-->
Go to top of page

Mission News

List of mission campaigns

Below are important mission/campaign milestones:

2024

2023

2022

2021

  • March 23 - ELSA-d satellite launched. Astroscale Press Release.
  • May 19 - HY-2D, the Haiyang-2D oceanography satellite launched. News article from "nasaspaceflight.com".
  • June 30 - TUBIN, a microsatellite prepared by the Technical University of Berlin (Germany), launched from Cape Canaveral on a SpaceX rocket. TU Berlin statement.
  • October 26 - QZS-1R, a successor to the first Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) satellite, was launched at 11:19 a.m. Japan Standard Time, Oct. 26, from the Tanegashima Space Center. Article from "GPSWorld".
  • December 5 - Two new Galileo satellites launched (Galileo-223, Galileo-224). Article from "GPSWorld".
  • December 17, 2021. Cryosat-2 in safe hold mode from 2021/12/16 08:29 UTC to 2021/12/17 08:35 UTC.

2020

  • January 2 - BLITS-M mission contacts report that the spacecraft has not separated from the orbital insertion unit. Investigations are underway regarding this issue.
  • January 31 - JASON-3 in safe hold mode between 2020/01/31 at 04:51 UTC and 2020/02/04 at 15:59 UTC.
  • February 5 - JASON-3 in safe hold mode between 2020/02/05 at 21:00 UTC and 2020/02/12 at 17:05 UTC.
  • June 16 - JASON-3 in safe hold mode between 2020/06/16 at 21:50 UTC and 2020/06/19 at 07:25 UTC.
  • June 21 - TanDEM-X celebrates 10 years in orbit since launch. DLR Press Release.
  • Sept. 22 - HY-2C, the Haiyang-2C oceanography satellite launched.
  • October 27 - JASON-3 in safe hold mode between 2020/10/27 at 13:23 UTC and 2020/10/29 at 08:19 UTC.
  • November 21 - Sentinel-6A launched from Vandenburg AFB (California, USA). NASA Press Release.
  • December 18 - Sentinel-6A starts tandem orbit phase with Jason-3 (the two satellites are 30 secs apart along the orbit track in order to calibrate the instruments on Sentinel-6A).

2019

2018

  • September 01, 2017-February 28, 2018 - QZS-2 tracking campaign
  • November 01, 2017-February 28, 2018 - QZS-3 campaign
  • December 01, 2017-February 28, 2018 - QZS-4 tracking campaign
  • January 03 - GRACE-A in decommissioning phase; removed from priorities list
  • February 15-May 15 - First LARGE campaign of 2018
  • February 23 - SNET-1, -2, -3, and -4 added to the priorities list
  • April 09 - Time Transfer by Laser Link (T2L2) mission onboard the Jason-2 satellite is now completed
  • April 15 - Galileo-211 and -213 removed from priorities list; Galileo-215 and -216 added to priorities list
  • May 7 - CHEFSat added to the priorities list
  • May 8 - IRNSS-1I added to the priorities list
  • May 22 - GRACE-FO-1 and -2 successfully launched
  • May 25 - GRACE-FO-1 and -2 added to the priorities list
  • July 27 - Tiangong-2 tracking approved
  • July 27 - BeiDou-3M1, -3M2, -3M9, and -3M10 approved for tracking
  • August 01-October 31 - Second LARGE campaign of 2018
  • August 06 - BeiDou-3M2, -3M3, -3M9, and -3M10 added to priorities list
  • August 21 - COSPAR ID and Satellite Catalog ID for Beidou-3M3 corrected to 1801802 and 43208, respectively
  • December 15, 2018 - January 15, 2019 - GRACE-FO tracking campaign

