2007 Astronomy and Space

 * EgyptSat-1: EgyptSat-1 is Egypt's first Earth remote sounding Satellite and was jointly built by Egypt's National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences together with the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau in Ukraine. It was launched on April 17 by a Dnepr rocket at Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

* Air Force Space Test Program-1 Mission: On 9 March from Canaveral Air Force Station (Florida), a Lockheed Martin Atlas 5 rocket (AV-013) launched six satellites during a complex launch of the Air Force's Space Test Program-1 mission. The payload list was led by the Orbital Express in-space refuelling demonstration mission consisting of the Autonomous Space Transfer and Robotic Orbiter, or ASTRO, prototype servicing satellite and the NextSat serviceable spacecraft. Atlas deployed four auxiliary satellites from the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Secondary Payload Adapter, or ESPA ring, including MidSTAR 1, FalconSat 3, STPSat 1 and CFESat.

 * Dawn launch delayed: The launch was scheduled for 20 June 2007 and was delayed a week to 30 June because of a faulty crane at the launch site used to assemble the launcher. Workers also encountered mechanical problems with some vehicle components. In addition, a solar panel on the spacecraft suffered minor damage in a mishap, but that damage was repaired. If NASA can't launch the spacecraft by July 11 the launch would be delayed until September in order to avoid delaying the August launch of the Phoenix mission to Mars.

 * Space Shuttle STS-117: STS-117 delivered a second starboard truss segment and a third set of solar arrays and batteries during the Space Shuttle Program's 21st mission to the International Space Station. Space Shuttle Atlantis STS-117 was launched on June 8.  Previously launch dates were February 22 and March 16, 2007.

July 2007

 * SAR-Lupe 2 Radar Reconnaissance Satellite: SAR-Lupe 2 spacecraft is the second in a series of five German radar reconnaissance satellites. It was launched on July 2 by a Russian Kosmos 3M rocket. SAR-Lupe is Germany's first satellite-based radar reconnaissance system. OHB-System AG is developing the overall system as prime contractor for the German government.

 * 'Refrigerator-Sized' Object Tossed From Space Station: On July 23, Expedition 15 crewmember Clayton Anderson journeyed outside of the space station and threw two large hunks of unneeded equipment towards Earth: 635 kg (1,400-pound) refrigerator-sized container of ammonia, or Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS), away from the station at a gentle pace of 1.6 kph 1 mile per hour).

 * DirecTV 10: DirecTV 10 broadcasting spacecraft built by Boeing was launched on 7 July on a  Proton rocket with a Breeze M upper stage. The satellite will be used for DirecTV's direct-to-home service, specifically aiding in the expansion of HDTV offerings.

 * Transformers Movie: If you want to watch a good space movie, then check out the Transformers Movie. It premiered in cinemas around the world in July. The movie is about the Earth being caught in the middle of an intergalactic war between two races of robots, the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons, which are able to change into a variety of objects, including cars, trucks, planes and other technological creations.

 * Mars Phoenix Lander: Phoenix is the new Mars lander mission and the first of NASA's scout missions. Mars Phoenix Lander will work to uncover clues in the martian arctic soils about the history of water and potential for habitability. It was launched on August 4 2007.

 * Progress M-61 Spacecraft: Progress M-61 (called Progress 26 by NASA, ISS 26P), a cargo delivery spacecraft was launched on August 2 2007 on a Soyuz Rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan to the International Space Station.

The unmanned supply ship contained more than 2.5 tons of cargo for the crew of the International Space Station (ISS): ISS Expedition 15 commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineers Oleg Kotov and Clayton Anderson. The space freighter hauled up spare parts to help with ongoing repair efforts to a set of vital Russian command and navigation computer systems.

*  Space Shuttle STS-118: Space Shuttle Endeavour's STS-118 mission was the 22nd shuttle flight to the International Space Station. It delivered the starboard S5 truss segment to the ISS. This mission featured mission specialist Barbara Morgan as the first Educator Mission Specialist. Morgan trained as the backup to Christa McAuliffe, NASA's Teacher in Space candidate in 1986, who was killed in the space shuttle Challenger accident. While McAuliffe and Morgan were classified as spaceflight participants and not mission specialists in 1986, after the Teacher in Space Project was cancelled, Morgan applied and was accepted into the NASA Astronaut Corps as NASA's first Educator Astronaut. Morgan became the first teacher in space on STS-118 and will share what she learns from the experience with students during and after her flight. The mission was launched on 9 August.

