Dale M. Gray is the president of Frontier Historical Consultants. Frontier Status reports are a free weekly annotated index chronicling the progress of the emerging "space frontier".
FSR Guestbook
Help Preserve the Present for the Future!
About: Dale Gray
Understanding the Frontier
Space Launch Initiative
Frontier Processes at Work
Current Space Development as a Manifestation of Historic Frontier Processes
Why has the U. S. State Department Declared War on the American Satellite Industry?
Congress is Closing The Wrong Barn Door
Intelligent Life in Washington
Wither Iridium?
High Flight from the High Country
Robotic Spacecraft: Loaded for Bear or Barely Loaded?
Wanted: Freedom
Go Web, Young Man!
Imponderables
"Why", asked the Mad Hatter, "is a raven like a writing desk?"
Forging Plowshares into Spears
Amateur Rocketry Takes Flight
Why Compton Had to Die
The New Frontier
Previous postings are archived at:FSR Archive and ASI.org
| 
Frontier Status 206
June 9, 2000
by Dale M. Gray
Frontier Historical Consultants
The week's news is topped by the engineered destruction of
the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. However, not all
was reentering. Russia launched the Gorizont-45 satellite on
an improved version of its Proton rocket and the US
launched the TSX-5 satellite on a Pegasus XL rocket. The
US military test launched a Minuteman 3 missile and
destroyed a small rocket in flight using a powerful laser.
Arianespace contracted for nine Ariane 5 launches of ATV
supply vessels to the ISS.
The history of the new high frontier is now at your
fingertips. Research topics from past issues of Frontier
Status at Cortesi.com.
Email Frontier Status to a friend!
Highlights of the week of June 9 include:
- Proton launches Gorizont-45
- Pegasus launches TXS-5
- Limit to Ukrainian launches lifted by US
- Compton GRO destroyed during planned reentry
- Liberty Bell 7 ready for national tour
SHUTTLE
The Shuttle Atlantis is in the Orbiter Processing
Facility bay 3. On Monday, the SpaceHab module was
removed from the payload bay. The main engine heat shield
was also removed. On Thursday, work began on the
removal of the first of the three main engines. The
remaining fluids from the Orbiter Maneuvering System and
the Auxiliary Power Unit lines will be drained over the
weekend. Atlantis is next scheduled to fly in early
September on the 4th ISS Flight --2A.2b (NASA).
With the wait for the launch of the Zvezda Service Module
nearly over, NASA is preparing for a rapid series of Shuttle
flights. Atlantis and Discovery are planned to launch only
21 days apart in September. Atlantis will deliver equipment
and supplies for the Service Module, while Discovery will
deliver the Z-1 Truss and the PMA-3. The two missions are
only the beginning of an ambitious 35-mission construction
schedule necessary for the completion of the International
Space Station (Florida Today).
ISS
The International Space Station is problem-free after
the visit of the Shuttle Atlantis during STS-101. The manual
docking system was tested this past week to assure that an
identified problem was in on-the-ground equipment. The
docking system will be tested again just before the arrival of
the Service Module in early July. The automatic docking
system will be tested next week. Three of ten newly
installed smoke alarms continue to give false readings and
have been disconnected. The station is in a 394 x 371-km
orbit with a period of 92 minutes. The station has completed
more than 8,750 orbits since November of 1998 (NASA;
Spaceflight Now).
ATV
The European Space Agency has announced that it
has signed a contract to provide nine Automated Transfer
Vehicle (ATV) launches. The ATVs will be launched on
Ariane 5 rockets and will be used to resupply and reboost the
International Space Station. Launched into a 51.6-degree
orbit from French Guiana, the ATVs will mass around 20
metric tons including vehicle, fuel and cargo. The ATVs are
scheduled to be launched every 15 months from 203 to
2013. ATVs are designed to carry either unpressurized
cargo such as fuel or supplies in pressurized cargo carriers.
Like the Progress supply vessels used with Mir, the ATVs
will be unloaded and then used packed with garbage and
broken equipment for a fiery disposal during reentry. The
ATV launches are part of the ESA's in-kind payment for
participation in the International Space Station (
Spaceflight Now;
SpaceDaily;
SpaceViews).
