Satellite News

As part of the procedure to realise ESA’s series of Earth Explorers, two new mission proposals have been selected for further development. The missions, called FLEX and CarbonSat, now vying to be the eighth Earth Explorer, both address key climate and environmental change issues.
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Rocket: Chang Zheng 3A; Payload: Zhongxing 20A (ZX 20A); Date: 24 November 2010, 1609 UTC; Launch Site: Xi Chang Satellite Launch Center, China. The satellite was sent into the preset orbit, Xinhua reported.

The fifth Ariane 5 mission of 2010 was given the go-ahead for its 26 November lift-off with Arianespace’s dual payload of the Intelsat 17 and HYLAS 1 satellites.

Two more Proton missions are scheduled to take place before the end of the year.

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft resumed normal operations on 24 November. All science instruments have been turned back on, the spacecraft is properly configured and Cassini is in good health. Mission managers expect to get a full stream of data during next week’s flyby of the Saturnian moon Enceladus.

Originally due to complete its mission of mapping Earth’s gravity in April 2011, approval has been given to extend the life of the GOCE mission to the end of 2012.

NASA managers have targeted space shuttle Discovery’s launch for no earlier than 17 December.
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Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) announced that it shipped a communications satellite, designed and built for Hispasat Group, to the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, where it is scheduled to launch next month aboard an Ariane 5 launch vehicle.
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