News of

November 1998

November 24
The European Space Agency (ESA) awards a contract worth 408.3 million of Euros to Aerospatiale for the development of the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), a space tug designed to carry cargo to the International Space Station and to reboost the orbital complex to compensate its natural decay.
November 24
The xenon ion engine on NASA‘s Deep Space 1 probe is powered up and resumes propulsion. In a first attempt, on November 10, the engine failed after 4.5 minutes.
 

 For up-to-date information regarding launch vehicles, payloads and space industry, refer to
 ISIR NEWSLINE
 An on-line news service provided by
 Launchspace Publications and Takyon International.

November 20
Kvaerner AS confirms that Hughes has rescinded two launch commitments with Sea Launch as a consequence of ICO Global Communications‘ decision to reduce the number of Zenit 3SL launches involved in the deployment of its 12-satellite constellation from 3 to 1.
November 20
NASA‘s Marshall Space Flight Center plans to sollicit the industry for the delivery of Fastrac engines to power the X-34 hypersonic demonstrator during its 25 test flights. Bids will have to include proposals for the marketing of the engine on the commercial market.
November 20
Arianespace is awarded a launch contract by Space Communications Corp. of Japan (SCC) and Japan Satellite Systems Inc. (JSat) to launch their joint N-Sat 110 satellite in 2000.
November 20
A three-stage Proton K vehicle successfully launches Zarya, the first module of the International Space Station.
(November Launch Log)
November 19
According to the Far Eastern Economic Review, the U.S. State Department has cleared Hughes to proceed with the launch of the APMT-1 regional mobile communications satellite atop a Chinese CZ-3B vehicle in 2000.
November 16
Orbital Sciences Corp. selects Arianespace for the launch two B-Sat 2 Japanese communications spacecraft in 4Q 2000 and 2Q 2001.
November 14
Beal Aerospace Technologies Inc. completes the first firing test of the 145-kN engine designed to power the third stage of its BA-2 launcher. The test is conducted in Beal’s facilities near McGregor, Texas.
 

 For additional information regarding launch vehicles, payloads and space industry, refer to
 THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE INDUSTRY REPORT
 A biweekly newsletter jointly published by
 Launchspace Publications and Takyon International.

November 14
China Great Wall Industry Corp. announces that it has signed an agreement with Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. to reserve a launch opportunity for a future AsiaSat satellite atop a CZ-3B vehicle.
November 13
NASA‘s Marshall Space Flight Center asks industry for the development of ceramic composite matrix structures which could be used to build nozzle ramps for future operational aerospike engines.
November 10
The xenon ion engine onboard NASA‘s Deep Space 1 spacecraft shuts down 4.5 minutes after it is turned on for its first test.
November 9
NASA‘s Lewis Research Center asks reesarch centers for proposals of R&D programs on "breakthrough" propulsion concepts enabling to reduce or eliminate the need for propellant.
November 9
NASA‘s Lewis Research Center asks potential manufacturers to provide a pair Hall-type ion thrusters each for free. In exchange LeRC will provide free performance tests.
November 9
Japan’s National Space Development Agency begins a series of explosion experiments of solid rocket motors near Woomera, Australia, to study the behavior of solid propellant fragments after a the controled destruction of a launch vehicle.
 

 For up-to-date information regarding launch vehicles, payloads and space industry, refer to
 ISIR NEWSLINE
 An on-line news service provided by
 Launchspace Publications and Takyon International.

November 6
NASA‘s Marshall Space Flight Center announces that it has completed two years of ground testing of air-breathing engine rocket-based combined cycle engines and will now switch to in-flight tests.
November 5
Rotary Rocket Co. conducts the first test of its "whirl tower", to demonstrate the rotor landing system of its Roton piloted space vehicle.
November 5
Orbital Sciences Corp. inaugurates Alaska Aerospace Development‘s Kodiak Launch Complex, in Narrow Cape, Kodiak Island, Alaska, with the launch of a suborbital vehicle on behalf of U.S. Air Force‘s Atmospheric Interceptor Technology (AIT) program.
November 5
Sea Launch‘s Odyssey launch platform and Sea Launch Commander assembly & command ship leave their homeport in Long Beach, Calif., for a series of sea trials.
November 4
A 56-second static firing of the RD-180-powered core stage of Lockheed Martin Astronautics‘ Atlas 3 launcher is successfully conducted at NASA‘s Marshall Space Flight Center. A first attempt was scrubbed on October 14.
November 3
Eurockot Launch Services GmbH announces it has received final approval from Russian authorities to launch Rokot vehicles from a converted silo in Baykonur, Kazakhstan. A first mission could occur as soon as early 2000. Commercial Rokot launches are due to begin in October 1999 from Plesetsk.
 

 For additional information regarding launch vehicles, payloads and space industry, refer to
 THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE INDUSTRY REPORT
 A biweekly newsletter jointly published by
 Launchspace Publications and Takyon International.

 
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