Orbcomm sat failure; Russian launch hits wrong orbit
Orbcomm needs to launch its new constellation: Orbcomm Admits Key Maritime Satellite Failed in Late 2010 – SpaceNews.com.
> Orbcomm had been under contract to the U.S. Coast Guard and is making AIS capacity a feature on all 18 of its second-generation satellites, which are scheduled to be launched starting late this year. These satellites will be launched aboard Falcon 9 rockets operated by Space Exploration Technologies of Hawthorne, Calif.
The SpaceX manifest still says they will use Falcon 1e for the Orbcomms but it seems to be common knowledge that they will use Falcon 9 vehicles instead. === A Russian Rockot places satellite into wrong orbit: /– Russian satellite feared stranded by rocket mishap- Spaceflight Now /– Russia restores contact with lost satellite – Reuters
Update: The first launch of a Soyuz rocket from the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana is now set for the end of August: Maiden flight of Russia’s Soyuz-ST carrier rocket set for Aug. 31 – RIA Novosti (via spacetoday.net). For background info, see Soyuz – Arianespace.