2007 in spaceflight

Spaceflight related events during the year 2007

The year 2007 contained several significant events in spaceflight, including a Chinese ASAT test, the launches of the US Phoenix and Dawn missions to study Mars and Asteroid belt respectively, Japan's Kaguya Lunar orbiter, and the first Chinese Lunar probe, Chang'e 1. The internationally accepted definition of a spaceflight is any flight which crosses the Kármán line, 100 kilometres above sea level. The first recorded spaceflight launch of the year occurred on 10 January, when a PSLV, launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, placed four spacecraft into low Earth orbit. One of these spacecraft was SRE 1, which returned to Earth twelve days later, in the first Indian attempt to recover a satellite after re entry. Several carrier rockets made their maiden flights in 2007; the PSLV CA, Long March 3B/E, Shavit 2, Zenit 2M, Proton M Enhanced. These were all modernised or upgraded versions of existing systems. The RS 24 missile also conducted its first launch, and the Atlas V made its first flight in the 421 configuration. The first Colombian and Mauritian satellites, Libertad 1 and Rascom QAF 1 respectively, were launched in 2007, although a helium leak reduced Rascom's operational lifetime by thirteen years.

Several spacecraft were launched to explore the Moon. Japan's Kaguya orbiter, along with the smaller Okina and Ouna relay spacecraft, was launched on 14 September. The spacecraft entered Selenocentric orbit on 3 October. China launched its first Lunar probe, Chang'e 1, on 24 October, with the spacecraft entering Selenocentric orbit on 5 November. In 2009, two satellites launched into highly elliptical Earth orbits in 2007 as part of the THEMIS mission were also sent to the Moon. They are expected to arrive in October 2010. In August, the NASA Phoenix spacecraft was launched towards Mars, followed by the Dawn mission to the Asteroid belt in September. Cassini continued to make flybys of the moons of Saturn, mostly focussing on Titan. In November, Rosetta flew past Earth, where it was mistaken for an asteroid, and given the provisional designation 2007 VN84.

Five crewed flights were launched in 2007, two by Russia and three by the United States. Russia flew two Soyuz missions to the International Space Station for crew rotation. Soyuz TMA 10, launched on 7 April, carried the Expedition 15 crew to the Station. Space tourist Charles Simonyi was also launched on this flight, and landed aboard Soyuz TMA 9 a few days later. When TMA 10 returned to Earth in October, it made the first of two consecutive ballistic re entries of Soyuz spacecraft, due to problems with separation bolts. Soyuz TMA 11, launched on 10 October, carried the Expedition 16 crew, and the first Malaysian in space, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, who was selected for flight under the Angkasawan programme. He landed aboard Soyuz TMA 10. When TMA 11 landed in 2008, it also made a ballistic descent. 2007 also saw the continued assembly of the International Space Station, by US Space Shuttle flights. On 8 June made the first Shuttle launch of the year, STS 117, with seven astronauts, and the S3/4 truss segment of the ISS. It was the first Shuttle to launch from Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center since STS 107 in 2003. Launch had previously been delayed from February due to Hail damage to the External Tank, which required a rollback to repair in the Vehicle Assembly Building. In August, launched on its first mission since 2002, STS 118. This carried the S5 truss segment, and marked the final flight of the Spacehab module, which was used to carry supplies. NASA's first Educator Astronaut, Barbara Morgan flew aboard STS 118. Morgan had previously been a backup for Christa McAuliffe, who was killed in the Challenger accident in 1986. STS 120, launched on 23 October using , carried the Harmony node, the first pressurised ISS component to be launched since Pirs in September 2001. Attempts to launch Atlantis in December on STS 122 were scrubbed, and the launch was delayed to 2008 after ECO sensors in the External Tank failed.

