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Soyuz TMA-1, the first Soyuz-TMA spacecraft, approaches the International Space Station in November
Orbital launches
First	16 January
Last	29 December
Total	66
Catalogued	63
National firsts
Satellite	Algeria
Space traveller	South Africa
Rockets
Maiden Flights	Ariane 5ECA Atlas IIIB Atlas V 401 Delta IV-M+ (4,2) H-IIA 2024
Retirements	Ariane 4 42L Ariane 4 42P Atlas IIA
Manned flights
Orbital	7
Total travellers	40
v t e

Launches[link]

Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Launch site		LSP
	Payload	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
	Remarks
January[link]
16 January 00:30	Titan IVB (401)/Centaur		Cape Canaveral SLC-40		Lockheed Martin
	Milstar DFS-5 (USA-164)	US Air Force	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
23 January 23:46	Ariane 4 42L		Kourou ELA-2		Arianespace
	INSAT-3C	ISRO	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	Final flight of Ariane 4 42L
February[link]
4 February 02:45	H-IIA 2024		Tanegashima LA-Y1
	MDS-1	JAXA	Geostationary transfer	Technology demonstration	In orbit	Operational
	DASH	JAXA	Geostationary transfer	Re-entry demonstration	In orbit	Failure
	DASH failed to separate from payload adapter Maiden flight of H-IIA 2024
5 February 20:58	Pegasus-XL		Stargazer, Cape Canaveral		Orbital Sciences
	HESSI	NASA	Low Earth	Solar science	In orbit	Operational
11 February 17:45	Delta II 7920-10C		Vandenberg SLC-2W		Boeing IDS
	Iridium 91	Iridium	Low Earth	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	Iridium 90	Iridium	Low Earth	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	Iridium 94	Iridium	Low Earth	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	Iridium 95	Iridium	Low Earth	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	Iridium 96	Iridium	Low Earth	Communications	In orbit	Operational
21 February 12:43	Atlas IIIB		Cape Canaveral SLC-36B		International Launch Services
	Echostar 7	Echostar	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	Maiden flight of Atlas IIIB
23 February 06:59	Ariane 4 44L		Kourou ELA-2		Arianespace
	Intelsat 904	Intelsat	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
25 February 17:26	Soyuz-U		Plesetsk Site 43/3		VKS
	Kosmos 2387	VKS	Low Earth	Reconnaissance	27 June 02:30	Successful
March[link]
1 March 01:07	Ariane 5G		Kourou ELA-3		Arianespace
	Envisat	ESA	Sun-synchronous	Environmental research	In orbit	Operational
1 March 11:22	Space Shuttle Columbia		Kennedy LC-39A		United Space Alliance
	STS-109	NASA	Low Earth (HST)	HST servicing	12 March	Operational
	Manned orbital flight with 7 astronauts Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission 3B
8 March 22:59	Atlas IIA		Cape Canaveral SLC-36A		International Launch Services
	TDRS-9 (TDRS-I)	NASA	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Partial spacecraft failure Operational
	Propellant issues shortly after launch halved spacecraft fuel supply
17 March 09:21	Rockot/Briz-KM		Plesetsk Site 133/3		Eurockot
	GRACE 1	NASA	Sun-synchronous		In orbit	Operational
	GRACE 2	NASA	Sun-synchronous		In orbit	Operational
21 March 20:13	Soyuz-U		Baikonur Site 1/5		Roskosmos
	Progress M1-8	Roskosmos	Low Earth (ISS)	Logistics	25 June 12:13	Successful
	ISS flight 7P
25 March 14:15	Long March 2F		Jiuquan		CAAC
	Shenzhou 3	CAAC	Low Earth	Test spacecraft	1 April 08:51	Successful
	Shenzhou spacecraft orbital module	CAAC	Low Earth	Scientific research	12 November	Successful
29 March 01:29	Ariane 4 44L		Kourou ELA-2		Arianespace
	Astra 3A	SES Astra	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	JCSAT 8	JSAT	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
30 March 17:25	Proton-K/DM-2M		Baikonur Site 81/23		International Launch Services
	Intelsat 903	Intelsat	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
April[link]
1 April 22:06	Molniya-M		Plesetsk Site 16/2		VKS
	Kosmos 2388	VKS	Molniya	Missile early warning	14 September 2011	Operational
8 April 20:44	Space Shuttle Atlantis		Kennedy LC-39B		United Space Alliance
	STS-110	NASA	Low Earth (ISS)	ISS assembly	19 April	Successful
	S0 Truss	NASA	Low Earth (ISS)	ISS component	In orbit	Operational
	Manned orbital flight with 7 astronauts
16 April 23:02	Ariane 4 44L		Kourou ELA-2		Arianespace
	NSS 7	SES New Skies	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
25 April 06:26	Soyuz-U		Baikonur Site 1/5		Roskosmos
	Soyuz TM-34	Roskosmos	Low Earth (ISS)	ISS escape craft	10 November	Successful
	Manned orbital flight with 3 cosmonauts including one space tourist and the first South African space traveller Final flight of Soyuz-TM spacecraft
May[link]
4 May 01:31	Ariane 4 42P		Kourou ELA-2		Arianespace
