow for examination. The SAS abort and capsule landing systems have certainly been proven reliable! They have worked perfectly on the last three launches!
1968 April 23
04:47 GMT - . Launch Site: Fort Churchill. LV Family: Black Brant. Launch Vehicle: Black Brant II.- dup for 116? Aurora / aeronomy / ionosphere mission - . Nation: Canada. Agency: NRCC. Apogee: 337 km (209 mi).
1968 April 23
04:53 GMT - . Launch Site: Fort Churchill. LV Family: Tomahawk. Launch Vehicle: Nike Tomahawk.1968 April 23
23:06 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC35. LV Family: Aerobee. Launch Vehicle: Aerobee 150.1969 April 23
Launch Site: Biscarosse. Launch Complex: Biscarosse BLB. LV Family: MSBS. Launch Vehicle: SSBS S02.1969 April 23
Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg LF07. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Minuteman 1B.1969 April 23
Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Complex: Kourou ALFS. LV Family: Stromboli. Launch Vehicle: Eridan.1969 April 23
09:55 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Voskhod 11A57.- Cosmos 280 - . Mass: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MOM. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Vostok. Spacecraft: Zenit-4M. Duration: 13.00 days. Decay Date: 1969-05-06 . USAF Sat Cat: 3906 . COSPAR: 1969-040A. Apogee: 250 km (150 mi). Perigee: 207 km (128 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 89.00 min. High resolution photo reconnaissance satellite; returned film capsule; carried weather experiments; maneuverable..
1969 April 23
13:10 GMT - . Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: Kapustin Yar V-2. Launch Vehicle: MR-12.1969 April 23
15:30 GMT - . Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: Kapustin Yar V-2. Launch Vehicle: MR-12.1970 April 23
- Mishin proposes crews for Soyuz 10 and 11. - .
Nation: Russia.
Related Persons: Feoktistov,
Khrunov,
Kolodin,
Kubasov,
Mishin,
Patsayev,
Rukavishnikov,
Sevastyanov,
Shatalov,
Shonin,
Volkov,
Volynov,
Yeliseyev.
Program: Salyut.
Flight: Soyuz 10,
Soyuz 11.
Two months after first raising the issue, Mishin has proposed crews for the flights to the DOS station, still planned to occur before the end of the year. Mishin is still pushing Feoktistov, who Kamanin believes is not only seriously ill, but immoral, being on his second wife. Kamanin now has 20 spacecraft crews, but they will have to wait six years or more for a trip to space at the current mission rate. Mishin's proposed DOS crews are as follows: 1 - Shatalov, Yeliseyev, Rukavishnikov; 2 - Shonin, Kubasov, Kolodin; 3 - Volynov, Feoktistov, Patsayev; 4 - Khrunov, Volkov, Sevastyanov.
1970 April 23
Launch Site: Green River. Launch Complex: Green River Pad 1. LV Family: Athena RTV. Launch Vehicle: Athena RTV.- USAF V141D re-entry vehicle test flight - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). SAMSO resumed Athena test launches from the Utah Launch Complex at Green River, Utah, after a seven-month pause for remodeling the facilities so that the longer, heavier, improved Athena H test missile could be launched from them. .
1970 April 23
00:46 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC17A. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Thor Delta M.- Intelsat 3 F-7 - .
Mass: 293 kg (645 lb). Nation: International.
Agency: INTELSAT.
Program: Intelsat.
Class: Communications.
Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Intelsat 3.
Completed Operations Date: 1972-05-01 . USAF Sat Cat: 4376 . COSPAR: 1970-032A. Apogee: 35,791 km (22,239 mi). Perigee: 35,775 km (22,229 mi). Inclination: 0.90 deg. Period: 1,435.90 min.
Stationed at 341 deg E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit over the Atlantic Ocean at 19 deg W in 1970-1971 Last known longitude (1 January 1972) L 139.45 deg E drifting at 0.022 deg E per day. Spacecraft engaged in practical applications and uses of space technology such as weather or communication (US Cat C).
1970 April 23
07:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Kheysa. Launch Vehicle: MR-12.- Aeronomy mission - . Nation: Russia. Apogee: 175 km (108 mi).
1970 April 23
07:32 GMT - . Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: Kapustin Yar V-2. Launch Vehicle: MR-12.- Aeronomy mission - . Nation: Russia. Apogee: 170 km (100 mi).
