Soyuz launches MetOp
Posted: Thu, Oct 19, 2006, 10:06 PM ET (0206 GMT)
A Soyuz rocket successfully launched Europe's first low Earth orbit weather satellite on Thursday after numerous delays. The Soyuz 2 rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 12:28 pm EDT (1628 GMT) and released the MetOp-A satellite into a Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit a little over an hour after liftoff. The launch of the spacecraft had been delayed several times since this summer by technical and weather problems, including a last-minute faulty sensor reading that scrubbed a launch attempt Tuesday and high upper-level winds on Wednesday. The 4,000-kg satellite is Europe's first LEO weather satellite that will work in cooperation with the existing fleet of US polar-orbiting satellites; MetOp-A carries a number of "heritage" instruments from NOAA similar to those on its own weather satellites, in addition to "new-generation" European instruments.
A Soyuz rocket successfully launched Europe's first low Earth orbit weather satellite on Thursday after numerous delays. The Soyuz 2 rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome at 12:28 pm EDT (1628 GMT) and released the MetOp-A satellite into a Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit a little over an hour after liftoff. The launch of the spacecraft had been delayed several times since this summer by technical and weather problems, including a last-minute faulty sensor reading that scrubbed a launch attempt Tuesday and high upper-level winds on Wednesday. The 4,000-kg satellite is Europe's first LEO weather satellite that will work in cooperation with the existing fleet of US polar-orbiting satellites; MetOp-A carries a number of "heritage" instruments from NOAA similar to those on its own weather satellites, in addition to "new-generation" European instruments.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Starship explodes during preparations for static-fire test
Posted: Sun, Jun 22 6:52 AM ET (1052 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, July 3
Starlink Free to Launch Services in India Once IN-SPACe Approvals Are Complete: Jyotiraditya Scindia
IndUS Business Journal — 2:45 am ET (0645 GMT) Ahead of Musk’s Starlink launch, American satcom player Viasat expands India services
The Times of India — 2:44 am ET (0644 GMT) SpaceOps: Pentagon Reevaluating Future Data Transport Layer
Aviation Week — 2:42 am ET (0642 GMT) Jeff Bezos gave $100 million for a satellite. It just got lost in space
The Independent — 2:41 am ET (0641 GMT) SpaceX double launch lights up Florida sky, but most Volusia beachgoers don't notice
Daytona Beach (FL) News-Journal — 2:39 am ET (0639 GMT) |