Three orbital launch attempts in 2007, involving a Zenit, a Falcon 1, and a Proton failed, and two others, an Atlas V and a GSLV, resulted in partial failures. On 30 January, a Sea Launch Zenit 3SL exploded on the Ocean Odyssey launch platform, seconds after ignition. The failure destroyed the NSS 8 satellite, and caused considerable damage to the Odyssey platform. It was later determined that the failure had been caused by debris in the turbopump. As a result of downtime to conduct repairs, and bad sea conditions at the end of the year, Sea Launch did not conduct another launch until 2008. On 21 March, SpaceX launched the second Falcon 1. Due to the failure of the maiden flight, the launch was conducted as a demonstration flight without a functional payload. The launch failed to reach orbit due to a chain of events, starting with an error in setting the fuel mix ratio, which resulted in first stage underperformance, and the rocket being too low at the time of first stage separation. Additional atmospheric drag at this altitude caused recontact between the stages, setting up a fuel slosh in the second stage. This resulted in the premature cutoff of the second stage, and the rocket failed to reach orbit. This was the last launch of the Falcon 1 with the ablatively cooled Merlin 1A engine, which was replaced with the regeneratively cooled Merlin 1C for subsequent flights, starting in August 2008. As several test objectives were completed, SpaceX claimed that the launch was a success overall, and declared the Falcon 1 operational. The Atlas family ended a run of eighty consecutive successful launches over fourteen years, after a partial failure of an Atlas V launched on 15 June. A faulty valve caused a fuel leak in the Centaur upper stage, resulting in a premature cutoff at the end of its second burn. This resulted in the USA 194 satellites being delivered into a lower orbit than planned. The spacecraft were able to correct the orbit using their manoeuvring engines. The fifth GSLV was launched on 2 September, with the INSAT 4CR satellite. This was the first GSLV launch since the failure in July 2006. The rocket underperformed, and placed the satellite into an orbit with a lower apogee and greater inclination than planned. This required the spacecraft to use fuel reserved for stationkeeping to raise itself to the correct orbit, at the expense of its operational lifetime. On 5 September, a Proton M with a Briz M upper stage failed to place the JCSAT 11 into orbit, after the second stage of the carrier rocket failed to separate from the first. It was later established that damaged cabling had been the cause of the malfunction.

In total, sixty eight orbital launches were made in 2007, with sixty five reaching orbit, and three outright failures. This was an increase of two orbital launch attempts on 2006, with one more launch reaching orbit. The final launch of the year was conducted on 25 December, by a Proton M with three GLONASS navigation satellites for the Russian government. Suborbital spaceflight in 2007 saw a number of sounding rocket and missile launches. On 11 January, the Chinese People's Liberation Army used a Dong Feng 21 derived anti satellite weapon to destroy Feng Yun 1C, a retired weather satellite. Russia also began testing the RS 24 Yars missile

China conducted ten orbital launches in 2007, using the Long March family of rockets, whilst Europe conducted five using the Ariane 5. India made three orbital launch attempts, using PSLV C, PSLV CA and GSLV rockets, with the GSLV launch resulting in a partial failure. Israel conducted a single successful launch using the first Shavit 2 rocket. Japan successfully launched two H IIA rockets. Russia and the former Soviet Union conducted twenty six launches, including one failure, but not including the international Sea Launch programme, whose single launch attempt failed. Nineteen launches were conducted by the United States, which had originally announced plans to launch many more, however technical issues with the Atlas V, Delta IV and Falcon 1, caused a number of delays. Two of six planned Space Shuttle launches were also delayed to 2008, STS 123 due to knock on delays from STS 117, and STS 122 due to problems with engine cutoff sensors.

