Table of Contents
Eyes Turned Skyward : Mission List
This page is intended to record prominent missions and mission events from the Eyes Turned Skyward timeline. It is a work in progress, but the intention is to have it complete to the end of Part I soon.
Apollo Program
John F. Kennedy Program “to bring a Man to moon and back, before end of this decade”
Apollo One
Launched: Not, schedule for springtime , 1967
LV: Saturn 1B
Spacecraft: Apollo Block I
Commander: Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom †
Command Module Pilot: Edward H. “Ed” White †
Second Pilot: Roger B. Chaffee †
Also known as Apollo Saturn-204 or Apollo 4 (inofficial)
Had to be Test of Apollo Hardware Block I in Orbit for 14 days, with 10 scientific experiments on board
During last launch exercise on January 27, 1967. A fire erupt inside Apollo capsule killing the crew, the investigation and redesign of hardware, delay the Apollo program for 20 months.
Apollo 7-10
Test of Apollo Block II and Lunar Module in Earth orbit and Moon orbit
Apollo 11
Launched: July 16, 1969
LV: Saturn V
Spacecraft: Apollo Block II, LM-5
Commander: Neil Armstrong
Command Module Pilot: Michael Collins
LM Pilot: Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin
First Time in mankind history, two humans land on Moon in Sea of Tranquility and stay for 22 hours.
Apollo 12
Launched: November 14, 1969
LV: Saturn V
Spacecraft: Apollo Block II, LM-6
Commander: Pete Conrad,
Command Module Pilot: Richard F. Gordon
LM Pilot: Alan L. Bean
Saturn V hit by lighting during take off. Precision landing near Surveyor 3 lunar lander probe.
Apollo 13
Launched: November 14, 1969
LV: Saturn V
Spacecraft: Apollo Block II, LM-7
Commander: James A. Lovell,
Command Module Pilot: Jack Swigert
LM Pilot: Fred Haise
Consider as a Routine Mission, it turn 56 hours after launch into matter of life and death as Lox tank in SM explode !
The Crew survived and return save to Earth thanks to Lunar Module, used as Lifeboat
Apollo 18
Final mission in the Apollo Program. Targeted at Hyginus crater and rille, suspected to be of volcanic origin (a supposition proven by the mission). Crew: * Commander: Richard F. Gordon, Jr. * Command Module Pilot: Vance D. Brand * Lunar Module Pilot: Harrison Schmitt
Thus, it was also the first time a geologist walked on the Moon (as Joe Engle was the Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 17). Detailed in Post 5.
Skylab Program
Skylab 1
Launched: January, 1974
LV: Saturn V
Spacecraft: Skylab space station
Unmanned flight
Launch of the Skylab station. During ascent, a failure of the micrometeroid shield tears off the shield, one entire solar array, and damages the other such as to prevent its deployment. The Skylab 2 crew launch is delayed while temporary work-arounds are developed, in the meantime ground controllers fight a valiant battle to preserve power and manuevering propellants while preventing the wounded station from overheating. See Skylab page for full details.
Skylab 2
Launched: January, 1974
LV: Saturn 1B
Spacecraft: Apollo Block II
Commander: Pete Conrad
Command Module Pilot: Paul Weitz
Scientist-Pilot: Joseph Kernan
Also known as SLM-1
The first crew to fly to Skylab, the Skylab 2 crew's launch was delayed while work-around procedures were developed to save the station.
Skylab 3
Launched: March, 1974
LV: Saturn 1B
Spacecraft: Apollo Block II
Commander: Alan Bean
Command Module Pilot: Jack Lousma
Scientist-Pilot: Owen Garriot
Also known as SLM-2
Skylab 4
Launched: July, 1974
LV: Saturn 1B
Spacecraft: Apollo Block II
Commander: Ron Evans
Command Module Pilot: William Pogue
Scientist-Pilot: Edwin Gibson
Also known as SLM-3
AARDV-1
Patch image created by Michel Van, used with permission
Launched: Jan 1976
LV: Saturn 1B
Spacecraft: AARDV-1
Unmanned spacecraft
Free-flight test of the Aardvark resupply vehicle. Fully succesful in demonstrating capabilities, cleared the way for Skylab 5 mission to go ahead.
