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Videos on satellite orbits  –            –  Mike's books

Mike's short courses on space systems

Elite Space Club

Countries that launched satellites by their space launchers

USC history  –  Enemy Amongst Trojans. A Spy at USC

Spaceflight History  –  Socks for the First Cosmonaut of Planet Earth

160+ problems with detailed solutions Fundamentals of Space Missions Magnitudes of stars and satellites. The solar system. Coordinate systems and time. Plane and solid angles. Space environment and spacecraft interactions. Satellite atmospheric drag. Solar radiation pressure. Gravitational field. The Earth. Basics of orbital mechanics. Orbital elements, transfers, and maneuvers. Orbit evolution and common orbits. Space mission geometry.

Fundamentals of Space Missions – 3-page info (pdf) – list of problems

Chronological order

Soviet Union – October 4, 1957

satellite: Sputnik ("sputnik" means "fellow traveler" in Russian)

launcher: modified R-7 ICBM

launch site: Tyuratam   (Baikonur)

United States – January 31, 1958

satellite: Explorer I

launcher: Juno (modified Jupiter C)

launch site: Cape Canaveral

France – November 26, 1965

satellite: Asterix-1

launcher: modified Diamant-A ("diamant" means "diamond" in French)

launch site: Hammaguir, Algeria

Japan – February 11, 1970

satellite: Ohsumi-1

launcher: Lambda-4S

launch site: Kagoshima Space Center

China (PRC) – April 24, 1970

satellite: Dong Fong Hong 1 ("dong fong hong" means "the east is red" in Chinese)

launcher: Long March 1

launch site: Jiuquan Launch Site

Great Britain – October 28, 1971

satellite: Prospero

launcher: Black Arrow

launch site: Woomera, Australia

European Space Agency (ESA) – December 24, 1979

satellite: CAT

launcher: Ariane

launch site: Kourou, French Guiana

India – July 18, 1980

satellite: Rohini-1

launcher: Satellite Launch Vehicle 3

launch site: Sriharicota Island

Israel – September 19, 1988

satellite: Ofeq 1 ("ofeq" means "horizon" in Hebrew)

launcher: Shavit ("shavit" means "comet" in Hebrew)

launch site: Palmachim Air Force Base, Israel

Iran – February 2, 2009

satellite: Omid-1 ("omid" means "hope" in Farsi)

launcher: Safir-2

launch site: Iran

North Korea (DPRK) – December 12, 2012

satellite: Kwang Myong Song 3 (KMS-3-2) ("song" means "star" in Korean)

launcher: Unha-3 ("unha" means "galaxy" in Korean)

launch site: Sohae Satellite Launching Station, North Korea (DPRK)

South Korea (ROK) – January 30, 2013

satellite: STSAT-2C

launcher: Korea Satellite Launch Vehicle (KSLV-1) (part Korean, Part Russian)

launch site: Naro Space Center

           

other rocket science items