June 2003 Space News

Boeing and NASA Scrub Delta II Launch of MER-B "Opportunity" Boeing 29 Jun 2003 -- Boeing and NASA officials have scrubbed today's launch attempt of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover-B "Opportunity" spacecraft aboard a Boeing [NYSE: BA] Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
U.S., Europe Share Environmental Data from Polar Satellites Washington File 27 Jun 2003 -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) have signed a long-term agreement on sharing environmental data collected by satellites orbiting the north and south poles.
ATK Powers Successful Launch of Pegasus Rocket and OrbView-3 Earth-Imaging Satellite ATK 27 Jun 2003 -- ATK (Alliant Techsystems) (NYSE:ATK) solid propulsion and composite technologies supported the successful launch yesterday of an Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE:ORB) air-launched Pegasus(R) rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The Pegasus XL carried the OrbView-3 Earth-imaging satellite into space.
NASA-MARS VOA 26 Jun 2003 -- VOA-TV's David Borgida talks with Dr. Cathy Weitz, NASA program scientist with the Mars Exploration Rover, about the Rover missions.
Second Mars Rover Ready for Launch This Week Aboard Boeing Delta II Boeing 26 Jun 2003 -- NASA's Mars Exploration Rover (MER)-B, also named "Opportunity," is set for launch on June 28 from Space Launch Complex 17B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., aboard a Boeing [NYSE: BA] Delta II rocket.
Northrop Grumman Provides Navigation Systems For Spacecraft and NASA Mars Exploration Rovers Northrop Grumman 26 Jun 2003 -- NASA will depend once again on key navigational aids produced by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) when it launches its Mars Exploration Rovers and spacecraft planned for later this month. The mission will attempt to determine whether water once existed on the planet.
ORBITAL'S PEGASUS ROCKET SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES ORBVIEW-3 HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGING SATELLITE Orbital Sciences Corp. 26 Jun 2003 -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) announced that earlier today, it successfully launched the company-built OrbView-3 high-resolution imaging satellite into its targeted orbit aboard the company's Pegasus® rocket.
Boeing Dedicates GPS IIF Facility in El Segundo Boeing 25 Jun 2003 -- During a ribbon cutting ceremony today, Boeing [NYSE: BA] dedicated its new Global Positioning System (GPS) IIF assembly, integration and test facility here at Boeing Satellite Systems.
Foam Debris was Most Likely Cause of Shuttle Disaster, say Investigators VOA News 25 Jun 2003 -- U.S. investigators say the most likely cause of the space shuttle Columbia's disintegration in February was a chunk of hard foam that hit and apparently cracked the left wing shortly after launch. The investigating panel is expected to conclude this in its final report due in one month.
SHUTTLE PROBE VOA 24 Jun 2003 -- U-S investigators say the most likely cause of the space shuttle Columbia's disintegration in February was a chunk of hard foam that hit and apparently cracked the left wing shortly after launch. The investigating panel is expected to conclude this in its final report due in one month.
SPACE DIGEST VOA 24 Jun 2003 -- Launch of Mars Express; Photo of Earth from Mars; Mars Closer to Earth; Voyager Spacecraft
Lockheed Martin And BAE SYSTEMS To Partner On Missile Defence BAE Systems 24 Jun 2003 -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) and BAE Systems have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore partnership opportunities on missile defence programs in the United States, the United Kingdom and around the world.
EADS CASA Espacio Delivers to INTA the 'IRMA' Antenna for Spainsat EADS 24 Jun 2003 -- EADS CASA Espacio has officially delivered to INTA the IRMA antenna for communications use of the Spanish Ministry of Defence.
Lockheed Martin and BAE SYSTEMS to Partner on Missile Defense Lockheed Martin 24 Jun 2003 -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) and BAE SYSTEMS have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore partnership opportunities on missile defense programs in the United States, the United Kingdom and around the world.
ORBITAL SET TO LAUNCH ORBVIEW-3 IMAGING SATELLITE ABOARD PEGASUS SPACE LAUNCH VEHICLE Orbital Sciences Corp. 24 Jun 2003 -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) today announced that it is in final preparations to launch the OrbView-3 high-resolution imaging satellite that the company designed and built for Orbital Imaging Corporation (ORBIMAGE) aboard a Pegasus® rocket later this week.
Boeing Completes GPS IIF Integrated Baseline Review Boeing 23 Jun 2003 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] announced today that in partnership with the U.S. Air Force, it has recently completed the Integrated Baseline Review, a significant Global Positioning System (GPS) control segment milestone.
