All Space news – Page 200
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Cause for concern
As the third Ariane 5 is prepared for launch, there is anxiety about the programme Tim Furniss/LONDON Such is the state of the Ariane 5 programme that the third test flight of the European launcher in July will create as much tension as the first. The launcher's maiden flight ended ...
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Star partnership
Loral Space and Communications and Alcatel Alsthom are to develop and launch the EuropeStar multiple geostationary telecommunications and broad- casting satellite system. The system will provide telecommunications and other services to users as far afield as Western Europe to South-East Asia. EuropeStar, which will join Loral Skynet's Global Marketing Alliance, ...
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Boeing sets date for solar power module
Boeing's solar orbit transfer vehicle (SOTV) is to be launched aboard one of the company's Delta III or Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles in October 2001. The company has received a $48 million contract from the US Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, to produce the first ...
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Pegasus sends first Teledesic demonstrator into orbit
Tim Furniss/LONDON Teledesic's T1 experimental technology communications satellite has been launched aboard an Orbital Sciences (OSC) Pegasus XL booster. The air launch, from a Lockheed L1011, took place over the Pacific Ocean on 26 February. Described as the "first commercial Ka-band low Earth orbit satellite", the T1 is a technology ...
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AIA 98 FINALIST:Russian Space Agency and NASA (Space)
Combined work to rescue the damaged Mir space station No review of space achievements in 1997 would be complete without mention of the rescue drama surrounding Russia's Mir space station. Working in the full glare of world publicity, the Russian Space Agency and Mir crew worked to overcome what ...
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AIA 98 FINALIST:NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Space)
On 4 July 1997, NASA had special reason to celebrate as the Mars Pathfinder made a perfect landing on Mars after seven months in space. The mission has not only provided important new scientific evidence about the planet, but also helped capture the imagination of a public already fuelled by ...
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Fighting for Florida
Tim Furniss/CAPE CANAVERAL Despite hosting 23 of the 86 successful satellite launches made around the world in 1997, the Cape Canaveral launch base and the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, are facing a challenging future. The Cape Canaveral base in particular, and supporting local industries, could be driven ...
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Comets satellite stranded in wrong orbit after shutdown
Tim Furniss/LONDON The $360 million Japanese Communications and Broadcasting Engineering Test Satellite, Comets, was stranded in low Earth orbit on 21 February when the LE-5 second stage engine of its H-2 launch vehicle shut down prematurely. The second stage was 44s into a planned 192s burn to place ...
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DERA and MMS link for ion propulsion
The UK Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) and Matra Marconi Space (MMS) have formed a strategic alliance to develop and market ion propulsion technology for spacecraft. Ion propulsion - which has already been employed on some international spacecraft for attitude control and orbit station-keeping - employs inert xenon ...
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NASA delays ISS launches as it re-jigs schedules
NASA has admitted that the launch of the first components of the International Space Station (ISS) in June and July have been delayed until August and September. The space agency will ask Russia to delay the Proton launch of the Control Module. This had been planned for 30 June ...
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New team sharpens CASA business focus
Sarah Lazenby Spanish aircraft manufacturer CASA has restructured its top team for a sharper focus on future business growth and investment. The re-organisation, announced yesterday at Asian Aerospace '98, comes seven months after Alberto Fernandez was appointed chairman and chief executive. Pedro Mendez will now head the space division, with ...
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Mars experiments
Two additional experiments have been selected to fly aboard the NASA/Lockheed Martin Mars Surveyor Orbiter and Lander/Rover craft, to be launched in March and April 2001. Both craft will carry radiation environment experiments, while the Lander will operate a Mars environmental compatibility assessment instrument, which will identify potential undesirable interactions ...
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Shuttle shuffle
The predicted rescheduling of Space Shuttle launches this year, caused by the delay to the launch of the X-Ray Astrophysics Facility and the Laboratory Module of the International Space Station (ISS), has begun with the postponement of the STS90/ Neurolab mission from 2 April to16 April. The STS91 Shuttle Mir ...
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Waverider prepared for 'fuzzy logic' flight
Accurate Automation is starting tests of its neural network flight and engine control system on its LoFLYTE subscale remotely piloted "waverider" hypersonic demonstrator aircraft. The flight, originally scheduled to have taken place last year was delayed because "a higher priority was placed on increasing the thrust of the engine ...
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Delta launches the first four Globalstars
The first four Globalstar worldwide mobile voice and data communications satellites were launched into 1,200km circular orbits aboard a two-stage Boeing Delta II from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 14 February. It was the first launch of a Delta II with four (rather than nine) strap-on solid rocket motors. The Space ...
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Dasa underlines Asia commitment
Sarah Lazenby Daimler-Benz Aerospace (Dasa) has underlined its faith in Asia's long-term economic future and its own market growth by presenting a broad range of products and services at Asian Aerospace '98. Dasa, through its various joint ventures, is already active in the Asian market. It is a partner ...
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Ariane launch
The Ariane V105/44LP was launched from the Guiana Space Centre, Kourou on 4 February carrying the Hughes-built Brasilsat B3 and the fifth and final Inmarsat 3 (F5), manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The next launch, the V106 will feature an Ariane 42P model to carry the Eutelsat's Hot Bird 4 into ...
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Cuts mar USA year
Tim Furniss/KENNEDY SPACE CENTER The BOEING/Lockheed Martin United Space Alliance (USA) has had a successful first year as NASA's prime contractor for the Space Shuttle programme (see box), but it has been overshadowed by the need to lay off about 363 of its 6,000 workers at the Kennedy Space ...
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India will launch Belgian satellite for ESA
Verhaert Design and Development of Antwerp, Belgium has received an 8.5 million ECU ($9.5 million) contract from the European Space Agency (ESA) to build the 100kg Proba autonomous technology satellite and launch it into polar orbit in July 2000, flying as a piggyback payload aboard an Indian Polar Satellite Launch ...
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NASA may ask Russia to delay ISS Control Module launch
Tim Furniss/LONDON NASA is considering asking Russia to delay the launch of the first component of the International Space Station (ISS) from June to August, to even out the 1998 Space Shuttle launch schedule. The US space agency has also admitted that the launch of the US developed Laboratory ...