Skylab 5
Launched: May, 1976
LV: Saturn 1B
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III
Commander: Rusty Schweickart
Command Module Pilot: Don Lind
Flight Scientist: William Lenoir
Also known as SLM-4
Final manned mission to the Skylab station, demonstrating techniques needed for upcoming Spacelab missions, including the Apollo Block III crew vehicle, resupply with the Aardvark spacecraft, and use of the Aardvark thrusters for control of the station's orbit (used in this case to conduct controlled deorbit of Skylab after the crew's departure). Also participated in bicentennial celebration events on July 4, 1976.
AARDV-2
Patch created by Michel Van, used with permission
Launched: June, 1976
LV: Saturn 1B
Spacecraft: AARDV-2
Unmanned flight
Also known as Spacelab 5A
Second flight of the Aardvark reupply vehicle, demonstrating operations with the Skylab station in preparation for use to resupply and reboost the Spacelab station.
Spacelab Program
Saturn 1C Demo Flight
Launched: July, 1977
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: None, mass simulator
Unmanned flight
The first flight of the Saturn 1C in July 1977 was the final step in preparing for the Spacelab program, proving the launch vehicle that was to be at the core of Spacelab operations. The vehicle succesfully placed a 20 metric ton mass simulator into the intended orbit, which was specifically designed to allow the simulated payload to de-orbit rapidly and thus avoid creating further space debris.
Spacelab 1
Launched: April, 1978
LV: Saturn V
Spacecraft: Spacelab space station
Unmanned flight
Launch of the Spacelab space station aboard the final Saturn V remaining in NASA inventory. Followed on the same day by the launch of the first Spacelab crew mission (see Spacelab 2). For full details, see the Spacelab page.
Spacelab 2
Launched: April, 1978
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III
Commander: Vance Brand
Command Module Pilot: Richard Truly
Flight Scientist: F. Story Murgrave
Also known as SLM-5
First manned mission to the Spacelab station, activating and checking out the workshop in preparation for the ASTP-2 joint mission between the US and USSR.
Spacelab 3
Launched: July, 1978
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III
Commander: John Young
Command Module Pilot: Robert Crippen
Flight Scientist: F. Karl Henize
Also known as SLM-6
The American half of the ASTP-2 mission, sharing their time on the Spacelab station with the Soviet crew of Soyuz 30.
AARDV-3
Launched: August, 1978
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: AARDV-3
Unmanned flight
Third flight of the Aardvark reupply vehicle, first to resupply the Spacelab station. Initial processing carried out by ASTP-2 crew. Final processing and undocking/entry overseen by Spacelab 4 crew.
Spacelab 4
Launched: November, 1978
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III
Commander: Stuart Roosa
Command Module Pilot: Gordon Fullerton
Flight Scientist: William Thornton
Also known as SLM-7
Third manned mission to the Spacelab station. Demonstrates modular assembly, supervising the addition of the Airlock Module at the zenith port of the Spacelab MDA, replacing the Docking Module that was removed by the retreating Soyuz 30 spacecraft at the conclusion of joint ASTP-2 operations. Also oversees setup of the station for long-term 5-person operations as Block III+ Apollo has become part of plans and (as the first Spacelab mission not heavily loaded) features in several PR exercises, including cross-promotion with cast and crew of Star Trek: The New Voyages such as DeForest Kelly meeting with William Thornton.
AARDV-4
Launched: December, 1979
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: AARDV-4 (bus), Airlock Module (payload)
Unmanned flight
Fourth flight of the AARDV vehicle, first use in role as bus for modular station components. Airlock Module fitted with adaptor in place of Aardvark pressurized logistics module. Module docked to Spacelab zenith port by Spacelab 4 crew, bus detatched and allowed to destructively enter the atmosphere in December.
