Satellite News

Russia refuses to launch South Africa’s SumbandilaSat because of a quarrel over a ground station, Itar-Tass reports.

The U.S. Air Force said the launch manifest for Cape Canaveral AFS comprises about 20 missions, including the first launches of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from refurbished facilities at Space Launch Complex 40.

Rocket: PSLV (core only); Payload: TecSAR (Polaris?); Date: 21 January 2008, 0345 UTC (?); Site: Sriharikota, India. The Israeli radar spy satellite was placed in orbit approx. 20 minutes after lift off. Even as this secretive and long-delayed launch has finally taken place, quite a few questions remain unanswered.

The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) Jules Verne has received the green light for its first flight in February 2008.

The first “Land Launch” is now set for March 2008, when a Zenit-3SLB rocket is to loft the Israeli Amos 3 communications satellite.

Rocket: Zenit 3SL/Block DM-SL; Payload: Thuraya 3; Date: 15 January 2008, 1149 UTC; Launch Site: Odyssey Launch Platform, positioned on the equator at 154 degrees West Longitude in the Pacific Ocean. Spacecraft separation occurred 99 minutes after lift-off.

Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PrJsc (Yahsat), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mubadala Development Company, has signed a letter of intent with Arianespace to launch the Yahsat 1A communications satellite. Mubadala has meanwhile invited several banks to submit financing proposals for the planned Yahsat system.

The Sea Launch team has arrived at its launch site on the Equator and is preparing for the launch of the Thuraya-3 mobile communications satellite aboard a Zenit-3SL on 15 January.