Minotaur launches space surveillance satellite
Posted: Sun, Sep 26, 2010, 11:19 AM ET (1519 GMT)
A Minotaur rocket successfully launched a new satellite for the Air Force that will track satellites and orbital debris. The Minotaur 4 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex-8 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 9:41 pm PDT Saturday (12:41 am, 0441 GMT Sunday) and placed the Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) Pathfinder satellite into orbit. The satellite will be used to track objects in Earth orbit and provide those observations to the US Space Surveillance Network, which will incorporate them into analyses to look for potential collisions among objects. The launch was the first orbital mission for the Minotaur 4, which utilizes solid rocket motors from retired Peacekeeper ICBMs; the Minotaur 4 made its debut earlier this year with a suborbital mission.
A Minotaur rocket successfully launched a new satellite for the Air Force that will track satellites and orbital debris. The Minotaur 4 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex-8 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 9:41 pm PDT Saturday (12:41 am, 0441 GMT Sunday) and placed the Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) Pathfinder satellite into orbit. The satellite will be used to track objects in Earth orbit and provide those observations to the US Space Surveillance Network, which will incorporate them into analyses to look for potential collisions among objects. The launch was the first orbital mission for the Minotaur 4, which utilizes solid rocket motors from retired Peacekeeper ICBMs; the Minotaur 4 made its debut earlier this year with a suborbital mission.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
NASA proposing to spend up to $1 billion on ISS deorbit tug
Posted: Sat, Mar 18 10:37 AM ET (1437 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Monday, March 20
If China attacks Taiwan, war could start in space: Pentagon
Taiwan News — 6:48 am ET (1048 GMT) The venture-backed rocket industry is finally coming back to Earth
Quartz — 6:45 am ET (1045 GMT) No hope of UK rocket launch until 2024 after Virgin Orbit failure
The Daily Telegraph — 6:44 am ET (1044 GMT) Cornwall Council responds to Virgin Orbit ‘pause’
Falmouth (UK) Packet — 6:44 am ET (1044 GMT) Japan’s budding space program grounded by persistent setbacks
Japan Times — 6:41 am ET (1041 GMT) |
