On March 18 in Space History
Chronology
108 events
1880 March 18
- Birth of Walter Hohmann - . Nation: Germany. Related Persons: Hohmann. German architect who became interested in interplanetary spaceflight, defined the minimum energy transfer orbit which bears his name in 1916. Rocket enthusiast with VfR but broke off contact after military took over development..
1903 March 18
- Birth of Vasili Vasilyevich Parin - . Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Parin. Russian physician. Director of IMBP 1965-1969. A leading space medicine specialist..
1912 March 18
- Birth of Nicholas E Golovin - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Golovin. American physicist. NRL, 1946-1948; NBS 1949-1958; NASA 1960. Chaired seminal NASA-DOD large launch vehicle planning group 1961. White House technical advisor for aviation and space 1962-1968..
1913 March 18
- Birth of Kurt Paul Erich Patt - . Nation: Germany, USA. Related Persons: Patt. German engineer in WW2, member of the Rocket Team in the United States thereafter..
1942 March 18
Launch Site: Peenemuende. Launch Complex: Peenemuende. Launch Vehicle: V-2.- V-2 s/n 1 explodes during engine test run. - .
Nation: Germany.
The missile was being tested on Test Stand VII; no launch had been planned. G Harry Stine noticed that the German rocket scientists at White Sands were very reluctant to talk about the details of the failure, but finally managed to get the real story from Konrad Dannenberg:
The first A.4 missile was a hand-made job. Motor tests preceding the first flight were to be carried out in a huge, mobile test stand, which held the entire missile. However, this first A.4 never flew; it found its end in the test stand. In order to clamp the missile into the stand without attaching the thrust mounts to the missile structure, a large steel corset was built. Unfortunately, the builders of this corset did not take into account the shrinkage of the missile components when the frigid liquid oxygen was pumped aboard. The first A4 shrank, dropped out of the corset, and was a total wash-out.
The test was to have examined the behavior of the guidance system and the graphite steering vanes in the exhaust flow. The corset had pivot mountings on it to allow the missile to be deflected while its motor was being fired, to see how fast the steering vanes responded, and what amount of corrective force they developed. After the failure, the Peenemuende team was embarrassed by the fact that they had overlooked something as obvious as the fact that cold things shrink.
1943 March 18
Launch Site: Peenemuende. Launch Complex: Peenemuende P7. LV Family: V-2. Launch Vehicle: V-2.1944 March 18
Launch Site: Heidelager. LV Family: V-2. Launch Vehicle: V-2.1945 March 18
03:35 GMT - . Launch Site: V-2 Battery 485. Launch Pad: 1./485. Launch Vehicle: V-2.- V-2 combat launch from Hoek Van Holland to Ightham - . Nation: Germany. Hoek Van Holland, rocket fired, impacted Ightham, Kent..
1945 March 18
09:25 GMT - . Launch Site: V-2 Battery 485. Launch Pad: 1./485. Launch Vehicle: V-2.- V-2 combat launch from The Hague to Hyde Park - . Nation: Germany. The Hague, Statenkwartier, rocket fired, impacted Hyde Park (near Speakers Corner), Westminster. 3 Dead..
1948 March 18
Launch Vehicle: V-2.- V-2 project winding down. - . Nation: Germany. Related Persons: von Braun. V-2 Upper Atmosphere Research Panel, representing all U.S. interested agencies, was renamed the Upper Atmosphere Rocket Research Panel..
1952 March 18
Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: Wallops Island.- Solid fuel ramjet. - . Nation: USA. First successful solid-fuel ramjet research model flown at NACA's Wallops Island..
1953 March 18
Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: Kapustin Yar V-2. Launch Vehicle: R-5. FAILURE: Failure.- Phase I state trials launch - . Nation: Russia. Agency: Korolev bureau. Apogee: 0 km (0 mi).
1954 March 18
- Birth of Dr James Francis II 'JR' Reilly - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Reilly. American geologist mission specialist astronaut 1994-2008. 3 spaceflights, 35.4 days in space. Flew to orbit on STS-89 (1998), STS-104, STS-117..
1957 March 18
- Birth of Arne Christer Fuglesang - . Nation: Sweden. Related Persons: Fuglesang. Swedish engineer cosmonaut 1992-2017. 2 spaceflights, 26.7 days in space. Flew to orbit on STS-116 (2006), STS-128..
1957 March 18
Launch Site: Vandenberg.- The first operational elements of the ballistic missile program established. - .
Headquarters ARDC redesignated Headquarters, 1st Air Division, as Headquarters, 1st Missile Division. Headquarters, 392d Air Base Squadron, was reconstituted as Headquarters, 392d Air Base Group, at Camp Cooke, California, effective 15 April 1957. Both units were assigned to WDD.
