Orbital launches usually have international designations (`COSPAR designations').
Assignment of these designations was delegated in the early 1960s by the UN COSPAR to the World Data
Center A for Rockets and Satellites, who at some point further delegated it to NORAD,
today in the form of the US Space Force 18th Space Control Squadron.
The traditional rule was that any launch from the Earth which resulted in an object completing one or more
orbits of the Earth would receive a designation. This rule has not always been followed.
I assign U designations for several categories of launch that I consider interesting:
The C3 value, usually used for Earth escape launches, is a measure of the orbital binding energy per unit mass, in km**2/s**2 or (equivalently) MJ/kg;
the SpE value is the total kinetic plus potential energy per unit mass, in the same units; the two are not independent,
as SpE = 0.5* C3 + 62.5. C3 is negative for objects bound to Earth and positive if they have escape velocity; SpE is always positive
and I find it more intuitive for the marginal-orbit cases.
Designation | Launch Date | Launch Vehicle | Site | Payload | Orbit Peri | Orbit Apo | Orbit inc | Actual Apo | Central Body | U Type | C3 | SpE | Description |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1957-U01 | 1957 Oct 17 0505 | Aerobee USAF 88 | Holloman ADC | USAF 88 Charge A | -2000? | -20000? | 90.0 | 114 | Earth | Energy | 86.2 | 105.6 | Artifical meteor (Poulter pellet) |
1958-U01 | 1958 Sep 26 1538 | Vanguard SLV-3 | Canaveral LC18A | Vanguard Cloud Cover Satellite | 65 | 425 | 32.8 | 425 | Earth | Marginal | -60.2 | 32.4 | Satellite, positive perigee |
1959-U01 | 1959 Jun 25 2247 | Thor Agena A 179 | Vandenberg 75-3-5 | CORONA C-1/FTV 1023 | 80? | 170? | 86.3 | 170? | Earth | Marginal | -61.3 | 31.9 | Satellite, positive perigee |
1960-U01 | 1960 Apr 15 1506 | Vostok-L L1-9 | Baykonur LC1/5 | Luna E-3 No. 1 | 50? | 200000? | 65.0 | 200000? | Earth | Skipped/Energy | -3.8 | 60.6 | Failed lunar probe |
1960-U02 | 1960 Sep 21 1301 | Blue Scout Jr D-1 | Canaveral LC18A | D-1 Probe | -5040 | 26709 | 30.0? | 26709 | Earth | Energy | -23.2 | 50.9 | Space physics probe |
1960-U03 | 1960 Oct 4 1523 | Scout X-1 ST-2 | Wallops LA3 | ST-2 Probe | -4400 | 5630 | 38.0? | 5630 | Earth | Energy | -57.0 | 34.0 | Space physics probe |
1961-U01 | 1961 Aug 17 1429 | Blue Scout Jr D-1 | Canaveral LC18A | O-1 Probe | -5000? | 100000? | 30.0? | 100000? | Earth | Energy | -7.4 | 58.8 | Space physics probe, apogee unconfirmed |
1961-U02 | 1961 Apr 21 0556 | Trailblazer I | Wallops | Trailblazer 1g | -6166 | 18199 | 106.10 | 283 | Earth | Reentry | -32.2 | 46.4 | Artificial meteor |
1961-U03 | 1961 Oct 19 1738 | Scout X-1 ST-7 | Wallops LA3 | ST-7 Probe | -5022 | 6855 | 32.0 | 6855 | Earth | Energy | -54.6 | 35.2 | Space physics probe |
