Brazil's Estrela do Sul communications satellite, to be built by Space Systems/Loral, will become part of Loral Skynet's fleet when launched in mid-2002. To provide interim coverage, Loral's Brazilian subsidiary has acquired Anik-C1 from Telesat Canada and moved the satellite, renamed Brasil 1(T), to its 63° W orbital slot to provide limited service. Estrela do Sul will be a Loral FS-1300 high-power satellite with 36 Ku-band transponders and two spot beams.
Source: Flight International
China’s AVIC has secured a contract from the China Manned Space Agency to develop a winged, reusable spacecraft called Haolong.
The UK Space Command’s first owned earth observation microsatellite has been launched, providing the inaugural element of a planned space-based intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) constellation.
Orbital launch pioneer SpaceX is being contracted by the American space agency NASA to develop a so-called “US Deorbit Vehicle” that can safely return the International Space Station to Earth via controlled re-entry.
