1984 in spaceflight

1984 in spaceflight
Orbital launches
First5 Jan
Last22 Dec
Total129
Successes128
Failures1
National firsts
Space traveller Canada
 India
Rockets
Maiden flightsAriane 3
Atlas G
Long March 3
Space Shuttle Discovery
RetirementsM-3S
Titan 24B
Crewed flights
Orbital8
Total travellers37

The following is an outline of 1984 in spaceflight.

Launches

Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks

January

23 January
07:58 		JapanUnited StatesN-II/Star-37E N-12 JapanTanegashima Space Center, LP-N JapanMitsubishi Heavy Industry (MHI)
JapanYuri 2a (BS-2a) NHK Geostationary Communications In orbit Successful
29 January
12:25 		ChinaLong March 3 Y1 ChinaXichang Satellite Launch Center, LC-3 ChinaMASI
ChinaDFH-2 1 (STTW T1) Intended: Geostationary (GEO)
Achieved: elliptical orbit 		Communications, technology test In orbit Partial failure
Third stage failed after restart, payload left in elliptical orbit much lower than planned geostationary transfer orbit.[1] Many planned tests were still carried out.
31 January
03:08 		United StatesTitan 34D/Transtage United StatesCape Canaveral LC-40 United States
United StatesOPS-0441 (Vortex 4) NRO High Earth SIGINT In orbit Successful

February

3 February
13:00 		United StatesSpace Shuttle Challenger United StatesKennedy LC-39A United StatesUnited Space Alliance
United StatesSTS-41-B NASA Low Earth Satellite deployment 11 February
12:15		 Successful
United StatesWestar 6 Western Union Intended: Geosynchronous
Actual: Low Earth 		Communications 16 November
11:59		 Deployment failure
IndonesiaPalapa B2 Telkom Indonesia Intended: Geosynchronous
Actual: Low Earth 		Communications 16 November
11:59		 Deployment failure
West GermanySPAS-1A NASA Low Earth (Challenger) Microgravity research 11 February
12:15		 Successful
Crewed orbital flight with five astronauts; first use of the Manned Maneuvering Unit and the first Space Shuttle landing at the Kennedy Space Center.
PAM failures led to Westar 6 and Palapa B2 being stranded in Low Earth orbit. The satellites were subsequently retrieved by Space Shuttle Discovery during mission STS-51-A in November and were returned to Earth for refurbishment.
Westar 6 was sold to AsiaSat and renamed AsiaSat 1, and launched by a Chinese Long March 3 carrier rocket on 7 April 1990.
Palapa B2 was renamed Palapa B2R and was launched by an American Delta II 6925-8 carrier rocket on 13 April 1990.
5 February
18:44 		United StatesAtlas H United StatesVandenberg SLC-3E United States
United StatesOPS-8737 (NOSS 7) US Navy Low Earth SIGINT In orbit Successful
8 February
12:07 		Soviet UnionSoyuz-U Soviet UnionBaikonur Site 31/6 Soviet Union
Soviet UnionSoyuz T-10 Low Earth (Salyut 7) Salyut 7 EO-3 11 April
10:48		 Successful
Crewed orbital flight with three cosmonauts
14 February
08:00 		JapanM-3S 4 JapanKagoshima Space Center, LP-M JapanISAS
JapanEXOS C (Ohzora) ISAS Low Earth Upper atmosphere and ionosphere research 26 December 1988 Successful
Final flight of M-3S
21 February
06:46 		Soviet UnionSoyuz-U Soviet UnionBaikonur Site 31/6 Soviet Union
Soviet UnionProgress 19 Low Earth (Salyut 7) Logistics 1 April
18:18		 Successful

March

5 March
00:50 		European UnionAriane 1 FranceKourou ELA FranceCNES
United NationsIntelsat 508 Intelsat Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Successful

