Wikipedia
2010 in spaceflight
The year 2010 saw a number of notable events in worldwide spaceflight activities. These included the first test flight of the SpaceX Dragon commercial resupply spacecraft, which is intended to resupply the International Space Station (ISS), and the maiden flights of the Falcon 9 and Minotaur IV rockets. In June 2010, South Korea conducted a second Naro-1 launch, after the failure of the rocket's maiden flight in 2009; however, the second attempt also failed. The Kosmos-3M was retired from service, making its final flight in April. The Molniya-M was also retired from service, making its final flight in September.[1]
The Dragon capsule's maiden launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on 8 December 2010. | |
| Orbital launches | |
|---|---|
| First | 16 January |
| Last | 29 December |
| Total | 74 |
| Successes | 70 |
| Failures | 4 |
| Partial failures | 0 |
| Catalogued | 70 |
| Rockets | |
| Maiden flights | Atlas V 501 Atlas V 531 Falcon 9 v1.0 GSLV Mk. II Minotaur IV |
| Retirements | Delta II 7420 Molniya-M Kosmos-3M |
| Crewed flights | |
| Orbital | 7 |
| Total travellers | 31 |
Overview edit
The first suborbital launch of 2010 was conducted at 23:00 GMT on 10 January, when a Black Brant IX sounding rocket was launched as a target for the Boeing YAL-1 airborne-laser platform. On 11 January, China conducted an ABM test, involving two missiles. The first orbital launch occurred at 16:12 UTC on 16 January, when a Long March 3C launched the Compass-G1 navigation satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre.
Seventy-four orbital launches were attempted in 2010, with seventy being successful and four ending in failure. The last orbital launch was made on 29 December, when an Ariane 5ECA launched the Hispasat-1E and Koreasat 6 spacecraft from Guiana Space Centre, near Kourou.
Space exploration edit
Akatsuki, the first Japanese mission to Venus, was launched on an H-IIA carrier rocket in May. It is intended to look for lightning and volcanoes on Venus.[2] Despite a successful launch,[3] the spacecraft failed to enter Cytherocentric orbit in December, but it managed to enter the orbit around Venus five years later in December 2015. IKAROS, the first operational solar sail, was launched on the same rocket as Akatsuki.
The first Japanese asteroid probe, Hayabusa, returned to Earth on 13 June, having landed on 25143 Itokawa in an effort to collect samples.[4] It was also the world's first successful sample return mission from an asteroid.[5]
On 1 October at 10:59:57 UTC, China successfully launched the Chang'e-2 spacecraft, the nation's second mission to explore the Moon. A Long March 3C rocket was used for the launch, which occurred from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. The spacecraft conducted a mission similar to that of the earlier Chang'e-1 spacecraft, but with a focus on mapping potential landing sites in preparation for the Chang'e-3 uncrewed lunar lander.[6]
Crewed spaceflight edit
Seven crewed launches were planned for 2010, with three Space Shuttle missions and four Soyuz flights for International Space Station (ISS) crew rotation. STS-130, using orbiter Endeavour, was the first crewed flight of the year, launching on 8 February with the Tranquility node and Cupola for the ISS. On 5 April, Discovery launched on mission STS-131, with the Leonardo MPLM to resupply the outpost.
Soyuz TMA-18 launched the Expedition 23 crew to the ISS on 2 April; it was scheduled to spend around six months docked to the station to facilitate crew escape in an emergency. Shortly before, Soyuz TMA-16 undocked, transporting former ISS crewmembers back to Earth. On 14 May, Space Shuttle Atlantis launched on its second-to-last flight, STS-132, carrying the Rassvet module to the ISS. Soyuz TMA-19 launched with Expedition 24 on 15 June. Soyuz TMA-01M, the first flight of a modernised Soyuz-TMA spacecraft, launched on 8 October with the Expedition 25 crew for the ISS. Then, to end the year, Expedition 26 launched aboard Soyuz TMA-20 on 15 December.
