Human spaceflight

[SOHEIL]

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Human spaceflight

Human spaceflight (or manned spaceflight or crewed spaceflight) is space travel with humans on the spacecraft. When a spacecraft is manned, it can be piloted directly, as opposed to machine or robotic space probes controlled remotely by humans or through automatic methods onboard the spacecraft.
The first human spaceflight was launched on April 12, 1961 by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. Currently, only Russia and China maintain human spaceflight capability independent of international cooperation. As of 2011, human spaceflights are being actively launched by the Soyuz programme conducted by the Russian Federal Space Agency and the Shenzhou program conducted by the China National Space Administration. This does not account for private non-government activities.
The US lost human spaceflight launch capability upon retirement of the Space Shuttle on July 21, 2011. Under the Bush administration, the Constellation program included plans for canceling the Shuttle and replacing it with the capability for spaceflight beyond low Earth orbit. In the 2011 United States federal budget, the Obama administration proposed canceling Constellation in part due to Constellation being over budget and behind schedule while not innovating and investing in critical new technologies.[1] Under the new plan, NASA would rely on transportation services provided by the private sector, such as Space X's Falcon 9. The period between the retirement of the Shuttle and the initial operational capability of new systems (either Constellation or the new commercial proposals), similar to the gap between the cancellation of Apollo and the first Space Shuttle flight, is often referred to as the human spaceflight gap.
In recent years there has been a gradual movement towards more commercial forms of spaceflight. A number of non-governmental startup companies have sprung up in recent years, hoping to create a space tourism industry. For a list of such companies, and the spacecraft they are currently building, see List of private spaceflight companies. NASA has also tried to stimulate private spaceflight through programs such as Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) and Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS). With its 2011 budget proposals released in early February 2010,[2] the Obama administration is moving towards a model where commercial companies would supply NASA with transportation services of both crew and cargo to low Earth orbit. The vehicles used for these services would then serve both NASA and potential commercial customers. NASA intends to spend $6 billion in the coming years to develop commercial crew vehicles, using a model similar to that used under COTS.

The first human spaceflight took place on April 12, 1961, when cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made one orbit around the Earth aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft, launched by the Soviet space program and designed by the rocket scientist Sergey Korolyov. Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space on board Vostok 6 on June 16, 1963. Both spacecraft were launched by Vostok 3KA launch vehicles. Alexei Leonov made the first spacewalk when he left the Voskhod 2 on March 8, 1965. Svetlana Savitskaya became the first woman to do so on July 25, 1984.


Buzz Aldrin on the surface of the Moon during Apollo 11
The United States became the second nation to achieve manned spaceflight, with the suborbital flight of astronaut Alan Shepard aboard Freedom 7, carried out as part of Project Mercury. The spacecraft was launched on May 5, 1961 on a Redstone rocket. The first U.S. orbital flight was that of John Glenn aboard Friendship 7, which was launched February 20, 1962 on an Atlas rocket. Since 1981 the U.S. has conducted all its human spaceflight missions with reusable Space Shuttles. Sally Ride became the first American woman in space in 1983. Eileen Collins was the first female Shuttle pilot, and with Shuttle mission STS-93 in July 1999 she became the first woman to command a U.S. spacecraft.

Launch of Shenzhou 5 in 2003
The People's Republic of China became the third nation to achieve human spaceflight when Yang Liwei launched into space on a Chinese-made vehicle, the Shenzhou 5, on October 15, 2003. The flight made China the third nation to have launched its own manned spacecraft using its own launcher. Previous European (Hermes) and Japanese (HOPE-X) domestic manned programs were abandoned after years of development, as was the first Chinese attempt, the Shuguang spacecraft.
The farthest destination for a human spaceflight mission has been the Moon. The only manned missions to the Moon have been those conducted by NASA as part of the Apollo program. The first such mission, Apollo 8, orbited the Moon but did not land. The first Moon landing mission was Apollo 11, during which—on July 20, 1969—Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first people to set foot on the Moon. Six missions landed in total, numbered Apollo 11–17, excluding Apollo 13. Altogether twelve men walked on the Moon, the only humans to have been on an extraterrestrial body. The Soviet Union discontinued its program for lunar orbiting and landing of human spaceflight missions on June 24, 1974 when Valentin Glushko became General Designer of NPO Energiya.[4]


