Previous Spaceflight Launches
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Delta II | MITEx
United Launch Alliance | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
June 21, 2006, 10:15 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
MITEx (Micro-Satellite Technology Experiment) is an experimental U.S. military project to test whether the advanced technologies embedded in two miniature satellites and a new upper stage kick motor can operate through the rigors of spaceflight. MiTEx will investigate and demonstrate advanced space technologies such as lightweight power and propulsion systems, avionics and spacecraft structures; commercial-off-the-shelf processors; affordable, responsive fabrication/build-to-launch techniques; and single-string components. The MITEx experiment will be deployed into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), from which the MITEx Upper stage will put the experiments into a geostationary orbit (GEO).
Geostationary Orbit
Zenit | Galaxy 16
Sea Launch | RussiaSea Launch
June 18, 2006, 7:50 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Galaxy 16 is a C- and Ku-band satellite with 24 C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders. The spacecraft is a version of SS/L's space-proven SSL-1300 satellite platform, which has an excellent record of reliable operation. The geostationary SSL-1300 has a designed service life of 15 years and maintains station-keeping and orbital stability by using bipropellant propulsion and momentum-bias systems.
Geostationary Orbit
Proton-K/DM-2M | Kazsat
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center | RussiaBaikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
June 17, 2006, 10:44 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
KazSat 1, the first kazakh communications satellite, features 8 Ku-band transponders for fixed communications and 4 Ku-band transponders for TV-transmissions and is intended for telecast, fixed satellite communication and data transmission for Kazakhstan and central asia.
Geostationary OrbitSoyuz-U-PVB | Resurs-DK
Progress Rocket Space Center | RussiaBaikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
June 15, 2006, 8 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The Russian Resurs-DK 1 (46KS) satellite is mainly designed to image and transmit data on information for Earth natural resources study, data on ecology and emergency, sea surface status, ice situation, meteorological conditions in Earth polar regions, as well as to support digital data exchange between ground users. The satellite is continuously oriented towards the Earth in order to fulfill this program of Earth surface observation. The spacecraft was built by TsSKB Progress in Samara. It is based on the military Yantar-4KS1M (Neman) imaging satellite. The main sensor of the spacecraft is the Geoton-L1 optoelectronic push-broom imager. Panchromatic resolution at an altitude of 360 km is 0.9 m, at an altitude of 604 km it is 1.5 m. Multispectral resolution is between 1.5 and 2 m.
Low Earth Orbit
Ariane 5 ECA | Satmex 6 & Thaicom 5
ArianeGroup | FranceGuiana Space Centre, French Guiana
May 27, 2006, 9:09 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Satmex-6 is a geostationary communication satellite used to provide communication to the Americas, Hawaii and the Caribbean. Thaicom 5 is operated by Thaicom and provides communications to Asia, Africa, Europe and Autstralia for a geostationary orbit.
Geostationary Transfer OrbitShtil'-1 | COMPASS-2
KB Mashinostroyeniya | RussiaSea Launch
May 26, 2006, 6:50 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The COMPASS-2 or DragSail-Cubesat cubesat project is conducted at the Fachhochschule Aachen for educational purposes and technology demonstration. COMPASS-2 is an universal experimental satellite bus, providing the subsystems for the payloads such as electric power, data storage and handling, attitude control and communication. The center 1U module contains the satellite's avionics, while the two outer 1U payload boxes offer companies and universities an easy way to test and validate their experiments in space.
Low Earth Orbit
Delta IV M+(4,2) | GOES 13
United Launch Alliance | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
May 24, 2006, 10:11 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
In January 1998, Boeing Satellite Systems, Inc.(BSS), of El Segundo, Calif., was awarded a contract from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The contract includes the design, manufacture, integration and launch of two Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites, GOES N and GOES O, with options for GOES P and GOES Q. The GOES program is funded and operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Geostationary OrbitSoyuz-U-PVB | Yantar-4K2M 2
Progress Rocket Space Center | RussiaPlesetsk Cosmodrome, Russian Federation
May 3, 2006, 5:38 p.m.
Delta 7420-10C | Cloudsat
McDonnell Douglas | United States of AmericaVandenberg SFB, CA, USA
April 28, 2006, 10:02 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
CloudSat is a satellite which uses millimeter-wavelength radar to measure the altitude and properties of clouds. Advanced cloud-profiling radar gathers information on the vertical structure of highly dynamic cloud systems. This new information provides the first global measurements of cloud properties that will help scientists compile a database of cloud measurements to improve how clouds are represented in global climate and numerical weather prediction models.
Medium Earth Orbit
Long March 4C | Yaogan Weixing 1
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | ChinaTaiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
April 26, 2006, 10:48 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The Yaogan 1 (Remote Sensing Satellite-1) government remote sensing satellite, likely also used as a military reconnaissance satellite, was launched by CZ-4C rocket from China's Taiyuan space center on 26 April 2006. It is China's first space-based synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system. The military designation of the satellite is Jian Bing-5 (JB-5). The whole development project was funded by the PLA.
Sun-Synchronous Orbit