1957 March 18
- NERVA research cut back. - .
Nation: USA.
Program: NERVA.
As a result of guidance from the Secretary of Defense as to desired level of effort, the Atomic Energy Commission reduced its program on nuclear rocket propulsion to a single laboratory effort, phasing out work at the University of California Radiation Laboratory and concentrating AEC development efforts at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory.
1958 March 18
- Preliminary Studies of Manned Satellites, Wingless Configuration, Non-Lifting - .
Nation: USA.
Related Persons: Faget.
Spacecraft: Mercury.
An NACA report was published entitled, 'Preliminary Studies of Manned Satellites, Wingless Configuration, Non-Lifting,' by Maxime A. Faget, Benjamine Garland, and James J. Buglia. Later this document became the basic working paper for the Project Mercury development program, and was reissued as NASA Technical Note D-1254, March 1962.
1958 March 18
Launch Site: White Sands. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.- Solar ultraviolet mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Apogee: 107 km (66 mi). First Nike Apache flight..
1959 March 18
02:45 GMT - . Launch Site: Akita. LV Family: Kappa. Launch Vehicle: Kappa 6.1960 March 18
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC25B. LV Family: Polaris. Launch Vehicle: Polaris A1.1961 March 18
LV Family: Minuteman.- Minuteman was accorded the first priority and was to be undertaken as a crash effort. - . Major General Osmond J. Ritland, Commander,'AFBMD, and Major General Thomas P.. Gerrity, Commander, Ballistic Missile Center (BMC), issued the joint policy letter based on directives from Defense Department..
1961 March 18
16:49 GMT - . Launch Site: Wallops Island. Launch Complex: Wallops Island LA1. Launch Vehicle: Little Joe 1. FAILURE: Escape tower fired prematurely.- Mercury LJ-5A - .
Nation: USA.
Agency: NASA.
Spacecraft: Mercury.
Apogee: 12 km (7 mi).
Mercury Little Joe 5A (LJ-5A), the sixth in the series of Little Joe missions, was launched from Wallops Island. This flight was intended to satisfy test objectives, which were not met previously because of the failure of the spacecraft to separate from the launch vehicle during the Little Joe 5 (LJ-5) mission flown on November 8, 1960. For reference, the purpose of this test was to demonstrate primarily the structural integrity of the spacecraft and the escape system during an escape maneuver initiated at the highest dynamic pressure anticipated during an Atlas launch for orbital flight. Little Joe 5A (LJ-5A) lifted off normally, but 19 seconds later the escape tower fired prematurely, a situation closely resembling the November 1960 flight. The signal to initiate the abort maneuver was given; and the launch vehicle-adapter clamp ring was released as intended, but the spacecraft remained on the launch vehicle since the escape motor was already expended. The separation was effected by using the retrorockets, but this command was transmitted before the flight had reached its apex, where separation had been planned. Therefore, the separation was rather violent. The parachutes did deploy at about 40,000 feet, and after recovery it was found that the spacecraft had actually incurred only superficial structural damage. In fact, this spacecraft was later used for the subsequent Little Joe 5B (LJ-5B) flight test. Test objectives of the Little Joe 5A (LJ-5A) were not met.
1962 March 18
Launch Vehicle: Saturn V.- Saturn C-5 first launch scheduled in the last quarter of 1965 - .
Nation: USA.
Related Persons: von Braun.
Program: Apollo.
Marshall Space Flight Center's latest schedule on the Saturn C-5 called for the first launch in the last quarter of 1965 and the first manned launch in the last quarter of 1967. If the C-5 could be man-rated on the eighth research and development flight in the second quarter of 1967, the spacecraft lead time would be substantially reduced.
1963 March 18
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC31B. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Minuteman 1B.1963 March 18
21:13 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC1W. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Thor SLV-2A Agena D. FAILURE: Failure. Failed Stage: U.- KH-6 8001 - . Payload: KH-6 s/n 8001. Mass: 1,500 kg (3,300 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: WS-117. Spacecraft: KH-6. Decay Date: 1963-03-18 . First launch of KH-6. Mission failed..
- P-11 No. 1 - . Payload: P-11 No. 1. Mass: 80 kg (176 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Class: Surveillance. Type: SIGINT. Spacecraft Bus: P 11. Spacecraft: SSF. Decay Date: 1963-03-18 . Ferret subsatellite aboard first launch of KH-6. Mission failed..
