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Dates are
those of the events (in UT) when available. For recent launches go to the Launch Log. Visit our Archives. |
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This section is currently in works. New features will be made available soon. |
Headlines |
Satellite Glitch Delays Ariane 5’s Return |
April
8
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FiatAvio Sold to U.S. Group |
April
7
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Fiat
has eventually selected the U.S. investment fund Carlyle
Group, to take over its FiatAvio
aerospace propulsion subsidiary for an estimated €1.6 billion.
Talks have been engaged for a final agreement to be signed mid-May. For
this acquisition, Carlyle will team with Italy’s Finmeccanica
Group. |
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NASA Taps Three for OSP Studies |
April
6
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Thermo to Take Over Globalstar |
April
4
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Thermo
Capital Partners has proposed to acquire 67% of Globalstar
LP for US$55 million in order to lead the mobile satellite telephony
venture out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. If the deal is approved
by the bankruptcy court the remaining 33% will be shared between Globalstar’s
creditors, including the initial backers of the project, Loral
Space & Communications and Qualcomm.
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Deep Impact Probe Postponed |
April
4
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NASA
has decided to postpone the launch of its Deep
Impact cometary probe by nearly one year due to several technical
and management issues such as contamination of its propulsion system and
delays in the delivery of key elements. The probe was scheduled for launch
by a Boeing
Delta 2/7925 vehicle by January 2, 2004. Its new launch window
will open on December 30, 2004. Despite the delay, the spacecraft will
reach comet 9P/Tempel 1 in July 2005 as initially planned.
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North Korea Claim Missile Export Legitimate |
April
3
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North Korea Claim Missile Export Legitimate |
April
3
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SES Eventually Selects Breeze M |
March 17
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SES
Americom has eventually selected the Breeze M upper stage,
built by GKNPTs Khrunichev,
to fly its AMC-9 communication satellite on a Proton vehicle in
late April. Following the loss of its Astra
1K on November 26,
2002, due to a propulsion mishap onboard the RKK
Energiya-built Block DM3 upper stage, SES had decided to review
various launch options for its next satellite in line, AMC-9, including
a possible swap to a Lockheed
Martin Atlas 5. The Breeze M selection has already been announced
by the Russian side on February 8. |
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Eumetsat Plans 4th MSG |
March
17
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Eumetsat,
the European meteorological satellite organization, has approved the acquisition
of a fourth Meteosat
Second Generation sdatellite (MSG-4) with a plannned budget worth
€391 million. A formal contract will be awarded to Alcatel
Space later. MSG-4 will be launched in 2012. |
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ESA Asks for €700M for Ariane 5ECA |
March
17
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NASA Readies for Shuttle Flight Resumption |
March 14
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NASA
is setting up an engineering team to prepare modifications on its fleet
of Space Shuttles in order to enable flight resumption as soon
as the 4th quarter of 2003. This team is intended to define and implement
the necessary changes to the vehicles as soon as the investigation on
the loss of Columbia, on February 1st, is completed.
