Category: Satellites

After last week’s rocket explosion, the Sea Launch facility is making its way back to the home port in Long Beach, California. The latest photographs show how the Odyssey Launch Platform is blackened by the explosion from the Zenit-3SL rocket that was supposed to carry the NSS-8 satellite into orbit.
Continue reading “Blackened Sea Launch Heads for Home”

A Zenit-3SL rocket carrying a Dutch communications satellite detonated on the Sea Launch platform on Tuesday, completely destroying the rocket, its satellite payload, and causing damage to the launch platform.
Continue reading “Rocket Detonates on the Sea Launch Platform”

A Proton Breeze M rocket blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome on Monday, carrying a MEASAT-3 communications satellite into orbit. The launched at 23:28 UTC, and the satellite was released into a geosynchronous orbit 9 hours later. When it reaches its final orbit, MEASAT-3 will provide satellite broadcast and data services to customers in Southeast Asia.
Continue reading “Proton Launches MEASAT-3 Satellite”

A Boeing Delta II rocket blasted today off from Space Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It was carrying a replacement Block IIR Global Positioning System satellite for the U.S. Air Force. The rocket lifted off at 1912 UTC (2:12 pm EST), and delivered the satellite into its transfer orbit 68 minutes later. The GPS IIR-16 is the third of a new generation of GPS satellites that give greater accuracy for navigation here on Earth.
Continue reading “Delta Carries GPS Satellite into Orbit”

A Russian Proton rocket lifted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome Wednesday, carrying a ARABSAT BADR-4 broadcast satellite. The Proton lifted off at 20:01 UTC (3:01 pm EST), and placed the BADR-4 satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit a few minutes later. The satellite is a Eurostar E2000+ model, and will provide voice, broadband and television services the Middle East and North Africa region.
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A Boeing Delta IV rocket blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base on Saturday, carrying a Defense Meteorological Satellite Program F17 satellite into orbit. The rocket lifted off at 1353 UTC (8:53 am EST), and the satellite was placed into polar orbit shortly after. The new military satellite will be able to view clouds, measure winds, soil moisture, ice and snow coverage, and pollution. It’s equipped with visible and infrared sensors, so that it can view the Earth day and night.
Continue reading “Defense Department Satellite Launched”

A Zenit-3SL rocket blasted off from the floating Sea Launch platform on Tuesday, placing the newest broadcast satellite for XM Satellite Radio into orbit. The rocket lifted off at 2349 UTC (6:49pm EST), and reached a geosynchronous transfer orbit a few minutes later. The Boeing-built XM-4 satellite will join a fleet of three other spacecraft for XM Satellite Radio, and provide digital radio programming to receivers in North America.
Continue reading “Sea Launch Lofts Newest XM Broadcast Satellite”

A Boeing Delta II rocket blasted off on Sunday, carrying a Block IIR Global Positioning System satellite into orbit. The rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral at 1850 UTC (2:50 pm EDT), and deployed the satellite 68 minutes later into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The satellite will soon join the US Air Force Global Positioning System, which provides accurate positioning data to vehicles and devices on Earth.
Continue reading “Delta II Launches GPS Satellite”