	SPOT-5	CNES	Low Earth	Earth imaging	In orbit	Operational
	BreizhSat-Oscar 47 (Indefix)	AMSAT	Low Earth	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	BreizhSat-Oscar 48 (Indefix)	AMSAT	Low Earth	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	Final flight of Ariane 4 42P
4 May 09:54	Delta II 7920-10L		Vandenberg SLC-2W		Boeing IDS
	Aqua	NASA	Sun-synchronous (A-train)	Environmental research	In orbit	Operational
7 May 17:00	Proton-K/DM-2M		Baikonur Site 81/23		International Launch Services
	DirecTV-5	DirecTV	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
15 May 01:50	Long March 4B		Taiyuan
	Hai Yang 1	CASC	Low Earth	Earth observation	In orbit	Operational
	Feng Yun 1D	CASC	Low Earth	Weather satellite	In orbit	Operational
28 May 15:25	Shavit-1		Palmachim		IAI
	Ofeq-5		Low Earth (retrograde)	Reconnaissance	In orbit	Operational
28 May 18:14	Kosmos-3M		Plesetsk Site 132/1		VKS
	Kosmos 2389		Low Earth		In orbit	Operational
June[link]
5 June 06:44	Ariane 4 44L		Kourou ELA-2		Arianespace
	Intelsat 905	Intelsat	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
5 June 21:22	Space Shuttle Endeavour		Kennedy LC-39A		United Space Alliance
	STS-111	NASA	Low Earth (ISS)	ISS assembly	19 June	Successful
	Leonardo MPLM	ASI/NASA	Low Earth (ISS)	Logistics		Successful
	Canadarm2 Mobile Base Structure	NASA	Low Earth (ISS)	ISS component	In orbit	Operational
	Manned orbital flight with 7 astronauts ISS crew exchange (launched Expedition 5)
10 June 01:14	Proton-K/DM-2M		Baikonur Site 200/39
	Ekspress A1R		Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	Guidance error during ascent, recovered and placed in correct orbit using upper stage
15 June 22:39	Zenit-3SL		Ocean Odyssey		Sea Launch
	Galaxy 3C	PanAmSat	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
20 June 09:33	Rockot/Briz-KM		Plesetsk Site 133/3		Eurockot
	Iridium 97	Iridium	Low Earth	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	Iridium 98	Iridium	Low Earth	Communications	In orbit	Operational
24 June 18:23	Titan 23G		Vandenberg SLC-4W		Lockheed Martin
	NOAA-17 (NOAA-M)	NOAA	Sun-synchronous	Weather satellite	In orbit	Operational
26 June 05:36	Soyuz-U		Baikonur Site 1/5		Roskosmos
	Progress M-46	Roskosmos	Low Earth (ISS)	Logistics	14 October	Successful
	ISS flight 8P
July[link]
3 July 06:47	Delta II 7425-9.5		Cape Canaveral SLC-17A		Boeing IDS
	CONTOUR	NASA	Intended: Heliocentric	Comet probe	In orbit	Failure
	Exploded during injection into Heliocentric orbit Intended to visit comet 2P/Encke
5 July 23:22	Ariane 5G		Kourou ELA-3		Arianespace
	Stellat 5	Stellat	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	NStar C	Stellat	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
8 July 06:35	Kosmos-3M		Plesetsk Site 132/1		VKS
	Kosmos 2390		Low Earth	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	Kosmos 2391		Low Earth	Communications	In orbit	Operational
25 July 15:13	Proton-K/17S40		Baikonur Site 81/24		VKS
	Kosmos 2392		Low Earth	Reconnaissance	In orbit	Operational
August[link]
21 August 22:05	Atlas V 401		Cape Canaveral SLC-41		International Launch Services
	Hot Bird 6	Eutelsat	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	Maiden flight of Atlas V and the first launch of an EELV class rocket
22 August 05:15	Proton-K/DM-2M		Baikonur Site 81/23		International Launch Services
	Echostar 8	Echostar	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
28 August 22:45	Ariane 5G		Kourou ELA-3		Arianespace
	Atlantic Bird 1	Eutelsat	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	Meteosat 8	Eumetsat	Geosynchronous	Weather satellite	In orbit	Operational
September[link]
6 September 06:44	Ariane 4 44L		Kourou ELA-2		Arianespace
	Intelsat 906	Intelsat	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
10 September 08:20	H-IIA 2024		Tanegashima LA-Y1
	USERS	JAXA	Low Earth	Microgravity experiments	15 June 2007 19:56	Successful
	DRTS	NASDA	Geostationary	Communications	In orbit	Operational
12 September 10:23	PSLV-C		Satish Dhawan		ISRO
	Kalpana-1 (METSAT 1)	ISRO	Geostationary	Weather satellite	In orbit	Operational
15 September 10:30	KT-1		Taiyuan
	HTSTL-1	Tsinghua University	Intended: Low Earth	Experimental	15 September	Launch failure
	Second stage malfunction
18 September 22:04	Atlas IIAS		Cape Canaveral SLC-36A		International Launch Services
	Hispasat 1D	Hispasat	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
25 September 16:58	Soyuz-FG		Baikonur Site 1/5		Roskosmsos
	Progress M1-9	Roskosmos	Low Earth (ISS)	Logistics	1 February 2003	Successful
	ISS flight 9P
26 September 14:27	Kosmos-3M		Plesetsk Site 132/1		VKS
	Nadezhda-M	VKS	Low Earth	Navigation	In orbit	Operational
October[link]