Among the modifications already considered is a redesign of the
insulation on the external tank near the orbiter nose’s bipod. The suspected
foam debris that may have damaged Columbia’s thermal protection system
during liftoff on January
16 apparently came from that area. |
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Arianespace to Lay Off One Third of Staff |
March
14
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Arianespace
plans to reduce its staff by about one third, reflecting a similar drop
in its activities. Some 120 posts will be terminated, including 50 related
to Ariane 4 which was phased out in February. |
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U.S. Space Command to Reduce Staff |
March
13
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The U.S. Air Force Space Command will reduce its workforce by 1,125 positions by 2009 under a U.S. Airt Force initiative to reduce staff and reassign resources to "highest priority" sectors such as special operations or intelligence. A first batch of 756 positions will be eliminated by October 2004, and another 367 in the following five years. U.S. Air Force Space Command currently employs some 40,000 people worldwide. |
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Vega Development Contracts Signed |
February 25 |
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ESA has awarded a €221-million contract to ELV SpA, a joint venture of FiatAvio and the Italian Space Agency (ASI), to complete the development of the Vega small launcher. A second contract, worth €40 million, was also awarded to FiatAvio by CNES, on behalf of ESA, for the development of the P80FW solid rocket motor. The P80FW is an 80-ton experimental motor designed to demonstrate a composite casing technology that could be later used for future Ariane 5 upgrades. The P80FW will serve as first stage of Vega with a Zefiro 23 and a Zefiro 9 motors as second and third stages, and a liquid-fuelled Attitude & Vernier Upper Module (AVUM). | ![]() Vega (ESA) |
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The
first qualification flight is scheduled by mid-2006. Vega will be operated
by Arianespace
from the refurbished ELA-1 pad of the Guiana
Space Center, in Kourou, French Guiana. With a payload capability
of 1,500 kg to Sun-synchronous orbit, a launch rate of 3 to 4 missions
per year is expected, mostly to fly European science and remote sensing
missions. |
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Columbia In-Orbit Pictures Released |
February 25 |
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NASA has released a set of pictures of Space Shuttle Columbia in orbit taken by the U.S. Air Force Maui Optical & Supercomputing Site (AMOS), in Maui Island, Hawaii, on January 28, four days before the spacecraft was destroyed during reentry. The pictures, in infrared and visible light, do not show any sign of damage on the upper side of the orbiter. | ![]() |
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However the
area of the left wing near its junction with the fuselage is hidden by
the payload bay doors and radiators. |
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Some CNES Projects Could be Delayed |
February 24 |
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CNES could have to delay some of its projects as costs overruns of up to 30% have been identified. An audit was conducted on the French national space programs, accounting for about €300 million per year, and concluded that some cuts are necessary in order to return to restore stable financing by 2006-2007. Among the programs that might suffer delays are the development and manufacturing of the Corot observatory for astrosismology (€38.3 million through 2006) and of the Pleiades HR remote sensing satellites (€355 million through 2007). A proposed €255-million Stentor 2 technology satellite program should not be engaged, according to the audit. | ![]() Pleiades HR (Astrium) |
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Editor’s note: Corot is tentatively planned for launch in early 2005, Pleiades HR-1 in late 2005 and Pleiades HR-2 in late 2006. These spacecraft could fly atop Soyuz or Rokot launchers. The Stentor 1 technology satellite was lost in the maiden launch failure of Ariane 5ECA on December 11, 2002. |
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Possible Columbia Debris in Nevada |
February 23
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Possible
debris from Space Shuttle Columbia have been found in southeast
Nevada, near Panaca, some 275 km north of Las Vegas. The debris reportedly
consist in fragments of tin foil and "scraps of aluminium",
have not been formally identified by NASA.
According to experts, a 2-m part of the orbiter’s landing gear may have
crashed in the area when the vehicle broke out during reentry, on February 1st,
killing its crew. |
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Soyuz Might Get Guianese Funding |
February 22
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ESA,
CNES and Arianespace
have asked for a €4-million budget from the Regional Fund for Jobs
Development, to support local area development for the Soyuz launch
complex at the Guiana
Space Center, in Kourou, French Guiana. A decision is expected by
March 7. |
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Atlas 5 Assigned First EELV Mission | February 21 |
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Lockheed
Martin‘s Atlas 5 has been assigned a firm payload for
the first of its seven U.S.