Launch failures edit
Four orbital launch failures occurred in 2010, two affecting Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicles, one affecting a Naro-1 rocket, and one affecting a Proton rocket. The first occurred on 15 April, when the GSLV Mk.II launched on its maiden flight. The rocket's third stage malfunctioned, resulting in the stage, and the GSAT-4 satellite, failing to achieve orbit and falling into the sea. The second failure occurred during the second launch of the Naro-1 rocket, carrying the STSAT-2B spacecraft. The rocket exploded 137 seconds into the flight.[7]
The third failure occurred on 5 December, when a Proton-M with the first Blok DM-03 upper stage failed to inject three Glonass-M satellites into orbit. Before launch, the Blok DM was fuelled incorrectly, resulting in the rocket being too heavy to reach its parking orbit.[8] The fourth failure occurred on 25 December 2010, when a GSLV Mk.I exploded during the launch of GSAT-5P. The rocket was destroyed by range safety, after control of the liquid-fuelled boosters attached to the first stage was lost.[9]
Orbital launches edit
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payload (⚀ = CubeSat) | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
| Remarks | |||||||
January edit | |||||||
| 16 January 16:12 | Long March 3C | Xichang LC-2 | CNSA | ||||
| Compass-G1 | CNSA | Geosynchronous | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 28 January 00:18 | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | Baikonur Site 81/24 | Khrunichev | ||||
| Globus-1M #12L (Raduga-1M 2) | VKS | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
February edit | |||||||
| 3 February 03:45 | Soyuz-U | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Roscosmos | ||||
| Progress M-04M / 36P | Roscosmos | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS logistics | 1 July 14:40 | Successful | ||
| ISS flight 36P | |||||||
| 8 February 09:14 | Space Shuttle Endeavour | Kennedy LC-39A | United Space Alliance | ||||
| STS-130 | NASA | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS assembly | 22 February 03:22 | Successful | ||
| Tranquility[10] | NASA | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS assembly | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Cupola | NASA | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS assembly | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Crewed flight with six astronauts. | |||||||
| 11 February 15:23 | Atlas V 401 | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 | United Launch Alliance | ||||
| Solar Dynamics Observatory | NASA | Geosynchronous | Heliophysics | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 12 February 00:39 | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | Baikonur Site 200/39 | International Launch Services | ||||
| Intelsat 16 | Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
March edit | |||||||
| 1 March 21:19 | Proton-M / DM-2 Enhanced | Baikonur Site 81/24 | Khrunichev | ||||
| Kosmos 2459 (Glonass-M 731) | VKS | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Kosmos 2460 (Glonass-M 732) | VKS | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Kosmos 2461 (Glonass-M 735) | VKS | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 4 March 23:57 | Delta IV-M+ (4,2) | Cape Canaveral SLC-37B | United Launch Alliance | ||||
| GOES-P (GOES-15) | NOAA / NASA | Geosynchronous | Meteorology | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Satellite redesignated EWS-G2 after being transferred to the U.S. Space Force in September 2023.[11] | |||||||
| 5 March 04:55 | Long March 4C | Jiuquan SLS-2 | CNSA | ||||
| Yaogan 9A | CNSA | Low Earth (SSO) | ELINT | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Yaogan 9B | CNSA | Low Earth (SSO) | ELINT | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Yaogan 9C | CNSA | Low Earth (SSO) | ELINT | In orbit | Operational | ||
