Taikographer | Spaceflight History Illustration

New illustration: Ariel 1

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 12:00:00 +0200

Ariel was the United Kingdom's first satellite, making the UK the third country with hardware on orbit. Read more...

New illustration: Alouette 1

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 12:00:00 +0200

Alouette (French for Skylark) was Canada's first satellite, and the first satellite not built by the US or USSR. Read more...

New illustration: Giotto

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 12:00:00 +0100

Named after Italian Renaissance painter Giotto di Bondone, the Giotto spacecraft was designed to study Halley's Comet during its 1986 visit to the inner Solar System. Read more...

New illustration: Diwata-1

Sun, 26 Feb 2023 12:00:00 +0100

Diwata-1 was not the Philippines first satellite (which was the commercial Agila-1, launched as an Indonesian satellite and bought on orbit), but it was the first satellite designed and built by the country. Read more...

New illustration: PSLV & GSLV

Sun, 11 Dec 2022 12:00:00 +0100

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) are rockets developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). PSLV is mainly used to launch into sun-synchronous orbits, with GSLV launching into geosynchronous orbits. Read more...

New illustration: Skylab

Sun, 30 Oct 2022 12:00:00 +0100

Skylab was an American space station launched in 1973 which hosted three three-crew missions lasting until 1974, and de-orbited in 1979. It was built out of an empty Saturn S-IVB third stage, which position it took on its Saturn V launch vehicle. Read more...

New Art Prints: Pioneer 4

Sun, 15 May 2022 12:00:00 +0200

Pioneer 4 was built by JPL and launched towards the moon in 1959. It was supposed to impact the moon, but flew by at a distance of 60,000 kilometer and entered solar orbit. Read more...

New illustration: Pioneer 4

Sun, 15 May 2022 12:00:00 +0200

Part of the Air Force and NASA Pioneer program, Pioneer 4 was the second of two Juno II launched moon missions. Read more...

New illustration: Sojourner

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 12:00:00 +0200

Conceived as the first mission in the Mars Environmental SURvey (MESUR) program but developed as the second Discovery mission, the Sojourner rover was built by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Read more...

New Art Prints: Sojourner

Fri, 29 Oct 2021 12:00:00 +0200

The Sojourner rover was launched with the Mars Pathfinder mission in 1996, and landed on Chryse Planitia in July of 1997. It became the first rover on Mars and its mission lasted 3 months. Read more...

New illustration: Roton ATV

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 12:00:00 +0200

On July 28, 1999, a test vehicle for the projected Roton rocket, called the Atmospheric Test Vehicle, took to the sky powered by the salvaged, rocket-tipped blades of a Sikorsky S-58 rotor. Read more...

New Art Prints: Roton ATV

Mon, 18 Oct 2021 12:00:00 +0200

On July 28, 1999, a VTVL test vehicle for the projected Roton rocket, called the Atmospheric Test Vehicle, took to the sky powered by the salvaged, rocket-tipped blades of a Sikorsky S-58 rotor. Read more...

New illustration: Orion Abort Test Booster

Wed, 12 May 2021 12:00:00 +0200

To test the Orion Launch Abort System (LAS), a capsule test article was placed on top of an old SR-118 Peacekeeper first stage powered by a TU-903 motor, and launched on July 2, 2019. Read more...

New illustration: DS-U1-G

Sun, 18 Apr 2021 12:00:00 +0200

Meet Dnepropetrovsk Sputnik Unifitsirovannyy-1 Geofizicheskiy, or DS-U1-G for friends. It was part of the DS standardized series of Soviet satellites designed and built by the Ukrainian OKB-586 or later Yuzhnoye Design Office, and used for geophysical research. Read more...

New illustration: Vega Rocket Family

Sat, 03 Apr 2021 12:00:00 +0200

Development on the Vettore Europeo di Generazione Avanzata (European Vector of Advanced Generation) or Vega rocket began in 1988 by ESA and the ASI, with first fight occuring on February 13, 2012. Read more...

New illustration: Cora Rocket

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 12:00:00 +0200

To test the new Coralie second stage for the ELDO Europa rocket, the Cora test vehicle was launched 3 times with dummy Astris upper stage. Only one launch was succesful. Flights with an active Astris upper stage were cancelled. Read more...