Proton
With the launch of the Service Module only a month
away, the disposition of the Russian Proton rocket is still far
from clear. Problems with the delivery of the Geyser
satellite to Baikonur have put in doubt the second launch of a
Proton using the improved Phase 2 engines and Briz upper
stage. The Russian Space Agency proposed substituting the
Express A-3 satellite, which is also slated for a late June
launch on a Proton. However, the Russian Ministry of
Defense has so far vetoed the idea. Fueling for the improved
Proton is now slated for June 26-28, which would put the
launch of the Geyser satellite the same day as the Proton
launch of Sirius 1 (
Space.com).
MIR
On Tuesday, Russian officials announced that Sergei
Zaliotin and Alexander Kalery will leave the Mir space
station on June 16. Unlike the previous abandonment of the
station, the station is expected to be empty for only a few
months. MirCorp is currently gathering additional funds for
another two-month commercial mission to Mir in November.
MirCorp recently signed a $20 million agreement with Itiali-
Mir for a visit by an Italian cosmonaut (SpaceDaily).
LAUNCHES
Proton
A Proton Briz M rocket carrying the Gorizont-45
communications satellite was successfully launched from
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on June 6 at 6: 59
a.m. local time (June 5 at 10: 59 p.m. EST). The Briz M
upper stage fired eight minutes into the flight. The eight-
minute burn pushed the stage and satellite into a 219-km
parking orbit. A second 15 minute burn an hour later (8:08
p.m. local) put the rocket into a 271.1 x 4,000 km by 50.3
degree orbit. Two and half-hours after launch (10:29 a.m.),
the upper stage fired for 16 minutes raising the orbit to 384 x
35,000-km by 48.8 degrees. This burn depleted the external
tank, which then separated. At 3:45 p.m., the upper stage
fired for the fourth time for 12 minutes, which raised the
orbit to a circular 35,000-km with only 1.47 degrees of
inclination. The Gorizont-45 satellite separated one minute
after the end of the burn at 3:58 p.m. (7:58 a.m. EST).
After releasing the satellite, the upper stage completed a one-
minute deorbit maneuver. This is the fourth Proton launch
this year. Russia plans two more Proton launches in June
before launching the ISS Service Module in the second week
of July (Florida Today; Reuters; Space.com;
Energia Webpage;
SpaceViews).
The flight was a critical test of the Proton launch system
equipped with new Phase 2 engines in the second and third
stages. The engines have improved heat-resistant alloy
engines with improved fuel filters. The flight also provided
a test of the Briz M upper stage, which was launched once
before in July of 1998. However, that flight failed before
the Briz M had a chance to fire. The Briz M is a variation of
the flight proven Briz K outfitted with a new external tank
that can carry an additional 5,600-kg of propellant. The
tanks replenish the stage's main tanks.
The new configuration of Proton can put 3.3 tons into
geostationary orbit as opposed its previous capability of 2.5
tons. The flight test was necessary before the Russian
Aviation and Space Agency could go ahead with the launch
of the Zvezda Service Module in early July. That launch will
use an identical configuration to put Zvezda into Low Earth
Orbit so it can dock with the International Space Station
(Space.com).
The payload was a Gorizont (Horizon) 45 communications
satellite The 2,200-kg satellite features one Ku-band, one L-
band and six C-band transponders. The satellite is the last of
35 Gorizont spacecraft manufactured, of which 29 were
successfully launched and deployed. Gorizont 45 will be
placed in the 145 degrees East longitude orbital slot where it
will be operated by the Russian Satellite Communications
Company (
Space.com).