Mir orbiting the Earth, a space station where many human spaceflight records were broken
The longest single human spaceflight is that of Valeriy Polyakov, who left earth on January 8, 1994, and did not return until March 22, 1995 (a total of 437 days 17 hr. 58 min. 16 sec. aboard). Sergei Krikalyov has spent the most time of anyone in space, 803 days, 9 hours, and 39 seconds altogether. The longest period of continuous human presence in space is over 10 years, 10 months on the International Space Station. The previous record for MIR was 3,644 days, eight days short of 10 years, spanning the launch of Soyuz TM-8 on September 5, 1989 to the landing of Soyuz TM-29 on August 28, 1999.
For many years beginning in 1961, only two countries, the USSR (later Russia) and United States, had their own astronauts. Citizens of other nations flew in space, beginning with the flight of Vladimir Remek, a Czech, on a Soviet spacecraft on March 2, 1978. As of 2010, citizens from 38 nations (including space tourists) have flown in space aboard Soviet, American, Russian, and Chinese spacecraft.

Space programs

Currently have human spaceflight programs.
Confirmed and dated plans for human spaceflight programs.
Plans for human spaceflight on the simplest form (suborbital spaceflight, etc.).
Plans for human spaceflight on the extreme form (space stations, etc.).
Once had official plans for human spaceflight programs, but have since been abandoned.





As of 2011, human spaceflight missions have been conducted by the former Soviet Union/(Russian Federation), the United States, the People's Republic of China and by the private spaceflight company Scaled Composites.
Several other countries and space agencies have announced and begun human spaceflight programs by their own technology, including India (ISRO), Ecuador (EXA), Japan (JAXA), Iran (ISA) and Malaysia (MNSA).
Currently the following spacecraft and spaceports are used for launching human spaceflights:

• Soyuz with Soyuz rocket—Baikonur Cosmodrome
• International Space Station (ISS)—Assembled in orbit; crews transported by previous spacecraft
• Shenzhou spacecraft with Long March rocket—Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

Historically, the following spacecraft and spaceports have also been used for human spaceflight launches:

• Vostok—Baikonur Cosmodrome
• Mercury—Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
• Voskhod—Baikonur Cosmodrome
• X-15—Edwards Air Force Base,[5] (two internationally recognized suborbital flights in program)
• Gemini—Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
• Apollo—Kennedy Space Center (Apollo 7 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station)
• Salyut space station—Baikonur Cosmodrome
• Almaz space station—Baikonur Cosmodrome (Almaz was a series of military space stations under cover of the civilian name Salyut)
• Skylab space station—Kennedy Space Center
• Mir space station—Baikonur Cosmodrome
• SpaceShipOne with White Knight—Mojave Spaceport
• Space Shuttle—Kennedy Space Center

[SOHEIL]

indian Manned Spaceflight Delayed

The shoddy performance record of GSLV has not been suitably resolved by ISRO, India's space agency. GSLV could possibly evolve into a reliable launch system, but it will take a long time to do this


India's decision to stretch out its plans for an indigenous astronaut launch to 2020 or beyond will probably disappoint some. It's a long way in the future, but the decision is an unavoidable reality check for India's space program.

India has been dabbling in the development of an indigenous space capsule for years, and proposed launching such a spacecraft atop its powerful Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), currently the most powerful operational rocket in India.

The first launch was mooted for 2016 or soon afterwards.

The concept looked good on paper, but it overlooked a major problem. Put bluntly, the GSLV is unreliable as a satellite launcher, and is totally unsuitable for launching astronauts.