New illustration: Europa Rocket

Fri, 02 Apr 2021 12:00:00 +0200

In 1962 with the creation of the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO), plans for the Europa I rocket were announced. It would re-use the cancelled British Blue Streak IRBM, and after 4 R&D flights the first fully stacked Europa rocket flew on November 29, 1968. Read more...

New illustration: SXB3

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 12:00:00 +0200

On march 19, 1992 at the Salto di Quirra weapons testing range on Sardinia, a test-vehicle named SXB3 was launched consisting of a modified PAP P9.5 solid-fulled strap-on booster with two dummy side boosters. Read more...

New illustration: Diamant Rocket Family

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 12:00:00 +0200

After the Agate, Topaz, Emerald, Ruby and Sapphire sounding rockets, Diamant-A, the first French orbital rocket, was launched on November 26th, 1965. It carried Astérix, the first French (and first non US or USSR launched) satellite. Read more...

New illustration: PM 1&2

Sun, 26 Jul 2020 12:00:00 +0200

Worked on by several engineers of, and inspired by the DC-XA, the PM1 (Propulsion Module 1) and PM2 were early prototypes for the Blue Origin New Shepard (PM3) suborbital re-usable launch vehicle. Read more...

New illustration: EMU MMU ACD

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 12:00:00 +0200

This is astronaut Dale Gardner in his EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) flying his MMU (Manned Maneuvering Unit) No. 3. Read more...

New Art Prints: Manned Maneuvering Unit

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 12:00:00 +0200

This is astronaut Dale Gardner in his EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) flying his MMU (Manned Maneuvering Unit) No. 3. It's sporting an Apogee Kick Motor Capture Device, or Stinger, designed to catch a satellite in orbit. Read more...

New illustration: Scout Rocket Family

Thu, 21 May 2020 12:00:00 +0200

Designed in 1957 at NACA's Langley Research Center and contracted to Vought, later LTV, the first Solid Controlled Orbital Utility Test system, or Scout, flew on April 18, 1960. Read more...

New illustration: Thor-Delta Rocket Family

Tue, 05 May 2020 12:00:00 +0200

The Thor-Delta family of rockets first launched in 1958 and lofted a multitude of satellites, space probes and spacecraft. It evolved from the PGM-17 Thor IRBM booster into the Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle. Read more...

New Art Prints: Thor-Delta Rocket Family

Tue, 05 May 2020 12:00:00 +0200

The Thor-Delta family of rockets first lifted off in 1958 and launched a multitude of satellites, space probes and spacecraft. It evolved from the small PGM-17 Thor IRBM based booster into the enormous Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle. Read more...

New Poster: Thor-Delta Rocket Family

Tue, 05 May 2020 12:00:00 +0200

New illustration: Athena Rocket Family

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 12:00:00 +0200

Starting out as the Lockheed Launch Vehicle (LLV), later renamed the Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle (LMLV), the Athena rocket family is a solid-fuel rocket system. Read more...

New illustration: Minotaur Rocket Family

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 12:00:00 +0200

The Minotaur (and Taurus) rocket family, derived from refurbished Minuteman II and Peacekeeper ICBMs, was produced by the Orbital Sciences Corporation. Read more...

New Poster: Titan Rocket Family

Sun, 29 Mar 2020 12:00:00 +0200

Voted Most Patchy of all rocket families, the Titan-2 vehicle launched the Gemini 1 test capsule on April 8th, 1964 and flew up until October 2005, after which it would be replaced by the Atlas and Delta families. Read more...

New illustrations: Titan Rocket Family

Sun, 29 Mar 2020 12:00:00 +0200

Voted Most Patchy of all rocket families, the first ICBM based, Martin built Titan-2 vehicle launched the Gemini 1 test capsule on April 8, 1964. Read more...

New Art Prints: Titan Rocket Family

Sun, 29 Mar 2020 12:00:00 +0200

New illustration: Apollo LM

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 12:00:00 +0100

On December 14, 1972, astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt fired the 'Challenger' LM's Lunar Module Ascent Engine and became the last persons to walk on the Moon. Read more...