Spacelab 5
Launched: Jan, 1979
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III
Commander: Joseph Engle
Command Module Pilot: Karol Bobko
Flight Scientist: Wubbo Ockels (ESA)
Also known as SLM-8
On this mission, Ockels becomes the first ESA astronaut to fly in space.
AARDV-5
Launched: March, 1978
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: AARDV-5
Unmanned flight
Fourth flight of the Aardvark vehicle, second to resupply the Spacelab station. Initial processing carried out by Spacelab 5 crew. Final processing and undocking/entry overseen by Spacelab 6 crew.
Spacelab 6
Launched: May, 1979
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III
Commander: Fred Haise
Command Module Pilot: Robert OVermeyer
Flight Scientist: Joseph Allen
Also known as SLM-9
Spacelab 7
Launched: September, 1979
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III
Commander: Jack Lousma
Command Module Pilot: Henry Hartsfield
Flight Scientist: Ulf Merbold
Also known as SLM-10
Second major instance of modular assembly, with the launch of the European Research Module, the major ESA contribution to the station. Ulf Merbold is first German ESA astronaut and first West German to fly to space.
AARDV-6
Launched: October, 1979
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: AARDV-6 (bus), European Research Module (payload)
Unmanned flight
Sixth flight of the AARDV vehicle, second use in role as bus for modular station components. European Research Module (ERM) fitted with adaptor in place of Aardvark pressurized logistics module. Module docked to Spacelab forward port by Spacelab 7 crew, bus detatched and allowed to destructively enter the atmosphere in December.
Spacelab 8
Launched: January, 1980
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III
Commander: Paul Weitz
Command Module Pilot: David Peterson
Flight Scientist: Phillip Chapman
Also known as SLM-11
Final flight of the Block III, phased out after this mission in favor of the Block III+.
Spacelab 9
Launched: ???, 1980
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Commander: Robert Crippen
Command Module Pilot: Donald Hunt
Flight Scientist: Nigel Wood
Also known as SLM-12
First flight of Block III+ and with Nigel Wood the first Britain in space.
AARDV-7
Launched: August , 1980
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: AARDV-7
resupply mission to Spacelab
Spacelab 10
Launched: September, 1980
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Commander: ???
Command Module Pilot: Don Hunt
Flight Scientist #1: Jean-Loup Chrètien.
Flight Scientist #2: ???
Flight Scientist #3: ???
Also known as SLM-13 aka the Garlic incident
First flight of Block III+ with 5 persons and with the first French in space. the Mission is know as the Garlic incident because Jean-Loup Chrètien use of garlic in his food and problems of Spacecraft air filters could not handle it.
Spacelab 11
Launched January, 1981
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Commander: ???
Command Module Pilot: ???
Flight Scientist #1: Peggy Barnes.
Flight Scientist #2: ???
Flight Scientist #3: ???
Also known as SLM-14
Peggy Barnes becomes first US woman in space and First EVA by a Woman in space
Spacelab 12
Launched May?, 1981
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Crew: ??
Spacelab 13
Launched September, 1981
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Crew: F. Story Musgrave
Musgrave will fly a long-duration mission.
Spacelab 14
Launched January, 1982?
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Crew: Katsuyama Hideki
Hideki flies a short-stay mission as part of the Spaceflight Participation Program, returning with the Spacelab 13 CM.
Spacelab 15
Launched May, 1982
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Crew: ??
Dr. Story Musgrave returns to Earth following a long-duration (8 months) stay on Spacelab.
Spacelab 17
Launched January, 1983?
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Crew: ??
Includes Japan’s second astronaut?
Spacelab 18
Launched May, 1983?
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Crew: ??
Includes Japan’s second astronaut?
Spacelab 19
Launched September, 1983?
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Crew: ??
Includes Japan’s second astronaut?
Spacelab 20
Launched January, 1984?
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Crew: ??
Spacelab 21
Launched May, 1984?
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Crew: Laura Kinsley? + 4 others
Kinsley spends a short-stay on Spacelab as part of the Spaceflight Participation Program, returning with the Spacelab 20 CM? She is the first teacher in space and the first US non-professional astronaut.
