Satellite News

Rocket: Proton-M/Briz-M; Payload: Thor 5 (Thor 2R); Date: 11 February 2008, 1134 UTC; Site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The relatively small satellite was successfully injected directly into geostationary orbit.

Russia’s first weather satellite in years, Meteor-M1, will be launched in the third quarter of this year, a space agency official was quoted as saying by Novosti.

The launch of ESA’s first Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) to the International Space Station has been delayed to 8 March, 0425 UTC.

Space shuttle Atlantis and its crew of seven astronauts were launched on the STS-122 mission carrying Europe’s primary contribution to the International Space Station – the Columbus science laboratory.

Bigelow Aerospace and Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services are engaged in discussions and converging on terms to supply Atlas V launch vehicles to provide crew and cargo transportation services to a Bigelow-built space complex, the company said.

United Launch Alliance said it was recently awarded a US$505 million contract to provide launch services for three U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) satellites aboard Delta IV rockets under the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle programme.

Rocket: Soyuz-U; Payload:Progress M-63 (Progress P28); Date: 5 February 2008, 1303 UTC; Site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The Progress cargo spacecraft was accurately placed on the target orbit for another mission to the International Space Station.

Iran said it had test launched a rocket that would loft the country’s first satellite next year. However, details have remained sketchy so far.