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Lockheed Martin's first Atlas 3B vehicle (AC-204) was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral's SLC-36B. The vehicle on the Atlas 3A's booster stage powered by a single NPO Energomash RD-180 engine and an stretched version of the vintage Centaur cryogenic upper stage powered by a pair of Pratt&Whitney RL10A4-1B engines. Both stages apparently performed flawlessly, demonstrating about 85% of the components for the upcoming Atlas 5 version . The mission was conducted on behalf of International Launch Services to loft a commercial payload, the Echostar 7 direct broadcasting satellite for Echostar Corporation. The 4,026-kg Echostar 7 was released on a 186.41 x 57,371 km supersynchronous transfer orbit, inclined at 22.88°. The reported targeted orbit had a perigee at 196.2 km and an apogee above 40,292 km with an inclination of 23.1°.
Watch the launch movie (Real).

Sophie Meauffret, 36, an EADS Launch Vehicles engineer, was awarded the Robert Alkan Prize for her 10-year work on integrated algorithms which enabled the development of Ariane 5ECA's flight software. This optimized software, currently completing its flight qualification, will allow to reduce the quantity of hydraulic fluid needed to steer the vehicle's nozzles and to save about 600 kg on the launcher's mass. Its improved flexibility will also enable to reduce the cost and duration of flight preparation.
Editor's note: The Robert Alkan Prize rewards innovative developments by young engineers which have found an operational industrial application.

International Launch Services plans to begin marketing of GKNPTs Khrunichev's new Angara launch vehicle by late 2002. The maiden flight of the Angara 1.1, the smallest version in the family (1,700 kg to Sun-synchronous orbit, no geostationary transfer orbit capacity), is expected by late 2003. Heavy-lift versions of Angara are planned to be introduced circa 2005 in order to replace the current Proton by the end of the decade.

Astrium has completed the integration of the EPS upper stage due to fly on Arianespace's next Ariane 5G, on March 1st (February 28, local time). The stage has been shipped to the Guiana Space Center, in Kourou, French Guiana, onboard an Antonov An-124 cargo aircraft. The Aestus engine mounted on this stage was cleared for launch after a series of 10 acceptance tests in DLR's test center in Lampoldshausen, Germany.
Editor's note: The last Ariane 5G flight, on July 12, 2001, could not reach its targeted geostationary transfer orbit due to an incident during the Aestus engine's ignition resulting in a 20% thrust shortfall and an early propellant depletion. The incident was caused by water traces in the propellant lines which led to a detonation during ignition. The engine pre-launch processing and ignition sequence have been revised to increase the engine's performance margins and sweep moisture out of the lines prior to propellant injection.

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The launcher also carried an instrumented vehicle evaluation payload (VEP-3) which remained attached to the upper payload adapter. Quoted costs for the mission range from US$63 million to US$80 million.
Editor's note: The H-2A flew in a 202 configuration (2 SRB-As, no SSB) on August 29, 2001. Two operational flights are scheduled in 2002: in August to loft the Unmanned Space Experiment Recovery System (USERS) platform to low Earth orbit and the DRTS-W data relay test satellite to geostationary transfer orbit, then in November to launch the second Advanced Earth Observation Satellite (Adeos 2) and three piggyback microsatellites. The configurations for these flights (202, 2022 or 2024) have not been announced yet.
Watch the second H-2A's liftoff from Tanegashima (Real).

Japan's National Space Development Agency has decided to postpone the 2nd qualification flight of its H-2A launch vehicle by 24 hours, from February 3 to February 4 due to high wind condition over the launch site at Tanegashima Space Center.

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The Russian and Ukrainian space agencies, Rosaviakosmos and NKAU, have signed a MoU regarding the joint modernization of the Tsyklon launch vehicles, produced in Ukraine by NPO Yuzhnoye. The agreement, which will allow the participation of Russian space industry in the development of the new Tsyklon 4 version, was signed at the end of a two-day meeting in Kiyv. Ukraine and Russia have also decided to support MKK Kosmotras for the use of an area in Turkmenistan for the fall of Dnepr stages after launches from Baykonur, Kazakhstan. Rosaviakosmos and NKAU will also cooperate on the proposed "Desert Launch" project of flying Ukrainian-built Zenit 3SL and Zenit 2M vehicles from Baykonur in partnership with Sea Launch.
Editor's note: Other topics discussed include a draft agreement on the manufacturing, launch and joint operations of the Sich-1M oceanography satellite as well as the flight of Ukrainian experiments in the Russian segment of the International Space Station.