Pegasus
On June 7 at about 9:20 a.m. EDT, an Orbital
Sciences L-1011 jet released a three-stage Pegasus XL
rocket 40,000 feet above the Pacific off the coast of
Monterey, California. The L-1011 was based out of
Vandenberg A.F. B. The first stage burned for 1:23 minutes
then separated. The second stage fired for one minute
followed by the separation of the payload fairing. The
spacecraft coasted for 10 minutes. The second stage
separated at T+12:30 and the third stage began its one-
minute firing. After 14:36 minutes of flight, the rocket
successfully delivered the $85 million Tri-Service
Experiments Mission 5 (TSX-5) military satellite into an
elliptical / highly inclined orbit (406 x 1707 km by 69
degrees). The 250 kg satellite has two
suites of experiments the Space Technology Research
Vehicle-2 (STVR-2) and the Compact Environmental
Anomaly Sensor (CEASE). The STVR-2 is sponsored by
the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization and includes a
British defense experiment designed to detect low-flying and
slow-moving aircraft from orbit using an infrared telescope.
The CEASE package, sponsored by Phillips Laboratory
Geophysics Laboratory, monitors environmental conditions
around the spacecraft. The mission is managed by the Space
Test Program (STP) at the Space and Missile Center, Test
and Evaluation (SMC/TELS) launch services at Kirkland
AFB, NM. Fifty-five minutes after launch, the satellite was
reported to be functioning nominally after full power and
contact with the ground. The launch was delayed one day to
work out an unspecified technical problem. This was the
15th consecutive successful flight for the Pegasus system
(Florida Today;
Orbital Sciences Webpage;
Spaceflight Now;
Space.com).
LAUNCH SYSTEMS
Arianespace / Soyuz
For the past year, Arianespace has
been in consultation with the Russian space agency
examining the feasibility of launching Soyuz rockets from
Kourou, French Guiana. Arianespace has now dropped the
idea, stating it is unprofitable. Instead Arianespace would
concentrate its resources on producing a next-generation
Ariane 5 rocket. The idea was considered because the
Russians launcher would benefit from the near equatorial
launch site and the rocket would fill a gap in the Arianespace
launch capabilities (Reuters).
Delta
A technical problem continues to delay the launch of a
Delta II rocket with a Navstar GPS satellite payload. Last
week, while the stages of the rocket were being mated, a
problem with one of the stages being "out of round" was
discovered. The first stage is in place on pad 17A, but the
interstage adapter for the second stage would not connect
evenly. The alignment was three-eighths of an inch off.
When the suspect interstage was replaced, the problem
recurred. Boeing is currently taking precise measurements
of the components to determine which part is out of round.
Once the problem is correctly diagnosed and corrected, the
rocket stacking will resume. Until that time, no new launch
date will be announced (
Spaceflight Now).
TECHNOLOGY
Air-Breathing Rocket
The Marshall Space Flight Center and
Rocketdyne announced this past week that they had
completed 3,600 seconds of ground testing of a combined-
cycle rocket engine. The one-hour of testing occurred at the
General Applied Sciences Laboratory (GASL) in
Ronkonkoma, New York. The test is part of a program to
develop a reusable engine that utilizes atmospheric oxygen in
the Mach 2 to Mach 10 range. Beyond Mach 10, the engine
converts to a conventional rocket to put the vehicle in orbit.
During the tests, the engine was operated in its various
operational modes and transitions between modes (NASA
Goddard PR;
Spaceflight Now).
Robot Hand
Scientists Chris S. Lovchik and M.A. ³Ron²
Diftler at the Johnson Space Center are working on an
artificial hand for work outside the International Space
Station. The scientists are seeking to create a grasping
mechanical hand that can utilize tools developed for flesh and
blood hand. The resulting hand is capable of actions ranging
from grasping tweezers to lifting a 21-pound weight. Two
of the hands will be used in the Robonaut system, which
also has two arms and a swiveling head with cameras. The
hands will be fitted with feedback sensors in the near future.
The development is expected to have applications in
hazardous on-the-ground situations and in the prosthetic
field (Johnson Space Center).
CHARISMA
NASA Watch
Following a battle that echoed in the halls of
Congress, Keith Cowling has received accredited press
credentials for his on-line publication NASA Watch.
Cowling, an ex-NASA employee, has been editing the web-
site devoted to NASA news and documents since 1996.
Since not all of the news is positive, the continued denial of
press credentials was seen as suspicious by U. S. Rep. Dana
Rohrabacher, R-California . NASA defends its actions,
stating that it has had to reassess the way it distributes press
credentials to reflect the rapidly evolving Internet-based
journalism (Florida Today).
