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INSIDER CONTENT

Space developments in 2015

The Russian space industry entered 2015 in a midst of a deepening economic recession, forcing the Kremlin to make a 10-percent cut in the nation's space budget. The government also fired the third head of Roskosmos in four years and launched another restructuring of the agency.

At the end of January, the newly appointed chief of the newly created Roskosmos State Corporation Igor Komarov said that despite worsening economic situation, an effort would be made to preserve all key projects and limit the effect from funding cuts only to schedules. According to Russian military officials, Russia operated more than 120 spacecraft in orbit as of 2015. The nation's key spacecraft manufacturer, ISS Reshetnev, reported at the end of the year, that eight of its satellite had been launched during the year, completing three orbital constellations. The company also said that 12 of its satellites had been awaiting the launch and 30 satellites had been in various stages of construction. The company also struck deals for the development of 16 new spacecraft.

Previous year: 2014

EY ACHIEVEMENTS OF 2015 (listed chronologically):

On February 11, the European Space Agency, ESA, successfully launched on a suborbital trajectory and recovered an experimental wingless glider, IXV. It became the first true "lifting body" vehicle, which reached a near-orbital speed and then returned back to Earth without any help from wings.

On March 6, NASA's Dawn probe entered orbit around Ceres. The spacecraft beamed back first detailed views of the dwarf planet, including close-up photos of mysterious bright features. Scientists were split on the nature of the white material, suggesting that it could be a salty substance or ammonia-rich clays.

On April 30, NASA's Messenger spacecraft ended its 11-year spectacular mission with a controlled crash into a mountain side on Mercury near 54.4 degrees latitude, 210.1 degrees longitude, becoming the first artificial object to touch the planet.

On June 13, 22:28 CEST, ESA's European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany, received signals from the Philae lander after months of silence on the surface of comet of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Philae was dispatched to the comet's surface from the Rosetta "mother probe," which had entered orbit around 67P in 2014. According to original plans, the Rosetta was to end its mission in December as the comet had flown beyond the orbit of Jupiter.

On July 14, NASA's New Horizons spacecraft flew by Pluto and its moons, providing first clear images of the remove world and delivering a treasure trove of scientific data to the delight of scientists and general public. In the fall, the New Horizons make maneuvers aiming to reach 2014 MU69, a small Kuiper Belt object, on Jan. 1, 2019.

On December 9, Japan's Akatsuki (Planet-C) spacecraft succeeded entering orbit of Venus following a failed attempt in 2010.

On December 21, SpaceX company finally succeeded with a rocket-powered landing of a first stage booster, which lifted the Falcon-9 rocket from Cape Canaveral. It was the first use of this landing mode in the course of an actual orbital launch attempt, however the jury is still out on the economics of reusable launch systems.

The world's orbital launch attempts in 2015 (as of May 6, 2024 ):

The 2015 space launch score card (as of May 6, 2024 ):

*Failed launch; **Launch vehicle performed as planned, but payload failed to separate from upper stage;

GOALS UNFULLFILLED:

Postponed from 2014 and 2015:

China to inaugurate its fourth and southernmost launch facility in Wenchang, Hainan Island. (As of 2010. Original plans called for the completion of the center in 2013.)

China to test fly the Chang Zheng 5 (CZ-5) rocket, capable of delivering 25 tons to the low Earth orbit. It might be used to carry a space station around 2020. (As of January 2009, the launch was promised in 2014. As of November 20, 2007, People's Daily report, the first launch would be in 2013).

NASA to add an inflatable module to the ISS. (A contract awarded to the industry in January 2013)

China to launch the Tiangong-2 space station. (As of 2013)

Postponed from March: First manned launch of NASA's Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (into the low Earth orbit) (Date as of March 2007. From January 2004 to Aug. 30, 2006, the mission was expected as early as September 2014. The project officially canceled on Feb. 1, 2010).

Postponed from May: NASA to launch a Solar Probe Plus, which would fly closer to the Sun than any other spacecraft. (Funded as of 2008, by 2011, the launch date slipped to 2017.)

Postponed from July 19: NASA's Solar Probe Plus to conduct a flyby of Venus.

Cancelled:

The earliest date for NASA to resume manned exploration of the Moon. (Date set on Jan. 14, 2004)

NASA to launch the JIMO spacecraft to orbit three planet-sized moons of Jupiter -- Callisto, Ganymede and Europa. (In January 2005, the mission was cut from NASA's 2006 budget and ultimately canceled.)

A "tugboat" spacecraft conceived by B612 Foundation to demonstrate the possibility of flying to a near-Earth asteroid, docking with it and gently altering its speed enough to change its orbit and avoid catastrophic collision with Earth. (As of 2005, the mission was promised around 2015.)

ATK and Astrium's Liberty launch vehicle to carry the first crew during the third test launch. (As of Sept. 13, 2011)

NASA to launch ICESat-2 remote-sensing satellite into the Earth orbit to study rate of ice loss on Earth. (A 2009 budget proposal)

China to launch a Venus orbiter. (As of 2010.)

China to launch a hard X-ray modulation telescope to study black holes, HXMT (As of 2011. According to a science development plan released in March 2007, the mission would fly in 2010.)

For missions in 2016 click here

This page is compiled by Anatoly Zak; Last update: May 6, 2024

All rights reserved

A new-generation Bars-M satellite was launched on Feb. 27, 2015.

A Soyuz-U rocket lifts off on July 3, returning to flight Progress MM spacecraft series, after the failure of Progress M-27M mission on April 28. Click to enlarge. Credit: Roskosmos

Proton rocket returns to flight with Inmarsat-5 F3 satellite on August 28, following a launch accident on May 16. Click to enlarge. Credit: Roskosmos

Soyuz-ST-B/Fregat-MT rocket lifts off on Sept. 10, 2015, with a pair of Galileo FOC-M3 satellites. Click to enlarge. Credit: Arianespace

Artist rendering depicting separation of between Ekspress-AM8 and Block-DM03. Click to enlarge. Copyright © 2015 Anatoly Zak

First engine firing of the Briz-KM stage during the delivery of the Rodnik trio. Click to enlarge. Copyright © 2015 Anatoly Zak

After years of delays, the first EKS (Tundra) satellite was finally launched on November 17. Copyright © 2015 Anatoly Zak

A Soyuz-2-1v rocket lifts off with the Kanopus-ST satellite on Dec. 5, 2015. Click to enlarge. Credit: Russian Ministry of Defense

Zenit lifts off with Elektro-L2 on Dec. 11, 2015. Click to enlarge. Credit: Roskosmos