Space Exploration 2000 - 2005

Scheduled Plans

Feb 1, 2000

Cassini was scheduled to encounter Jupiter in the month of February, assuming that it may take the entire month.

CRAF

Aug 14, 2000

CRAF Spacecraft was scheduled to rendezvous with Comet Kopff. At the time, there was no definite knowledge of what would happen once they meet. However, some people had a good idea.

The success of NEAR

Feb 12, 2001

The NEAR spacecraft successfully landed on the surface of the asteroid Eros. Unprecedented images of the asteroids surface was sent back by NEAR. NEAr was in orbit around Eros since February 14th, 2000.

The 100th Space Walk

Feb 14, 2001

U.S astronauts Thomas Jones and Robert Curbeam Jr. performed the 100th space walk on the Gemini 4 mission.

We need that radio

Mar 18, 2001

XM Satellite radio's XM-2 satellite becomes the company's first satellite in orbit. All thanks to the Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket.

Tourists?

Apr 28, 2001

Dennis Tito, an American businessman, becomes the first tourist in space. This began a new era of sending ordinary people into space, making it a great significance to the present and the future.

Fire!

Jul 20, 2001

CRAF was scheduled to fire its penetrator into the nucleus of comet Kopff. In desire to demolish it.

H-2A

Aug 29, 2001

Japan's launch system, H-2A rocket, launches for the first time. The rocket is still currently active, and out of twenty-seven launches, it has had only one failure in 2003.

Oh the schedules

Oct 1, 2002

Cassini was initially scheduled to arrive at Saturn in the Cassini Solstice Mission during the month of October, and was launched October fifteenth, 1997, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

The Disaster

Feb 1, 2003

The United States space shuttle, the Columbia, was destroyed in midair in an accident, all seven crew members were killed.

Spitzer

Aug 25, 2003

NASA launches the Spitzer Space Telescope, an infrared space observatory, aboard a Delta rocket.

Galileo

Sep 21, 2003

NASA's Galileo mission ended a fourteeen year exploration of the solar system's largest planet and its moons with the spacecraft crashing by design into Jupiter at 108,000 mph.

Yang Liwei

Oct 15, 2003

Yang Liwei became China's first person that they've ever launched into space, aboard the Shenzhou 5.

Spirit

Jan 4, 2004

Spirit, the first Mars exploration rover successfully lands on Mars, and amazing feat.

Rosetta

Mar 2, 2004

Rosetta, a robotic space probe, goes into space, aboard an Ariane 5 rocket.

Build that momentum

Mar 4, 2005

There is no rocket that is powerful enough to fling a spacecraft 3.7 billion miles, so with the aid of planetary flybys, Rosetta was provided with extra momentum.

Discovery

Jul 26, 2005

Ever since the devastating Columbia disaster, Discovery became the first shuttle to launch. Despite what we think, the shape has become a distinct image.

Bibliography

Mar 1, 2015

World Book 2005 edition 18 So - Sz
Seasky.com
Space.com
Archives.gov
Popular science August 2014
The Great Voyager Adventure A guided tour through the Solar System - Alan Harris and Paul Weissman