| Year: | 2013 |
| First: | 15 January |
| Last: | 28 December |
| Total: | 81 |
| Success: | 77 |
| Failed: | 3 |
| Partial: | 1 |
| Catalogued: | 78 |
| Maidens: |
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| Retired: |
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| Firstlaunch: | (with assistance from) |
| Firstsat: | |
| Orbital: | 5 |
| Totalcrew: | 15 |
| Evas: | 11 |
| Programme: | Timeline of spaceflight |
| Previous Mission: | 2012 |
| Next Mission: | 2014 |
In 2013, the maiden spaceflight of the Orbital Sciences' Antares launch vehicle, designated A-ONE, took place on 13 April.[1] Orbital Science also launched its first spacecraft, Cygnus, that docked with the International Space Station in late September 2013.
A total of 81 orbital launches were attempted in 2013, of which 77 were successful, one was partially successful and three were failures. The year also saw eleven EVAs by ISS astronauts. The majority of the year's orbital launches were conducted by Russia, the United States and China, with 31, 19 and 15 launches respectively.
India's Indian Space Research Organisation launched its first mission to Mars with the Mars Orbiter Mission that successfully reached Mars orbit on 23 September 2014.[2]
Numerous significant milestones in robotic spaceflight occurred in 2013, including the landing of China's Chang'e 3 lander at Moon's Mare Imbrium on 14 December; it is China's first attempt and first successful soft landing by its spacecraft on an extraterrestrial surface.
Five crewed orbital launches were conducted during 2013, all successfully, carrying a total of 15 astronauts into orbit. Four of these missions were flown with the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and one with the Chinese Shenzhou.
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| Date (UTC) | Spacecraft | Event | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 February | 90th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 1978km (1,229miles). | ||
| 9 March | Cassini | 4th flyby of Rhea | Closest approach: 997km (620miles). Last Cassini flyby of Rhea. | |
| 5 April | Cassini | 91st flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 1400km (900miles). | |
| 12 April | Cassini | Flyby of Polydeuces | Closest approach: 115000km (71,000miles). | |
| 23 May | Cassini | 92nd flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 970km (600miles). | |
| 10 July | Cassini | 93rd flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 964km (599miles). | |
| 26 July | Cassini | 94th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 1400km (900miles). | |
| 12 September | Cassini | 95th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 1400km (900miles). | |
| 6 October | LADEE | Preliminary orbit was 269km (167miles) x 15772km (9,800miles), inclined 157 deg to the equator. | ||
| 9 October | Flyby of Earth | Gravity assist, closest approach: 552km (343miles). | ||
| 13 October | Cassini | 96th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 961km (597miles). | |
| 30 November | Cassini | 97th flyby of Titan | Closest approach: 870km (540miles). | |
| 6 December | Chang'e 3 | Injection into Selenocentric orbit | Preliminary orbit was 100km (100miles), reduced to 15km (09miles) on 10 December. | |
| 14 December | Chang'e 3 | Landing at Mare Imbrium | First Chinese lunar soft lander and rover, coordinates 44.1214°N -19.5116°W. | |
| 28 December | Mars Express | Flyby of Phobos | Closest approach: 45km (28miles). |
| scope=col | Start Date/Time | scope=col | Duration | scope=col | End Time | scope=col | Spacecraft | scope=col | Crew | scope=col | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 April 14:03 | 6 hours | 20:41 | ISS Pirs |  Pavel Vinogradov Roman Romanenko | Installed the Obstanovka plasma waves and ionosphere experiment to the exterior of the Zvezda service module. Also replaced a faulty retro-reflector device used as navigational aids for the Automatic Transfer Vehicle and retrieved the Biorisk microbe exposure experiment. An attempt to retrieve the Vinoslivost materials sample experiment failed when it was accidentally dropped while being taken back to the Pirs module airlock.[3] [4] | ||||||
