Satellite News

Rocket: Falcon 1; Payload: Demosat; Date: 21 March, 0110 UTC; Launch Site: Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands. Although the rocket failed to reach orbit as planned, SpaceX called the launch “pretty good” as it had proven 95+ percent of the Falcon 1 systems.

Engineers for the Ariane 5 launcher are considering modifications to the rocket which would include the use of the Russian-built Fregat upper stage for Ariane 5 missions requiring multiple restarts once in orbit.

SpaceX will try to launch its Falcon 1 rocket from Omelek Island, Marshall Islands, today at 2300 UTC (too late for this issue) after yesterday’s launch attempt was scrubbed because of a communications problem.

The second demonstration flight of SpaceX’s Falcon 1 was delayed today (19 March UTC) for reasons unknown at the time of writing. It was unclear whether another launch attempt could be made within the launch window that extends to 0300 UTC on 20 March.

At Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, everything is on track for the first launch in this year of a Proton M with Telesat Canada’s Anik F3 telecommunications satellite, rocket manufacturer Khrunichev said.

Globalstar, Inc. said that it continues with preparations needed for a May launch of four satellites that will be used to augment the company’s first generation LEO satellite constellation.

Russia’s Energia Corporation is building two Yamal-300 telecom satellites for Gazkom [Gascom], Itar-Tass reported. The telecommunications unit of gas giant Gazprom also mulls a satellite system in HEO, according to the report.

China plans a second attempt at launching a direct broadcast satellite this year after the failure of Sinosat 2 (Xinnuo 2).