Spacelab 26
Launched January, 1986?
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Crew: ??
Includes Turkey’s first astronaut.
Spacelab 27
Launched May, 1986
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Crew: Jim Lehrer + 4 others
Lehrer becomes the first journalist in space. He is on a short-stay, returning with the Spacelab 26 CM. Spacelab 27 mission extended to October 6th, 1986 to mothball the station following the Spacelab 28 launch failure and subsequent grounding of Saturn 1C.
Spacelab 28
Launched September 19th, 1986
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Commander: Don Hunt
Pilot: ??
Mission Specialists: 3.
Launch failure. Launch Escape System successfully activates, saving all five crewmembers. Saturn 1C is grounded.
Spacelab 29
Launched February, 1987
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Crew: ??
Return to flight of Saturn 1C following the Spacelab 28 failure. Reactivation of Spacelab after 3 months unscrewed.
Spacelab 30
Launched ??, 1987
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Crew: ??
Spacelab 31
Launched ??, 1987
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Commander: ??
Pilot: Chris Valente?
Mission Specialist: Peggy Barnes? + 2 more
??In-space testing of the new A9 and AX-4 spacesuits by Valente and Barnes. Barnes sets a new record for career spacewalk duration.
Spacelab 32
Launched November, 1987?
LV: Saturn 1C
Spacecraft: Apollo Block III+
Commander: Don Hunt
Pilot: ??
Mission Specialist: ?? (1 only)
Final Spacelab mission, crew of 3. Mission included docking of AARDV-14, the last Block-I AARDV launched on the first Saturn M02. Mission ends in January 1988 with the destructive de-orbit of Spacelab over the Indian Ocean.
Freedom Program
The following is a summary of the early manned and unmanned missions for the assembly of Space Station Freedom
Challenger + SSRMS1
Launched November, 1988
LV: Saturn Multibody H03
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: Challenger HSM and SSRMS1
Uncrewed. First launch of the Freedom project.
Freedom Expedition 1
Launched November, 1988
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: Apollo Block IV
Commander: Jack Bailey
Crew: Gerald Mitchell + 3 others
Node 1 + SSRMS 2
Launched November, 1988
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: Node 1 “Unity”, SSRMS 2
uncrewed
P1 Truss
Launched January, 1989
LV: Saturn Multibody H03
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: P1 Truss
Uncrewed
Freedom Expedition 2
Launched April, 1989
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: Apollo Block IV
Commander: Nick Wallace Pilot: Ryan Little
Mission Specialist: Beverly McDowell
Mission Specialist: Josh Carter
Mission Specialist: Amedeo Trevisani (ESA)
Expedition Freedom 1 departs later the same month.
Discovery
Launched May, 1989
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: US Lab module “Discovery”
Uncrewed
S1 Truss
Launched June, 1989
LV: Saturn Multibody H03
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: S1 Truss
Uncrewed
Columbus
Launched July, 1989
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: ESA Lab module “Columbus”
Uncrewed
Freedom Expedition 3
Launched August, 1989
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: Apollo Block IV
Crew: ???
Freedom declared to be at Initial Operational Capacity.
Freedom Expedition 4
Launched October, 1989
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: Apollo Block IV
Commander: ?? Pilot: ?? Mission Specialist: Doug MacKay (CSA) + 2 others
Freedom Expedition 2 returns home.
Node 2 “Harmony” + Cupola
Launched March, 1990
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: Node 2 “Harmony” + Cupola
Uncrewed
Freedom Expedition 5
Launched January, 1990
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: Apollo Block IV
Crew: ??
Freedom Expedition 3 returns.
Minotaur 1
Freedom Expedition 6
Launched April, 1990
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: Apollo Block IV
Crew: ??
Freedom Expedition 4 returns.
Freedom Expedition 7
Launched July, 1990
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: Apollo Block IV
Commander: Chris Valente
Pilot: ??
Mission Specialist: Nancy MacDonald
Mission Specialist: Pierre Martin (ESA)
Mission Specialist: ??
