Satellite News

Rocket: PSLV-C7; Payload: Cartosat 2, SRE 1, LAPAN-TUBSAT, Pehuensat 1; Date: 10 January 2007, 0353 UTC; Launch Site: Sriharikota, India. The rocket reached a 635 km x 97.9 degrees sun-synchronous orbit approx. 16 minutes after lift-off and completed the deployment of its payloads about four minutes later.

New satellite operator ProtoStar Ltd. has chosen Arianespace to launch the DTH satellite ProtoStar I, formerlyknown as ChinaSat 8.

Arianespace has rescheduled the launch of Skynet 5A, Britain’s first military communications satellite, and India’s INSAT 4B.

Kazakhstan has lifted the ban on the launches of Dnepr rockets from Baikonur cosmodrome, a Kazakh official said according to Interfax.

NASA has authorised a contract action having a value of US$48 million with ATK Thiokol to continue design and development of the first stage for the Ares I crew launch vehicle.

NASA has completed the Ares I crew launch vehicle system requirements review — the first such milestone for a U.S. human-rated launch vehicle system in more than 30 years.

The European Space Agency has published a list of launches and related activities with ESA participation in 2007.

South Korea plans to launch its first KSLV (Korea Space Launch Vehicle) next year, becoming the world’s ninth country to do so, officials said.