1964 March 18
Launch Site: Barking Sands. LV Family: Tomahawk. Launch Vehicle: Nike Tomahawk.1964 March 18
06:11 GMT - . Launch Site: Fort Churchill. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.1964 March 18
14:36 GMT - . Launch Site: Sonmiani. LV Family: Loki. Launch Vehicle: Judi-Dart.1964 March 18
15:07 GMT - . Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. Launch Complex: Kapustin Yar Mayak-2. LV Family: R-12. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 63S1.- Cosmos 26 - . Payload: DS-MG s/n 1. Mass: 365 kg (804 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MO. Program: DS. Class: Technology. Type: Navigation technology satellite. Spacecraft Bus: DS. Spacecraft: DS-MG. Completed Operations Date: 1964-04-01 . Decay Date: 1964-09-28 . USAF Sat Cat: 766 . COSPAR: 1964-013A. Apogee: 376 km (233 mi). Perigee: 268 km (166 mi). Inclination: 48.90 deg. Period: 91.00 min. Payload developed by VNIIEM to test electric gyrodyne orientation systems. Also obtained radiation data..
1965 March 18
04:43 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC10W. LV Family: Thor. Launch Vehicle: Thor MG-18.- DMSP-Block-4A F2 - . Payload: DAPP 11 / OPS 7353. Mass: 130 kg (280 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Program: DMSP. Class: Earth. Type: Weather satellite. Spacecraft Bus: DMSP. Spacecraft: DMSP Block 4A. Decay Date: 1989-12-31 . USAF Sat Cat: 1273 . COSPAR: 1965-021A. Apogee: 146 km (90 mi). Perigee: 139 km (86 mi). Inclination: 99.00 deg. Period: 87.30 min. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. A fully successful launch with all objectives met. The night launch time of 2100 hrs Vandenberg time with a 5 minute launch window was the same for both the first and second Burner I launches..
1965 March 18
06:04 GMT - . Launch Pad: Pacific Ocean, 12.8 S x 77.8 W. Launch Platform: CVE-25. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.- B field Plasma mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi). Launched at 1965 Croatan MRF Expedition LP12 - - Latitude: 12.83 S - Longitude: 77.83 W..
1965 March 18
06:41 GMT - . Launch Pad: Pacific Ocean, 12.8 S x 77.9 W. Launch Platform: CVE-25. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.- Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). Launched at 1965 Croatan MRF Expedition LP13 - - Latitude: 12.80 S - Longitude: 77.93 W..
1965 March 18
07:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Voskhod 11A57.- Voskhod 2 - .
Call Sign: Almaz (Diamond ). Crew: Belyayev,
Leonov.
Backup Crew: Gorbatko,
Khrunov,
Zaikin.
Payload: Voskhod 3KD s/n 4. Mass: 5,682 kg (12,526 lb). Nation: Russia.
Related Persons: Belyayev,
Gagarin,
Gorbatko,
Khrunov,
Korolev,
Leonov,
Rudenko,
Tyulin,
Zaikin.
Agency: MOM.
Program: Voskhod.
Class: Manned.
Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Voskhod 2.
Spacecraft Bus: Vostok.
Spacecraft: Voskhod.
Duration: 1.08 days. Decay Date: 1965-03-19 . USAF Sat Cat: 1274 . COSPAR: 1965-022A. Apogee: 475 km (295 mi). Perigee: 167 km (103 mi). Inclination: 64.80 deg. Period: 90.90 min.
First spacewalk, with a two man crew of Colonel Pavel Belyayev and Lt. Colonel Aleksey Leonov. During Voskhod 2's second orbit, Leonov stepped from the vehicle and performed mankind's first "walk in space." After 10 min of extravehicular activity, he returned safely to the spacecraft through an inflatable airlock.
This mission was originally named 'Vykhod ('Exit/Advance'). It almost ended in disaster when Leonov was unable to reenter the airlock due to stiffness of the inflated spacesuit. He had to bleed air from the suit in order to get into the airlock. After Leonov finally managed to get back into the spacecraft cabin, the primary hatch would not seal completely. The environmental control system compensated by flooding the cabin with oxygen, creating a serious fire hazard in a craft only qualified for sea level nitrogen-oxygen gas mixes (Cosmonaut Bondarenko had burned to death in a ground accident in such circumstances, preceding the Apollo 204 disaster by many years). Additional Details: here....
1965 March 18
08:34 GMT - .- EVA Voskhod 2-1 - . Crew: Leonov. EVA Duration: 0.0160 days. Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Leonov. Program: Voskhod. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Voskhod 2. Spacecraft Bus: Vostok. Spacecraft: Voskhod. First walk in space..
1965 March 18
10:07 GMT - . Launch Site: Kagoshima. Launch Complex: Kagoshima L. LV Family: Lambda. Launch Vehicle: Lambda 3.1965 March 18
16:01 GMT - . Launch Pad: Pacific Ocean, 12.7 S x 77.7 W. Launch Platform: CVE-25. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.- B field Plasma mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 149 km (92 mi). Launched at 1965 Croatan MRF Expedition LP14 - - Latitude: 12.67 S - Longitude: 77.67 W..
