Coriolis Spacecraft:  P98-2 Chronologies: 2003 payload #1 ; 2003-001A : 6123rd spacecraft. Type: Earth environment Sponsor: U.S. Air Force Launch: 6 January 2003 at 14h19 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's SLC-4W, by a Titan 23G (23G-4). Orbit: Initial: 822 km x 842 km x 98.7° x 101.6 min 489 km x 849 km x 98.7° Mission: Coriolis is mission P98-2 in the USAF Space Test Program, and carries two instruments which may be used in the joint civil/military NPOESS weather satellite program: the Naval Research Lab's Windsat polarimetric radiometer measures microwave radiation to study the strength and direction of ocean surface winds; the Solar Mass Ejection Imager uses a precisely calibrated camera to take pictures of solar eruptions which can affect the ionosphere. Coriolis is a Spectrum Astro SA-200HP spacecraft with a mass of 745 kg plus 82 kg of hydrazine propellant. The 3.0-meter diameter, 6.9-meter high, triaxially-stabilized spacecraft carried 340 kg of instruments. Ressources: See SpectrumAstro Coriolis web page. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 492 ; Spacewarn No. 591 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-001A ;

ICESAT Spacecraft:  Formerly EOS Laser ALT-1 Chronologies: 2003 payload #2 ; 2003-002A : 6124th spacecraft. Type: Earth observations Sponsor: NASA Launch: 13 January 2003 at 0h45 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's SLC-2W, by a Delta 7320-10. Orbit: Initial: 579 km x 595 km x 94° x 96.4 min 586 km x 594 km x 94.0°  Mission: ICESAT is part of NASA's Earth science program. It carries a single instrument: the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS), a 1-meter telescope with a laser for lidar observations which enables accurate surface level measurements of ice sheets. The precise altitude of the spacecraft is determined with the help of the GPS constellation of satellites. Ice surface variations in Greenland and Antarctica are important predictors of global warming. ICESAT is a Ball BCP-2000 spacecraft with a mass of 959 kg full and 882 kg dry and with 300 kg of science instrument. Ressources: See ICESAT web site Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 492 & 493 ; Spacewarn No. 591 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-002A ;

Chips / CHIPSat Spacecraft:  CHIPS / Cosmic Hot Interstellar Spectrometer Chronologies: 2003 payload #3 ; 2003-002B : 6125th spacecraft. Type: Astronomy Sponsor: NASA/University of California at Berkeley Launch: 13 January 2003 at 0h45 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's SLC-2W, by a Delta 7320-10. Orbit: Initial: 578 km x 594 km x 94° x 96.4 min 586 km x 594 km x 94.0° Mission: CHIPSat is a NASA University Explorer (UNEX) mission, led by UC Berkeley and carrying the Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma instrument. The triaxially-stabilized spacecraft has a spectrograph which has a 5 x 26 degree field of view and will obtain spectra of the diffuse EUV background in the 90-260 Angstrom range. The targets are the hot and diffuse nebulae at about a million degrees temperature. One of the key goals is to find out which spectral lines dominate the emission from hot gas in the solar neighbourhood. CHIPSat was built by SpaceDev and has a mass of 60 kg. Ressources: See CHIPsat web site. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 492 ; Spacewarn No. 591 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-002B ;

STS-107 Spacecraft:  Space Shuttle #113 ; Columbia (28th (and last) flight) Chronologies: 2003 payload #4 ; 2003-003A : 6126th spacecraft ; loss on recovery. Type: Piloted spaceflight (science oriented mission) Sponsor: NASA Tthree images of Columbia taken by the U.S. Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site on January 28 as the spacecraft flew above the island of Maui in the Hawaiian Islands. (Source: Spaceflight Now)  Launch: 16 January 2003 at 15h39 UTC, from Kennedy Space Center's LC-39, by the Space Shuttle Orbit: Initial : 270 km x 285 km x 39° x 90,1 min End of mission Vehicle lost on 1st February 2003 at ~14h00 UTC. After a 16-day mission, the Orbiter began its reentry, but communications failed when Columbia was at an altitude of 60 km with a speed of 20,100 km/hr. The Orbiter was lost 15 minutes before its scheduled landing at the Kennedy Space Center. The seven astronauts were killed when the left wing failed and the spaceship broke apart. Debris has been found over a wide area centered in east Texas near Palestine. Mission: STS-107 was the first flight in recent years that was not related to the International Space Station. It carried seven astronauts who helped oversee 80 microgravity experiments on board. These ranged from K-12 interest to significant commercial and scientific potential.  Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 493 ; Spacewarn No. 591 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-003A ;

SORCE Spacecraft:  SOlar Radiation and Climate Experiment Chronologies: 2003 payload #5 ; 2003-004A : 6127th spacecraft. Type: Sun-Earth observatory Sponsor: NASA/University of Colorado/Boulder Launch: 25 January 2003 at 20h13 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's RW-30/12, by a Pegasus XL. Orbit: Initial: 612.8 km x 652.5 km x 40.0° x 93.4 min 610 km x 649 km x 40.0° Mission: SORCE is to measure solar irradiance in a number of wavelength-bands through three spectrometers and a photometer. It carries two main instruments — TSIM (Total Solar Irradiance Monitor) and SOLSTICE (Solar-Stellar Intercomparison Experiment) — to study the total solar output for climate studies. It is operated by the University of Colorado/Boulder. The satellite was built by Orbital Sciences and uses the LeoStar-2 bus; its mass is 290 kg. Note: The L-1011 carrier plane took off from the Cape Canaveral Skid Strip runway at 19h17 UTC on January 25. Drop over the Atlantic at 20h13 UTC was followed by successful burn of all three Pegasus XL stages and orbit insertion at 20h22 UTC.  Ressources: See SORCE web site Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 493 ; Spacewarn No. 591 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-004A ; Spaceflight Now's 2014 Stories ;

Navstar 47 (USA 166) Spacecraft:  Navstar SVN 56 / GPS IIR-8 Chronologies: 2003 payload #6 ; 2003-0  : 6128th spacecraft. Type: Navigation Families: 51st Navstar (8th second-generation replacement) Sponsor: U.S. Department of Defense Source: Boeing Launch: 29 January 2003 at 18h06 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-17, by a Delta 7925. Orbit: Initial: 173 km x 20,351 km x 39.1° x 356 min 20 155 km x 20 344 km x 55.0° Mission: Navstar 51 is the latest to join the fleet of Global Positioning Satellites. The fleet is operating in full capacity with 24 spacecraft (in six planes, with four satellites in each). GPS 2R-8 will replace the aging GPS 2A-18, which will be shifted away in its Plane-B and then retired. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 493 ; Spacewarn No. 591 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-005A ;

XSS-10 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #7 ; 2003-005B : 6129th spacecraft. Type: Technology Sponsor: U.S. Department of Defense/AFRL Launch: 29 January 2003 at 18h06 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-17, by a Delta 7925. Orbit: Initial : 518 km x 805 km x 39.75° x 98 min 703 km x 806 km x 39.6° Mission: XSS-10 is an AFRL/DoD technology demonstration microsatellite (28 kg). At around 10h00 UTC on January 30, the Air Force Research Lab's XSS-10 experimental inspector satellite separated from the Delta' second stage and made a series of 35-meter re-approaches to the stage, using a hydrazine propulsion system for stationkeeping and an experimental camera to image the stage. It will also monitor the second stage of Delta 2. Its battery-powered operational life was 24 hours. Ressources: See Air Force Research Laboratory's XSS-10 Micro-sat. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 493; Spacewarn No. 591 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-005B ;

Progress M-47 / ISS 10P Spacecraft:  Progress M (7K-TGM) no. 247 Chronologies: 2003 payload #8 ; 2003-006A : 6130th spacecraft. Type: Cargo delivery to the International Space Station Sponsor: Russia Space Agency Launch: 2 February 2003 at 12h59 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-1, by an A-2/Soyuz-U. Orbit: ~400-km circular x 51,6° Deorbit: 27 August 2003 Mission: Progress M-47 transported food, fuel, and equipment to the ISS and docked automatically with the Zvezda module of the ISS on 4 February 2003 at 14h49 UT, delivering enough supplies to keep the Station crew aboard until June if need be. It is the 100th launch of the Progress craft series (with 43 Progress, 46 Progress M, nine Progress M1, and one Progress M-SO1). Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 493 & 508; Spacewarn No. 592 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-006A ;

Intelsat 907 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #9 ; 2003-007A : 6131st spacecraft. Type: Communications (multi-services) Sponsor: Intelsat / International Telecommunications Satellite Organization Launch: 15 February 2003 at 7h00 UTC, from Kourou Space Center's ELA-2, by an Ariane 44L (V159). Orbit: Geostationary over 27.5° West longitude Mission: The 4.7 tonne spacecraft will provide international telephone and TV transmission links for the Americas, Europe and Africa through its array of C- and K-band transponders. It replaces the aging Intelsat 605. Mass of the Loral-built Intelsat 907 is 1473 kg dry and carries 1947 kg of propellant.  Note: This is the last and 116th launch of the Ariane 4 series which will be replaced by the Ariane 5 series. In all, there were 144 launches of the Ariane 1, 2, 3 and 4 series rockets, including 7 launch failures. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 494 ; Spacewarn No. 592 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-007A ;

DSCS III A-3 (USA 167) Spacecraft:  Defense Satellite Communications System III  Chronologies: 2003 payload #10 ; 2003-008A : 6132nd spacecraft. Type: Communications Sponsor: U.S. Air Force Launch: 11 March 2003 at 0h59 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-37B, by a Delta IVM (2, IABS-9). Orbit: Geostationary (parking longitude is unavailable). Mission: DSCS III A-3 carries X-band and UHF transponders operated by the Defense Information Systems Agency. It is one of the first production models of the DSCS III series, in storage for decades and enhanced for this launch by Lockheed Martin/Sunnyvale. The DSCS 3 constellation provides very secure global links to the military. Thesy are triaxially-stabilized spacecraft with solar power of 1.24 kW. They operate at six SHF frequencies between 40 and 85 MHz.  Note: Boeing launched the second Delta IV rocket; this launch used the simple Delta IVM variant with a CBC first stage and the 4-meter second stage, as opposed to the first launch which had additional solid boosters. Ressources: See DSCS III web site. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 495 ; Spacewarn No. 593 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-008A ;

IGS-1a Spacecraft:  Information Gathering Satellites / "IGS Optical-1" Chronologies: 2003 payload #11 ; 2003-009A : 6133rd spacecraft. Type: Reconnaissance (optical) Sponsor: Japanese Defense Ministry Launch: 28 March 2003 at 1h27 UTC, from the Tanegashima Space Center, by a H-2A 2024. Orbit: Initial: 485,5 km x 490,9 km x 97.3° x 94,4 min sun-synchronous. (Amateur tracking puts IGS-1a in a 483 km x 495 km x 97.4° orbit.) Mission: Japanese first two military surveillance satellites; these Information Gathering Satellites include an optical imager and a radar imager. These satellites may be used to monitor for nuclear explosions and missile launches in nearby countries in addition to global natural disasters and hurricanes. As such, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry, the launch is not in violation of the Japan-North Korea declaration of September 2002. IGS-1a uses optical cameras with a resolution of one meter.  Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 496 & 498 ; Spacewarn No. 593 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-009A ;

IGS-1b Spacecraft:  Information Gathering Satellites / "IGS Radar-1" (“Jouhoushushu eisei Reda 1 gouki satellite”, Information Gathering Satellite 1b) Chronologies: 2003 payload #12 ; 2003-09B : 6134th spacecraft. Type: Reconnaissance (radar) Sponsor: Japanese Defense Ministry Launch: 28 March 2003 at 1h27 UTC, from the Tanegashima Space Center, by a H-2A (2024). Orbit: Initial: 485,5 km x 490,9 km x 97.3° x 94,4 min. sun-synchronous. (Amateur tracking puts IGS-1b at 489 x 500 km x 97.4°.) Reentry: 26 July 2012 Mission: Japanese first two military surveillance satellites, which include an optical imager and a radar imager. These two Japanese reconaissance satellites may be used to monitor for nuclear explosions and missile launches in nearby countries in addition to global natural disasters and hurricanes. As such, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry, the launch is not in violation of the Japan-North Korea declaration of September 2002. IGS-1b uses synthetic aperture radar to provide images at a resolution of a few meters.     IGS Radar-1 reentered on 26 July 2012 over the Pacific. The 1200 kg satellite lost power in 2007. Notes: Amateur observers report that the secret Japanese IGS-1b satellite lowered its perigee on 22 April 2003. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 496498 & 664; Spacewarn No. 593 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-009B ;

