The European lightweight launcher Vega has successfully completed its second flight, deploying three satellites into different orbits, on May 6. “Vega has confirmed that it is ready to deliver a high-quality service for small payloads to low Earth orbit,” said Antonio Fabrizi, European Space Agency’s (ESA) Director of Launchers. “Europe now has the capability to serve both the government and commercial [...]
Post Tagged with: “Launch”
News Shorts: Putin Supports Baikonour, Antares Ready To Go and Skylab: The Sequel
Putin Pledges Support for Baikonour Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Baikonour Cosmodrome on 12th April, to commemorate the 52nd anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s flight into space. During his trip, he issued a statement confirming Russia’s commitment in supporting the world’s oldest cosmodrome after the lease expires in 2020. It is hoped that this latest statement will ease tensions between [...]
Russia to Launch 5 Lunar Probes Between 2015 and 2022
According to the Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti, Russia’s space research program in the coming decades will be driven by landing planetary missions. “We’ve found our direction, our niche,” said the director of the Institute of Space Research at the Russian Academy of Sciences Lev Zelyony. Russia’s plan consists of sending a succession of five unmanned probes to the [...]
Atlas 5 Ready to Launch a Missile-Warning Satellite
Atlas 5 rocket is almost ready for a missile-warning spacecraft, after already successfully carrying out two satellite launches since the beginning of the year. “I don’t think everyone realizes what all is involved in launching 2 Atlas 5s, one off the East Coast, one off the West Coast, 11.5 days apart,” said NASA launch director Tim Dunn. The Atlas 5 [...]
Iran Claims Monkey Launched to Space
On January 28, Iranian state television reported launching a monkey to 120 km and recovering it alive. No independent observer has been able to confirm this report. The launch , which may have taken place sometime within the few days preceding January 28, was timed to celebrate the birthday of the prophet Mohammad. Iran has previously tried and failed to [...]
Launch and Reentry Safety Analysis Course Open for Registration
The International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety is pleased to announce the upcoming Launch and Reentry Safety Analysis Course. The course will be held in Montreal, Canada on May 16-18, 2013 at 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. EDT (GMT – 5 hours). About the Course Over the last fifty years the methods for understanding and managing the risks associated with [...]
News Shorts: North Korean Satellite Dead in Orbit, Sally Ride on the Moon, and Expedition 34 Prepares for Launch
North Korean Satellite Dead in Orbit On December 12, North Korea successfully launched Unha-3, lofting the supposed weather satellite Kwanomyonosong-3 into orbit. There was initial speculation as to whether the satellite might come crashing back down, with some observers characterizing its orbit as unstable. It now appears that the satellite, which has no attitude control, is indeed tumbling and is [...]
Delta 4 Investigation Uncovers Anomaly Sequence; X-37B Cleared for Launch
On October 4, a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta 4 rocket took off, carrying a GPS satellite. Low thrust in its upper stage could have resulted in a misplaced satellite that day but for a successful compensation using reserve fuel. As a result of the anomaly, Delta 4 flights were delayed, as was flight of the X-37B which launches from [...]
When the Space Shuttle Engined Out
Space aficionados have been keeping tabs on the investigation into SpaceX’s engine out anomaly on the first commercial cargo trip to the International Space Station. But what many may not remember is that NASA’s own Space Shuttle experienced just such an event – and with only 2 functioning engines rather than Falcon’s 8 and carrying a full crew to boot. On [...]
Communication Satellites, Delayed by Breeze-M Failure, Now Deployed
On Friday November 2, a Proton rocket with Breeze-M upper stage launched from Baikonour Cosmodrome carrying two communication satellites. Proton and Breeze-M contractor Khrunichev declared the launch a success. Satellite builder Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems Co. said all mechanisms have now deployed properly. The Breeze-M, which has had a somewhat troubled history over the past couple years, fired four times to [...]