7 October 10:46	Space Shuttle Atlantis		Kennedy LC-39B		United Space Alliance
	STS-112	NASA	Low Earth (ISS)	ISS assembly	18 October	Successful
	S1 Truss	NASA	Low Earth (ISS)	ISS component	In orbit	Operational
	CETA	NASA	Low Earth (ISS)	ISS component	In orbit	Operational
	Manned orbital flight with 6 astronauts
15 October 18:20	Soyuz-U		Plesetsk Site 43/3
	Foton-M1	ESA	Intended: Low Earth	Microgravity experiments	T+29 seconds	Launch failure
	LRB exploded
17 October 04:41	Proton-K/17S40		Baikonur Site 81/23
	INTEGRAL	ESA	High Earth (High eccentricity)	Astrophysics	In orbit	Operational
	Final flight of 17S40 upper stage
27 October 03:17	Long March 4B		Taiyuan
	Zi Yau 2	CAST	Low Earth	Reconnaissance	In orbit	Operational
30 October 03:11	Soyuz-FG		Baikonur Site 1/5		Roskosmos
	Soyuz TMA-1	Roskosmos	Low Earth (ISS)	ISS escape craft	4 May 2003	Successful
	Manned orbital flight with 3 cosmonauts Maiden flight of Soyuz-TMA spacecraft
November[link]
20 November 22:39	Delta IV-M+ (4,2) (9240)		Cape Canaveral SLC-37B		Boeing IDS
	Eutelsat W5	Eutelsat	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	Maiden flight of Delta IV
24 November 00:49	Space Shuttle Endeavour		Kennedy LC-39A		United Space Alliance
	STS-113	NASA	Low Earth (ISS)	ISS assembly	7 December	Successful
	P1 Truss	NASA	Low Earth (ISS)	ISS component	In orbit	Operational
	MEPSI	NASA	Low Earth	Technology demonstration	31 January 2003	Successful
	Manned orbital flight with 7 astronauts ISS crew exchange (launched Expedition 6) MEPSI is 2 picosatellites connected by a 15 meter tether
25 November 23:04	Proton-K/DM-2M		Baikonur Site 81/23		International Launch Services
	Astra 1K	SES Astra	Intended: Geosynchronous Attained: Low Earth	Communications	10 December	Launch failure
	Upper stage malfunction resulted in satellite being placed into an unusable parking orbit. Intentionally de-orbited.
28 November 06:07	Kosmos-3M		Plesetsk Site 132/1		VKS
	AlSat-1	CNTS	Low Earth	Disaster monitoring	In orbit	Operational
	Mozhayets-3	Mozhaisky	Low Earth	Technology demonstration	In orbit	Operational
	Rubin-3-DSI	OHB System	Low Earth	Measure carrier rocket performance	In orbit	Successful
	AlSat was first Algerian satellite, Rubin intentionally remained attached to upper stage
December[link]
5 December 02:42	Atlas IIA		Cape Canaveral SLC-36A		International Launch Services
	TDRS-10 (TDRS-J)	NASA	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	Final flight of Atlas IIA
11 December 22:22	Ariane 5ECA		Kourou ELA-3		Arianespace
	Hot Bird 7	Eutelsat	Intended: Geosynchronous	Communications	T+178 seconds	Launch failure
	Stentor	Eutelsat	Intended: Geosynchronous	Communications
	Engine failure leading to loss of control, self-destruct activated Maiden flight of Ariane 5ECA
14 December 23:04	H-IIA 202		Tanegashima LA-Y1
	Adeos 2	NASDA	Low Earth	Environmental research	In orbit	Operational
	Mu-Labsat	NASDA	Low Earth	Technology development	In orbit	Operational
	RITE	NASDA	Low Earth	Technology development	In orbit	Operational
	RITE	NASDA	Low Earth	Technology development	In orbit	Operational
	FedSat	Centre for Satellite Systems	Low Earth	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	WEOS (Kanta-Kun)	Chiba Institute of Technology	Low Earth	Landsat	In orbit	Operational
	RITE deployed by Mu-Labsat on 14 March 2003 at 01:40 and 01:50 UTC
17 December 23:04	Ariane 4 44L		Kourou ELA-2		Arianespace
	NSS-6	SES New Skies	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational
20 December 17:00	Dnepr-1		Baikonur Site 109/95		ISC Kosmotras
	LatinSat 1	Aprize	Low Earth	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	LatinSat 2	Aprize	Low Earth	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	SaudiSat 1S	RSRI	Low Earth	Communications	In orbit	Operational
	UniSat 2	University of Rome La Sapienza	Low Earth	Technology development	In orbit	Operational
	Rubin 2	OHB System	Low Earth	Communications	In orbit	Operational
24 December 12:20	Molniya-M		Plesetsk Site 16/2		VKS
	Kosmos 2393	VKS	Molniya	Missile early warning	In orbit	Operational
25 December 10:37	Proton-K/DM-2		Baikonur Site 81/23		VKS
	Kosmos 2394 (GLONASS)	KNITs	Medium Earth	Navigation	In orbit	Operational
	Kosmos 2395 (GLONASS)	KNITs	Medium Earth	Navigation	In orbit	Operational
	Kosmos 2396 (GLONASS)	KNITs	Medium Earth	Navigation	In orbit	Operational
29 December 16:40	Long March 2F		Jiuquan
	Shenzhou 4	CASC	Low Earth	Test spacecraft	5 January 2003 11:16	Successful
	Shenzhou spacecraft orbital module	CASC	Low Earth	Test spacecraft	9 September 2003	Successful
29 December 23:16	Proton-M/Briz-M		Baikonur Site 81/24		International Launch Services
	Nimiq 2	Telesat	Geosynchronous	Communications	In orbit	Operational