The shoddy performance record of GSLV has not been suitably resolved by ISRO, India's space agency. GSLV could possibly evolve into a reliable launch system, but it will take a long time to do this.

It will require more flights and evaluations. It will require an unbroken record of several successful launches. Until India can do this, GSLV should not be considered for astronaut launches.

India has also seemed unsure of its plans for co-operating with other nations. It is known that India had been exploring capsule development plans with a major US aerospace corporation.

In a previous article, this writer proposed that India should consider using a foreign launch vehicle with an Indian space capsule, as a means of avoiding the GSLV.

Recent government statements rule this out. India's astronaut launch system will be purely Indian. This will have its benefits, but it will also increase the complexity of the project.

Developing a crew capsule and a reliable rocket to launch it will take time. Giving the project another decade sounds realistic, assuming that the Indian government does not want to pump huge sums of money for a fast-track program.

Previously, the overall tone of discussions on India's astronaut program suggested disorganisation and uncertainty over its direction. It seemed to be more of a panicked reaction to China's success in human spaceflight than a carefully orchestrated project.

This new policy is merely a seed, and has yet to fully develop. But it's a move in the right direction. It remains to be seen if a realistic program can be designed and sustained in the decade to follow.

http://www.space-travel.com/reports/...nauts_999.html

[manofwar]

indian Manned Spaceflight Delayed



The shoddy performance record of GSLV has not been suitably resolved by ISRO, India's space agency. GSLV could possibly evolve into a reliable launch system, but it will take a long time to do this


India's decision to stretch out its plans for an indigenous astronaut launch to 2020 or beyond will probably disappoint some. It's a long way in the future, but the decision is an unavoidable reality check for India's space program.

India has been dabbling in the development of an indigenous space capsule for years, and proposed launching such a spacecraft atop its powerful Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), currently the most powerful operational rocket in India.

The first launch was mooted for 2016 or soon afterwards.

The concept looked good on paper, but it overlooked a major problem. Put bluntly, the GSLV is unreliable as a satellite launcher, and is totally unsuitable for launching astronauts.

The shoddy performance record of GSLV has not been suitably resolved by ISRO, India's space agency. GSLV could possibly evolve into a reliable launch system, but it will take a long time to do this.

It will require more flights and evaluations. It will require an unbroken record of several successful launches. Until India can do this, GSLV should not be considered for astronaut launches.

India has also seemed unsure of its plans for co-operating with other nations. It is known that India had been exploring capsule development plans with a major US aerospace corporation.

In a previous article, this writer proposed that India should consider using a foreign launch vehicle with an Indian space capsule, as a means of avoiding the GSLV.

Recent government statements rule this out. India's astronaut launch system will be purely Indian. This will have its benefits, but it will also increase the complexity of the project.

Developing a crew capsule and a reliable rocket to launch it will take time. Giving the project another decade sounds realistic, assuming that the Indian government does not want to pump huge sums of money for a fast-track program.

Previously, the overall tone of discussions on India's astronaut program suggested disorganisation and uncertainty over its direction. It seemed to be more of a panicked reaction to China's success in human spaceflight than a carefully orchestrated project.

This new policy is merely a seed, and has yet to fully develop. But it's a move in the right direction. It remains to be seen if a realistic program can be designed and sustained in the decade to follow.

http://www.space-travel.com/reports/...nauts_999.html

Don't think that this can be true...........
For GSLV III is to be tested this year sometime in September, and it's engine, CE 25 had a perfect test last year........
Considering this, I would say that the mission is back on track..........


By the way , how is the Iranian mission coming up??