Freedom Expedition 5 returns.
P2 Truss
Launched August, 1990
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: P2 Outboard Truss
Uncrewed
Freedom Expedition 8
Launched October, 1990
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: Apollo Block IV
Crew: ??
Freedom Expedition 6 returns.
Centrifuge Gravity Lab
Launched November, 1990
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: Centrifuge Gravity Lab
Uncrewed
Freedom Expedition 9
Launched January, 1991
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: Apollo Block IV
Crew: ??
Freedom Expedition 7 returns.
S2 Truss
Launched February, 1991
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: S2 Outboard Truss
Uncrewed
Freedom Expedition 10
Launched April, 1991
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: Apollo Block IV
Crew: ??
Freedom Expedition 8 returns.
Japanese Lab “Kibo”
Launched June, 1991
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center
Spacecraft: Japanese Lab “Kibo”
Uncrewed
Freedom at Full Operational Capacity
Freedom Expedition 20
Launched: October, 1993
Spacecraft: Apollo Block IV
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Flight Scientist 1: Peggy Barnes
Notes: Peggy Barnes’ final spaceflight before retirement. Her stint on the station would include the Outer Space Premier screening of Star Trek: Eternal Conflict in early 1994.
Freedom Expedition 22
Launched: April, 1994
Spacecraft: Apollo Block IV
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Commander: Gerald Mitchell
Freedom Expedition 23
Launched: July, 1994
Spacecraft: Apollo Block IV
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Commander: Maxwell Quick
Flight Scientist 1: Beverly McDowell
Flight Scientist 2: Edward Boxall (ESA)
Notes: Along with Gerald Mitchell, Quick and McDowell formed the “LEO Trio” band.
Freedom Expedition 24
Launched: October, 1994
Spacecraft: Apollo Block IV
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Flight Scientist 1: Andrei Orlov (RKA)
Notes: First visit of a Russian cosmonaut to Freedom. Orlov on guitar replaces Mitchell in the “LEO Trio” to perform for Thanksgiving.
Freedom Expedition 32
Launched: September, 1996
Spacecraft: Apollo Block V
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Pilot: Natalie Duncan
Notes: First manned flight for Apollo Block V, carrying a crew of 2 on a week-long stay at Freedom. The Apollo used a Block IV Mission Module. This mission carried an IMAX camera system to the station used in filming The Dream is Alive on station. Duncan was the first female graduate of NASA’s pilot training scheme.
Freedom Expedition 42
Launched: January 19th, 1999
Spacecraft: Apollo Block V
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Commander: Adams
Notes: Launch of this mission freed ground crews for preparation of the Artemis 4 crew launch.
Freedom Expedition 45
Launched: July, 1999
Spacecraft: Apollo Block V
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Crew:
Notes:
Freedom Expedition 46
Launched: October, 1999
Spacecraft: Apollo Block V
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Crew:
Notes: After the failure of an ammonia pump in January 2000, Expedition 46 became the sole crew of the station. This was the first time the station crew had been as low as 5 since the start of Initial Operational Capability.
Freedom Expedition 47
Launched: January, 2000
Spacecraft: Apollo Block V
LV: Saturn Multibody M02
Crew:
Notes: Launch of the crew was delayed by the ammonia pump failure of January 2000. The crew flew up replacement parts, which were successfully installed on January 28.
Artemis Program
Note: This section includes dedicated Artemis missions only. Missions to Freedom, are included under the Freedom Expedition section.
Artemis 1
Launched: March 1996
Spacecraft: Apollo Block V
LV: Saturn M02
Crew: none
Notes: First uncrewed test flight of Apollo Block V. No Mission Module was carried. The flight used a highly eccentric Earth orbit to practice the skip re-entry technique at near lunar return speeds.
Pegasus First Flight
Launched: October 1997
Spacecraft: Pegasus
LV: Saturn M02
Crew: none
Notes: First test flight of the Pegasus upper stage, partially fueled as a Saturn M02 3rd stage. Pegasus successfully boosted itself into a heliocentric orbit.
