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News briefs: February 8
Posted: Sat, Feb 9, 2002, 8:42 AM ET (1342 GMT)
- A long-delayed Titan 2 launch of a military weather satellite, planned for this month, has been pushed back again, Space News reported late Friday. The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellite was removed from its booster this month after one of the satellite's maneuvering thrusters failed a pre-flight test. No new date for the launch, originally scheduled for January 2001, has been announced, although Spaceflight Now has scheduled the launch for no earlier than late April.
- Arianespace announced Friday that it has won a contract from Mexican satellite operator Satmex to launch its Satmex 6 satellite. Satmex 6, a 5,700-kg FS-1300X spacecraft built by Space Systems/Loral, will be launched on an Ariane 5 in early 2003.
- Some Florida companies are unhappy with the Florida Space Authority and are backing legislation that would effectively give them control of the agency, Florida Today reported Friday. Under legislation introduced in Florida's House of Representatives, industry would control five of the nine seats of the authority's board of supervisors and require it to rent a hangar it owns at KSC to United Space Alliance for $1/year, rather than the $120,000/year USA is currently paying. Lawmakers and industry officials believe the authority is competing with, rather than supporting, space companies in the state.
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