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Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Feb 22, 2007 The Institute for Unmanned Space Experiment Free Flyer (USEF) of Tokyo, Japan and Eurockot Launch Services GmbH of Bremen, Germany yesterday signed a contract for the launch of the SERVIS-2 spacecraft on a Rockot launch vehicle following an international competition. SERVIS-2 will verify the performance of commercial off-the shelf-parts and technologies in the space environment. It is planned to be launched in 2009 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Northern Russia. SERVIS-2 is an acronym for the second spacecraft in the "Space Environment Reliability Verification Integrated System" programme. The spacecraft was designed and built by USEF under a contract from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO). The purpose of SERVIS-2 is the verification of commercial off - the - shelf (COTS) parts and technologies in the severe space environment, thus establishing evaluation and equipment design guidelines to use COTS in space. SERVIS-2 has a mass of some 900 kg. Rockot will launch the spacecraft into a sun-synchronous orbit of 1,200 km altitude. Eurockot Launch Services had already successfully launched the predecessor of SERVIS-2, the SERVIS-1 spacecraft, in October 2003 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome. Eurockot`s latest mission launched the KOMPSAT-2 satellite successfully for the Korea Aerospace Research Institute in July 2006. Eurockot Launch Services GmbH is the joint venture of EADS Astrium and Khrunichev, holding 51% and 49% respectively, and provides launch services to operators of low earth orbit satellites. Eurockot uses the Rockot small launch vehicle with a maximum payload of 1,950 kg from Plesetsk Cosmodrome where substantial investment created dedicated satellite preparation, launch and customer facilities. Eurockot will perform its next launch from Plesetsk for the European Space Agency (ESA) with the GOCE earth observation satellite at the end of 2007. Email This Article
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Moscow (RIA Novosti) Feb 21, 2007Rocket launches under the Sea Launch project could resume as early as in 2007 following the explosion of a rocket in January that damaged a launch platform, a deputy head of the Russian Space Agency said Wednesday. A Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket carrying a commercial communications satellite exploded shortly after lift-off from an oceangoing platform in the Pacific on January 31. |
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