1961-U04 | 1961 Dec 4 0400 | Blue Scout Jr O-2 | Point Arguello LC-A | O-2 Probe | -300? | 44400 | 94.0? | 44400 | Earth | Energy | -14.0 | 55.5 | Space physics probe |
1962-U01 | 1962 Mar 29 0727 | Scout X-2 ST-9 | Wallops LA3 | ST-9 Probe | -5540 | 6290 | 38.0? | 6290 | Earth | Energy | -59.0 | 33.0 | Space physics probe |
1962-U02 | 1962 May 6 0541 | Trailblazer 2 | Wallops | Meteor 1 pellet | -6251 | -54735 | 104.3 | 280 | Earth | Reentry | 16.5 | 70.8 | Artificial meteor |
1962-U03 | 1962 Aug 31 1625 | Scout X-3A S114 | Wallops LA3 | Reentry 2 | -6000 | 7000 | 38.0 | 217 | Earth | Reentry | -58.0 | 33.5 | Reentry test |
1963-U01 | 1963 Jul 30 1616 | Blue Scout Jr 22-1 | Canaveral LC18A | AFCRL-1/21 | -1840? | 11100 | 31.0 | 11100 | Earth | Energy | -36.2 | 44.4 | Space physics probe |
1964-U01 | 1964 Mar 12 0417 | Nike Cajun | Wallops | Meteor 2/3 | -6160 | 12200 | 105.6 | 100 | Earth | Reentry | -42.4 | 41.3 | Artificial meteor |
1964-U02 | 1964 Apr 14 2142 | Atlas 263D | Kennedy LC12 | FIRE 1 | -219 | -51626 | 32.1 | 840 | Earth | Reentry | 20.4 | 72.7 | Reentry test for Apollo |
1964-U03 | 1964 Apr 21 1850 | Thor Ablestar 379/AB014 | Vandenberg 75-1-1 | Transit VBN-3 | 50? | 500? | 90.0 | 500? | Earth | Marginal | -59.9 | 32.5 | Satellite, positive perigee |
1964-U04 | 1964 Aug 18 0605 | Scout X-4A S129R | Wallops LA3 | Reentry 4 | -117 | 5069 | 48.0 | 183 | Earth | Reentry | -45.0 | 40.0 | Reentry test |
1964-U05 | 1964 Nov 7 0138 | Nike Cajun | Wallops | Meteor 4/5 | -6100? | 241000 | 106.0 | 110 | Earth | Reentry | -3.2 | 60.9 | Artificial meteor |
1965-U01 | 1965 Dec 16 1409 | R-36O U22502-01L | Baykonur LC67/21 | OGCh No. 01L | -650? | 220 | 64.5 | 220 | Earth | Marginal | -64.7 | 30.2 | Weapons test flight |
1965-U02 | 1965 Jan 19 1404 | Titan II GLV-2 | Kennedy LC19 | Gemini GT-2 | -48 | 493 | 31.7 | 493 | Earth | Marginal | -60.4 | 32.3 | Spaceship test flight |
1965-U03 | 1965 May 4 0550 | Nike Cajun | Wallops | Meteor 6/7 | -6100? | 241000 | 105.0 | 110 | Earth | Reentry | -3.2 | 60.9 | Artificial meteor |
1965-U04 | 1965 May 22 2155 | Atlas 264D | Kennedy LC12 | FIRE 2 | -234 | -65491 | 32.5 | 825 | Earth | Reentry | 15.1 | 70.0 | Reentry test for Apollo |
1965-U05 | 1965 Mar 30 1609 | Blue Scout Jr 22-4 | Kennedy LC18A | AFRCL-35 | -1250? | 16100? | 30.0? | 16100? | Earth | Energy | -28.9 | 48.1 | Space physics probe |
1965-U06 | 1965 Apr 9 1810 | Blue Scout Jr 22-9 | Kennedy LC18A | AFWL-14 | -3300? | 25500 | 30.0 | 25500 | Earth | Energy | -22.8 | 51.1 | Space physics probe |
1965-U07 | 1965 May 12 1602 | Blue Scout Jr 22-8 | Kennedy LC18A | AFCRL-335 | -2000? | 15640 | 30.0 | 15640 | Earth | Energy | -30.2 | 47.4 | Space physics probe |
1965-U08 | 1965 Jun 9 1626 | Blue Scout Jr 22-5 | Kennedy LC18A | AFWL-304 | -1200? | 17533 | 30.0 | 17533 | Earth | Energy | -27.4 | 48.8 | Space physics probe |
