Space Systems Loral's Tempo 1 communications satellite, not the Astra 1F spacecraft, will make the first commercial launch of a Russian Proton booster from Baikonur in June 1996. The Proton, marketed by International Launch Services, has five bookings for satellites launches into geostationary orbit, (Flight International, 27 September-3 October).
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.
