Previous Spaceflight Launches
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Pegasus XL | Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer (FAST)
Orbital Sciences Corporation | United States of AmericaAir launch to orbit
Aug. 21, 1996, 9:47 a.m.
Long March 3 | Zhongxing 7
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | ChinaXichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Aug. 18, 1996, 10:27 a.m.
Status: Launch Failure
Mission:
ChinaSat 7 or ZX 7 (Zhongxing 7) is a Hughes HS-376 model geostationary telecommunications satellite built for the China Telecommunications Broadcast Satellite Corporation (ChinaSat). It was the first satellite ChinaSat had ordered from a western spacecraft contractor, Hughes Space and Communications International, Inc., known today as Boeing Satellite Systems International, Inc.
Geostationary Orbit
Soyuz-U | Soyuz TM-24
Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) | RussiaBaikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
Aug. 17, 1996, 1:18 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Soyuz TM-24 was the 27th mission and the 22nd long-duration expedition to Mir space station. It was also a part of the US/Russian Shuttle-Mir Program. The mission began on 17 August 1996, 13:18:03 UTC, launching Commander Valery Korzun, Flight Engineer Aleksandr Kaleri and Research Cosmonaut Claudie André-Deshays into orbit. They docked with Mir two days later. During their stay there, cosmonauts performed several EVAs and various scientific experiments. Station crew was visited by several Progress resupply spacecrafts, STS-79 and STS-81, and welcomed aboard Soyuz TM-25 with the next expedition crew. The mission concluded with a safe landing back on Earth on March 2, 1997, 06:44:16 UTC.
Low Earth OrbitH-II | Midori
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries | JapanTanegashima Space Center, Japan
Aug. 17, 1996, 1:53 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Primary applications of ADEOS (Advanced Earth Observation Satellite), which has been renamed Midori after reaching orbit, include monitoring global environmental changes such as maritime meteorological conditions, atmospheric ozone, and gases that promote global warming. ADEOS was also expected to play a vital role in developing more sophisticated inter-orbit communications and platform technology for the satellite of tomorrow. ADEOS was launched by H-2 Launch Vehicle No.4 on August 1996 and provided a large volume of data containing valuable information about our environment atmosphere, ocean and land for about 10 months until it suddenly got out of control on 30 June 1997 because of the structural damage in its solar array paddle.
Low Earth OrbitMolniya-M | Molniya-1T 89
Russian Space Forces | RussiaPlesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
Aug. 14, 1996, 10:20 p.m.
Ariane 44L | Italsat F2 & Télécom 2D
Aérospatiale | FranceGuiana Space Centre, French Guiana
Aug. 8, 1996, 10:49 p.m.
Soyuz U | Progress M-32
Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) | RussiaBaikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
July 31, 1996, 8 p.m.
Atlas II | UHF F/O F7
Lockheed Martin | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
July 25, 1996, 12:41 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The U.S. Navy began replacing and upgrading its ultra-high frequency (UHF) satellite communications network during the 1990s with a constellation of customized satellites built by Hughes Space and Communications Company. Known as the UFO (Ultra High Frequency Follow On) series, these HS-601 model satellites support the Navy's global communications network, serving ships at sea and a variety of other U.S. military fixed and mobile terminals.
Geostationary Orbit
Delta II | GPS IIA-17
United Launch Alliance | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
July 16, 1996, 12:50 a.m.
Ariane 44L | Arabsat IIA & Türksat 1C
Aérospatiale | FranceGuiana Space Centre, French Guiana
July 9, 1996, 10:24 p.m.