| 11 May 12:44 | 5 hours 30 minutes | 18:14 | Expedition 35/36ISS Quest | Replaced the 2B Pump Flow Control Subassembly (PFCS) on the Port 6 truss in attempting to locate the source of an ammonia coolant leak on the Port 6 truss Photo Voltaic Thermal Control System (PVTCS).[5] [6] | |||||||
| 24 June 13:32 | 6 hours 34 minutes | 20:06 | Expedition 36/37ISS Pirs | Fyodor Yurchikhin Aleksandr Misurkin | Replaced a fluid flow regulator on the Zarya module, testing of the Kurs docking system on the station ahead of the arrival of a new Russian module, installing the "Indicator" experiment, installing gap spanners on to the outside of the station and photographing the multilayer insulation (MLI) protecting the Russian segment from micrometeoroids and taking samples from the exterior surface of the pressure hull underneath the MLI to identify signs of pressure hull material microscopic deterioration.[7] [8] | ||||||
| 9 July 12:02 | 6 hours 7 minutes | 18:09 | Expedition 36/37ISS Quest |  Christopher Cassidy Luca Parmitano | Replaced a failed Space-to-Ground Transmitter Receiver Controller and the Mobile Base Camera Light Pan-Tilt Assembly, retrieved the MISSE-8 and ORMatE-III experiments, photographed the AMS-02, moved two Radiator Grapple Bars to either sides of the truss, routed power cables to support the addition of the new Russian MLM and installed a multi-layer insulation cover to protect the docking interface of PMA-2.[9] [10] | ||||||
| 16 July 11:57 | 1 hours 32 minutes | 13:29 | Expedition 36/37ISS Quest | Christopher Cassidy Luca Parmitano | Installed a Y-bypass jumper on power lines on the Z1 truss, routing 1553 data cables for a grapple fixture and Ethernet cables for a future Russian station module. The spacewalk was then cut short after Parmitano reported excess water leaking inside his helmet.[11] [12] [13] | ||||||
| 16 August 14:36 | 7 hours 29 minutes | 22:05 | Expedition 36/37ISS Pirs | Fyodor Yurchikhin Aleksandr Misurkin | Routed power and Ethernet cables for later attachment to the future Nauka module. Also installed connectors between modules and a material science experiment.[14] [15] | ||||||
| 22 August 11:34 | 5 hours 58 minutes | 17:32 | Expedition 36/37ISS Pirs | Fyodor Yurchikhin Aleksandr Misurkin | Removed a laser communication and installed an EVA work station and camera pointing platform outside the Zvezda service module, inspection and tightening of various antenna covers on Zvezda, and installed new spacewalk aids.[16] [17] | ||||||
| 9 November 14:34 | 5 hours 50 minutes | 20:24 | Expedition 37/38ISS Pirs | Oleg Kotov Sergey Ryazansky | Took the Olympic torch for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games to the outside of ISS. They also continued work on an extravehicular activity workstation and biaxial pointing platform by removing launch brackets and bolts, as well as retrieving an experimental package. The planned installation of a foot restraint on the mounting seat of the workstation was deferred to a future spacewalk after the spacewalkers noticed some issues with its alignment.[18] [19] | ||||||
| 21 December 12:01 | 5 hours 28 minutes | 17:29 | Expedition 38/39ISS Quest | Richard Mastracchio Michael S. Hopkins | Removed ammonia fluid lines from Active Thermal Control System pump module; removed pump module from starboard truss and stowed it on Payload Orbital Replacement Unit Accommodation.[20] | ||||||
| 24 December 11:53 | 7 hours 30 minutes | 19:23 | Expedition 38/39ISS Quest | Richard Mastracchio Michael S. Hopkins | Retrieved spare ammonia pump module, installed it on starboard truss, and connected it to Loop A of Active Thermal Control System.[21] [22] | ||||||
| 27 December 13:00 | 8 hours 7 minutes | 21:07 | Expedition 38/39ISS Pirs | Oleg Kotov Sergey Ryazansky | Attempted installation of 2 HD cameras for commercial Earth observation on the outside of the Zvezda module, cancelled after one of the cameras failed to provide data to the ground during testing. Also installed and jettisoned experimental equipment outside the Russian segment. Longest Russian EVA in history.[23] [24] |
For the purposes of this section, the yearly tally of orbital launches by country assigns each flight to the country of origin of the rocket, not to the launch services provider or the spaceport. For example, Soyuz launches by Arianespace in Kourou are counted under Russia because Soyuz-2 is a Russian rocket.
| Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 14 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | With Russian assistance | |||
| 31 | 28 | 2 | 1 | Includes two European Soyuz launches from Kourou, French Guiana by Arianespace | |||
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 19 | 19 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| World | 81 | 77 | 3 | 1 | |||
| Family | Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angara | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Antares | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | ||
| Ariane | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Atlas | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Delta | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Epsilon | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | ||
| Falcon | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |||
| H-II | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Kuaizhou | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | ||
| 14 | 13 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Minotaur | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Pegasus | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| R-7 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | |||
| R-36 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Universal Rocket | 15 | 13 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Vega | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Zenit | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Rocket | Country | Family | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antares | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | |||
| Ariane | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Atlas | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Delta | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| R-36 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Epsilon | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | |||
| Falcon | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| H-II | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| H-II | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Kuaizhou | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | |||
| Long March | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Long March | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Long March | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Minotaur | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Minotaur | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Naro | / | Angara | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Final flight | |
| Pegasus | Pegasus | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| PSLV | PSLV | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Proton | Universal Rocket | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Soyuz | R-7 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Soyuz-2 | R-7 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | |||
| UR-100 | Universal Rocket | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | |||
| Vega | Vega | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Zenit | Zenit | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Rocket | Country | Type | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antares | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | |||
| Ariane 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Ariane 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Atlas V 401 | Atlas V | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Atlas V 501 | Atlas V | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Atlas V 531 | Atlas V | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Atlas V 551 | Atlas V | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Delta IV | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Delta IV Heavy | Delta IV | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Dnepr | Dnepr | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Epsilon | Epsilon | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | ||
| Falcon 9 v1.0 | Falcon 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Final flight | ||
| Falcon 9 v1.1 | Falcon 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | ||
| H-IIA 202 | H-IIA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| H-IIB | H-IIB | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Kuaizhou 1 | Kuaizhou 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | ||
| Long March 2C | Long March 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Long March 2D | Long March 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Long March 2F | Long March 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Long March 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Long March 4B | Long March 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Long March 4C | Long March 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Minotaur I | Minotaur I | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Minotaur V | Minotaur V | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | ||
| Naro-1 | / | Naro | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Final flight | |
| Pegasus-XL | Pegasus | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| PSLV-CA | PSLV | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| PSLV-XL | PSLV | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Proton | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Proton-M / Blok DM-03 | Proton | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| UR-100 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | ||||
| Soyuz-2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Soyuz-2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Soyuz-2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Soyuz-2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Soyuz-2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Soyuz-2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Maiden flight | |||
| Soyuz-FG | Soyuz | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Soyuz-U | Soyuz | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |||
| UR-100 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Vega | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Zenit-3SL | Zenit | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Zenit-3SLB | Zenit | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Site | Country | Launches | Successes | Failures | Partial failures | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baikonur | 23 | 22 | 1 | 0 | |||
| 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Dombarovsky | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Kourou | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Jiuquan | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |||
| MARS | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Naro | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| International waters | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Plesetsk | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | |||
| Satish Dhawan | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Tanegashima | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Taiyuan | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Uchinoura | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Vandenberg | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Includes Pegasus-XL launch whose carrier aircraft took off from Vandenberg | ||
| Xichang | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 81 | 77 | 3 | 1 | |||
| Orbital regime | Launches | Failures | Accidentally achieved | Remarks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transatmospheric | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Low Earth | 48 | 47 | 1 | 0 | 12 to ISS, 1 to Tiangong-1 | |
| Medium Earth / Molniya | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 24 | 23 | 1 | 0 | |||
| High Earth / Lunar transfer | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | MOM was initially placed in a highly elliptical Earth orbit and performed Trans-Mars injection under its own power | |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 81 | 78 | 3 | 0 |