PROVING HIGH-TECH ROCKET SYSTEMS, VEGA SOARS TO SPACE - The first Vega rocket climbed away from a tropical spaceport in South America on Monday, successfully injecting nine satellites into orbit and inaugurating a new capability in Europe's growing launcher family. "A new member of the launcher family has been born," said Jean-Jacques Dordain, director-general of the European Space Agency. "Today is the first day of a new operational life, which doubtless will be a long and successful one. Vega is a launcher that's necessary for us at ESA. We've already reserved six launches." More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Feb 14)
CHAVEZ SAYS CHINA TO LAUNCH SECOND VENEZUELAN SATELLITE IN 2012 - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said China will launch a second satellite for the South American nation before the end of the year after the two countries signed a $140 million contract in May. The satellite, which is being built in China, should be in orbit in September or October this year, Science and Technology Minister Jorge Arreaza said today in comments broadcast on state television. More (Source: BusinessWeek - Feb 12)
ITALIAN SATELLITE TO HELP MEASURE SPACE-TIME WARP - Scheduled for launch from French Guiana on Monday, Europe's first lightweight Vega rocket is packed with nine small research satellites, including a unique Italian craft designed to help make an elusive accurate measurement of a central tenet of Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity. The 98-foot-tall booster is due for liftoff in a two-hour launch window opening at 1000 GMT (5 a.m. EST) Monday. The four-stage launcher, developed with Italian leadership, will make its first flight from the Guiana Space Center, a European-run spaceport in French Guiana. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Feb 12)
INDEPENDENT HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT SOUGHT BY JAPAN - The Japanese space agency is pushing for a domestic human spaceflight capability, proposing modifications to the country's International Space Station cargo delivery system to carry astronauts into orbit by 2025. If approved by the Japanese government, the craft's development would follow a crawl-walk-run approach. Japan has already demonstrated its H-2 Transfer Vehicle can haul cargo and experiments to the space station, and next up could be developing a return capsule to bring equipment from the outpost back to Earth. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Feb 11)
APRIL TARGET FOR LAUNCH OF CAPSULE TO SPACE STATION - A private space transportation company is working toward a late April launch of its Dragon capsule to the International Space Station. SpaceX, based in Hawthorne, Calif., is now targeting late April for the possible launch of its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule from here to the space station, which has been without a U.S.-based supply line since the shuttles were retired in the summer. More (Source: USA Today - Feb 11)
ESA'S SPACE STATION CARGO CRAFT 30 DAYS FROM LAUNCH - Europe's third Automated Transfer Vehicle was moved to the Ariane 5 launcher's final assembly building Tuesday, commencing the last phase of the cargo freighter's launch campaign before blasting off March 9 for the International Space Station. Outfitted with eight supply racks, two more than the first two ATV missions, craft will carry about 1,300 pounds more dry cargo than the disposable freighter's previous flight last year. "Every cubic centimeter of the carrier is at full capability," said a European Space Agency fact sheet. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Feb 9)
NASA CALLS FOR NEW TAXIS TO FLY TO SPACE STATION - NASA is looking for at least two U.S. firms to design and build space taxis to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station, program managers said on Tuesday. NASA plans to invest $300 million to $500 million in each of the firms selected under new 21-month partnership agreements, Ed Mango, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew program, said at an industry briefing at the Kennedy Space Center prior to the release of a solicitation on Tuesday. More (Source: Reuters - Feb 8)
SPACEX LAUNCH WILL BE A KEY TEST FOR NASA - NASA controllers and curious spectators won't be the only ones watching the upcoming launch of the first commercial vehicle to the International Space Station. Lawmakers, administration officials and other policy makers with a role in deciding NASA spending will be watching as well. The launch of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft from Cape Canaveral, now scheduled for April, is billed as a demonstration mission to show the world a private company can safely deliver cargo to the space station. More (Source: USA Today - Feb 5)
VEGA’S DEBUT PUSHED TO END OF LAUNCH WINDOW - The European Space Agency (ESA) on Feb. 3 announced another delay in the inaugural flight of the Vega small-satellite launcher, saying the launch is now set for Feb. 13 from Europe’s Guiana Space Center in French Guiana. The four-day delay would not in itself be significant but for the fact that it now places the launch at the extreme limit of what is permissible before the Vega team must stand down for at least a month, and likely longer. More (Source: Space News - Feb 4)
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