RuSpace: 2012
June
21/6: Catch-up
The Phobos-Grunt space probe that failed to leave Earth orbit was not recoverable and re-entered the atmosphere on 15 January of this year. Very disheartening! Though they apparently want to try again, from 2018 onwards.
Boris Chertok, the Russian rocket designer who worked with Sergei Korolyov, died on 14 December 2011; if he had made it to his next birthday (1 March) he would have been 100! Sadly he died while Russia’s program is moribund and no return to greatness in sight.
China launched its first woman, Liu Yang, (or Yang Liu in English order) into space last weekend on June 16. She was part of a crew of 3 on Shenzhou 9 (others were Jing Haipeng and Liu Wang). They docked with the mini-space lab Tiangong-1 (launched last September) two days later. More data at: NASASpaceflight.com, Xinhuanet Shenzhou 9 special, Spacefacts, Spaceflight Now, Space.com infographic, Wikipedia.