2017

  • December 19, 2016-March 02, 2017 - Galileo campaign
  • January 15-April 15 - LARGE GLONASS campaign
  • January 17 - Lomonosov removed from ILRS tracking list
  • February 28 - Responsibility for the QZSS transitioned from JAXA to the Cabinet Office, Government of Japan
  • March 01 - Galileo-207, -212, -213, -214 added to ILRS priority list
  • March 03-April 05 - Galileo campaign
  • March 11 - SpinSat re-entered Earth's atmosphere
  • March 17 - Jason-2 entered safehold mode
  • March 30 - Jason-2 returned to normal operations
  • April 06-May 11 - Galileo campaign
  • April 24-May 15 - IRNSS-1B campaign
  • June 01 - Launch of QZS-2
  • July 14 - Launch of TechnoSat
  • August 04 - IRNSS-1A removed from priorities list
  • August 19 - QZS-3 launched
  • August 25-September 09 - IRNSS-1B campaign
  • August 25-February 28, 2018 - QZS-2 campaign
  • August 31 - IRNSS-1H launched failed
  • September 01-February 28, 2018 - QZS-2 tracking campaign
  • September 11 - GRACE-B removed from priorities list after contact lost
  • September 12 - QZS-3 added to priorities list
  • September 14 - Jason-2 entered safehold mode
  • September 15 - GRACE-B returned to operational SLR tracking status after contact re-established
  • September 22 - The GRACE-FO and Geo-IK-2 missions have been approved for tracking by the ILRS GB.
  • September 22 - The ILRS has approved 2 new tracking stations - HRTL (a Russian station in Hartebeesthoek, South Africa and GEOL (a South Korean station in Geochang, Republic of Korea)
  • October 10 - QZS-4 launched
  • October 13 - Jason-2 is back in normal operating mode
  • November 01 - QZS-4 added to priorities list
  • November 01-February 28, 2018 - QZS-3 campaign
  • November 16 - GRACE-B in decommissioning phase; removed from priorities list.
  • November 28 - PN-1A removed from priorities list
  • December 01-February 28, 2018 - QZS-4 tracking campaign

2016

  • January 06 - The COSPAR and NORAD numbers in the CPF files for Compass-MS1 and Compass-MS2 were incorrect (they did not correspond to the TLE data); the numbers were switched by the prediction provider starting with CPF 5041 (dated January 05, 2016) and now correspond to the TLE data. The SIC numbers did NOT change.
    • Compass-MS1: NORAD ID=40749/COSPAR ID=1503702/SIC=2007
    • Compass-MS2: NORAD ID=40748/COSPAR ID=1503701/SIC=2008
    Data archived before the change will be replaced at the data centers shortly.
  • January 06 - COMPASS-IS2 added to priorities list
  • January 13 - GPS-36 removed from priorities list
  • January 17 - Jason-3 was successfully launched from Vandenberg AFB.
  • January 20 - IRNSS-1E was successfully launched.
  • January 26 - Galileo-208 and -209 were added to the priorities list.
  • February 16 - Sentinel-3A successfully launched.
  • February 17 - IRNSS-1E was added to the priorities list.
  • March 10- IRNSS-1F successfully launched.
  • March 30 - Sentinel-3A was added to the priorities list.
  • March 30-April 10 - IRNSS-1A tracking campaign
  • May 01 - The GREAT experiment begins
  • May 24 - Galileo-210 and -211 (Galileo-13 and -14) launched.
  • July 04-August 30 - Special tracking campaign on Galileo-210 and -211
  • August 04 - IRNSS-1A removed from list of tracked satellites as per request from mission
  • September 13 - Lomonosov was added to the priorities list
  • December 19, 2016-March 02, 2017 - Galileo campaign

2015

  • November 22, 2014-January 31, 2015 - Second GNSS tracking campaign
  • November 22, 2014 - February 28, 2015 - Second GNSS tracking campaign extension
  • January 14 - Galileo-201 tracking campaign from 01/14/2015 through 02/07/2015
  • February 15-22 - IRNSS-1C tracking campaign
  • March 07-16 - Second IRNSS-1C tracking campaign
  • March 16-26 - Galileo-202 tracking campaign
  • March 28 - successful launch of Galileo-203 and -204
  • March 28 - IRNSS-1D successfully launched
  • March 30 - successful launch of COMPASS-IS1
  • April 28 - PN-1A, PN-1B, PN-1C, PN-1D approved for tracking
  • May 11 - Galileo-203 and -204 have been added to the priorities list.
  • May 18 - The NISAR mission has been approved for tracking.
  • May 18 - The tracking of GIOVE-A has ended and it has been removed from the priority list.
  • May 20 - LightSail-1 launched
  • June 7 - LightSail-1 sail was deployed and ILRS tracking began.
  • July 25 - successful launch of COMPASS-MS1 and COMPASS-MS2
  • August 05 - Mission priority list updated for the third SLR GNSS Tracking Campaign
  • August - Launch of PN-1A, PN-1B, PN-1C, PN-1D
  • August 10 - October 16 - Third SLR GNSS Tracking Campaign
  • September 11 - Galileo-205 and -206 launched
  • September 29 - SVN36 (GPS-36) has been reactivated; satellite added to SLR priority list
  • October 22 - Galileo-205 and -206 made available for tracking
  • November 01 - December 10 - Galileo-205 and -206 tracking campaign
  • November 09 - COMPASS-MS1 and COMPASS-MS2 added to thepriority list
  • November 12 - PN-1A added to the priority list
  • November 17 - COMPASS-IS1 added to the priority list
  • December 17 - Galileo-208 and -209 were successfully launched.

