For events in 2009 click here
Above: At the beginning of the year, the head of the Russian space agency Anatoly Perminov told RIA Novosti news agency that Russia planned to launch 43 spacecraft during 2010 and 2011. According to Perminov, a total of 16 (Russian) spacecraft had to be manufactured and launched during 2010, while other 27 had to be developed to the extent that would enable their launch during 2011.
By the end of 2010, after firing 31 space shots, Russia sent more missions into Earth orbit than United States and China combined.
Unfortunately, a multitude of problems pushed liftoffs for a number of new-generation Russian satellites into 2011. In December, a high-profile failure of the Proton rocket have thrown in disarray widely publicized plans to complete Russia's indigenous satellite navigation system and triggered mass media stories about corruption and nepotism within Roskosmos, which were angrily denied by the agency. The fallout from the Proton accident prompted space officials to postpone to the next year, the introduction a brand-new navigation bird, as well as the nation's return to global weather monitoring. The agency explained these delays by the need for additional checks, while according to critics, the move had been caused by sheer panic and achieved nothing, but a weeks-long interruption in preparations for launches. However, the Proton rocket returned to flight on Dec. 27, logging 12 missions during 2010 -- a record not achieved for a decade.
SPACE EXPLORATION IN 2010: THUMBS UP
Jan. 11, Killer satellite: China conducted launch of a target missile and the anti-missile interceptor, achieving an apparently successful intercept.
An extra room on ISS: In May Space
Shuttle delivered the MIM1 Rassvet module to the ISS.
May 21: Japan launches Akatsuki (Planet-C) orbiter and the IKAROS solar-sailing probe toward Venus.
June 13: Japan's MUSES-C (Hayabusa) spacecraft landed in Woomera, Australia, possibly with soil samples of an asteroid. (As of April 2007)
July 10, 18:10 CEST: European Rosetta spacecraft flew at the distance of 3,126 kilometers from asteroid (21) Lutetia. Images confirmed that the asteroid has an elongated body, with its longest side around 130 kilometers.
Oct. 1: China launched Chang'e-2 into a 100-kilometer orbit around the Moon to prepare for future lunar landing. (As of May 2009. In March 2009 it was reported to fly in 2011.)
Dec. 8, 10:43 EST: The US Falcon 9 rocket launched from Cape Canaveral with an unmanned prototype of the Dragon spacecraft, both developed under a NASA contract by SpaceX. Three hours, 19 minutes, 52 seconds after a liftoff, Dragon successfully splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, some 800 kilometers west of Mexican coast.
SPACE EXPLORATION IN 2010: THUMBS DOWN
Feb. 1, Cancellation of Constellation: The White House made a proposal to eliminate funding for the Constellation program. Unfortunately, no clear strategy in manned space flight to replace the failed program, leaving NASA in limbo for months.
Dec. 6: Japan's Akatsuki (Planet-C) orbiter and the IKAROS solar-sailing probe arrived into vicinity of Venus, however Akatsuki failed to enter Venusian orbit.
THE WORLD'S ORBITAL LAUNCH ATTEMPTS IN 2010 (as of
May 21, 2011
):
| |
Country |
Launch date |
Time of launch |
Payload |
Type |
Launch vehicle |
Launch site |
Launch complex |
Launch pad |
Status |
| 1 |