Air Force launches contracted in 1998 under the Evolved Expendable
Launch Vehicle program. This first mission, scheduled in December 2004,
will loft the second Wideband
Gapfiller Satellite (WGS-2), a 6-ton-class military communications
satellite under development by Boeing
Satellite Systems. |
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ASI to Award Cosmo-SkyMed Contract |
February 20
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The
Italian Space Agency is about to award
a €750-million contract to Alenia
Spazio and Telespazio
to build the four Cosmo-SkyMed
radar remote sensing satellites and the related ground segment. Launch
contracts for the constellation will be signed later. The first spacecraft
is tentatively set for launch in early 2005, with the others following
about every eight months. |
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SES Considers Ordering Three Satellites |
February 20
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SES
Global may order three satellites in 2003. Two satellites, Astra 1L
and 1M, would be ordered for SES
Astra, one of which would replace Astra 1K,
lost on November 26, 2002,
in the launch failure of a Proton K/DM3 vehicle.
The third satellite would be for SES
Americom with a Ku-band capavcity to provide direct-t-home television
services. |
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Russia Asks Europe for Help to Support ISS |
February 20
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Rosaviakosmos
has proposed the European
Space Agency to include one of its astronauts in a permanent crew
for the International
Space Station in exchange for financial support to the manufacturing
of extra Progress freighter vehicles in order to ensure resupply
and reboost of the orbital outpost while NASA‘s
fleet of Space Shuttles is grounded. ESA
declined to comment on the offer. |
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Arianespace Could be Restructured |
February 20 |
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Europe’s
Arianespace could
be restructured in order to consolidate the manufacturing and operations
of the Ariane launchers in the hands of the industry, namely EADS
Launch Vehicles, according to French aerospace trade newsletter Aéronautique
Business. EADS-LV, to be merged in the
near future with the space transportation business units of Astrium,
could takeover some of Arianespace’s activities and staff, as well as part
of its debt. The resulting restructured Arianespace would remain in charge
of launch services marketing and launch manifest management. Editor’s note: This proposed restructuring, on the model of archrivals Boeing Launch Services and International Launch Services, was outlined by Philippe Camus, CEO of EADS, and Jean-Paul Bechat, CEO of Snecma, in a letter addressed in January to the French ministries of Research and Defense, who share the responsibilities for space activities in France. |
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Since Ariane and Arianespace are European ventures, such a restructuring would only be possible if endorsed by ESA’s council, due to meet at ministerial level in late May or early June. |
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Arabsat to Order New Satellite |
February 20
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The
Arab Satellite Communications
Organization (Arabsat) is reportedly planning to order a new satellite,
Arabsat 3B, to maintain its orbital communication capacity after
the partial failure of its Arabsat 3A satellite in 2002. |
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Carlo Gavazzi Will Build Iranian Smallsat | February 19 |
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Iran’s
Ministry of Science, Research
and Technology (MSRT) has contracted with Italy’s Carlo
Gavazzi Space to build and launch its Mesbah technological satellite.
mesbah will reportedly carry a remote sensing payload as well as a messaging
package developed in partnership with the Iranian
Ministry of Post, Telegraph & Telephone. Launch onto low Earth orbit
at an altitude of 900 km is due in 2005 atop a yet-to-define launcher. Editor’s note: The Mesbah program was initiated in 1998 on behalf of the Iranian Research Center for Science and Technology (IROST), the Iranian Remote Sensing Center and the Iran Telecommunications Research Center (ITRC), with a reported US$10-million budget. |
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The spacecraft will presumably be based on Carlo Gavazzi’s Mita small satellite bus and include an experimental remote sensing payload. Iran had previously reported launch agreements with Russia and China to loft an indigenously-built Mesbah piggyback on a Russian or a Chinese launcher. These agreements have reportedly been cancelled. |
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NASA Will Not Ask for a Waiver to Buy Russian Ships |
February 19
