Alpha Centauri 2

Community => Recreation Commons => Destination: Alpha Centauri => Topic started by: Buster's Uncle on February 01, 2015, 07:08:09 pm

Title: Russia launches British comms satellite into space
Post by: Buster's Uncle on February 01, 2015, 07:08:09 pm

Russia launches British comms satellite into space
AFP  5 minutes ago


(http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/xRs6_ViFL7WwJ5SryOeD9Q--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTQ5OTtpbD1wbGFuZTtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz03Njg-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/df8824ba2c1af9449be9eefafdd10c543f4f9b33.jpg)
A Proton-M rocket is transported to the launch pad at Russian leased Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome, on May 14, 2012 (AFP Photo/)



Moscow (AFP) - Russia on Sunday carried out its first space launch of the year, using its commercial Proton rocket to send a British satellite into orbit.

The launch went ahead as planned just after 1230GMT from the Russia-owned Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, a live broadcast shown by Russia's Roscosmos space agency showed. It is expected to reach orbit at 0402GMT Monday.

The communications satellite Inmarsat-5 F2 is the second in a $1.6-billion fleet called Global Xpress designed to provide broadband communications on land, at sea and in the air.

The I-F F2 satellite will cover the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, according to Inmarsat.

The Proton-M rocket has launched numerous Western and Asian commercial satellites, but it has suffered several setbacks in recent years.

In 2013, a rocket carrying cargo for the International Space Station exploded in mid-air right after takeoff.

A year earlier, a smooth launch ended in failure after the rocket missed the correct orbit, losing two satellites in the process.

Sunday's launch -- the 402nd launch of a Proton rocket -- started smoothly, with the first, second and third stages of separation taking place on time as the 6.7-tonne satellite headed on its course.

Russia wants to eventually replace the Proton workhorse with the newer Angara rocket, which completed a successful maiden flight last year.


http://news.yahoo.com/russia-launches-british-comms-satellite-space-185918349.html (http://news.yahoo.com/russia-launches-british-comms-satellite-space-185918349.html)