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Delegates from more than 80 countries approved a draft proposal for international guidelines to counter ballistic missile technology proliferation after a two-day meeting in Paris. The participants included representents from every nuclear powers: the United States, Russia, Great-Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan and Israel. Iran participated too. The text, to have the force of a political engagement rather than an international treaty, calls for each signatory to provide yearly updates on its ballistic missile programs and to notify the others of each test flight.
Editor's note: North Korea and Syria refused to come. Iraq was not invited.

North Korea Condemns Japan's H-2A

North Korea condemns Japan's H-2A successful test flight again, citing it as a further attempt to 'revive militarism,' and claims to be forced to increase its own 'defense capabilities.'
Editor's note: The H-2A is due to loft two pairs of military surveillance satellites in 2003 as a direct consequence to North Korea's Taepo Dong ballistic missile test launch over Japan in August 1998. After the maiden flight of the H-2A in August 2001, North Korean propaganda claimed the launcher was a covert ballistic missile. North Korea has officially agreed to freeze its ballistic missile developments through 2003 but is highly suspected to be continuing its efforts under cover. South Korean sources report that numerous engines firing tests have been conducted. Propaganda against Japan's space programs could be considered as an attempt to justify a resumption of ballistic missile test flights.
Read North Korea Central News Agency's propaganda statement on the H-2A launch.

The Pakistani Foreign Office again dismissed allegations by U.S. Central Intelligence Agency regarding a technological support by China to the country's ballistic missile programs. "Pakistan's missile technology is totally indigenous" claims a PFO statement. According to a CIA half-yearly report, China still provides significant assistance in solid rocket propulsion technology for Shaheen 1 and Haider 1 short range missiles. China is also expected to provide assistance in the development of the longer range Shaheen 2 missile.
Editor's note: In November 2000, China promised to discontinue all ballistic missile technology transfer programs to other countries. The Shaheen 1 is a derivative of China's M-9 missile.
Read CIA's Unclassified Report to Congress on the Acquisition of Technology Relating to Weapons of Mass Destruction and Advanced Conventional Munitions, January 1st - June 30, 2001 (html, 40 kb).

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NASA has decided to postpone the launch of Space Shuttle Columbia from February 28 to March 1st due to excessively cool weather conditions on the Kennedy Space Center. On this STS-109 mission, Columbia, returning to flight after a lengthy Orbiter Maintenance Down Period, will rendezvous with the Hubble Space Telecope which will be refurbished in space by the crew. About US$172 million of new equipment will be mounted on Hubble.
Editor's note: Very low temperatures prior to launch (circa 0° Celsius), similar to those currently experienced in Florida, were among the reported causes for the loss of Space Shuttle Challenger in January 1986.

China's Army Daily reports that a computer-simulated launch and flight of the Shenzhou 3 prototype manned spaceship has just been completed. The newspaper confirms that the mission is planned for a launch from Jiuquan Space Launch Center atop a CZ-2F vehicle during this winter, i.e. before March 20.
Editor's note: According to analysts, the launch has been delayed from late 2001 by technical problems.

Boeing has completed the wings of the X-37 reusable spaceplane demonstrator it is jointly developing with NASA. The wings have been shipped from Boeing Phantom Works' manufacturing facilities in Huntington Beach, California, to Palmdale, California, for integration on the X-37 fuselage, delivered earlier. Completion of the vehicle assembly is due in late 2003 in order to allow a first unpowered drop tests from a B-52N carrier aircraft planned by early 2004. Due to U.S. Air Force's announced withdrawal from the program in September 2002, plans to conduct orbital flights with the 6-ton demonstrator are currently under review.
Editor's note: The X-37 was initially due to conduct at least two orbital flights either onboard NASA's Space Shuttles or atop expendable launch vehicles. The U.S. Air Force announced its intent to leave the program in September 2001.

NASA has awarded a US$936-million modification to Boeing's prime contract for the International Space Station. Boeing's eight-year contract for ISS integration and operations was awarded in 1995 and will now run through December 31, 2003. Its total value now reaches US$10.7 billion.

As part of its plans to "refocus" the International Space Station program, NASA has decided to put the Crew Return Vehicle (CRV) program on hold, with no budget requested for FY2003. The program is not cancelled as US$20 million have been set aside from FY2002's budget to support activities on the X-38 demonstrator. Among the options under consideration for the program restructuring is the use of the CRV "for crew transportation" to orbit. A study is underway under the Space Launch Initiative, regarding both the technical requirements for a crew transfer capability and opportunities for further non-U.S. contributions to the program. Its results are due by June 2002.
Editor's note: A crew transfer capability for a CRV-derivative has already been proposed in late 1999 in the Crew/Cargo Transfer Vehicle (CCTV) Preliminary Requirements under the Phase 3 of the Space Transportation Architecture Studies. Transformation of the CRV in a full Crew Transport Vehicle (CTV) has also been studied by the European Space Agency as a possible follow-on to its involvement in the CRV program. ESA's proposed CTV could be flown atop an Ariane 5 vehicle.