China |
1/16/2010 |
16:12:04 GMT (00:12 local) |
|
Navigation |
Long March 3C |
Xichang |
-
|
-
|
Success |
| 2 |
Russia |
1/28/2010 |
03:18 Moscow Time |
|
|
|
|
|
-
|
Success |
| 3 |
Russia |
2/3/2010 |
06:45 Moscow Time |
|
Manned/cargo |
|
|
|
5
|
Success |
| 4 |
US |
2/8/2010 |
4:14 a.m. EST |
|
Manned |
Space Shuttle |
Cape Canaveral |
39
|
A
|
Success |
| 5 |
US |
2/11/2010 |
10:23:00 a.m. EST |
|
Science/astronomy |
Atlas V-401 |
Cape Canaveral |
41
|
-
|
Success |
| 6 |
Russia |
2/12/2010 |
03:39 Moscow Time |
|
Communications |
|
|
|
39
|
Success |
| 7 |
Russia |
3/2/2010 |
00:19 Moscow Time |
|
Navigation |
|
|
81
|
-
|
Success |
| 8 |
US |
3/4/2010 |
6:57 p.m. EST |
|
Weather forecast |
Delta IV M+ (4,2) |
Cape Canaveral |
37B
|
B
|
Success |
| 9 |
China |
3/5/2010 |
04:55 GMT |
|
Military/reconnaissance |
Long March 4C |
Jiuquan |
SLS-2
|
2
|
Success |
| 10 |
Russia |
3/20/2010 |
21:26 Moscow Time |
|
Communications |
|
|
200
|
39
|
Success |
| 11 |
Russia |
4/2/2010 |
08:04:34 Moscow Summer Time |
|
Manned |
|
|
|
5
|
Success |
| 12 |
US |
4/5/2010 |
6:21 a.m. EST |
|
Manned |
Space Shuttle |
Cape Canaveral |
39
|
A
|
Success |
| 13 |
Russia |
4/8/2010 |
17:57 Moscow Time |
|
Remote-sensing |
|
|
109
|
95
|
Success |
| 14 |
India |
4/15/2010 |
10:57 GMT |
|
Communications |
GSLV-D3 Mk.2 |
Sriharikota |
-
|
-
|
Failure |
| 15 |
Russia |
4/16/2010 |
19:00 Moscow Time |
|
Military/reconnaissance |
|
|
16
|
2
|
Success |
| 16 |
US |
4/22/2010 |
7:52 p.m. EDT |
|
Military/transport |
Atlas V (501) (AV-012) |
Cape Canaveral |
41
|
-
|
Success |
| 17 |
Russia |
4/24/2010 |
15:19 Moscow Time |
|
Communications |
|
|
|
39
|
Success |
| 18 |
Russia |
4/27/2010 |
05:05 Moscow Summer Time |
|
Military/navigation, communications |
|
|
|
1
|
Success |
| 19 |
Russia |
4/28/2010 |
21:15 Moscow Time |
|
Manned/cargo |
|
|
|
5
|
Success |
| 20 |
US |
5/14/2010 |
2:20 p.m. EST |
|
Manned |
Space Shuttle |
Cape Canaveral |
39 |
A |
Success |
| 21 |
Japan |
5/21/2010 |
06:58:22 JST |
AKATSUKI (PLANET-C), IKAROS
|
|
H-IIA F17 |
Tanegashima |
- |
- |
Success |
| 22 |
Europe |
5/21/2010 |
7:01 p.m. local time |
ASTRA 3B, COMSATBw-2 |
Communications,
Communications/military |
Ariane 5 ECA |
|
|
3 |
Success |
| 23 |
US |
5/27/2010 |
11:00 p.m. local time |
GPS IIF SV-11 |
Navigation/military |
Delta IV-Medium |
Cape Canaveral |
37 |
- |
Success |
| 24 |
Russia |
6/2/2010 |
05:59:15 Moscow Time |
SERVIS-2 |
Remote-sensing |
|
|
133 |
- |
Success |
| 25 |
China |
6/2/2010 |
15:53 GMT |
|
Navigation |
Long March 3C |
Xichang |
-
|
-
|
Success |
| 26 |
Russia |
6/4/2010 |
02:00 Moscow Summer Time |
BADR-5 |
Communications |
Proton M/Briz M |
Baikonur |
200 |
39 |
Success |
| 27 |
US |
6/5/2010 |
18:45 GMT |
Dragon prototype |
Manned/cargo |
Falcon-9 |
Cape Canaveral |
SLC-40 |
- |
Success |
| 28 |
South Korea |
6/10/2010 |
17:00 Korean Time |
STSAT 2B |
Experimental |
KSLV 1 (Naro 1) |
Naro |
- |
- |
Failure |
| 29 |
China |
6/15/2010 |
01:39 GMT |
Shijian-12 |
Science/experimental |
Long March 2D |
Jiuquan |
- |
- |
Success |
| 30 |
Russia |
6/15/2010 |
18:42:21 Moscow Summer Time |
Picard, Mango, Tango, BPA-1 |
Experimental |
|
|
- |
- |
Success |
| 31 |
Russia |
6/16/2010 |
01:35:19 Moscow Summer Time |
|
Manned |
|
|
|
5 |
Success |
| 32 |
Russia |
6/21/2010 |
06:14:08 Moscow Summer Time |
TanDEM-X |
Remote-sensing |
|
|
|
95 |
Success |
| 33 |
Israel |
