Space exploration in 2011 (original) (raw)

For missions in 2010 click here

In January 2011, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin promised to allocate 115 billion rubles from the federal budget for national space projects during that year. A total of about 50 spacecraft would be delivered to orbit (during 2011), Putin said at the meeting of a committee on the 50th anniversary of Gagarin's mission. (451) In the meantime, the head of Roskosmos, Anatoly Perminov, promised 48 space launches during 2011. He also promised agreements on space cooperation with Israel, Vietnam, Nigeria, Belarus, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. On the military side, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the purchase during 2011 of 36 strategic ballistic missiles (apparently including Bulava and Topol-M ICBMs), 20 aircraft-carried cruise missiles and the a total of 21 air-defense missile systems S-300V4, Buk-M2 and Tor-M. (462)

The Year of Space, as the Russian government hailed the coming of 2011, ended up to be the most disastrous 12 months for the Russian space industry in the post-Soviet era. A total of four missions which left their launch pads during 2011 either never made it into space (Progress M-12M, Meridian No. 5) or ended up in wrong orbits (Geo-IK-2, Ekspress-AM4). To top it off, Russia's loudly advertised return to planetary exploration after a 15-year hiatus ended in a high-profile fiasco, when the Phobos-Grunt spacecraft got stranded in low Earth orbit almost immediately after its launch on November 9. However all these failures coincided with an extremely hectic launch rate, almost matching that of two other leading space nations -- US and China -- combined! Despite setbacks, Russia has succeeded in bolstering or reviving space capabilities that the nation had lacked for many years, including the launch of a major astrophysics observatory -- Spektr-R; the return to geostationary orbit with a weather satellite Elektro-L; the re-introduction of a data-relay network with Luch-5A and the beginning of flight testing of an upgraded navigation satellite -- GLONASS-K. Last but not least, the Soyuz rocket received a brand-new launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana, which increased the capabilities of the veteran launch vehicle family in delivering commercial payloads into space.

The 2011 space launch score card (as ofMay 6, 2024 ):

| | **Country | **LV | **LV | **LV | **LV | **LV | **LV | **LV | **LV | **Total | **Failed | | | ---------------- | -------- | -------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------ | ---------------------- | ----------------- | ----------- | ------------ | - | | 1 | Russia: | Zenit-2/3SLBF: 5 (1**) | Soyuz-U/FG: 10 (1*) | Soyuz-2.1a/b : 9 (1*) | Rockot: 1 (1*) | Proton: 9 (1*) | Dnepr: 1 | | | 35 | 5 | | 2 | China: | Chang Zheng-3A: 4 | Chang Zheng-3B/E: 5 | Chang Zheng-2F: 2 | Chang Zheng-2C: 3 | Chang Zheng-3C: 1 | Chang Zheng-2D: 1 | Chang Zheng-4B: 3 | 19 | 1 | | | 3 | US: | Delta-4 Heavy: 1 | Minotaur-1: 2 | Minotaur-4: 1 | Space Shuttle: 3 | Taurus XL: 1 (1*) | Atlas-5: 5 | Delta-4: 2 | Delta-2: 3 | 18 | 1 | | 4 | Europe: | Ariane 5 ES: 1 | Ariane 5 ECA: 4 | 5 | 0 | | | | | | | | 5 | India: | PSLV: 3 | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | | 6 | Japan: | H-IIB: 1 | H-IIA: 2 | 3 | 0 | | | | | | | | 7 | Iran: | Safir: 1 | 1 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | World: | 84 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |

*failed launch; **payload failed to leave Earth orbit after a successful operation of the launch vehicle

The world's orbital launch attempts in 2011 (as ofMay 6, 2024 ):

