2002 Mission Report Archive
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Russian rocket delivers Canadian satellite in space
A spacecraft to broadcast TV and communications services across Canada was successfully sent into orbit December 29 aboard the first commercial flight of Russia's modernized Proton M rocket and Breeze M upper stage motor.
 FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE
GROUND TRACK MAP
ORBIT INSERTION GRAPHIC
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO:
NIMIQ 2 LIFTS OFF ABOARD PROTON ROCKET QT or RV
VIDEO:
PROTON M ROCKET ROLLED TO THE PAD QT or RV
VIDEO:
ANIMATED PREVIEW OF PROTON M/BREEZE M LAUNCH QT or RV
VIDEO:
OVERVIEW OF THE NIMIQ 2 SATELLITE QT or RV
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China launches fourth Shenzhou capsule
The fourth and possibly last unmanned test flight of China's Shenzhou spacecraft was launched December 29 aboard a Long March rocket from the Jiuquan base. Observers suspect that if the Shenzhou 4 is successful, the Chinese would press ahead with its first manned space flight in 2003.
FULL STORY
LATER STORY ABOUT LANDING
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Proton lofts navigation trio
A Russian Proton rocket and its Block DM upper stage launched three military navigation satellites for the GLONASS constellation December 25. Nearly a month ago, a similar upper stage malfunctioned and left a commercial communications satellite in the wrong orbit. Russian officials were able to exonerate the hardware used in this mission.
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Russia launches secret military payload
Delayed from October after a similar Soyuz rocket exploded at Russia's Plesetsk Cosmodrome, a Molniya M was successfully launched from there December carrying a classified military cargo dubbed Cosmos 2393. Liftoff reportedly occurred at 1220 GMT (7:20 a.m. EST).
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Six satellite cargos ride Dnepr booster to space
A converted Russian ballistic missile was launched into orbit December 20 with a cluster of six satellites for a variety of organizations around the world. The Dnepr booster blasted out of its silo and began its trip to space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at approximately 1700 GMT.
FULL STORY
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Workhorse Ariane 4 rocket flies its next to last mission
Amidst its latest troubles with the Ariane 5 rocket, Arianespace came one step closer to phasing
out its Ariane 4 predecessor December 17 as the venerable rocket continued its streak of
successful launches.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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International observatory put into orbit to study Earth
Japan's H-2A racked up its fourth success in as many launches with the orbital delivery of a satellite designed to keep an eye on our home planet. The advanced booster rocketed away from the Yoshinobu launch complex and into the partly cloudy skies above Japan's Tanegashima Island at 0131 GMT December 14.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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New Ariane 5 fails
Arianespace was hit by a massive setback December 11 when the upgraded Ariane 5 rocket failed minutes into its debut flight, plummeting into the Atlantic Ocean with two communications satellites aboard.
FULL STORY
INITIAL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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NASA communications relay craft rides Atlas into space
Blasted into orbit December 4 by Lockheed Martin's final Atlas 2A booster, an advanced replacement satellite is en route to join NASA's flotilla of communications spacecraft designed to relay Hubble's dazzling views of the cosmos, link astronauts and mission control and track launching rockets.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE
TDRS-J FACT SHEET
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO:
ATLAS 2A ROCKET BLASTS OFF WITH TDRS-J QT or RV
VIDEO:
CLOSE UP VIEW OF MAIN ENGINE IGNITION QT or RV
VIDEO:
VIEW OF LAUNCH FROM THE PRESS SITE QT or RV
VIDEO:
PLAYALINDA BEACH CAMERA ANGLE QT or RV
VIDEO:
ANOTHER ANGLE OF THE LIFTOFF QT or RV
VIDEO:
CAMERA LOCATED IN CAPE INDUSTRIAL AREA QT or RV
VIDEO:
POWERFUL TRACKING CAMERA FOLLOWS ROCKET QT or RV
VIDEO:
MOBILE SERVICE TOWER ROLLED BACK FOR LAUNCH QT or RV
VIDEO:
WATCH ENTIRE PRE-LAUNCH NEWS CONFERENCE QT or RV
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Kosmos rocket lofts two small satellites
The first in a series of new tools to monitor disasters and other events worldwide and a small Russian military satellite are in orbit, thanks to a ride from a Russian Kosmos-3M rocket on November 28.
