2013 in spaceflight

2013 in spaceflight
	The first launch of the Antares rocket occurred on 21 April 2013.
Orbital launches
First	15 January
Last	28 December
Total	81
Successes	77
Failures	3
Partial failures	1
Catalogued	78
National firsts
Satellite	Azerbaijan; Austria; Ecuador; Estonia; Jersey; Qatar; Peru; Bolivia;
Orbital launch	South Korea (with assistance from Russia)
Rockets
Maiden flights	Antares 110 (April); Minotaur V (September); Epsilon (September); Kuaizhou (September); Falcon 9 v1.1 (September); Soyuz-2-1v (December);
Retirements	Naro-1 (January); Falcon 9 v1.0 (March); Antares 110 (April);
Crewed flights
Orbital	5
Total travellers	15
EVAs	11
	v; t; e;

In 2013, the maiden spaceflight of the Orbital Sciences' Antares launch vehicle, designated A-ONE, took place on 13 April.^[1] Orbital Science also launched its first spacecraft, Cygnus, that docked with the International Space Station in late September 2013.

Quick Facts Orbital launches, First ...

[1]

Date (UTC)	Spacecraft	Event	Remarks
16 February	Cassini	90th flyby of Titan	Closest approach: 1,978 kilometres (1,229 mi).
9 March	Cassini	4th flyby of Rhea	Closest approach: 997 kilometres (620 mi). Last Cassini flyby of Rhea.
5 April	Cassini	91st flyby of Titan	Closest approach: 1,400 kilometres (870 mi).
12 April	Cassini	Flyby of Polydeuces	Closest approach: 115,000 kilometres (71,000 mi).
23 May	Cassini	92nd flyby of Titan	Closest approach: 970 kilometres (600 mi).
10 July	Cassini	93rd flyby of Titan	Closest approach: 964 kilometres (599 mi).
26 July	Cassini	94th flyby of Titan	Closest approach: 1,400 kilometres (870 mi).
12 September	Cassini	95th flyby of Titan	Closest approach: 1,400 kilometres (870 mi).
6 October	LADEE	Injection into Selenocentric orbit	Preliminary orbit was 269 kilometres (167 mi) x 15,772 kilometres (9,800 mi), inclined 157 deg to the equator.
9 October	Juno	Flyby of Earth	Gravity assist, closest approach: 552 kilometres (343 mi).
13 October	Cassini	96th flyby of Titan	Closest approach: 961 kilometres (597 mi).
30 November	Cassini	97th flyby of Titan	Closest approach: 870 kilometres (540 mi).
6 December	Chang'e 3	Injection into Selenocentric orbit	Preliminary orbit was 100 kilometres (62 mi), reduced to 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) on 10 December.
14 December	Chang'e 3	Landing at Mare Imbrium	First Chinese lunar soft lander and rover, coordinates 44.1214°N 19.5116°W / 44.1214; -19.5116.
28 December	Mars Express	Flyby of Phobos	Closest approach: 45 kilometres (28 mi).