| | Country | Launch date | Time of launch | Payload | Type | Launch vehicle | Launch site | Launch complex | Launch pad | Status | | | -------------- | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | ---------- | ------------------------- | | 1 | Russia | 1/20/2011 | 15:29 Moscow Time | Elektro-L No. 1 | Weather forecasting | Zenit-3SLBF | Baikonur | 45 | - | Success | | 2 | US | 1/20/2011 | 1:10 p.m. PST | NROL-49 | Military | Delta-4 Heavy | Vandenberg | SLC-6 | - | Success | | 3 | Japan | 1/22/2011 | 2:37:57 p.m. Japan Standard Time | HTV2 Kountori2 | Cargo transport for ISS | H-IIB | Tanegashima | - | - | Success | | 4 | Russia | 1/28/2011 | 04:31 Moscow Time | Progress M-09M | Cargo transport for ISS | Soyuz-U | Baikonur | 1 | 5 | Success | | 5 | Russia | 2/1/2011 | 17:00:14 Moscow Decree Time | Geo-IK-2 | Military/geodesy | Rockot | Plesetsk | 133 | 3 | Failure | | 6 | US | 2/6/2011 | 4:26 a.m. local | NROL-66 (Rapid Pathfinder Program) | Military | Minotaur-1 | Vandenberg | SLC-8 | 8 | Success | | 7 | Europe | 2/16/2011 | 6:50 p.m. local | ATV-2 | Cargo transport for ISS | Ariane 5 ES | Kourou | ELA-3 | 3 | Success | | 8 | US | 2/24/2011 | 4:50:20 p.m. local | Discovery | Manned | Space Shuttle | Cape Canaveral | 39 | - | Success | | 9 | Russia | 2/26/2011 | 06:07 Moscow Time | Kosmos-2471 (GLONASS-K1 (No. 11)) | Navigation | Soyuz-2.1b | Plesetsk | 43 | 4 | Success | | 10 | US | 3/4/2011 | 2:09:43 a.m. PST | Glory | Remote-sensing | Taurus XL | Vandenberg | SLC-576E | E | Failure | | 11 | US | 3/5/2011 | 5:46 p.m. EST | X-37B | Military | Atlas 5 (AV-026) | Cape Canaveral | SLC-41 | - | Success | | 12 | US | 3/11/2011 | 6:38 p.m. EST | NROL-27 | Military | Delta-4 | Cape Canaveral | SLC-37B | B | Success | | 13 | Russia | 4/5/2011 | 02🔞20 Moscow Summer Time | Soyuz TMA-21 | Manned transport | Soyuz-FG | Baikonur | 1 | 5 | Success | | 14 | China | 4/10/2011 | 04:47 local | BeiDou-8 (COMPASS) | Navigation | Chang Zheng-3A | Xichang | LC-3 | - | Success | | 15 | US | 4/14/2011 | 09:24 p.m. local | NROL-34 | Military | Atlas-5-411 | Vandenberg | SLC-3E | E | Success | | 16 | India | 4/20/2011 | 04:42 GMT | Resourcesat 2 | Remote-sensing | PSLV-C16 | Sriharikota | - | - | Success | | 17 | Europe | 4/22/2011 | 21:37 GMT | Yahsat 1A Intelsat New Dawn** | Communications | Ariane 5 ECA | Kourou | ELA-3 | - | Success | | 18 | Russia | 4/27/2011 | 17:05:21 Moscow Time | Progress M-10M | Cargo transport for ISS | Soyuz-U | Baikonur | 1 | 5 | Success | | 19 | Russia | 5/4/2011 | 21:41 Moscow Time | Meridian No. 4 | Military, communications | Soyuz-2.1a | Plesetsk | 43 | 4 | Success | | 20 | US | 5/7/2011 | 2:10 p.m. EDT | SBIRS GEO-1 | Military, early warning | Atlas-5 (AV-022) | Cape Canaveral | SLC-41 | 41 | Success | | 21 | US | 5/16/2011 | 8:56 a.m. local | Endeavour | Manned | Space Shuttle | Cape Canaveral | 39 | A | Success | | 22 | Russia | 5/20/2011 | 23:15 Moscow Summer Time | Telstar 14R | Communications | Proton | Baikonur | 200 | 39 | Success | | 23 | Europe | 5/20/2011 | 5:38 p.m. local time | ST-2 GSAT-8 | Communications | Ariane-5 ECA | Kourou | ELA-3 | 3 | Success | | 24 | Russia | 5/8/2011 | 00:12:45 Moscow Summer Time | Soyuz TMA-02M | Manned transport | Soyuz-FG | Baikonur | 1 | 5 | Success | | 25 | US | 6/10/2011 | 10:20 a.m. EDT | SAC-D | Remote sensing | Delta-2 7320 | Vandenberg | SLC-2 | 2 | Success | | 26 | Iran | 6/15/2011 | ~09:30 UTC | Rasad-1 | Remote sensing | Safir | Semnan | - | - | Success | | 27 | China | 6/20/2011 | 16:13 GMT | Chinasat 10 | Communications | Chang Zheng-3BE | Xichang | LC-2 | - | Success | | 28 | Russia | 6/21/2011 | 18:38:15 Moscow Time | Progress M-11M | Cargo transport for ISS | Soyuz-U | Baikonur | 1 | 5 | Success | | 