Satellite News

Rocket: Proton M/Briz M; Payload: Ekspress AM5; Date: 26 December 2013, 1049 UTC; Launch site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Separation of the satellite from the upper stage took place at 2012 UTC, the inofficial RussianSpaceWeb.com web site reported.

The first test launch of the new Russian light rocket Soyuz-2.1v (aka Soyuz ‘light’) from the Plesetsk cosmodrome has been postponed until 27 December.

Rocket: Soyuz-STB/Fregat; Payload: Gaia; Date: 19 December 2013, 0912 UTC; Launch site: Sinnamary, French Guiana. The workhorse launcher performed a powered phase of its three lower stages, and two burns of the autonomous Fregat upper stage to deploy Gaia, which had an estimated lift-off mass of 2,034 kg and was released 41 minutes and 59 seconds after lift-off.

NASA has selected United Launch Services LLC to launch the Interior Exploration Using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission to Mars.

A Briz M upper stage has been shipped to Baikonur by the Khrunichev Space Center, the Briz M manufacturer, to support the launch of Turksat 4A, a Turkish communication satellite.

ESA’s Gaia mission to survey a billion stars is ‘go’ for launch. The satellite has passed its final checks and is ready to be launched tomorrow from the Soyuz Launch Complex (ELS) in Sinnamary, French Guiana on 19 December, 0912:19 UTC.

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