Proton launches communications satellite
Posted: Sat, Aug 5, 2006, 7:29 AM ET (1129 GMT)
A Proton rocket launched a European satellite Friday night on the first commercial mission for the rocket since a failure five months ago. The Proton M lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 5:48 pm EDT Friday (2148 GMT Friday, 3:48 am local time Saturday) carrying the Hot Bird 8 satellite for Eutelsat. The Proton released the satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit 9 hours and 11 minutes after liftoff. The satellite, an EADS Astrium Eurostar E3000 model, weighs 4,875 kg and carries 64 Ku-band transponders. European satellite operator Eutelsat will use Hot Bird 8, to be located at 13 degrees east in GEO, to provide various communications services to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. The launch was the first commercial mission for the Proton since the March 1 launch of Arabsat 4A; the satellite was stranded in a transfer orbit and eventually deorbited after the Breeze M upper stage shut down prematurely.
A Proton rocket launched a European satellite Friday night on the first commercial mission for the rocket since a failure five months ago. The Proton M lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 5:48 pm EDT Friday (2148 GMT Friday, 3:48 am local time Saturday) carrying the Hot Bird 8 satellite for Eutelsat. The Proton released the satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit 9 hours and 11 minutes after liftoff. The satellite, an EADS Astrium Eurostar E3000 model, weighs 4,875 kg and carries 64 Ku-band transponders. European satellite operator Eutelsat will use Hot Bird 8, to be located at 13 degrees east in GEO, to provide various communications services to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. The launch was the first commercial mission for the Proton since the March 1 launch of Arabsat 4A; the satellite was stranded in a transfer orbit and eventually deorbited after the Breeze M upper stage shut down prematurely.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
US and UK militaries conduct coordinated satellite maneuvers
Posted: Sun, Sep 21 8:30 AM ET (1230 GMT) Blue Origin retires a New Shepard capsule after payload flight
Posted: Sun, Sep 21 8:25 AM ET (1225 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, October 14
Flight 11 Gives Pad 1 and Block 2 the Proper Send Off
NasaSpaceFlight.com — 7:26 am ET (1126 GMT) Satellites Are Leaking the World’s Secrets: Calls, Texts, Military and Corporate Data
Wired — 7:23 am ET (1123 GMT) SpaceX launches 24 Amazon Kuiper satellites following days of weather delays
Spaceflight Now — 7:21 am ET (1121 GMT) SpaceX launches final Version 2 Starship-Super Heavy rocket
Spaceflight Now — 7:21 am ET (1121 GMT) SpaceX launches 11th test flight of giant Super Heavy-Starship rocket
CBS — 7:20 am ET (1120 GMT) |
