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SATELLITE AND SPACE SHUTTLE NEWS
NASA: FUEL TEST A SUCCESS, SHUTTLE LAUNCH DAY SET - To NASA's relief, a fueling test on space shuttle Endeavour uncovered no hydrogen gas leaks Wednesday and paved the way for another launch attempt late next week for the delayed mission.
Last month, potentially dangerous leaks of hydrogen gas thwarted back-to-back launch attempts.
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(Source: The Associated Press)
ARIANE 5 ECA LAUNCHES WITH THE GIANT TERRESTAR-1 SATELLITE - Arianespace were back in action on Wednesday, with the launch of their Ariane 5 ECA and a single passenger, the TerreStar-1 communications satellite. Launch from the European Spaceport in French Guiana was delayed by a storm that passed over the center, and several technical issues, before launching at 17:52 GMT. This mission is Arianespace’s third of seven Ariane 5 flights planned in 2009, marking the 189th flight of an Ariane family vehicle, and the 45th launch for Ariane 5. More
(Source: NASASpaceFlight.com)
NEW SIRIUS XM RADIO SATELLITE LAUNCHES TO ORBIT - A new broadcasting satellite for Sirius XM Radio launched today aboard a Proton rocket, beginning a 9-hour journey to a high-altitude transfer orbit stretching more than 22,000 miles above Earth.
The Sirius FM5 satellite, the company's fourth spacecraft, blasted off at 1910 GMT (3:10 p.m. EDT) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
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(Source: Space.com)
SUN SATELLITE ULYSSES TO BE SHUT DOWN - Space scientists in Europe and the United States are singing the praises of Ulysses, the sun-survey satellite being shut down this week after 18 years of work.
After all those years monitoring the sun, Ulysses is being cast off because its communications capabilities have deteriorated to the point that the cost of keeping it operational cannot be justified. More
(Source: United Press International )
DELTA 4 ROCKET BOOSTS WEATHER SATELLITE INTO ORBIT - Running a day late because of stormy weather, a United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket boosted a new GOES weather satellite into space Saturday to serve as an orbital spare for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's fleet of hurricane-tracking weather sentinels. The Delta 4, equipped with two strap-on solid-fuel boosters, ignited with a rush of flame and smoke at 6:51 p.m. EDT and quickly climbed away from launch complex 37 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, arcing to the east and accelerating toward orbit. More
(Source: CNET)
WEATHER SATELLITE LAUNCH: MISSION POSTPONED - The new GOES-O satellite, which was to be launched June 26th at 5:14 p.m. CDT, saw its mission scrubbed due to thunderstorms in the area.
The odds that the weather will cooperate for another try Saturday are not great; NASA weather officers give odds of weather trouble at 60%.
It will lift off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. More
(Source: Examiner.com)
BOEING: URGENT GPS SATELLITE LAUNCHES ON SCHEDULE - Boeing Co. said today that the planned launches of its new Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites is on schedule, following worries that the global navigation system could degrade or even fail.
The timely replacement of aging GPS satellites was a major concern of the U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO) in a May report and testimony before U.S. House subcommittee.
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(Source: Computerworld)
NEW WEATHER SATELLITE TO BE LAUNCHED JUNE 26TH - A Delta 4 medium rocket is set to launch the new GOES-O weather monitoring satellite for NASA and NOAA today (June 26th) at 5:14 p.m. CDT, weather and other conditions permitting.
The odds that the weather will cooperate are not great; NASA gives less than even money prospects of getting the launch off within the one-hour window available.
It will lift off from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
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(Source: Examiner.com)
SERIOUSLY, SIRIUS SATELLITE LAUNCH - The SIRIUS FM-5 satellite will supplement the existing fleet of SIRIUS satellites with a high-power geostationary satellite that enhances the listening experience. The Proton launch vehicle, utilizing a 5-burn Breeze M mission design, will lift off from Pad 39 at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, with the SIRIUS FM-5 satellite on board. The first three stages of the Proton will use a standard ascent profile to place the ascent unit (Breeze M upper stage and the SIRIUS FM-5 satellite) into a sub-orbital trajectory. More
(Source: SatNews.com)
WHITE HOUSE TO ABANDON SPY-SATELLITE PROGRAM - The Obama administration plans to kill a controversial Bush administration spy satellite program at the Department of Homeland Security, according to officials familiar with the decision.
The program came under fire from its inception two years ago. Democratic lawmakers said it would lead to domestic spying. More
(Source: The Wall Street Journal)
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