| First Long March 4 series launch from Jiuquan. | |||||||
| 20 March 18:27 | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | Baikonur Site 200/39 | International Launch Services | ||||
| Echostar XIV | Echostar | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
April edit | |||||||
| 2 April 04:04 | Soyuz-FG | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Roscosmos | ||||
| Soyuz TMA-18 | Roscosmos | Low Earth (ISS) | Expedition 23 | 25 September 05:23 | Successful | ||
| Crewed flight with three cosmonauts. | |||||||
| 5 April 10:21 | Space Shuttle Discovery[12] | Kennedy LC-39A | United Space Alliance | ||||
| STS-131 | NASA | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS logistics | 20 April 13:08:35 | Successful | ||
| Leonardo MPLM | ASI / NASA | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS logistics | Successful | |||
| Crewed flight with seven astronauts. | |||||||
| 8 April 13:57 | Dnepr | Baikonur Site 109/95 | ISC Kosmotras | ||||
| Cryosat-2[13] | ESA | Low Earth | Climatology | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 15 April 10:57 | GSLV Mk II | Satish Dhawan SLP | ISRO | ||||
| GSAT-4 (HealthSat) | ISRO | Intended: Geosynchronous | Communications Navigation | 15 April | Launch failure | ||
| Maiden flight of GSLV Mk. II, third stage failure. | |||||||
| 16 April 15:00[citation needed] | Soyuz-U | Plesetsk Site 16/2 | VKS | ||||
| Kosmos 2462 (Kobal't-M) | VKS | Low Earth | Reconnaissance | 21 July | Successful | ||
| 22 April 23:52[14] | Atlas V 501 | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 | United Launch Alliance | ||||
| USA-212 (X-37B OTV-1)[14] | U.S. Air Force | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 3 December 09:16 | Successful | ||
| Maiden flight of Atlas V 501 and Boeing X-37B. | |||||||
| 24 April 11:19 | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | Baikonur Site 200/39 | International Launch Services | ||||
| SES-1 (OS-1) | SES World Skies | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 27 April 01:05 | Kosmos-3M | Plesetsk Site 132/1 | VKS | ||||
| Kosmos 2463 (Parus) | VKS | Low Earth | Navigation Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Final flight of Kosmos-3M. | |||||||
| 28 April 17:15 | Soyuz-U | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Roscosmos | ||||
| Progress M-05M / 37P | Roscosmos | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS logistics | 15 November 09:35:39 | Successful | ||
| ISS flight 37P | |||||||
May edit | |||||||
| 14 May 18:20 | Space Shuttle Atlantis[12] | Kennedy LC-39A | United Space Alliance | ||||
| STS-132 | NASA | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS logistics | 26 May 12:48:11 | Successful | ||
| Rassvet (MRM-1) | Roscosmos | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS assembly | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Crewed flight with six astronauts. Rassvet was launched along with the MLM outfittings that included a spare elbow joint for the European Robotic Arm (ERA) (which was launched with Nauka) and an ERA-portable workpost used during EVAs, as well as a heat radiator, internal hardware and an experiment airlock for launching CubeSats to be positioned on the modified passive forward port near the nadir end of the Nauka module.[15] | |||||||
| 20 May 21:58:22[18] | H-IIA 202 | Tanegashima LA-Y1 | MHI | ||||
| Akatsuki (Planet-C) | JAXA | Intended: Cytherocentric Actual: Heliocentric, corrected to Cytherocentric | Venus orbiter | In orbit | Operational after partial spacecraft failure | ||
| IKAROS | JAXA | Heliocentric | Solar sail | In orbit | Successful | ||
| ⚀ Waseda-SAT2 | Waseda | Low Earth | Earth observation | 15 August[19] | Spacecraft failure[16][20] | ||
