Mar 27

Space Rocket History #295 – Space 1970 – Osumi (Japan) & Uhuru (US)

Osumi was the name of the first Japanese satellite placed into orbit. It was named after the Osumi Province in the southern islands of Japan.

Mar 20

Space Rocket History #294 – Space 1970 – Soyuz 9 – Part 2

At midnight June 1, 1970 Soyuz 9 lifted off from Area 31 at Baikonur and successfully entered low earth orbit with an apogee of 227 km and a perigee of 176 km.

Mar 13

Space Rocket History #293 – Space 1970 – Soyuz 9 – Part 1

The original Soyuz 9 mission was planned to fly two Soyuz spacecraft in the August to September 1970 time frame for a rendezvous and docking; however, at the end of December 1969 the communist party bosses ordered that the mission be changed to a single spacecraft on a 20 day long duration flight to be launched in April 1970 to coincide with Lenin’s birthday.

Mar 06

Space Rocket History #292 – Space 1970 – Venera 7

The VENERA 7 lander was the hardiest of the Soviet Venus probes yet built. Its creators wanted the vessel to land on the planet’s surface in working order.