Start Date/Time	Duration	End Time	Spacecraft	Crew	Remarks
19 April 14:03	6 hours 38 minutes	20:41	Expedition 35/36 ISS Pirs	Pavel Vinogradov Roman Romanenko	Installed the Obstanovka plasma waves and ionosphere experiment to the exterior of the Zvezda service module. Also replaced a faulty retro-reflector device used as navigational aids for the Automatic Transfer Vehicle and retrieved the Biorisk microbe exposure experiment. An attempt to retrieve the Vinoslivost materials sample experiment failed when it was accidentally dropped while being taken back to the Pirs module airlock.^[105]^[106]
11 May 12:44	5 hours 30 minutes	18:14	Expedition 35/36 ISS Quest	Christopher Cassidy Thomas Marshburn	Replaced the 2B Pump Flow Control Subassembly (PFCS) on the Port 6 truss in attempting to locate the source of an ammonia coolant leak on the Port 6 truss Photo Voltaic Thermal Control System (PVTCS).^[107]^[108]
24 June 13:32	6 hours 34 minutes	20:06	Expedition 36/37 ISS Pirs	Fyodor Yurchikhin Aleksandr Misurkin	Replaced a fluid flow regulator on the Zarya module, testing of the Kurs docking system on the station ahead of the arrival of a new Russian module, installing the "Indicator" experiment, installing gap spanners on to the outside of the station and photographing the multilayer insulation (MLI) protecting the Russian segment from micrometeoroids and taking samples from the exterior surface of the pressure hull underneath the MLI to identify signs of pressure hull material microscopic deterioration.^[109]^[110]
9 July 12:02	6 hours 7 minutes	18:09	Expedition 36/37 ISS Quest	Christopher Cassidy Luca Parmitano	Replaced a failed Space-to-Ground Transmitter Receiver Controller and the Mobile Base Camera Light Pan-Tilt Assembly, retrieved the MISSE-8 and ORMatE-III experiments, photographed the AMS-02, moved two Radiator Grapple Bars to either sides of the truss, routed power cables to support the addition of the new Russian MLM and installed a multi-layer insulation cover to protect the docking interface of PMA-2.^[111]^[112]
16 July 11:57	1 hours 32 minutes	13:29	Expedition 36/37 ISS Quest	Christopher Cassidy Luca Parmitano	Installed a Y-bypass jumper on power lines on the Z1 truss, routing 1553 data cables for a grapple fixture and Ethernet cables for a future Russian station module. The spacewalk was then cut short after Parmitano reported excess water leaking inside his helmet.^[113]^[114]^[115]
16 August 14:36	7 hours 29 minutes	22:05	Expedition 36/37 ISS Pirs	Fyodor Yurchikhin Aleksandr Misurkin	Routed power and Ethernet cables for later attachment to the future Nauka module. Also installed connectors between modules and a material science experiment.^[116]^[117]
22 August 11:34	5 hours 58 minutes	17:32	Expedition 36/37 ISS Pirs	Fyodor Yurchikhin Aleksandr Misurkin	Removed a laser communication and installed an EVA work station and camera pointing platform outside the Zvezda service module, inspection and tightening of various antenna covers on Zvezda, and installed new spacewalk aids.^[118]^[119]
9 November 14:34	5 hours 50 minutes	20:24	Expedition 37/38 ISS Pirs	Oleg Kotov Sergey Ryazansky	Took the Olympic torch for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games to the outside of ISS. They also continued work on an extravehicular activity workstation and biaxial pointing platform by removing launch brackets and bolts, as well as retrieving an experimental package. The planned installation of a foot restraint on the mounting seat of the workstation was deferred to a future spacewalk after the spacewalkers noticed some issues with its alignment.^[120]^[121]
21 December 12:01	5 hours 28 minutes	17:29	Expedition 38/39 ISS Quest	Richard Mastracchio Michael S. Hopkins	Removed ammonia fluid lines from Active Thermal Control System pump module; removed pump module from starboard truss and stowed it on Payload Orbital Replacement Unit Accommodation.^[122]
24 December 11:53	7 hours 30 minutes	19:23	Expedition 38/39 ISS Quest	Richard Mastracchio Michael S. Hopkins	Retrieved spare ammonia pump module, installed it on starboard truss, and connected it to Loop A of Active Thermal Control System.^[123]^[124]
27 December 13:00	8 hours 7 minutes	21:07	Expedition 38/39 ISS Pirs	Oleg Kotov Sergey Ryazansky	Attempted installation of 2 HD cameras for commercial Earth observation on the outside of the Zvezda module, cancelled after one of the cameras failed to provide data to the ground during testing. Also installed and jettisoned experimental equipment outside the Russian segment. Longest Russian EVA in history.^[125]^[126]

Country		Launches	Successes	Failures	Partial failures
	China	15	14	1	0
	France	4	4	0	0
	India	3	3	0	0
	Italy	1	1	0	0
	Japan	3	3	0	0
	Russia	31^[a]	28	2	1
	South Korea	1^[b]	1	0	0
	Ukraine	4	4	0	0
	United States	19	19	0	0
World		81	77	3	1

Family	Country	Launches	Successes	Failures	Partial failures	Remarks
Angara	Russia	1	1	0	0
Antares	United States	2	2	0	0	Maiden flight
Ariane	France	4	4	0	0
Atlas	United States	8	8	0	0
Delta	United States	3	3	0	0
Epsilon	Japan	1	1	0	0	Maiden flight
Falcon	United States	3	3	0	0
H-II	Japan	2	2	0	0
Kuaizhou	China	1	1	0	0	Maiden flight
Long March	China	14	13	1	0
Minotaur	United States	2	2	0	0
Pegasus	United States	1	1	0	0
PSLV	India	3	3	0	0
R-7	Russia	16	16	0	0
R-36	Ukraine	2	2	0	0
Universal Rocket	Russia	15	13	1	1
Vega	Italy	1	1	0	0
Zenit	Ukraine	2	1	1	0