Navstar 48 (USA 168) Spacecraft:  Navstar SVN 45 / GPS IIR-9 Chronologies: 2003 payload #13 ; 2003-010A : 6135th spacecraft. Type: Navigation Families: 52nd Navstar (9th second-generation replacement) Sponsor: U.S. Air Force Source: Boeing Launch: 31 March 2003 at 22h09 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-17A, by a Delta 7925-9.5. Orbit: 20 200 km x 20 433 km x 55.0° Mission: Navstar 52 is an American Global Positioning Satellite that replaces the aging GPS 2-5 in the fleet of 28 satellites. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 496 ; Spacewarn No. 593 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-010A ;

Molniya 1-92 Spacecraft: Molniya-1T Chronologies: 2003 payload #14 ; 2003-011A : 6136th spacecraft. Type: Communications (multi-services) Sponsor: Russia Launch: 2 April 2003 at 1h53 UTC, from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, by a n A-2-e/Molniya-M.  Orbit: 624 km x 40 644 km x 62.9° x 12-hr Mission: A Molniya-1T Russian military communications spacecraft placed in an elliptical orbit. The satellite has a mass of around 1660 kg. Ressoueces: See astronautix.com Molniya-1T web page. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 496 ; Spacewarn No. 594 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-011A ;

Milstar DFS-6 (USA 169) Spacecraft:  Milstar DFS-6 / MILitary Strategic and TActical Relay satellite 6 Chronologies: 2003 payload #15 ; 2003-012A : 6137th spacecraft. Type: Communications Sponsor: U.S. Department of Defense Launch: 8 April 2003 at 13h43 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-40, by a Titan 4-Centaur (Titan 4 B-35/Centaur TC-23). Orbit: Geostationary Mission: Milstar DFS-6, super-secure communications satellite is the fourth of the Milstar II series carrying both LDR (low data rate) and MDR (medium data rate) payloads to be used for global communications capacity by the US armed forces. The 4,5 tonne satellite was built by Lockheed Martin/Sunnyvale. With the end of the cold war, Milstars are no longer engineered for "heroic survivability". Ressources: See Milstar News Center web site. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 497 ; Spacewarn No. 594 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-012A ;

Insat 3A Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #16 ; 2003-013A : 6138th spacecraft. Type: Communications and meteorology Sponsor: ISRO / Indian Space Research Organization Launch: 9 April 2003 at 9h52 UTC, from Kourou Space Center's ELA-3, by an Ariane 5G (Ariane 514G, V160). Orbit: Geostationary at 93.5° East longitude Mission: Insat 3A is an Indian geostationary communications and weather-monitoring satellite. It carries a communications, weather imaging and search-and-rescue payload together with a bipropellant liquid apogee engine. Its bus is 2.8 x 2.0 x 1.8 meter in size with a 13-meters solar panel span; the satellite has a dry mass of 1350 kg and a launch mass of 2958 kg. It carries 12 C-band, 6 Extended C-band, and 6 Ku-band transponders to provide voice, video and data transmission to West Asia, East Asia, and India. INSAT 3A carries also the usual INSAT package of sensors in visual, infrared and water vapor bands to monitor clouds and storms. The spatial resolution at visual wavelengths is 2 km, and at infrared 1 km. The satellite also carries a separate transponder for the international search and rescue program.  Ressources: See ISRO's Insat-3A web site. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 497 ; Spacewarn No. 594 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-013A ;

Galaxy XII / Galaxy 12 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #17 ; 2003-013B : 6139th spacecraft. Type: Communications (multi-services) Sponsor: U.S.' PanAmSat Corp. Launch: 9 April 2003 at 9h52 UTC, from Kourou Space Center's ELA-3, by an Ariane 5G (Ariane 514G, V160). Orbit: Geostationary at 72° West longitude Mission: Galaxy 12 is an Orbital Star-2 small class communications satellite with a Japanese-developed liquid apogee engine. It carries 24 C-band transponders to provide voice, video and data transmissions to North and South America. Launch mass is 1760 kg and dry mass is 800 kg; bus size is 1.5 x 3.3 x 1.9 meter with 12.6 meter solar panel span. Ressources: See: PanAmSat (Galaxy XII) web site. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 497; Spacewarn No. 594; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-013B ;

Asiasat 4 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #18 ; 2003-014A : 6140th spacecraft. Type: Communications (DBS) Sponsor: Hong Kong-based Asiasat Launch: 12 April 2003 at 0h47 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-36B, by an Atlas IIIB/SEC (AC-205). Orbit: Geostationary at 122° East longitude Mission: The 9.5 kW satellite will provide direct-to-home voice and video broadcast to about 40 countries from the Middle East to New Zealand through its 28 C-band, and 20 Ku-band transponders. Asiasat 4 is 4042 kg at launch and probably around 1900 kg dry; the Boeing 601HP satellite with a C-band and Ku-band communications payload will replace Asiasat 1. Note: International Launch Services performed this launch with an Atlas IIIB/SEC (single engine Common Centaur variant). Ressources: See Asiasat web site. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 497 ; Spacewarn No. 594 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-014A ;

Soyuz TMA-2 / ISS 6S Spacecraft:  Soyuz 11F732 (7K-STMA) no. 212  Chronologies: 2003 payload #20 ; 2003-016A : 6142nd spacecraft. Type: Piloted spaceflight toward the International Space Station Sponsor: Rosaviakosmos/NASA Source : NASA Launch: 26 April 2003 at 3h53 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC1/5, by an A-2/Soyuz-FG. Orbit: ~400 km-circular x 51,6° Landing: 28 October 2003 at ~2h41 UTC Mission: Soyuz TMA-2 is a Russian passenger transport craft carrying the new ISS Expedition 7 crew of Yury Malenchenko and Edward Lu for a six-month stay at the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft docked with the nadir port on the Zarya module on 28 April 2003 at 5h56 UTC.       Soyuz TMA-2 undocked from the Zarya module on 27 October 2003 at 23h17 UTC with Yuriy Malenchenko, Ed Lu and Pedro Duque aboard. It fired its deorbit engines on 28 October at 1h47 UTC and landed near Arkalyk in Kazakhstan. Happily, there was no repetition of the reentry anomaly which caused Soyuz TMA-1 to land off course. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 498 & 513 ; Spacewarn No. 594 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-016A ;

GALEX Spacecraft:  GALaxy Evolution eXplorer Chronologies: 2003 payload #21 ; 2003-017A : 6143rd spacecraft. Type: Ultraviolet astronomy Sponsor: NASA Launch: 28 April 2003 at 11h59 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's RW-30/12, by a Pegasus XL. Orbit: 690 km x 702 km x 29°  Mission: GALEX is a NASA Small Explorer (SMEX) mission with principal investigator Chris Martin of Caltech. It is a 280 kg, 290 W, triaxially-stabilized satellite. It carries a 0.50-meter telescope and two ultraviolet microchannel plate cameras (one for the far UV 135-180 nm, and one for the near UV 180-300 nm), and will carry out an all-sky survey as well as deeper surveys in selected regions. This will be the first all-sky survey in the ultraviolet band since the much less sensitive TD 1A satellite in 1972 — the all sky limit in the far UV band will be over 3000 times more sensitive, about 25 microJansky compared to about 0.08 Jy for TD-1. GALEX is the seventh SMEX mission, following SAMPEX (trapped radiation), FAST (auroral studies), TRACE (solar imaging), SWAS (submillimeter astronomy), WIRE (infrared survey, failed) and HESSI (solar flare studies). Notes: The Orbital Sciences Pegasus rocket was launched from the company's L-1011 Stargazer aircraft which took off from the Skid Strip runway at Cape Canaveral at 11h03 UTC on April 28.  Galex was switched off on 28 June 2013 Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 499, 500 , 681 ; Spacewarn No. 594 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-017A ; GALEX Project : NASA's 2010-2014 NASA News Releases ;

GSAT-2 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #22 ; 2003-018A : 6144th spacecraft. Type: Technology (Communications and monitoring) Sponsor: ISRO / Indian Space Research Organization Launch: 8 May 2003 at 11h28 UTC, from the Satish Dhawan Space Center (in Sriharikota), by a GSLV (GSLV-D2). Orbit: Geostationary at 48° East longitude Mission: GSat 2 is an Indian geostationary communications and space monitoring spacecraft; it is a test satellite. The main mission was to test for the second time the rocket configuration, with the proven PSLV lower stages and a cryogenic third stage that uses a Russian motor. The 1.9-tonne, 1.4-kW spacecraft carries four C-band and two Ku-band transponders to provide voice and video transmissions to India and neighboring countries, a Coherent RAdio Beacon EXperiment (CRABEX) of ionospheric interest, a SOlar X-ray Spectrometer (SOXS) to monitor 4 keV-10 MeV x-rays, an external Total Radiation Dose Monitor (TRDM), an internal radiation monitor called RADiation sensitive Field Effect Transistor (RADFET), and a Surface Charge Monitor (SCM). Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 499 ; Spacewarn No. 595 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-018A ; GSAT-2 Project :

MUSES C / Hayabusa Spacecraft:  Hayabusa means Falcon Chronologies: 2003 payload #23 ; 2003-019A : 6145th spacecraft. Type: Asteroid sample-return probe Sponsor: Japan ISAS Launch: 9 May 2003 at 4h29 UTC, from the Kagoshima Space Center, by a M-V-5. Orbit: About 1.0 AU x 1.6 AU x 1.5° x 560 days heliocentric Mission: This 510-kg Japanese asteroid explorer is expected to arrive at the 700 x 300 meters asteroid 1998SF36 in June 2005 (after an encounter with Earth in June 2004 to obtain a gravity assisted boost), and orbit around it at an altitude of 19 km from its surface. After several months of orbiting, it will be maneuvered to skim on the surface a few times and gather a total of one gram of surface material from several sites. The sample collection will be enabled by firing tiny metal projectiles on the surface. The material will be funneled into a capsule to be returned to Earth by a parachute in Australia in  June 2007. In all, Hayabusa would have done over two orbits around the Sun before re-entering Earth. Iit will leave a 10-cm ball on the asteroid containing the names of 870,000 human Earthlings from many countries. MUSES C was named Hayabusa (Falcon) after launch. Notes: This is the last launch by ISAS. In October 2003 ISAS, NASDA, and the National Aerospace Laboratory will be merged into a single new agency named Space Aeronautics Research and Development Agency (probably with SARADA as the acronym). On 19 May 2004, the Hayabusa probe made an Earth flyby with a closest approach altitude of 3725 km at 6h23 UTC. It is expected to reach asteroid (25143) Itokawa in 2005.      Hayabusa departed the Itokawa vicinity in February 2007 and, as contollers coaxed limited function out of its faltering ion drives, set course for Earth. By April 2010, the probe was 24 million km from home, and began a series of course corrections to target it for landing. It entered the Earth's gravitational sphere of influence on 11 June 2010, approaching Earth on a hyperbola trajectory. At 10h51 UT, the Hayabusa return capsule separated from the main spacecraft. Nominal entry was at 200 km altitude at 13h51 UT, over about 125° East and 28° South, travelling at 12.2 km/sl. The capsule landed in the Woomera range area at around 14h12 UTC. Ressources: See Hayabusa mission web site Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 500, 526, 629 ; Spacewarn No. 595 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-019A ;

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Hellas Sat 2 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #25 ; 2003-020A : 6147th spacecraft. Type: Communications (DBS) Sponsor: Joint Greek/Cypriot Hellas Sat consortium  Launch: 13 May 2003 at 22h10 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-41, by an Atlas V 401 (AV-002). Orbit: Geosynchronous at 39° East longitude Mission: Hellas Sat 2 is an Astrium Eurostar 2000+ satellite for the Greek/Cypriot Hellas Sat consortium based in Athens. The 3.45-tonne satellite carries 30 Ku-band transponders to provide direct-to-home voice and video transmissions to much of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. (Hellas Sat 1 is the old Kopernikus DFS-3 satellite launched in 1992 and leased by HellasSat in 2002.) Notes: Lockheed Martin launched AV-002, the second Atlas V that uses a single-engine Common Centaur upper stage. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 500 ; Spacewarn No. 595 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-020A ; Hellas Sat Corp ;

