March 1980:milestones

December 1979

10 RCA Satcom 3 communications satellite, launched by Delta rocket from Kennedy Space Center on 6 December, is “lost” during firing of its apogee kick motor.

11 Contracts worth $M1.15 each are awarded by NASA to Boeing Aerospace Company and Lockheed Missiles and Space Company for design definition studies of a new Solar Electric Propulsion System "that would become an integral part of the NASA Space Transportation System.” The Solar Electric Propulsion System (SEPS) is a candidate for use on a number of future U.S. planetary and Earth-orbital missions. Its very efficient propellant usage, long continuous operating lifetime, and use of solar energy to provide electric power, make it especially suitable for rendezvous with comets and asteroids, delivery of probes to planets in the outer Solar System, close observation of the Sun and extended duration operations in Earth orbit.

14 First attempt to launch three-stage ESA Ariane L01 satellite launcher at Kourou, French Guiana, is terminated within one second of launch after engine ignition when two pressure sensors give false readings.

16 Soviets launch Soyuz-T spacecraft from Tyuratam at 15.30 hrs (Moscow time) into orbit of 201 x 232 km inclined at 51.6 deg to the equator; period 88.6 min. Tass describes the craft, which on this flight is unmanned, as an improved type of Soyuz carrying new radio communication, orientation and movement control systems and a computing complex. The Soyuz-T is intended to carry out transport operations in order to ensure the functioning of the Soyuz-Salyut complex. The flight programme envisages comprehensive experimental testing of the new systems in various modes of flight and joint work with the Salyut orbital laboratory.

19 Soyuz-T spacecraft docks with Salyut 6 under automatic control.

20 Space Shuttle main propulsion system is successfully test fired for 9 minutes 10 seconds at NASA'S National Space Technology Laboratories, Bay St.Louis,Mississippi. This was the first time the whole system has been operated for the full duration. The main propulsion test article consisted of a cluster of three Shuttle main engines mounted in a simulated Orbiter aft section and drawing propellants from a flight-type External Tank.During the test the three engines were throttled back from 100 per cent rated power to 90 per cent, then to 80 per cent and finally, to 70 per cent.Engine gimballing and pogo pulsing checks were also successfully accomplished. To check two-engine performance, one engine was cut off early, as planned, and the remaining two were run at 70 per cent of rated power for the last 45 seconds. No problems were encountered.

23 Second attempt to launch Ariane L01 at Kourou,French Guiana, is frustrated by minor technical hitches and adverse weather conditions.

24 ESA launches Ariane L01 rocket from Kourou,French Guiana, at 17 hours 14 minutes and 38 seconds GMT to: 1. Verify the functioning in actual flight of devices which had been tested as thoroughly as possible on the ground. 2. Obtain data on elements which cannot be simulated on the ground. 3. Verify the performance of the launcher and its subsystems. Object was to place a CAT (Capsule Ariane Technologique) into an orbit ranging between 200 and 35,753 km inclined at 17.5 deg to the equator to obtain data on the rocket’s performance. ESA described the launch as a total success with all stages of Ariane firing on schedule and the payload separating at the planned time. Next test launch of a CAT plus Firewheel (Max Planck Institute, study of magnetosphere) and Oscar 9 (AMSAT, radio amateurs) is scheduled in May 1980; intended orbit is again geostationary transfer.