LEGISLATION
Ukrainian Launch Limits
U. S. President Bill Clinton
announced on June 5, that the United States will be lifting
restrictions on commercial launches of Ukrainian satellites
and rockets. The announcement came after the signing of a
document suspending a 1996 agreement limiting Ukrainian
commercial space launches. The agreements would have
protected US launch providers from heavily subsidized
launch industries in Ukraine, Russia and China. The 1996
agreement would have run out at the end of 2001. The US
is expecting to let similar bilateral agreements with Russia
and China expire without renewal. By terminating the
agreement early, Ukraine will be able to compete as an equal
in the international space launch market. The country is
currently marketing its Zenit rocket through companies such
as Sea Launch. The country recently signed an agreement
with Italy to investigate launching Cyclone rockets from the
Brazilian Alcantara Spaceport (Reuters; Florida
Spacegram;
SpaceViews).
ABM
The US plans to develop an Anti Ballistic Missile
"Shield" was a major topic of discussion between US
President Clinton and Russian President Putin. Putin
repeated his opposition to the US request to amend the 1972
ABM treaty. The US hopes to develop an ABM system to
protect itself against "rogue states" such as North Korea and
Iran. Putin proposed, instead the US and Russia cooperate
in an alternative plan that is within the limits imposed by the
Treaty. The resulting system would probably work to
destroy missiles during the boost phase instead of in space
or descent as in the US system under development. Such a
system would use enhanced Surface to Air (SAM) missiles.
The US maintains such a system would not be adequate. At
the end of the meeting, Clinton and Putin signed an
agreement clearing the way to amend the ABM treaty. In a
statement responding to the signing of the agreement, China
stated any changes to the ABM treaty would make its arsenal
obsolete and would lead to a new arms race (AP;
SpaceDaily).
NASA Budget
The US House Appropriations Committee
this past week passed a bill that would give NASA $13.7
billion in FY2001. The amount is an increase of $113
million, but is $321.7 million less than requested by the
White House. The bill will now go to the House floor for a
vote. The Senate will take up the issue next week (Gannett;
Space.com).
EXPLORATION
NEAR Shoemaker
A problem with the Near-Infrared
Spectrometer (NIR) on the NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft has
resulted in the instrument being turned off. The device is
one of six instruments on-board NEAR for the study of
asteroid Eros. On May 13, controllers noted that the
instrument had begun to draw excessive power and shut it
down. On June 5, the device was powered up for one
minute as part of a test. When the problem recurred, the
Spectrometer was again turned off so that NASA could
gather more information on the problem. To date, the NIR
has collected over 58,000 spectra covering 60 percent of the
asteroid. NEAR Shoemaker is currently orbiting the 34-km
long asteroid at 50 km. Beginning July 7, the spacecraft will
be lowered to a 35 km orbit for more detailed study (
NASA NEAR
page;
Spaceflight Now;
Space.com).
Pioneer 10
One of America's early interplanetary explorers
is still alive and returning data. The Pioneer 10 probe is
currently 11 billion km away from Earth. Radio signals take
10 and a half-hours to travel the distance. The spacecraft's
Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators continue to provide
about 65 Watts, which is about 42 percent of their power at
launch. The battery, which originally could support 9 volts,
can only support about 1 volt. The platform temperature is
an acceptable -41 degrees F/C. The spacecraft currently
operates the transmitter, receiver, command and data
handling and one science instrument -- the Geiger Tube
Telescope. The spacecraft is nearing the receiver threshold
due to the extreme range (Ric Campo; SpaceDaily).
OBSERVATORIES
Compton Gamma Ray Observatory
The Compton Gamma
Ray Observatory was destroyed during a planned reentry on
June 4 around 2:00 a.m. Four thruster firing lowered the
perigee of the CGRO's orbit until it passed through the
Earth's atmosphere. Friction with air then pulled spacecraft
down, even as aerodynamic forces pulled it apart and melted
its components. It is estimated that about six tons of
material, mostly aluminum I-beams and titanium bolts
survived to splash into the remote east Pacific around 2:20
a.m. EDT. The reentry was observed by an USAF aircraft.