6/22/2010 |
19:00 GMT |
Ofeq 9 |
Reconnaissance |
Shavit |
Palmachim |
- |
- |
Success |
| 34 |
Europe |
6/26/2010 |
21:41 GMT |
Arabsat-5A, COMS |
Communications, multipurpose |
Ariane 5 ECA |
|
ELA-3 |
3 |
Success |
| 35 |
Russia |
6/30/2010 |
19:35:15 Moscow Summer Time |
Progress M-06M |
Manned/cargo supply |
Soyuz-U |
|
1 |
5 |
Success |
| 36 |
Russia |
7/11/2010 |
00:40:35 Local time |
EchoStar 15 |
Communications |
Proton M/Briz M |
|
|
39 |
Success |
| 37 |
India |
7/12/2010 |
09:22 India Time |
CARTOSAT - 2B, STUDSAT, NLS 6.1, NLS 6.2, ALSAT-2A |
Remote-sensing |
PSLV-C15 |
Sriharikota |
1 |
1 |
Success |
| 38 |
China |
8/1/2010 |
05:30 Beijing Time |
Beidou-2 (5) (Compass-IGS1) |
Navigation |
Long March 3A |
Xichang |
- |
- |
Success |
| 39 |
Europe |
8/4/2010 |
17:59 Local time |
NILESAT 201RASCOM-QAF1R |
Communications |
Ariane-5 ECA |
|
|
|
Success |
| 40 |
China |
8/9/2010 |
06:49 Local |
Yaogan-10 |
Remote-sensing (military) |
Long March 4C |
Taiyuan |
- |
- |
Success |
| 41 |
US |
8/14/2010 |
7:07 a.m. EDT |
AEHF 1 |
Communications (military) |
Atlas 5 (AV-019) |
Cape Canaveral |
41 |
- |
Success |
| 42 |
China |
8/24/2010 |
07:10 UTC |
Tianhui 1 |
Remote-sensing |
Long March 2D |
Jiuquan |
- |
- |
Success |
| 43 |
Russia |
9/2/2010 |
04:53 Moscow Time |
|
Navigation |
|
|
81
|
-
|
Success |
| 44 |
China |
9/4/2010 |
16:14 GMT |
Chinasat 6A |
Communications |
Long March 3B |
Xichang |
- |
- |
Success |
| 45 |
Russia |
9/8/2010 |
07:30 Moscow Time |
|
Communications |
|
|
133 |
1 |
Success |
| 46 |
Russia |
9/10/2010 |
14:22 Moscow Time |
|
Manned |
|
|
|
6 |
Success |
| 47 |
Japan |
9/11/2010 |
20:17 local |
MICHIBIKI |
Navigation |
H-IIA F18 |
Tanegashima |
- |
- |
Success |
| 48 |
US |
9/20/2010 |
9:03 p.m. PDT |
NROL-41 |
Military |
Atlas-5 |
Vandenberg AFB |
SLC-3E |
E |
Success |
| 49 |
China |
9/22/2010 |
02:42 GMT |
Yaogan 11 |
Military/reconnaissance |
Long March 2D |
Jiuquan |
- |
- |
Success |
| 50 |
US |
9/25/2010 |
9:41 p.m. PDT |
SBSS |
Military/astronomy |
Minotaur 4 |
Vandenberg AFB |
SLC-8 |
8 |
Success |
| 51 |
Russia |
9/30/2010 |
21:01 Moscow Time |
|
Military/early warning |
|
|
- |
- |
Success |
| 52 |
China |
10/1/2010 |
18:59:57 Beijing Time |
Chang'e 2 |
Lunar orbiter |
Long March 3C |
Xichang |
- |
- |
Success |
| 53 |
China |
10/6/2010 |
00:49 GMT |
Shijian 6G,
Shijian 6H |
Experimental |
Long March 4B |
Taiyuan |
- |
- |
Success |
| 54 |
Russia |
10/8/2010 |
03:10:55 Moscow Summer Time |
|
Manned |
|
|
1 |
|
Success |
| 55 |
Russia |
10/14/2010 |
22:53 Moscow Time |
XM-5 |
Communications |
|
|
|
24 |
Success |
| 56 |
Russia |
10/19/2010 |
21:10:59 Moscow Time |
Globalstar-2 (1-6) |
Communications |
|
|
|
6 |
Success |
| 57 |
Russia |
10/27/2010 |
19:11:50 Moscow Time |
|
Manned/cargo supply |
|
|
1 |
|
Success |
| 58 |
Europe |
10/29/2010 |
21:51 GMT |
W3B*,
BSat-3b |
Communications |
Ariane-5 |
|
|
|
Success* |
| 59 |
China |
11/1/2010 |
00:26:03 Beijing Time |
Compass-G4 |
Navigation |
Long March-3C No. Y5 |
Xichang |
2 |
- |
Success |
| 60 |
Russia |
11/2/2010 |
03:59 Moscow Time |
|
|
|
|
43 |
4 |
Success |
| 61 |
China |
11/5/2010 |
02:37:12 UTC |
Feng Yun-3B |
Meteorology |
Long March-4B |
Taiyuan |
- |
- |
Success |
| 62 |
US |
11/5/2010 |
7:20:03 p.m. local |
COSMO 4 |
Remote-sensing |
Delta 2 (7420) |
Vandenberg AFB |
SLC-2W |
W |
Success |
| 63 |
Russia |
11/14/2010 |
17:29 GMT |
SkyTerra 1 |