1965 March 18
16:38 GMT - . Launch Pad: Pacific Ocean, 12.8 S x 78.0 W. Launch Platform: CVE-25. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.- Ionosphere mission - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi). Launched at 1965 Croatan MRF Expedition LP15 - - Latitude: 12.78 S - Longitude: 77.98 W..
1965 March 18
20:43 GMT - . Launch Site: Wallops Island. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.1966 March 18
- Message from BE Chertok on the development of Earth-to-Space equipment for the 7K-OK, 7K-L1, and 7K-L1S' - . Related Persons: Mishin, Chertok. Spacecraft: Soyuz, Soyuz 7K-L1, Soyuz 7K-L1S, Soyuz 7K-OK. Message from BE Chertok on the development of Earth-to-Space equipment for the 7K-OK, 7K-L1, and 7K-L1S' (Mishin Diaries 3-9)..
1966 March 18
Launch Site: Hammaguira. Launch Complex: Hammaguira Brigitte. LV Family: Diamant. Launch Vehicle: Saphir VE231.1966 March 18
01:15 GMT - . Launch Site: Wallops Island. LV Family: Trailblazer test vehicle. Launch Vehicle: Trailblazer 2.1966 March 18
20:30 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg SLC4E. LV Family: Atlas. Launch Vehicle: Atlas SLV-3 Agena D.- KH 7-26 - . Payload: KH-7 no. 26 / OPS 0879. Mass: 60 kg (132 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NRO, USAF. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: WS-117. Spacecraft: KH-7. Decay Date: 1966-03-24 . USAF Sat Cat: 2109 . COSPAR: 1966-022A. Apogee: 308 km (191 mi). Perigee: 162 km (100 mi). Inclination: 101.00 deg. Period: 89.30 min. Not identified as a subsatellite ferret by McDowell..
- OPS 0974/Agena D - . Payload: NRL PL137 / OPS 0974. Mass: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: USAF. Class: Surveillance. Type: SIGINT. Spacecraft Bus: P 11. Spacecraft: SSF. Decay Date: 1966-03-23 . USAF Sat Cat: 2112 . COSPAR: 1966-022B. Apogee: 285 km (177 mi). Perigee: 149 km (92 mi). Inclination: 101.00 deg. Period: 88.80 min. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). .
1967 March 18
05:47 GMT - . Launch Site: Fort Churchill. LV Family: Honest John. Launch Vehicle: Javelin.1968 March 18
Launch Site: Biscarosse. LV Family: Belier. Launch Vehicle: Belier III. FAILURE: Failure.1968 March 18
07:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Arecibo. Launch Complex: Arecibo VB. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.1968 March 18
17:51 GMT - . Launch Site: Fort Churchill. LV Family: Tomahawk. Launch Vehicle: Nike Tomahawk.1968 March 18
21:30 GMT - . Launch Site: Kheysa. Launch Vehicle: MR-12.1968 March 18
22:15 GMT - . Launch Site: Kheysa. Launch Vehicle: MR-12.1969 March 18
05:17 GMT - . Launch Site: Poker Flat. LV Family: Hydac. Launch Vehicle: HJ Nike Hydac.1969 March 18
07:40 GMT - . Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg 576A2. LV Family: Atlas. Launch Vehicle: Atlas F.- OV1-17S - .
Mass: 142 kg (313 lb). Nation: USA.
Agency: USAF OAR.
Class: Earth.
Type: Magnetosphere satellite. Spacecraft: OV1.
Decay Date: 1970-03-05 . USAF Sat Cat: 3823 . COSPAR: 1969-025A. Apogee: 466 km (289 mi). Perigee: 400 km (240 mi). Inclination: 99.10 deg. Period: 93.20 min.
Atlas 104F was launched from Vandenberg AFB and placed 41 scientific experiments into orbit as part of SAMSO's Space Experiments Support Program (SESP). Solar radiation experiments. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).
- OV1-17A Orbiscal 2 - . Payload: OV1-17P. Mass: 221 kg (487 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: USAF OAR. Class: Earth. Type: Magnetosphere satellite. Spacecraft: OV1. Decay Date: 1969-03-24 . USAF Sat Cat: 3826 . COSPAR: 1969-025D. Apogee: 309 km (192 mi). Perigee: 175 km (108 mi). Inclination: 99.10 deg. Period: 89.40 min. Radio beacon mountedon OV17 propulsion module. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). .
- OV1-18S - . Mass: 125 kg (275 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: USAF OAR. Class: Earth. Type: Magnetosphere satellite. Spacecraft: OV1. Decay Date: 1972-08-27 . USAF Sat Cat: 3824 . COSPAR: 1969-025B. Apogee: 583 km (362 mi). Perigee: 466 km (289 mi). Inclination: 98.90 deg. Period: 95.20 min. Ionospheric, radiation, electric field data. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). .