April

3 April
13:08 		Soviet UnionSoyuz-U Soviet UnionBaikonur Site 31/6 Soviet Union
Soviet UnionSoyuz T-11 Low Earth (Salyut 7) Salyut 7 EP-3 2 October
10:57		 Successful
Crewed orbital flight with three cosmonauts including the first Indian space traveller
6 April
13:58 		United StatesSpace Shuttle Challenger United StatesKennedy LC-39A United StatesUnited Space Alliance
United StatesSTS-41-C NASA Low Earth Satellite deployment and repair 13 April
13:38		 Successful
United StatesLDEF NASA Low Earth Material science 20 January 1990
06:35		 Successful
Crewed orbital flight with five astronauts; Solar Max repair mission
LDEF retrieved by Space Shuttle Columbia during mission STS-32 in January 1990.
8 April
11:20 		ChinaLong March 3 Y2 ChinaXichang SLC, LC-3 ChinaMASI
ChinaDFH-2 2 (STTW T2) Geostationary Communications, technology test In orbit Successful
First successful Chinese communications satellite on the geostationary orbit
14 April
16:52 		United StatesTitan 34D/Transtage United StatesCape Canaveral LC-40 United States
United StatesOPS-7641 (DSP-12) US Air Force Geosynchronous Early warning In orbit Successful
15 April
08:12 		Soviet UnionSoyuz-U Soviet UnionBaikonur Site 31/6 Soviet Union
Soviet UnionProgress 20 Low Earth (Salyut 7) Logistics 7 May
00:32		 Successful
17 April
18:45 		United StatesTitan 24B United StatesVandenberg SLC-4W United States
United StatesOPS-8424 (KH-8-54) NRO Sun-synchronous Reconnaissance 13 August Successful
Final flight of Titan 24B and the final KH-8 spacecraft

May

7 May
22:47 		Soviet UnionSoyuz-U Soviet UnionBaikonur Site 31/6 Soviet Union
Soviet UnionProgress 21 Low Earth (Salyut 7) Logistics 26 May
15:00		 Successful
23 May
01:33 		European UnionAriane 1 FranceKourou ELA FranceArianespace
United StatesSpacenet F1 Spacenet Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Successful
28 May
14:12 		Soviet UnionSoyuz-U Soviet UnionBaikonur Site 31/6 Soviet Union
Soviet UnionProgress 22 Low Earth (Salyut 7) Logistics 15 July
18:52		 Successful

June

9 June
23:03 		United StatesAtlas G United StatesCape Canaveral LC-36B United States
United NationsIntelsat 509 Intelsat Intended: Geosynchronous
Achieved: Low Earth 		Communications 24 October Launch Failure
Maiden flight of Atlas G
Upper stage malfunction left payload in a useless orbit
13 June
11:37 		United StatesAtlas E/SGS-2 United StatesVandenberg SLC-3W United States
United StatesUSA-1 (GPS-9) US Air Force Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Successful
25 June
18:47 		United StatesTitan 34D United StatesVandenberg SLC-4E United States
United StatesUSA-2 (KH-9-19) NRO Sun-synchronous Reconnaissance 18 October Successful
United StatesUSA-3 (SSF-D-5) NRO Sun-synchronous ELINT In orbit Successful

July

17 July
17:40 		Soviet UnionSoyuz-U2 Soviet UnionBaikonur Site 31/6 Soviet Union
Soviet UnionSoyuz T-12 Low Earth (Salyut 7) Salyut 7 EP-4 29 July
12:55		 Successful
Crewed orbital flight with three cosmonauts
First crewed flight of Soyuz-U2
26 July
18:05 		Brazil Sonda III Brazil Barreira do Inferno Launch Center Brazil IAE
Brazil IAE Suborbital Engineering test 26 July Successful
688 km downrange. 565 km apogee. 12 min 40 s flight duration. 17th Sonda III launch.[2]

