Satellite News

Eutelsat Communications and ViaSat Inc. announced that the consumer broadband satellite service they are partnering to offer in Europe will be available from the end of September in Germany, with selected other European markets to follow before the end of the year.

By the beginning of the year 2008 Russia will have 102-103 spacecraft in orbit, according to the head of the Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos), Anatoliy Perminov.

Col-Gen Vladimir Popovkin, Russian Space Forces commander, said that no further orders will be placed for rockets that burn toxic fuel. The date for the first flight of an Angara — the vehicle family that in the end is to replace almost every Russian launcher — has meanwhile further slipped.