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NASA does not plan to ask for a waiver to be allowed to buy additional Soyuz ferries and Progress freighters from Russia’s RKK Energiya to support continuous occupation of the International Space Station while the Space Shuttle fleet is grounded in the wake of the Columbia tragedy. Under the Iran Non Proliferation Act adopted by the U.S. Congress in 2000, NASA cannot purchase any hardware from Russian aerospace companies unless they are proven not to have provided any support to Iran’s ballistic missile program for more than one year. |
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Scenarios Narrowed for Columbia Tragedy | February 19 |
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The Columbia Accident Investigation Board has now been given full responsibility over the investigation on the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia during its reentry on February 1st. More than 8,000 pieces of debris have been collected, including one of the flight computers, and are being displayed in the RLV hangar at NASA‘s Kennedy Space Center. Remains of the seven crew members have been identified and returned to their families. The investigation is focusing on a possible puncture or breach either in the left wing’s reinforced carbon carbon leading edge or in the landing gear door area. | ![]() Columbia debris are displayed in KSC’s RLV hangar (NASA) |
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![]() Columbia’s last liftoff on Jan. 16 (NASA) |
This breach enabled hot plasma to burn through and damage the wing’s inner structure and wiring. This breach eventually induced an increased aerodynamic drag. The resulting roll torque had to be compensated by two and later four thruster firings. Analysis of 32 seconds of telemetry data collected after the loss of standard communications with the orbiter vehicle (at 13:59:52Z) showed that the fuselage remained almost intact and most of onboard systems (auxiliary power units, flight computers, navigation systems and electrical generators) were still functioning after the left wing underwent severe structural damage. Several theories are under review regarding the actual cause of the breach including a possible impact at launch by up to three pieces of the foam insulation recovering the External Tank, possibly filled with ice from pre-launch moisture condensation, impact by the heavier underlayer material, an undetected pre-launch corrosion or an impact by an undetected orbital debris. | ||
Due to confimed visual observations of a trail of debris during reentry
over Southern California, the search for remains of the orbiter vehicle
has been extended westward from Texas to California. |
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Space Launches from Orenburg | February 18 |
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MKK
Kosmotras and the Strategic Rocket Forces of Russia (RVSN) are negotiating
with the administration of the Orenburg oblast, in southern Russia, to conduct
orbital launches with its Dnepr vehicles from the Dombarovskiy strategic
missiles base (50°45’N, 59°30’E), some 15 km from the Kazakh border. Editor’s note: Dombarovskiy is one of the three remaining R-36M launch sites in Russia with Kartaly, Cheliabinsk oblast, and Uzhur, Krasnoyarsk oblast. Before the 1st Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START-1), in 1990, there were 64 active R-36M silos on the base. Twelve have been deactivated through 2002. By transferring some or all of its launch activities from Baykonur to a Russian territory, Kosmostras would simplify its export and fees issues with the Kazakh authorities. |
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European Bid for FiatAvio Confirmed |
February 18
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Italy’s
Finmeccanica
group and France’s Snecma
are discussing a joint bid to takeover FiatAvio.
According to business sources, the two European groups are ready to invest
€1.5-1.8 billion to acquire the Italian aerospace propulsion
company. U.S.-based Carlyle
Group investment fund has reportedly issued its own bid, valued at
€1.6-1.7 billion. |
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Second Atlas 5 Undergoes Rehearsal |
February 18
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Austrian Cardan for Vinci |
February 17
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Austrian Aerospace GmbH (AAE) was awarded a contract to develop the movable suspension system for the Vinci cryogenic engine, under development by Snecma Moteurs to power Ariane 5‘s ESC-B future upper stage. The first development model of this cardan mechanism will be delivered by late 2003. Later, up to 10 operational systems could be produced each year. |
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Sea Launch Unaffected by Proton Failure |
February 17
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The
failure of a RKK Energiya
Block DM3 upper stage on a Proton K launch on November 26,
2002, should not affect Sea
Launch operations according to the Failure Review Oversight Board
set up by the Boeing-led
consortium to assess the conclusions of the Russian State Commission investigation.