August

2 August
20:30 		JapanUnited StatesN-II/Star 37E N-13 JapanTanegashima Space Center, LP-N JapanMHI
JapanHimawari 3 (GMS-3) JMA Geostationary Meteorology In orbit Successful
4 August
13:32 		European UnionAriane 3 FranceKourou ELA FranceArianespace
FranceEutelsat 1F2 Eutelsat Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Successful
FranceTelecom 1A France Télécom Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Successful
Maiden flight of Ariane 3
Eutelsat 1F2 retired in 1993
14 August
06:28 		Soviet UnionSoyuz-U Soviet UnionBaikonur Site 1/5 Soviet Union
Soviet UnionProgress 23 Low Earth (Salyut 7) Logistics 28 August
01:28		 Successful
28 August
18:03 		United StatesTitan 34B United StatesVandenberg SLC-4W United States
United StatesUSA-4 (SDS-1-5) US Air Force Molniya Communications In orbit Successful
30 August
12:41 		United StatesSpace Shuttle Discovery United StatesKennedy LC-39A United StatesUnited Space Alliance
United StatesSTS-41-D NASA Low Earth Satellite deployment 5 September
15:37		 Successful
United StatesSBS-4 SBS Current: Graveyard
Operational: Geosynchronous 		Communications In orbit Successful
United StatesTelstar 302 AT&T Current: Graveyard
Operational: Geosynchronous 		Communications In orbit Successful
United StatesLeasat 2 US Navy Current: Graveyard
Operational: Geosynchronous 		Communications In orbit Successful
United StatesOAST-1 NASA Low Earth (Discovery) Solar array R&D 5 September
15:37		 Successful
Crewed orbital flight with six astronauts
Maiden flight of Space Shuttle Discovery

September

8 September
21:41 		United StatesAtlas E/SGS-2 United StatesVandenberg SLC-3W United States
United StatesUSA-5 (GPS-10) US Air Force Medium Earth Navigation In orbit Successful
12 September
05:44 		ChinaLong March 2C Y3 ChinaJiuquan Satellite Launch Center, LA-2B (Site 138) ChinaMASI
ChinaFSW-0 6 Low Earth Reconnaissance 29 September Successful

October

5 October
11:03 		United States Space Shuttle Challenger United States Kennedy LC-39A United States United Space Alliance
United States STS-41-G NASA Low Earth Satellite deployment 13 October
16:26		 Successful
United States ERBS NASA Low Earth Radiation budget observation 9 January 2023
04:04[3]		 Successful
United States OSTA-3 NASA Low Earth (Challenger) Earth imaging 13 October
16:26		 Successful
United States ORS NASA Low Earth (Challenger) Satellite refuelling demonstration 13 October
16:26		 Successful
Crewed orbital flight with seven astronauts including the first Canadian space traveller
Shuttle Imaging Radar-B (SIR-B)
ERBS retired on 14 October 2005

November

8 November
12:15 		United StatesSpace Shuttle Discovery United StatesKennedy LC-39A United StatesUnited Space Alliance
United StatesSTS-51-A NASA Low Earth Satellite deployment and retrieval 16 November
11:59		 Successful
CanadaAnik D2 Telesat Canada Current: Graveyard
Operational: Geosynchronous 		Communications In orbit Successful
United StatesLeasat 1 US Navy Current: Graveyard
Operational: Geosynchronous 		Communications In orbit Successful
Crewed orbital flight with five astronauts
Anik D2 retired on 31 January 1995
Retrieved Westar 6 and Palapa B2 satellites which were stranded in Low Earth orbit after PAM failures during deployment from Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-41-B in February.
10 November
01:14 		European UnionAriane 3 FranceKourou ELA FranceArianespace
United StatesSpacenet F2 Spacenet Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Successful
European UnionMARECS 2 ESA Geosynchronous Communications In orbit Successful
21 November Brazil Sonda IV Brazil Barreira do Inferno Launch Center Brazil CTA
Brazil CTA Suborbital Engineering test 21 November Successful
600 km apogee. 1st Sonda IV launch.[4]

December

4 December
18:03 		United StatesTitan 34D United StatesVandenberg SLC-4E United States
United StatesUSA-6 (KH-11-6) NRO Sun-synchronous Reconnaissance In orbit Successful
12 December
10:42 		United StatesAtlas E/Star-37S-ISS United StatesVandenberg SLC-3W United States
United StatesNOAA 9 (NOAA-F) NOAA Sun-synchronous Meteorology In orbit Successful
22 December
00:02 		United StatesTitan 34D/Transtage United StatesCape Canaveral LC-40 United States
United StatesUSA-7 (DSP-12) US Air Force Geosynchronous Early warning In orbit Successful