1966-U01 | 1966 Feb 5 1219 | R-36O U22502-02L | Baykonur LC67/21 | OGCh No. 02L | -650? | 220 | 64.5 | 220 | Earth | Marginal | -64.7 | 30.2 | Weapons test flight |
1966-U02 | 1966 May 19 1930 | R-36O U22502-04L | Baykonur LC67/21 | OGCh No. 04L | -650? | 220 | 64.5 | 220 | Earth | Marginal | -64.7 | 30.2 | Weapons test flight |
1966-U03 | 1966 Feb 10 0055 | Scout X-4A S141C | Wallops LA3A | Reentry E | -1500? | 4300? | 47.0 | 175 | Earth | Reentry | -51.3 | 36.9 | Reentry test |
1966-U04 | 1966 Feb 26 1612 | Saturn IB SA-201 | Kennedy LC34 | Apollo AS-201 | -565 | 1674 | 30.7 | 493 | Earth | Reentry | -57.5 | 33.8 | Reentry test of Apollo CM |
1966-U05 | 1966 Mar 18 0115 | Trailblazer 2 | Wallops | Meteor 8 | -6100? | 136000 | 107.0 | 280 | Earth | Reentry | -5.6 | 59.7 | Artificial meteor |
1966-U06 | 1966 Aug 25 1715 | Uprated Saturn I SA-202 | Kennedy LC34 | Apollo AS-202 | 59 | 4082 | 31.4 | 1143 | Earth | Marginal | -47.2 | 38.9 | Flight and reentry test of Apollo CSM |
1966-U07 | 1966 Sep 17 0157 | Nike Cajun | Wallops | Meteor 9 | -6080? | -146000 | 107.0 | 110 | Earth | Reentry | 5.72 | 65.4 | Artificial meteor |
1966-U08 | 1966 Dec 21 2215 | Atlas SLV-3 7001 | Vandenberg SLC3E | SV-5D FV-1 | -1179 | 170 | 145.3 | 170 | Earth | Marginal | -67.9 | 28.6 | Lifting body test |
1967-U01 | 1967 Feb 14 0552 | Trailblazer 2 | Wallops | Meteor 10 | -5792 | -12485 | 109.4 | 280 | Earth | Reentry | 144.4 | 134.7 | Artificial meteor |
1967-U02 | 1967 Mar 5 2305 | Atlas SLV-3 7002 | Vandenberg SLC3E | SV-5D FV-2 | -562 | 201 | 145.2 | 201 | Earth | Marginal | -64.3 | 30.3 | Lifting body test |
1967-U03 | 1967 Apr 20 0135 | Atlas SLV-3 7003 | Vandenberg SLC3E | SV-5D FV-3 | -488 | 211 | 144.6 | 211 | Earth | Marginal | -63.9 | 30.6 | Lifting body test |
1967-U04 | 1967 Oct 19 1733 | Scout B S159C | Wallops LA3A | RAM C-1 | -1355? | 2011? | 39.9 | 217 | Earth | Reentry | -59.4 | 32.8 | Reentry test |
1968-U01 | 1968 May 20 2205 | R-36O Ya22500-18L | Baykonur LC162/36 | OGCh No. 18LU | -200? | 200? | 49.7 | 200? | Earth | Marginal | -62.5 | 31.3 | Weapons test flight |
1968-U02 | 1968 May 27 2315 | R-36O Ya22501-19L | Baykonur LC161/35 | OGCh No. 19LU | -200? | 200? | 49.7 | 200? | Earth | Marginal | -62.5 | 31.3 | Weapons test flight |
1968-U03 | 1968 Aug 22 1516 | Scout B S168C | Wallops LA3A | RAM C-2 | -1850? | 1420? | 41.8 | 221 | Earth | Reentry | -64.7 | 30.2 | Reentry test |
1969-U01 | 1969 Jul 21 1754 | LM 5 Ascent Stage | Tranquility Base | LM 5 Eagle | 17 | 91 | 161.8 | Moon | ExtraT | - | - | Human lunar return | |
1969-U02 | 1969 Nov 20 1425 | LM 6 Ascent Stage | Surveyor 3 Site | LM 6 Intrepid | 19 | 95 | 144.1 | Moon | ExtraT | - | - | Human lunar return | |
1969-U03 | 1969 Jan 25 1114 | Tsiklon-2A No. 12L | Baykonur LC90/19 | US-A No. 212 | -50? | 245? | 65.1 | 245? | Earth | Marginal | -61.5 | 31.7 | Satellite launch failure |