The board detremined that six out of the seven recommendations of the
commission had already been implemented or do not apply to the Block
DM-SL version flown on Sea Launch’s Zenit 3SL. |
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Russia to Boost Progress Line | February 17 |
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The Russian government has given its informal "green light" to Rosaviakosmos to fund an increase of the production rate of Progress M1 freighters by RKK Energiya. The government would support this effort by allocating all the funds planned for the International Space Station program in the 2003 budget before mid-year. Extra funds could be allocated in the second half of the year if NASA‘s fleet of Space Shuttles remains grounded. | ![]() |
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Editor’s note: Russia had initially planed three Progress launches in 2003 to resupply and reboost the ISS. As the U.S. space shuttles are grounded, a fourth Progress will be needed this year and five to six freighters could be needed in 2004 at a cost of US$23 million each. Twelve Progress vehicles are reportedly under manufacturing. |
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Europe Studies Probes to Near-Earth Asteroids |
February 17
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Astrium
and QinetiQ are
reportedly studying concepts for future ESA
missions to the near-Earth asteroids. Qinetiq proposes Simone ((Smallsat
Intercept Missions to Objects Near Earth), a fleet of low-cost spacecraft.
Each 120-kg probe would fly piggyback on an Ariane 5 vehicle and
use QinetiQ’s T5 ion thruster to rendezvous near-Earth asteroids. |
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Arianespace Revives WildBlue Contract |
February 15
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WildBlue
Communications has resurrected one of its launch contracts with Arianespace
to loft its WildBlue 1 broadband communication satellite atop an Ariane
5 vehicle in early 2005. Built by Space
Systems/Loral, this 4,735-kg spacecraft will be dedicated to direct
access to the Internet over the United States. |
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Ariane 4 Retires With Panache |
February 15
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After a three-day delay due to high altitude winds, Arianespace‘s last Ariane 4 eventually lifted off from the Guiana Space Center, in Kourou, French Guiana, and successfully injected its payload onto the planned transfer orbit (199.0 x 35,880 km, inclined 7.00° for a target of 199.8 x 35,944 km, inclined 7.00°) . The passenger for this flight (V159) was the 7th and last satellite of the Intelsat 9 series built by Space Systems/Loral for Intelsat. | |||
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() 23 years of first generation Ariane vehicles: Ariane 1, Ariane 40, Ariane 42P, Ariane 44P, Ariane 42L, Ariane 44LP and Ariane 44L. (Arianespace) |
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This
launch is not only the last of an Ariane 4 but also the last of a
first generation Ariane. Since December 24, 1979, 144 Ariane
1 to 4 vehicles have been launched, including 116 Ariane 4s. These
flights used 958 Viking and 144 HM-7 engines provided by
Snecma. Ariane 4
launches lofted 414.5 tons of payload to orbit. This was also the
119th and last flight from the ELA-2 launch complex in Kourou which will
be dismantled in the coming months. Some equipment will be used in the
refurbishment of ELA-1 to accomodate ESA‘s
Vega small launch vehicle and on the future Soyuz launch
pad. |
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AMC-9 Could Slip, Jump Launcher |
February 14
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SES Americom
and International
Launch Services are still reviewing options for the launch of the
AMC-9 satellite. Although GKNPTs Khrunichev has announced earlier that
the Alcatel-built
communication satellite would fly atop a Proton K/Breeze M
combination in late March,
SES Americom is reportedly weighing the option of swapping the 4,100-kg
satellite to a Lockheed
Martin Atlas 5. AMC-9 is scheduled to be shipped to its
launch site by late February or early March. |
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Rosetta Faces Limited Retargeting Options |
February 13
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Both EELV Lines to Be Kept |
February 12 |
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The
U.S. Air Force
denies earlier reports that it might decide to drop one of its two contractors
under the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program in order
to shave costs. |
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In its budget proposal for FY2004 the U.S. Department of Defense plans to spend US$538.8 million over the next five years to support both Boeing‘s Delta 4 and Lockheed Martin‘s Atlas 5 families of launchers. The U.S. Air Force has initially planned to raise around US$1 billion to compensate for the downturn of the commercial launch market. The FY2004 budget proposal includes a US$617.3-million enveloppe for the EELV program, including US$164 million for "assured access support." The planned budget for FY2005 would reach US$773 million. |
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Editor’s note: After the loss of NASA‘s
Space Shuttle Columbia, analysts estimated that one of the consequences
of the tragedy would be that the U.S. Air Force would keep both contractors
in order to maintain assured access to space. |
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Last Ariane 4 Delayed by Weather |
February 12
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The launch of Arianespace‘s 116th and last Ariane 4 vehicle, due on February 12, was postponed for at least 24 hours due to high altitude winds over the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. | |||
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ESA Proposes Financing Plan for Soyuz in Kourou |
February 11
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Joint Finmeccanica/Snecma Bid for FiatAvio |
February 11
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Italy’s Finmeccanica
group and France’s Snecma
could issue a joint bid to takeover FiatAvio.
