Satellite News

During a meeting Monday at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, agency officials revised the target launch dates for space shuttle flights during the next 12 months.

NASA has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Air Force to support abort flight test requirements for the Orion Project. The Air Force has contracted with Orbital Sciences Corp. to provide launch services for the flight tests.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 3A; Payload: Beidou M1; Date: 13 April 2007, 2011 UTC; Launch Site: Xichang Satellite Launch Centre, China. The navigation satellite which was successfully placed in a transfer orbit.

Russia and Indonesia have signed n agreement to form an international company to implement the “Air Launch” project.

SpaceX said it had completed the primary structure for the Falcon 9 first stage tank.

Japan’s first lunar orbiter, Selene, will lift off in August aboard an H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center. No exact launch date has yet been set.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 2C; Payload: Haiyang-1B; Date: 11 April 2007, 0327 UTC; Launch Site: Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre, China. The country’s second oceanic survey satellite entered its preset orbit a few minutes after lift-off.

Dates have been announced for the launch of the Italian Agile spacecraft aboard an Indian rocket; the launch of four Globalstar satellites aboard a Russian rocket; and the next space shuttle flight.