1970-U01 | 1970 Sep 21 0743 | E-8-5 VS | Luna-16 site,Mare Fecunditatis | E-8-5 No. 406 VA | ? | 400000? | Moon | ExtraT | - | - | Robotic sample return | ||
1970-U02 | 1970 Jun 12 0110 | Europa I F-9 | Woomera LA6A | ELDO STV 3 | -744 | 673 | 84.1 | 673 | Earth | Marginal | -62.8 | 31.1 | Satellite launch failure |
1970-U03 | 1970 Nov 30 2240 | Atlas Centaur AC-21 | Kennedy LC36B | OAO B | -50? | 600? | 35.0 | 600? | Earth | Marginal | -59.9 | 32.5 | Satellite launch failure |
1971-U01 | 1971 Feb 6 1848 | LM 8 Ascent Stage | Fra Mauro Base | LM 8 Antares | 17 | 113 | 167.9 | Moon | ExtraT | - | - | Human lunar return | |
1971-U02 | 1971 Aug 2 1711 | LM 10 Ascent Stage | Hadley Base | LM 10 Falcon | 3 | 63 | 143.4 | Moon | ExtraT | - | - | Human lunar return | |
1971-U03 | 1971 Sep 20 2331 | Scout B S166C | Wallops LA3A | Barium Ion Cloud | -4600 | 32100 | 38.9 | 32100 | Earth | Energy | -19.8 | 52.6 | Space physics probe |
1972-U01 | 1972 Feb 22 2258 | E-8-5 VS | Luna-20 site, Apollonius C | E-8-5 No. 408 VA | ? | 400000? | Moon | ExtraT | - | - | Robotic sample return | ||
1972-U02 | 1972 Apr 24 0125 | LM 11 Ascent Stage | Descartes Base | LM 11 Orion | 28 | 108 | 172.0 | Moon | ExtraT | - | - | Human lunar return | |
1972-U03 | 1972 Dec 14 2254 | LM 12 Ascent Stage | Taurus-Littrow Base | LM 12 Challenger | 21 | 114 | ? | Moon | ExtraT | - | - | Human lunar return | |
1973-U01 | 1973 Apr 25 0910 | Tsiklon-2 No. 17L | Baykonur LC90 | US-A No. 314 | -800? | 250? | 65.0 | 250? | Earth | Marginal | -65.3 | 29.8 | Satellite launch failure |
1973-U02 | 1973 May 21 0847 | Diamant B No. 5 | Kourou ELD | D-5A/D-5B | 40? | 300 | 20.0 | 300? | Earth | Marginal | -60.9 | 32.1 | Satellite launch failure, positive perigee |
1976-U01 | 1976 Aug 19 0525 | E-8-5 VS | Luna-24 site, Mare Crisium | E-8-5 No. 413 VA | ? | 400000? | Moon | ExtraT | - | - | Robotic sample return | ||
1976-U02 | 1976 Jun 18 1141 | Scout D-1 No. S193C | Wallops LA3A | Gravity Probe A | -6263 | 10230 | 39.4 | 10230 | Earth | Energy | -47.7 | 38.7 | Physics experiment probe |
1979-U01 | 1979 Oct 12 1230 | Soyuz-U 77025-419 | Plesetsk LC43/3 | Argon (Zenit-6) No. 12L | -200? | 200? | 72.9 | 200 | Earth | Marginal | -62.5 | 31.3 | Satellite launch failure |
1980-U01 | 1980 Dec 9 0718 | Atlas 68E | Vandenberg SLC3W | NRO PARCAE 4 | -1000? | 1050? | 63.5 | 1050? | Earth | Marginal | -62.3 | 31.4 | Satellite launch failure |
1987-U01 | 1987 May 15 1730 | Energiya No. L1506SL | Baykonur LC250 | Skif-DM | -15 | 155 | 64.6 | 155 | Earth | Marginal | -61.8 | 31.6 | Satellite launch failure |
1995-U01 | 1995 Jan 15 1345 | Mu-3S-II M-3S2-8 | Kagoshima Mu | EXPRESS | 110 | 245 | 31.0 | 245 | Earth | Skipped | -60.8 | 32.1 | Made 3 orbits but not tracked |
2000-U01 | 2000 Feb 10 0130 | M-V-4 | Kagoshima M-V | ASTRO-E | 80? | 410 | 31.3 | 410 | Earth | Marginal | -60.2 | 32.4 | Satellite launch failure, possibly positive perigee |