Suborbital launches

Date and time (UTC) Rocket Flight number Launch site LSP
Payload Operator Orbit Function Decay (UTC) Outcome
Remarks

January-March

April-June

10 June United States Minuteman 1B United States Vandenberg AFB, LF-06 United States US Air Force
United States Reentry vehicle USAF Suborbital ABM target 10 June Intercepted
Target for HOE 4, modified for increased visibility, successfully intercepted.
10 June United States HOE HOE 4 United States Meck Island, Kwajalein Missile Range United States US Air Force
United States HOE 4 USAF Suborbital ABM test 10 June Successful
Successfully intercepted the target.

July-September

October-December

Deep-space rendezvous

There were no deep-space rendezvous in 1984.

EVAs

Start date/time Duration End time Spacecraft Crew Remarks
7 February 5 hours
55 minutes 		STS-41-B
Challenger 		United StatesBruce McCandless II
United StatesRobert L. Stewart 		McCandless and Stewart rode on the Crewed Maneuvering Unit (MMUs) during the first untethered EVAs in history. Both astronauts practiced using tools and procedures for the planned capture and repair of the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) satellite to be performed in a subsequent flight.[5]
9 February 6 hours
17 minutes 		STS-41-B
Challenger 		United StatesBruce McCandless II
United StatesRobert L. Stewart 		Continued testing the MMUs and practice with tools and procedures to be used with recovery and repair of the SMM satellite.[5]
8 April
14:18 		2 hours
38 minutes 		16:56 STS-41-C
Challenger 		United StatesGeorge Nelson
United StatesJames van Hoften 		Nelson rode the MMU to the SMM satellite. Van Hoften stood by in the payload bay to provide any needed assistance. After three unsuccessful attempts to capture the SMM with the Trunnion Pin Acquisition Device (TPAD) tool and one attempt to grab the satellite by hand, the spacewalkers returned to Challenger. The SMM was recovered the next day with the RMS.[6]
11 April
08:58 		6 hours
44 minutes 		15:42 STS-41-C
Challenger 		United StatesGeorge Nelson
United StatesJames van Hoften 		Completed repair of the SMM satellite and then continued testing of the MMU.[7]
23 April
04:31 		4 hours
20 minutes 		08:46 Salyut 7 EO-3 Soviet UnionLeonid Kizim
Soviet UnionVladimir Solovyov 		Installed a new ladder to reach the ruptured Main Oxidizer Line on Salyut 7. First of five EVAs to conduct the repair.
26 April
02:40 		4 hours
56 minutes 		07:40 Salyut 7 EO-3 Soviet UnionLeonid Kizim
Soviet UnionVladimir Solovyov 		Removed installation and installed a valve in the spare oxidizer line. Second of five EVAs to repair the Main Oxidizer Line on the station.
29 April
01:35 		2 hours
45 minutes 		04:20 Salyut 7 EO-3 Soviet UnionLeonid Kizim
Soviet UnionVladimir Solovyov 		Installed a bypass line around the damaged section of the Main Oxidizer Line on the station. Third of five repair EVAs.
3 May
23:15 		2 hours
45 minutes 		4 May
02:00 		Salyut 7 EO-3 Soviet UnionLeonid Kizim
Soviet UnionVladimir Solovyov 		Installed a second bypass line and replaced thermal insulation at the Main Oxidizer Line of the station. Fourth of five repair EVAs.
18 May
17:52 		3 hours
5 minutes 		20:57 Salyut 7 EO-3 Soviet UnionLeonid Kizim
Soviet UnionVladimir Solovyov 		Installed two new solar arrays onto the space station.
25 July
14:55 		3 hours
35 minutes 		18:29 Salyut 7 EP-4 Soviet UnionVladimir Dzhanibekov
Soviet UnionSvetlana Savitskaya 		Tested the URI multi-purpose tool with several metal samples.
Savitskaya became the first women in history to perform an EVA.
8 August
08:46 		5 hours 13:46 Salyut 7 EO-3 Soviet UnionLeonid Kizim
Soviet UnionVladimir Solovyov 		Using a pneumatic press tool delivered by Soyuz T-12, the cosmonauts completed the fifth and final EVA to repair the damaged Main Oxidizer Line of the station by crimping the ends of the ruptured pipe.
11 October
15:38 		3 hours
29 minutes 		19:05 STS-41-G
Challenger 		United StatesDavid Leestma
United StatesKathryn Sullivan 		Demonstrated the use of the Orbital Refueling System, including the installation of an ORS valve maintenance kit.[8]
Sullivan was the first American women and the second women in history to conduct an EVA.[9]
12 November
13:25 		6 hours 19:25 STS-51-A
Discovery 		United StatesJoseph P. Allen
United StatesDale Gardner 		Allen rode the MMU to the Palapa B2 satellite and retrieved it into the payload bay. Gardner and Allen then secured the satellite in the payload bay for return to Earth.[10]
14 November
11:09 		5 hours
42 minutes 		16:51 STS-51-A
Discovery 		United StatesJoseph P. Allen
United StatesDale Gardner 		Gardner rode the MMU to the Westar 6 satellite and retrieved it into the payload bay. Allen and Gardner then secured the satellite in the payload bay for return to Earth.[10]

