EUROPEAN SATELLITE PROJECT - The European Union salvaged its most prominent investment project, agreeing to divert 2.4 billion euros ($3.5 billion) of public money to bail out its struggling satellite navigation project, Galileo. Intended to rival the Global Positioning System developed by the United States, Galileo has struggled with money difficulties... More (Source: New York Times - Dec 2)
SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTIS ARRIVES AT LAUNCH PAD - After safely reaching its launch pad Saturday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the space shuttle Atlantis now awaits its next major milestone for the upcoming STS-122 mission. The full launch dress rehearsal is scheduled from Nov. 18 to 20 at Kennedy. More (Source: About.com - Nov 27)
SPACEDEV SOLAR ARRAY ACTUATORS LAUNCH ABOARD WORLDVIEW-1 SATELLITE - SpaceDev, Inc. announced today the first flight of its new solar array rotational drive assemblies (SADA) and drive control electronics (DCE) aboard the Digitalglobe WorldView-1 satellite, launched September 18th from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. SpaceDev produced the SADA and DCE under subcontract to Ball Aerospace. The system was commissioned shortly after the spacecraft reached orbit. More (Source: CNN Money - Nov 27)
SECOND BELARUSIAN SATELLITE TO BLAST OFF LATE 200 - Belarus's second satellite will be launched from Russia's Plesetsk space center in late 2009, the head of Belarusian company Geoinformational Systems said on Thursday. Belarus launched its first satellite, Belka, in July 2006. However, a Dnepr rocket carrying the Belarusian satellite, along with several international satellites, crashed shortly after lift off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan, due to a first stage engine shutdown. More (Source: RIA Novosti - Nov 23)
SIRIUS 4 SATELLITE REACHES ORBIT - A new Swedish telecommunications satellite Sirius 4 reached successfully its final geostationary obit 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above Earth Saturday, media reported Monday. Built by Lockheed Martin for the Solna, the Sweden-based communications provider SES Sirius, the Sirius 4 satellite will provide direct-to-home television and other services to customers across Europe, Africa and the Baltic/Nordic region. More (Source: Xinhuanet - Nov 19)
INDIA JOINS THE FOUR GROUP BY DEVELOPING ITS OWN GSLV SATELLITE - India has finally joined the group of four in terms of owning full-fledged indigenous satellite based on Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) System. Indian scientist on Thursday successfully tested a fully native cryogenic engine in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu that positioned India in to the group of four, which uses the satellite for the commercial purpose. Now India will also be able to launch GSLV satellite for earning some money. More (Source: Newstrack India - Nov 18)
THE LAUNCH OF BRITAIN'S SKYNET 5B SPACECRAFT FROM KOUROU IN FRENCH GUIANA HAS BEEN POSTPONED AGAIN. - The flight of the sophisticated new military communications satellite was called off when a fault was detected in pipework feeding the launch pad. More (Source: BBC News - Nov 12)
ROCKET BLASTS OFF WITH DEFENSE SATELLITE - A Delta 4 rocket blasted off Saturday night, carrying a national security satellite into space. The 23-story rocket, which replaced the Titan fleet two years ago, blasted slowly at 8:50 p.m., taking nearly 15 seconds to clear the launch pad. More (Source: Associated Press - Nov 12)
SECOND SKYNET SATELLITE TO LAUNCH TONIGHT - The second Skynet 5 UK military communications satellite is to launch today at 2204 GMT from Kourou in French Guiana, aboard an Ariane 5 rocket. It will share the ride with a Brazilian telecomms bird. With Skynet 5B online, joining the Skynet 5A sat already in space, the Skynet 5 system will be fully operational; however an on-orbit spare, Skynet 5C, will be launched in 2008. The system will offer satellite bandwidth to the British forces anywhere from the eastern US to eastern China. More (Source: Register - Nov 10)
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