29 | Russia | 6/27/2011 | 20:00 Moscow Time | Kosmos-2472 (Kobalt-M) | Military (imaging) | Soyuz-U | Plesetsk | 16 | 2 | Success | | 30 | US | 6/29/2011 | 11:09 p.m. | ORS 1 | Military | Minotaur-1 | Wallops Island | OB | - | Success | | 31 | China | 7/6/2011 | 04:28:03 GMT | Shi Jian-11 No. 3 | Experimental | Chang Zheng-2C | Jiuquan | SLS-2 | - | Success | | 32 | US | 7/8/2011 | 11:29 a.m. EDT | Atlantis | Manned | Space Shuttle | Cape Canaveral | 39 | - | Success | | 33 | China | 7/11/2011 | 23:41 Beijing Time | Tianlian 1-02 | Data relay | Chang Zheng-3C | Xichang | LC-2 | - | Success | | 34 | Russia | 7/13/2011 | 06:27:04 Moscow Summer Time | Six Globalstar-2 | Communications | Soyuz-2-1a | Baikonur | 31 | 6 | Success | | 35 | India | 7/15/2011 | 11:18 GMT (16:48 local) | GSAT 12 | Remote-sensing | PSLV-XL | Sriharikota | - | - | Success | | 36 | Russia | 7/16/2011 | 03:16 Moscow Summer Time | KazSat-2 SES-3 | Communications | Proton | Baikonur | 200 | - | Success | | 37 | US | 7/16/2011 | 2:41 a.m. EDT | GPS-IIF-2 | Military/Navigation | Delta-4 medium+ (4,2) | Cape Canaveral | SLC-37 | - | Success | | 38 | Russia | 7/18/2011 | 06:31 Moscow Summer Time | Spektr-R | Science/astronomy | Zenit-3SLBF | Baikonur | 45 | - | Success | | 39 | China | 7/26/2011 | 21:44:28 UTC | BeiDou-2 (Compass-IGSO-4) | Navigation | Chang Zheng-3A | Xichang | LC-3 | - | Success | | 40 | China | 7/29/2011 | 07:42 UTC | Shi Jian-11 No. 2 | Experimental | Chang Zheng-3A | Jiuquan | SLS-2 | - | Success | | 41 | US | 8/5/2011 | 16:25 GMT | Juno | Planetary/Jupiter | Atlas-5 551 | Cape Canaveral | SLS-41 | - | Success | | 42 | Europe | 8/6/2011 | 7:52 p.m. local time | ASTRA 1N BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R | Communications | Ariane-5 ECA | Kourou | ELA-3 | 3 | Success | | 43 | China | 8/11/2011 | 16:15:04 GMT | PakSat-1R | - | Chang Zheng-3B/E | Xichang | LC-3 | - | Success | | 44 | China | 8/15/2011 | 22:57:19 GMT | Hai Yang-2A | - | Chang Zheng-4B | Taiyuan | LC-2 | - | Success | | 45 | Russia | 8/17/2011 | 11:12:20 Moscow Time | Sich-2, Nigeriasat-2, Nigeriasat-X, RASAT, EDUSAT, Aprizesat-5, Aprizesat-6, BPA-2 | Remote-sensing | Dnepr | Dombarovsky | - | - | Success | | 46 | Russia | 8/18/2011 | 01:25 Moscow Summer Time | Ekspress-AM4 | Communications | Proton-M/Briz-M | Baikonur | 200 | 39 | Failure | | 47 | China | 8/18/2011 | 09:28 GMT | Shi Jian 11 No. 4 | Experimental | Chang Zheng-2C | Jiuquan | SLS-2 | - | Failure | | 48 | Russia | 8/24/2011 | 17:00:08 Moscow Summer Time | Progress M-12M | Cargo transport for ISS | Soyuz-U | Baikonur | 1 | 5 | Failure | | 49 | USA | 9/10/2011 | 9:08:52 a.m. EDT | GRAIL-A GRAIL-B | Lunar | Delta-2 Heavy | Cape Canaveral | 17 | B | Success | | 50 | China | 9/19/2011 | 00:33:04 Beijing Time | ZhongXing- 1A | Military/communications | Chang Zheng 3B | Xichang | 2 | 1A | Success | | 51 | Russia | 9/21/2011 | 02:47:00 Moscow Summer Time | Kosmos-2473 (Garpun) | Military/data relay | Proton-M/Briz-M | Baikonur | 81 | 24 | Success | | 52 | Europe | 9/21/2011 | 18:38 local time | Arabsat 5C SES-2 | Communications | Ariane 5 ECA | Kourou | ELA-3 | 3 | Success | | 53 | Japan | 9/23/2011 | 04:36:50 GMT | IGS | Military/Optical reconnaissance | H-2A | Tanegashima | LP-1 | 1 | Success | | 54 | Russia | 9/24/2011 | 20:18 GMT | Atlantic Bird 7 | Communications | Zenit-3SL | Sea Launch | - | - | Success | | 55 | USA | 9/27/2011 | 15:49 GMT | TacSat-4 | Military | Minotaur-4/Star-48B | Kodiak | LP-1 | 1 | Success | | 56 | China | 9/29/2011 | 21:16 local time | Tiangong-1 | Manned/space station | Chang Zheng 2F | Jiuquan | 1 | 921 | Success | | 57 | Russia | 9/29/2011 | 22:32 Moscow Time | QuetzSat-1 | Communications | Proton-M /Briz-M | Baikonur | 