| ⚀ Hayato (K-Sat)[21] | Kagoshima | Low Earth | Earth observation | 28 June[22] – 14[23] July | Partial spacecraft failure | ||
| ⚀ Negai☆'' | Soka | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 26 June[24] | Successful | ||
| Shin'en (UNITEC-1)[25] | UNISEC | Heliocentric | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Spacecraft failure[16][26] | ||
| DCAM-1 | JAXA | Heliocentric | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Successful | ||
| DCAM-2 | JAXA | Heliocentric | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Successful | ||
| Waseda-SAT2 never contacted ground, Hayato affected by communications problems, contact lost with Shin'en on 21 May, unclear if data has been received since.[16] DCAM spacecraft deployed from IKAROS and used to observe deployment of the solar sail.[17] Akatsuki malfunctioned during Cytherocentric orbit insertion, and failed to enter orbit. It managed to orbit around Venus five years later. | |||||||
| 21 May 22:01 | Ariane 5 ECA | Kourou ELA-3 | Arianespace | ||||
| Astra 3B | SES Astra | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| COMSATBw-2 | Bundeswehr | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 28 May 03:00 | Delta IV-M+ (4,2) | Cape Canaveral SLC-37B | United Launch Alliance | ||||
| USA-213 (GPS IIF SV-1) | U.S. Air Force | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
June edit | |||||||
| 2 June 01:59 | Rokot / Briz-KM[27] | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | Eurockot[28] | ||||
| SERVIS-2 | USEF | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 2 June 15:53:04 | Long March 3C | Xichang LC-2 | CNSA | ||||
| Compass-G3 | CNSA | Geosynchronous | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 3 June 22:00:08 | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | Baikonur Site 200/39 | International Launch Services | ||||
| Badr-5 | ARABSAT | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 4 June 18:45[31] | Falcon 9 v1.0[32][33][34] | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 | SpaceX[35] | ||||
| DSQU | SpaceX | Low Earth | Boilerplate | 27 June 00:50[36] | Successful | ||
| Maiden flight of Falcon 9.[29][30] | |||||||
| 10 June 08:01[37] | Naro-1 | Naro LC-1[38] | Khrunichev / KARI | ||||
| STSAT-2B | KARI | Intended: Low Earth | Technology demonstration | +137 seconds | Launch failure | ||
| Exploded during first stage burn.[7] | |||||||
| 15 June 01:39[39] | Long March 2D | Jiuquan SLS-2 | CNSA | ||||
| Shijian 12[40] | CNSA | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 15 June 14:42 | Dnepr[41] | Dombarovsky Site 13 | ISC Kosmotras | ||||
| Prisma-Mango | SSC | Low Earth (SSO)[42] | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Prisma-Tango | SSC | Low Earth (SSO)[42] | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Picard | CNES | Low Earth (SSO)[42] | Helioseismology | In orbit | Operational | ||
| BPA-1 | Hartron-Arkos | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational | ||
| BPA-1 intentionally remained attached to upper stage. | |||||||
| 15 June 21:35 | Soyuz-FG | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Roscosmos | ||||
| Soyuz TMA-19 | Roscosmos | Low Earth (ISS) | Expedition 24 | 26 November 04:46:53 | Successful | ||
| Crewed flight with three cosmonauts | |||||||
| 21 June 02:14 | Dnepr | Baikonur Site 109/95 | ISC Kosmotras | ||||
| TanDEM-X | DLR | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 22 June 19:00 | Shavit-2 | Palmachim | Israel Aerospace Industries | ||||
| Ofek-9[44] | IAI / Israeli Defense Forces | Low Earth (retrograde) | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Operational[45] | ||
| Known as Ofek-8 before launch.[43] | |||||||
| 26 June 21:41 | Ariane 5 ECA[46] | Kourou ELA-3 | Arianespace | ||||
