Russian military satellite launched into wrong orbit
Posted: Wed, Feb 2, 2011, 8:03 AM ET (1303 GMT)
A Russian rocket launched a military satellite Tuesday, but apparently placed the spacecraft into the wrong orbit. The Rockot vehicle lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia Tuesday at 9 am EST (1400 GMT) Tuesday, carrying the GEO-IK 2 satellite, but ground controllers could not initially contact the spacecraft after entering orbit. The Russian military did later establish contact with the satellite after discovering that the satellite was not in its planned circular orbit at an altitude of 1,000 kilometers, but instead in an elliptical orbit with a perigee of 330 km. Officials speculate that a problem with the Rockot's upper stage prevented the spacecraft from reaching its planned orbit, and are now looking into what the spacecraft can do in its current orbit. The satellite was the first of two geodetic spacecraft intended to perform measurements of the Earth's shape and gravitational field.
A Russian rocket launched a military satellite Tuesday, but apparently placed the spacecraft into the wrong orbit. The Rockot vehicle lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia Tuesday at 9 am EST (1400 GMT) Tuesday, carrying the GEO-IK 2 satellite, but ground controllers could not initially contact the spacecraft after entering orbit. The Russian military did later establish contact with the satellite after discovering that the satellite was not in its planned circular orbit at an altitude of 1,000 kilometers, but instead in an elliptical orbit with a perigee of 330 km. Officials speculate that a problem with the Rockot's upper stage prevented the spacecraft from reaching its planned orbit, and are now looking into what the spacecraft can do in its current orbit. The satellite was the first of two geodetic spacecraft intended to perform measurements of the Earth's shape and gravitational field.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, March 17
INNOSPACE Identifies Cause of HANBIT-Nano Mission Termination Through Joint Investigation with Brazil’s CENIPA
INNOspace — 5:27 am ET (0927 GMT) ESA-enabled helical antenna innovations boost space-based connectivity
ESA — 5:27 am ET (0927 GMT) Innospace Identifies Gas Leak as Cause of Aborted Launch
Chosun Ilbo — 5:24 am ET (0924 GMT) Canada Leases Space Port in Bid to Break Reliance on US Rockets Like Musk’s SpaceX
Bloomberg News — 5:22 am ET (0922 GMT) 'Big Short' investor Michael Burry flags criticism of proposed rule change to fast-track SpaceX joining the Nasdaq
Business Insider — 5:21 am ET (0921 GMT) |