200 | 39 | Success | | 58 | Russia | 10/3/2011 | 00:15 | GLONASS-M No. 42 (Kosmos-2474) | Navigation | Soyuz-2.1b | Plesetsk | 43 | 4 | Success | | 59 | Russia | 10/5/2011 | 01:00:02 Moscow Summer Time | Intelsat-18 | Communications | Zenit-3SLB / Block-DM-SLB | Baikonur | 45 | 1 | Success | | 60 | China | 10/7/2011 | 08:21 UTC | Eutelsat-W3C | Communications | Chang Zheng 3B/E | Xichang | LC2 | 2 | Success | | 61 | India | 10/12/2011 | 05:31 UTC | Megha-Tropiques, Vesselsat-1, SRMSAT, Jugnu | Remote-sensing | PSLV C18 | Sriharikota | - | - | Success | | 62 | Russia | 10/19/2011 | 22:48 Moscow Time | ViaSat-1 | Communications | Proton-M/Briz-M | Baikonur | 200 | 39 | Success | | 63 | Russia | 10/21/2011 | 10:30:26 GMT | Galileo IOV-1 PFM, FM2 | Navigation | Soyuz-ST-B | Kourou | ELS | - | Success | | 64 | USA | 10/28/2011 | 09:48:01 | NPP-Bridge, AubieSat, RAX 2, DICE 1, DICE 2, M-Cubed, Explorer 1 Prime | Remote-sensing | Delta-2 7920-10 | Vandenberg | SLC-2W | W | Success | | 65 | Russia | 10/30/2011 | 14:11 Moscow Time | Progress M-13M, Chibis-M | Manned (Cargo transport for ISS) | Soyuz-U | Baikonur | 1 | 5 | Success | | 66 | China | 11/1/2011 | 05:58:10 Beijing Time | Shenzhou-8 | Manned (prototype) | Chang Zheng 2F | Jiuquan | - | - | Success | | 67 | Russia | 11/4/2011 | 16:51:41 Moscow Time | Three GLONASS-M | Navigation | Proton-M/Briz-M | Baikonur | 81 | 24 | Success | | 68 | China | 11/9/2011 | 03:21:05 GMT | YaoGan Weixing-12, Tian Xun-1 | - | Chang Zheng-4B | Taiyuan | LC-9 | - | Success | | 69 | Russia | 11/09/2011 | 00:16:02 Moscow Time | Phobos-Grunt, YH-1 | Planetary/Mars | Zenit-2FG | Baikonur | 45 | 1 | Success* | | 70 | Russia | 11/14/2011 | 08:14:03 Moscow Time | Soyuz TMA-22 | Manned/ISS | Soyuz FG | Baikonur | 1 | 5 | Success | | 71 | China | 11/20/2011 | 00:15 GMT | Shiyan 4, Chuangxin 1-03 | Remote-sensing/ experimental/ meteorology | Chang Zheng-2D | Jiuquan | - | - | Success | | 72 | Russia | 11/25/2011 | 23:10 Moscow Time | AsiaSat 7 | Communications | Proton-M /Briz-M | Baikonur | 200 | 39 | Success | | 73 | USA | 11/26/2011 | 10:02 a.m. EST | MSL | Mars rover | Atlas-5 (541) | Cape Canaveral | 41 | - | Success | | 74 | Russia | 11/28/2011 | 12:25 Moscow Time | GLONASS-M | Application/navigation | Soyuz-2.1b/Fregat | Plesetsk | 43 | 4 | Success | | 75 | China | 11/29/2011 | 18:50:04.467 GMT | YaoGan Weixing-13 | Military/reconnaissance | Chang Zheng 2C | Jiuquan | 9 | - | Success | | 76 | China | 12/1/2011 | 21:07:04.189 GMT | Compass-I5 | Navigation | Chang Zheng 3A | Xichang | 3 | - | Success | | 77 | Russia | 12/11/2011 | 15:17 Moscow Time | Luch-5A/Amos-5 | Communications/Relay | Proton-M/Briz-M | Baikonur | 81 | 24 | Success | | 78 | Japan | 12/12/2011 | 01:21 GMT | Radar reconsat | Military/reconnaissance/radar | H-2A | Tanegashima | - | - | Success | | 79 | Russia | 12/17/2011 | 11:03:08 p.m. French Guiana | Pléiades 1, SSOT, ELISA-1, ELISA-2, ELISA-3, ELISA-4 | Military/observation | Soyuz-ST-A/Fregat | Kourou | ELS | - | Success | | 80 | China | 12/19/2011 | 16:41 GMT | Nigcomsat 1R | Communications | Chang Zheng 3B | Xichang | - | - | Success | | 81 | Russia | 12/21/2011 | 17:16:14 Moscow Summer Time | Soyuz TMA-03M | Manned | Soyuz-FG | Baikonur | 1 | 5 | Success | | 82 | China | 12/22/2011 | 03:26:14 GMT | Zi Yuan-1 | - | Chang Zheng-4B | Taiyuan | LC-9 | - | Success | | 83 | Russia | 12/23/2011 | 16:08 Moscow Time | Meridian No. 5 | Military/communications | Soyuz-2-1b/Fregat | Plesetsk | 43 | 4 | Failure | | 84 | Russia | 12/28/2011 | 21:09 Moscow Time | Globalstar-2 (13), Globalstar-2 (14), Globalstar-2 (15), Globalstar-2 (16), Globalstar-2 (17), Globalstar-2 (18) | Communications | Soyuz-2-1a/Fregat | Baikonur | 31 | 6 | Success |