Deep Space Rendezvous[link]

EVAs[link]

Start Date/Time	Duration	End Time	Spacecraft	Crew	Function	Remarks
14 January 20:59	6 hours 3 minutes	15 January 03:02	Expedition 4 ISS Pirs	Yuri Onufriyenko Carl E. Walz	Moved the cargo boom for the Russian Strela crane from PMA-1 to the exterior of Pirs, installed an amateur radio antenna onto the end of Zvezda.[1]
25 January 15:19	5 hours 59 minutes	21:18	Expedition 4 ISS Pirs	Yuri Onufriyenko Daniel W. Bursch	Installed six deflector shields for Zvezda's jet thrusters, installed a second amateur radio antenna, attached four science experiments, and retrieved and replaced a device to measure material from the thrusters.[1]
20 February 11:38	5 hours 47 minutes	17:25	Expedition 4 ISS Quest	Carl E. Walz Daniel W. Bursch	Tested the Quest airlock, and prepared it for the four spacewalks that will be performed during STS-110.[1]	First Quest-based EVA without a Space Shuttle at the station.
4 March 06:37	7 hours 1 minute	13:38	STS-109 Columbia	John M. Grunsfeld Richard M. Linnehan	Removed the starboard solar array and replaced it with a new, smaller and more powerful third generation solar array. The old array was stowed in the payload bay for return to earth.[2]	Hubble Space Telescope servicing
5 March 06:40	7 hours 16 minutes	13:56	STS-109 Columbia	James H. Newman Michael J. Massimino	Removed the port solar array and replaced it with a new third generation solar array. The old array was stowed in the payload bay for return to earth. Removed and replaced the Reaction Wheel Assembly (RWA).[3]	Hubble Space Telescope servicing
6 March 08:28	6 hours 48 minutes	15:16	STS-109 Columbia	John M. Grunsfeld Richard M. Linnehan	The spacewalk was delayed 2 hours by a leak in Grunsfeld's spacesuit. The Power Control Unit (PCU) was removed and stowed for return to earth. A new, more powerful PCU, sized to match the more productive solar arrays, was installed.[4]	Hubble Space Telescope servicing
7 March 09:00	7 hours 30 minutes	16:30	STS-109 Columbia	James H. Newman Michael J. Massimino	Removed the Faint Object Camera from the aft shroud and installed the Advanced Camera for Surveys in the same location. After stowing the Faint Object Camera in the payload bay for return to earth, the Electronic Support Module was installed in the aft shroud.[5]	Hubble Space Telescope servicing
8 March 08:46	7 hours 20 minutes	16:06	STS-109 Columbia	John M. Grunsfeld Richard M. Linnehan	Installed an experimental Cryocooler for NICMOS inside the aft shroud of and connected it to the Electronic Support Module installed the day before. Installed the Cooling System Radiator and connected it to the NICMOS.[6]	Hubble Space Telescope servicing
11 April 14:36	7 hours 48 minutes	22:24	STS-110 ISS Quest	Steven Smith Rex J. Walheim	Began installing the S0 Truss onto Destiny, initial power and data connections installed between the station and S0, and installed two forward struts that permanently hold the truss in place.[7]
13 April 14:09	7 hours 30 minutes	21:39	STS-110 ISS Quest	Jerry L. Ross Lee M.E. Morin	Continued S0 Truss installation, power and data cable connections installed between S0 and the station, and installed two aft struts that permanently hold the truss in place.[7]
14 April 13:48	6 hours 27 minutes	20:15	STS-110 ISS Quest	Steven Smith Rex J. Walheim	Released the claw that was used in the initial attachment of the S0 Truss, installed connectors that will be used to route power to Canadarm2 when it is on the truss, released launch restraints from the Mobile Transporter, and removed a small thermal cover the Mobile Transporter's radiator.[7]
16 April 14:29	6 hours 37 minutes	21:06	STS-110 ISS Quest	Jerry L. Ross Lee M.E. Morin	Pivoted the "Airlock Spur", which will be used by spacewalkers in the future as a path from the airlock to the truss, installed handrails onto S0, partially assembled a platform, and installed two floodlights.[7][8]
9 June 15:27	7 hours 14 minutes	22:41	STS-111 ISS Quest	Franklin Chang-Diaz Philippe Perrin	Attached a Power Data Grapple Fixture to the P6 truss, removed debris panels from the payload bay and attached them to a temporary location on PMA-1, and removed thermal blankets to prepare the Mobile Base System for installation onto the station's Mobile Transporter.[9][10]
11 June 15:20	5 hours	20:20	STS-111 ISS Quest	Franklin Chang-Diaz Philippe Perrin	Attached Mobile Base System to the Mobile Transporter, attached power, data and video cables from the station to the MBS.[9][11]
13 June 15:16	7 hours 17 minutes	22:33	STS-111 ISS Quest	Franklin Chang-Diaz Philippe Perrin	Replaced Canadarm2's wrist roll joint, and stowed the old joint in the shuttle's payload bay to be returned to Earth.[9][12]
16 August 09:25	4 hours 23 minutes	13:48	Expedition 5 ISS Pirs	Valery Korzun Peggy Whitson	Installed six micro meteoroid debris panels onto Zvezda.[13]	Whitson became the 6th American and the 7th female spacewalker.
26 August 05:27	5 hours 21 minutes	10:48	Expedition 5 ISS Pirs	Valery Korzun Sergei Treshchyov	Installed a frame on the outside of Zarya for spacewalk assembly tasks, installed new samples on a pair of Japanese Space Agency experiments housed on Zvezda, installed devices on Zvezda that would simplify the routing of tethers during future spacewalks, and installed two additional ham radio antennas on Zvezda.[13]
10 October 15:21	7 hours 1 minute	20:35	STS-112 ISS Quest	David Wolf /Piers Sellers	Released launch locks that held the S1 truss radiators in place during launch, attached power, data and fluid lines between the S1 truss and S0, deployed the station's second S-Band communications system, installed the first of two external camera systems, and released launch restraints on the truss' mobile spacewalk workstation, Crew and Equipment Translation Aid (CETA).[14][15]
12 October 14:31	6 hours 4 minutes	20:35	STS-112 ISS Quest	David Wolf /Piers Sellers	Installed a second camera system, released more radiator launch locks, removed insulation covers on quick-disconnect fittings near the Z1 and P6 junction and to install Spool Positioning Devices, released starboard-side launch restraints on the CETA cart, and attached Ammonia Tank Assembly cables.[14][16]
14 October 14:08	6 hours 36 minutes	20:44	STS-112 ISS Quest	David Wolf /Piers Sellers	Removed and replaced the Interface Umbilical Assembly on the station's Mobile Transporter, installed two jumpers that will allow ammonia coolant to flow between the S1 and S0 Trusses, released a drag link and stowed it, and installed Spool Positioning Devices (SPD) on ammonia lines.[14][17]
26 November 19:49	6 hours 45 minutes	27 November 02:34	STS-113 ISS Quest	Michael Lopez-Alegria John Herrington	Initial installation of the P1 truss, installed connections between the P1 and the S0 truss, released launch restraints on the CETA cart, installed Spool Positioning Devices (SPDs) onto the station, removed a drag link on P1 that served as a launch restraint, and installed a Wireless video system External Transceiver Assembly onto the Unity node.[18][19]
28 November 18:36	6 hours 10 minutes	29 November 00:46	STS-113 ISS Quest	Michael Lopez-Alegria John Herrington	nstalled fluid jumpers where the S0 and the P1 are attached to each other, removed the P1's starboard keel pin, installed another Wireless video system External Transceiver Assembly onto the P1, and relocated the CETA cart from the P1 to the S1 truss.[18][20]
30 November 19:25	7 hours	1 December 02:25	STS-113 ISS Quest	Michael Lopez-Alegria John Herrington	Installed more Spool Positioning Devices, reconfigured electrical harnesses that route power through the Main Bus Switching Units, and attached Ammonia Tank Assembly lines.[18][21]