| ArabSat-5A | ARABSAT | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Chollian (COMS-1) | KARI | Geosynchronous[47] | Communications Meteorology Oceanography | In orbit | Successful[48] | ||
| 30 June 15:35 | Soyuz-U | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Roscosmos | ||||
| Progress M-06M / 38P | Roscosmos | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS logistics | 6 September 12:53:20 | Successful | ||
| ISS flight 38P | |||||||
July edit | |||||||
| 10 July 18:40 | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | Baikonur Site 200/39 | International Launch Services | ||||
| EchoStar XV | Echostar | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 12 July[49] 03:53 | PSLV-CA | Satish Dhawan FLP | ISRO | ||||
| Cartosat-2B | ISRO | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| AlSat-2A | ASAL | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| ⚀ StudSat | StudSat | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational | ||
| AISSat-1 | NDRE | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational | ||
| ⚀ TIsat-1 | SUPSI | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational | ||
| AISSat and TIsat cubeSats to be launched as NLS-6, coordinated by UTIAS | |||||||
| 31 July 21:30 | Long March 3A | Xichang LC-3 | CNSA | ||||
| Compass IGSO-1 | CNSA | IGSO | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
August edit | |||||||
| 4 August 20:59 | Ariane 5 ECA | Kourou ELA-3 | Arianespace | ||||
| Nilesat-201 | Nilesat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| RASCOM-QAF 1R | RASCOM-QAF | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 9 August 22:49[50] | Long March 4C | Taiyuan LC-2 | CNSA | ||||
| Yaogan 10 | CNSA | Low Earth (SSO) | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 14 August 11:07 | Atlas V 531 | Cape Canaveral SLC-41 | United Launch Alliance | ||||
| USA-214 (AEHF-1) | U.S. Air Force | Intended: Geosynchronous Actual: GTO | Communications | In orbit | Partial spacecraft failure[51] Operational | ||
| Maiden flight of Atlas V 531; liquid apogee motor failed to operate during orbital insertion process.[51] | |||||||
| 24 August 07:10 | Long March 2D | Jiuquan SLS-2 | CNSA | ||||
| Tian Hui 1 | CNSA | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation | In orbit | Operational | ||
September edit | |||||||
| 2 September 00:53:43 | Proton-M / DM-2 Enhanced | Baikonur Site 81/24 | Roscosmos | ||||
| Kosmos 2464 (Glonass-M 736) | VKS | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Kosmos 2465 (Glonass-M 737) | VKS | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Kosmos 2466 (Glonass-M 738) | VKS | Medium Earth | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 4 September 16:14 | Long March 3B | Xichang LC-2 | CNSA | ||||
| Chinasat-6A | Sinosat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 8 September 03:30 | Rokot / Briz-KM | Plesetsk Site 133/3 | RVSN RF | ||||
| Gonets-M No.2 | Gonets Satellite System[52] | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Kosmos 2467 (Strela-3) | VKS | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Kosmos 2468 (Strela-3) | VKS | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 10 September 10:22 | Soyuz-U | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Roscosmos | ||||
| Progress M-07M / 39P | Roscosmos | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS logistics | 20 February 2011 16:12 | Successful | ||
| ISS flight 39P | |||||||
| 11 September[53] 11:17 | H-IIA 202[54] | Tanegashima LA-Y1 | MHI | ||||
| QZSS-1 (Michibiki) | JAXA | Tundra | Navigation | In orbit | Successful[55] | ||
| 21 September 04:03:30 | Atlas V 501 | Vandenberg SLC-3E | United Launch Alliance | ||||
| USA-215 | NRO | Low Earth (retrograde) | In orbit | Operational | |||
| NRO Launch 41 | |||||||