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Beidou 3 Spacecraft:  Beidou 1C, Beidou 2A Beidou Navigation Test Satellites Chronologies: 2003 payload #26 ; 2003-021A : 6148th spacecraft. Type: Navigation Sponsor: China Launch: 24 May 2003 at 16h34 UTC, from Xichang , by a Chang Zheng 3A. Orbit: Geostationary Mission: This third Beidou navigation satellite joins two others, Beidou 1A and Beidou 1B that were launched in 2000 and reportedly enables a viable global positioning constellation. Besides enabling positioning. “The launching of the third satellite marks the formation of a complete and sound satellite navigation and positioning system to ensure all-weather navigation and positioning information,” Chinese source reports. “The China-made system will play an important role in economic matters, offering efficient navigation and positioning services for the sectors of transportation, meteorology, petroleum production, forest fire prevention, disaster forecast, telecommunications and public security.” The craft is also used in weather monitoring and telecommunications. Both the satellite and the carrier rocket were developed by the Chinese Research Institute of Space Technology and China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, which are under the China Space Science and Technology Group. Notes: According to Chinese sources: “This launch may have been insignificant for the general public in and outside China, but it marked a milestone for Chinese rocket experts. Long Lehao, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and general-commander of the rocket project, said the successful launch lifted the success rate of the Long March rocket series from 89 to 90 percent, an internationally accepted benchmark for carrier rockets.  The success rates of similar models of the rocket, such as the Delta rocket of the United States and those of Europe, stand at around 93 percent.” Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 500 ; Spacewarn No. 595 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-021A; Xinhua's 25 May 03, 3 Jun 13, 30 Dec 03 ;

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Mars Express Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #27 ; 2003-022A : 6149th spacecraft. Type: Mars orbiter Sponsor: ESA / European Space Agency Launch: 2 June 2003 at 17h45 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-31, by an A-2/Soyuz-FG/Fregat. Orbit: Eart-Mars trajectory: 1.014 AU x 1.531 AU x 0.2° Solar orbit. Initial Mars orbit: 3585 km x 130 000 km x 13° Operational Mars orbit: 250° x 10243 km x 89° Source: ESA Mission: Europe's first Mars probe. The 1.5 x 1.8 x 1.4 meter spacecraft consists of a Mars Orbiter and a lander named Beagle 2 that will be released from the orbiter when it reaches the planet's vicinity in December 2003.  It has a mass of 637 kg dry including science payload and Beagle separation device together with 480 kg of propellant and the 69 kg Beagle 2 lander for a total of 1186 kg. Instruments include MARSIS, the first subsurface radar sounder flown on a probe since Apollo 17; HRSC, a high resolution color camera; OMEGA, an infrared sensor; Planetary Fourier Spectrometer, operating in the millimeter range for molecular studies; SPICAM, studying an ultraviolet ozone absorption line and an infrared water line; ASPERA-3 measuring the particle environment; and the Mars Radio Science experiment using the radio transmitter. Mars Express carries a 400N propulsion engine similar to those used on Spacebus communications satellites.     Mars Express probe entered orbit around Mars on 25 December 2003 at 3h21 UTC, completing a 34 minute engine burn begun at 2h47 UTC.     ESA 2004 report on the Beagle 2 Mars lander failure was not been publicly released, but a press release indicates several areas identified as possible contributors to the failure: problems due to shocks from pyro firings in spacecraft separation events; problematic cross-connected wiring; possible collision between the lander and its jettisoned heat shield, and possible air bag or parachute failure. Notes: Mars Express was launched by a Starsem Soyuz-FG with a Fregat upper stage. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 501, 502,517 &  527  ; Spacewarn No. 596 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-022A ;

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Beagle-2 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #28 ; 2003-022C : 6150th spacecraft. Type: Mars lander Sponsor: ESA-UK Launch: 2 June 2003 at 17h45 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-31, by an A-2/Soyuz-FG/Fregat. Orbit: Crash on Mars on 25 December 2003. Mission: Beagle 2 is a 65-kg, 0.95-meter diameter, clam-shaped lander that was released when the Mars Express reaches the Martian vicinity in December 2004.       On 19 December 2003, Beagle-2 lander was ejected from Mars Express at 8h31 UTC, on a trajectory that will impact Mars on Dec 25. Beagle-2 lander reached the surface of Mars on 25 December 2003 at 2h52 UTC, but no signals have been received from it. The heatshield-encapsulated Beagle-2 entered the Martian atmosphere (at a fiducial height of 120 km) at 2h47 UTC, at a speed of 5.5 km/s. Over the next two minutes, it decelerated to a few hundred meters per second. If the descent went as planned, Beagle bounced onto the surface at 2h52 UTC.Even with its lost, Beagle-2 is still the first non-US, non-Soviet artifact to reach the surface of Mars (note: Japan's Hiten impacted the Moon in April 1993).     Beagle-2 was supposed to make in situ analysis of the soil, after landing at 10.6° North and 270° West in the sedimentary basin known as Isidis Planitia. The lander carries a maneuverable robotic arm. Its soil collection would habe been be by a "mole" in the PAW (Position Adjustable Workbench) of the arm, and the rock collection by a corer in the PAW. Four cameras were mounted on the robotic arm. A pair of them was to have provide a 3-D view of the neighborhood and to watch the sample collection. Another camera would have provide a wide-angle view of the vicinity even before the robotic arm is deployed. The fourth camera is part of a microscope that would have image fresh rock surfaces (after cleaning the surface by a grinder), at a resolution of four microns.  Ressources: See: Beagle-2 web site Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 501, 516 & 517 ; Spacewarn No. 596 & 602 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-022C ;

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Kosmos 2398 Spacecraft:  Parus? Chronologies: 2003 payload #29 ; 2003-023A : 6151st spacecraft. Type: Navigation Sponsor: Russian Defense Ministry Launch: 4 June 2003 at 19h23 UTC, from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, by a Kosmos-3M (11K65M). Orbit: Initial: 971 km x 1015 km x 83° x 105 min 969 km x 1014 km x 83.0° x 105 min Mission: A Parus-class navigation satellite. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 501 ; Spacewarn No. 596 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-023A ;

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AMC-9 / Americom-9 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #30 ; 2003-024A : 6152nd spacecraft. Type: Communications (DBS) Sponsor: SES Americom  Launch: 6 June 2003 at 22h15 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-200/39, by a D-1-e/Proton-K/Briz-M.  Orbit: Geostationary at 85° West longitude Mission: AMC-9 provides direct-to-home digital TV and data transfer in USA and Canada, through its 24 C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders. It is an Alcatel Spacebus 3000B3 with C and Ku band communications payloads. Launch mass was 4100 kg; dry mass probably around 2000 kg.  Notes: The Americom series continues the original US domestic communications satellites, the RCA Americom 'Satcom' series first launched in 1975. Americom has been through several owners, and is now a subsidiary of the Luxembourg-based Société Européene des Satellites (SES) which was originally formed to run the Astra network. Launched was performed the International Launch Services. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 502 ; Spacewarn No. 596 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-024A ; AMC-9 Press Release ;

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Progress M1-10 / ISS-11P Spacecraft:  Progress M1 (7K-TGM) no. 259 Chronologies: 2003 payload #31 ; 2003-025A : 6153rd spacecraft. Type: Cargo to the International Space Station Sponsor: Rosaviakosmos / Russian Space Agency Launch: 8 June 2003 at 10h34 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-1, by an A-2/Soyuz-U. Orbit: ~400 km circular x 51,6° Deorbit: 3 October 2003 at 11h58 UTC. Mission: Progress M1-10 docked with the nadir port on Pirs on 11 June 2003 at 11h15 UTC and delivered 2.3 tonnes of food, fuel, water, and scientific/engineering equipment. Launch mass was 7270 kg.  The spacecraft undocked from the Pirs module on 4 September 2003 and remains on orbit to carry out remote sensing of the Earth with its onboard TV camera system. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 502, 508 & 510; Spacewarn No. 596 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-025A ;

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Thuraya 2 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #32 ; 2003-026A : 6154th spacecraft. Type: Communications (phone) Sponsor: United Arab Emirate's Thuraya Satellite Launch: 10 June 2003 at 13h56 UTC, from the Odyssey platform, by a Zenit-3SL. Orbit: Geostationary at 44° East longitude Mission: Thuraya 2 is a Boeing GEM spacecraft (modified BSS-702), which features a large (12 meters) antenna for L-band mobile communications. The 5.2-tonne (with fuel), 11-kW satellite carries many transponders to relay mobile telephone calls from/to countries in and around the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. Its 200 spot beams can be steered to meet the varying call densities, and will enable it to handle 13,750 calls simultaneously. The satellite has a launch mass of 5177 kg. Notes: The Boeing Sea Launch Zenit-3SL was launched from the Odyssey platform floating at 154 °W, 0 °N in the Pacific ocean.  Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 502 ; Spacewarn No. 596 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-026A ; Thuraya 2, 3 satellites ;

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MER-A (carrier) Spacecraft: Mars Exploration Rover A Chronologies: 2003 payload #33 ; 2003-027A : 6155th spacecraft. Type: Mars lander Sponsor: NASA Launch: 10 June 2003 at 17h59 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-17A, by a Delta 7925. Orbit: Initial: 1.042 AU x 1.550 AU x 0.26° Solar orbit On Mars: Mission: The MER-A carrier soft-landed on 4 January 2004 at 4h26 UTC, on the Gusev crater at 15° south of the equator, and nudge out a robotic rover named Spirit to do geology observations. The spacecraft entered the Martian atmosphere at 4h20 UTC at 5.4 km/s, with an entry angle was 11.5°. The landing site is an ellipse centered on 14.640° South and, 184.702° West. The landing site has been renamed the Columbia Memorial Station.      MER-A consists of the 174-kg Spirit rover, the 365-kg MER-2 lander, the 198-kg backshell and 90-kg heatshield which encapsulate lander and rover during Mars atmosphere entry, and the 183-kg Cruise stage which carries 52 kg of propellant, for a total launch mass of 1062 kg.  Other than releasing Spirit, MER-A has no other significant functionality. Notes: This spacecraft is in fact the second MER; the first flight article completed checkout later and has been assigned to the MER-B mission to be launched later. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 502 ; Spacewarn No. 596 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-027A ;

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Spirit (rover) Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #34 ; 2003-027 : 6156th spacecraft. Type: Mars rover Sponsor: NASA Launch: 10 June 2003 at 17h59 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-17A, by a Delta 7925. Orbit: On Mars  Mission: Spirit is a six-wheeler and carries several instruments to investigate the surface of Mars by roving up to 500 meters from the landing site. The data collected from the instruments are downlinked via the current Mars orbiters Mars Global  Surveyor and Mars Odyssey. The MER rovers were built by JPL. At right, MER-A landing site photographed in 2006 by MRO (more).  Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 502 ; Spacewarn No. 596 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-027A ; NASA's 2010-2014 NASA News Releases ;

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BSAT-2c Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #35 ; 2003-028A : 6157th spacecraft. Type: Communications (DBS) Sponsor: Japan's Broadcasting Satellite System Corp. Launch: 11 June 2003 at 22h38 UTC, from Kourou Space Center's ELA-3, by an Ariane 5G (515G, V161). Orbit: Geostationary Mission: BSAT-2c provides direct digital broadcasts to homes in Japan and neighboring countries through its Ku-band transponders. It's an Orbital Sciences Star-1 bus for Broadcasting Satellite System Corp. Note: See ; Ariane Flight 161, Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 502 ; Spacewarn No. 596; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-028A ; BSAT satellites ;

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Optus and Defence C1  Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #36 ; 2003-028B : 6158th spacecraft. Type: Communications (multi-services) Sponsor: Australia's Singtel Optus Pty and the Australian Departement of Defense Launch: 11 June 2003 at 22h38 UTC, from Kourou Space Center's ELA-3, by an Ariane 5G (515G, V161). Orbit: Geostationary at 156° East longitude Mission: Optus and Defence C1 is a dual-use (civil/military) satellite that carries 24 Ku-band civilian transponders and eight military transponders. The civilian part of the payload will enable video and internet links to Australia, New Zealand and East Asia. The satellite is jointly owned by Singtel Optus Pty and the Australian Department of Defense. Previous satellites in the series were simply named Optus and didn't carry the extra defence comms payload. Prime contractor is Mitsubishi, using a Loral FS-1300 bus with a UHF, X-band and Ka-band communications payload. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 502 ; Spacewarn No. 596 : National Space Science Data Center's 2003-028B ; Loral's Optus C1,

