News and Updates

Upper Stage Page Revised

Illustration showing several rocket upper stages.
(View Larger Version)

I've uploaded over 30 new graphics to the Upper Stages page. Included is a graphic showing 28 upper stages drawn to scale. I have also created artwork showing several payloads with their upper stages.

Upper Stage Information

Upper stages propel payloads on interplanetary trajectories, or into orbits higher than could otherwise be reached using a rocket booster.

Often, upper stage engines can be restarted several times while in space.

Some upper stages remain attached to their payload and provide services long after reaching their initial orbit. Many early American intelligence spacecraft, for instance, remained attached to their Agena upper stage throughout their operational life. The Agena would provide the spacecraft with power, communications, and attitude control, as well as providing orbital maneuvering as needed.

Several upper stages have seen service on more than one booster. For instance, Agena was used on various Thor, Atlas and Titan rockets. Centaur and IUS also served on multiple families of launchers. Although periodically upgraded, upper stage families tend to remain in service for long periods of time. The Agena stage, first flown in 1959, would fly over 360 missions before being retired in 1987. Centaur, 50 years after its first flight in 1963, still sees frequent use on Atlas 5 boosters.

Viking and Voyager Spacecraft with Centaur D-1T Stages
Viking and Voyager interplanetary spacecraft, illustrated in stowed configuration, mounted on Centaur D1-T upper stages. The Voyager configuration also included a solid rocket motor as an additional stage. (An astronaut is included as a scale reference.)

Atlas V Centaur and Interplanetary Payloads
Illustration showing Centaur stages with the New Horizons Pluto probe and the Mars Science Lander spacecraft. Both missions were launched on Atlas 5 Rockets. (An astronaut is included as a scale reference.)

Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) and Interplanetary Payloads
Illustration showing IUS stages with the Magellan and Galileo spacecraft. Both missions were launched from the Space Shuttle. (An astronaut is included as a scale reference.)

Delta II Second Stage and Pathfinder
Illustration showing the Mars Pathfinder spacecraft and the Delta II second stage. A solid rocket motor is mounted between the two as a third stage. (An astronaut is included as a scale reference.)

PAM-D with satellite
Illustration showing a PAM-D with a typical payload. (An astronaut is included as a scale reference.)

Posted 11 April 2013

New Rocket Illustrations added

Below are some new graphics I'm adding to Historic Spacecraft.

First Orbital Launches
(View Larger Version)

Titan Rockets
(View Larger Version)

Chinese Rockets
(View Larger Version)

Japanese Rockets
(View Larger Version)

Saturn Rockets
(View Larger Version)

Illustration of space shuttle and Buran.

Shuttle Comparison with Buran
(View Larger Version)

Rockets that have Launched Humans into Orbit
(View Larger Version)

Saturn I Rockets
(View Larger Version)

Moon Rockets
(View Larger Version)

Posted 28 February 2013

List of Current and Upcoming Missions for 2013

Spacecraft Currently at the International Space Station
Launch Date	Spacecraft	Launch Vehicle	Country or Organization	Mission
31OCT2012	Progress M-17M	Soyuz-U	Russia	Cargo delivery to ISS.
19DEC2012	Soyuz TMA-07M	Soyuz-FG	Russia	Crew transport to ISS.
11FEB2013	Progress M-18M	Soyuz-U	Russia	Cargo delivery to ISS.
28MAR2013	Soyuz TMA-08M	Soyuz-FG	Russia	Crew transport to ISS.
Upcoming Interplanetary Mission Launches
12AUG2013	LADEE	Minotaur V	NASA	Launch of the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE).
November 2013	MAVEN	Atlas V 401	NASA	Launch of the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN).

Updated 11 April 2013

Several Rocket Illustrations Added

I've updated the website with illustrations of around a dozen new rockets.

For the European rockets page, I have added the French Diamant series of rockets, the British Black Arrow and Blue Streak, and the Europa launcher. The Chinese rockets page now includes a Long-March 1 illustration. The Russian rockets page has finally been updated with illustrations of the N-1 and Energia rockets. Illustrations of the Israeli Shavit, Iranian Safir-2, and North Korean Unha rockets have been added to the Other Nations Rockets page.