| 22 September 02:42[56] | Long March 2D | Jiuquan SLS-2 | CNSA | ||||
| Yaogan 11 | CNSA | Low Earth (SSO) | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Zheda Pixing 1B | CNSA | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Zheda Pixing 1C | CNSA | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 26 September 04:41 | Minotaur IV | Vandenberg SLC-8 | Orbital Sciences | ||||
| USA-216 (SBSS) | U.S. Air Force | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration Space surveillance | In orbit | Operational | ||
| First orbital launch of Minotaur IV. | |||||||
| 30 September[57] 17:01[1] | Molniya-M / 2BL | Plesetsk Site 16/2 | RVSN RF | ||||
| Kosmos 2469 (Oko) | VKS | Molniya | Missile defense | 15 October 2022[58] | Successful | ||
| Final flight of Molniya-M.[1] | |||||||
October edit | |||||||
| 1 October 10:59:57[59] | Long March 3C | Xichang LC-2 | CNSA | ||||
| Chang'e 2 | CNSA | Selenocentric[60] | Lunar orbiter | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 6 October 00:49 | Long March 4B | Taiyuan LC-2 | CNSA | ||||
| Shijian 6-04A | CNSA | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Shijian 6-04B | CNSA | Low Earth (SSO) | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 7 October 23:10:57 | Soyuz-FG | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Roscosmos | ||||
| Soyuz TMA-01M | Roscosmos | Low Earth (ISS) | Expedition 25 | 16 March 2011 07:54 | Successful | ||
| Crewed flight with three cosmonauts, maiden flight of modernised Soyuz-TMA spacecraft. | |||||||
| 14 October 18:53[61] | Proton-M / Briz-M | Baikonur Site 81/24 | International Launch Services | ||||
| XM-5 | XM Satellite Radio | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 19 October 17:10:59 | Soyuz-2.1a / Fregat | Baikonur Site 31/6 | Starsem | ||||
| Globalstar-2 #1 | Globalstar | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Globalstar-2 #2 | Globalstar | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Globalstar-2 #3 | Globalstar | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Globalstar-2 #4 | Globalstar | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Globalstar-2 #5 | Globalstar | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Globalstar-2 #6 | Globalstar | Low Earth | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 27 October 15:11:53 | Soyuz-U | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Roscosmos | ||||
| Progress M-08M / 40P | Roscosmos | Low Earth (ISS) | ISS logistics | 24 January 2011 | Successful[62] | ||
| ISS flight 40P. | |||||||
| 28 October[64] 21:51 | Ariane 5 ECA | Kourou ELA-3 | Arianespace | ||||
| Eutelsat W3B | Eutelsat | Intended: Geosynchronous Actual: GTO | Communications | In orbit | Spacecraft failure[65] | ||
| BSAT-3b[66] | BSAT | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational[67] | ||
| Eutelsat W3B written-off as a total loss immediately after launch due to an oxidizer leak in the satellite's main propulsion system.[63] | |||||||
| 31 October 16:26 | Long March 3C | Xichang LC-2 | CNSA | ||||
| Compass-G4 | CNSA | Geosynchronous | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
November edit | |||||||
| 2 November 00:59[68] | Soyuz-2.1a / Fregat | Plesetsk Site 43/4 | RVSN RF | ||||
| Meridian 3 | VKS | Molniya | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 4 November 18:37[69] | Long March 4C | Taiyuan LC-2 | CNSA | ||||
| Fengyun 3B | CNSA | Low Earth (SSO) | Meteorology | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 6 November 02:20 | Delta II 7420-10 | Vandenberg SLC-2W | United Launch Alliance | ||||
| COSMO-4 | ASI | Low Earth (SSO) | Earth observation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Final flight of Delta II 7420.[70] | |||||||
| 14 November 17:29 | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | Baikonur Site 200/39 | International Launch Services | ||||