The bid, favored by the Italian government, would prevent Italy’s aerospace
propulsion group to be bought by U.S.-based Carlyle
Group investment fund, considered at the best bidder yet. |
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China Denies MRV Launch |
February 11
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North Korea Might Resume Launches |
February 10
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Loral Faces Claim for Alliance Breach |
February 10
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Loral
Space & Communications is reportedly facing a US$350-million claim
from former partner Alcatel
Space after an arbitration panel admitted in January that Loral had
violated its partnership agreement with Alcatel Space. Hearings are due
through May to assess Alcatel’s claimed damages. |
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AMC-9 to Fly Proton K/Breeze M |
February
8 |
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SES Americom has decided that its AMC-9 satellite will eventually fly atop a Proton K/Breeze M combination instead of the Proton K/DM3 as initially planned, according to GKNPTs Khrunichev, prime for both the Proton vehicles and Breeze upper stages. A failure of the RKK Energiya Block DM3 upper stage caused the loss of SES Astra‘s Astra 1K satellite on November 26. The launch of AMC-9 has been postponed from February 10 to late March or early April. Satellite delivery in Baykonur is now scheduled on February 28. A tentative launch date has been set on March 31. | ![]() Proton M/Breeze M (Khrunichev) |
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Editor’s note: The launch of AMC-9 was supposed to be the last of a Proton K/DM3 on behalf of International Launch Services. The Breeze M upper stage was developed as an upper stage for the modernized Proton M version but it has already been test-flown once on a Proton K on July 5, 1999 (Proton failure) and June 6, 2000 (success). The Block DM3 is the commercial version of the Block DM-2M which flew successfully atop a Proton K on December 25, 2002, on a Russian government mission. |
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Foreign Object Near Columbia Raises Questions |
February 8
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NASA
is currently reviewing telemetry from Columbia‘s final mission
to find possible connections with a an unidentified object detected near
the orbiter by a military radar in Eglin AFB,
Florida. The object apparently separated
from Columbia on January 17, some 24 hours into flight, at a speed
of about 5 m/s. It has not been determined yet if the object is linked
in any manner to the orbiter reentry failure on February 1st. |
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South Korea/Russia Cooperation in Space | February 7 |
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Maiden
flight of the KSLV-1 is tentatively planned for late 2005. Editor’s note: KARI is also discussing the possibility to launch its Kompsat 2 satellite atop a Russian booster, presumably a GKNPTs Khrunichev Rokot. The launch, due in April 2004, is currently contracted on a Chinese CZ-2C. |
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Russia Asks for Funds to Keep ISS Aloft |
February 7
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Rosaviakosmos has estimated that at least Rbl.1.5 billion (€45 million) will be needed in 2003 to maintain the International Space Station into operations while NASA‘s fleet of Space Shuttle Orbiters is grounded in the wake of the Columbia reentry failure on February 1st. Without the shuttle, the only vehicles left to deliver goods to the orbital outpost are the Progress M1 freighters which also provide most of the reboost maneuvers to compensate orbital decay of the 180-ton complex. According to Rosaviakosmos, each Progress M1 mission costs some Rbl.750 million and two more will be needed in 2003 to support a permanent crew in orbit. Rosaviakosmos had initially set aside Rbl.4 billion (€120 million) to fund ISS operations this year. Twelve Progress M1 freighters are currently under construction by RKK Energiya. | ![]() Russia’s Progress M1 tug/freighter (NASA) |