Artemis 2
Launched: February 1998
Spacecraft: Pegasus, Artemis Descent Stage + Surface Hab
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes: First uncrewed test flight of Artemis Descent Stage and Hab in Earth orbit. The flight tested repeated docking and undockings between the lander and Pegasus, as well as testing engines and making repeated passes through the Van Allen belts to verify radiation resistance.
Artemis 3
Launched: June 1998
Spacecraft: Pegasus, Artemis Descent Stage + Artemis Ascent Stage, Apollo Block V
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: 4
Commander: Jack Bailey
CM Pilot: Chris Valente
+2 other pilot-trained astronauts.
Notes: Conducted extensive tests of all mission components in Earth orbit.
Artemis 4A
Launched: November 27, 1998
Spacecraft: Pegasus, Artemis Cargo Lander “Janus”
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes: Combined test/operational mission, deployed the cargo/habitat lander “Janus” to Oceanus Procellarum, close to the Apollo 12 and Surveyor 3 landing sites.
Artemis 4B
Launched: March 21, 1999
Spacecraft: Pegasus
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes: Launch delayed 1 day by high-level winds. Launched the Pegasus for the Artemis 4 crew mission.
Artemis 4C
Launched: March 21, 1999
Spacecraft: Apollo Block V CSM “Enterprise”, Artemis Crew Lander “Galileo”
LV: Saturn H03
Commander: Don Hunt
Pilot: Natalie Duncan
Mission Science Officer: Ed Keeler
Partner Astronaut: Luka Seleznev
Notes: First human landing on the Moon since Apollo 18 in 1973. Duncan became the first woman on the Moon, on her second mission. Seleznev became the first Russian and first non-American on the Moon. Hunt became the oldest astronaut to walk on the Moon at 49. This was Hunt's final mission.
Artemis 5A
Launched: November, 1999
Spacecraft: Pegasus, Artemis Cargo Lander “Adventure”
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes: Landed at Mare Smythii December 3, 1999.
Artemis 5B
Launched: July 1, 2000
Spacecraft: Pegasus
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes:
Artemis 5C
Launched: July 1, 2000
Spacecraft: Apollo Block V CSM “Atlantis”, Artemis Crew Lander “Calypso”
LV: Saturn H03
Commander: Chris Valente
Pilot: Phillip Whitt
Mission Science Officer: Beverly McDowell
Partner Astronaut: Jules Lessard (ESA)
Notes: Lessard became the first ESA astronaut on the Moon.
Artemis 6A
Launched: January ??, 2001
Spacecraft: Pegasus, Artemis Cargo Lander “Arbella”
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes: Mission was en-route to the Moon when President Richards took her oath of office on 20th January. Launch was delayed 2 days by a fault in the umbilical carrying plate from the SIVC to the launch tower.
Artemis 6B
Launched: Summer, 2001
Spacecraft: Pegasus
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes:
Artemis 6C
Launched: Summer, 2001
Spacecraft: Apollo Block V CSM, Artemis Crew Lander “Altair”
LV: Saturn H03
Commander: Maxwell Quick
Pilot: ??
Mission Science Officer: ??
Partner Astronaut: Hiroya Umeta (JAXA)
Notes: Umeta became the first Japanese on the Moon.
Artemis 7A
Launched: January ??, 2002
Spacecraft: Pegasus, Artemis Cargo Lander “Athena”
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes:
Artemis 7B
Launched: Summer, 2002
Spacecraft: Pegasus
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes:
Artemis 7C
Launched: Summer, 2002
Spacecraft: Apollo Block V CSM, Artemis Crew Lander
LV: Saturn H03
Commander: Ryan Little
Pilot: ??
Mission Science Officer: ??
Partner Astronaut: Armen Voronoff (Roscosmos)
Notes: First mission to the lunar farside. Deployed the first Farside Radio Observing Scanning Telescopes (FROST) array. Little fell and sprained a wrist late in the mission, ruling him out of further EVAs.
