Mon, Dec 10, 2007
COSMO-SkyMed Spacecraft Now In Orbit
Boeing's commercial launch business successfully launched the
second of four Italian Constellation of Small Satellites for
Mediterranean basin Observation (COSMO) SkyMed spacecraft Saturday,
aboard a Delta II rocket for Thales Alenia Space Italia.
Lift-off occurred at 1831 PST from Pad SLC-2W at Vandenberg Air
Force Base, CA. A Delta II 7420-10 configuration launch vehicle
procured from United Launch Alliance deployed the COSMO-SkyMed
spacecraft to low-Earth orbit approximately 58 minutes after
liftoff.
"This successful Delta launch for the COSMO-SkyMed program once
again illustrates the healthy partnership Boeing has with Italian
industry and with the United Launch Alliance," said Roger Krone,
president of Network and Space Systems, Boeing Integrated Defense
Systems. "The work we do with Thales Alenia Space on manned
spaceflight systems and satellite missions reaffirms the value of
the expertise TAS brings to the global space industry."
Boeing Launch Services launched the first COSMO-SkyMed satellite
in June and plans to support the launch of the third satellite in
2008.
"The launch of the second COSMO-SkyMed satellite moves this
significant project for Italian science, commerce and security
another step closer to completion," said Brewster Shaw, vice
president and general manager, Boeing Space xploration.
"Congratulations to the COSMO-SkyMed launch team for another
successful mission of the reliable Delta II, providing assured
access to space."
Thales Alenia Space Italia developed the COSMO-SkyMed program
for the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defence.
It is an end-to-end Earth observation dual-use (civil and military)
system comprised of four medium-sized satellites and supporting
ground stations for orbit control systems and data reception and
processing. The system will take imagery of the Earth using an
X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar instrument capable of operating in
all visibility conditions at the request of institutional and
commercial users, including members of the civil and scientific,
and defense communities.
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