December 1982:milestones

August 1982

16 A rocket motor of the type to be used to boost the communication satellites carried on the fifth Shuttle flight in November fails during a ground test.
Engineers will carry out further tests to see if the flight will be affected.

25 The Soyuz T-7 crew, including female cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya, return
to Earth in the Soyuz T-5 craft aftfer a week aboard the Salyut 7 space station.

27 Launch of the Anik D1 communications satellite marks the first use of the
Delta 3920/Payload Assist Module vehicle. NASA has had to re-activate the
LC-17B launch facility at the Cape to cope with the launch rate expected.

September 1982

2 The first of Shuttle Orbiter Challenger's main engines is test fired for 14 seconds to begin the qualification programme which must be completed
before the three SSMEs can be installed in the vehicle. This ignition test
will be followed by a 100 second calibration firing and, finally, a 500 second
endurance test. The engines will reach thrust levels of 109% of normal;
Challenger will be able to carry heavier payloads than Columbia.

7 Space Services, Inc. launches its Conestoga 1 rocket to a height of 195 mi (314 km). The 46,500 lbf (207 kN) thrust
Minuteman 1 second stage will be used as part of an orbital rocket to be
tested next year, with a commercial flight in 1984. Mission director was Deke
Slayton, ex-NASA astronaut.

8 Shuttle Orbiter Columbia is moved from its processing facility to the Vehicle
Assembjy Building for mating with the External Tank and boosters for
STS-5. Columbia spent only 41 days in its "hangar”. Officials are now worried
that Challenger's debut flignt, planned for 20 January, may be delayed because
of late delivery of the main engines.

9 A Chinese satellite is launched into a 393 X 172 km, 63 deg. orbit by the
space launcher version of the CSS-X-4 ICBM. Apparently on a reconnaissance
mission, the satellite is reported to be recovered five days later.

10 Launch of the fifth Ariane rocket, carrying Marecs B and Sirio 2 satellites,
ends in failure after problems with the third stage. The lower stages performed well but 560 seconds after launch, approximately half way through
the 10-minute third stage burn, the turbine speed began to drop and engine
pressure fell from 32 atmospheres to zero. This was the first of the “promotional series” of flights after the first four test launches, the second of
which failed in May 1980.

11 It is reported that two Indian pilots will be chosen this month for cosmonaut
training, beginning before the end of October. Also, Academician Oleg
Gazenko has implied that more women cosmonauts will fly.

14 It is reported that NASA will not take Shuttle Orbiter Columbia out of
service for.modifications after the STS-5 mission because of launch schedule
pressure. It may have to wait until Orbiter Discovery is delivered in late 1983.

20 West German Ulf Merbold and American Bvron Lichtenberg are named as
the Spacelab 1 Payload Specialists for the September 1983 mission. They
will fly with pilots John Young and Brewster Shaw, and Mission Specialists
Owen Garriott and Robert Parker. Wubbo Ockels (Holland) and Michael
Lampton (US) will act as backups.