References[link]

Kyle, Ed. "Space Launch Report". http://www.spacelaunchreport.com/.  Wade, Mark. "Encyclopedia Astronautica". http://www.astronautix.com.  Krebs, Gunter. "Chronology of Space Launches". Gunter's Space Page. http://space.skyrocket.de/chrono.htm.  "Space Information Center". JAXA. http://spaceinfo.jaxa.jp.  McDowell, Jonathan. "Jonathan's Space Report". Jonathan's Space Page. http://www.planet4589.org/jsr.html.  "Mission Set Database". NASA GSFC. http://msdb.gsfc.nasa.gov/launches.php.  "NASASpaceFlight.com". http://www.nasaspaceflight.com.  "Launch Logs". Orbital Report News Agency. http://www.orbireport.com/Log.html.  "Space Calendar". NASA JPL. http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/calendar/.  "Southwest Space Archive". http://www.spacearchive.info/index.htm.  "Launch Forecast". SPACE.com. http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/launches/launch_schedule.html.  "Spaceflight Now". http://www.spaceflightnow.com.  Pietrobon, Steven. "Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive". http://www.sworld.com.au/steven/space/.  "U.S. Space Objects Registry". http://www.usspaceobjectsregistry.state.gov/.  "Хроника освоения космоса" (in Russian). http://www.cosmoworld.ru/spaceencyclopedia/chrono/index.shtml.

