Friday, April 12, 1996
Vostok 1 (Cedar)
1961-012A
On 1961 Apr 12, an 8K72K launch vehicle took off from the NIIP-5 Baikonur range and placed spacecraft 3KA No. 3 in orbit. Aboard the spacecraft was Letchik-Maior Yuriy A. Gagarin of the VVS (Soviet Air Force), who thus introduced the world to a new word: Kosmonavt (astronaut). Vostok-3A No. 3 was registered officially as simply the spaceship `Vostok'.
Vostok-3A No. 3 entered a 169 x 315 km orbit, slightly higher than planned. After one hour and seven minutes in orbit, the PO engine ignited for the deorbit burn but shut down one second early and 4m/s too slow. The vehicle tumbled. The PO was meant to separate from the descent craft (SA) 10s later, but the PO and the SA failed to separate completely. The connecting straps burnt away during reentry 10 min later and the PO was soon gone.
As the SA descended by parachute, Gagarin ejected and floated down separately. This fact was left out in many Soviet reports because of an obscure international rule which stated that airplane flights setting world records must have the pilot setting off and touching down in the same vehicle. Other pedants cavilled at the fact that less than a complete orbit of the planet was accomplished. These points seem irrelevant now; Gagarin was certainly the first human to travel beyond Earth's atmosphere, the first space traveller.
The SA landed 1.5 km from the pilot.
| Vostok | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 Apr 12 | 0607:00 | Launch by 8K72K | KB LC1 |
| 0609 | Blok BVGD sep | ||
| 0609 | Fairing sep | ||
| 0612 | Blok-A sep | ||
| Blok-E burn | |||
| Blok-E cutoff | |||
| 0618 | Earth orbit insertion | 181 x 327 x 65 | |
| 0618:07 | Blok-E sep | 169 x 315 x 64.95 | |
| 0618:28 | Blok-E sep | ||
| 0704 | Apogee | ||
| 0715 | Orient for retro | ||
| 0717 | ASO readiness | ||
| 0725:04 | Deorbit 132m/s 44s over 12S 10E | ||
| 0725:48 | DO burnout | ||
| 0725:24? | PO failed to sep | ||
| 0736 | PO sep | ||
| 0743? | Pilot ejected | ||
| 0748 | Landed near Saratov | ||
| 0753 | Pilot landed near Saratov, 51 16N 45 59 E | ||
Orbcomm FM1
1995-017A
In 1995 OSC launched the first pair of operational Orbcomm Flight Model satellites using the Microstar bus. FM1 (later F1) was 1.0m in diameter and 0.16m high, with a mass of 40 kg, before deployment of its solar panels and comm boom.
The L-1011 aircraft took off from Vandenberg on 1995 Apr 3, and flew to the Point Arguello Warning Area over the Pacific. At 1348 UT the Pegasus was launched and all three stages fired successfully; FM1 was inserted into a 726 x 756 km x 70.0 deg orbit. OSC breathed a sigh of relief at the return of Pegasus to flight following months of inactivity. Relief turned to concern when FM1 developed a software problem, but the satellite was operational by early June.
| Orbcomm F1 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 Apr 3 | 1250? | L-1011 takeoff | |
| 1348 | Pegasus drop | ||
| 1348 | Stage 1 burn | ||
| 1349 | T+1:35 Stage 2 burn | ||
| 1349 | T+1:50 Fairing | ||
| 1350 | T+2:48 Stage 2 burnout | ||
| 1357? | T+9:50? Stage 2 sep | ||
| 1357 | T+9:52? Stage 3 burn | ||
| 1358? | T+10:57? Stage 3 burnout | ||
| 1359? | FM1/FM2 sep from stack | ||
| 1359? | Microlab sep from stack | ||
| 1995 Aug 20 | 726 x 756 x 70.0 | ||
Wednesday, April 10, 1996
Kosmos 1964
1988-072A
Two-tone telemetry; Hi res satellite
| Kosmos-1964 | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Orbit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 Aug 23 | 0920:00 | Launch by Soyuz | KB |
| 0924 | Blok-I burn | ||
| 0928 | Blok-I sep | ||
| 1988 Aug 23 | 89.33 209x273x70.0 | ||
| 1988 Aug 24 | 89.66 231x288x70.0 | ||
| 1988 Sep 5 | 89.55 227x278x70.0 | ||
| 1988 Sep 6 | 89.54 226x278x70.0 | ||
| 1988 Sep 7 | |||
| 0605? | Deorbit | ||
| 0616? | PO sep | ||
| 0623? | Entry | -177 x 248 x 70.00 | |
| 0638? | Landed | ||