The 17-ton observatory was launched on the Shuttle Atlantis
on April 5, 1991 and completed over 2,600 observations of
gamma ray bursts during its lifetime. The spacecraft far
exceeded its original design life of 2.5 years. Its planned
demise was triggered when one of three on-board
gyroscopes failed. Though the CGRO was designed to be
serviced, an early mishap with the propulsion system and the
inaccessible nature of the gyroscopes made a Shuttle repair
mission impossible (AP; Florida Today; CBS News;
Spaceflight Now;
About.Space;
Space.com;
SpaceViews).
IMAGE
The Imager for Magnetopause to Aurora Global
Exploration (IMAGE) spacecraft has been activated and has
transmitted to Earth its "First Light" images. The satellite
was designed to monitor solar weather and its deployment
was timed to coincide with solar maximum. The first image
of the Earth shows solar ultraviolet radiation scattered from
ionized helium in the Earth's extended atmosphere. The first
images were formally presented during the spring meeting of
the American Geophysical Union in Washington D. C. on
May 31 (NASA
Space Science News).
SATELLITES
Eros
Russia and Israel are working together to produce a
constellation of eight Earth observation satellites. The first
of the Eros series is scheduled for launch from Svobodny,
Russia on a Start-1 rocket on October 1. Two Start rockets
were launched from Svobodny in 1997. Svobodny is in the
Far Eastern region of Amur. The launch complex was
established in March of 1996 at the disbanded base of the
27th Missile Division. Work is on going to convert the
missile silos into launch pads for Rokot launches (Interfax).
MTSAT-1R
On June 8, Space Systems/Loral gave Alcatel
Space authorization to proceed with development of the
aeronautical communications payload for MTSAT-1R. The
satellite is currently under development by SS/L for Japan.
The Alcatel-built payload will provide the communications in
the L, Ku and Ka bands. The L-band will be use in
communications with aircraft. The MTSAT-1R will be used
for air traffic control and weather observation (Alcatel PR).
SATELLITE RADIO FRONTIER
Sirius
The Sirius Satellite Radio company, which plans on
offering digital quality radio programming broadcast from
satellites, has announced that its first satellite has arrived at
Baikonur Cosmodrome. Sirius-1 will be launched on a
Proton rocket on June 29th. It is the first of three satellites
being built by Space Systems/Loral for Sirius Satellite
Radio. The satellite was shipped from Moffet Field,
California to Baikonur on an Antonov-124 transport aircraft
(Sirius Radio PR).
INTERNET IN THE SKY
SkyBridge
At the recent International Telecommunications
Union World Radiocommunications Conference in Istanbul,
Turkey, SkyBridge LP was allocated frequencies necessary
for the completion of its business plan. SkyBridge
negotiated for four weeks prior to the conference to obtain
the Ku-band spectrum (10-18 GHz). Intense technical
analysis was also completed to assure that SkyBridge would
not interfere with prior spectrum users. SkyBridge, based in
France, plans on deploying 80 LEO satellites to provide
broadband access to the Internet. SkyBridge is backed by
Alcatel with major share holders including Boeing, Loral
Space & Communication, Litton and EMS Technologies of
the United States; COM DEV of Canada; Mitsubishi Electric,
Sharp and Toshiba of Japan; THOMSON multimedia,
CNES and SNECMA of France; SRIW of Belgium; Starsem
of France and CIS (SkyBridge PR; SpaceDaily).
AlphaStar
AlphaStar International announced that they had
successfully completed a demonstration of a two-way
satellite and wireless local assess system to provide
broadband Internet access. The company plans to use a
system of wireless local hubs connected to satellites to
provide always on, dedicated and fully interactive high-
speed connections. By year-end 2000, the company plans
on having 400 wireless local hubs operations and connected
via satellite. Global expansion of the service is expected in
2001. The service has the advantage in that it needs no in-
ground infrastructure that limits cable to only 64 percent of
households and DSL to only 33 percent of households.
Monthly fees are expected to start as low as $29.95 per
month (Business Wire).