Communications |
|
|
|
39 |
Success |
| 64 |
US |
11/19/2010 |
4:25 p.m. local |
STPSat 2, FASTSAT, FASTRAC (2), FalconSat 5, RAX, O/OREOS |
Experimental |
Minotaur 4 |
Kodiak |
- |
- |
Success |
| 65 |
US |
11/21/2010 |
22:58 GMT |
NROL-32 |
Military |
Delta 4-Heavy |
Cape Canaveral |
SLC-37B |
B |
Success |
| 66 |
China |
11/25/2010 |
00:09 Beijing Time |
ZhongXing-20A (Shen Tong-1B) |
Communications |
Long March 3A |
Xichang |
- |
- |
Success |
| 67 |
Europe |
11/26/2010 |
18:39 GMT |
Intelsat 17, HYLAS 1 |
Communications |
Ariane-5 ECA |
|
|
3 |
Success |
| 68 |
Russia |
12/5/2010 |
13:25:19 Moscow Decree Time |
|
Navigation |
|
|
|
24 |
Failure |
| 69 |
US |
12/8/2010 |
10:43 a.m. EST |
Dragon C1,
QbX 1,
QbX 2,
SMDC 1,
Perseus,
Perseus 001,
Perseus 002,
Perseus 003,
Mayflower
|
Manned (prototype)
|
Falcon 9 |
Cape Canaveral |
SLC-40 |
- |
Success |
| 70 |
Russia |
12/15/2010 |
22:09:25 Moscow Time |
|
Manned |
|
|
|
5 |
Success |
| 71 |
China |
12/17/2010 |
04:20 Beijing Time |
BeiDou-2 (IGSO-2) |
Navigation |
Long March 3A |
Xichang |
- |
- |
Success |
| 72 |
India |
12/25/2010 |
16:04 local time |
GSAT-5P |
Communications |
GSLV (F-06) |
Sriharikota |
- |
- |
Failure |
| 73 |
Russia |
12/27/2010 |
00:51 Moscow Time |
|
Communications |
|
|
|
39 |
Success |
| 74 |
Europe |
12/29/2010 |
21:27 GMT |
Hispasat 1E, Koreasat 6 |
Communications |
Ariane-5 ECA |
Kourou |
|
3 |
Success |
*W3B satellite failed immediately after launch
The 2010 space launch score card (as of
May 21, 2011
):
| |
Country |
Launch vehicle |
Launch vehicle |
Launch vehicle |
Launch vehicle |
Launch vehicle |
Launch vehicle |
Launch vehicle |
Total |
Failed |
| 1 |
Russia: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
31 |
1 |
| 2 |
US: |
Space Shuttle: 3 |
Atlas 5: 4 |
Delta IV: 2 |
Falcon-9: 2 |
Minotaur 4: 2 |
Delta 2: 1 |
Delta IV Heavy: 1 |
15 |
0 |
| 3 |
China: |
Long March 3C: 4 |
Long March 4C: 2 |
Long March 2D: 3 |
Long March 3A: 3 |
Long March 3B: 1 |
Long March 4B: 2 |
|
15 |
0 |
| 4 |
Europe: |
Ariane-5 ECA: 6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 |
0 |
| 5 |
India: |
GSLV: 2 (2)* |
PSLV: 1 |
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
2 |
| 6 |
Japan: |
H-IIA: 2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
0 |
| 7 |
S. Korea: |
KSLV 1: 1* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
| 8 |
Israel: |
Shavit: 1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
0 |
| |
Total: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
74 |
4 |
*failed missions
Canceled/re-assigned around 2010:
The launch of Israeli EROS-C remote-sensing
satellite from Svobodny/Vostochny on a Start-1 rocket. (Delayed from the second quarter of 2008. The development of the satellite had been abandoned by the beginning of 2010. (67)
2010: Arianespace company to launch Rascom-QAF 1R communications satellite from Kourou, French Guiana, onboard the Ariane-5 or Soyuz launch vehicle. The agreement for the mission was announced on Oct. 22, 2008. By June 2010, the mission was assigned to Ariane-5.
First quarter 2011: The Zenit-3SL rocket to launch Intelsat 17 satellite from the Sea Launch platform. (Delayed from the fourth quarter of 2010 and the mission was eventually switched to an Ariane-5 mission scheduled for launch in November 2010.)
For missions in 2011 click here
This page was compiled by Anatoly Zak and S. Günes
Last update:
May 21, 2011
