Satellite News

For the first time, ESA tracking stations have transmitted telecommands to a Chinese satellite. This morning at 0615 UTC, China’s mission control reported that commands transmitted from Maspalomas station had been successfully received by the Chang’e-I moon probe.

The Odyssey Launch Platform and the Sea Launch Commander have departed Sea Launch Home Port for the launch of the Thuraya-3 satellite. Lift-off is scheduled for 13 November in a 44-minute launch window that will open at 1557 UTC.

Rocket: Kosmos 3M; Payload: SAR-Lupe 3; Date: 1 November 2007, 0051 UTC; Site: Plesetsk, Russia. The third German military radar imaging satellite was successfully released into its intended orbit around half an hour after lift-off.