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Molniya 3-53 Spacecraft:  Molniya-3 No. 65? Chronologies: 2003 payload #37 ; 2003-029A : 6159th spacecraft. Type: Communications (multi-services) Sponsor: Russia Launch: 19 June 2003 at 20h00 UTC, from Plesetsk Cosmodrome's LC-43/3, by an A-2/Molniya-M. Orbit: 631 km x 39 789 km x 62.9° x 719.1 minutes. Mission: Molniya 3-53 is a two-tonne Russian military communications spacecraft; it will be the last in the Molniya 3 series. This Molnoya-3 may possibly be Molniya-3 No. 65. US sources list it as Molniya 3-53 because it is the 53rd satellite to be given the Molniya-3 name, but the 3-53 designation is not used in official Russian sources. The first Molniya-3 was Molniya-3 No. 11 launched in Nov 1974 (Molniya 3-1); satellite series built by NPO Prikladnoi Mekhaniki always start with No. 11 – perhaps Nos. 1 to 10 are reserved for ground test articles or something. Subsequent satellites were launched somewhat out of production order and No. 14 was never launched, so we can't really guess the correct designation. 54 Molniya-3 satellites and one Molniya-3K have now been launched, including two satellites which were stranded in parking orbit and given Kosmos designations. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 503 ; Spacewarn No. 596 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-029A ;

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Orbview-3 Spacecraft: Chronologies: 2003 payload #38 ; 2003-030A : 6160th spacecraft. Type: Earth imaging Sponsor: Orbimage Launch: 26 June 2003 at 18h53 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's RW-30/12, by a Pegasus XL. Orbit: 366 km x 430 km x 97.3°  Mission: Orbview-3 is a 1-meter-resolution commercial imaging satellite. The satellite carries high-resolution cameras to enable black-and-white images at 1.0 meter resolution and color images at 4.0 meter resolution. The spacecraft, which uses an Orbital Leostar bus and has a launch mass of 304 kg (probably including of order 50 kg of hydrazine for orbit raising). Notes: The satellite was launched by Orbital Sciences' L-1011 carrier plane which took off from Vandenberg AFB at 17h57 UTC and dropped the Pegasus XL rocket at 18h53 UTC, probably over the standard Pacific drop zone at 36.0 °N and 123.0 °W. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 503 ; Spacewarn No. 596 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-030A ; Orbview-3,

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Monitor-E GVM Spacecraft:  "Monitor-Earth" mockup + Breeze-KM upper stage Chronologies: 2003 payload #39 ; 2003-031A : 6161st spacecraft. Type: Technology Sponsor: Russia's Krunichev State Research and Production Space Center Launch: 30 June 2003 at 14h15 UTC, from Plesetsk's LC-133, by a Rokot-Briz-KM (UR-100N). Orbit: Initial: 696 km x 633 km x 98,7° x 100,1 min Later: 250 km x 830 km x 98.4° Mission: The largest payload of this nine-satellite launch is Krunichev's mockup of its earth-observation satellite Monitor-E ("Monitor-E(arth)"). The mockup transmited mission profile simulation data during its entire flight. It remained on the Breeze upper stage and was to de-orbit with it. Notes: The Eurockot Launch Services, Bremen, performed this Multiple Orbit Mission (MOM), launching a total of eight scientific micro- and nano-satellites for different agencies and institutes in addition to a mock-up of the Russian MONITOR satellite, mounted on Breeze. The mission was based on the multiple re-ignition capability of the Breeze upper stage. It is the first sun-synchronous mission of Rockot. Ressources: Rockot Multiple Orbit Mission hits different Orbits ; Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 504 ; Spacewarn No. 597 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-031A ; Russian Space Agency fact sheet ;

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Mimosa Spacecraft:  Micromeasurements of Satellite Acceleration  Chronologies: 2003 payload #40 ; 2003-031B : 6162nd spacecraft. Type: Earth sciences Sponsor: Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences Launch: 30 June 2003 at 14h15 UTC, from Plesetsk's LC-133, by a Rokot-Briz-KM (UR-100N). Orbit: 316 km x 844 km x 96.8° x 96,3 min Mission: Mimosa is nearly spherical with 28 sides and carries a microaccelerometer to monitor the atmospheric density profile by sensing the atmospheric drag. It provides data on the density of the upper atmosphere using the highly sensitive MACEK accelerometer. The 65-kg spacecraft was built by Space Devices Ltd. of Praha and is operated by the Astronomicky ustav AV CR. The apogee of its orbit permits the use of the solar radiation pressure for calibration of the accelerometer; the perigee assured the penetration of the spacecraft into denser layers of the atmosphere.  Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 504 ; Spacewarn No. 597 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-031B ; MIMOSA Summary ;

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DTUSat Spacecraft:  Denmark Technical University satellite  Chronologies: 2003 payload #41 ; 2003-031C : 6163rd spacecraft. Type: Technology Sponsor: Technical University of Denmark Launch: 30 June 2003 at 14h15 UTC, from Plesetsk's LC-133, by a Rokot-Briz-KM (UR-100N). Orbit: 818 km x 830 km x 98.7° x 101,4 min Mission: DTUsat is a picosatellite (1-kg) designed and built by students from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Its main payload is an electrodynamic tether for dumping the satellite. The tether is deployed using a novel yo-yo system, greatly simplifying construction and deployment. A calibrated test transmitter is flown as secondary payload. The satellite is 3-axis stabilized using magnetorquers, while attitude determination is done by a combination of a 3-axis magnetometer and 5 chip scale dual-axis sun angle sensors designed and built for this satellite. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 504 ; Spacewarn No. 597 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-031C ; DTUSat project :

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MOST Spacecraft:  Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars Chronologies: 2003 payload #42 ; 2003-031D : 6164th spacecraft. Type: Astronomy Sponsor: CSA / Canadian Space Agency Launch: 30 June 2003 at 14h15 UTC, from Plesetsk's LC-133, by a Rokot-Briz-KM (UR-100N). Orbit: 819 km x 832 km x 98.7° x 101,4 min. Mission: MOST is Canada's first space telescope. The 65 x 65 x 30 cm, 51-kg spacecraft carries a 60-cm aperture reflecting telescope to monitor the brightness variations in a star caused by soundwaves on its surface, or from reflections from an orbiting planet. It makes photometric observations of stars down to magnitude 6 that will help to set a limit on the age of the Universe and probe the properties of planets around other stars. (Because of its light weight and low cost, MOST has been dubbed as "Humble Telescope".) Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 504 ; Spacewarn No. 597 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-031D ; The MOST project ;

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CUTE-I / Cubesat-TiTech  Spacecraft:  CUbical Titech Engineering satellite-I Chronologies: 2003 payload #43 ; 2003-031E : 6165th spacecraft. Type: Technology Sponsor: Tokyo Institute of Technology Laboratory for Space Systems (LSS) Launch: 30 June 2003 at 14h15 UTC, from Plesetsk's LC-133, by a Rokot-Briz-KM (UR-100N). Orbit: 819 km x 831 km x 98.7° x 101,4 min. Mission: CUTE-I, a 10-cm cube weighing 1 kg CubeSat, carries engineering tests and was built by the Tokyo Kogyo Daigaku.  It carries a 100 mW beacon at 436.8375 MHz. This educational project has for mission to validate fundamental nano-satellite technology including original communication protocol check, solar paddle deployment with a small mechanism and original CMOS sun sensor validation. Launch: The six CubeSat satellites were launched by the EUROCKOT Launch Services GmbH. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 504; Spacewarn No. 597 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-031E ; CUTE Projet ; A Brief History of Amateur Satellites ;

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Quakesat Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #44 ; 2003-031F : 6166th spacecraft. Type: Technology (Earth imaging) Sponsor: Stanford University/Quakesat LLC Launch: 30 June 2003 at 14h15 UTC, from Plesetsk's LC-133, by a Rokot-Briz-KM (UR-100N). Orbit: 821 km x 833 km x 98.7° x 101,4 min Mission: QuakeSat is a very small satellite (10 x 10 x 30 cm) that was launched to provide a “proof-of-concept” for collecting ELF earthquake precursor signals from space. This 3-kg satellite is based on a triple-CubeSat design,  Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 504 ; Spacewarn No. 597 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-031F ; Quakesat Project :

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AAU-CubeSat Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #45 ; 2003-031G : 6167th spacecraft. Type: Technology (Earth imaging) Sponsor: Danish's University of Aalborg (AAU) Launch: 30 June 2003 at 14h15 UTC, from Plesetsk's LC-133, by a Rokot-Briz-KM (UR-100N). Orbit: 818 km x 830 km x 98.7° x 101,4 min Mission: The AAU CubeSat, a small 1-kg spacecraft, carries a 100-meter-resolution Earth imaging camera. The project was initiated in the Summer of 2001 to give students a unique chance to experience a real engineering project with real engineering problems. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 504 ; Spacewarn No. 597 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-031G ; AAU-Cubesat Project :

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Can X-1 Spacecraft:  Canadian Advanced Nanospace eXperiments Chronologies: 2003 payload #46 ; 2003-031H : 6168th spacecraft. Type: Technology (Earth imaging) Sponsor: Canada's University of Toronto Launch: 30 June 2003 at 14h15 UTC, from Plesetsk's LC-133, by a Rokot-Briz-KM (UR-100N). Orbit: 817 km x 830 km x 98.7° x 101,4 min Mission: The CanX-1 PicoSatellite Mission is the first in a series of CubeSat Missions at the University of Toronto to promote the development and testing of low-cost space technologies and push the envelope of performance that can be achieved with small low-power devices. This first mission will demonstrate key enabling technologies for future missions. CanX-1 is a small 1-kg CubeSat that carries a camera for attitude determination.  Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 504 ; Spacewarn No. 597 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-031H ; The CanX-1 PicoSatellite Mission ;

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CubeSat XI-IV Spacecraft: Chronologies: 2003 payload #47 ; 2003-031J : 6169th spacecraft. Type: Technology Sponsor: Japan's University of Tokyo's Intelligent Space Systems Laboratory (ISSL) Launch: 30 June 2003 at 14h15 UTC, from Plesetsk's LC-133, by a Rokot-Briz-KM (UR-100N). Orbit: 821 km x 831 km x 98.7° x 101,4 min. Mission: The mission of this CubeSat is the on-orbit verification of the super small satellite (nano-satellite) bus system using commercial-off-the-shell components. It carries an 80 mW beacon at 436.8475 MHz, the operating frequency in the amateur communication band. It is the first satellite of the University of Tokyo Intelligent Space Systems Laboratory (ISSL) where 20 space-engineering students conduct the project as an education program. The satellite is a 10-cm cube weighing 1 kg. Notes: This CubeSat is said "XI" ([sai]; X-factor Investigator); this derives from its cubic shape (XI means domino in Japanese). It is the fourth model of the CubeSat XI series, hence it's name Cubesabt XI-IV.  Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 504; Spacewarn No. 597 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-031J ; Cubesat XI-IV project ; About Cubesats :

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MER-B (carrier) Spacecraft:  Mars Exploration Rover B Chronologies: 2003 payload #48 ; 2003-032A : 6170th spacecraft. Type: Mars lander Sponsor: NASA Launch: 8 July 2003 at 3h18 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-17B, by a Delta 7925H. Orbit: On Mars Mission: The Mars Explorer Rover-B (MER-B) is an exact copy of MER-A and carries the same set of instruments. It lands successfully on Mars on 25 January 2004 at 4h54:33 UTC. The landing site is known as Meridiani Planum (2.060° South and 5.992° West), located about halfway around the planet from the site for MER-A. The landing site has been renamed the Challenger Memorial Station. The lander came to rest inside a small (20-meter diameter) crater. Notes: This spacecraft is in fact the first MER.  Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 504 & 519 ; Spacewarn No. 597 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-032A ;

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Opportunity (rover) Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #49 ; 2003-032 : 6171st spacecraft. Type: Mars rover Sponsor: NASA MER-B Landing Site Crater (see additional photos) Opportunity At "Victoria Crater" Launch: 8 July 2003 at 3h18 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-17B, by a Delta 7925H. Orbit: On Mars  Mission:      On 27 July 2014, Opportunity, working on Mars since January 2004, passed 40 kilometers of total driving on the mission's 3,735th Martian day, or sol. The rover now holds Solar system's distance record for off-Earth driving. The previous record holder was Lunokhod 2 rover, which landed on the Moon in January 1973 and drove about 39 kilometers in less than five months (five lunar days). "This is so remarkable considering Opportunity was intended to drive about one kilometer and was never designed for distance, " said John Callas, Mars Exploration Rover Project Manager. The rover had driven more than 32 kilometers before arriving at Endeavour Crater, where it has examined outcrops on the crater’s rim containing clay and sulfate-bearing minerals. The sites are yielding evidence of ancient environments with less acidic water than those examined at Opportunity’s landing site. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 504 ; Spacewarn No. 597 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-032A ; NASA's 23 Jan 14 ; Spaceflight Now's 2013 Stories, 2014 Stories ; NASA's 2010-2014News Releases ;

