Soyuz lifts off from Kourou for first time
Posted: Fri, Oct 21, 2011, 6:25 PM ET (2225 GMT)
A Soyuz rocket, launching from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana for the first time, placed two Galileo navigation satellites into orbit on Friday. The Soyuz-STB rocket lifted off from the spaceport near Kourou, French Guiana, at 6:30 am EDT (1030 GMT) Friday carrying the first two Galileo In Orbit Validation (IOV) satellites. Nearly four hours later the two satellites separated from the Fregat upper stage in circular orbits at an altitude of over 23,000 kilometers and inclined 54.7 degrees to the Equator. The satellites are part of four planned IOV satellites that will test out technologies required for the full satellite navigation system. The launch is also the first from Kourou for the Soyuz, which had previously launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia.
A Soyuz rocket, launching from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana for the first time, placed two Galileo navigation satellites into orbit on Friday. The Soyuz-STB rocket lifted off from the spaceport near Kourou, French Guiana, at 6:30 am EDT (1030 GMT) Friday carrying the first two Galileo In Orbit Validation (IOV) satellites. Nearly four hours later the two satellites separated from the Fregat upper stage in circular orbits at an altitude of over 23,000 kilometers and inclined 54.7 degrees to the Equator. The satellites are part of four planned IOV satellites that will test out technologies required for the full satellite navigation system. The launch is also the first from Kourou for the Soyuz, which had previously launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Monday, April 7
Colorado-made spaceplane, Dream Chaser, nearly ready for liftoff after decades of development
Colorado Springs Gazette — 6:13 am ET (1013 GMT) SpaceX, ULA, Blue Origin land $13.7 billion in national security launches
Orlando Sentinel — 6:11 am ET (1011 GMT) SpaceX targets Monday afternoon for launch of Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg
KSBY-TV San Luis Obispo, CA — 6:09 am ET (1009 GMT) SpaceX Is Still Big Locally
Los Angeles Business Journal — 6:09 am ET (1009 GMT) Canadian firm KA Imaging claims first X-ray image taken in space
Canadian Press — 6:07 am ET (1007 GMT) |