- OV1-19S - . Mass: 124 kg (273 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: USAF OAR. Class: Earth. Type: Magnetosphere satellite. Spacecraft: OV1. USAF Sat Cat: 3825 . COSPAR: 1969-025C. Apogee: 5,551 km (3,449 mi). Perigee: 483 km (300 mi). Inclination: 104.80 deg. Period: 151.10 min. Radiation experiments. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A). .
1969 March 18
18:16 GMT - . Launch Site: Kiruna. Launch Vehicle: Petrel.1970 March 18
- Shonin on report - .
Nation: Russia.
Related Persons: Nikolayev,
Shonin,
Tereshkova,
Titov.
Program: Soyuz.
Flight: Soyuz 9.
Nikolayev and crew go to Sochi. Tereshkova is back from sick leave, and she goes there as well. Kamanin meets with Shonin, the topic: many bad reports he has received of Shonin's behaviour since Soyuz 6. He tells him to watch out, or he'll end up on a five-year flight suspension like Titov.
1970 March 18
02:45 GMT - . Launch Site: Andoya. LV Family: Black Brant. Launch Vehicle: Black Brant IVA.- DLR A-BB4-29 Gerda Ionosphere / plasma mission - . Nation: Germany. Agency: DFVLR. Apogee: 665 km (413 mi).
1970 March 18
14:39 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: Plesetsk LC133/1. LV Family: R-12. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 11K63.- Cosmos 327 - . Payload: DS-P1-I s/n 8. Mass: 300 kg (660 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MO. Program: DS. Class: Military. Type: Military target satellite. Spacecraft Bus: DS. Spacecraft: DS-P1-I. Completed Operations Date: 1970-09-11 . Decay Date: 1971-01-19 . USAF Sat Cat: 4351 . COSPAR: 1970-020A. Apogee: 819 km (508 mi). Perigee: 280 km (170 mi). Inclination: 71.00 deg. Period: 95.70 min. Operational radar target for the ABM forces..
1970 March 18
22:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Woomera. Launch Complex: Woomera LA2. Launch Pad: LA2 SL. LV Family: Skylark. Launch Vehicle: Skylark 3 AC.1971 March 18
Launch Site: Hall Beach. LV Family: Tomahawk. Launch Vehicle: Nike Tomahawk.1971 March 18
17:10 GMT - . Launch Site: Kheysa. Launch Vehicle: MR-12.- Aeronomy mission - . Nation: Russia. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi).
1971 March 18
19:39 GMT - . Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Complex: Kourou ALFS. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Cajun.1971 March 18
21:45 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: Plesetsk LC132/1. LV Family: R-14. Launch Vehicle: Kosmos 11K65M.- Cosmos 400 - . Payload: DS-P1-M s/n 3. Mass: 650 kg (1,430 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MO. Class: Military. Type: Anti-satellite system target. Spacecraft Bus: DS. Spacecraft: DS-P1-M. Completed Operations Date: 1972-08-22 . USAF Sat Cat: 5050 . COSPAR: 1971-020A. Apogee: 995 km (618 mi). Perigee: 990 km (610 mi). Inclination: 65.80 deg. Period: 105.00 min. ASAT target for Cosmos 404 interceptor..
1972 March 18
Launch Site: Biscarosse. LV Family: Berenice. Launch Vehicle: Tibere.1972 March 18
09:03 GMT - . Launch Site: Poker Flat. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Ute Apache.1974 March 18
20:15 GMT - . Launch Site: Kheysa. Launch Vehicle: MR-12.- Aeronomy/Ionosphere/Chemical release/Plasma mission - . Nation: Russia. Apogee: 167 km (103 mi).
1975 March 18
Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC103. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36M 15A14.1975 March 18
Launch Site: White Sands. LV Family: Black Brant. Launch Vehicle: Black Brant VI.1975 March 18
Launch Site: White Sands. LV Family: Black Brant. Launch Vehicle: Black Brant VI.1975 March 18
08:27 GMT - . Launch Site: Poker Flat. LV Family: Tomahawk. Launch Vehicle: Nike Tomahawk.1976 March 18
00:28 GMT - . Launch Site: Kheysa. Launch Vehicle: MR-12.- Chemical release/Plasma/Fields mission - . Nation: Russia. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi).
1976 March 18
08:08 GMT - . Launch Site: Kheysa. Launch Vehicle: MR-12.- Aeronomy/Chemical release/Plasma mission - . Nation: Russia. Apogee: 150 km (90 mi).