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Snecma has conducted the first test firing of the PPS-X000 stationary plasma thruster in its light propulsion facilities in Melun-Villaroche, near Paris. The thruster, developed in partnership with Russia's OKB Fakel, provided 0.2 N of thrust. The PPS-X000 is designed to provide station-keeping on very large geostationary platforms, like the 7-ton-class Alphabus concept under study by Alcatel Space and Astrium.

These financing could be part of a plan under study by the U.S. Department of Defense to support the two prime contractors of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program which experience difficulties in marketing their Delta 4 and Atlas 5 launch vehicles on a shrinking commercial launch market.
Editor's note: A U.S. production capability for 100% of the launchers was required by the EELV contracts in order to ensure that U.S. government launch capability could not be dependent from a foreign country. A RD-180 production line was reportedly prepared by Pratt&Whitney in its facilities in West Palm Beach, Florida. However, the delivery of the first U.S.-built engine has been delayed many times, from 2000 under initial plans to 2008/2010 under the most recent estimates. In June 1997, Lockheed Martin Astronautics awarded a US$1-billion contract to NPO Energomash to provide 101 engines through its RD AmRoss joint-venture with Pratt&Whitney. The Atlas 5 also incorporates a payload fairing provided by Contraves Space, of Switzerland, and structural parts supplied by EADS CASA Espacio, of Spain. Similarly, Boeing's Delta 4 includes tankage from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, of Japan, and extendible nozzles provided by Snecma Moteurs of France.

Snecma Moteurs' Liquid Propulsion Division is trying to expand its customer base and is discussing contributions to space launcher developments in both South Korea and Brazil. Snecma officials report advances in negotiations with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) which is in charge of the developement of a national space launch vehicle in South Korea. KARI officials are due to meet with their CNES counterparts on March 20. Similar talks could be conducted with India in the future, when this country join the Missile Technology Control Regime which prevents uncontrolled missile technology proliferation.
Editor's note: The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) is studying the KSLV family of launch vehicles, derived from its KSR series of sounding rockets introduced in 1993. A budget of 5.15 trillion wons (US$4.26 billion) over 10 years was announced in December 2000 to support this effort. Work on a US$115-million launch site is planned to begin in June in Woe Narodo (or Oenarodo), Island, near Kohung, Cholla province. A first launch could occur as soon as 2005. India is already producing and operating the Vikas engine which is based on an early version of Snecma's Viking engine.

The Indian Space Research Organisation has successfully conducted a 10-second hot firing test of the indigenous cryogenic engine developed under the Cryogenic Upper Stage Program (CUSP) at its Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. The program suffered a major delay after a failed firing attempt on February 16, 2000, which was aborted after 15 seconds due to due to a leak of helium from a punctured tube which prevented liquid hydrogen supply to the engine. Several other short duration firings are planned before going to long-duration trials.
Editor's note: The CUSP engine is planned to be flown on the third test flight of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) in 2003. The second test flight and the initial operational flights of GSLV will use the 12KRB cryogenic upper stage designed and supplied by Russia's GKNPTs Khrunichev. In flight, the engine will have to provide 75 kN of thrust for 740 seconds. The certification process requires a qualification for 1,400 seconds of combustion.

ESA's Artemis advanced communications satellite will resume its maneuvers to reach the geostationary orbit on February 5, using its onboard Astrium ion thrusters to increase its altitude. The maneuver will take six months to complete and will leave enough propellant for only 5 years of operational lifetime.

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The introduction of an upgraded telemetry and tracking system at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station has been delayed indefinitely due to some problems encountered during early testing. The system was not able to provide good quality data during initial test runs conducted since November 2001. Tests on actual space launches have been postponed from March to June. The new system will be declared operational when it has successfully been able to handle tracking and telemetry data from the actual launches of an expendable launch vehicle, a NASA Space Shuttle and a U.S. Navy sea-launched ballistic missile.
Editor's note: This new system is under development by Lockheed Martin Mission System, under the U.S. Air Force Range Standardization and Automation Phase 2 program, and by ITT Industries Systems Division on behalf of the U.S. Air Force Spacelift Range System program. It is due to replace the current aging network which has been in use since the 1970s, allowing quicker reconfiguration of the launch site between missions.