Busy time for rocket launchers
May 23, 2011
By Chris Forrester
It was a busy weekend for the satellite launch industry.
Telesat 14R, a new addition to the Canadian platform’s fleet, was successfully launched by International Launch Services on May 21st. The satellite has a twin mission: First to add additional capacity to the Telesat fleet, and to serve from 63 degrees West, with a long-term satellite service for the Southern Cone of South America (where it will operate as Estrela do Sul 2) and looking at Brazil and the rest of South America.
Meanwhile, Arianespace placed two satellites into orbit, one Singapore’s ST-2 and the other (GSAT-8) for India’s Space Research Organisation.