1970 April 23
11:01 GMT - . Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: Kapustin Yar V-2. Launch Vehicle: MR-12.- Aeronomy mission - . Nation: Russia. Apogee: 170 km (100 mi).
1970 April 23
13:20 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: Plesetsk LC133/1. LV Family: R-12. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 11K63.- Cosmos 334 - . Payload: DS-P1-Yu s/n 31. Mass: 325 kg (716 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MO. Program: DS. Class: Military. Type: Military target satellite. Spacecraft Bus: DS. Spacecraft: DS-P1-Yu. Completed Operations Date: 1970-08-10 . Decay Date: 1970-08-09 . USAF Sat Cat: 4378 . COSPAR: 1970-033A. Apogee: 458 km (284 mi). Perigee: 287 km (178 mi). Inclination: 70.90 deg. Period: 92.00 min. Development of systems for air defence and the control of outer space..
1971 April 23
- Soyuz 10 docking failure. - .
Nation: Russia.
Related Persons: Mishin,
Rukavishnikov,
Shatalov,
Yeliseyev.
Program: Salyut.
Flight: Soyuz 10.
Spacecraft Bus: Almaz.
Spacecraft: Salyut 1.
Soyuz 10 approached to 180 m from Salyut 1 automatically. It was hand docked after faillure of the automatic system, but hard docking could not be achieved because of the angle of approach. Post-flight analysis indicated that the cosmonauts had no instrument to proivde the angle and range rate data necessary for a successful manual docking. Soyuz 10 was connected to the station for 5 hours and 30 minutes. Despite the lack of hard dock, it was said that the crew were unable to enter the station due to a faulty hatch on their own spacecraft. When Shatalov tried to undock from the Salyut, the jammed hatch impeded the docking mechanism, preventing undocking. After several attempts he was unable to undock and land. Additional Details: here....
1971 April 23
01:18 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.1971 April 23
01:48 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.1971 April 23
09:25 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg LF26. Launch Pad: LF26?. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Minuteman 3.- OLD FOX 06F demonstration and shakedown operations launch - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF SAC. Apogee: 1,300 km (800 mi).
1971 April 23
11:30 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: Plesetsk LC132/1. LV Family: R-14. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 11K65M.- Cosmos 407 - . Mass: 750 kg (1,650 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MO. Program: Strela. Class: Communications. Type: Military store-dump communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: KAUR-1. Spacecraft: Strela-2M. USAF Sat Cat: 5174 . COSPAR: 1971-035A. Apogee: 800 km (490 mi). Perigee: 773 km (480 mi). Inclination: 74.00 deg. Period: 100.60 min.
1972 April 23
- EVA Apollo 16-4 - . Crew: Duke, Young. EVA Duration: 0.0014 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Duke, Young. Program: Apollo. Class: Moon. Type: Manned lunar lander. Flight: Apollo 16. Spacecraft: Apollo LM. Internal Vehicular Activity. Threw excess equipment out of LM before lift-off..
1972 April 23
02:23 GMT - .- Apollo 16 LM touches down on the moon - .
Nation: USA.
Flight: Apollo 16.
After separation of LM-11 Orion from CSM 112 Casper, a CSM active rendezvous kept the two vehicles close together while an anomaly discovered on the service propulsion system was evaluated. Tests and analyses showed the redundant system to be still safe and usable if required. The vehicles were again separated and the mission continued on a revised timeline because of the 5 3/4-hour delay. The lunar module landed with Duke and Young in the moon's Descartes region, about 230 meters northwest of the planned target area. A sleep period was scheduled before EVA.
1972 April 23
15:25 GMT - .- EVA Apollo 16-3 - . Crew: Duke, Young. EVA Duration: 0.24 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Duke, Young. Program: Apollo. Class: Moon. Type: Manned lunar lander. Flight: Apollo 16. Spacecraft: Apollo LRV. Drove in lunar rover to North Ray crater..
1973 April 23
21:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Barking Sands. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Rocketsonde.1974 April 23
00:03 GMT - . Launch Site: Woomera. Launch Complex: Woomera LA2. Launch Pad: LA2 SL. LV Family: Skylark. Launch Vehicle: Skylark 6 AC.1974 April 23
14:15 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: Plesetsk LC132/2. LV Family: R-14. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 11K65M.- Cosmos 641 - . Payload: Strela-1M no. 65. Mass: 40 kg (88 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MO. Program: Strela. Class: Communications. Type: Military store-dump communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Strela. Spacecraft: Strela-1M. USAF Sat Cat: 7265 . COSPAR: 1974-024A. Apogee: 1,482 km (920 mi). Perigee: 1,387 km (861 mi). Inclination: 74.00 deg. Period: 114.50 min. Eight satellites launched by a single carrier rocket..