FULL STORY
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Russian launch fails
The massive Astra 1K broadcasting spacecraft never left low-Earth orbit November 25 when the Block DM upper stage of the Proton rocket malfunctioned, leaving the satellite in a worthless perch 109 miles above the planet. An investigation has begun.
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO:
ASTRA 1K LIFTS OFF ABOARD PROTON ROCKET QT or RV
VIDEO:
FOOTAGE OF PROTON BEING ROLLED TO THE PAD QT or RV
VIDEO:
THE MISSION OF ASTRA 1K SPACECRAFT QT or RV
VIDEO:
TECHNICAL OVERVIEW OF ASTRA 1K QT or RV
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Boeing's Delta 4 rocket debuts successfully
The era of Boeing's next-generation rocket family was launched with success November 20 as the maiden Delta 4 powered its way into Earth orbit to deploy a European-made communications satellite.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
ARCHIVED DELTA 4 COVERAGE
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European gamma ray observatory launched
A new space-based observatory is in orbit to give the clearest view of the most energetic explosions in the Universe. The European Space Agency's Integral satellite was successfully launched by a Russian Proton rocket October 17 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.
FULL STORY
LAUNCH PREVIEW STORY
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Soldier killed in Soyuz launch explosion
An unmanned Soyuz rocket suffered a catastrophic malfunction seconds after liftoff from northern Russia October 15, plunging back to Earth where it killed one and injured eight others.
FULL STORY
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New Russian resupply ship en route to space station
One day after a used up Russian cargo freighter was discarded from the International Space Station, a new Progress ship blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome September 25 bound for a weekend linkup with the orbiting complex.
FULL STORY
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Spanish satellite soars aboard Atlas 2AS rocket
Like clockwork, a Lockheed Martin Atlas 2AS rocket blasted off on schedule September 18, toting a Spanish telecommunications satellite high above Earth to rack up another successful launch.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO:
ATLAS 2AS LAUNCHES HISPASAT 1D QT or RV
VIDEO:
OFFICIALS MAKE POST-LAUNCH COMMENTS QT or RV
VIDEO:
AC-159 TOWER ROLLBACK QT or RV
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Indian weather satellite launched into space
A PSLV rocket lifted off September 12 from the Sriharikota launch base in India carrying the METSAT weather satellite. The four-stage vehicle injected the spacecraft into geosynchronous transfer orbit. METSAT is India's first satellite totally dedicated to weather observing. Previous satellites were combo platforms for meteorology and telecommunications.
FULL STORY
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Japanese H-2A rocket launches two satellites
After two successful test flights, Japan's H-2A rocket launched on its first operational mission September 10 carrying a pair of satellite cargos into two distinctively different orbital perches above Earth.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE
GROUND TRACKING MAP
DRTS SATELLITE OVERVIEW
USERS SPACECRAFT FACT SHEET
ROCKET DIAGRAM
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Intelsat satellite rockets to orbit atop Ariane 4
When an Ariane 4 rocket completed its mission of deploying the Intelsat 906 communications satellite into space September 6 it meant the venerable commercial booster is only two flights away from retirement and Intelsat has just one additional craft to launch in this next-generation series.
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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Ariane 5 flies successful mission for Europe
An Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket lifted off from the jungles of South America on August 28, lofting a communications spacecraft to bridge the Atlantic and an advanced European weather satellite.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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Russian Proton rocket puts U.S. TV satellite in space
Just seven hours after its inaugural flight of the Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral, International Launch Services delivered a direct-to-home television broadcasting satellite into orbit using a Russian Proton vehicle on August 22.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE
ORBIT INSERTION GRAPHIC
GROUND TRACK MAP
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO:
PROTON LIFTS OFF WITH ECHOSTAR 8 QT or RV
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Next-generation Atlas 5 sailed 'perfect' first voyage
Riding a tongue of golden flame from its Russian-made engine, Lockheed Martin's first Atlas 5 booster sailed into space August 21 to successfully open a new chapter for America's rocket industry.
