Russian military satellite launched into wrong orbit
Posted: Wed, Feb 2, 2011, 8:03 AM ET (1303 GMT)
A Russian rocket launched a military satellite Tuesday, but apparently placed the spacecraft into the wrong orbit. The Rockot vehicle lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia Tuesday at 9 am EST (1400 GMT) Tuesday, carrying the GEO-IK 2 satellite, but ground controllers could not initially contact the spacecraft after entering orbit. The Russian military did later establish contact with the satellite after discovering that the satellite was not in its planned circular orbit at an altitude of 1,000 kilometers, but instead in an elliptical orbit with a perigee of 330 km. Officials speculate that a problem with the Rockot's upper stage prevented the spacecraft from reaching its planned orbit, and are now looking into what the spacecraft can do in its current orbit. The satellite was the first of two geodetic spacecraft intended to perform measurements of the Earth's shape and gravitational field.
A Russian rocket launched a military satellite Tuesday, but apparently placed the spacecraft into the wrong orbit. The Rockot vehicle lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia Tuesday at 9 am EST (1400 GMT) Tuesday, carrying the GEO-IK 2 satellite, but ground controllers could not initially contact the spacecraft after entering orbit. The Russian military did later establish contact with the satellite after discovering that the satellite was not in its planned circular orbit at an altitude of 1,000 kilometers, but instead in an elliptical orbit with a perigee of 330 km. Officials speculate that a problem with the Rockot's upper stage prevented the spacecraft from reaching its planned orbit, and are now looking into what the spacecraft can do in its current orbit. The satellite was the first of two geodetic spacecraft intended to perform measurements of the Earth's shape and gravitational field.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, August 18
U.S. Navy military sealift command awards Inmarsat Government 10-year, $578 million next generation wideband follow-on contract
Inmarsat — 6:18 am ET (1018 GMT) Britain’s biggest satellite company wins $500m US Navy contract
The Daily Telegraph — 6:17 am ET (1017 GMT) The US needs a plan for space operations and national security
The Hill — 6:17 am ET (1017 GMT) A private company wants to look for life just above Venus
Popular Science — 6:15 am ET (1015 GMT) Rocket Lab reveals more about mission to Venus, cops upgrade and downgrade
New Zealand Herald — 6:14 am ET (1014 GMT) |
