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News briefs: January 17
Posted: Fri, Jan 18, 2002, 8:14 AM ET (1314 GMT)
- Ukraine and Brazil agreed this week to cooperate on the development of a new launch vehicle. The two countries hope that the Tsiklon-4 booster, a derivative of existing Ukrainian Tsiklon rockets, can be used for commercial launches from the Alcantara launch facility in Brazil.
- A pair of asteroids flew close to the Earth this week, although neither were never a cause for alarm. Newly-discovered asteroid 2002 AO11 passed 5 million kilometers from the Earth, while 1991 VK passed about 11 million kilometers away. The two close approaches came after another asteroid passed less than a million kilometers from the Earth earlier this month.
- Chinese officials signed an agreement with Israel to purchase at least two, and possibly as many as seven, communications satellites, Space News reported Thursday. The first two HKSAT satellites will be built by Israel Aircraft Industries and will be based on its Amos communications satellite design. The spacecraft will be launched on Chinese Long March boosters.
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