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Editor’s note: Some 100 kg of extra cargo could also be carried onboard manned Soyuz TMA ferries if the ISS permanent crew is reduced from three to only two. ESA‘s Automated Transfer Vehicle will not be available before September 2004 to provide both freight and reboost capabilities equivalent to three Progress M1s each. |
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Imagery Shows Columbia Wing Mishap |
February 8
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India May Test Agni 3 in 2003 |
February 7
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India’s Defence Research & Development Organisation is planning to test the 3,000-km range version of its Agni family of missiles by the end of the year. The Agni 3 is expected to be launched after the end of the Indian monsoon season in September. According to technical sources, the Agni 3 will be able to carry a 1-ton nuclear warhead, and upgrades are planned to extend its range to 5,000 km. |
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Orbital’s Missile Defense Booster Flies |
February 6
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First Delta 4 EELV Mission Slips to March |
February 6
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The
first launch of Boeing‘s Delta
4 conducted under U.S.
Air Force‘s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program has been
postponed from February 11 to March
as a contamination was reported on a valve in the gimbal actuation system
of the Common Booster Core stage’s Boeing
Rocketdyne RS-68 engine. The payload for this flight is a Lockheed
Martin-built Defense
Satellite Communications System (DSCS) geostationary military communication
satellite, DSCS-3-A3. |
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Independent Board to Lead Columbia Probe |
February 6
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The interagency
Accident Investigation Board led by Adm. Gehrman will assume sole authority
to determine the cause of the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia and
her crew during reentry on February 1st. Amid concern by the U.S.
Congress regarding NASA‘s
objectivity in the investigation, the chart establishiong the AIB will
be modified to ensure full independence from the U.S. space agency. NASA
will maintain its own internal investigation commission examining multiple
scenarios in its fault tree. |
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Micro Spysat Success |
February 5 |
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The
U.S. Air Force Research
Laboratory XSS-10
microsatellite has successfully completed its 12-hour mission according
to Boeing,
which developped the 31-kg autonomous spacecraft. XSS-10 was released
from the second stage of a three-stage Boeing
Delta 2/7925 vehicle on January 29
and orbited within 100 m of the stage to take pictures of it. |
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Telesat Taps Astrium for Anik F1R |
February 4
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Télésat
Canada has contracted with Astrium
to procure the Anik F1R communication satellite. Based on the Eurostar 3000S
bus, this 4-ton satellite will carry 24 C-band and 32 Ku-band transponders.
Launch is due by mid-2005 on a launcher yet to define. Anik F1R
will be deployed at 107.3°West to replace the Boeing
Satellite Systems-built Anik F1. |
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Three Columbia Failure Investigation Boards |
February 2
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In
addition to the in-house Mishap Investigation Team, NASA
has appointed a Space Shuttle Mishap Interagency Investigation Board,
to provide an independent review of the events and activities that caused
the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia and her crew on February 1st.
This board is led by U.S.
Navy Adm. (retired) Harold Gehman, and includes Rear Adm. Stephen
Turcotte, Commander of U.S.
Naval Safety Center; Maj. Gen. John Barry, Director, Plans & Programs,
at the Headquarters
Air Force Materiel Command; Maj. Gen. Kenneth Hess, Commander of U.S.
Air Force Chief of Safety; Dr. James Hallock, Aviation Safety Division
Chief, U.S. Department of
Transportation; Steven Wallace, Director of Accident Investigation,
U.S. Federal Aviation Administration;
Brig. Gen. Duane Deal, Commander, U.S.
