Rocket and Space Corporation Energia's General Designer Yevgeniy Mikrin said that a Ukrainian-made Zenit carrier rocket, loaded with the AngoSat-1 satellite, built at Angola's request, will be launched from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan on December 7.
Ukrainian-made Zenit carrier rocket, loaded with an AngoSat-1 satellite built at Angola's request will be launched from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan on December 7, Russia's Rocket and Space Corporation (RCS) Energia's General Designer Yevgeniy Mikrin told Sputnik on Monday.
The launch of Angola's first space vehicle has been postponed several times. Initially, it was planned that the satellite would be sent into orbit this summer, then the launch date was set for September,and was subsequently rescheduled for October, November and, finally, December.
"The launch of the AngoSat-1 satellite, which RSC Energia made in the interest of the Republic of Angola, is scheduled for December 7," Mikrin said.
The AngoSat-1 project has been underway since 2012. Within the program, a satellite equipped with a relay transmitter was built; next it is planned to send it to the orbit and simultaneously build on-ground communications infrastructure.
New Zealand opens first rocket launch site
New Zealand Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce on Wednesday opened New Zealand's first orbital launch site, Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, on the Mahia Peninsula on the North Island's east coast.
Joyce congratulated Rocket Lab's chief executive and founder Peter Beck and his team "who have worked hard to achieve this," saying in a statement that "it is their innovation and perseveran … read more
