List of space programs of the United States

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The United States space programs include NASA for civil space, the United States Space Force for military space, and the National Reconnaissance Office for intelligence space. Commercial interests are also significant is the last decades.

Definition of space flight

Space programs of the United States date to the start of the Space Age in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Programs involve both crewed systems and uncrewed satellites, probes and platforms to meet diverse program objectives.

The definition of what constitutes spaceflight varies. In the United States, professional, military, and commercial astronauts who travel above an altitude of 50 miles (80 km) are awarded astronaut wings.[1] The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale defines spaceflight as any flight over 62 miles (100 km).[2] Uncrewed missions follow the same altitude thresholds.

Government-led programs

The following summarizes the major space programs where the United States government plays a leadership role in managing program delivery.

Crewed government-led programs

More information Program, Purpose ...
Program Purpose Timeline Organization(s) Flights Exemplar mission(s) Refs
X-15 programR&D1957–1968
13X-15 Flight 91[3][4]
Project MercuryR&D1958–1963NASA11Mercury-Atlas 6[5][6]
Project GeminiExploration1961–1966NASA19Gemini 4[7]
Project ApolloExploration1961–1972NASA14Apollo 11[8][9]
Manned Orbiting LaboratorySpace Operations1962–1969US Air Force1Test Flight[10]
Space Shuttle programSpace Transportation1972–2011NASA134
[11][12]
Skylab programSpace Operations1973–1974NASA4Skylab 2[13]
Spacelab programSpace Operations1973–1998
16STS-50[14]
Apollo–Soyuz Test ProjectSpace Operations1975
1APAS-75 Docking System[15]
International Space Station programSpace Operations1984–present
27 years, 263 days in orbit
[16][17]
Constellation programExploration2000s–2010NASA1Ares I-X[18]
Journey to Mars programExploration2010–2017NASA1Exploration Flight Test-1[19][20][21]
Lunar Gateway programExploration2017–2026
0
[22]
Artemis ProgramExploration2017–present
2
[23][24][25]
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Uncrewed government-led programs

More information Program, Purpose ...
Program Purpose Timeline Organization(s) Flights Exemplar mission(s) Refs
Viking sounding rocketR&D1949–1957Naval Research Laboratory11Viking 11 (1954)

[26][27]

Project VanguardR&D1956–1959Naval Research Laboratory3Vanguard 1[28]
Project FarsideR&D1957AFOSR6

[29]

Explorers ProgramExploration1958–present
91
[30][31]
Pioneer programExploration1958–1992
8
[32]
KH-1 to KH-6 CoronaReconnaissance1959–1972
142Discoverer 1[33]
SamosReconnaissance1960–1962US Air Force7Samos 6[34]
Television Infrared Observation SatelliteWeather1960–1968
10TIROS-8[35][36]
TransitNavigation1960–1988
36Transit 3B[37]
Ranger programExploration1961–1965NASA4Ranger 7[38][39]
Strategic missile warning programsSurveillance1960–presentUS Space Force39
[40][41]
Orbiting Solar ObservatoryHeliophysics1962–1975NASA8OSO 3[42]
Mariner programExploration1962–1973NASA7Mariner 6 and 7[43]
Centaur upper stage programSpace Transportation1962–2003
91
[44][45]
Environmental Research SatelliteTechnology1962–1971US Air Force33ERS 5[46]
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP)Weather1962–present
39[47]
Lunar Orbiter programExploration1963–1967NASA5Lunar Orbiter 3[48]
KH-7 GambitReconnaissance1963–1967
38[49][50][51]
Project VelaNuclear test detection1963–1970
12
[52]
Nimbus programWeather1964–1978NASA6Nimbus 1[53]
National Geodetic Satellite ProgramGeodesy1964–1971NASA6
[54]
Electronic & Geodetic Ranging Satellite (EGRS)Navigation1964–1970
5EGRS 1[55]
Space Experiment Support ProgramR&D1965–1971
6SOLRAD[56]
Orbiting VehicleTechnology1965–1971US Air Force37OV1-9[57]
Lincoln Experimental SatelliteCommunications1965–1976
8
[58]
Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO)Astronomy1966–1972
2Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 3[59]
KH-8 Gambit 3Reconnaissance1966–1984
54[60][61]
Applications Technology Satellites
  • Communications
  • Navigation
  • Weather
1966–1979NASA6ATS-3[62]
Defense Satellite Communications SystemCommunications1966–presentUS Air Force63DSCS-III[63][64][65]
KH-9 HexagonReconnaissance1971–1984
19[66]
Space Test ProgramR&D1971–present
251C/NOFS[67]
Landsat programEarth Science1972–present
9Landsat 9[68][69]
Earth and Ocean Dynamics Applications ProgramGeodesy1972–1978NASA6
[70]
NAVSTAR GPSNavigation1973–presentUS Air Force (1973–2019)
US Space Force (2019 onward)		77GPS Block III[71][72]
Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)Weather1975–present
18
[73]
Strategic planetary missionsExploration1975–presentNASA8
[74][75][76]
HEAO ProgramAstrophysics1977–1979NASA3Einstein Observatory[77]
Polar Operational Environmental Satellites (POES)Weather1978–present
16
[78][79]
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS)Communications1983–presentNASA14
[80]
MilstarCommunications1985–presentUS Air Force6[81]
UHF Follow-On programCommunications1988–presentUS Navy11[82]
Medium Launch Vehicle II (MLV-II)Space Transportation1988–2004US Air Force14
[83]
Discovery programExploration1990–presentNASA12
[84]
Great Observatories programAstrophysics1990–presentNASA4
[85][86]
Mars Exploration ProgramExploration1993–presentNASA8
[87][88]
Global Geospace ScienceAstrophysics1994–1996NASA2
[89]
Evolved Expendable Launch VehicleSpace Transportation1998–presentUS Air Force106
[90][91]
New Millennium ProgramExploration1996–2017NASA5
[92]
Earth System Science Pathfinder (ESSP)Earth Science1996–presentNASA7
[93]
Earth Observing SystemEarth Science1999–presentNASA5
[94][95]
Solar Terrestrial Probes programAstrophysics2001–2003NASA4
[96]
New Frontiers programExploration2003–presentNASA3
[97]
Tactical Satellite ProgramTechnology2003–2013
3TacSat-2[98]
University Nanosatellite ProgramTechnology2004–presentAir Force Research Laboratory20Cornell University Satellite[99]
X-37B programR&D2006–present
6OTV-3[100][101]
Lunar Precursor Robotic ProgramAstrophysics2006–2013NASA3
[102]
AEHF Satellite ProgramCommunications2010–presentUS Space Force6AEHF-1[103][104]
Living With a StarHeliophysics2010–presentNASA4
[105]
Wideband Global Satcom ProgramCommunications2011–presentUS Space Force10WGS-4[106]
Earth Systematic Missions (ESM) ProgramEarth Science2017–presentNASA10
[107]
Origins ProgramAstrophysics2021–presentNASA3JWST[108][109]
Weather System Follow-on ProgramSpace weather2024–presentUS Space Force1WSF-M1[110]
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Commercial space programs