Artemis 8A
Launched: January ??, 2003
Spacecraft: Pegasus, Artemis Cargo Lander
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes:
Artemis 8B
Launched: Summer, 2003
Spacecraft: Pegasus
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes:
Artemis 8C
Launched: Summer, 2003
Spacecraft: Apollo Block V CSM, Artemis Crew Lander “Flyer”
LV: Saturn H03
Commander: Gerry Mitchell
Pilot: ??
Mission Science Officer: ??
Partner Astronaut: Markus Rumpfkiel (ESA)
Notes:
Artemis 9A
Launched: January ??, 2004
Spacecraft: Pegasus, Artemis Cargo Lander “Endurance”
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes:
Artemis 9B
Launched: Summer, 2004
Spacecraft: Pegasus
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes:
Artemis 9C
Launched: Summer, 2004
Spacecraft: Apollo Block V CSM “Nautilus”, Artemis Crew Lander “Nimrod”
LV: Saturn H03
Commander: Natalie Duncan
Pilot: ??
Mission Science Officer: ??
Partner Astronaut: ??
Notes: Natalie Duncan becomes the first person to visit the Moon more than once. The mission deploys the the Lunar Infrared Fixed Telescope (LIFT) in permanent shadow at Shackleton Crater.
Artemis 10A
Launched: January ??, 2005
Spacecraft: Pegasus, Artemis Cargo Lander “Helios”
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes:
Artemis 10B
Launched: September, 2005
Spacecraft: Pegasus
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes:
Artemis 10C
Launched: September, 2005
Spacecraft: Apollo Block V CSM, Artemis Crew Lander “Hyperion”
LV: Saturn H03
Commander: Russell Jackson
Pilot: ??
Mission Science Officer: ??
Partner Astronaut: ??
Notes: Russell Jackson becomes the first African-American to command a lunar landing.
Artemis 11A
Launched: July ??, 2006
Spacecraft: Pegasus, Artemis Cargo Lander “Cutty Sark”
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes: Launch delayed following Saturn M22 failure in January 2006.
Artemis 11B
Launched: February, 2007
Spacecraft: Pegasus
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes:
Artemis 11C
Launched: February, 2007
Spacecraft: Apollo Block V CSM, Artemis Crew Lander
LV: Saturn H03
Commander: Brian Oliver
Pilot: ??
Mission Science Officer: ??
Partner Astronaut: ??
Notes:
Orion Program
Orion Assembly Mission 1
Launched: Late, 2007
Spacecraft: Pegasus, Orion Habitat Module
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes:
Orion Assembly Mission 2
Launched: Late, 2007
Spacecraft: Pegasus, Orion Logistics Module
LV: Saturn H03
Crew: none
Notes:
Orion Expedition 1
Launched: June, 2008
Spacecraft: Apollo Block V CSM, Artemis Crew Lander “Clarke”
LV: Saturn H03
Commander: Phil Whitt
Pilot: Anne Holcomb
Mission Science Officer: Winchell Chung
Partner Astronaut: Edward Boxall (ESA)
Notes: First use of ALES spacesuits and pressurized rover. Carried an Olympic torch.
Orion Expedition 2
Launched: March, 2009
Spacecraft: Apollo Block V CSM, Artemis Crew Lander
LV: Saturn H03
Commander:
Pilot:
Mission Science Officer: Hannah Parker
Partner Astronaut:
Notes: Included a record-breaking 5-day trip to Sverdrup and de Gerlache craters.
Orion Expedition 3
Launched: 2010
Spacecraft: Apollo Block V CSM, Artemis Crew Lander
LV: Saturn H03
Commander:
Pilot:
Mission Science Officer:
Partner Astronaut:
Notes: Release of two ion-equipped NASA spritesats from the Orion 3 expedition’s discarded Pegasus stage after the completion of the crew’s Earth departure burn and the stage’s separation from the stack.
