Russian rocket puts European satellite into orbit
March 18th, 2009 - 1:16 am ICT by IANSMoscow, March 17 (RIA Novosti) A Russian Rockot launch vehicle successfully put into orbit Tuesday a European satellite, which will measure and map the Earth’s gravitational field, a spokesman for Russia’s Space Forces said.
The rocket was launched at 5.21 p.m. from the Plesetsk space center in northwest Russia.
The satellite - Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) - was developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) to provide unique models of the Earth’s gravity on a global scale, and with unprecedented accuracy and spatial resolution.
The Rockot launch vehicle is a modified version of the Russian RS-18 (SS-19 Stiletto) intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). It uses the original two lower stages of the ICBM, in conjunction with a Breeze-KM upper-stage for commercial payloads.
The contract to launch GOCE was concluded between the ESA and Eurockot Launch Services (GmbH), a joint venture of the Khrunichev center and EADS Astrium.
- Russia to launch two European satellites - Oct 06, 2009
- Russia launches two European satellites - Nov 02, 2009
- GOCE satellite maps Earth's gravity with precision - Mar 05, 2011
- ESA''s GOCE satellite to look at the Earth''s surface and core - Aug 24, 2008
- GOCE satellite probing how pull of gravity varies across Earth - Dec 25, 2009
- ESAs gravity mission to launch on March 16 - Feb 05, 2009
- Goce satellite data allows boffins to map Earth's gravitational pull - Jun 29, 2010
- ESA's satellite sends data for development of best gravity map ever - Oct 01, 2009
- Russian military satellite to fall Saturday - Apr 06, 2012
- Russian military satellite falls in Pacific - Apr 08, 2012
- ESA satellite to map Earths gravity field in unprecedented detail - Mar 18, 2009
- Russia folds Soyuz-U launch programme - May 19, 2012
- Artificial intelligence could run spacecraft in future - Feb 13, 2011
- Russia plans three space launches in August - Jul 30, 2011
- Spurt in nano satellites to benefit Indian space agency - Jun 09, 2010
Tags: astrium, commercial payloads, eurockot launch services, european satellite, european space agency, gravitational field, gravity field, intercontinental ballistic missile, intercontinental ballistic missile icbm, launch vehicle, northwest russia, ocean circulation, ria novosti, rockot, russian rocket, russian rs, satellite gravity, space forces, unprecedented accuracy, upper stage