The following summarizes the major space programs where private interests play the leadership role in managing program delivery.

Crewed commercial programs

More information Program, Purpose ...
Program Purpose Timeline Organization(s) Flights Exemplar mission(s) Refs
Space AdventuresSpace tourism1998–present
7
[111][112]
SpaceShipOneSpace tourism2003–2004Scaled Composites3SpaceShipOne flight 16P[113][114]
SpaceShipTwoSpace tourism2010–presentVirgin Galactic10Virgin Galactic Unity 22

Galactic 02

 [115][116]
Blue Origin New ShepardSpace tourism2015–presentBlue Origin24Blue Origin NS-18[117][118]
DearMoon lunar tourismSpace tourism2018–2024
0[119][120][121]
Axiom SpaceSpace tourism2020–present
3Axiom Mission 1

Axiom Mission 2

 [122]
Polaris programSpace tourism2021–present
1Inspiration4[123][124]
Commercial Crew ProgramSpace transportation2011–present
7
[125][126]
SpaceX StarshipSpace Transportation2012–presentSpaceX0[127]
Orbital Reef Space StationSpace Operations2021–presentBlue Origin0[128]
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Uncrewed commercial programs

More information Program, Purpose ...
Program Purpose Timeline Organization(s) Flights Exemplar mission(s) Refs
TelstarSatellite communications1962–1995AT&T8Telstar 301[129]
ComstarSatellite communications1963–2000Comsat General Corporation4Comstar D-4[130]
WestarSatellite communications1975–1988Western Union7Westar 1[131]
SatcomSatellite communications1975–2001RCA Americom13GE-1[132]
SBSSatellite communications1975–1991Satellite Business Systems6SBS 2[133]
GalaxySatellite communications1983–1997Hughes Communications9Galaxy 1[134]
Commercial Launch Services (Atlas)Space Transportation
  • 1987–1995
  • 2006–present
  • 9 (1990–93)
  • 11 (1994–95)
AC-69/Atlas I[135][136]
IridiumSatellite communications1987–presentIridium Communications170Iridium 77[137]
GlobalstarSatellite communications1991–presentGlobalstar84[138]
Digital GlobeEarth Imaging1992–presentMaxar Technologies8WorldView-1[139]
OrbcommSatellite data messaging1992–presentOrbcomm62[140]
International Launch Services (Atlas, Proton) [note 1]Space transportation1995–2006
100[141][142]
Sea Launch (Zenit)Space transportation1995–2014
36[143]
DirecTVSatellite Television1995–presentDirecTV19DirecTV T10 satellite[144]
Dish NetworkSatellite Television1996–presentDISH Network Corporation16EchoStar X[145]
Sirius XM RadioSatellite Radio1997–present
  • Sirius Satellite Radio (1998–2008)
  • XM Radio (1999–2008)
  • Sirius XM Radio (2008–present)
13Sirius FM-5[146]
SpaceX Launch ServicesSpace transportation2002–presentSpaceXxx[147]
Commercial Orbital Transportation ServicesSpace transportation2006–2013
3
[148]
United Launch Alliance Commercial Launch ServicesSpace Transportation2006–present
xx[149]
Commercial Resupply ServicesSpace transportation
  • 2008–2020 (Phase 1)
  • 2016–present (Phase 2)
  • 29 (Phase 1)
  • 9 (Phase 2)
[150]
Planetscope satellite constellationEarth imaging2010–presentPlanet Labs487List of Flock satellite types[151]
Rocket Lab (Electron)[note 2]Space Transportation2013–presentRocket Lab41List of Electron launches[152]
StarlinkSatellite Internet Service2016–presentSpaceX5,330[153]
Commercial Lunar Payload ServicesSpace transportation2018–present
3Astrobotic Peregrine Lander[154]
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See also

Explanatory notes

  1. [1]
    Lockheed Martin sold its interest in ILS to Russian entities in 2006 with ILS continuing as an international entity. Atlas commercial sales reverted to Lockheed Martin via the United Launch Alliance joint venture with Boeing.
  2. [2]
    Rocketlab was founded in New Zealand but made the decision to re-domicile itself to the United States in 2013.

References

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