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Rainbow 1 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #50 ; 2003-033A : 6172nd spacecraft. Type: Communications (DBS) Sponsor: U.S. Cablevision Systems Corp. Launch: 17 July 2003 at 23h45 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-41, by an Atlas V (AV-003). Orbit: Geostationary at 62° West longitude.  (35 644 km x 35 931 km x 0.1° x 24 hr) Mission: Rainbow 1 is a 4.3-tonne communications satellite that provides direct-to-home television services in the contiguous United States through its several transponders. Built by Lockheed Martin in Sunnyvale, the spacecraft is a A2100AX class satellite that has a launch mass of 4,328 kg. Notes: Lockheed Martin launched AV-003, the first 500-series Atlas V. It is a 521 variant with a 5-meter fairing, two Aerojet strapon solid boosters and a single-engine Common Centaur upper stage. (The previous two Atlas V launches were 400-series missions using a smaller fairing and no strapons.) This was the first flight of the Aerojet Atlas V SRM boosters, which with a mass of 46 tons and a size of 19.2-meter long, 1.6-meter diameter are comparable to the first stage of the MX/Peacekeeper ICBM (shorter and fatter at 10.7-meter long, 2.3-meter diameter) -- much bigger than the Delta GEM strapons, but much smaller than the Ariane 5 and Titan 4 SRBs. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 505 ; Spacewarn No. 597 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-033A ; Lockheed Martin's Atlas Facts ;

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Echostar IX / Telstar 13 Spacecraft:  Echostar 9 Chronologies: 2003 payload #51 ; 2003-034A ; 6173rd spacecraft. Type: Communications (DBS) Sponsor: Echostar/Loral Launch: 8 August 2003 at 3h31 UTC, from the Odyssey platform, by a Zenit-3SL. Orbit: Geostationary at 121° West longitude. Mission: Echostar 9 carries a Ku- and Ka-band communications payload for Echostar, and 24 C-band transponders currently owned by Loral Skynet but about to be sold to Intelsat. The transponders provide direct-to-home and cable-fed high definition television programs to all regions of North America. Loral calls the satellite Telstar 13. Mass of Echostar 9 was 4,737 kg at launch. Notes: The Sea Launch Zenit-3SL put the satelites into a 0.03° geostationary transfer orbit. This inclination to the equator is the lowest of any Sea Launch flight to date and could be the lowest inclination initial orbit insertion ever. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 506  ; Spacewarn No. 598 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-034A ;

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Kosmos 2399 Spacecraft:  Don  Chronologies:x 2003 payload #52 ; 2003-035A ; 6174th spacecraft. Type: Reconnaissance Sponsor: Russian Defense Ministry Launch: 12 August 2003 at 14h20 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-31/6, by an A-2/Soyuz-U (115A11U). Orbit: 170 km x 311 km x 65.0°  Destroyed: 21 December 2003 Mission: Military photo-reconnaissance satellite using capsule to retrieve film. This spysat continues in orbit after the release of five small pieces in low orbit around 19 November, 99 days into its mission. The Don class satellites do not normally release objects until the end of their mission, when they are sometimes destroyed by deliberate explosion. The expected lifetime of Kosmos-2399 based on recent flights is 100-130 days. According to Kommersant newspaper, the Russian Space Forces have announced that the five debris pieces are from a failed film capsule recovery. Several of the pieces are extremely long and thin unreeled photographic film, flapping free in low orbit. The capsule is probably object 2003-35E, which decayed most slowly and reentered on Nov 30. Kosmos-2399 was destroyed in orbit on Dec 9 after completing its mission. At least 21 debris pieces were cataloged by US sensors and all have now reentered. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 506, 507, 514, 515 & 516 : Spacewarn No. 598 ; National Space Science Data Center's2003-035A ;

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Scisat-1 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #53 ; 2003-036A ; 6175th spacecraft. Type: Earth upper atmosphere studies Sponsor: CSA / Canadian Space Agency Launch: 13 August 2003 at 2h09 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's RW-30/12, by a Pegasus XL. Orbit: 641 km x 654 km x 73.9° deg. Mission: Scisat-1 is a Canadian atmospheric research satellite which carries the ACE-FTS spectrometer to study the chemistry of the upper troposphere and stratosphere, as well as the MAESTRO instrument to study ozone and aerosol levels in the atmosphere. The 152-kg, 70-Watts "bias momentum stabilized" spacecraft points to the Sun at one degree accuracy and its instruments monitor the atmospheric ozone and dust composition in the 4-100 km altitude range. Launch: Orbital Sciences' L-1011 Stargazer carrier aircraft took off from Vandenberg AFB at 1h13 UTC on 13 August 2003 carrying a Pegasus rocket, and headed out over the Pacific. At 2h09 UTC, probably at the standard drop location of 36° North and 123° West, the Pegasus was released at an altitude of about 12 km and ignited its first stage motor 5 seconds later. At 2h17 UTC the third stage and its Scisat-1 payload reached orbit. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 506 ; Spacewarn No. 598 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-036A ;

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Kosmos 2400 Spacecraft:  Strela-3 Chronologies: 2003 payload #54 ; 2003-037A ; 6176th spacecraft. Type: Communications Sponsor: Russia's Defense ministry Launch: 19 August 2003 at 10h50 UTC, from Plesetsk Cosmodrome's LC-132/1, by a Kosmos-3M (11K65M). Orbit: 1467 km x 1500 km x 82.5° Mission: These two satellites are believed to be Strela-3 military communications satellites, their orbits being similar to the profile of Kosmos 2390 and Kosmos 2391 launched in July 2002. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 507 ; Spacewarn No. 598 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-037A ;

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Kosmos 2401 Spacecraft:  Strela-3 Chronologies: 2003 payload #55 ; 2003-037B ; 6177th spacecraft. Type: Communications Sponsor: Russia's Defense ministry Launch: 19 August 2003 at 10h50 UTC, from Plesetsk Cosmodrome's LC-132/1, by a Kosmos-3M (11K65M). Orbit: 1467 km x 1500 km x 82.5° Mission: These two satellites are believed to be Strela-3 military communications satellites, their orbits being similar to the profile of Kosmos 2390 and Kosmos 2391 launched in July 2002. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 507 ; Spacewarn No. 598 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-032B ;

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SATEC Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #56 ; 2003 1st loss ; 6178th spacecraft. Type: Technology Sponsor: Brazil Launch: 22 August 2003 at 16h30 UTC, from the Alcantara Launch Center, by a VLS-1 (V03). Orbit: n/a Mission: The Brazilian satellite launch vehicle VLS-1 exploded on the launch pad during prelaunch tests; it appears that one of the strapon boosters ignited by accident. 21 rocket technicians were killed.     The report on the accidental explosion of a rocket that killed 21 engineers and technicians three days before launch, published on 16 Mars 2004, confirmed that an electrical flaw triggered one of the VLS-1 VO3 rocket's four solid fuel boosters during final preparations at the remote seaside launch pad. Sabotage was ruled out. The investigation team said it could not determine the nature of the electrical problem and that further investigation is under way. `We observed a lack of formal, detailed risk management, especially in the conduct of operations involving preparations for launch,'' the report said. Defense Minister Jose Viegas hopes Brazil will be capable of launching a rocket capable with a satellites by 2006. at the end of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's first term. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 507 & 508 ; The New York Times, 17 March 2004.

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UNOSAT Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #57 ; 2003 2nd loss ; 6179th spacecraft. Type: Technology? Sponsor: Brazil Launch: 22 August 2003 at 16h30 UTC, from the Alcantara Launch Center, by a VLS-1 (V03). Orbit: n/a Mission: The Brazilian satellite launch vehicle exploded on the launch pad during prelaunch tests; it appears that one of the strapon boosters ignited by accident. 21 rocket technicians were killed.  Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 507 & 508 ;

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Spitzer Space Telescope / SIRTF  Spacecraft:  Space Infrared Telescope Facility Chronologies: 2003 payload #58 ; 2003-038A ; 6180th spacecraft. Type: Astronomy Sponsor: NASA/JPL Source : NASA Launch: 25 August 2003 at 5h35 UTC, from Cape Canaveral's SLC-17B, by a Delta 7920H (2). Orbit: Heliocentric at about 0.996 AU x 1.019 AU x 1.14° x 369 days  Mission: The Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) is the last of NASA's four Great Observatories (the other being the Hubble Space Telescope, the Compton Gamma-ray Observatory and the Chandra X-ray Observaroty). This infrared observatory follows the IRAS sky survey satellite and ISO observatory (MSX was another notable IR mission which made a galactic plane survey).      SIRTF has a 0.85-meter infrared telescope, with a liquid-helium cooled focal plane carryingthree main instruments: IRAC, IRS and MIPS. IRAC is a near infrared camera imaging in the 3 to 8 micron range, IRS is a spectrograph covering the mid infrared 5 to 40 micron range, and MIPS far infrared Multiband Imaging Photometer that covers the 12 to 160 micron range. The spacecraft is 4.45 meters high and 2.1 -meters in diameter. It has solar arrays which are mounted along one side of the telescope and act as a sunshield. The spacecraft has a dry mass of 851 kg. At launch it carries 50 kg of helium cryogen, 16 kg of nitrogen for attitude control, and a 6 kg telescope cover which were ejected into solar orbit, for a total mass of 923 kg. It is built by Lockheed Martin/Sunnyvale with the Cryogenic Telescope Assembly (CTA) built by Ball; management is by JPL.      In December 2003, the SIRTF has been renamed the Spitzer Space Telescope, after astronomer Lyman Spitzer Jr. (1914-1997), who championed the idea of telescopes in space starting in 1946 and is credited with being the driving force behind OAO and HST. Launch: SIRTF was launched by the second Delta II Heavy (the first, a model 7925H, put the MER-B Mars Exploration Rover into space in July). Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 507 & 516 ; Spacewarn No. 598 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-038A ; NASA's 2010-2014 News Releases ; Spaceflight Now's 2013 Stories, 2014 Stories ;

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Progress M-48 / ISS-12P Spacecraft:  Progress M (7K-TGM) no. 248 Chronologies: 2003 payload #59 ; 2003-039A ; 6181st spacecraft. Type: Cargo delivery to the International Space Station Sponsor: Russia Space Agency Launch: 29 August 2003 at 1h48 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by an A-2/Soyuz-U. Orbit: ~400 km circulat x 51.6° Deorbit: 28 January 2004 at 13h11 UTC. Mission: Progress M-48 carries cargo (food, fuel, water and equipmen) to the International Space Station. It docked automatically with Zvezda on 31 August 2003 at 3h45 UTC and undocks five months later, on 28 January 2004 at 8h36 UTC.  Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 508 & 520 : Spacewarn No. 598 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-039A ;

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DSCS III B-6 (USA 170) Spacecraft:  DSCS 3B6 / Defense Satellite Communications System Chronologies: 2003 payload #60 ; 2003-040A ; 6182nd spacecraft. Type: Communications Sponsor: U.S. Air Force Launch: 29 August 2003 at 23h13 UTC, from Canaveral Air Force Base's SLC-37B, by a Delta IVM. Orbit: Geostationary Mission: DSCS 3B6 is a super-secure communication satellite. It is the 10th and final member of the DSCS phase 3 fleet enabling worldwide links among the American military personnel. It was originally built by GE/Valley Forge for launch on the Space Shuttle, and was extensively modified after the Challenger accident and the acquisition of GE's space division by Lockheed Martin. Launch: This was the third launch of a Delta IV rocket (all have been successful) Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 508 ; Spacewarn No. 598 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-040A ;

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"Advanced ORION 3" (USA 171)  Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #61 ; 2003-041A ; 6183rd spacecraft. Type: Electronic intelligence Sponsor: U.S. National Reconnaissance Office Launch: 9 September 2003 at 4h29 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base's SLC-40, by a Titan 4B/Centaur (Titan B-36 / Centaur TC-20). Orbit: Geostationary Mission: Analysts speculate that the payload is a successor to the USA 110 and USA 139 satellites launched in May 1995 and May 1998, and referred to as "Advanced ORION" by those who don't know the real name. These satellites are thought to be successors to the RHYOLITE missions of the 1970s. Note: This was the last launch of a Titan-Centaur. There have been 23 Titan-Centaur missions; TC-1 to TC-7 were civilian missions using the Titan 3E (23E) and the D-1T model Centaur, while TC-8 to TC-23 were military missions on Titan 4 using a large diameter Centaur. (TC-21 was used for the NASA/ESA Cassini-Huygens launch.) Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 509 ; Spacewarn No. 599 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-041A ;