Start date/timeDurationEnd timeSpacecraftCrewFunctionRemarks31 January15:147 hours55 minutes 23:09Expedition 14 ISS QuestSunita WilliamsReconfigured Destiny cooling system, connected SSPTS, secured P6 starboard radiator, disconnected EAS.4 February13:387 hours11 minutes20:49Expedition 14ISS QuestMichael Lopez AlegriaSunita WilliamsCompleted Destiny cooling system reconfiguration and EAS disconnection, photographed P6 inboard solar array, continued SSPTS installation.8 February13:266 hours40 minutes20:06Expedition 14ISS QuestMichael Lopez AlegriaSunita WilliamsRemoved and jettisoned P3 thermal covers, install P3 attachment point, remove P5 launch restraints, continued SSPTS installation.22 February10:276 hours18 minutes16:45Expedition 14ISS PirsMikhail TyurinMichael Lopez AlegriaRetracted an antenna at the aft port of the Zvezda, photographed a satellite navigation antenna, and replaced a Russian materials experiment, inspected and photographed an antenna for the ATV, photographed a German robotics experiment, and inspected, remated, and photographed hardware connectors.30 May19:055 hours25 minutes31 May00:30Expedition 15ISS PirsFyodor YurchikhinOleg KotovInstalled Service Module Debris Protection (SMDP) panels and rerouted a Global Positioning System antenna cable.6 June14:235 hours37 minutes20:00Expedition 15ISS PirsFyodor YurchikhinOleg KotovInstalled a section of Ethernet cable on the Zarya module, installed additional Service Module Debris Protection (SMDP) panels on Zvezda, and deployed a Russian scientific experiment.11 June20:026 hours15 minutes12 June02:17STS 117ISS QuestJames F. ReillyJohn D. OlivasBegan the S3/S4 Truss installation.13 June18:287 hours16 minutes14 June01:44STS 117ISS QuestPatrick G. ForresterSteven SwansonAssisted in retraction of the solar panels on the P6 Truss. Completed the S3/S4 truss installation. Partial failure due to the S3/S4 SARJ motor control circuits being wired in reverse, so some launch restraints were left in place to prevent the possibility of undesired rotation.15 June17:247 hours58 minutes16 June01:22STS 117ISS QuestJames F. ReillyJohn D. OlivasRepaired the Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) pod thermal blanket, finished the P6 solar array retraction, and installed a hydrogen ventilation valve onto Destiny.17 June16:256 hours29 minutes22:54STS 117ISS QuestPatrick G. ForresterSteven SwansonRetrieved a television camera and its support structure from an ESP attached to Quest, and installed it on the S3 truss, verified the Drive Lock Assembly (DLA) 2 configuration, and removed the last six SARJ launch restraints. Installed a computer network cable on Unity, opened the hydrogen vent valve on Destiny, and tethered two orbital debris shield panels on Zvezda.23 July10:257 hours41 minutes18:06Expedition 15ISS QuestClayton AndersonFyodor YurchikhinReplaced components for the Mobile Transporter's redundant power system, jettisoned an ammonia tank and flight support equipment, and cleaned the Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) on the nadir port of Unity.11 August16:286 hours17 minutes23:45STS 118ISS QuestRichard MastracchioDafydd WilliamsAttached the Starboard 5 (S5) segment of the station's truss, and retracted the forward heat rejecting radiator from the station's Port 6 (P6) truss.13 August15:326 hours28 minutes22:00STS 118ISS QuestRichard MastracchioDafydd WilliamsRemoved the new Control Moment Gyroscope (CMG) from the shuttle's payload bay and installed it onto the Z1 truss. Installed the failed CMG onto an External Stowage Platform (ESP 2).15 August14:385 hours28 minutes20:05STS 118ISS QuestRichard MastracchioClayton AndersonRelocated two CETA carts around the Mobile Transporter and an antenna base from the P6 truss to P1, and installed a new transponder and signal processor for an S band communications upgrade. Mastracchio noted a hole on the thumb of his left glove and returned to the airlock as a precautionary measure.18 August14:175 hours2 minutes19:02STS 118ISS QuestDafydd WilliamsClayton AndersonRetrieved Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) containers 3 and 4, installed the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) Boom Stand, installed an External Wireless Instrumentation System (EWIS) antenna, and secured Z1 gimbal locks.26 October10:026 hours14 minutes16:16STS 120ISS QuestScott E. ParazynskiDouglas H. WheelockInstalled the new Harmony module in its temporary location, retrieved the S Band Antenna Support Assembly, and prepared for the relocation of the P6 truss by disconnecting fluid lines on the P6/Z1 truss segments.28 October09:326 hours33 minutes16:05STS 120ISS QuestScott E. ParazysnkiDaniel M. TaniDisconnected the Z1 to P6 umbilicals, detached P6 from Z1, configured the S1 radiator, installed handrails onto Harmony, and inspected the S4 starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ).30 October08:457 hours8 minutes15:53STS 120ISS QuestScott E. ParazysnkiDouglas H. WheelockAttached P6 to P5, installed P6/P5 umbilical connections, reconfigured S1 following its redeployment, and inspected the port SARJ.3 November10:037 hours19 minutes17:22STS 120ISS QuestScott E. ParazysnkiDouglas H. WheelockInspection and repair of the P6 solar array.9 November09:546 hours55 minutes16:49Expedition 16ISS QuestPeggy WhitsonYuri MalenchenkoDisconnected and stored the Station to Shuttle Power Transfer System cables, stored the PMA 2 umbilical, and stowed a Harmony node avionics umbilical into a temporary position.20 November10:107 hours16 minutes17:26Expedition 16ISS QuestPeggy WhitsonDaniel M. TaniExternal configuration of PMA 2 and Harmony: Fluid, electrical, and data lines attached, avionics lines hooked up, heater cables attached, and relocated a fluid tray.24 November09:507 hours4 minutes16:54Expedition 16ISS QuestPeggy WhitsonDaniel M. TaniCompletion of fluid, electrical, and data line hookups for PMA 2 and Harmony. Loop B Fluid Tray connected to the port side of the Destiny laboratory. Inspected and photographed the starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ) to assist with troubleshooting on the ground.18 December09:506 hours56 minutes16:46Expedition 16ISS QuestPeggy WhitsonDaniel M. TaniInspected the S4 starboard Solar Alpha Rotary Joint (SARJ), and a Beta Gimbal Assembly (BGA).100th EVA in support of the ISS. Whitson became the female astronaut with the most EVAs and the most time spent in EVA.