1976 March 18
09:15 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. Launch Pad: LC1 or LC31. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-U.- Cosmos 809 - . Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MOM. Class: Surveillance. Type: Military surveillance satellite. Spacecraft Bus: Vostok. Spacecraft: Zenit-2M satellite. Duration: 12.00 days. Decay Date: 1976-03-30 . USAF Sat Cat: 8758 . COSPAR: 1976-025A. Apogee: 300 km (180 mi). Perigee: 205 km (127 mi). Inclination: 65.00 deg. Period: 89.60 min. Area survey photo reconnaissance satellite; returned film capsule..
1977 March 18
Launch Site: Barents Sea Launch Area. Launch Pad: 69.5 N x 34.2 E. Launch Platform: PLBR. LV Family: R-29. Launch Vehicle: Vysota.1977 March 18
20:10 GMT - . Launch Site: Kheysa. Launch Vehicle: MR-12.- Aeronomy/Ionosphere/Plasma mission - . Nation: Russia. Apogee: 162 km (100 mi).
1977 March 18
21:05 GMT - . Launch Site: Kheysa. Launch Vehicle: MR-12.- Aeronomy/Fields mission - . Nation: Russia. Apogee: 170 km (100 mi).
1978 March 18
01:19 GMT - . Launch Site: Fort Churchill. LV Family: Loki. Launch Vehicle: Loki Dart.1980 March 18
16:01 GMT - . Launch Site: Plesetsk. Launch Complex: Plesetsk LC43/4. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Vostok 8A92M. FAILURE: Booster exploded on pad during servicing. Severe pad damage, 48 people killed. Cause found to be change in solder with tin to that with lead in H2O2 filters, causing decomposition and explosion.. Failed Stage: 0.- Tselina-D - .
Nation: Russia.
Agency: RVSN.
Program: Tselina.
Class: Surveillance.
Type: SIGINT. Spacecraft: Tselina-D.
Decay Date: 1980-03-18 . COSPAR: F800318A.
This was the worst disaster since the Nedelin Catastrophe on 24 October 1964. A commission of military officers and chief designers reviewed the incident and requested changes to equipment and procedures, especially as regarded liquid oxygen handling. Another source reports that the explosion occurred during the fuelling of the Block E upper stage, and was due to hydrogen peroxide being present in a lox line filter and a confusion between fuel and lox lines. This error had always been possible, but had never happened in the 20 years of use of the booster before the explosion. The launch pad was badly damaged and not put back into service until April 1983.
1981 March 18
04:40 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC200/40. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-K/DM.- Raduga 8 - .
Payload: Raduga s/n 18L. Mass: 1,940 kg (4,270 lb). Nation: Russia.
Agency: MOM.
Class: Communications.
Type: Military communications satellite. Spacecraft Bus: KAUR-3.
Spacecraft: Raduga .
Completed Operations Date: 1981-04-11 . USAF Sat Cat: 12351 . COSPAR: 1981-027A. Apogee: 36,115 km (22,440 mi). Perigee: 35,411 km (22,003 mi). Inclination: 10.80 deg. Period: 1,434.90 min.
Provision of uninterrupted round the clock telephone and telegraph radiocommunication in the USSR and simultaneous transmission of colour and black-and-white USSR central television programmes to stations in the Orbita network. As of 3 September 2001 located at 8.37 deg E drifting at 0.322 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 69.95E drifting at 0.520E degrees per day.
1982 March 18
Launch Site: Vandenberg. Launch Complex: Vandenberg LF04. LV Family: Minuteman. Launch Vehicle: Minuteman 2.1985 March 18
00:05 GMT - . Launch Pad: Atlantic Ocean, 18.0 N x 30.0 W. Launch Platform: ZUB. LV Family: MR-12. Launch Vehicle: MR-20.- Plazma Plasma/Active mission - . Nation: Russia. Apogee: 250 km (150 mi).
1985 March 18
08:50 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Black Brant. Launch Vehicle: Black Brant VC.1987 March 18
08:30 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC45/1. LV Family: Zenit. Launch Vehicle: Zenit-2.- Cosmos 1833 - . Payload: Tselina-2 no. 5 (Mass Model). Mass: 6,000 kg (13,200 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MO. Program: Tselina. Class: Surveillance. Type: SIGINT. Spacecraft: Tselina-2. USAF Sat Cat: 17589 . COSPAR: 1987-027A. Apogee: 855 km (531 mi). Perigee: 845 km (525 mi). Inclination: 70.90 deg. Period: 101.90 min.
1988 March 18
Launch Site: Baikonur. LV Family: R-36M. Launch Vehicle: R-36M2 15A18M. FAILURE: Failure.1989 March 18
- STS-29 - Wakeup Song: What a Wonderful World - .
Flight: STS-29.