SkyCorp
SkyCorp CEO Dennis Wingo announced that it
plans to place the first Web server in orbit. An Apple
Macintosh G4 computer will be placed in an experimental
satellite that will be deployed from the Space Shuttle in
2001. Apple Computer has agreed to provide hardware and
technical support for the project. Users would access the
server using wireless networking protocols as the satellite
passed overhead. SkyCorp developed a variant of Apple's
Airport wireless technology for the job. The server will
contain mostly technology and hardware test data. The
satellite will serve as a test of SkyCorp's satellite assembly
technology. The module satellite would be assembled in
orbit by astronauts and deploy it once it was functional.
SkyCorp hopes to use similar methods to commercially
construct and deploy satellites from the Shuttle, ISS and
Mir. Wingo believes such construction techniques can
reduce the cost of satellite constellations by 90 percent
(
SpaceViews).
HISTORY
Liberty Bell 7
After 11 months of restoration, the Liberty
Bell 7 capsule is ready for its public debut. The spacecraft
was disassembled into 27,000 pieces, cleaned/repaired and
then reassembled at the Kansas Cosmosphere laboratory .
Workers were careful to retain the original paint and
windows. Many aluminum parts that deteriorated during the
38 years of immersion in the Atlantic have had to be replaced
by Plexiglas in the reconstructed capsule. The capsule will
be unveiled in a Kennedy Space Center exhibit on June 17.
The Discovery Channel sponsored exhibit will feature Gus
Grissom's July 21, 1961 suborbital flight. At the end of the
summer, the exhibit will be moved to Indianapolis as part of
a three-year tour (Florida Today).
MILITARY
Laser Defense
On June 6, the US Army and Israeli Defense
Ministry demonstrated the destruction of a Katyusha rocket
using a high-energy laser. During the test, conducted at
White Sands Missile Range, the Tactical High Energy Laser
(THEL) system successfully detected, targeted and
destroyed a 10 foot long, 5-inch diameter rocket. The
system was engineered as a defensive weapon for Israel, but
may also be useful in protecting peacekeeping troops from
short-range missile attack. The system, also known as the
Nautilus, was specifically designed to destroy Hezbollah
artillery rockets fired across the northern border of Israel.
The Katyusha rockets have a range of only 12 miles. The
development has cost about $200 million, which Israel
contributed a third. The next test of the system will probably
involve multiple incoming rockets. While there are still
serious challenges remaining with the system, the Nautilus
system will be handed over to Israel for further testing,
probably in the fall. Nautilus was developed by TRW Space
and Laser Programs Division. The USAF is currently
working on an air-based system mounted in the nose of a
747 that would be capable of destroying a SCUD class of
rocket (Gannett; The Jerusalem Post; New York Times;
SpaceDaily).
Minuteman 3
On June 9, The USAF launched a Minuteman
3 rocket from Vandenberg AFB. The missile contained three
dummy warheads. The suborbital test launch was delayed
for unspecified reasons from June 1 (Orbireport).
China Missile Test
The US is beefing up its surveillance of
China in anticipation of the firing of a Chinese Dongfeng-31
missile. The missile is expected to be launched from a
Shaanxi military base and impact in a range in Xinjiang
Uygur. The missile has an 8,000-km range (SpaceDaily).
European Spy Satellite
Germany and France have agreed to
cooperate in the development of a spy satellite system. The
move is the result of perceptions that came out of the
Yugoslavian conflict that Europe is too dependent on US spy
satellite resources. Germany would provide the all-weather
satellite radar system, while France would provide the
optical satellite system. Because of dropping technology
prices and Washington's unwillingness to share date,
Germany was persuaded to join with France in the project
(Reuters).
SPACE STOCKS
The stock listing is for informational
purposes only and not intended for trading purposes.