*Failed to depart to Mars after a successful delivery into the Earth orbit by a launch vehicle;

**Re-assigned mission

Delayed from first quarter 2011: Ariane-5 or Soyuz to launch the Intelsat New Dawn satellite from Kourou into a geostationary orbit for New Dawn Satellite Company Ltd. ("New Dawn"), a joint venture between Intelsat and a South African investor group led by Convergence Partners. The contract for the mission was announced on April 14, 2009, with the launch planned for the end of 2010. By June 2010, the mission slipped to the first quarter of 2011. It was an addition to the agreement signed by Intelsat and Arianespace in December 2008. New Dawn will provide critical communications infrastructure to Africa supporting wireless backhaul, broadband, direct-to-home and video applications. The satellite will weigh about 3,000 kg at launch, and has a design life exceeding 15 ye ars. Built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, Intelsat New Dawn will be fitted with 28 C-band and 24 Ku-band 36 MHz transponder units. It will be positioned at 33 degrees East and will deliver new capacity to Africa for voice, wireless backhaul, Internet and media applications. The satellite was launched on Ariane-5, its C-band antenna did not deploy and Intelsat took a full ownership of the spacecraft.

For missions in 2012 click here

This page was compiled by Anatoly Zak, S. Günes and George H. Chambers III, Last update:May 6, 2024

Page editor: Alain Chabot; Last edit: December 30, 2011

A new version of Russia's global positioning satellite, known as GLONASS-K, was to be introduced in 2010 with the launch on the Soyuz rocket from Plesetsk, but the mission slipped to 2011 at the very end of 2010. Click to enlarge. Copyright © 2008 Anatoly Zak

Soyuz in Kourou

General layout of the Soyuz launch complex in Kourou, French Guiana, which was scheduled to enter service in 2008, but had to be delayed until 2010 and 2011. Click to enlarge. Copyright © 2005 Anatoly Zak

A fully assembled Soyuz rocket slated to make the first flight from a brand-new launch pad in Kourou, French Guiana, undergoes final preparation at the center's integration building. Credit: Arianespace

Workers at Kourou launch site take pictures of each other as the first Soyuz rocket to fly from the equatorial site is being raised in position on its brand-new launch pad. Credit: Arianespace

A scale model of Russia's flagship planetary mission, Phobos-Grunt was demonstrated at the ILA 2008 air and space show in Berlin. Despite official promises to launch the mission in 2009, most industry insiders considered such schedule unrealistic. The official Russian media reported a delay to 2011 only in September 2009. The mission was finally launched on Nov. 9, 2011, with disastrous results. Click to enlarge. Copyright © 2008 Anatoly Zak

MSL