Proton launches communications satellite
Posted: Sat, Aug 5, 2006, 7:29 AM ET (1129 GMT)
A Proton rocket launched a European satellite Friday night on the first commercial mission for the rocket since a failure five months ago. The Proton M lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 5:48 pm EDT Friday (2148 GMT Friday, 3:48 am local time Saturday) carrying the Hot Bird 8 satellite for Eutelsat. The Proton released the satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit 9 hours and 11 minutes after liftoff. The satellite, an EADS Astrium Eurostar E3000 model, weighs 4,875 kg and carries 64 Ku-band transponders. European satellite operator Eutelsat will use Hot Bird 8, to be located at 13 degrees east in GEO, to provide various communications services to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. The launch was the first commercial mission for the Proton since the March 1 launch of Arabsat 4A; the satellite was stranded in a transfer orbit and eventually deorbited after the Breeze M upper stage shut down prematurely.
A Proton rocket launched a European satellite Friday night on the first commercial mission for the rocket since a failure five months ago. The Proton M lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 5:48 pm EDT Friday (2148 GMT Friday, 3:48 am local time Saturday) carrying the Hot Bird 8 satellite for Eutelsat. The Proton released the satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit 9 hours and 11 minutes after liftoff. The satellite, an EADS Astrium Eurostar E3000 model, weighs 4,875 kg and carries 64 Ku-band transponders. European satellite operator Eutelsat will use Hot Bird 8, to be located at 13 degrees east in GEO, to provide various communications services to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. The launch was the first commercial mission for the Proton since the March 1 launch of Arabsat 4A; the satellite was stranded in a transfer orbit and eventually deorbited after the Breeze M upper stage shut down prematurely.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Starship explodes during preparations for static-fire test
Posted: Sun, Jun 22 6:52 AM ET (1052 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, June 26
SSC and Firefly Progress Towards Orbital Launch from Esrange Following TSA Signing Between Sweden and the U.S.
Firefly Aerospace — 5:36 am ET (0936 GMT) Starlink’s South African dream may face a two-year delay
Technext — 5:34 am ET (0934 GMT) I Tested T-Mobile's Cellular Starlink Service in the Middle of Nowhere: Is it Worth $10 Per Month?
PC Magazine — 5:34 am ET (0934 GMT) Space race: Is Eutelsat Europe’s answer to Musk’s Starlink?
France 24 — 5:34 am ET (0934 GMT) Space RCO Preparing To Launch First ‘Full-Up’ Satellites
Aviation Week — 5:30 am ET (0930 GMT) |