New Art Prints: Apollo 17 LM

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 12:00:00 +0100

On December 7 1972 astronauts Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans and Harrison Schmitt left earth orbit, and 4 days later, Cernan and Schmitt landed on the moon at the Taurus–Littrow valley in their 'Challenger' Lunar Module. Read more...

New illustration: Xodiac

Sat, 21 Dec 2019 12:00:00 +0100

On July 6, 2016, Masten Space Systems introduced their newest Vertical Take-off Vertical Landing testbed called XA-0.1-E-5, or Xodiac. Read more...

New illustration: Voyager

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 12:00:00 +0100

Two probes within NASA's Mariner program, headed for Jupiter and Saturn, evolved into the Voyager probes. Like Pioneers 10 & 11 they were powered by a Star-37E solid rocket motor, which would propel them beyond the solar heliopause. Read more...

New Art Prints: Voyager

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 12:00:00 +0100

Two Voyager probes launched in1977 and flew by Jupiter, Saturn, Titan, Uranus and Neptune. They reached escape velocity and entered interstellar space in 2012 and 2018. Read more...

New illustration: IXV

Sun, 15 Dec 2019 12:00:00 +0100

Formally initiated by the ASI and CIRA in 2005, a Vega rocket was launched in February 2015 by ESA and ASI carrying the Thales Alenia Space built Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle on a suborbital trajectory. Read more...

New illustration: Ariane Rocket Family

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 12:00:00 +0100

After the failure of ELDO's Europa rocket and the formation of ESA, France, Germany and the UK started development on the Lanceur de 3e Génération de Substitution (L3S) program, later renamed Ariane, in 1973. Read more...

New illustration: Black Arrow

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 12:00:00 +0100

Up until now Black Arrow was the first and only successful British orbital rocket. Read more...

New Art Prints: DC-XA

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 12:00:00 +0100

In 1995 NASA took over the DC-X test program, a prototype for a larger single-stage-to-orbit vehicle build by McDonnell Douglas. Renamed the DC-XA (A for Advanced), after it's 4th flight, it broke a landing leg, tipped over and promptly burned to the ground. Read more...

New illustration: DC-XA

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 12:00:00 +0100

In 1995 NASA was handed over the DC-X test program from the Department of Defense's Strategic Defense Initiative Organisation. It was a prototype for a larger single-stage-to-orbit vehicle and was build by McDonnell Douglas. Read more...

New illustration: Atlas Rocket Family

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 12:00:00 +0200

The Atlas rockets were a Convair development of the SM-65 Atlas missile, which was first tested on December 17, 1957. Having no inherent structural stability, the core sustainer stage needed to be pressurized when vertical. Read more...

New Poster: Atlas Rocket Family

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 12:00:00 +0200

The Atlas rockets were a Convair development of the SM-65 Atlas missile, which was first tested on December 17, 1957. It launched John Glenn on the first US orbital flight in 1962. Read more...

New Art Prints: Atlas Rocket Family

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 12:00:00 +0200

The Atlas rockets were a Convair development of the SM-65 Atlas missile, which was first tested on December 17, 1957. It launched John Glenn on the first US orbital flight in 1962. Read more...

New Art Prints: Apollo 17 CSM

Fri, 20 Sep 2019 12:00:00 +0200

On December 7 1972 astronauts Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans and Harrison Schmitt left earth orbit in their 'America' Command and Service Module, and 3 days later, arrived at the moon. Cernan and Schmitt would continue in the 'Challenger' Lunar Module and land at the Taurus–Littrow valley. Read more...

New illustration: Apollo CSM

Fri, 20 Sep 2019 12:00:00 +0200

New illustration: HTV

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 12:00:00 +0200

Developed in the 90s by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and flown for the first time September 10th, 2009, the HTV would fly resupply missions to the ISS and the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module (JEM). Read more...

New Art Prints: HTV Kōnotori

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 12:00:00 +0200

New illustration: Cygnus Enhanced

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 12:00:00 +0200

On December 6th, 2015 Orbital ATK launched the first Enhanced version of their Cygnus resuply spacecraft towards the International Space Station. 17 Cygnus craft were launched, with 1 failure, and 8 more planned through 2026. Read more...

New Art Prints: Cygnus Enhanced

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 12:00:00 +0200