Satellite News

Rocket: Ariane 5 ECA; Payload: Astra 3B, COMSATBw 2; Date: 21 May 2010, 2201 UTC; Launch Site: Kourou, French Guiana. The two satellites were successfully deployed into geostationary transfer orbit.

Japan’s first robotic mission to Venus and an experimental solar sail successfully launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan.

Planners of NASA’s next Mars mission have selected a flight schedule that will use favourable positions for two currently orbiting NASA Mars orbiters to obtain maximum information during descent and landing.

Rocket: H-IIA F17; Payload: Venus Climate Orbiter “Akatsuki” (Planet-C), Ikaros, Negai, Waseda-Sat2, KSAT; Date: 20 May 2010, 2158 UTC; Launch Site: Tanegashima Space Center, Japan. Initial data indicate the launch was successful.

Arianespace announced the launch contract signing of the Skynet 5D satellite with Astrium. Arianespace had already been chosen by Astrium to launch the Skynet 5A, 5B and 5C satellites.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency have announced a new date for the launch of the Akatsuki (Planet-C) Venus Climate Orbiter aboard an H-IIA rocket.
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The U.S. Air Force will launch the first Global Positioning System Block IIF satellite, GPS IIF-1, aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on 21 May (UTC).
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Arianespace announced that it has signed a contract with Intelsat to launch Intelsat 17.
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