Eurockot Demonstration Flight Successful

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Eurockot Demonstration Flight Successful

More Information:

Rockot
(source: Eurockot)

A Rockot Briz KM demonstration flight successfully carried two mass frequency simulator satellites to orbit from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, LC 133, at 1:27 a.m. PDT (0827:41 UTC) May 16. Rockot was launched by Eurockot Launch Services GmbH, which is owned jointly by Astrium GmbH and Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center. Eurockot has invested US$30 million into the vehicle and facilities to qualify the system for commercial service.

Rockot boosted 657.4 kg (1449 lbm) Simsat-1 and 660.3 kg (1455 lbm) Simsat-2 into a circular orbit of 540 km (292 nmi) at an inclination of 86.4°. After the satellites were successfully deployed, the Briz upper stage performed a deorbiting maneuver.

The Rockot is based on the RS-18, the UR-100N intercontinental ballistic missile built by Khrunichev (NATO classification SS 19 Stiletto), with a Briz KM upper stage. Krunichev entered into a joint venture with DaimlerChrysler to form Eurockot, in March 1995, to market the launch vehicle internationally. The RS-18 missile has flown 141 successful flights out of 144 test launches. The missile has been fired more then 80 times without a failure, since 1983. The Rockot launcher has previously launched two sub-orbital flights and one orbital launch (1994 Dec 26). The first commercial launch is expected in 2001, with a pair of GRACE science satellites, a joint German/NASA project.

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May 16, 2000