August 2009 Space News

China to begin construction of orbital space station in 2020 RIA Novosti 31 Aug 2009 -- China will begin the construction of its own orbital space station in 2020.
Astrium delivers Amazonas 2 satellite to launch site EADS 31 Aug 2009 -- Astrium has completed the construction and tests of Amazonas 2, a powerful satellite which will increase the capacity offered by Hispasat on their American position to meet growing market demand. The satellite was air shipped from Toulouse to the Kourou space centre where it arrived on 28 August. It will be launched aboard the next Ariane 5 ECA flight.
US Shuttle Docks at International Space Station VOA 31 Aug 2009 -- The crew of the U.S. space shuttle Discovery has docked at the International Space Station.
Shuttle Discovery docks with ISS RIA Novosti 31 Aug 2009 -- Discovery space shuttle docked with the International Space Station, delivering more than seven tons of cargo and a new crew member.
AF general thanks Coast Guard for continuous shuttle support AFNS 31 Aug 2009 -- Air Forces Northern commander visited Coast Guard Station Port Canaveral to express thanks for support of JTF-STS mission.
Shuttle Discovery Delivering Science Tools to Space Station VOA 29 Aug 2009 -- Space shuttle Discovery launched on mission to deliver science equipment and other supplies to the International Space Station.
Shuttle Discovery lifts off for ISS RIA Novosti 29 Aug 2009 -- Discovery space shuttle finally lifted off after bad weather and technical problems caused three previous launches to be delayed.
U.S.- Russia: joint mission to Mars? RIA Novosti 29 Aug 2009 -- Mark Bauman, deputy director of the NASA manned space flight program in Russia, appearing at an aerospace convention in Moscow (August 23-27) announced that a joint U.S.-Russian manned flight to Mars was feasible
ATK's Solid Rocket Boosters Help Launch Space Shuttle Discovery ATK 29 Aug 2009 -- Alliant Techsystems' (NYSE: ATK) Reusable Solid Rocket Motors (RSRM) ignited at 11:59 p.m. EDT, Aug. 28 launching the Space Shuttle Discovery and its crew on their 13-day mission to the International Space Station (ISS). More than 100 RSRM flight sets have been launched to date, marking a two-decade track record of flawless performance.
Discovery lifts Astrium facilities into space EADS 29 Aug 2009 -- Today, the space shuttle Discovery was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida (USA). At 5:59 a.m. CEST (23:59 m. local time) Discovery (Mission STS-128) was launched from the Kennedy Space Centre and set course for the International Space Station (ISS). The shuttle carries three new experiment facilities which have been developed under the industrial leadership of the European space company Astrium.
Leonardo supply module, built by Thales Alenia Space, to be launched with STS-128 space shuttle Discovery mission Thales 27 Aug 2009 -- Leonardo, the Multi-Purpose Pressurized Logistics Modules (MPLM) developed by Thales Alenia Space, will be launched tomorrow with the space shuttle Discovery (STS-128 mission) to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Kennedy Space Center.
Missile Defense Technology Moves from Testing to Fielding AFPS 27 Aug 2009 -- Boosted by a few strong years of testing successes, much of the United States’ missile defense technology that once was questioned is now ready to be fielded.
NASA Prepares for Friday Shuttle Launch VOA 27 Aug 2009 -- The U.S. space agency NASA is preparing to launch the space shuttle Discovery Friday, after two other attempts this week were postponed.
Lockheed Martin Team Achieves USSTRATCOM Certification On Second SBIRS HEO System Lockheed Martin 26 Aug 2009 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] announced today that the second Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO-2) payload and associated ground systems have been certified for missile warning operations by U.S. Strategic Command.
Technical glitch caused S.Korean satellite orbit failure RIA Novosti 26 Aug 2009 -- A problem with a payload fairing system prevented the first South Korean indigenous satellite from entering its designated orbit after Tuesday's launch, Yonhap news agency quoted officials as saying.
NASA postpones Discovery shuttle launch until Aug. 28 RIA Novosti 26 Aug 2009 -- NASA has postponed until Friday the launch of the Discovery space shuttle after a fuel valve developed problems during tanking operations, the agency said on Wednesday.
Russia, U.S. undecided on site of rocket observation center RIA Novosti 26 Aug 2009 -- Russia and the U.S. have yet to decide on where to place a joint control point to observe rocket launches by foreign countries, Russia's chief of staff said on Wednesday.
NASA Again Postpones Shuttle Discovery Launch VOA 25 Aug 2009 -- The U.S. space agency NASA says it has postponed the launch of the space shuttle Discovery for the second time this week - this time because of a bad fuel valve.