2001-U01 | 2001 Sep 21 1849 | Taurus 2110 T6 | Vandenberg 576E | Orbview-4/QuikTOMS | -50? | 427 | 97.3 | 427 | Earth | Marginal | -60.7 | 32.1 | Satellite launch failure |
2003-U01 | 2003 Sep 16 1030 | KT-1 | Taiyuan | KT-1 test payload | 112? | 307 | 92.0 | 307 | Earth | Marginal | -60.5 | 32.2 | Satellite launch failure, possibly positive perigee |
2004-U01 | 2004 Nov 8 1830 | Soyuz-2-1A No. 001 | Plesetsk LC43/4 | Oblik No. 103 | -150? | 180? | 82.5? | 180? | Earth | Marginal | -62.4 | 31.3 | Suborbital launch vehicle test |
2013-U01 | 2013 May 13 1258 | DF-21? | Xichang | Kunpeng-7 | -3000? | 10000? | 32.0 | 10000? | Earth | Energy | -40.4? | 42.3? | Launch vehicle test, orbit uncertain |
2015-U01 | 2015 Feb 11 1340 | Vega VV04 | Kourou ZLV | AVUM VV04 | 220 | 430 | 5.4 | 430 | Earth | Skipped | -59.5 | 32.8 | AVUM stage completed more than one orbit, IXV orbit 76 x 416 |
2020-U01 | 2020 Nov 17 0152 | Vega VV17 | Kourou ZLV | SEOSAT/Taranis | -500? | 250? | 98.5 | 250? | Earth | Marginal | -63.7 | 30.6 | Satellite launch failure |
2020-U02 | 2020 Dec 3 1510 | CE-5 SSQ | Louville Omega N | Chang'e-5 Shangsheng Qi | 15 | 181 | 42.4 | Moon | ExtraT | - | - | Robotic sample return | |
2021-U01 | 2021 Jul 27 | Chang Zheng 2C | Taiyuan? | CZ Orbital RV | 100? | 200? | 137? | 200? | Earth | Skipped/Marginal | -61.1 | 32.0 | Weapons test flight |
2022-U01 | 2022 Mar 24 0534 | Hwasong-15? | Sunan | HS-17 RV | -6261 | 6200 | 41.3 | 6200 | Earth | Energy | -62.70 | 31.1 | Lofted ICBM test flight |
2022-U02 | 2022 Aug 7 0348 | SSLV-D1 | Satish Dawah FLP | EOS-02/AzaadiSAT | 76 | 356 | 41.6? | 356 | Earth | Marginal | -60.5 | 32.3 | Satellite launch failure, positive perigee |
2022-U03 | 2022 Nov 18 0114 | Hwasong-15? | Sunan | HS-17 RV | -6260 | 6100 | 41.6 | 6100 | Earth | Energy | -63.30 | 30.9 | Lofted ICBM test flight |
2023-U01 | 2023 Feb 18 0822 | Hwasong-15? | Sunan | HS-17 RV | -6260 | 5768 | 41.6 | 5768 | Earth | Energy | -65.07 | 30.0 | Lofted ICBM test flight |
2023-U02 | 2023 Mar 15 2210 | Hwasong-17? | Sunan | HS-17 RV | -6260? | 5800? | 41.6 | 5800? | Earth | Energy | -65.07 | 30.0 | Lofted ICBM test flight |
2023-U03 | 2023 Jul 12 0059 | Hwasong-18 | Pyongyang | HS-18 RV | -6260? | 6648 | 41.6 | 6648 | Earth | Energy | -60.70 | 32.1 | Lofted ICBM test flight |
2023-U04 | 2023 Dec 17 2324 | Hwasong-18 | Pyongyang | HS-18 RV | -6260? | 6518 | 41.6 | 6518 | Earth | Energy | -61.3 | 31.9 | Lofted ICBM test flight |
2024-U01 | 2024 Mar 14 1325 | Starship | Starbase | Ship 28 | -50? | 234 | 26.50 | 234 | Earth | Marginal | -61.61 | 31.69 | Launch vehicle test |
2024-U02 | 2024 Jun 3 2338 | CE-6 SSQ | Apollo Basin S | Chang'e-6 Shangsheng Qi | 15 | 180 | 43.0 | Moon | ExtraT | - | - | Robotic sample return | |
2024-U03 | 2024 Jun 6 1250 | Starship | Starbase | Ship 29 | -15? | 213 | 26.80 | 213 | Earth | Marginal | -61.54 | 31.73 | Launch vehicle test |