[SOHEIL]

Iranian Space Agency

Manned space program :

Iran expressed for the first time its intention to send a human to space during the summit of Soviet and Iranian Presidents at June 21, 1990. Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev reached an agreement in principle with then-President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to make joint Soviet-Iranian manned flights to Mir space station but this agreement was never realized after the breakup of the Soviet Union.
Almost two decades later the Iranian News Agency claimed on November 21, 2005, that the Iranians have a manned space program along with plans for the development of a spacecraft and a space laboratory. [75] Iran Aerospace Industries Organization (IAIO) head Reza Taghipour on August 20, 2008, revealed Iran intends to launch a manned mission into space within a decade. This goal was described as the country's top priority for the next 10 years, in order to make Iran the leading space power of the region by 2021.[76][77]
In August 2010, President Ahmadinejad announced that Iran's first astronaut should be sent into space on board an Iranian spacecraft by no later than 2019.[78][79] Later on in December 2010, Iranian Communications and Information Technology Minister Reza Taghipour stated that “The initial steps for the plan have been taken, and the study phase on the definition of subsystems, sub-projects, costs, and what projects need to be developed toward that end, has been conducted, which needs to be submitted to the Supreme Council on Space”.[68] According to Iranian manned space program, the first sub-orbital spaceflight with an Iranian on board will take place by 2016 at an altitude above 200 kilometers as preparation for the eventual orbital spaceflight.

[KRAIT]

Looks like Iran is going to beat us even if they have less experience...

P.S. Take a leaf out from them, ISRO

[SOHEIL]

Looks like Iran is going to beat us even if they have less experience...

P.S. Take a leaf out from them, ISRO

Acceleration

[KRAIT]

Acceleration

I wish we had shared border between us and huge cooperation. Then we might have built space center by 2020.

[SOHEIL]

Beijing: China will launch a manned spacecraft this month to accomplish its first manned space docking mission with the orbiting space lab module, amid expectations that it could fly a woman astronaut.

The latest step in the country’s ambitious plan for space exploration.

China gears up for manned space docking this June

I wish we had shared border between us and huge cooperation. Then we might have built space center by 2020.

we are working on a huge rocket like Ariane 5

[Hello_10]

Acceleration

hello Soeil, sorry i can't reply your messages as I still dont have 2000 posts for private messaging

but i do enjoy your posts. keep posting

[500]

Looks like Iran is going to beat us even if they have less experience...

Dont think so. Iran currently is some 30 years behind India.

[punjabimunda]

Don't think that this can be true...........
For GSLV III is to be tested this year sometime in September, and it's engine, CE 25 had a perfect test last year........
Considering this, I would say that the mission is back on track..........


By the way , how is the Iranian mission coming up??

go to 35:05 on this video and the guy says that until it is proven to the govt that gslv is reliable we cant get the approval. govt has already released money for developing crew module, life support system, space suit and crew ejection system. these could be tested soon. but the govt has not approved the project for a launch until gslv proves atleast 4-5 successfull flights and this will take time

Dont think so. Iran currently is some 30 years behind India.

they cant and they wont. they can send a human into space like americans sent alan shepard on a missiles, but to build a rocket and all critical techs for a proper space program will take time.

[SOHEIL]

hello Soeil, sorry i can't reply your messages as I still dont have 2000 posts for private messaging

but i do enjoy your posts. keep posting

Thanks Man !

[BlueDot_in_Space]

Don't think that this can be true...........
For GSLV III is to be tested this year sometime in September, and it's engine, CE 25 had a perfect test last year........
Considering this, I would say that the mission is back on track..........


By the way , how is the Iranian mission coming up??

Indian Human space flight will happen after 2020. Design and testing of Capsule to carry 3 person will take 5-7 years. Indian human space flight will use LVM3 (GSLV MK3). LVM3 is slated for an experimental flight by end of 2012. C25 stage (LVM3 upper stage) will be completed by 2014. First development flight of LVM3 is scheduled for 2016-2017. Human rating the LVM3 will start after 2012.

[Chinese-Dragon]

Currently, only Russia and China maintain human spaceflight capability independent of international cooperation.

Soon, this will read:

"Currently, only Russia and China and Iran maintain human spaceflight capability independent of international cooperation."

[BlueDot_in_Space]

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Rendition of possible Indian Orbital Vehicle