Generic references: view talk edit Spaceflight portal

Footnotes[link]

Alan B. Shepard, Jr.
NASA astronaut
Nationality	American
Status	Deceased
Born	(1923-11-18)November 18, 1923 Derry, New Hampshire
Died	July 21, 1998(1998-07-21) (aged 74) Pebble Beach, California
Other occupation	Test pilot
Rank	Rear admiral, USN
Time in space	216 hours and 57 min[1]
Selection	NASA Group One (1959)
Missions	MR-3, Apollo 14
Mission insignia
Awards	Navy Distinguished Service Medal Distinguished Flying Cross Congressional Space Medal of Honor

Alan Bartlett Shepard, Jr. (November 18, 1923 – July 21, 1998) was an American naval aviator, test pilot, flag officer, and NASA astronaut who in 1961 became the second person, and the first American, in space. This Mercury flight was designed to enter space, but not to achieve orbit. Ten years later, at age 47 the oldest astronaut in the program, Shepard commanded the Apollo 14 mission, piloting the lander to the most accurate landing of the Apollo missions. He became the fifth person to walk on the Moon, and the only Mercury astronaut to walk on the moon. During the mission he hit two golf balls on the lunar surface.

These were his only two space flights, as his flight status was interrupted for five years (1964–69) during the Mercury and Gemini programs by Ménière's disease, an inner-ear disease that was surgically corrected before his moon flight. Shepard served as chief of the Astronaut Office from November 1963 – July 1969 (approximately the period of his grounding), and from June 1971 – August 1, 1974 (from his last flight, to his retirement). He was promoted from captain to rear admiral on August 25, 1971.^[2] He retired from the US Navy and NASA in 1974.

During retirement he became a successful businessman. He died of leukemia in 1998, five weeks before the death of his wife of 53 years. They were survived by their three daughters.

Biography[link]

Shepard was born in Derry, New Hampshire to Lt. Col. Alan B. Shepard, Sr. and Renza (née Emerson) Shepard. He attended primary and secondary schools in East Derry and Derry including Pinkerton Academy from which he graduated with the class of 1940. He was one of many famous descendants of Mayflower passenger Richard Warren.^[3]

Naval career[link]

Shepard began his naval career after graduation from the United States Naval Academy in 1944, and served on the destroyer USS Cogswell while it was deployed in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. He subsequently entered flight training at Corpus Christi, Texas and Pensacola, Florida, and received his naval aviator wings in 1947. He was assigned to Fighter Squadron 42 based at Norfolk, Virginia and Jacksonville, Florida, and served several tours aboard aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean Sea with the squadron.

In 1950, he attended the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Maryland. After graduation, he participated in flight test work which included high-altitude tests to obtain data on light at different altitudes and on a variety of air masses over the American continent; test and development experiments of the Navy's in-flight refueling system; carrier suitability trials of the F2H-3 Banshee; and Navy trials of the first angled carrier deck. He was subsequently assigned to Fighter Squadron 193 based at Moffett Field, California, a night fighter unit flying Banshee jets. As operations officer of this squadron, he made two tours to the western Pacific on board the carrier USS Oriskany.

Shepard returned to Patuxent for a second tour of duty and engaged in flight testing the F3H Demon, F8U Crusader, F4D Skyray, and F11F Tiger. He was also project test pilot on the F5D Skylancer, and his last five months at Patuxent were spent as an instructor in the Test Pilot School. He later attended the Naval War College at Newport, Rhode Island, and upon graduating (master of arts in military science) in 1958 was assigned to the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet, as aircraft readiness officer.

He logged more than 8,000 hours flying time—3,700 hours in jet aircraft.

NASA career[link]

[edit] Mercury: Freedom 7 pilot

In 1959, Shepard was one of 11 military test pilots invited by the newly-formed National Aeronautics and Space Administration to volunteer for the first US manned space flight program. Following a gruelling series of physical and psychological tests, NASA selected Shepard to be one of the original group of seven Mercury astronauts.

Shepard in the Freedom 7 capsule before launch

In January 1961, Shepard was chosen for the first American manned mission into space. Although the flight was originally scheduled for October 1960, delays by unplanned preparatory work meant that this was postponed several times, initially to March 6, 1961 and finally to May 5.^[4] On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin had become the first person in space and to orbit the Earth.

On May 5, 1961, Shepard piloted the Freedom 7 mission and became the second person, and the first American, to travel into space.^[5] He was launched by a Redstone rocket, and unlike Gagarin's 108-minute orbital flight, Shepard stayed on a ballistic trajectory—a 15-minute suborbital flight which carried him to an altitude of 116 statute miles (187 km) and to a splashdown point 302 statute miles (486 km) down the Atlantic Missile Range. Unlike Gagarin, whose flight was strictly automatic, Shepard had some control of Freedom 7, spacecraft attitude in particular. The launch was seen live on television by millions.

