STICKY: 2003 MISSION TRACKER

UPDATED 14 OCTOBER 2003

Maintained by orbit_admin · Topic #4200 · Last edited 14 Oct 2003 07:10

Community mission list. Dates and status notes are collected from public agency bulletins, press kits and member tracking reports.

Status shown at archive close. Times are UTC unless otherwise stated.

CASSINI–HUYGENS

CRUISE / RADIO SCIENCE

Solar-conjunction experiment under way

The Saturn-bound spacecraft is measuring frequency shifts in radio signals passing close to the Sun. Arrival at Saturn remains scheduled for July 2004.

AGENCY: NASA / ESA / ASI
LAUNCHED: 15 OCT 1997
DESTINATION: SATURN

External mission bulletin

GALILEO

MISSION COMPLETE

Jupiter survey closes after fourteen years

Galileo entered Jupiter's atmosphere on 21 September, preventing an uncontrolled impact with Europa after 34 Jovian orbits.

“The mission was a testimonial to the persistence of NASA.”

AGENCY: NASA / JPL
LAUNCHED: 18 OCT 1989
FINAL SIGNAL: 21 SEP 2003

JPL release 2003-129

HAYABUSA / MUSES-C

HELIOCENTRIC CRUISE

Hayabusa asteroid sample-return spacecraft — COURTESY ISAS / JAXA

Ion-engine checkout continues

Japan's 510 kg engineering spacecraft continues its outward cruise ahead of a 2004 Earth swing-by and a planned encounter with asteroid Itokawa.

AGENCY: ISAS / JAXA
LAUNCHED: 09 MAY 2003
DESIGNATION: 2003-019A

ISAS mission profile

MARS EXPRESS / BEAGLE 2

TRANSFER TO MARS

Artist's view of Mars Express above Mars — ESA / D. DUCROS

European Mars mission passes mid-cruise

Mars Express and the Beagle 2 lander remain on their six-month transfer. Orbital insertion is expected on 26 December.

“Europe's contribution to the exploration of the Red Planet will begin soon.”

AGENCY: ESA
LAUNCHED: 02 JUN 2003
ARRIVAL: 26 DEC 2003

ESA release 28-2003

MARS EXPLORATION ROVERS

TWIN TRANSFER

Spirit and Opportunity in a JPL clean room in February 2003 — NASA / JPL-CALTECH

Spirit and Opportunity continue toward Mars

The twin solar-powered geology rovers are travelling to opposite landing regions to search for evidence of past liquid water.

SPIRIT: LAUNCHED 10 JUN
OPPORTUNITY: LAUNCHED 07 JUL
LANDINGS: JAN 2004

NASA mission profile

ORPHEUS / ORP-7

CONTACT LOST

SOLORP-7 / 5.73 AURA 17H 42M
DEC -22° 18′
SNR 08.1 DBECLIPTIC PROJECTION · REV 091

COR-DIR / TIDBINBILLA

Geometric object found before ORP-7 contact loss

The Australian survey craft downlinked measurements of a dark rectangular body designated Object 7A, then ceased transmitting during an autonomous close pass.

AGENCY: COR-DIR
LAUNCHED: 06 APR 2001
GROUND: TID-04 / CANBERRA

Local mission profile

SHENZHOU V

LAUNCH SCHEDULED

First Chinese crewed flight listed for tomorrow

The single-crew Shenzhou V spacecraft is listed for launch from Jiuquan aboard a Long March 2F vehicle.

PROGRAM: CHINA MANNED SPACE
WINDOW: 15 OCT 2003
CREW: ONE

Official mission record

SMART-1

OUTWARD SPIRAL

Electric-propulsion flight begins

Europe's first lunar mission is gradually raising its orbit using solar-electric propulsion after its 27 September Ariane 5 launch.

AGENCY: ESA
LAUNCHED: 27 SEP 2003
DESTINATION: MOON

ESA operations summary