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PS2  Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #62 ; 2003 3rd loss ; 6184th spacecraft. Type: Technology Sponsor: CASIC (China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp)? Launch: 16 September 2003, from Taiyuan , by a KT-1. Orbit: n/a Mission: The Chinese solid-fuel launch vehicle KT-1 was launched one year after the first KT-1 launch failure, as a test flight. It is reported that the launch was intended to place a 40-kg microsatellite called PS2 into a 300 x 300 km polar orbit.  (See also: “China develops first solid-fuel launch vehicle”, China View, 24 September 2003.)  Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 510 ;

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Mozhaets-4 (Mozhayets 4) Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #63 ; 2003-042A ; 6185th spacecraft. Type: Technology Sponsor: Russia Launch: 27 September 2003 at 6h12 UTC, from Plesetsk Cosmodrome's LC-132, by a Kosmos-3M. Orbit: 674 km x 696 km x 98.2° Mission: Mozhayets 4 is a Russian cadets' training satellite that helps in laser-assisted geodesic measurements via its optical reflectors. It is a modified NPO-PM Strela-1M satellite carrying experiments built by students at the Mozhaiskiy space engineering academy. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 510 ; Spacewarn No. 600; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-042D ;

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Rubin-4-DSI  Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #64 ; 2003-042B ; 6186th spacecraft. Type: Technology Sponsor: Germany Launch: 27 September 2003 at 6h12 UTC, from Plesetsk Cosmodrome's LC-132, by a Kosmos-3M. Orbit: 674 km x 696 km x 98.2° Mission: Rubin-4-DSI is a German instrument package attached to the Kosmos-3M final stage to measure the launch environment. It monitors its position, velocity, and acceleration. The Rubin packages are built by OHB System of Bremen, the European partner in the commercialization of the Kosmos-3M rocket. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 510 ; Spacewarn No. 600 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-042A ;

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NigeriaSat-1  Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #65 ; 2003-042C ; 6187th spacecraft. Type: Earth imaging (Disaster Monitoring Constellation) Sponsor: Nigeria's National Space Research and Development Agency Launch: 27 September 2003 at 6h12 UTC, from Plesetsk Cosmodrome's LC-132, by a Kosmos-3M. Orbit: 674 km x 696 km x 98.2° Mission: One of three satellites built by Surrey Satellite for the Disaster Monitoring Constellation. It carries imaging cameras for disaster monitoring, urban planning and agriculture. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 510 ; Spacewarn No. 600 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-042F ;

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UK-DMC / BNSCSat Spacecraft:  British National Science Center SATellite Chronologies: 2003 payload #66 ; 2003-042D ; 6188th spacecraft. Type: Earth imaging (Disaster Monitoring Constellation) Sponsor: British National Space Center Launch: 27 September 2003 at 6h12 UTC, from Plesetsk Cosmodrome's LC-132, by a Kosmos-3M. Orbit: 674 km x 696 km x 98.2° Mission: One of three satellites built by Surrey Satellite for the Disaster Monitoring Constellation. Besides disaster monitoring, it will help in urban planning and agriculture surveys. Notes: The DMC is run by an organization of seven countries (UK, Algeria, China, Nigeria, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam) with the satellites built at Surrey, UK. See: The Disaster Monitoring Constellation. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 510 ; Spacewarn No. 600 ; National Space Science Data Center's ;

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BILSAT-1  Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #67 ; 2003-042E ; 6189th spacecraft. Type: Earth imaging (Disaster Monitoring Constellation) Sponsor: Turky's TUBITAK-ODTU-BILTEN (the Information Tech and Electronics Research Institute of Middle East Technical University in Ankara)  Launch: 27 September 2003 at 6h12 UTC, from Plesetsk Cosmodrome's LC-132, by a Kosmos-3M. Orbit: 674 km x 696 km x 98.2° Mission: One of three satellites built by Surrey Satellite for the Disaster Monitoring Constellation. It is testing a cold-gas propulsion system. The 130-kg satellite carries five imaging cameras to monitor natural disasters at a resolution of 26 meters in color by four cameras (operating in red, green, blue, and infrared colors) and another at 4-meter resolution in black-and-white.  BilSat 1 will also help in agriculture and urban planning.  Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 510 & 513 ; Spacewarn No. 600 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-042G ;

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Larets Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #68 ; 2003-042F ; 6190th spacecraft. Type: Radar calibration? Sponsor: Russia Launch: 27 September 2003 at 6h12 UTC, from Plesetsk Cosmodrome's LC-132, by a Kosmos-3M. Orbit: 674 km x 696 km x 98.2° Mission: Larets is a small Russian (0.2-meter) sphere covered with laser retroreflectors for calibration and geodesy. Carrying reflectors for ground-based laser rangers, it will help "tuning ground radars". Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 510 & 513 : Spacewarn No. 600 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-042B ;

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STSat-1 (KAISTSAT-4) Spacecraft:  Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology SATellite 4  Chronologies: 2003 payload #69 ; 2003-042G ; 6191st spacecraft. Type: Astronomy Sponsor: South Korea Launch: 27 September 2003 at 6h12 UTC, from Plesetsk Cosmodrome's LC-132, by a Kosmos-3M. Orbit: 674 km x 696 km x 98.2° Mission: The 120-kg satellite carries a special UV imaging spectrograph to monitor gas clouds in the Galaxy. It will complete a full-sky mapping in about a year, by scanning a one-degree strip every day. Additionally, it may also aim the telescope downward to image auroral displays. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 510 ; Spacewarn No. 600 ; National Space Science Data Center's  ;

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Insat 3E Spacecraft: Chronologies: 2003 payload #70 ; 2003-043E ; 6192nd spacecraft. Type: Communications (multi-services) Sponsor: India Launch: 27 September 2003 at 23h14 UTC, from Kourou Space Center's ELA-3, by an Ariane 5G (Ariane 516, V162). Orbit: Geostationary at 55° East longitude Mission: Insat 3E joins the currently operational India's four communications satellites fleet (Insat 2E, Insat 3A, Insat 3B and Insat 3C). The 2.8-tonne, triaxially-stabilized satellite carries 24 C-band and 12 extended C-band transponders to provide communications and television services to the Indian subcontinent.      In april 2014, it was reported that Insat 3E has failed. Orbital data shows that the craft began to slowly drift off station in late March 2014 and its orbit was lowered, drifting two degrees east per day.  The Hindu newspaper reported on 2 April 2014 that the satellite has been decommissioned and that the orbit will later be raised to a higher 'graveyard' orbit. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 510, 596 ; Spacewarn No. 600 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-043E ;

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e-Bird  Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #71 ; 2003-043B ; 6193rd spacecraft. Type: Communications (multi-services) Sponsor: Eutelsat Source : Boeing Launch: 27 September 2003 at 23h14 UTC, from Kourou Space Center's ELA-3, by an Ariane 5G (V516, V162). Orbit: Geostationary at 33° East longitude Mission: e-Bird is a Boeing BSS 376 class satellite owned by Eutelsat that provides data transmission in Europe. The 888-kg, 1.6 kW satellite carries 20 Ku-band transponders to provide video and data transmissions to Europe and Turkey through four antenna beams. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 510 ; Spacewarn No. 600 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-043A ;

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SMART-1  Spacecraft:  Small Missions for Advanced Research in Technology 1 Chronologies: 2003 payload #72 ; 2003-043G ; 6194th spacecraft. Type: Lunar probe Sponsor: ESA Source: ESA Gallery Launch: 27 September 2003 at 23h14 UTC, from Kourou Space Center's ELA-3, by an Ariane 5G (V516, V162). Orbit: Earth orbit. SMART-1 preparation (left) and artist concepts. (Source: ESA Gallery) Mission: SMART 1 is a lunar mission to test solar electric propulsion technology and to ascertain the surface minerals on the Moon. The 367-kg, 1.9 kW satellite uses the electrical power from solar panels to ionize and accelerate heavy ions (from 82 kg of Xenon gas) that are then ejected at high speeds from the rear end of the satellite. Besides testing the novel propulsion system, it carries a few small packages of instruments to map the mineralogy of the lunar surface by remote sensing. The controlled propulsion will enable a slow spiraling of the orbit to the final ellipse with periselene at 300 km, and aposelene at 10,000 km altitude, with an inclination of nearly 90°. SMART 1 uses ion drive to reach lunar orbit; it was built by the Swedish Space Corp. On 5 November 2003, the lunar probe was in a 3,058 km x 38,624 km x 6.9° Earth orbit compared to its initial 672 km x 35,829 km x 6.9° trajectory.        On 15 November 2004, the probe entered a 4962 x 51477 km orbit around the Moon inclined at 81 degrees to the lunar equator. This is the most loosely bound lunar orbit ever achieved, with its highest point close to the Earth-Moon gravitational boundary. SMART-1's ion engine was restarted at orbit insertion to lower the orbital altitude and bind it more tightly the Moon; final orbit will be reached in January. SMART-1 lunar probe entered lunar orbit on 15 November 2004 in a 4,962 km x 51,477 km x 81.1° orbit. Its ion engine  lowered the orbit to 1,014 km x 5,204 km x 87.9°. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 510, 514, 532, 538 & 543 ; Spacewarn No. 600 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-043C ; ESA News 24 Mar 04 ;

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Galaxy 13 / Horizons-1 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #73 ; 2003-044A ; 6195th spacecraft. Type: Communications (multi-services) Sponsor: U.S. Panansat & Japanese JSAT Launch: 1st October 2003 at 4h03 UTC, from Odyssey platform, by a Zenit-3SL. Orbit: Geostationary at 127° West longitude Mission: Horizons 1/Galaxy 13 is a joint American-Japanese communications spacecraft. The 2.6-tonne (4.06 tonnes including fuel), 9.9 kW satellite carries 24 transponders each in the C- and Ku-bands to provide digital video, internet and data services to the countries on either side of the Pacific Ocean. The C-band payload is referred to as Galaxy 13, the Ku-band payload is called Horizons-1. The satellite is a Boeing 601HP model with a launch mass of 4,090 kg. Launch: The satellite was launched on from the floating Odyssey platform at 154° West and 0° North in the Pacific. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 511 ; Spacewarn No. 600 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-044A;

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Shenzhou 5  Spacecraft:  Shenzhou means "Divine Vessel". Chronologies: 2003 payload #74 ; 2003-045A ; 6196th spacecraft. Type: Piloted spacecraft Sponsor: China Launch: 15 October 2003 at 1h00 UTC, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, by a Chang Zheng 2F. Orbit: 200 km x 350 km x 42.4° Landing: 15 October 2003 at 22h23 UTC. Mission: Shenzhou 5 is China's first manned spacecraft. It carriied the first "taikonaut": Yang Liwei. The 8.5-tonne ship (consisting of three modules: the descent module, the propulsion module and the orbital module) orbited the Earth for over 20 hours. At the end of the mission, at 21h36 UTC, the orbital module separated to remain in orbit. The propulsion module fired at 21h38 UTC to lower perigee into the atmosphere. It then separated at 21h59 UTC and burnt up on reentry, leaving the descent module with its heat shield exposed to the atmosphere. SZ-5 landed in China's Nei Monggol Zizhiqu (Inner Mongolia) province, at Dorbod Xi near Siziwang, 100 km North of Hohhot. The recovery crew reached the capsule ten minutes later and Yang emerged safely, although there have been some rumours of problems during the flight. Notes: As usual in Chinese culture, Yang is the astronaut's family name ("Lt-Col. Yang"). He is the first individual to fly in space who was a Chinese citizen at the time of launch. Wang Gunjin (Taylor Wang) was born in Shanghai but was a US citizen at the time of his Shuttle flight. Two other US astronauts were born in China: Shannon Wells Lucid (Shanghai) and William Anders (Hong Kong). Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 512 ; Spacewarn No. 600 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-045A ;

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SZ-5 OM / Shenzhou 5 Orbital Module Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #75 ; 2003-045G ; 6197th spacecraft. Type: Reconnaissance? Sponsor: China Launch: 15 October 2003 at 1h00 UTC, from Jiuquan, by a Chang Zheng 2F. Orbit: 200 km x 350 km x 42.4° Mission: At the end of the Shenzhou 5 mission, on 15 October 2003 at 21h36 UTC, the orbital module separated to remain in orbit. It continued to carry out experiments using large optical cameras thought to be for military surveillance. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 512 ; Spacewarn No. 600 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-045A ;