- Cosmos 642 - . Payload: Strela-1M no. 66. Mass: 40 kg (88 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MO. Program: Strela. Class: Communications. Type: Military store-dump communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Strela. Spacecraft: Strela-1M. USAF Sat Cat: 7266 . COSPAR: 1974-024B. Apogee: 1,480 km (910 mi). Perigee: 1,319 km (819 mi). Inclination: 74.00 deg. Period: 113.80 min.
- Cosmos 648 - . Payload: Strela-1M no. 72. Mass: 40 kg (88 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MO. Program: Strela. Class: Communications. Type: Military store-dump communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Strela. Spacecraft: Strela-1M. USAF Sat Cat: 7272 . COSPAR: 1974-024H. Apogee: 1,489 km (925 mi). Perigee: 1,438 km (893 mi). Inclination: 74.00 deg. Period: 115.20 min.
- Cosmos 647 - . Payload: Strela-1M no. 71. Mass: 40 kg (88 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MO. Program: Strela. Class: Communications. Type: Military store-dump communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Strela. Spacecraft: Strela-1M. USAF Sat Cat: 7271 . COSPAR: 1974-024G. Apogee: 1,484 km (922 mi). Perigee: 1,422 km (883 mi). Inclination: 74.00 deg. Period: 115.00 min.
- Cosmos 646 - . Payload: Strela-1M no. 70. Mass: 40 kg (88 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MO. Program: Strela. Class: Communications. Type: Military store-dump communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Strela. Spacecraft: Strela-1M. USAF Sat Cat: 7270 . COSPAR: 1974-024F. Apogee: 1,484 km (922 mi). Perigee: 1,404 km (872 mi). Inclination: 74.00 deg. Period: 114.80 min.
- Cosmos 645 - . Payload: Strela-1M no. 69. Mass: 40 kg (88 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MO. Program: Strela. Class: Communications. Type: Military store-dump communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Strela. Spacecraft: Strela-1M. USAF Sat Cat: 7269 . COSPAR: 1974-024E. Apogee: 1,482 km (920 mi). Perigee: 1,369 km (850 mi). Inclination: 74.00 deg. Period: 114.30 min.
- Cosmos 644 - . Payload: Strela-1M no. 68. Mass: 40 kg (88 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MO. Program: Strela. Class: Communications. Type: Military store-dump communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Strela. Spacecraft: Strela-1M. USAF Sat Cat: 7268 . COSPAR: 1974-024D. Apogee: 1,482 km (920 mi). Perigee: 1,335 km (829 mi). Inclination: 74.00 deg. Period: 114.00 min.
- Cosmos 643 - . Payload: Strela-1M no. 67. Mass: 40 kg (88 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MO. Program: Strela. Class: Communications. Type: Military store-dump communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Strela. Spacecraft: Strela-1M. USAF Sat Cat: 7267 . COSPAR: 1974-024C. Apogee: 1,482 km (920 mi). Perigee: 1,352 km (840 mi). Inclination: 74.00 deg. Period: 114.20 min.
1975 April 23
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC173. Launch Vehicle: MR-UR-100.1976 April 23
09:46 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral ETR. Launch Platform: SSBN 644. LV Family: Polaris. Launch Vehicle: Poseidon C3.1976 April 23
09:53 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral ETR. Launch Platform: SSBN 644. LV Family: Polaris. Launch Vehicle: Poseidon C3.1977 April 23
09:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Sea Launch Area. Launch Pad: UNKO. Launch Platform: VOLNA. Launch Vehicle: MMR-06.1978 April 23
- Columbia ready for power-on. - . Nation: USA. Program: STS. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spaceplane. Spacecraft Bus: Shuttle. Spacecraft: Columbia. Complete final assembly and closeout system installation, ready for power-on, Columbia (OV-102).
