Mars Fleet - NASA has awarded commercial space exploration company SpaceDev of San Diego a research contract to study the possible use of small spacecraft in Mars orbit. These could provide communications and navigation services for unmanned Mars craft. The SpaceDev vehicle would use a common spacecraft bus with interchangeable payloads and in- corporate state-of-the-art communications, avionics, navigation and communications technologies. Strela Plan - Russia is to build a launch pad at its far eastern Svobodny base to launch 1,700kg (770lb) satellites into low earth orbit aboard modified SS-19 Stiletto boosters called Strela, at a cost of $10 million a flight. Iran Launcher - Iran says that it is building a new missile, called the Shehab 4, to launch satellites which will have "no military purpose". A 1,300km (800 mile)-range Shehab 3 missile was test fired last July, but reports of a further test in October have been denied. The first Shehab 4 launch is reportedly held up by engine problems. Flight Ready - The metallic thermal protection panels designed for the NASA/Lockheed Martin X-33 sub-orbital technology demonstrator have passed intensive tests in high speed, high temperature, windtunnels and on Boeing F-15 fighters. They have been declared "ready for flight", probably in mid-2000.
Source: Flight International
