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News briefs: May 24
Posted: Sat, May 25, 2002, 5:15 AM ET (0915 GMT)
- A British effort to build a Mars lander has won a major grant from a medical research charity, the BBC reported Friday. The Wellcome Trust has given 2.6 million GBP (US$3.8 million) to the Beagle 2 project to fund development of a miniature mass spectrometer to fly on the lander. Beagle 2 is scheduled to fly to Mars as part of ESA's Mars Express mission in 12 months.
- Israel is planning to launch a reconnaissance satellite next week, Space News reported Friday. The Ofeq-5 satellite will be launched on an improved version of the Shavit rocket from the Palmachim base in central Israel. The imaging satellite will replace Ofeq-3, launched in 1995, proving high-resolution images for the Israeli military.
- The first Delta 4 to fly a military mission rolled off the assembly line this week in Alabama. The Delta 4 Medium is scheduled to launch a Defense Satellite Communications Systems satellite in November from Cape Canaveral. The inaugural Delta 4 launch, of a Eutelsat communications satellite, is scheduled for the end of August.
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