1979 April 23
17:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Sea Launch Area. Launch Pad: UNKO. Launch Platform: PRILIV. Launch Vehicle: MMR-06.1980 April 23
00:20 GMT - . Launch Site: Wallops Island. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Rocketsonde.1981 April 23
15:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Antigua. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Rocketsonde.1982 April 23
09:40 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: Plesetsk LC41/1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-U.- Cosmos 1353 - . Payload: Zenit-4MKT no. 20. Mass: 6,300 kg (13,800 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MOM. Program: Resurs. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Vostok. Spacecraft: Zenit-4MKT. Duration: 13.00 days. Decay Date: 1982-05-06 . USAF Sat Cat: 13146 . COSPAR: 1982-036A. Apogee: 238 km (147 mi). Perigee: 207 km (128 mi). Inclination: 82.40 deg. Period: 89.00 min. Investigation of the natural resources of the earth in the interests of various branches of the national economy of the USSR and international cooperation..
1983 April 23
14:30 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: Plesetsk LC32. Launch Pad: LC32/2. LV Family: R-36. Launch Vehicle: Tsiklon-3.- Cosmos 1455 - . Payload: Tselina-D no. 41. Nation: Russia. Agency: MO. Program: Tselina. Class: Surveillance. Type: SIGINT. Spacecraft: Tselina-D. USAF Sat Cat: 14032 . COSPAR: 1983-037A. Apogee: 617 km (383 mi). Perigee: 592 km (367 mi). Inclination: 82.50 deg. Period: 96.80 min.
1984 April 23
04:31 GMT - .- EVA Salyut 7 EO-3-1 - . Crew: Kizim, Solovyov, Vladimir. EVA Duration: 0.18 days. Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Kizim, Solovyov, Vladimir. Program: Salyut 7. Class: Manned. Type: Manned space station. Flight: Soyuz T-10. Spacecraft Bus: Almaz. Spacecraft: Salyut 7. Installed external equipment..
1986 April 23
Launch Site: Balasore. LV Family: RH. Launch Vehicle: RH-200.1986 April 23
19:40 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-U2.- Progress 26 - .
Payload: Progress s/n 136. Mass: 7,250 kg (15,980 lb). Nation: Russia.
Agency: MOM.
Program: Mir.
Class: Manned.
Type: Manned logistics spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz T-15.
Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz.
Spacecraft: Progress.
Duration: 60.83 days. Completed Operations Date: 1986-06-23 15:40:56 . Decay Date: 1986-06-23 15:40:56 . USAF Sat Cat: 16687 . COSPAR: 1986-032A. Apogee: 257 km (159 mi). Perigee: 184 km (114 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 88.90 min.
Unmanned supply vessel to Mir. Rendezvoused with Mir on 25 April, but problem with Mir's radio communication system delays docking until the next day. Docked with Mir on 26 Apr 1986 21:26:06 GMT. Undocked on 22 Jun 1986 18:25:00 GMT. Destroyed in reentry on 23 Jun 1986 15:41:01 GMT. Total free-flight time 3.96 days. Total docked time 56.87 days.
1992 April 23
- Spacewedge 1 first flight - .
Nation: USA.
Spacecraft Bus: Rescue.
Spacecraft: X-38.
NASA researchers conducted a flight test program to develop the Spacewedge vehicle design. The first test vehicle (Wedge 1) was just four ft long, and weighed 120 lb. It was initially launched from a hillside near Tehachapi; the test program then moved to Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards AFB, and to a sport parachute (Skydive) drop zone at California City, CA.
1993 April 23
14:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC47. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Rocketsonde.1994 April 23
08:01 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC45/1. LV Family: Zenit. Launch Vehicle: Zenit-2.- Cosmos 2278 - . Payload: Tselina-2 no. 17. Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MO. Program: Tselina. Class: Surveillance. Type: SIGINT. Spacecraft: Tselina-2. USAF Sat Cat: 23087 . COSPAR: 1994-023A. Apogee: 857 km (532 mi). Perigee: 846 km (525 mi). Inclination: 71.00 deg. Period: 102.00 min.
1996 April 23
11:48 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC81/23. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-K.- Priroda - . Payload: 77KSI s/n 17401. Mass: 19,000 kg (41,000 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: RAKA. Program: Mir. Class: Manned. Type: Manned space station. Flight: Soyuz TM-23, STS-76 Mir NASA-1. Spacecraft Bus: Mir. Spacecraft: Priroda. Decay Date: 2001-03-23 . USAF Sat Cat: 23848 . COSPAR: 1996-023A. Apogee: 347 km (215 mi). Perigee: 220 km (130 mi). Inclination: 51.67 deg. Period: 89.89 min. LEO. Remote sensing module for Mir space station Docked with Mir Apr 26. .