ARIANESPACE and EADS SPACE Transportation announce an order for 30 Ariane 5 launchers EADS 20 Jun 2003 -- At the 45th Paris Air Show, ARIANESPACE CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall and Josef Kind and Hervé Guillou, respectively President and CEO of EADS SPACE Transportation, signed an "order letter" to initiate production of the "PA batch" of 30 Ariane 5 launchers. This new commitment will allow ARIANESPACE to ensure its launch service continuity.
No Intercept in Fourth Sea-Based Missile Defense Test Washington File 19 Jun 2003 -- A June 18 sea-based missile defense test failed in an attempt to intercept its target.
RL60 demonstrator engine nearly ready, engine testing in September Pratt & Whitney 19 Jun 2003 -- Le Bourget, France (June, 19 2003)— The RL60 next generation cryogenic upper stage rocket engine has achieved another set of milestones, as all major components have been independently tested and delivered to the assembly floor at Pratt & Whitney (P&W). The combustion chamber, injector and nozzle are also now in their final stages of assembly.
Northrop Grumman Achieves Significant Milestone in Missile Defense Agency's Liquid Booster Development Program Northrop Grumman 18 Jun 2003 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), the Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) contractor for the Liquid Booster target program, has achieved a significant milestone in the program by successfully initiating hot-fire testing of a hydrogen peroxide-based engine at the company's Capistrano Test Site (CTS).
High-thrust electric propulsion reaching lofty milestones Pratt & Whitney 17 Jun 2003 -- To meet the performance and financial needs of satellite manufacturers and better support emerging deep-space missions, Pratt & Whitney (P&W) Space Propulsion is aggressively developing its latest electric propulsion (EP) offering, the large, high-thrust Hall Effect Thruster (HET), known as the T-220HT.
Mars Rovers VOA 17 Jun 2003 -- Today we tell about the latest efforts by America's space agency to explore the planet Mars. The first of two Mars exploration vehicles was launched June tenth. Another Mars rover vehicle is expected to be launched June twenty-fifth.
Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Flight Test Scheduled 16 Jun 2003 -- The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Navy are scheduled to conduct Aegis ballistic missile defense Flight Mission-5 (FM-5) flight test on June 18, 2003 with a window from 4 to 8 p.m. EDT. FM-5 will involve the launch of a standard missile-3 (SM-3) interceptor from the Aegis ballistic missile defense cruiser USS Lake Erie against an Aries target launched from Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii.
EADS SPACE EADS 14 Jun 2003 -- EADS SPACE is a fully owned subsidiary of EADS, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company and gathers competences of the EADS group in the fields of space transportation, orbital infrastructures and satellites. EADS SPACE employs 12 300 persons in France, Germany, United Kingdom and Spain.
Future prospects in space transport through reusable launch systems EADS 14 Jun 2003 -- Sagging commercial satellite markets and distorted competitive conditions in the launch service and launch systems sectors clearly show that conventional, single-use launch vehicles need to be adjusted to meet the market's demand for improved profitability, efficiency and versatility in the medium term.
Ariance 5 Launcher EADS 14 Jun 2003 -- The commercial qualification of Ariane 5 in October 1998 was a major milestone for the European space industry. The new generation launcher was developed to keep pace with trends in the commercial launch market, especially larger and heavier satellites, and to satisfy governemtal needs.
European Columbus laboratory on its way into space EADS 14 Jun 2003 -- Assembly of the International Space Station has come to a halt after the Columbia accident early in February this year. Although there will be delays in the further development of the station in space, preparation on Earth continues according to plan.
IAI Unveils the EROS B1 High-Resolution Satellite Israel Aerospace Industries 14 Jun 2003 -- Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd. is publicly displaying the EROS B1 commercial, high-resolution satellite for the first time at the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget. The satellite is currently under production at IAI's Space Division facilities.
NATO MISSILE DEFENCE ADVANCES: New Missile Defence Feasibility Study Reaches Major Milestone NATO Press Release 12 Jun 2003 -- NATO's new Missile Defence Feasibility Study (MDFS) has cleared a major funding hurdle and with this has achieved a key milestone in Alliance efforts to examine options for protecting Alliance territory, forces, and populations centres against the full range of missile threats.
Northrop Grumman Offers Comprehensive Agilent Technologies' ADS Design Kits for Velocium GaAs HEMT and HBT Processes Northrop Grumman 12 Jun 2003 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE: NOC) Space Technology sector is making available three new design kits for the Agilent Technologies Advanced Design System electronic design automation (EDA) software.