Russian Soyuz-ST rocket launch from Kourou set for April 2010 RIA Novosti 25 Aug 2009 -- The first launch of Russia's Soyuz-ST carrier rocket from the Kourou space center in French Guiana has been scheduled for the beginning of April 2010, general director of the Progress design bureau said on Tuesday.
S.Korea's first self-launched satellite fails to reach set orbit RIA Novosti 25 Aug 2009 -- The first satellite launched by South Korea failed to reach its designated orbit pattern on Tuesday, the Yonhap news agency has reported.
NASA postpones Discovery liftoff until Wednesday RIA Novosti 25 Aug 2009 -- NASA called off the Discovery shuttle's launch to the International Space Station on Tuesday due to thundershowers near Cape Canaveral.
South Korea Fails to Put Satellite In Orbit VOA 25 Aug 2009 -- South Korea has launched a rocket that was intended to place a satellite into space. However, the satellite has failed to go into orbit.
Air Force, NASA officials launch rocket fueled with environmentally friendly propellant AFNS 24 Aug 2009 -- NASA and Air Force Office of Scientific Research officials here recently announced the launch of an environmentally-friendly, safe propellant comprised of aluminum powder and water ice.
Orbital-Built Optus D3 Communications Satellite Successfully Launched Aboard Ariane Rocket Orbital Sciences Corp. 24 Aug 2009 -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) announced today that the Optus D3 commercial communications satellite, built by Orbital for Optus Networks Pty Limited of Australia, was successfully launched into its targeted orbit aboard an Ariane 5 rocket on Friday, August 21, 2009
Russia to invest $143 mln in engines for new Angara rocket RIA Novosti 24 Aug 2009 -- Russia will invest about 4.5 billion rubles ($143 mln) by 2015 in the production of engines for a family of Angara carrier rockets, the Perm Territory's government said on Monday.
NASA to launch Discovery shuttle to ISS on Tuesday RIA Novosti 24 Aug 2009 -- The launch of the shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station is scheduled for 1:36 a.m. EDT [05:36 GMT] on Tuesday, a NASA spokesman told RIA Novosti on Monday.
Boeing Processes Large Payload for Launch on Shuttle Mission STS-128 Boeing 21 Aug 2009 -- When Space Shuttle Discovery takes off from the Kennedy Space Center for the International Space Station on Aug. 25, it will be carrying 31,694 pounds of life support and science equipment -- a complex payload that was prepared and processed by employees of The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA].
Astrium to provide the ISS with new scientific capabilities EADS 21 Aug 2009 -- Discovery will be launched for its space mission (STS-128) from Cape Canaveral, Florida (USA) on 25 August. On the fifth day of the mission astronauts will transport the three facilities from the Shuttle’s Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) into the ISS.
Lockheed Martin-Built JCSAT-12 Satellite Successfully Launched For Sky Perfect JSAT Lockheed Martin 21 Aug 2009 -- The JCSAT-12 communications satellite, designed and built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] for SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (SKY Perfect JSAT) of Japan, was successfully launched today from Kourou, French Guiana.
Pentagon successfully fires high-energy laser in flight RIA Novosti 21 Aug 2009 -- US successfully fired the Airborne Laser's weapon's system megawatt-class Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser in flight.
South Korea sets new date for launch of first carrier rocket RIA Novosti 21 Aug 2009 -- South Korea has postponed the launch of its first carrier rocket from the Naro Space Center until August 25.
Kazakh satellite on course for 'space burial' RIA Novosti 21 Aug 2009 -- Kazakhstan's first satellite, KazSat-1, has been put into orbit for a 'space burial.'
Boeing Airborne Laser Team Fires High-Energy Laser in Flight Boeing 20 Aug 2009 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], industry teammates and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency on Aug. 18 successfully fired the high-energy laser aboard the Airborne Laser (ABL) aircraft in flight for the first time, moving closer toward ABL's upcoming missile shoot-down demonstration.
Airborne Laser Keeps Optical Components Aligned Perfectly to Achieve First Flight Firing of Northrop Grumman-Built Laser Northrop Grumman 20 Aug 2009 -- One flight. Three more 'firsts' for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's Airborne Laser (ABL). And a victory for 'laser alignment.'
Airborne Laser Successfully Fires the High Energy Laser in Flight MDA 19 Aug 2009 -- The Airborne Laser's (ABL) megawatt-class Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser (COIL) successfully fired in flight Aug. 18
Russian-American RD-180 Rocket Engine Achieves 100 Percent Mission Success Pratt & Whitney 19 Aug 2009 -- The RD-180 booster engine has successfully powered 22 consecutive Atlas series rocket launches with 100 percent mission success.