Rocket	Country	Family	Launches	Successes	Failures	Partial failures	Remarks
Antares 100	United States	Antares	2	2	0	0	Maiden flight
Ariane 5	France	Ariane	4	4	0	0
Atlas V	United States	Atlas	8	8	0	0
Delta IV	United States	Delta	3	3	0	0
Dnepr	Ukraine	R-36	2	2	0	0
Epsilon	Japan	Epsilon	1	1	0	0	Maiden flight
Falcon 9	United States	Falcon	3	3	0	0
H-IIA	Japan	H-II	1	1	0	0
H-IIB	Japan	H-II	1	1	0	0
Kuaizhou 1	China	Kuaizhou	1	1	0	0	Maiden flight
Long March 2	China	Long March	5	5	0	0
Long March 3	China	Long March	3	3	0	0
Long March 4	China	Long March	6	5	1	0
Minotaur I	United States	Minotaur	1	1	0	0
Minotaur V	United States	Minotaur	1	1	0	0
Naro	Russia / South Korea	Angara	1	1	0	0	Final flight
Pegasus	United States	Pegasus	1	1	0	0
PSLV	India	PSLV	3	3	0	0
Proton	Russia	Universal Rocket	10	9	1	0
Soyuz	Russia	R-7	8	8	0	0
Soyuz-2	Russia	R-7	8	8	0	0
UR-100	Russia	Universal Rocket	5	4	0	1
Vega	Italy	Vega	1	1	0	0
Zenit	Ukraine	Zenit	2	1	1	0

2013 in spaceflight

Overview

Orbital launches

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Suborbital flights

Deep space rendezvous

Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVAs)

Orbital launch statistics

By country

By rocket

By family

By type

By configuration

By spaceport

By orbit

Notes

References

Wikiwand - on

2013 in spaceflight

Timeline of spaceflight ← 2012 2014 →

Date and time (UTC)	Rocket		Flight number	Launch site		LSP
		Payload (⚀ = CubeSat)	Operator	Orbit	Function	Decay (UTC)	Outcome
		Remarks
26 January 22:00	Ground Based Interceptor			Vandenberg LF-23		Missile Defense Agency

		EKV	MDA	Suborbital	Anti-ballistic missile test	26 January	Successful
		Non-intercept flight test.
27 January ~12:10	B-611			Shuangchengzi		PLA

			PLA	Suborbital	ABM target	11 January	Successful
		Target
27 January ~12:10	SC-19			Korla		PLA

			PLA	Suborbital	ABM test	11 January	Successful
		Interceptor, successful intercept
28 January	Kavoshgar (Zelzal-based)			Semnan		ISA

		Pishgam	ISA	Suborbital	Biological	28 January	Successful^[102]
		Apogee: 116 kilometres (72 miles), carried a rhesus monkey
29 January 22:50	Terrier Improved Orion			Wallops Island		NASA

		Lithium Release Experiments	NASA GSFC	Suborbital	Atmospheric experiments	29 January	Successful
		Apogee: ~130 kilometres (81 mi)
7 February 08:21	Talos Terrier Oriole Nihka			Poker Flat		NASA

		VISIONS	NASA GSFC	Suborbital	Auroral research	7 February	Successful
13 February 09:10	MRBTM		FTM-20	Kauai		MDA

			MDA	Suborbital	ABM target	13 February	Successful
		SM-3 Block 1A target
13 February 09:15	RIM-161C SM-3 Block 1A		FTM-20	USS Lake Erie, Pacific Ocean		US Navy

			US Navy	Suborbital	ABM test	13 February	Successful
		MRBTM interceptor, successful intercept
15 February 16:34	Terrier Improved Orion			White Sands		NASA

		Technology Experiments	NASA GSFC/WFF	Suborbital	Technology demonstration	15 February	Successful
		Apogee: ~130 kilometres (81 mi) ?
25 February 05:52:31	Arrow III			Negev		IAI

			IAI/IDF	Suborbital	ABM Test	25 February	Successful

Orbital regime	Launches	Successes	Failures	Remarks
Transatmospheric	0	0	0
Low Earth	48	47	1	12 to ISS, 1 to Tiangong-1
Medium Earth / Molniya	4	3	1
Geosynchronous / GTO	24	23	1
High Earth / Lunar transfer	3	3	0	MOM was initially placed in a highly elliptical Earth orbit and performed Trans-Mars injection under its own power
Heliocentric / Planetary transfer	2	2	0
Total	81	78	3