spacetoday.net: space news from around the webin association with SpaceNews


Soyuz launches Gaia astronomy satellite
Posted: Thu, Dec 19, 2013, 8:14 AM ET (1314 GMT)
Gaia spacecraft illustration (ESA) A Soyuz rocket successfully launched a European satellite that will accurately measure the positions and properties of one billion stars. The Soyuz rocket lifted off on schedule at 4:12 am EST (0912 GMT) from the European spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana, and the Fregat upper stage released the Gaia satellite 42 minutes later. The spacecraft will spend the next three weeks traveling to the Earth-Sun L2 point, 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, where the spacecraft will operate. The Astrium-built spacecraft will observe an estimated one billion stars during its five-year mission, measuring the positions and distances as well as physical properties. Gaia is billed as the sucecssor to ESA's Hipparcos mission, which compiled the most accurate catalog of stellar positions ever two decades ago.
<<previous article   next article>>
news in brief
Electron launches Capella Space satellites
Posted: Wed, Mar 22 9:25 PM ET (0125 GMT)

China launches geostationary imaging satellites
Posted: Wed, Mar 22 9:21 PM ET (0121 GMT)

China launches experimental satellite
Posted: Wed, Mar 22 9:20 PM ET (0120 GMT)

news links
Thursday, March 23
Virgin Orbit to Resume Operations as Funding Search Continues
Wall Street Journal — 7:18 am ET (1118 GMT)


about spacetoday.net   ·   info@spacetoday.net   ·   mailing list