South Korea Postpones First Rocket Launch VOA 19 Aug 2009 -- With just minutes to go before liftoff, South Korean engineers postponed the launch of the country's first space-bound rocket.
Space Shuttle Discovery Set for Tuesday Liftoff VOA 19 Aug 2009 -- The U.S. space agency says the shuttle Discovery is scheduled for liftoff next Tuesday on a mission to the International Space Station.
Russia, Germany to jointly probe universe for 'dark matter' RIA Novosti 19 Aug 2009 -- A Russian-German orbital observatory set for launch in 2012 will help scientists to study the role of "dark matter."
Boeing Expands Test Capability for GMD Missile Defense System Boeing 18 Aug 2009 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], working with industry teammates and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), has completed construction of a second interceptor test silo for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Lockheed Martin-Built JCSAT-12 Satellite Ready To Be Launched For SKY Perfect JSAT Lockheed Martin 18 Aug 2009 -- The JCSAT-12 communications satellite, designed and built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] for SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (SKY Perfect JSAT) of Japan, is ready for its scheduled launch on Aug. 21 aboard an Ariane 5-ECA launch vehicle provided by Arianespace.
RD-180 Rocket Engine Helps Launch High Profile NASA Missions Pratt & Whitney 18 Aug 2009 -- The RD-180 rocket booster engine of RD AMROSS, LLC has helped launch a variety of high profile NASA missions. RD AMROSS is a joint venture of NPO Energomash of Russia and U.S.-based Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company.
Comet Dust Contains Evidence Life Could Exist Beyond Earth VOA 18 Aug 2009 -- Scientists with NASA say they have found a compound in the dust from a comet that indicates life could exist beyond Earth.
ATK Propulsion Technologies Key to Successful Delta II Launch ATK 17 Aug 2009 -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) played a key role in the successful launch of United Launch Alliance's Delta II rocket today from Space Launch Complex 17A at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., carrying the GPS IIR-21 satellite for the Air Force.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company Announces Workforce Reductions Lockheed Martin 17 Aug 2009 -- Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, a major business area of the Lockheed Martin Corporation [NYSE: LMT], today announced employment reductions aimed at improving its competitive posture.
Final Lockheed Martin-Built Modernized GPS IIR Spacecraft Launched Successfully For The U.S. Air Force Lockheed Martin 17 Aug 2009 -- A modernized Global Positioning System Block IIR (GPS IIR-M) satellite, designed and built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] for the U.S. Air Force was successfully launched today from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II rocket.
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Helps Boost Modernized Navigation Satellite into Orbit Pratt & Whitney 17 Aug 2009 -- Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne today helped boost the eighth and final modernized NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS) Block IIR military navigation satellite into orbit from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Final Air Force Delta II launches AFNS 17 Aug 2009 -- Air Force personnel successfully launched a United Launch Alliance Delta II booster carrying the 21st modernized NAVSTAR Global Positioning System satellite.
NASA to use Lackland as stopover AFNS 17 Aug 2009 -- Lackland AFB officials will support NASA by allowing the space shuttle to stopover while on its ferry ride home.
India and Russia complete design of new lunar probe RIA Novosti 17 Aug 2009 -- India and Russia have finished the design of a second unmanned lunar orbiter to be sent to the Moon in 2011-2012.
NASA Ponders the Future of Manned Spaceflight VOA 15 Aug 2009 -- Forty years after man landed on the moon, NASA plans to retire the Space Shuttle in 2010. It will be five years before NASA has a vehicle ready to carry astronauts back into space, which has some concerned about the future of the space program. Kane Farabaugh sat down with Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell to discuss what is in store for space exploration.
ABL Successfully Completes Low-Power Laser Tests Against an Instrumented Boosting Missile Target MDA 13 Aug 2009 -- The Missile Defense Agency's Airborne Laser (ABL) prototype aircraft successfully acquired, tracked, provided atmospheric compensation and simulated the directed energy kill sequence against an instrumented boosting missile target using three onboard low-power lasers on Aug. 10 at 9:50 p.m. PDT.
Boeing Airborne Laser Team Completes 1st Airborne Test Against Instrumented Target Missile Boeing 13 Aug 2009 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], industry teammates and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency on Aug. 10 successfully completed the Airborne Laser's (ABL) first in-flight test against an instrumented target missile, achieving a historic milestone.
