Infrastructure
2008 – ISS
In addition to satellites and spacecraft, a third major facet of in-space activity involves in-space platforms. In-space platforms are facilities or modules constructed or placed in space with the intention of creating a permanent or semi-permanent location and resource base for staging further space activities. The International Space Station is the only operational in-space platform.
2008 – Sounding Rockets
The primary advantages of sounding rockets are their low cost, comparative ease of transport, ability to be launched from locations on land or sea, and relatively short turnaround times between mission concept and launch. These characteristics make sounding rockets a frequent choice of university science programs and research institutes that require less expensive access to space, enabling space-based experiments that might not otherwise receive funding.
2008 – U.S. Suborbital
The SpaceShipTwo vehicle, scheduled to begin commercial service by 2010, is the product of The Spaceship Company, a joint venture between Scaled Composites and Virgin Galactic. The design of SpaceShipTwo is similar to that of SpaceShipOne, the only suborbital spacecraft with a demonstrated capacity for carrying humans. A carrier aircraft, WhiteKnightTwo, unveiled in July 2008, is designed to carry SpaceShipTwo to launch altitude and release the spacecraft, which will then ignite rockets to achieve suborbital altitude before returning to the Earth. SpaceShipTwo can accommodate up to six passengers and two pilots. In addition to human suborbital spaceflight, Virgin Galactic has explored the idea of launching suborbital cargoes aboard SpaceShipTwo, such as U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration climatology experiments.
2008 – Other Countries, Launch, Payload
The Brazilian Space Agency has sporadically continued development of its proposed Veículo Lançador de Satélites (VLS) booster, designed to launch from the country’s Alcântara spaceport near the equator. Brazil hopes to perform further tests featuring a mockup rocket in 2010. Possibly as early as 2009, Brazil is expected to begin launching Ukrainian-built rockets under a joint venture between the two countries formalized in 2007.[
2008 – India Launch, Payload
India conducted ## orbital launches in 2008, all aboard its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). In addition to the PSLV, India operates a second vehicle, the larger Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
2008 – Japan Launch, Payload
Japan, after conducting a high of ## orbital launches in 2006, performed ## orbital ## in 2008. Japan is developing an enhanced version of its H-II vehicle, the H-IIB, designed to carry the cargo-supply H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) as a payload to the ISS. The HTV is scheduled for launch in September 2009 and is to be the largest payload the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has ever deployed.
2008 – Europe Launch, Payload
Europe’s Ariane 5 is operated by the French company Arianespace for both government and commercial use. Since 2005, the Ariane 5 has consistently performed ## or ## launches per year, deploying a mix of commercial and government satellites to GEO. In 2008, the Ariane 5 conducted ## launches, ## of which deployed ESA’s Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV).
2008 – China Launch, Payload
China’s increasing participation in space continued in 2008 with the record high of ## orbital launches, exceeding its previous peak of ## orbital launches in 2007. These launches used China’s only operational vehicle family, the Long March (“Chang Zheng”, or CZ) series.
2008 – Russia Launch, Payload
In each of the past five years from 2004 through 2008, Russia has led the world in the number of orbital launches. In 2008, Russia matched its 2007 launch rate, conducting ## orbital launches. Consistent with years past, nearly two-thirds of Russia’s 2008 launches used one of two vehicles, the Proton and Soyuz. Other Russian vehicles active in 2008 included the Dnepr, Kosmos 3M, Molniya, Rockot, and the Soyuz 2.
2008 – U.S. Launch, Payload
Five U.S. launch vehicles performed orbital missions in 2008: the Atlas V, Delta II, Falcon 1, Pegasus XL, and the Space Shuttle. All but the Falcon 1 have been in service for at least six years, with extensive operational histories including at least a dozen successful orbital launches.