"What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong preceded by recordings of astronauts' children shouting such things as"Get up, Dad, get out of bed and get to work" and"Hi, daddy, this is your darling daughter telling you to wake up" The crew responded with"Homeward Bound" by Simon and Garfunkel.
1989 March 18
16:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Fort Churchill. LV Family: Hawk. Launch Vehicle: Nike Orion.1989 March 18
- Landing of STS-29 - . Return Crew: Bagian, Blaha, Buchli, Coats, Springer. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Bagian, Blaha, Buchli, Coats, Springer. Program: STS. Flight: STS-29. STS-29 landed at 14:31 GMT. .
1991 March 18
10:15 GMT - . Launch Site: White Sands. Launch Complex: White Sands LC36. LV Family: Black Brant. Launch Vehicle: Black Brant IX.1992 March 18
Launch Site: Salto di Quirra. Launch Complex: Salto di Quirra SL. Launch Pad: SL?. LV Family: Zefiro. Launch Vehicle: Scout II TV. FAILURE: Failure.1994 March 18
- STS-62 - Wakeup Song: The Mermaid - . Flight: STS-62. "The Mermaid" by The Clancy Brothers..
1994 March 18
- Landing of STS-62 - . Return Crew: Allen, Andy, Casper, Gemar, Ivins, Thuot. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Allen, Andy, Casper, Gemar, Ivins, Thuot. Program: STS. Flight: STS-62. STS-62 landed at 13:10 GMT. .
1995 March 18
08:01 GMT - . Launch Site: Tanegashima. Launch Complex: Tanegashima Y. LV Family: H-2. Launch Vehicle: H-II.- SFU - . Mass: 4,000 kg (8,800 lb). Nation: Japan. Agency: NASDA. Class: Materials. Type: Materials science satellite. Spacecraft: SFU. Decay Date: 1996-01-20 . USAF Sat Cat: 23521 . COSPAR: 1995-011A. Apogee: 483 km (300 mi). Perigee: 471 km (292 mi). Inclination: 28.50 deg. Period: 94.10 min. Space Flyer Unit; carried materials, astronomy, biological experiments; retrieved by STS-72 1/20/96..
- Himawari 5 - .
Payload: GMS 5. Mass: 746 kg (1,644 lb). Nation: Japan.
Agency: NASDA.
Class: Earth.
Type: Weather satellite. Spacecraft: Himawari.
USAF Sat Cat: 23522 . COSPAR: 1995-011B. Apogee: 35,791 km (22,239 mi). Perigee: 35,784 km (22,235 mi). Inclination: 0.60 deg. Period: 1,436.00 min.
Geostationary Meteorological Satellite; carried search and rescue package. Stationed at 140.2 deg E. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 160 deg E in 1995; 140 deg E in 1995-1999 As of 5 September 2001 located at 139.99 deg E drifting at 0.028 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 45.88E drifting at 3.134W degrees per day.
1995 March 18
- Landing of STS-67 - . Return Crew: Durrance, Gregory, William, Grunsfeld, Jernigan, Lawrence, Oswald, Parise. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Durrance, Gregory, William, Grunsfeld, Jernigan, Lawrence, Oswald, Parise. Program: Spacelab. Flight: STS-67. STS-67 landed at 21:48 GMT. .
1997 March 18
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral ETR. Launch Platform: SSBN 736. LV Family: Trident. Launch Vehicle: Trident D-5.1997 March 18
00:16 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral ETR. Launch Platform: SSBN 736. LV Family: Trident. Launch Vehicle: Trident D-5.1998 March 18
02:00 GMT - . Launch Site: Ryori. LV Family: MT-135. Launch Vehicle: MT-135P.1999 March 18
- ISS Status Report: ISS 99-11 - . Nation: USA. Program: ISS. International Space Station flight controllers in Houston and Moscow performed a successful rendezvous system test this week and continued an analysis of a minor problem with an antenna for one of the onboard communications systems.. Additional Details: here....
1999 March 18
- Death of Boris Ivanovich Gubanov - . Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Gubanov. Russian engineer. Leading manager at the Yangel and Korolev design bureaus, 1972-1993..
2000 March 18
Launch Site: Sriharikota. LV Family: RH. Launch Vehicle: RH-200.2001 March 18
- STS-102 - Wakeup Song: Moscow Windows - . Flight: STS-102. "Moscow Windows" - Folk song.
2001 March 18
Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Pad: 0.0 N x 154.0 W. Launch Platform: Odyssey. LV Family: Zenit. Launch Vehicle: Zenit-3SL.- XM-2 Rock - .
Mass: 4,666 kg (10,286 lb). Nation: USA.
Agency: XM Radio.
Manufacturer: El Segundo.
Program: XM.