Mir Program
Note on Mir mission numbering: Due to the less regular rotation schedule of Soviet/Russian expeditions compared to their US counterparts, the numbering convention adopted is YYx, where YY is a 2-digit identifier for the year of the launch (e.g. 90 = 1990) and x is a letter distinguishing between missions in the same year, assigned sequentially based on when the mission is mentioned in Eyes Turned Skywards (note that this is not necessarily the same as the chronological order).
Mir Expedition 92a
Launched: November, 1992
Spacecraft: TKS
LV: Vulkan
Crew member 3: Anil Korrapati (ISRO)
Notes: First visit of an Indian cosmonaut to Mir. This mission returned Mir to a 6-person crew.
Mir Expedition 93a
Launched: 1993
Spacecraft: TKS
LV: Vulkan
Crew member 3: (ISRO cosmonaut)
Mir Expedition 93b
Launched: 1993
Spacecraft: TKS
LV: Vulkan
Crew member 3: (ISRO cosmonaut)
Mir Expedition 94a
Launched: July, 1994
Spacecraft: TKS
LV: Vulkan
Crew member 3: (Chinese cosmonaut)
Notes: First Chinese in space. Helped to prepare the station for the arrival of the Tiangong module in 1995.
Mir Expedition 94b
Launched: 1994 (between July and November)
Spacecraft: TKS
LV: Vulkan
Crew member 3: (Chinese cosmonaut)
Notes: Second Chinese in space.
Mir Expedition 94c
Launched: November, 1994
Spacecraft: TKS
LV: Vulkan
Crew member 3: Ryan Little (NASA)
Notes: First American to launch on a Russian vehicle, first to visit Mir. The mission brings Mir to a full 9-person crew (6 Russian, 2 Chinese, 1 US).
Mir Expedition 97a
Launched: 1997
Spacecraft: Longxing
LV: Long March 2F
Crew: 2x Chinese, 1x RKA
Notes: The start of annual Chinese flights to Mir-Tiangong, carrying a Russian cosmonaut as part of a bartering arrangement. Missions last between 3-6 months.
Lóngxīng Program
Note: This section includes free-flights of Longxing. Missions to Mir-Tiangong are included under the Mir Expedition section.
Longxing 1
Launched: 1994
Spacecraft: Longxing
LV: Long March 2F
Crew: None
Notes: First uncrewed test flight of Longxing.
Longxing 2
Launched: 1994?
Spacecraft: Longxing
LV: Long March 2F
Crew: Animal test subjects.
Notes: Second uncrewed test flight of Longxing. Mission duration was 21 hours, covering 14 orbits.
Longxing 3
Launched: September 1995
Spacecraft: Longxing
LV: Long March 2F
Crew: Xiaosi Chen
Notes: First native-launched Chinese in space.
Viking Program
Greater available budgets mean that the “Wolf Trap” device is not canceled as IOTL. This leads to Wolf Vishniac living at least through the early 1980s, as per Post 4. However, Viking still fails to find life.
Viking 1
Tritonis Lacus, OTL an alternate landing site for the Viking 1 lander (located at 20Nx246W), is ITTL selected as the primary site (rather than Chryse Planitia). Since it is not as rugged as the OTL site, landing go-ahead is given immediately, and the probe is able to touch down on July 4th, 1976, as originally planned. The touchdown therefore forms part of NASA's bicentennial activities.
Voyager Program
Additional funding leads to four Voyager probes being approved for development, rather than two. Voyagers 1 and 2 are launched on the Jupiter-Saturn-Pluto trajectory in 1977; Voyagers 3 and 4 on the Jupiter-Uranus-Neptune trajectory in 1979. Voyager 1 is diverted to do a close flyby of Titan, but the results convince everyone that Voyager 2 should not be so diverted, and it continues on towards Pluto. Sadly the Voyager 3's mission end in 1986, after Uranus flyby as it radio transmitters failed.
See Part II:Post 5 and Part II:Post 11 for more detail
See Also
Chapters (Eyes Turned Skyward)
Key Dates (Eyes Turned Skywards)
Spacecraft and Launch Vehicle Technical Data (Eyes Turned Skyward)
3D Models (Eyes Turned Skywards)