References

  • Bergin, Chris. "NASASpaceFlight.com".
  • Clark, Stephen. "Spaceflight Now".
  • Kelso, T.S. "Satellite Catalog (SATCAT)". CelesTrak.[dead link‍]
  • Krebs, Gunter. "Chronology of Space Launches".
  • Kyle, Ed. "Space Launch Report". Archived from the original on 5 October 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  • McDowell, Jonathan. "GCAT Orbital Launch Log".
  • Pietrobon, Steven. "Steven Pietrobon's Space Archive".
  • Wade, Mark. "Encyclopedia Astronautica".
  • Webb, Brian. "Southwest Space Archive".
  • Zak, Anatoly. "Russian Space Web".
  • "ISS Calendar". Spaceflight 101.
  • "NSSDCA Master Catalog". NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
  • "Space Calendar". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.[dead link‍]
  • "Space Information Center". JAXA.[dead link‍]
  • "Хроника освоения космоса" [Chronicle of space exploration]. CosmoWorld (in Russian).
Generic references:

Spaceflight portal

Footnotes

  1. ^ "Long March 3 | DFH-2 01". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  2. ^ "Como fazer um projeto espacial e lucrar milhões de dólares". Manchete (in Brazilian Portuguese). No. 1687. 18 August 1984. p. 36. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  3. ^ "Retired NASA Earth Radiation Budget Satellite Reenters Atmosphere". NASA. 6 January 2023. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2023.
  4. ^ Maria, Joaquim (8 December 1984). "Com a subida do Sonda IV, o futuro está lançado". Manchete (in Brazilian Portuguese). No. 1703. p. 119. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  5. ^ a b Collins Jr., Michael A. (March 1984). "STS 41B National Space Transportation System Program Mission Report" (PDF). NASA. p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2009.
  6. ^ "Space Shuttle Flight 11 (STS-41C)". Space Shuttle Video Library. National Space Society. 2008. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  7. ^ Collins, Michael (May 1984). "STS-41C National Space Transportation System Program Mission Report" (PDF). NASA. p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  8. ^ Collins Jr., Michael A. (November 1984). "STS 41-G National Space Transportation System Program Mission Report" (PDF). NASA. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  9. ^ Wade, Mark (2008). "Sullivan web page". Encyclopedia Astronautica web site. Archived from the original on 14 February 2009. Retrieved 18 February 2009.
  10. ^ a b "Space Shuttle Flight 14 (STS-51A)". Space Shuttle Video Library. National Space Society. July 2008. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2009.