2014

2013

  • January 06-18 - Galileo-103 campaign
  • January 19-30 - Galileo-104 campaign
  • January 22 - BLITS collided with a piece of space debris.
  • January 30 - STSAT-2C launch
  • February 25 - The SARAL satellite was successfully launched from the Satish Dhawan Spaceport in India at 12-31 UTC.
  • March 07 - The second QZS-1 tracking campaign is now over.
  • April 01 - The ILRS Governing Board approved tracking of the U.S. AFRL STPSat-2 mission.
  • April 26 - GLONASS-131 launched .
  • May 30 - The ILRS Governing Board approved resumption of tracking of the Envisat satellite for space debris research.
  • July 01 - Jason-1 mission end
  • July 01 - IRNSS-1A launch
  • August 23 - KOMPSAT-5 launch
  • October 16 - STPSat-2 tracking campaign ended
  • October 21 - GOCE end of mission
  • November 11 - GOCE re-entered Earth's atmosphere
  • November 22 - Swarm launch

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

  • January 21 - February 10 - GIOVE-A tracking campaign (mid beta angle in 2008)
  • March 01-23 - GIOVE-A tracking campaign (eclipse season)
  • March 21-May 31 - GPS tracking campaign
  • April 26 - GIOVE-B launch
  • May 28 - GLONASS-109 replaces GLONASS-95 in ILRS tracking list
  • June - Jason-2 (with T2L2) launch
  • September 26-October 21 - GIOVE-A/B tracking campaign (eclipse season)
  • November 12 - End of GFO-1 tracking
  • Galileo initial launch

2007

  • January 12 - GLONASS-99 replaces GLONASS-87 in ILRS tracking list
  • May 04 - GLONASS-102 replaces GLONASS-89 in ILRS tracking list
  • June 15 - TerraSAR-X launch
  • June 08-28 - GIOVE-A tracking campaign (max beta angle in 2007)
  • September 05-30 - GIOVE-A tracking campaign (eclipse season)
  • October 18-November 08 - GIOVE-A tracking campaign (mid beta angle value in 2007)
  • December 05-25 - GIOVE-A tracking campaign (min beta angle in 2007)
  • December - PROBA-2 launch
  • December - GIOVE-B (GSTB v2) launch

2006

  • January 18 - TOPEX mission termination
  • January 24 - ALOS launch
  • June 01 - Tracking on Gravity Probe B (GP-B) ceases as per mission request
  • May 22-July 23 - First GIOVE-A tracking campaign
  • November 01-December 31 - Second GIOVE-A tracking campaign
  • ANDE-RR launch
  • ETS-VIII launch

2005

  • May 05 - IRSP5 (CARTOSAT1) launch
  • August 23 - OICETS launch
  • August 25 - GLONASS-95 replaces GLONASS-84 in ILRS tracking roster
  • September 12-27 - CONT-05 (increased tracking on GPS and satellites w/GPS receivers)
  • September 20-27 - Jason-1 in safe hold mode
  • October 06 - CryoSat launch failure; satellite lost
  • December 26 - GIOVE-A (GSTB v2/A) launch

2004

  • April 20 - Gravity Probe B (GP-B) launch
  • November 01 - DORIS transmitter on TOPEX failed; SLR only means of POD
  • December 26 - GLONASS-95, -96, -97 launched

2003

  • January 13 - ICESat launch, campaign to begin at least 1 month after launch
  • January 22 - STARSHINE-3 enters Earth's upper atmosphere
  • March 26 - GLONASS-89 replaces GLONASS-86 in ILRS tracking roster
  • November - Start of Larets tracking campaign
  • Deccember 10 - GLONASS-92, -93, -94 launched

2002

  • March 01 - Envisat launch
  • March 17 - GRACE launch
  • October - Etalon is elevated from a campaign to a mission, while maintaining the highest priority of the high satellites
  • October - Meteor-3M gets elevated from a campaign to a mission
  • December 10 - Meteor-3M launch
  • December 14 - ADEOS-2 launch, campaign to end launch + 34 days
  • December 25 - GLONASS-89, -90, -91 launched