| SkyTerra-1 | SkyTerra | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational[71] | ||
| 20 November 01:25 | Minotaur IV / HAPS | Kodiak LP-1 | Orbital Sciences | ||||
| STPSat-2 | STP | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational | ||
| ⚀ O/OREOS | NASA AMES | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational | ||
| ⚀ RAX | University of Michigan | Low Earth | Auroral | In orbit | Operational | ||
| FASTSAT | NASA | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Partial spacecraft failure | ||
| ⚀ NanoSail-D2 | NASA | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 17 September 2011[72] | Successful | ||
| Sara-Lily (FASTRAC 1) | Texas | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Emma (FASTRAC 2) | UT Austin | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational | ||
| USA-221 / FalconSat-5 | USAFA | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Maiden flight of Minotaur IV/HAPS. NanoSail-D2 should have been deployed from FASTSAT seven days after launch, immediate deployment failed but ejection was confirmed almost two months later on 19 January 2011 | |||||||
| 21 November 22:58[73] | Delta IV Heavy | Cape Canaveral SLC-37B | United Launch Alliance | ||||
| USA-223 / Orion 7 | NRO | Geosynchronous | Reconnaissance | In orbit | Operational | ||
| NROL-32 mission. | |||||||
| 24 November 16:09[74] | Long March 3A | Xichang LC-3 | CNSA | ||||
| Chinasat 20A | CNSA | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 26 November 18:39 | Ariane 5 ECA | Kourou ELA-3 | Arianespace | ||||
| Intelsat 17 | Intelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| HYLAS-1[75] | Avanti[76] | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 40th consecutive Ariane 5 launch success. | |||||||
December edit | |||||||
| 5 December 10:25 | Proton-M / DM-03 Enhanced | Baikonur Site 81/24 | Roscosmos | ||||
| Glonass-M 739 | VKS | Intended: Medium Earth | Navigation | 5 December | Launch failure | ||
| Glonass-M 740 | VKS | Intended: Medium Earth | Navigation | ||||
| Glonass-M 741 | VKS | Intended: Medium Earth | Navigation | ||||
| Maiden flight of Blok DM-03. Incorrect fuelling of upper stage led to mass being too great to achieve parking orbit, reentered over the Pacific Ocean.[8] | |||||||
| 8 December 15:43 | Falcon 9 v1.0 | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 | SpaceX | ||||
| Dragon C1 | SpaceX / NASA | Low Earth | Flight test | 8 December 19:02 | Successful | ||
| ⚀ SMDC-ONE 1 | U.S. Army | Low Earth | Communications | 12 January 2011 | Successful | ||
| ⚀ Mayflower-Caerus | Northrop Grumman / USC | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 22 December | Successful | ||
| ⚀ QbX-1 | NRO | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 6 January 2011 | Successful | ||
| ⚀ QbX-2 | NRO | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 16 January 2011 | Successful | ||
| ⚀ Perseus 000 | LANL | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 30 December | Successful | ||
| ⚀ Perseus 001 | LANL | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 31 December | Successful | ||
| ⚀ Perseus 002 | LANL | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 30 December | Successful | ||
| ⚀ Perseus 003 | LANL | Low Earth | Technology demonstration | 31 December | Successful | ||
| COTS Demo 1; maiden flight of the SpaceX Dragon; Mayflower included Caerus payload operated by USC. | |||||||
| 15 December 19:09[77] | Soyuz-FG | Baikonur Site 1/5 | Roscosmos | ||||
| Soyuz TMA-20 | Roscosmos | Low Earth (ISS) | Expedition 26 | 24 May 2011 02:27 | Successful | ||
| Crewed flight with three cosmonauts. | |||||||
| 17 December 20:04 | Long March 3A | Xichang LC-3 | CNSA | ||||
