Delta 331, the GPS 2R-18 mission, closed out the orbital launch year for the United States. The flight was the 8th and final Delta 2 launch of the year and the 19th and final U.S. orbital launch attempt of 2007, one more than during 2006. Only 17 of the 19 U.S. launches were complete successes. Cape Canaveral hosted 10 launches, half of which were Delta 2 flights. KSC handled three shuttle human space launches. Vandenberg AFB performed four launches, including three by Delta 2 vehicles. 2007 U.S. Launches by Vehicle (Launches(Failures))Delta 2 8(0)Atlas 5 4(1)STS 3(0)Delta 4 1(0)Minotaur 1 1(0)Pegasus XL 1(0)Falcon 1 1(1)2007 U.S. Launches by SiteCape Canaveral, Florida 10(1) Vandenberg AFB, California 4(0)Kennedy Space Center, Florida 3(0)Wallops Island, VA 1(0) Kwajalein, RMI 1(1) 2007 U.S. Launches by Launch ProviderUnited Launch Alliance 13(1)United Space Alliance/STS 3(0)Orbital Sciences 2(0)SpaceX 1(1)
BTW, United Launch Alliance fell well short of its plans for the year. One year ago the consortium announced that it expected to perform 21 launches during the year, including 12 Delta 2, 6 Atlas 5, and 3 Delta 4 missions! Now ULA says that it expects to perform 23 launches in 2008.
- Ed Kyle
zappafrank - 20/12/2007 12:02 AMWhat about SeaLaunch?They are an an American company but with Ukranian rockets, that should count in the totals.
Analyst - 21/12/2007 7:34 AMNice overview, Ed. Wonder what happens to the numbers when Delta II isn't flying anymore.Analyst
GW_Simulations - 21/12/2007 7:18 AMQuoteAnalyst - 21/12/2007 7:34 AMNice overview, Ed. Wonder what happens to the numbers when Delta II isn't flying anymore.AnalystEELV launch rates will probably shoot up.
edkyle99 - 20/12/2007 9:44 PMBTW, United Launch Alliance fell well short of its plans for the year. One year ago the consortium announced that it expected to perform 21 launches during the year, including 12 Delta 2, 6 Atlas 5, and 3 Delta 4 missions!
Lee Jay - 21/12/2007 2:12 PMQuoteedkyle99 - 20/12/2007 9:44 PMBTW, United Launch Alliance fell well short of its plans for the year. One year ago the consortium announced that it expected to perform 21 launches during the year, including 12 Delta 2, 6 Atlas 5, and 3 Delta 4 missions!What are the reasons for the discrepancy between planned and executed launches?
Jim - 21/12/2007 12:59 PMNope, the EELV costs will limit the number of new projects as well as Constellation costs
Analyst - 21/12/2007 1:34 AMNice overview, Ed. Wonder what happens to the numbers when Delta II isn't flying anymore.Analyst
edkyle99 - 20/12/2007 9:44 PMBTW, United Launch Alliance fell well short of its plans for the year. One year ago the consortium announced that it expected to perform 21 launches during the year, including 12 Delta 2, 6 Atlas 5, and 3 Delta 4 missions! Now ULA says that it expects to perform 23 launches in 2008.
GW_Simulations - 21/12/2007 7:53 AMDamage to LC-37B ruined the Delta IV's year. The January Zenit failure resulted in delays to Atlas, due to similar engines used on the two vehicles. Atlas' year was then completely wrecked by its own failure in June. The delays to the Delta IIs were mostly spacecraft related (I think).
WHAP - 22/12/2007 3:09 AMQuoteedkyle99 - 20/12/2007 9:44 PM...ULA says that it expects to perform 23 launches in 2008....Next year will probably be more of the same. I think there are 6 Atlas V and 3 Delta IV - even with 3 launch pads, that's a lot of Delta II's to make up the rest...
edkyle99 - 20/12/2007 9:44 PM...ULA says that it expects to perform 23 launches in 2008.
GW_Simulations - 22/12/2007 1:59 AMULA launch schedule for 2008 (taken from the US Launch Schedule thread):Date - Satellite(s) - Rocket - Launch Site - Time (GMT)...1 December - SDO - Atlas V 401 - Canaveral...
WHAP - 22/12/2007 2:52 PMQuoteGW_Simulations - 22/12/2007 1:59 AMULA launch schedule for 2008 (taken from the US Launch Schedule thread):Date - Satellite(s) - Rocket - Launch Site - Time (GMT)...1 December - SDO - Atlas V 401 - Canaveral...I believe SDO has already moved into 2009, so that makes only 18. The others all look reasonable, but anything more than a few months out has some schedule risk.
Frediiiie - 30/12/2007 8:09 PMThe state of US space program is more clear when you break own launches by commercial vs government.shuttle 3 govt flightsAtlas 5 4 govt flightsDelta 4H 1 govt flightDelta 2 5 govt flights 3 commercial flightsPegasus 1 govtMinotaur 1 govtFalcon 1 failedSea launch (if you want to count it) 1 failedThat's a total commercial launch manifest of 3.The difference between growth and bumping along the bottom is commercial launches.ESA made much of the fact that through 2007 Ariane captured 80% of the commercial launch market.Ultimately it comes down to one thing.Costs
Frediiiie - 31/12/2007 2:09 AMshuttle 3 govt flightsAtlas 5 4 govt flightsDelta 4H 1 govt flightDelta 2 5 govt flights 3 commercial flightsPegasus 1 govtMinotaur 1 govtFalcon 1 failedSea launch (if you want to count it) 1 failedThat's a total commercial launch manifest of 3.
GW_Simulations - 31/12/2007 11:27 AMShuttle, Delta IV and Minotaur are not available to commercial customers. Failures caused commercial launches scheduled for Atlas V, Falcon 1 and Sea Launch to be delayed. Pegasus has always had a low launch rate, and payload issues affected the Delta II.
edkyle99 - 31/12/2007 4:39 AMQuoteFrediiiie - 30/12/2007 8:09 PMThe state of US space program is more clear when you break own launches by commercial vs government.shuttle 3 govt flightsAtlas 5 4 govt flightsDelta 4H 1 govt flightDelta 2 5 govt flights 3 commercial flightsPegasus 1 govtMinotaur 1 govtFalcon 1 failedSea launch (if you want to count it) 1 failedThat's a total commercial launch manifest of 3.The difference between growth and bumping along the bottom is commercial launches.ESA made much of the fact that through 2007 Ariane captured 80% of the commercial launch market.Ultimately it comes down to one thing.CostsI would suggest that it comes down to more than one thing. Costs, yes, but also government subsidies for the commercial launches that help determine the prices paid for launch by both civil and commercial satellite owners. And the varying relative value of currencies and wages and health care and retirement and worker safety programs, etc., since the commercial market is international.
And national policy decisions that force costs up, exemplified by the strange decision to keep and fund two EELV programs when the market should only bear one
- and the equally strange decision to develop an unnecessary third national launch system for human missions when two EELV programs already exist that could do the job
- or the odd decision made by the U.S. Government to cease production of its most successful and cost-effective launch vehicle, Delta II - the one that performed the only U.S. commercial launches in 2007.
And brute force international politics. For example, political decisions have kept U.S.-built comsats off of China's launch vehicles for years now. The world launch scene would look much different today otherwise.In the end, orbital space flight largely remains under government control. Government budgets determine how many launches there will be - even of commercial satellites. Budgets are determined by national defense needs and by a desire to enhance national prestige. - Ed Kyle