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[Satellite News 01-15-09] Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) President Gwynne Shotwell will be taking over more of the day-to-day operations from company founder, CEO and CTO Elon Musk, Shotwell said Jan. 13 at the Washington Space Business Roundtable.     “We are still working under the direction of Elon’s visions for the company,” said Shotwell. “But...

Lockheed Decides To Use Ariane 5 Rocket To Launch Satellite For Japanese Operators In Liftoff From South American Spaceport Arianespace announced it will provide lift capability to orbit several satellites in three planned launches. Arianespace was selected to launch the Nilesat 201 satellite in the first quarter of 2010 as part of a turnkey contract...

An Ariane 5 heavy lifter rocket lifted off from the spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana, South America, to launch two telecommunications satellites into geostationary transfer orbits. Those satellites were accurately injected into the correct transfer orbits about 30 minutes later. The payload comprised Hot Bird 9, which will deliver television signals and interactive services to...

Russia launched three Glonass-M navigational satellites on a Proton robotic rocket that soared on Christmas from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Itar-Tass reported. That brings the total number of Glonass satellites to 20 in the navigational system, which will compete with the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS. Glonass needs 24 birds for full global...

Liftoff Seen Soon A Falcon 9 rocket has been fully integrated at Cape Canaveral, Fla., poised for a liftoff early this year, Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, announced. The Falcon 9 is the large SpaceX rocket, and key to its hopes to become a major player in lifting payloads to space, especially to the...

In June 2002, Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk started Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) to achieve what many in the satellite industry believe is an impossible task — to lower the cost of launching satellites into orbit. Musk has vast personal wealth — he is a co-founder of PayPal — and strong support from NASA’s Commercial...

Despite mounting evidence that the global economy could be in for a long-term slump, executives and analysts see the satellite sector as mostly immune — except for one high-profile sector. While governments around the world weigh what steps they can or must take to reverse the financial slide, the satellite industry does not look to...

An Ariane 5 heavy lifter rocket will rise Saturday, Dec. 20, from the European spaceport in French Guiana, South America, to orbit two satellites, Arianespace announced. That Ariane 5 will loft the Hot Bird and W2M satellites. Hot Bird, which will serve the European Eutelsat telecommunications firm, was installed on the Ariane 5 SYLDA satellite...

A Proton Breeze M rocket rose from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to orbit a Ciel 2 satellite, International Launch Services (ILS) announced. The bird was launched for the Ciel Satellite Group of Canada. That Proton carried the 5 1/2-ton satellite for 9 hours and 12 minutes, releasing it into geosynchronous transfer orbit. Ciel 2 is...

The launch of an Ariane 5 rocket will be postponed, Arianespace announced. Originally set for Wednesday, the launch has been rescheduled for Dec. 20. The delay was caused by unspecified "logistics difficulties in French Guiana," South America, where the European space center is located.