Air Force’s 21st Space Wing, as well as several senior NASA officials
such as Scott Hubbard, Director of NASA
Ames Research Center; former astronaut Bryan O’Connor, NASA Associate
Administrator, Office of Safety and Mission Assurance; and Theron Bradley,
NASA Chief Engineer. A third panel will be appointed by the U.S.
Congress. |
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Arianespace Posted Losses in 2002 |
February 2
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Arianespace
posted losses in 2002 for the third consecutive year. Last year, operating
loss amounted to €50-60 million, to be compared to €193
million in 2001 and €242 million in 2000. However, the final
figure might be higher as Arianespace plans to raise the level of its
provisions, initially planned at €50 million, to cover losses
in 2003 in the wake of the Ariane 5ECA launch failure on December 11.
With 12 launches in 2002, Arianespace sales amounted to €1.3 billion,
up from €807 million in 2001. Arianespace’s official results
will be released in June, presumably during the Paris
Air Show. |
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Iran Cancels Zohreh Contract |
February 1st
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The
Iranian Ministry of Post,
Telegraph & Telephone has cancelled its US$125-million agreement
with Russia’s Avi Export to acquire its Zohreh ("Venus") geostationary
communication satellite from NPO
Prikladnoy Mekhaniki (NPO-PM). Zohreh was tentatively planned for
launch in late 2004 atop a Soyuz vehicle. |
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Columbia Disintegrates at Reentry, Crew Lost |
February 1st |
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NASA’s oldest space shuttle orbiter, OV-102 Columbia, was destroyed during reentry over Texas. All seven crew were killed in the accident. Columbia was returning to Earth after the 16-day STS-107 science mission. Landing was planned at NASA‘s Kennedy Space Center, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 14:16Z. The deorbit burn occured at 13:15Z. At 13:53Z, hydraulic system temperature sensors failed in the left wing. Trailing debris were then spotted over California. At 13:56Z, an increase of temperature was detected in the on the left main gear tires and brakes. Bondline temperature sensor data on the left wing was lost at 13:58Z and one minute later temperature and pressure data of the left main gear tires were lost too. All contact was lost with Columbia at 14:00Z. Debris rained over a 200-km-long trail from Palestine, Texas, to Fullerton, Louisiana. No casualty was reported on the ground. | ![]() Columbia’s crew: NASA‘s Dave Brown, Rick Husband, Laurel Clark, Kalpana Chawla, Mike Anderson, William McCool and Israel Space Agency‘s Ilan Ramon. |
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At the time
of loss of contact, Columbia was travelling at a speed of about Mach 18
and at an altitude of 63 km. Early analysis
of available telemetry data suggests that the thermal protection system
failed under the left wing, leading to structural overheating and breakup.
The root cause of this failure has not been identified officially but
it is suspected that the thermal protection system tiles could have been
hit and damaged by a falling foam debris from the External Tank
outer insulation during ascent. However, other scenarios are reportedly
considered including propellant tank or auxiliary power unit explosion,
structural collapse and faulty navigation. All shuttle flights are postponed
at least until completion of the failure investigation. |
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Venus Express Contract Signed |
January 28
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SES Americom Asks for Proton Launch Slip |
January 27
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SES Americom has asked International Launch Services to delay the launch of its AMC-9 satellite atop a Proton vehicle. The launch, the last of a Proton K/DM3 planned on behalf of ILS, was due on February 10 and is now tentatively set for March 15. It could even slip to a later date as SES Americom has requested ILS to first complete of its own review of the findings by the Russian investigation board regarding the launch failure of a RKK Energiya Block DM3 upper stage which caused the loss of SES Astra‘s Astra 1K satellite on November 26. Depending on the result of this review, SES is expected to decide whether the launch will use the DM3 stage or a GKNPTs Khrunichev Breeze M stage usually flown on the new Proton M version. |
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