Frontier Status shall not be liable for any errors or delays in
the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
Additional stocks may be listed by request
(dalegray@micron.net).
| Company |
Ticker |
Friday Close |
Previous Friday |
Change |
| Boeing |
BA |
39.1875 |
39.875 |
-.6875 |
| EchoStar |
DISH |
38.375 |
47.0 |
-8.625 |
| GlobalStar |
GSTRF |
8.0
| 9.03125 |
-1.0325 |
| Hughes Electronics |
GMH |
99.9375 |
109.9375 |
-10.0 |
| Lockheed Martin |
LMT |
25.3125 |
24.3125 |
1.0 |
| Loral Space |
LOR |
7.5 |
8.4375 |
-.9375 |
| Motorola |
MOT |
35.0 |
36.8125 |
-1.8125 |
| Orbital Sciences |
ORB |
13.875 |
13.625 |
0.25 |
| Sirius |
SIRI |
41.5625 |
43.0625 |
-1.5 |
| SpaceDev |
SPDVE.OB |
1.125 |
1.0 |
0.125 |
| SpaceHab |
SPAB |
4.75 |
4.625 |
0.125 |
| TRW |
TRW |
49.8125 |
50.6875 |
-0.875 |
COMING EVENTS
- June - Zenit-2, Kosmos, Baikonur.
- June 10 - Silicon Valley Space Enterprise Symposium, San
Jose, California.
- June 16 - Mir Crew 28 returns to Earth.
- June 22 - Proton, Intersputnik Express-3A, Baikonur
Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.
- Delayed - Delta 2, NAVSTAR GPS satellite, Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station.
- June 26 - Going Public 2000, Space Tourism Symposium,
Washington, D.C.
- June 28 - Cosmos-3M, CHAMP, MITA, BIRD, complex
132 Plesetsk, Russia.
- June 29 - Phase 2 Proton/ Briz, Geyser, Baikonur,
Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.
- June 29 - ILS Proton, Sirius 1 (CD Radio), Baikonur
Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan (Will likely slip to July).
- June 29 - Atlas 2A, TDRS-H, Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station pad 36A.
- Late June - Proton / Briz, Geyser data-relay satellite
(Russian Ministry of Defense), Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
- Late June - X-43A-1, hypersonic test flight, Edwards AFB.
- July - Ariane 5, Astra 2B and GE-7, ELA-3, Kourou,
French Guiana.
- July 1 - Minotaur, MightySat II, Vandenberg AFB.
- July 8 - Minuteman 2, US Army dummy warhead (target),
Vandenberg AFB.
- July 8 - PLV, BMDO EKV Prototype, Kwajalein, Marshall
Islands.
- July 10-12 - Phase 2 Proton / Briz, ISS flight 1R, Zvezda
Service Module, Baikonur, Kazakstan.
- July 12 - Soyuz U/Fregat, Cluster FM6 and FM7, Baikonur
Cosmodrome.
- July 14 - Atlas 2A, Echostar-6, Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station pad 36B.
- July 15 - SeaLaunch Zenit-3SL, PanAmSat PAS-9, Odyssey
launch platform, equatorial Pacific Ocean.
- July 15 - Kosmos 3M, CHAMP / NINA/BIRD, Plesetsk,
Russia.
- July 20 - Lunar Development Conference, Caesar's Palace,
Las Vegas, Nevada.
- July 25 - Ariane 5, Astra 2B and GE-7, Kourou, French
Guiana.
- July 25 - Booster Verification Test 1, Dummy EKV,
Vandenberg AFB
- July 31 - Titan 4B, NRO payload, Vandenberg AFB, SLC-
4E.
FRONTIER CENSUS REPORT
The population of space remains at two: the two
Russian cosmonauts on board the Mir space station. Mir has
been occupied for 65 days. Humans have spent a total of
256.5 man-days in orbit in the year 2000. The first element
of the International Space Station has been in orbit for 568
days. The occupation of the International Space Station is
expected to begin in the fall of 2000.
SOURCES
SERVICES
132 articles archived, 96 used
(c) Copyright Dale M. Gray June 9, 2000.
Dale M. Gray is the president of Frontier Historical
Consultants. Frontier Status reports are a free weekly
annotated index chronicling the progress of the emerging "space frontier". Send subscription requests
(subscribe or unsubscribe).
Previous postings are archived by
Simone Cortesi and
at the Artemis Society
- Search engine and timeline computation courtesy of Simone Cortesi.
- E-mail server provided by Jim Sealy, Jr.
- Technical support by the Artemis
Society.
 |