ORBITAL-BUILT BSAT-2c SATELLITE SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED Orbital Sciences Corp. 12 Jun 2003 -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) announced today that the BSAT-2c geosynchronous orbit (GEO) communications satellite the company built for Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) of Japan was successfully launched aboard an Ariane 5 rocket on Wednesday, June 11, 2003.
U.S. Official Says Russia Providing Critical Supplies to Space Station Washington File 12 June 2003 -- A U.S. official says the Russian space agency has taken responsibility for ensuring that the International Space Station has crew members and critical provisions following the Columbia accident last February, which grounded the U.S. space shuttle fleet.
From Launch to Landing and Beyond, ATK Performs Key Roles on Mars Exploration Rover Missions ATK 11 Jun 2003 -- Advanced propulsion and composite technologies developed by ATK (Alliant Techsystems) (NYSE:ATK) perform key roles -- from launch to landing -- on two groundbreaking NASA exploratory missions to Mars.
Successful Launch for Boeing-Built Thuraya-2 Mobile Communications Satellite Boeing 10 Jun 2003 -- Thuraya-2, the second satellite built by Boeing [NYSE:BA] for Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, rocketed to geosynchronous transfer orbit today aboard a Zenit-3SL provided by Sea Launch Company, LLC.
Sea Launch Delivers Thuraya-2 Satellite to Orbit Boeing 10 Jun 2003 -- Sea Launch accomplished its eighth successful launch today with the perfect flight of the Zenit-3SL rocket and the on-target delivery of the Thuraya-2 satellite to orbit. The flawless mission for Sea Launch also marked the first flight of the 6,000 kg performance Zenit-3SL launch vehicle.
Boeing Goes 2 For 2 In Launch Business Boeing 10 Jun 2003 -- On a historic day in the launch industry, Boeing Launch Services' customers successfully launched two spacecraft within hours of each other from different vantage points on the globe. Today, both Sea Launch and Delta II launch vehicles proved once again, the ability of Boeing [NYSE: BA] to achieve mission success for its launch customers.
Boeing Continues Successful Launches of Mars Missions for NASA Boeing 10 Jun 2003 -- Mars Exploration Rover-A (MER-A), the first of two NASA science missions being launched this month, has begun its journey to Mars after successfully being deployed to space today by a Boeing [NYSE: BA] Delta II rocket.
Lockheed Martin Team Receives $6 Million Design Study Contract for NASA's Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter Program Lockheed Martin 10 Jun 2003 -- NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has awarded a Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] team one of three $6 million concept design study contracts for the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO). JIMO would be the first outer planets mission to fly under NASA's Project Prometheus Program.
Lockheed Martin Files Lawsuit Against the Boeing Company Lockheed Martin 10 Jun 2003 -- Lockheed Martin Corporation [NYSE: LMT] today filed a lawsuit against The Boeing Company and three of Boeing's former employees. The 23-count complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Orlando, alleges that Boeing and its employees committed violations of Federal and Florida law resulting from their solicitation, acquisition, and use of Lockheed Martin proprietary information during the competition for launch contract awards under the U.S. Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program.
MARS MISSION / LAUNCH VOA 10 Jun 2003 -- The U-S has launched a Mars rover from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The lander will explore the planet's surface, looking for signs of life.
Lockheed Martin Files Lawsuit Against the Boeing Company June 10, 2003 - Lockheed Martin Corporation filed a lawsuit against The Boeing Company and three of Boeing's former employees. The 23-count complaint alleges that Boeing and its employees committed violations of Federal and Florida law resulting from their solicitation, acquisition, and use of Lockheed Martin proprietary information during the competition for launch contract awards under the US Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program.
Concerning Information on Upcoming Spacecraft Launches in Russian Federation MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION - 09.06.2003 - Russia is carrying out this initiative on the assumption that the other space powers possessing their own facilities for the launching of space objects could also join in this measure for ensuring openness and strengthening confidence in the space field
Boeing Delta II Launch of NASA's MER-A Delayed Again for Weather Boeing 09 Jun 2003 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] and NASA officials have delayed today's launch attempt of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover-A aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., due to the continued presence of thunderstorms, clouds and winds during the launch window.