FULL COVERAGE
LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO:
SIX-MINUTE MOVIE OF INAUGURAL ATLAS 5 LAUNCH QT or RV
VIDEO:
ONBOARD CAMERA VIEW OF CENTAUR RESTART QT or RV
VIDEO:
SUCCESS IS DECLARED AS PAYLOAD IS DEPLOYED QT or RV
VIDEO:
CELEBRATIONS AND POST-LAUNCH SPEECHES QT or RV
VIDEO:
COMMENTS FROM U.S. AIR FORCE EELV OFFICIAL QT or RV
VIDEO:
PRE-LAUNCH PROCESSING OF ATLAS 5 QT or RV
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Proton rocket blasts off with Russian craft
A Russian government Proton K rocket launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on
July 25 to deliver an Arkon-type military satellite into Earth orbit. The mission lasted just over two hours from liftoff to spacecraft separation. The satellite has been designated Kosmos 2392.
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Secret Russian military satellites launched
Russia launched a pair of classified military satellites into Earth orbit July 8 aboard a Kosmos-3M rocket. But experts aren't exactly sure what the satellites will be used for since their orbit is different than past military spacecraft launched by Kosmos-3M rockets.
FULL STORY
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Ariane 5 rocket successfully lofts two spacecraft
Europe's Ariane 5 rocket launched its first commercial communications satellite payload in a year on July 5, lofting French and Japanese spacecraft into Earth orbit.
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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Probe launched to see fossils of planet formation
A tiny space probe was dispatched from Earth July 3 for a tantalizing tour of comets -- the frozen time capsules that hold the primordial building blocks left over from the creation of our solar system.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO: LIVE NASA TV COVERAGE OF CONTOUR'S LAUNCH QT or RV
VIDEO: CLOSE-UP VIEW OF ENGINE IGNITION QT or RV
VIDEO: SPECTACULAR ANGLE FROM CAMERA ON TOWER QT or RV
VIDEO: TRACKING CAMERA VIEW FROM PATRICK AFB QT or RV
VIDEO: PRESS SITE VIEW OF THE LIFTOFF QT or RV
VIDEO: MOBILE TOWER ROLLED BACK FOR LAUNCH QT or RV
VIDEO: FOOTAGE OF DELTA ROCKET PROCESSING QT or RV
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Titan 2 rocket launches polar-orbiting weather eye
A leftover relic of the Cold War launched a civilian satellite June 24 on a $298 million mission to continue a 40-year legacy of tracking Earth's global weather from space.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
LAUNCH EVENTS TIMELINE
NOAA-M SATELLITE FACT SHEET
OVERVIEW OF TITAN 2 ROCKET
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO: 5-MINUTE CLIP OF THE LAUNCH QT or RV
VIDEO: DIFFERENT ANGLE OF THE LIFTOFF QT or RV
VIDEO: VIEW FROM LAUNCH COMPLEX PARKING LOT QT or RV
VIDEO: MOBILE TOWER ROLLED BACK FOR LAUNCH QT or RV
VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH PROCESSING OF NOAA-M QT or RV
VIDEO: TITAN 2 ROCKET STACKED ON THE PAD QT or RV
VIDEO: NOAA-M IS MATED TO TITAN 2 ROCKET QT or RV
VIDEO: ANIMATION OF NOAA-M IN ORBIT QT or RV
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Eurockot successfully launches Iridium satellites
A pair of spare satellites for the Iridium mobile communications network were successfully launched into space June 20 by a Rockot vehicle from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Northern Russia. The spacecraft are part of a plan designed to ensure Iridium's constellation operates through 2010.
FULL STORY
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Sea Launch resumes flights after year-long lull
Sea Launch's Zenit 3SL rocket roared off its ocean-going launch platform for the first time in over a year on June 15, carrying the ultra-powerful Galaxy 3C communications satellite into its planned Earth orbit.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO: SEA LAUNCH BLASTS OFF WITH GALAXY 3C QT or RV
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Proton rocket launches Russian satellite
A Russian domestic communications craft was successfully trucked into space on June 10 atop Proton rocket to replace a sister-satellite that crashed to Earth in a failed launch nearly three years ago.
FULL STORY
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Replacement for infamous satellite rockets into space
A communications satellite rescued in space 10 years ago by astronauts aboard space shuttle Endeavour now has a replacement on its way with the successful launch of Intelsat 905 aboard an Ariane rocket on June 5.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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A look back to the daring rescue of Intelsat 603
As the Intelsat 905 satellite nears its launch to assume the orbital position of the infamous Intelsat 603 spacecraft, we present this collection of video clips for our Spaceflight Now Plus subscribers. These movies show the highlights from the May 1992 space shuttle flight that rescued the stranded Intelsat 603 and attached a new rocket booster.