Shortly before the launch, Shepard said to himself: "Don't fuck up, Shepard..."^[6] This quote was reported as "Dear Lord, please don't let me fuck up" in The Right Stuff,^[7] though Shepard confirmed this as a misquote. Regardless, the latter quote has since become known among aviators as "Shepard's Prayer."^{[citation needed]}

According to Gene Kranz in his book, Failure Is Not an Option, "When reporters asked Shepard what he thought about as he sat atop the Redstone rocket, waiting for liftoff, he had replied, 'The fact that every part of this ship was built by the low bidder.'"

Shepard during Freedom 7 flight on May 5, 1961

After a dramatic Atlantic Ocean recovery, Commander Shepard observed, "…didn't really feel the flight was a success until the recovery had been successfully completed. It's not the fall that hurts; it's the sudden stop."^[8] After his successful return, Shepard was celebrated as a national hero, honored with parades in Washington, New York and Los Angeles and received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal from President John F. Kennedy.^[9]

Later, he was scheduled to pilot the Mercury-Atlas 10 Freedom 7-II three-day extended duration mission in October 1963. The MA-10 mission was cancelled on June 13, 1963. He was the back-up pilot for Gordon "Gordo" Cooper for the MA-9 mission.

Gemini: Chief astronaut[link]

After the Mercury-Atlas 10 mission was cancelled, Shepard was designated as the command pilot of the first manned Project Gemini mission. Thomas Stafford was chosen as his co-pilot. In early 1964, Shepard was diagnosed with Ménière's disease, a condition in which fluid pressure builds up in the inner ear. This syndrome causes the semicircular canals and motion detectors to become extremely sensitive, resulting in disorientation, dizziness, and nausea. The condition caused him to be removed from flight status for most of the 1960s (Gus Grissom and John Young were assigned to Gemini 3 instead).

Also in 1963, he was designated Chief of the Astronaut Office with responsibility for monitoring the coordination, scheduling, and control of all activities involving NASA astronauts. This included monitoring the development and implementation of effective training programs to assure the flight readiness of personnel for crew assignments on manned space flights; furnishing pilot evaluations applicable to the design, construction, and operations of spacecraft systems and related equipment; and providing qualitative scientific and engineering observations to facilitate overall mission planning, formulation of feasible operational procedures, and selection and conduct of specific experiments for each flight.

Apollo: Apollo 14 commander[link]

Shepard poses next to the American flag on the Moon during Apollo 14.

Shepard was restored to full flight status in May 1969, following corrective surgery (using a newly-developed method) for Ménière's disease. He was originally assigned to command Apollo 13, but as it was felt he needed more time to train, he and his crewmates (lunar module pilot Edgar Mitchell and command module pilot Stuart Roosa) swapped missions with the then crew of Apollo 14 (James Lovell, Ken Mattingly and Fred Haise).

As the oldest astronaut in the program at age 47, Shepard made his second space flight as commander of Apollo 14 from January 31 – February 9, 1971, America's third successful lunar landing mission. Shepard piloted the Lunar Module Antares to the most accurate landing of the entire Apollo program. This was the first mission to successfully broadcast color television pictures from the surface of the Moon, using a vidicon tube camera. (The color camera on Apollo 12 provided a few brief moments of color telecasting before it was inadvertently pointed at the Sun, ending its usefulness.) While on the Moon, Shepard used a Wilson six-iron head attached to a lunar sample scoop handle^[10] to drive golf balls. Despite thick gloves and a stiff spacesuit which forced him to swing the club with one hand, Shepard struck two golf balls; driving the second, as he jokingly put it, "miles and miles and miles."^[11]

Following Apollo 14, Shepard returned to his position as Chief of the Astronaut Office in June 1971. He was appointed by President Nixon in July 1971 as a delegate to the 26th United Nations General Assembly, serving from September to December 1971. He was promoted to rear admiral by Nixon that same year before retiring both from the Navy and NASA on August 1, 1974.

Later years[link]

After Shepard left NASA, he served on the boards of many corporations. He also served as president of his umbrella company for several business enterprises, Seven Fourteen Enterprises, Inc. (named for his two flights, Freedom 7 and Apollo 14).^[12]

In 1994, he published a book with two journalists, Jay Barbree and Howard Benedict, called Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon. Fellow Mercury astronaut Deke Slayton is also named as an author.^[13] The book generated some controversy for use of a staged photo purportedly showing Shepard hitting a golf ball on the Moon^[14] The book was also turned into a TV miniseries in 1994.^[15]

Shepard died of leukemia near his home in Pebble Beach, California on July 21, 1998, (the 29th anniversary of the first moonwalk), two years after being diagnosed with that disease. He was the second person to die who had walked on the Moon. His wife of 53 years, Louise Brewer, died five weeks afterward. Both were cremated, and their ashes were scattered together by a Navy helicopter over Stillwater Cove,^[16] in front of their Pebble Beach home.^[12]

They had three daughters, Laura (born in 1947), Juliana (born in 1951) and Alice (born in 1951). Alice was Louise's niece, but raised as their own daughter.^[17] He also had six grandchildren.

