Foreign Sat Launches Keeps Russian Rocketeers Busy

Launch of Russian military satellite moved back to Aug 28
Washington (Interfax) August 25, 2000 - The launch of the Raduga-1 military satellite has been delayed from August 26 to August 28 for technical reasons, said a source at the Khrunichev space center, which makes the Proton rocket that is to take the satellite into orbit. The launch will now take place at 11:08 p.m. Moscow time on Monday, he said.

The source said problems arose when the onboard systems were being tested as the rocket, engine block and satellite were being assembled at the Baikonur launch center in Kazakhstan.

Specialists noted "a loss of electric signals of the initial state of the satellite." The problems have now been resolved and specialists are preparing to take the Proton rocket with the satellite on board to the launch pad.

Foreign Satellites Keep Russian Rocketeers Busy

Moscow (Interfax) August 25, 2000 - Five foreign satellites will be launched from Baikonur cosmodrome at 2 p.m. Moscow time on Friday with a Russian intercontinental ballistic missile SS-18.

The press service of the Strategic Rocket Force told Interfax that the missile serving as a prototype of the new Dnepr class of light booster-rockets will carry small space probes belonging to Italy, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

This will be a space debut for Saudi Arabia and Malaysia these being the first satellites made in those countries to be taken to space.

Two satellites will be launched for Italy. The 56-kilo Megsat is designed for environmental monitoring and data transmission for commercial purposes. The 10-kilo Unisat will perform educational and scientific tasks of the university of Rome.

Two 10-kilo satellites - Saudisat-1A and Saudisat-1B - of the Saudi Arabian Space Research Institute were also designed for educational and scientific purposes.

The fifth satellite, 52-kilo Tingsat, is owned by a Malaysian government company and will be used for long-distance probing of the earth.

The press service said that the it will be the third launching of the SS-18 rocket under the Dnepr program in three years. In addition to its commercial purpose it will a test launch for the missile itself aimed at prolonging its service life in the Armed Forces by a year. The press service stressed that testing is the main task for the combat use of the system.

The Russian government passed a resolution in October 1998 on developing the Dnepr space system on the basis of converting the SS-18 ballistic missile. The system consists of the missile, silo and launching pad of the so-called mortar type. The launching system as well as the missile were somewhat altered for launching satellites.

The press service said that the SS-18 will be given the name Dnepr after the completion of the required series of testing and certification.

SPACE-SHIP.COM
Russia To Replace Lost Comsat
Moscow (Interfax) August 25, 2000 - Krasnoyarsk's Reshetnev Scientific Production Association of Applied Mechanics (NPO PM) will build a new communications satellite to replace the Express-A1 satellite that was lost in the crash of a Proton carrier rocket last October.

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