COMPLETE VIDEO LISTING
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DirecTV-5 broadcasting satellite launched by Proton
A direct-to-home television broadcasting satellite with a storied past finally rocketed into space May 7 to become the newest star in the DirecTV constellation. The DirecTV-5 spacecraft was successfully launched atop a Russian-built Proton rocket.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO: PROTON ROCKET LAUNCHES WITH DIRECTV-5 QT or RV
VIDEO: ANOTHER VIEW OF PROTON'S LIFTOFF QT or RV
VIDEO: EXPLANATION OF REASON FOR MONDAY'S SCRUB QT or RV
VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH PROCESSING OF DIRECTV-5 QT or RV
VIDEO: PROTON ROCKET ROLLED TO LAUNCH PAD QT or RV
VIDEO: ANIMATION DIRECTV-5 LAUNCHING ON PROTON QT or RV
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New environmental eye on Earth launched into space
Touted as a "grand observatory" to study planet Earth's water resources from space, NASA's Aqua satellite flew to its orbital perch May 4 atop a Boeing Delta 2 rocket.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO: AQUA LIFTS OFF FROM VANDENBERG QT or RV
VIDEO: UMBILICALS FALL AWAY AS AQUA LAUNCHES QT or RV
VIDEO: PRESS SITE VIEW OF AQUA LAUNCH QT or RV
VIDEO: LAUNCH PAD VIEW OF AQUA LAUNCH QT or RV
VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH PROCESSING OF DELTA ROCKET QT or RV
VIDEO: AQUA PREPARED FOR LAUNCH AT VANDENBERG QT or RV
VIDEO: MOBILE SERVICE TOWER IS ROLLED BACK QT or RV
VIDEO: ANIMATION PREVIEW OF THIS DELTA 2 LAUNCH QT or RV
VIDEO: ANIMATION OF AQUA WORKING IN SPACE QT or RV
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Ariane 4 rocket launches French Spot 5 satellite
The French Spot 5 remote sensing satellite became the 200th payload to be launched by Arianespace on May 3, riding an Ariane 4 rocket into orbit around Earth's poles.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
GROUND TRACK MAP
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European Ariane rocket launches on its 150th flight
The 150th voyage of an Ariane rocket blasted off from the jungles of South America on April 16 and soared above the Central Atlantic Ocean to deliver a powerful telecommunications satellite into Earth orbit.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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Russia launches classified military satellite payload
A Molniya M rocket was launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia on April 1 carrying a classified satellite payload into orbit for the military.
FULL STORY
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Intelsat 903 spacecraft launched by Proton booster
A Russian Proton rocket successfully transported a commercial satellite into orbit March 30 that will provide telecommunications services to the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO: PROTON ROCKET LIFTS OFF WITH INTELSAT 903 QT or RV
VIDEO: PRE-LAUNCH PROCESSING OF PROTON ROCKET QT or RV
VIDEO: PROTON ERECTED ON THE LAUNCH PAD QT or RV
VIDEO: NARRATED LAUNCH SEQUENCE MOVIE QT or RV
VIDEO: INTELSAT 903 MISSION OVERVIEW QT or RV
MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX
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Ariane 4 launches a pair of commercial satellites
A pair of Japanese and European satellites, both built in the U.S. by Boeing, shared a ride into space March 28 atop an Arianespace Ariane 4 rocket.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
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Gravity mapping satellites launched into space
Two satellites designed to work in concert to map Earth's gravity field to an unprecedented accuracy were trucked into polar orbit March 17 for a five-year mission that scientists hope will give new insight into global climate change.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
LAUNCH TIMELINE
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Video coverage for subscribers only:
VIDEO: GRACE MISSION SCIENCE BRIEFING QT or RV
VIDEO: ANIMATION OF TWIN GRACE SPACECRAFT QT or RV
MORE: COMPLETE SFN+ VIDEO INDEX
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Columbia returns from Hubble service call
The space shuttle Columbia glided to a smooth touchdown March 12 on Runway 33 at the Kennedy Space Center to close out a surprisingly successful five-spacewalk mission to overhaul and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.
FULL STORY
MISSION STATUS CENTER
ENTRY AND LANDING EVENTS CHART
LANDING PREVIEW STORY
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