Lockheed Martin-Built System Directs Laser Beam In Airborne Laser’s Simulated Target Intercept Lockheed Martin 13 Aug 2009 -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) announced today that the Beam Control/Fire Control system for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s Airborne Laser (ABL) has focused and directed a low-power laser beam in an engagement with an instrumented, boosting missile target, resulting in a successful simulated intercept.
Northrop Grumman-Developed Beacon Illuminator Laser Proves Reliability in Airborne Laser Ground, Air Tests Northrop Grumman 13 Aug 2009 -- Much of the story about the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's Airborne Laser (ABL) so far has centered on the missile-killing "big laser," which continues to garner attention whenever it's fired.
Ukraine set to launch Earth observation satellite in 2010 RIA Novosti 13 Aug 2009 -- Ukraine will launch an Earth remote-sensing satellite in April 2010, the country's top space official said on Thursday.
US Report: NASA Can't Track Deadly Asteroids VOA 13 Aug 2009 -- A new U.S. government report says the U.S. space agency does not have enough money to find asteroids that could destroy life on Earth.
Ukrainian PM confirms plans to launch satellite in 2011 RIA Novosti 12 Aug 2009 -- Ukraine will launch its own communications satellite in 2011 despite the current political crisis in the country, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said on Wednesday.
Russian carrier rocket puts Chinese satellite into orbit RIA Novosti 12 Aug 2009 -- A Proton-M rocket successfully orbited on Wednesday a Chinese telecommunications satellite, the Russian Federal Space Agency said.
Is Russia ready for Star Wars? RIA Novosti 12 Aug 2009 -- By 2030, the United States will be able to strike from space on a global scale, including Russia, Air Force Commander Alexander Zelin told journalists
Russian Proton-M carrier rocket set to orbit Chinese satellite RIA Novosti 11 Aug 2009 -- A Proton-M rocket with a Chinese telecommunications satellite will be launched on Tuesday from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan, the Russian Federal Space Agency said.
Final Lockheed Martin-Built Modernized GPS IIR Satellite To Liftoff From Cape Canaveral Lockheed Martin 10 Aug 2009 -- The last in a series of eight modernized Global Positioning System Block IIR (GPS IIR-M) satellites built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] for the U.S. Air Force is set to launch aboard a Delta II rocket on Aug. 17 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
12th Annual Space and Missile Defense Conference to take place next week Army News 10 Aug 2009 -- The 12th Annual Space and Missile Defense Conference and Exhibition will take place August 17-20, 2009, at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The theme for this year's event is Space & Missile Defense...the Path Forward
Spokesman for Foreign Ministry Clarifies Stand on S. Korea's Projected Satellite Launch KCNA 10 Aug 2009 -- A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on Monday gave the following answer to the question raised by KCNA as regards foreign press reports that south Korea would launch a satellite soon:
N. Korea awaits international response to S. Korea rocket launch RIA Novosti 10 Aug 2009 -- North Korea said on Monday it will closely watch the international reaction on South Korea's planned launch of a carrier rocket with a satellite on board following criticism of a similar launch conducted by Pyongyang.
Naval Research Laboratory's ANDE-2 Deployed from Space Shuttle Endeavour Navy NewsStand 07 Aug 2009 -- The Naval Research Laboratory's satellite suite, the Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment 2 (ANDE-2), was deployed from NASA's Space Shuttle Endeavour July 30.
AstroMesh Deployable Reflector From Northrop Grumman Will Help NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Map Soil Moisture Globally Northrop Grumman 06 Aug 2009 -- A deployable satellite reflector and boom assembly from Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) will help NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) map soil moisture and the freezing and thawing cycles globally with unprecedented accuracy, resolution and coverage.
South Russia missile radar to be fully operational in October RIA Novosti 06 Aug 2009 -- Radar station will become fully operational in October-November as part missile warning system.
Boeing Hands Over GOES-O Satellite to NASA for Final Testing Boeing 05 Aug 2009 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced that it transferred Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite GOES-O to NASA on July 17, completing the company's third on-orbit satellite handover this year.
MEADS Program Receives Hardware Design Approvals, Enters System-Level CDR Lockheed Martin 05 Aug 2009 -- The Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) program has successfully completed Critical Design Reviews (CDRs) for all major components, clearing the way for production of radars, launchers, tactical operation centers, and reloaders needed for system tests at White Sands Missile Range, NM.
South Korea set to launch its first carrier rocket on Aug. 11 RIA Novosti 03 Aug 2009 -- South Korea will launch its first carrier rocket from the Naro Space Center on August 11.

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