September 2007

 * Dawn Spacecraft - Dawn is a NASA Discovery program mission that will orbit Vesta and Ceres, two of the largest asteroids in the solar system. It was launched on 27 September 2007 on a Delta rocket. The Dawn spacecraft uses ion propulsion to get additional velocity needed to reach Vesta and Ceres.

 * India launches INSAT-4CR: INSAT­4CR was launched by India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle on 2 September 2007 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota. This was the fifth flight of GSLV and the fourth successful one. INSAT-4CR was developed by ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore.

 * Proton fails to place Japanese Comsat into Orbit: A Proton Breeze M rocket carrying Japan's Lockheed Martin-built JCSat 11 telecommunications satellite was launched from Baikonur on 6 September 2007. The Proton launcher failed to inject the satellite into orbit due to an anomaly in second-stage operation. It was the fourth failure in 42 ILS Proton launches. The Proton has flown 327 missions.

 * Wideband Global SATCOM Spacecraft: The first Wideband Global SATCOM spacecraft (formerly known as the Wideband Gapfiller Satellite) will be launched by an Atlas 5 rocket on 14 September August. It is built by Boeing and will serve USA Military Forces.

 * Soyuz TMA-11 Spacecraft: A new ISS manned crew (ISS 15S) will be launched aboard the Soyuz TMA-11 Spacecraft on a Soyuz FG rocket from Baikonur, Kazakhstan to the ISS on October 10, 2007. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor is scheduled to become the first Malaysian astronaut to go into space.

Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor (born Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor Al Masrie bin Sheikh Mustapha on July 27, 1972) is a Malaysian orthopedic surgeon and is the first Malaysian to go into space. He was launched to the International Space Station aboard Soyuz TMA-11 with the Expedition 16 crew on October 10, 2007.[1][2] Sheikh Muszaphar flew under an agreement with Russia through the Angkasawan program, and returned to Earth on October 21, 2007, aboard Soyuz TMA-10 with the Expedition 15 crew members, Fyodor Yurchikhin and Oleg Kotov, after nine days aboard the station

 * Chinese Lunar Orbiter Mission: Chang’e 1 is a lunar orbiting spacecraft and is part of the first phase of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program. The spacecraft is named after the goddess who flew to the moon in an ancient Chinese fairy tale. It was launched on October 24, 2007. The satellite is based on China's Dongfanghong 3 satellite platform. The satellite weighs 2,350 kg and carries a 130 kgs of payload. It will orbit the moon for one year.

Chang'e 1 is the first of a series of Chinese missions to the Moon and will orbit the Moon for a year to test the technology for future missions and to study the lunar environment and surface regolith. China plans to launch a Moon Rover in 2012 to follow the 2007 lunar orbiter mission.

November 2007

 * Russia launches third German Radar Satellite: SAR-Lupe 3, the third of five planned German high-resolution SAR-Lupe radar reconnaissance satellites was successfully launched November 1 by a Russian Cosmos-3M rocket for the German military. The first two SAR-Lupe spacecraft were launched in December 2006 and July 2007.

 * Long March 5 (New Rocket): China announced the development of the new generation Long March 5 rocket, capable of launching 25-ton components for a space station into Earth orbit and it could be ready by 2013.

 * China Manned Mission to Follow Olympics: China may launch its third manned space mission Shenzhou 7 in October 2008 after next year's Beijing Olympics. It will carry three astronauts and will feature China's first space walk.

 * First South Korea Moon Probe: On 20 November the Korean Ministry of Science and Technology announced that it plans to send an unmanned probe to orbit the Moon in 2020 and to land another on its surface in 2025. According to the roadmap of South Korea's space exploration projects, the ministry will also develop a large-size rocket that can carry 300 tons of freight into space by 2017.

 * ADM-Aeolus: The Atmospheric Dynamics Mission (ADM-Aeolus) will provide global observations of three-dimensional wind fields. ADM-Aeolus may be launched in October 2007.

 * GOCE: GOCE (Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer) mission will measure high-accuracy gravity gradients and provide global models of the Earth's gravity field and of the geoid. The geoid serves as the classical reference for all topographical features on the planet. The accuracy of its determination is important for surveying and geodesy, and in studies of Earth interior processes, ocean circulation, ice motion and sea-level change. It will be launched in 2008 by Rockot booster. It is the first Earth Explorer Core mission to be developed as part of ESA's Living Planet Programme.

 * Japanese Astronaut assigned to fly on Space Shuttle: Japanese astronaut Takao Doi has been officially assigned to a Space Shuttle mission in late 2007 that will carry the first component of the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) ‘Kibo’ to the International Space Station (ISS). The Kibo, which has been developed by Japan as part of its ISS contribution is scheduled to be delivered to the ISS by three Space Shuttle flights.