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IRS-P6 / ResourceSat Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #76 ; 2003-046A ; 6198th spacecraft. Type: Earth remote sensing Sponsor: India Launch: 17 October 2003 at 4h52 UTC, from Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota, by a PSLV (PSLV-C5). Orbit: 802 km x 875 km x 98.7° Mission: The 1,360 kg IRS-P6 imaging satellite carries high-resolution imaging instruments to monitor agricultural, land and water resources. It replaces IRS-1C and IRS-1D, and carries three cameras for remote sensing, the highest resolution one being the 6-meter LISS-4 imager. Notes: The IRS series of satellites included the original IRS-1 series launched mostly on Russian rockets and the IRS-P series launched on Indian rockets. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 512 ; Spacewarn No. 600 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-046A ;

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Soyuz TMA-3 / ISS-7S Spacecraft:  Soyuz 11F732 (7K-STMA) no. 213  Chronologies: 2003 payload #77 ; 2003-047A ; 6199th spacecraft. Type: Piloted spacecraft Sponsor: Russia Space Agency Source : NASA Launch: 18 October 2003 at 5h38 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by an A-2/Soyuz-FG. Orbit: ~400 km circular x 51,6° Landed: 30 April 2004 at 0h12 UTC in Kazakhstan Mission: The Soyuz TMA-3 carried the Expedition 8 crew of Mike Foale and Aleksandr Kaleri and the "Cervantes" mission crewmember Pedro Duque. It docked with the Pirs module on 20 October 2003 at 7h16 UTC. Duque carries out a set of European Space Agency and Spanish experiments dubbed Cervantes.  He returned to Earth a week later with the Expedition-7 crew (Malenchenko and Lu) aboard Soyuz TMA-2.      The Soyuz TMA-3 spaceship landed in Kazakhstan, returning the Expedition 8 and ESA DELTA crews to Earth. Mike Foale, Aleksandr Kaleri and Andre Kuipers entered TMA-3 from the Station's Pirs module and closed the hatches on 29 April 2004 at 17h47 UTC. They undocked from Pirs at 20h52 UTC and fired their deorbit engines at 23h20 UTC. The 115 m/s burn near apogee lasted 4 min, 23 s. and lowered the orbit from 354 x 371 km to about -32 x 369 km. The orbital and propulsion modules were jettisoned at 23h45 UTC, and the descent module landed near 50° North and 67° Eest at 0h12 UTC on Apr 30. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 512 & 525 ; Spacewarn No. 600 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-047A ;

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DMSP Block 5D-3 F-16 (USA 172) Spacecraft:  DMSP Block 5D-3 F-16 / DMSP F-16 (Defense Meteorological Satellite Program F-16) Chronologies: 2003 payload #78 ; 2003-048A ; 6200th spacecraft. Type: Meteorology Sponsor: U.S. Department of Defense Source : A, Parsch Launch: 18 October 2003 at 16h17 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's, by a Titan 23G (23G-9). Orbit: 850 km x 856 km x 98.8° Mission: The DMSP Block 5D-3 F-16 weather satellite was launched  after several years of delays. It carries instruments to monitor oceans and clouds in the visible and infrared bands at moderate resolution to enable strategic and tactical planning needs of the military. It is also likely to carry auroral energetic particle monitors, like all the previous DMSP satellites. Notes: Last Titan 23G rocket.      The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program began launches in 1962, originally under National Reconnaissance Office auspices, and in the late 1960s provided tactical weather support to US forces in Vietnam. DMSP was later declassified under Strategic Air Command oversight, and the system is now being combined with the NOAA civil weather satellite system. According to one NOAA website, the satellite is actually production number S-20; satellites S-16 to S-19 remain to be launched. (The "S" numbers are the production order, while the "F" numbers are the launch order).  Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 512 ; Spacewarn No. 600 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-048A ;

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ZY-1 2 (CBERS 2) Spacecraft:  Zi Yuan 1 No. 2 or "second Resources-1 satellite" ; CBERS / China Brazil Earth Resources Satellite Chronologies: 2003 payload #79 ; 2003-049A ; 6201st spacecraft. Type: Earth remote sensing Sponsor: China-Brazil Launch: 21 October 2003 at 3h16 UTC, from Taiyuan, by a Chang Zheng 4B. Orbit: 773 km x 773 km x 98.5° Mission: The second 1,550-kg Sino-Brazilian Earth remote sensing satellite was designed to monitor Earth's land resources change, survey arable lands and grasslands, monitor natural and human disasters, offer information on aquatic farming and environmental pollution, and explore mineral resources. The satellite was developed by China Academy of Space Technology in cooperation with Brazilian National Institute for Space Research.  It has a designed service life of two years ans is expected to be more reliable than the first one (launched in 1999) and still operational after two years. It was under Chinese control for 18 months, and later under Brazilian control during the remaining lifetime (of six or more months). China bore 70 percent of the costs of the resources satellites the two countries developed, while Brazil bore 30 percent. Brazil was responsible for the development of a CCD imaging system in the satellite, while China was responsible for the application platform and two other payloads. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 512 & 514 ; Spacewarn No. 600 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-049A ; Xinhua’s 28 Nov 02, 21 Oct 03, 21 Oct 03, 21 Oct 03 ; China Daily's 5 Mar 02 ;

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CX-1 / Chuangxin 1 Spacecraft:  Chuangxin means "innovation" Chronologies: 2003 payload #80 ; 2003-049B ; 6202nd spacecraft. Type: Technology Sponsor: China Launch: 21 October 2003 at 3h16 UTC, from Taiyuan, by a Chang Zheng 4B. Orbit: 730 km x 750 km x 98.5° Mission: Chuangxin 1 is 100-km prototype of an advanced telecommunication satellite with potentials for environmental protection, oil and gas transportation, flood prevention and earthquake monitoring. It has adopted a series of advanced telecommunication technologies which, according to Chinese sources, “can play a big role in data transmission to help traffic control, environmental protection, oil and gas transportation, flood prevention and earthquake monitoring,”  It is China's first satellite weighing less than 100 kg and mars that “China is now able to develop micro-satellites… It marks a new phase in China's aerospace technology,” Chuangxin I was developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 512 ; Spacewarn No. 600 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-049B ;  Xinhua’s 21 Oct 03, 21 Oct 13 ;

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SERVIS-1  Spacecraft:  Space Environment Reliability Verification of Integrated System Chronologies: 2003 payload #81 ; 2003-050A ; 6203rd spacecraft. Type: Technology Sponsor: Japanese USEF (and possibly the Japanese Ministry of Trade and Industry). Launch: 30 October 2003 at 33h43 UTC, from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, by a Rokot. Orbit: 982 km x 1015 km x 99,5° x 105 min Mission: This 900-kg, 1.4 x 1.4 x 2.3 m, 1.2 kW Japanese test satellite carries mostly commercially available off-the-shelf household items like PCs and cell phones so as to ascertain the viability of such inexpensive equipments. SERVIS-1 is to flight-qualify a variety of spacecraft components (including navigation, computer, star tracker, battery and laser gyro). It also measures the degradation due to gamma rays and energetic particles. The satellite was built by Mitsubishi. Launch: Eurockot/Krunichev has launched a UR-100N Rokot two-stage refurbished missile with a Briz-KM upper stage Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 513 ; Spacewarn No. 600 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-050A ;

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JB-4 / Jianbin 4 (FSW-3 1) Spacecraft:  Jianbin 4 or "Pathfinder". Chronologies: 2003 payload #82 ; 2003-051C ; 6204th spacecraft. Type: Reconnaissance Sponsor: China Defense ministry Launch: 3 November 2003 at 7h20 UTC, from Jiuquan, by a Chang Zheng 2D. Orbit: 191 km x 330 km x 63° x 89,7 min Recovery: 21 November at 2h04 UTC in Sichuan province Mission: The satellite is thought to be a successor to the FSW (Fanhui Shi Weixing) series; it is a recoverable spacecraft which is a modified version of the FSW-2 satellite and includes a camera payload which will probably be used for both military reconnaissance and Earth resources studies. Chinese space expert Chen Lan reports that it is called Jianbin 4 and Phillip Clark says that the earlier FSW satellites were JB-1 and that the ZY-2 satellites are also designated JB-3.     The JB-4 made small orbit raising maneuvers on 8 and 14 November 2003. The reentry vehicle separated from the main satellite on 21 November at around 1h42 UTC and landed in Sichuan province. After separation, the main satellite was tracked in a higher orbit of 192 km x 357 km. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 513 & 514 ; Spacewarn No. 601 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-051C ;

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Zhongxing-20  Spacecraft: Chronologies: 2003 payload #83 ; 2003-052A ; 6205th spacecraft. Type: Communications Sponsor: China Defense ministry Launch: 14 November 2003 at 16h01 UTC, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, by a Chang Zheng 3A. Orbit: Geostationary at 103° East longitude. Mission: This new communications satellite is probably part of the Feng Huo military communications system. Note: This is the fourth Chinese launch in a month. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 514 ; Spacewarn No. 601 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-052A ;

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Yamal 201 / Yamal-200 KA-1  Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #84 ; 2003-053A ; 6206th spacecraft. Type: Communications (multi-services) Sponsor: Gazprom Space Systems (GKS), Russia (Source: Energiya) Launch: 24 November 2003 at 6h22 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's PL81/23, by a D-1-e/Proton-K/DM-2M. Orbit: Geostationary at 90° East longitude. Mission: Yamal 202 and Yamal 201 are a pair of Russian geostationary communications satellite with a mass of 1.3 tonne and power of 3.6 kW. Yamal 201 carries nine C-band and six Ku-band transponders. These Yamal-200 satellites (SC-1 and SC-2) are designed for transmission of large amounts of data between regions of Russian Federation in the interests of the Gasprom company and other users, including TV broadcasts. They were manufactured at RSC Energia Corp. They are based on the multi-purpose satellite bus (the first version of which (Yamal 100) has been in operation since September 1999. The mass of SC-1 is 1,360 kg ant the satellite is designed to operate in orbit for more than 12 years.      Yamal-201 malfunctioned on 5 June 2014 and is deemed lost. Built by RSC Energia, it was supposed to operate until 2015. its signals covered 95% of Russia’s territory and Yamal-201’s traffic has been referred to other Gazprom Space Systems satellites. It was the oldest among the GKS space assets. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 515 ; Spacewarn No. 602 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-053A ; ITAR-TASS' 16 Jul 14 ; Energiya's Yamal Communications satellites

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Yamal 202 / Yamal-200 KA-2  Spacecraft: Chronologies: 2003 payload #85 ; 2003-053B ; 6207th spacecraft. Type: Communications (multi-services) Sponsor: Gazprom Space Systems (GKS), Russia (Source: Energiya) Launch: 24 November 2003 at 6h22 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's PL81/23, by a D-1-e/Proton-K/DM-2M. Orbit: Geostationary at 49° East longitude. Mission: Yamal 202 and Yamal 201 are a pair of Russian geostationary communications satellite with a mass of 1.3 tonne and power of 3.6 kW. Yamal 202 carries 18 C-band transponders. These Yamal-200 satellites (SC-1 and SC-2) are designed for transmission of large amounts of data between regions of Russian Federation in the interests of the Gasprom company and other users, including TV broadcasts. They were manufactured at RSC Energia Corp. They are based on the multi-purpose satellite bus (the first version of which (Yamal 100) has been in operation since September 1999. The mass of SC-2 is 1,320 kg ant the satellite is designed to operate in orbit for more than 12 years. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 515 ; Spacewarn No. 602 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-053B ; Energiya's Yamal Communications satellites

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IGS-2a Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #86 ; 2003 4rd loss ; 6208th spacecraft. Type: Reconnaissance Sponsor: Japanese Defense Ministry Launch: 29 November 2003 at 4h33 UTC, from Tanegashima Space Center, by a H-IIA 2024. Orbit: n/a Mission: IGS-2a and IGS-2b were classified Information Gathering Satellites built by Mitsubishi, one with an optical imaging payload and the other with a radar payload. They would have joined IGS-1a and IGS-1b in orbit to form an operational Japanese space reconnaissance system.  Launch failure: The H-IIA rocket was destroyed 11 minutes after launch, half way into the second-stage burn. Reports indicate that one of the two massive (10-tonne) solid boosters failed to separate from the first stage as planned less than two minutes after launch, possibly because leaking hot gas burned through the command wires. The extra mass decreased the first stage's acceleration. This stage and the attached booster fell away about 6 minutes after launch, leaving the second stage to operate normally but starting off low and slow. According to the Kyodo news agency, the H-IIA F6 reached an altitude of 422 km. This is similar to the planned altitude, but with the extra mass during first stage burn, the rocket's velocity would have been far too low to reach orbit. This is the first failure of the H-IIA, developed as an improved and simplified version of the H-II rocket. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 515 ;