| Compass IGSO-2 | CNSA | IGSO | Navigation | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 25 December 10:34 | GSLV Mk.I | Satish Dhawan SLP | ISRO | ||||
| GSAT-5P | ISRO | Intended: Geosynchronous | Communications | 25 December | Launch failure | ||
| Disintegrated during first stage flight. | |||||||
| 26 December 22:51 | Proton-M / Briz-M Enhanced | Baikonur Site 200/39 | International Launch Services | ||||
| KA-SAT | Eutelsat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| 29 December 21:27 | Ariane 5 ECA | Kourou ELA-3 | Arianespace | ||||
| Hispasat-1E | Hispasat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
| Koreasat 6[78][79] | Koreasat | Geosynchronous | Communications | In orbit | Operational | ||
Suborbital flights edit
| Date and time (UTC) | Rocket | Flight number | Launch site | LSP | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payload (⚀ = CubeSat) | Operator | Orbit | Function | Decay (UTC) | Outcome | ||
| Remarks | |||||||
| 10 January 23:00:00[80] | Black Brant IX | San Nicolas | NASA | ||||
| MARTI | U.S. Air Force | Suborbital | Target | 10 January | Successful | ||
| 11 January 11:55[81] | CSS-X-11 | Shuangchengzi Space and Missile Center | PLA | ||||
| PLA | Suborbital | ABM target | 11 January | Successful | |||
| Target | |||||||
| 11 January 12:00 | SC-19 | Korla Missile Test Complex | PLA | ||||
| PLA | Suborbital | ABM test | 11 January | Successful[82] | |||
| Interceptor | |||||||
| 14 January 06:50[84] | RH-300 Mk.II | TERLS | ISRO | ||||
| ISRO | Suborbital | Solar/Aeronomy | 14 January | Successful | |||
| Apogee: 116 km (72 mi)[83] | |||||||
| 14 January 07:35[84] | RH-300 Mk. II | TERLS | ISRO | ||||
| ISRO | Suborbital | Solar/Aeronomy | 14 January | Successful | |||
| Apogee: 116 km (72 mi)[83] | |||||||
| 14 January[84] 07:45 | RH-560 Mk.II | Satish Dhawan | ISRO | ||||
| ISRO | Suborbital | Solar/Aeronomy | 14 January | Successful | |||
| Apogee: 548 km (341 mi)[83] | |||||||
| 15 January 06:50[84] | RH-300 Mk. II | TERLS | ISRO | ||||
| ISRO | Suborbital | Solar/Aeronomy | 15 January | Successful | |||
| Apogee: 116 km (72 mi)[83] | |||||||
| 15 January 07:35[84] | RH-300 Mk. II | TERLS | ISRO | ||||
| ISRO | Suborbital | Solar/Aeronomy | 15 January | Successful | |||
| Apogee: 116 km (72 mi)[83] | |||||||
| 15 January 10:30[84] | RH-300 Mk. II | TERLS | ISRO | ||||
| ISRO | Suborbital | Solar/Aeronomy | 15 January | Successful | |||
| Apogee: 116 km (72 mi)[83] | |||||||
| 15 January[84] 07:45 | RH-560 Mk. II | Satish Dhawan | ISRO | ||||
| ISRO | Suborbital | Solar/Aeronomy | 15 January | Successful | |||
| Apogee: 523 km (325 mi)[83] | |||||||
| 27 January 08:25[81] | M51 | Le Terrible, Audierne Bay | DGA | ||||
| DGA | Suborbital | Missile test | 27 January | Successful | |||
| First launch of M51 from a submarine[85] | |||||||
| 31 January 11:40[86] | UGM-96 Trident I C4 (LV-2) | FTG-06 | Meck | MDA | |||
| MDA | Suborbital | ABM target | 30 January | Successful[86] | |||
| Maiden flight of Trident I in LV-2 configuration, interceptor failed[86] | |||||||
| 31 January | Ground Based Interceptor | FTG-06 | Vandenberg LF-23 | MDA | |||
| MDA | Suborbital | ABM test | 30 January | Spacecraft failure[86] | |||
| Radar tracking problem caused by unexpected "chuffing", compounded by thruster problem on interceptor, resulted in failure to intercept Trident[86] | |||||||
| 3 February | Kavoshgar | Semnan | ISA | ||||
| Kavoshgar-3 | ISA | Suborbital | Biological | 3 February | Successful[87] | ||
| 4 February 08:03:07 | Black Brant IX | San Nicolas | NASA | ||||
| MARTI | U.S. Air Force | Suborbital | Target | 4 February | Successful[80] | ||
| 7 February 05:20 | Agni-III | ITR IC-4 | DRDO | ||||
| DRDO | Suborbital | Missile test | 7 February | Successful[88] | |||
| Travelled 3,500 km (2,175 mi) downrange | |||||||
| 9 February 09:01:00 | |||||||