March 1982:milestones

November 1981

19 The RCA Satcom 3R communications satellite is launched successfully by a Delta 3910. It will move into a geosynchronous position at 132 degrees west longitude.

20 The Indian satellite Bhaskara 2, carrying cameras and radiometer instruments,is launched by the Soviets from Kapustin Yar into a 300 mile orbit. The Soviet Union has so far this year launched a total of 92 missions into space (some of them carrying multiple payloads).

25 Shuttle Orbiter Columbia arrives back at the Kennedy Space Center after its ferry flight back from California atop its 747 transporter. An overnight stop at Bergstrom AFB in Texas was included. About a dozen damaged tiles were removed for the trip and replaced by temporary foam inserts. In early December, NASA issues a tentative launch schedule of: STS-3, week beginning 22 March; STS-4, 7 July; STS-5, 1 November; STS-6, 6 December. Orbiter Challenger will be first used on mission 6.

December 1981

4 The Spacelab pressurized module for the first mission, in September 1983,is formally handed over to NASA representatives at the ERNO facilities in Bremen, West Germany. The module and one pallet are due to arrive at the Kennedy Space Center on 11 December.

15 The third Intelsat V communications satellite, capable of handling more than 12,000 simultaneous telephone calls, is launched by Atlas Centaur from Cape Canaveral.

20 The fourth and final test launch of Ariane, L04, takes place from Kourou at 01.29 GMT, with ESA and CNES describing it as a “complete success”. After the separation of the Marecs maritime communications satellite from the launcher, the Operations Control Centre, located at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, West Germany, telecommanded a number of manoeuvres designed to stabilise the spacecraft in its highly elliptical orbit. The Apogee Boost Motor (ABM) was fired for 30 seconds on command from the Operations Control Centre at 14.13 GMT on Monday, 21 December. Initial assessment shows that the orbit achieved corresponds very closely to the pre-mission plan and that the satellite is now drifting towards its nominal position in geosynchronous orbit at 26 degrees W. After an initial period of testing, the satellite will, early in 1982, be handed over to the INMARSAT organisation to become part of its global network.