Awards and honors[link]

During his life, Shepard was awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor (by President Jimmy Carter in 1978 for his pioneering Mercury flight); two NASA Distinguished Service Medals (1961 and 1971), the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, Naval Astronaut Wings, the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He received the Langley Award (highest award of the Smithsonian Institution) on May 5, 1964; the Lambert trophy^{[disambiguation needed ]}; the Iven C. Kincheloe Award; the Cabot Award; the Collier Trophy; and the City of New York Gold Medal for 1971.

He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on May 11, 1990.

The Navy named a supply ship, Alan Shepard (T-AKE-3), for him in 2006. A geodesic dome was built in his honor in Virginia Beach, Virginia but was demolished in 1994.^[18]

A Redstone missile, from which the Redstone booster used to launch Shepard aboard Freedom 7 was derived, is on display in the Warren, New Hampshire town square.

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, New Hampshire is named after Shepard and Christa McAuliffe.

Interstate 93 in New Hampshire, from the Massachusetts border to its intersection with Route 101 in Manchester, is named in his honor. It passes through his native Derry. Interstate 565 in northern Alabama connecting Decatur, Alabama and Huntsville, Alabama is officially the Admiral Alan B. Shepard Highway.

His hometown of Derry has the nickname Space Town in honor of his career as an astronaut.^[19] Following an act of Congress,^[20] the Post Office in Derry is designated the Alan B. Shepard, Jr. Post Office Building.

His high school alma mater in Derry, Pinkerton Academy, has a building named after him; and the school team name is the Astros after his career as an astronaut.^[21] Alan B. Shepard High School, in Palos Heights, Illinois, which opened in 1976, was named in his honor. Framed newspapers throughout the school depict various accomplishments and milestones in Shepard's life. Additionally, an autographed plaque commemorates the dedication of the building. The school newspaper is named Freedom 7 and the yearbook is entitled Odyssey. Its television news show is called NASA – News About Shepard Astros.

Other schools which honor his memory include Alan B. Shepard Middle School, Deerfield, Illinois; Alan B. Shepard Middle School, San Antonio, Texas; Alan B. Shepard Elementary School, Bourbonnais, Illinois, Alan B. Shepard Elementary School, Old Bridge, New Jersey and, formerly, Alan B. Shepard Elementary School in Highland Park, Illinois (closed).

Alan Shepard Park in Cocoa Beach, Florida, a beach-side park south of Cape Canaveral, is named in his honor.^[22]

In a 2010 Space Foundation survey, Shepard was ranked as the ninth most popular space hero (tied with astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Gus Grissom).^[23]

In 2011, NASA honored Shepard with an Ambassador of Exploration Award, consisting of a moon rock encased in Lucite, for his contributions to the U.S. space program. His family members accepted the award on his behalf during a ceremony on April 28 at the U.S. Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, Maryland, where it is on permanent display.^[24]

On May 4, 2011, the US Postal Service issued a first-class stamp in Shepard's honor—the first US stamp to depict a specific astronaut. The first day of issue ceremony was held at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.^[25]

Shepard Technology Award[link]

Each year, the Space Foundation, in partnership with the Astronauts Memorial Foundation and NASA, present the Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award for outstanding contributions by K–12 educators or district-level administrators to educational technology. The award recognizes excellence in the development and application of technology in the classroom or to the professional development of teachers. The recipient demonstrates exemplary use of technology either to foster lifelong learners or to make the learning process easier.^[26] Recipients include:

• 2001 Lori Byrnes
• 2002 Thomas F. Hunt, Frank E. Waller
• 2003 Brian Copes
• 2004 Charles Geach
• 2005 Ronald F. Dantowitz
• 2006 Kathy R. Brandon
• 2007 Luther W. Richardson
• 2008 Kevin L. Simmons
• 2009 Ricardo V. Soria^[27]
• 2010 Allen V. Robnett^[28]

In media[link]

• 1965 – The character of Alan Tracy in the Thunderbirds was named after him.^[29]
• 1983 film The Right Stuff – played by Scott Glenn
• 1998 HBO TV series From the Earth to the Moon – played by Ted Levine
• 2005 BBC TV series Space Race – played by Todd Boyce
• 2001 opening montage, Star Trek: Enterprise
• 2002 film Race to Space, played by Mark Moses
• 2004 - He is briefly mentioned in Metal Gear Solid 3 when he is said to be piloting a Lockheed M-21 in game.
• 2007 – The player character in BioWare's sci-fi video game series Mass Effect is surnamed "Shepard" in his honor.
• 2011 - Alternative music band They Might Be Giants briefly referred to him in the song ″Can't Keep Johnny Down″ from their album Join Us, in the following lyric: "Some dude/Hitting golf balls on the moon/Bathroom in his pants/And he thinks he's better than me..."

Gallery[link]

Shepard as Mercury astronaut   Shepard receiving the NASA Distinguished Service Medal from John F. Kennedy in 1963   Shepard at Houston's Mission Control during Gemini 6 in 1965   Shepard (right) with Apollo 14 crewmate Ed Mitchell in 1970   Shepard in 1970   Video image of Shepard golfing on the Moon during Apollo 14

Notes[link]

	United States Navy portal
	Spaceflight portal

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.