Rockot Launches Micro-Satellites
Bremen/Saint-Hubert/Quebec/Prague, 30 November 2001
The launch of Canada's MOST Satellite and of the Czech MIMOSA satellite on the Rockot launch vehicle in the fourth quarter of 2002 was announced by Eurockot Launch Services in Bremen today. Both satellites will perform scientific missions in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) as part of a multiple payload mission from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Northern Russia, where Eurockot maintains its dedicated launch facilities. The flight will demonstrate Rockot's capability to inject satellites into various orbits during one flight: The Canadian satellite will be deployed into a sun-synchronous orbit, the Czech satellite into an elliptical orbit of the same inclination.
EUROCKOT Launch Services offers shared launches on Rockot to operators of small commercial and scientific satellites. The mission in 2002 is a low cost launch opportunity for international customers to deploy satellites into a sun-synchronous orbit from Plesetsk. For this launch a standardized dispenser for multiple payloads will be used.
The MOST satellite (Microvariability & Oscillations of STars) will be carrying Canada's first space telescope into SSO. Its mass is 60 kilograms. The telescope will help to set a limit on the age of the Universe and probe the properties of planets around other stars. Funded and managed by the Canadian Space Agency's (CSA) Space Science Branch under its Small Payloads Program, the MOST project is the result of a co-operative Canadian scientific partnership.
The Czech satellite MIMOSA, the acronym of MIcroMeasurements Of Satellite Acceleration, will provide new data on the density of the upper atmosphere using the highly sensitive MACEK accelerometer. Its total mass is 66 kilograms. The MIMOSA satellite is designed and completed fully by the Czech research and industrial institutions under the leadership of the Czech Astronomical Institute.
Eurockot Launch Services of Bremen, Germany, a joint venture of Astrium, Europe's leading Space Copmany, and Russia's Khrunichev space technology companies, provide launches for operators of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites using the Russian SS-19 based Rockot launch vehicle. Eurockot performs launches from world-class facilities at Plesetsk Cosmodrome, which were commissioned in 2000 following a substantial investment program.
Eurockot is under contract to launch the GRACE spacecraft, a joint programme of NASA and DLR, the German Aerospace Centre, in March 2002. Also in 2002, Eurockot will launch two Iridium satellites. In November this year Eurockot was contracted by the Japanese USEF organisation to launch their SERVIS-1 spacecraft in 2003.
For further information please contact:
Eurockot Launch Services
Peter Freeborn
Tel.: + 49 421 539 6512
Internet: www.Launchapiggy.com
www.eurockot.com
Background information on the MOST project is available at:
Canadian Space Agency
Media Relations
Tel.: +1 450 926-4451
Internet: www.space.gc.ca/most
Background information on the MIMOSA project is available at:
Czech astronomical Institute
Dr. Ladislav Sehnal
Principal Investigator
Tel.: +420 204 620110
Internet: www.asu.cas.cz
