Satellite News

Rocket: Ariane 5GS; Payload: Helios 2B; Date: 18 December 2009, 1626 UTC; Launch Site: Kourou, French Guiana. Following a flight lasting 59 minutes and 20 seconds, the Ariane 5 injected Helios 2B into its targeted Sun-synchronous polar orbit.
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On 14 December 2009 during the launch of three GLONASS-M satellites, Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems first received and processed telemetry data from the Proton-M launcher.
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Following the recent recommendation of a panel tasked with cutting government spending, the Japanese government decided to cancel the Galaxy Express (GX) rocket project, according to Mainichi Daily News.
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The launch of France’s HELIOS 2B reconnaissance satellite aboard an Ariane 5GS was scrubbed about six minutes before the scheduled lift-off time (1626 UTC) today.

The Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics (Gaia), ESA’s next-generation star mapper, will be carried into space by a Soyuz-STB/Fregat launch vehicle from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana in 2012.
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Rocket: Chang Zheng 4C; Payload: Yaogan VIII, Xi Wang 1; Date: 15 December 2009, 0231 UTC; Launch Site: Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.

Rocket: Delta II 7320-10C; Payload: WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer); Date: 14 December 2009, 1409 UTC. This was United Launch Alliance’s 16th successful and final launch of 2009 and 37th launch in 36th months of operation.

Rocket: Proton M/Block DM; Payload: three GLONASS-M satellites [likely to be designated Kosmos 2456 through 2458]; Date: 14 December 2009, 1038 UTC. The navigation spacecraft were successfully delivered into a circular orbit at an altitude of 19,140 km.