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IGS-2b Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #87 ; 2003 5th loss ; 6209th spacecraft. Type: Reconnaissance Sponsor: Japanese Defense Ministry Launch: 29 November 2003 at 4h33 UTC, from Tanegashima Space Center, by a H-IIA (2024). Orbit: n/a Mission: IGS-2a and IGS-2b were classified Information Gathering Satellites built by Mitsubishi, one with an optical imaging payload and the other with a radar payload. They would have joined IGS-1a and IGS-1b in orbit to form an operational Japanese space reconnaissance system. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 515 ;

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NOSS (USA 173) Spacecraft:  NOSS / Naval Ocean Surveillance System Chronologies: 2003 payload #88 ; 2003-054A ; 6210th spacecraft. Type: Ocean su rveillance Sponsor: U.S. National Reconnaissance Office   Launch: 2 December 2003 at 10h04 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's SLC-3E, by an Atlas IIAS. Orbit: Initial: 160 km x 1200 km transfer orbit. Operational orbit: 1010 km x 1210 km x 63.4° Mission: The NRO L-18 "Libra" launch is thought to carry the second in a series of ocean reconnaissance systems developed by Lockheed Martin/Denver. The ocean reconnaissance satellites are believed to be the follow-ons to a series begun in 1976 which used three satellites flying in formation, using radio interferometry to locate ships by their transmissions. It was therefore expected that the new Atlas-launched series would also use three satellites, but only two objects were seen in addition to the Centaur on the first launch in September 2001 (USA 160). A failure was rumoured on that mission, so observers were expecting to see three satellites this time too (or maybe four, if a separate dispenser was placed in orbit). However, since only two objects were seen, we conclude that the new series uses a different technical approach involving only two satellites. The satellites are operated by the SIGINT (signals intelligence) branch of the National Reconnaissance Office. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 515 & 516 ; Spacewarn No. 602 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-054A ;

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SSU Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #89 ; 2003-054 ; 6211th spacecraft. Type: Ocean surveillance Sponsor: U.S. National Reconnaissance Office   Launch: 2 December 2003 at 10h04 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's SLC-3E, by an Atlas IIAS. Orbit: Initial: 160 km x 1200 km transfer orbit. Operational orbit: 1010 km x 1210 km x 63.4° Mission: Subsatellite operating in conjunction with USA 173. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 515 ; Spacewarn No. 602 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-054A ;

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Gruzomaket Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #90 ; 2003-055A ; 6212th spacecraft. Type: Technology Sponsor:   Launch: 5 December 2003 at 6h00 UTC, from Baykonur LC-132 Cosmodrome's PL-132, by a Strela. Orbit: 452 km x 461 km x 67.1°  Mission: The first launch of NPO Mashinostroenie's Strela space rocket was successful. The Strela is a UR-100NU ballistic missile with avionics added to the MIRV bus to turn it into a third stage. Launch placed the APB third stage and a dummy payload into low orbit. No name has been released for the satellite; Space Command is calling it Gruzomaket ("payload mockup"), a plausible name for it. Some Russian sources indicate the satellite is a mockup of Kondor-E, a proposed commercial radar satellite. (Another space rocket based on the UR-100NU is the Rokot, which uses a more sophisticated Briz third stage and is marketed by Krunichev.)  Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 516 ; Spacewarn No. 602 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-055A;

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Kosmos 2402 Spacecraft: Uragan satellites 794  Chronologies: 2003 payload #91 ; 2003-056A ; 6213th spacecraft. Type: Navigation Sponsor: Russian Defense ministry Source : Skyrocket Launch: 10 December 2003 at 17h42 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's PL-81, by a D-1-e/Proton-K/Briz. Orbit: 18 930 km x 19 330 km x 65.1° Mission: A Proton Breeze M launch vehicle successfully deployed a trio of Uragan satellites for the Glonass satellite navigation system. This was the fourth Proton launch in 2003. GLONASS is the Russian version of GPS and the satellites are built by the Polyot company in Omsk. Ressources: See GLONASS Constellation status. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 516 ; Spacewarn No. 602 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-056A ; ILS News (10 Dec 03)

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Kosmos 2403 Spacecraft:  Uragan satellites 795 Chronologies: 2003 payload #92 ; 2003-056B ; 6214th spacecraft. Type: Navigation Sponsor: Russian Defense ministry Source : Skyrocket Launch: 10 December 2003 at 17h42 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's PL-81, by a D-1-e/Proton-K/Briz. Orbit: 18 930 km x 19 330 km x 65.1° Mission: A Proton Breeze M launch vehicle successfully deployed a trio of Uragan satellites for the Glonass satellite navigation system. This was the fourth Proton launch in 2003. GLONASS is the Russian version of GPS and the satellites are built by the Polyot company in Omsk. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 516 ; Spacewarn No. 602 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-056B ;

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Kosmos 2404 Spacecraft:  Uragan satellite 701 Chronologies: 2003 payload #93 ; 2003-056C ; 6215th spacecraft. Type: Navigation Sponsor: Russian Defense ministry Source : Skyrocket Launch: 10 December 2003 at 17h42 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's PL-81, by a D-1-e/Proton-K/Briz. Orbit: 18 930 km x 19 330 km x 65.1° Mission: A Proton Breeze M launch vehicle successfully deployed a trio of Uragan satellites for the Glonass satellite navigation system. This was the fourth Proton launch in 2003. GLONASS is the Russian version of GPS and the satellites are built by the Polyot company in Omsk. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 516 ; Spacewarn No. 602 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-056C ;

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UFO F11 (USA 174) Spacecraft: "UFO" has been identified as the acronym for UHF Follow-On. Chronologies: 2003 payload #94 ; 2003-057A ; 6216th spacecraft. Type: Communications Sponsor: U.S. Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR)   Launch: 18 December 2003 at 2h30 UTC, from Cape Canaveral's SLC-36B, by an Atlas IIIB (AC-203). Orbit: Geostationary at 172° East longitude Mission: The 1.4-tonne satellite is the eleventh and final of the UFO constellation which provide secure communications in UHF band of frequencies among ships, aircraft, mobile ground terminals even during severe weather conditions. This Boeing 601 satellite is the 11th in the series called UHF Follow-On (UFO). Atlas vehicles have launched all 11 UFO satellites, beginning in 1993. Notes: A Lockheed Martin Atlas III rocket, launched by  International Launch Services (ILS), carried a Navy communications satellite into orbit. The Atlas III launch vehicle left the pad at 21h30 EST (2h30 UITC on 18 December), depositing the satellite into an elliptical transfer orbit about 32 minutes later. Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 516 ; Spacewarn No. 602 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-057A ; ILS News (17 Dec 03);

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Navstar 49 (USA 175) Spacecraft: Navstar SVN 47 / GPS 2R-10 Chronologies: 2003 payload #95 ; 2003-058A ; 6217th spacecraft. Type: Navigation Families: 53rd Navstar (10th second-generation replacement) Sponsor: U.S. Department of Defense Source: Boeing Launch: 21 December 2003 at 8h05 UTC, from Cape Canaveral's SLC-17A, by a Delta 7925. Orbit: About 20 100 km x 20 300 km x 55.0° Mission: This Block IIR Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite is the tenth Block IIR (replenishment) launch and the 49th GPS launch since Navstar 1 in 1978. It will replace the aging but still operational Navstar 2-10 craft in Plane-E and Slot-2. Notes: The GPS constellation consists of 24 satellites split into six orbital planes with four in each plane, all in circular orbits of altitude 20,200 km, and inclination of 55°. There are also four additional satellites orbiting as reserves. The full list is available at Global Positioning System.  Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 516 ; Spacewarn No. 602 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-058A ;

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AMOS-2 Spacecraft: Chronologies: 2003 payload #96 ; 2003-059A ; 6218th spacecraft. Type: Communications (multi-services) Sponsor: Israel Source : IAI PK Launch: 27 December 2003 at 21h30 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's PL-31/6, by an A-2/Soyuz-FG/Fregat. Orbit: Geostationary at 4,0° West longitude Mission: Israel's second communications satellite, AMOS 2, is equipped with Ku-band transponders to provide a wide range of broadcast and communication services (Direct To Home (DTH) television distribution, TV distribution to cable companies, distribution of internet services, and data transmission) over Israel and the Middle-East, Europe and the East Coast of the U.S.A. AMOS-2 is co-located along with the AMOS 1. The 1,374-kg, three-axis stabilized spacecraft, built by the MBT Space Division of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), has a design lifetime of 12 years. Note: Source: Arianespace AMOS-2 launch operation was conducted by Starsem. This Flight ST12 was reported to be the 1,684th mission for a Soyuz family vehicle. Launch occurred at 2h30 local time. Source: IAI PK Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 517 ; Spacewarn No. 602 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-059A ; IAI News ; Arianespace News : AMOS 2 Press Kit (AIA).

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Ekspress AM-22 Spacecraft:  Chronologies: 2003 payload #97 ; 2003-060A ; 6219th spacecraft. Type: Communications (multi-services) Sponsor: Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) RSCC Launch: 28 December 2003 at 23h00 UTC, from Baikonus Cosmodrome's PL-200/39, by a D-1-e/Proton-K/DM-2M (410-04). Orbit: Geostationary at 53° East longitude. Mission: Express-AM22 is a new broadcasting and communications satellite built by NPO Prikladnoi Mechaniki jointly with Alcatel Space. The 2.6-tonne, 6 kW satellite is designed to provide  communications services (digital TV, telephony, videoconferencing, data transmission, Internet access) in Ku-band. The new vehicles’ service life on orbit is 12 years. It is the first satellite of the “Ekspress-AM” family that kicks off a new generation of telecommunications satellites; it is the first in a five-satellite campaign to enhance the Russian national system capacity by the end of 2005. Notes: The launch was performed by ILS under the Federal Space Program of Russia and concluded a successful year for the Proton launch vehicle with five launches in 2003. RSC Energiya reports that the Proton's upper stage used for this mission (Upper Stage DM 11C861-01) "is the 242nd successful flight of US of D and DM types." Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 517 ; Spacewarn No. 602 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-060A ; RCSS Factsheet : ILS News (29 Dec 03) : RSC Energiay News (29 Dec 03) ;

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TC-1 / DSP-E Spacecraft:  TC-1 or Tan Ce 1 means Explorer 1 orProbe No. 1 in Chinese. DSP-E stands for Double Star Program-Equatorial. Chronologies: 2003 payload #98 ; 2003-061A ; 6220th spacecraft. Type: Earth upper atmosphere studies Sponsor: CNSA-ESA / Chinese National Space Administration/European Space Agency  ESA/CNSA Launch: 29 December 2003 at 19h06 UTC, from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, by a Chang Zheng 2C. Orbit: Initial: 551 km x 74,017 km x 28.2° 555 km x 78 051 km x 28.5°  Mission: Ten Ce-1 is a 330-kg Earth's magnetosphere study satellite.  It is the equatorial member of a pair of Chinese-European research satellites of the Double StaR project, follow-on to ESA’s Cluster mission to study the interaction between the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetic field. The project consists of two satellites, one equatorial (DSP-p) placed in a 550 x 60,000 kilometres orbit inclined at 28.5° degrees to the Equator, and a polar satellite (DSP-P), placed on a 350 x 25,000 kilometres orbit inclined at 90°. TC-1 is the highest flying satellite China has ever launched.  The duo will be capable of probing, in three dimensions, the incidence and development of space storms, in a bid to find ways to improve safety for space activities. The craft is a 2.1 metres-diamater cylindrer with a height of 1.4 metre and spins at a rate of 15 rpm.  It carries eight instruments, five from European Spae Agence and three from Chinese Academy of Sciences. The "Double Star" project is the first China-Europe joint satellite probe. Notes: This is the first CZ-2C launch from Xichang (it has flown from both Jiuquan and Taiyuan in the past). Source: Jonathan Space Report No. 517 ; Spacewarn No. 602 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2003-061A ; ESA News (29 Dec 03) : China Daily’s 28 Mar 01 ; Xinhua’s 27 Dec 03, 30 Dec 03 ;