Class: Communications.
Type: Civilian communications satellite. Spacecraft: HS 702.
USAF Sat Cat: 26724 . COSPAR: 2001-012A. Apogee: 35,788 km (22,237 mi). Perigee: 35,785 km (22,235 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.
The XM Radio satellites (using Boeing 702 buses) provided digital radio entertainment broadcast to the US. The XM-2 Rock satellite was accompanied by the XM-1 Roll spacecraft launched later in 2001. A Boeing Sea Launch Zenit-3SL took off from the Odyssey floating launch platform at 154W 0 N in the Pacific. The two-stage Zenit put the Blok DM in a suborbital trajectory with a 190 km apogee; the DM first burn went to a 180 x 990 km x 1.3 deg orbit, with the second burn delivering Rock to geostationary transfer orbit. The 4.7 tonne (with fuel), 18 kW satellite carried two transmitters (3 kW each) in the S-band to relay 100 channels of digital quality music uplinked in the X-band from one or more ground stations. It was parked over 114.9 deg-W longitude. The investors include several auto manufacturers who were to be equipping the special receivers in their models. As of 4 September 2001 located at 114.98 deg W drifting at 0.001 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 115.14W drifting at 0.003W degrees per day.
2002 March 18
21:07 GMT - . Launch Site: Poker Flat. LV Family: Hawk. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion.2005 March 18
- International Space Station Status Report #05-14 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Chiao, Sharipov. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-5, STS-114. The crew aboard the International Space Station turned its attention to spacewalks this week with repair and preparatory work in two airlocks.. Additional Details: here....
2008 March 18
- ISS On-Orbit Status 03/18/08 - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Behnken, Doi, Eyharts, Foreman, Johnson, Gregory H, Linnehan, Malenchenko, Reisman, Whitson. Program: ISS. Flight: Soyuz TMA-11, STS-123. STS-123-1J/A Flight Day (FD) 8/9.. Additional Details: here....
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..
2009 March 18
- STS-119 - Wakeup Song: I Walk the Line - . Flight: STS-119. "I Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash, was played for Steve Swanson..
2009 March 18
00:25 GMT - . Launch Site: Barking Sands. Launch Platform: MLP. LV Family: R-11. Launch Vehicle: Scud.- THAAD Target - . Nation: USA. Type: ABM Target. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). Target.
2009 March 18
00:30 GMT - . Launch Site: Barking Sands. Launch Vehicle: THAAD.- THAAD KV - . Nation: USA. Type: ABM. Apogee: 100 km (60 mi). ABM Test.
2015 March 18
Launch Site: Kapustin Yar. LV Family: Topol'. Launch Vehicle: Rubezh.- RV - . Nation: Russia. Apogee: 1,000 km (600 mi). Test flight..
2015 March 18
13:30 GMT - . Launch Site: Kiruna. LV Family: Hawk. Launch Vehicle: Improved Orion.- REXUS 18 - . Nation: Sweden. Apogee: 81 km (50 mi). Microgravity payload..
2015 March 18
22:05 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC200/39. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-M/Briz-M.- Ekspress AM-7 - . Payload: EXPRESS AM-7. Mass: 5,700 kg (12,500 lb). Nation: Russia. Class: Communications. Type: Communications satellite. Spacecraft: Eurostar 3000. USAF Sat Cat: 40505 . COSPAR: 2015-012A. Apogee: 35,797 km (22,243 mi). Perigee: 35,777 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min. Communications satellite for Russia's Kosmicheskaya Svyaz. Five transponders were leased to Eutelsat and marketed under the name Eutelsat 53A..
2016 March 18
21:26 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-FG.- Soyuz TMA-20M - .
Call Sign: Kazbek. Crew: Ovchinin,
Skripochka,
Williams, Jeffrey.
Backup Crew: Ryzhikov,
Borisenko,
Kimbrough.
Return Crew: Ovchinin,
Skripochka,
Williams, Jeffrey.
Nation: Russia.
Program: ISS.
Class: Manned.
Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TMA-20M.
Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz.
Spacecraft: Soyuz TMA.
Duration: 172.16 days. Decay Date: 2016-09-07 01:13:00 . USAF Sat Cat: 41391 . COSPAR: 2016-018A. Apogee: 230 km (140 mi). Perigee: 193 km (119 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg.
Soyuz TMA-20M was launched carrying Alexey Ovchinin, Oleg Skripochka and Jeff Williams. This was the last of the 11F732A47 Soyuz TMA-M series, which were replaced by the improved Soyuz-MS variant. On Sep 6 at 2151 UTC Soyuz TMA-20M undocked from the Poisk module with Ovchinin, Skripochka and Williams. The spacecraft laded in Kazakhstan at 0113 UTC on Sep 7.