Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Spaceflight/Timeline of spaceflight working group/Archive 3

"Next" tag and unknown dates
Currently, the "next" tag on 2007 in spaceflight resides on a launch with no specified date. Therefore, it is speculative to say that this is the "next" scheduled launch (especially as the order of these launches with unspecified dates is completly random). Therefore, I would suggest that the "next" tag is applied to the next launch with a confirmed date, even if there are unconfirmed dates in the month before. -- GW_SimulationsUser Page 19:44, 9 July 2007 (UTC)
 * I support the suggestion. It might also be a good idea change the text which links to the tag to say something like, "the next launch with a specific launch date". I will admit to being a bit confused by these launches in the current month without specific dates. My sense of launches is that, if a launch provider can't announce a particular date for a planned launch by the first of the month, it isn't likely to happen during that month at all! Has that been the case historically? (sdsds - talk) 04:22, 10 July 2007 (UTC)
 * No, quite a few launches, particuarly Russian, Israeli, and Chinese ones, come out of the blue, as do about 95% of suborbital launches. We know that it is going, but no-one actually knows exactly when. Incidentally, most of the ones scheduled for July have now been delayed, but this is not always the case. The Shtil appears to still be scheduled for July, and it could possibly launch this month. We only had 2 days notice on the last Zenit, and the last Soyuz was in orbit before anyone knew it was even going to be launched. The recent Shavit launch wasn't believed to have been scheduled until something like October, so they really can come out of nowhere. -- GW_SimulationsUser Page 22:48, 10 July 2007 (UTC)

Stuff that needs sorting
I have moved this section to its own page, as it is getting too long. See WikiProject Timeline of spaceflight/Dump. Also, not being a talk page, launches can be grouped rather than spread out, so it will look less of a mess. -- GW_SimulationsUser Page 11:34, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Proposals to improve the timeline
Three proposals to improve the TLS articles:
 * A sample for 1 & 2 can be found here. -- GW_SimulationsUser Page 23:01, 10 November 2007 (UTC)


 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of the proposal. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section. 

The result of the proposal was abandoned GW_SimulationsUser Page 11:43, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

Proposal 1 - Colour coding
Use of a colour coding system to aid differentiation between particularly notable flights. My suggestion is:
 * Red for failures
 * Blue for manned flights
 * Grey for missions beyond Earth orbit or to the Moon
 * Green for sub-orbital launches

In the event that two or more apply, the one nearest the top of the list applies (eg. Manned mission beyond Earth Orbit = Blue, Manned failure = Red, Failed sub-orbital = red). If a launch fails, then the whole entry would be coloured red, but if an individual payload failed, then only the payload would be shaded. In the event of a partial failure, no colour would be used. If the rocket launched the spacecraft beyond Earth orbit (eg. New Horizons) then the rocket would be shaded grey, whereas if the rocket launched it into Earth orbit, and the spacecraft flew the rest of the way on its own (eg. SELENE), then just the spacecraft would be grey. -- GW_SimulationsUser Page 12:34, 10 November 2007 (UTC)
 * Ammendment - If a rocket fails to reach the correct orbit, but the mission is classed as a partial failure, then the rocket should be coloured red, and the spacecraft not coloured. (added before any votes made). Also, it should be discussed whether orbital or suborbital launches would be best coloured. On reflection, it may be better to colour orbital launches, and leave suborbital launches blank. -- GW_SimulationsUser Page 23:01, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

Poll (1)

 * Nominate & Support -- GW_SimulationsUser Page 12:34, 10 November 2007 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the proposal. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.


 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of the . Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section. 

implement proposal - unopposed -- GW_SimulationsUser Page 19:48, 21 November 2007 (UTC)

Proposal 2 - Flags
Use of flags to denote the countries involved in a particular flight. Flags would be used in the rocket, payload and launch site columns. -- GW_SimulationsUser Page 12:34, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

Poll (2)

 * Nominate & Support -- GW_SimulationsUser Page 12:34, 10 November 2007 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the . Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.


 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of the . Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section. 

implement proposal - unopposed. -- GW_SimulationsUser Page 11:37, 18 November 2007 (UTC)

Proposal 3 - Move start point
When the project was first started, 1957 seemed like a good point to start full listing, because it was when orbital launches started. It has since become clear the the volume of sub-orbital launches in previous years is such that they may warrant their own articles. Therefore under this proposal the start point would be moved to 1951, which is the first year that seems to have enought launches to support an independant article. This would involve the creation of 1951 in spaceflight - 1956 in spaceflight, along with the move of Spaceflight before 1957 to Spaceflight before 1951. -- GW_SimulationsUser Page 12:34, 10 November 2007 (UTC)

Poll (3)

 * Nominate & Support -- GW_SimulationsUser Page 12:34, 10 November 2007 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the . Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

Status review
I've started to review project status. See WikiProject Timeline of spaceflight/Status. -- GW_SimulationsUser Page 14:08, 8 December 2007 (UTC)

Russia vs CIS
Currently, the flags of Russia, Ukraine, etc are used for former Soviet launches in the table, but the flag of Russia is used in the statistics. I would like to suggest that "CIS" is used for former Soviet rockets, as they are all launched by the same people, but due to political changes, the technology comes from differnt countries. It would be unfair to say that Ukraine has developed its own launch capability, however it has such through former Soviet programmes. -- GW_SimulationsUser Page 13:51, 15 March 2008 (UTC)