MER-A Launch Aboard Boeing Delta II Delayed Boeing 08 Jun 2003 -- Boeing and NASA officials have delayed the launch of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover-A spacecraft aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Sea Launch Counts Down to Thuraya-2 Launch on June 10 Boeing 07 Jun 2003 -- All systems are progressing as planned for the Odyssey Launch Platform and the Sea Launch Commander, now positioned at the launch site on the Equator, where a countdown is underway for a June 10 launch.
Launch Set for Boeing-Built Thuraya-2 Mobile Communications Satellite Boeing 06 Jun 2003 -- Thuraya-2, the second satellite built by Boeing [NYSE:BA] for Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is set to launch on Tuesday, June 10. The satellite will be lifted into orbit by Sea Launch Company, LLC aboard a Zenit-3SL rocket from the Odyssey Launch Platform positioned on the equator in the Pacific Ocean. The 44-minute launch window opens at 6:56 a.m. PDT (13:56:00 GMT).
Schedule of Spacecraft Launches for June 2003 MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Boeing Delta II Set to Launch NASAs Mars Exploration Rover-A Boeing 04 Jun 2003 -- A Boeing Delta II rocket is scheduled to launch the first of two Mars Exploration Rover (MER) missions for NASA on June 8.
Preparing for a Walk In Space VOA 03 Jun 2003 -- Today, we tell about how astronauts prepare to leave the safety of the International Space Station and work outside in the very dangerous environment of space.
MARS 2003: OVERVIEW VOA 03 Jun 2003 -- The skies around Mars are expected to get busier soon, and traffic on the ground will increase, too. The United States, Europe, and Japan are sending spacecraft and landers to give them a broader and closer view of the Red Planet. The European and Japanese craft are already on their way, and the first of two U-S probes is to go up Sunday (June 8 at 2:02 p.m. EDT).
MARS 2003: THE SCIENCE VOA 03 Jun 2003 -- The U-S space agency, NASA, hopes to provide the world with spectacular new images of Mars next year to surpass the ones it got in 1997. That was when a robotic explorer captured world attention by rolling around the barren Martian terrain and taking pictures of rocks and the immediate landscape. A NASA launch set for Sunday (June 8 at 2:02 p.m. EDT) and a second one, two-and-a-half weeks later, are to send two more rovers to our celestial neighbor.
Boeing To Prepare New Science Components For International Space Station Boeing 03 Jun 2003 -- Holding the promise of expanded opportunities for scientific research, two key new components of the International Space Station have arrived in Florida for flight processing by Boeing [NYSE: BA] under its contract with NASA.
NOKOR / JAPAN / U-S DEFENSE VOA 03 Jun 2003 -- U-S Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz has held talks in Tokyo on a possible Japanese missile defense system to counter threats from North Korea. The meeting comes as the Pentagon's number two official wraps up a trip to brief Asian allies on a planned re-alignment of U-S forces in the region.
EURO MARS PROBE VOA 02 Jun 2003 -- The European Space Agency has launched its first mission to Mars in an effort to seek signs of life on the red planet. The spacecraft took off on its six-month journey [at 1:45 p.m. EDT] atop a Russian Soyuz rocket from Kazakhstan.
Lockheed Martin-Led Team Completes Key Design Milestone on Advanced EHF Military Communications Satellite Program Lockheed Martin 02 Jun 2003 -- The Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) team of Lockheed Martin Space & Strategic Missiles, Sunnyvale, Calif. and Northrop Grumman Space Technology, Redondo Beach, Calif. has successfully completed all 49 Preliminary Design Reviews (PDR).
EU: European Space Agency's 'Beagle 2' Spacecraft Set To Sniff Out Life On Mars RFE/L 02 Jun 2003 -- An unmanned mission to Mars is set to launch from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan later today. The launch represents two landmarks. Not only is this the first interplanetary mission for the European space program, but it is also the most thorough search to date to find signs of life on the red planet.
U.S., Russia Declare New Strategic Partnership Washington File 01 Jun 2003 -- President Bush and President Putin have committed to building a new strategic partnership between the United States and Russia to "meet together the challenges of the 21st century."
U.S., Russia Renew Commitment to International Space Station Washington File 01 Jun 2003 -- The United States and Russia have reaffirmed their commitment to the International Space Station program.
Industry will present its offer for the MEADS development phase on schedule EADS 01 Jun 2003 -- The companies involved in the three-year MEADS risk reducing phase - EADS/LFK (Germany), MBDA-I (Italy) and Lockheed Martin (USA) - will deliver their development offer on schedule in June 2003 via MEADS International to the NATO agency NAMEADSMA.

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