Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has test fired the restartable liquid-oxygen/kerosene upper-stage engine of its Falcon commercial satellite launcher. California-based SpaceX plans to complete development of the two-stage Falcon in December. Boeing-led Sea Launch launched the Echostar 9/Telstar 13 communications satellite on 8 August. The Loral-built satellite will be located at 121ûW in geostationary orbit, providing Ku- and Ka-band services for Echostar and C-band transponders for Loral Skynet. Orbital Sciences has won a preliminary $25 million contract for NASA's Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere Small Explorer satellite to be air-launched in 2006 on the company's Pegasus XL booster. The Indian Space Research Organisation has won a contract to build and launch a remote-sensing satellite for Thailand. Russia, meanwhile, will put a Malaysian cosmonaut in space in 2005 as part of a $900 million deal for 18 Sukhoi Su-30 fighters. South Korea has broken ground on the Yenae-ri Kohung-gun space centre in South Jeolla province in preparation for launch of the country's first satellite using an indigenously developed booster. China will launch three small satellites in 2006 to monitor the environment and forecast disasters. The craft will use optical and radar sensors to observe the atmosphere, soil, vegetation and water conditions.
Source: Flight International