1998 April 23
- STS-90 - Wakeup Song: I Got You (I Feel Good) - . Flight: STS-90. "I Got You (I Feel Good)" by James Brown CAPCOM: Chris Hadfield.
1998 April 23
- STS-90 - Wakeup Song: This Land Is Your Land - . Flight: STS-90. "This Land Is Your Land" by Rod Taylor CAPCOM: Bill McArthur.
2001 April 23
LV Family: DF-31. Launch Vehicle: KT-1.- Kaitozhe 1 First Commercial Launch in 2002 - . Nation: China. Kaituozhe 1's first commercial launch was scheduled for 2002..
2001 April 23
- Death of David Mathieson 'Dave' Walker at Houston, Texas - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Walker, Dave. American test pilot astronaut 1978-1996. Navy nickname Red Flash, a confident pilot. 4 spaceflights, 30.2 days in space. Flew to orbit on STS-51A (1984), STS-30, STS-53, STS-69..
2001 April 23
- STS-100 - Wakeup Song: Both Sides Now - . Flight: STS-100. "Both Sides Now" - Judy Collins.
2003 April 23
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral ETR. Launch Platform: SSBN 741. LV Family: Trident. Launch Vehicle: Trident D-5.2004 April 23
- International Space Station Status Report #04-22 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Fincke, Foale, Kaleri, Kuipers, Padalka. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-3, Soyuz TMA-4 Delta. New crewmembers aboard the International Space Station settled into a routine of handover briefings and scientific experiments after their arrival early Wednesday.. Additional Details: here....
2007 April 23
- Death of Boris N Yeltsin - . Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Yeltsin. Russian politician, headed Russia 1991-1999. Under his tenure the Soviet programs collapsed, but Russian manned space technology base was kept alive through American funding of the International Space Station..
2007 April 23
10:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Sriharikota. Launch Complex: Sriharikota SLP. Launch Vehicle: PSLV.- AGILE - .
Mass: 352 kg (776 lb). Nation: Italy.
Agency: ASI.
Manufacturer: Carlo Gavazzi.
Class: Astronomy.
Type: X-ray astronomy satellite. Spacecraft Bus: MITA.
Spacecraft: AGILE.
USAF Sat Cat: 31135 . COSPAR: 2007-013A. Apogee: 553 km (343 mi). Perigee: 523 km (324 mi). Inclination: 2.50 deg. Period: 95.40 min.
The PSLV-C8 launch vehicle flew for the first time in a light configuration with no strap-on motors and a Dual Launch Adapter. The Italian gamma-ray observatory satellite (Astrorivelatore Gamma ad Imagini Leggero) carried the GRID 0.3-200 MeV wide-field gamma ray camera and the Super-AGILE 15-45 keV detector hard X-ray detector.
- AAM - . Mass: 185 kg (407 lb). Nation: India. Agency: ISRO. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft: AAM. USAF Sat Cat: 31136 . COSPAR: 2007-013B. Apogee: 549 km (341 mi). Perigee: 531 km (329 mi). Inclination: 2.50 deg. Period: 95.50 min. The Dual Launch Adapter housed the secondary payload, an Advanced Avionics Module for future use on Indian launch vehicles. The AAM remained attached to the PSLV fourth stage..
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....
2010 April 23
23:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC8. LV Family: Peacekeeper. Launch Vehicle: Minotaur IV Lite.2012 April 23
09:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Andoya. LV Family: Sonda. Launch Vehicle: VS-30/Orion.2012 April 23
22:18 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC200/39. Launch Pad: LC200/39. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-M/Briz-M.- Yahsat-1B - . Mass: 6,100 kg (13,400 lb). Nation: UAE. Class: Communications. Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: Eurostar 3000. USAF Sat Cat: 38245 . COSPAR: 2012-016A. Apogee: 35,792 km (22,240 mi). Perigee: 35,781 km (22,233 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Communications satellite for Al Yah Satellite Communications of Abu Dhabi..
2013 April 23
17:30 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. LV Family: Black Brant. Launch Vehicle: Black Brant IX.- EUNIS - . Nation: USA. Apogee: 320 km (190 mi). Solar EUV mission.
2015 April 23
07:35 GMT - . Launch Site: Kiruna. LV Family: Sonda. Launch Vehicle: VSB-30.- TEXUS 51 - . Nation: Sweden. Apogee: 261 km (162 mi). Microgravity payload..