Rockot launches GRACE satellites
Posted: Sun, Mar 17, 2002, 9:49 AM ET (1449 GMT)
A Russian Rockot booster successfully launched two science satellites early Sunday. The Rockot blasted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia at 4:21 am EST (0921 GMT) and placed the two Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites into 500-km polar orbits. The launch was scheduled for Saturday but was delayed by high upper-level winds. The two satellites, nicknamed "Tom" and "Jerry" after two classic cartoon characters, will fly about 200 kilometers apart. Scientists will measure the constantly changing distance between the satellites and use that and GPS-derived position data to map the Earth's gravity field with up to 1,000 times greater precision than previously possible. The GRACE spacecraft also carry atmospheric limb sounder equipment that will be used to provide atmospheric data for weather forecasts. GRACE is a joint project of NASA and the German space agency DLR. The launch, arranged by the German-Russian firm Eurockot, is only the second this year by Russia, although up to three more Russian launches are scheduled for the remainder of this month.
A Russian Rockot booster successfully launched two science satellites early Sunday. The Rockot blasted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia at 4:21 am EST (0921 GMT) and placed the two Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites into 500-km polar orbits. The launch was scheduled for Saturday but was delayed by high upper-level winds. The two satellites, nicknamed "Tom" and "Jerry" after two classic cartoon characters, will fly about 200 kilometers apart. Scientists will measure the constantly changing distance between the satellites and use that and GPS-derived position data to map the Earth's gravity field with up to 1,000 times greater precision than previously possible. The GRACE spacecraft also carry atmospheric limb sounder equipment that will be used to provide atmospheric data for weather forecasts. GRACE is a joint project of NASA and the German space agency DLR. The launch, arranged by the German-Russian firm Eurockot, is only the second this year by Russia, although up to three more Russian launches are scheduled for the remainder of this month.| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Monday, September 14
Avio launches pair of climate monitoring European spacecraft to study plants, oceans and atmospheric changes
Spaceflight Now — 12:00 am ET (0400 GMT) Human Spaceflight Key Agenda Item For ESA Intermediate Ministerial
Aviation Week — 11:58 pm ET (0358 GMT) FLEX and Sentinel-3C launched
ESA — 11:57 pm ET (0357 GMT) Starlink broadband pilot targets Lincolnshire's rural 'not spots'
BBC — 11:56 pm ET (0356 GMT) US military has ‘on-orbit’ space weapons, Air Force Secretary reveals
Defense One — 11:55 pm ET (0355 GMT) |
