Twenty Missions in the Year 2008
2008 is going to be an exciting year for the Eastern Range operations. Included are scheduled missions to the moon and sun, along with inaugural launches of Falcon 9 Vehicles from Cape Canaveral AFS. The Eastern Range program for the future consists of about 20 missions, which include scientific, national security, and commercial launches that should keep the Space Coast skies lit up, while inspiring space enthusiasts around the globe.
One of the most exciting launches is the first launch of the Falcon 9 rocket by a company called “Space X” from refurbished facilities at Space Launch Complex 40. A demonstration flight, expected in June, will be the first launch followed by at least two more Falcon 9 flights during the year–that is if the demonstration flight is successful.
There will be a test flight for NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services system that will coordinate delivery of crew and cargo to the International Space Station at the end of the space shuttle program. There will be 3 final launches of a global positioning system satellite in March, June,
and Sept, on the venerable Delta 11 rocket. GPS satellites will be launched aboard Atlas V boosters following the launches.
National Security launches include the second launch of a WGS satellite on an
Atlas V, the first launch of another advanced military communication spacecraft called the Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite or AEHF, also on an Atlas V and the launch of a National Reconnaissance Office payload. As for NASA scientific missions, up to five space shuttle missions are planned. Four flights will be to the International Space Station.
The last mission will be to service the Hubble telescope.
NASA is also set to launch a mission called GLAST to deploy the Gamma-ray Large Area Telescope. Astronomers will have a superior tool, GLAST, to study black hole and cosmologists will gain valuable data concerning bible (sic) and early evolution of the universe. GOES-O, a weather satellite, will be launched on a Delta IV for NASA and NOAA in July. The Launch of a mobile communication satellite for ICO of North America is the only purely commercial mission on the Eastern Range schedule and is to fly on an Atlas V in March.
“2008 will present the Air Force’s Eastern Range with golden opportunities to show its flexibility and agility to the world,” said Brig. Gen. Susan Helms, commander of the 45th Space Wing, which oversees the Eastern Range. “No other space complex in the world supports a wider variety of missions as efficiently, effectively and safely as the Eastern Range. We’re looking forward to another great year.”
This entry was posted on Thursday, January 31st, 2008 at 8:36 pm and is filed under Space Agency News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
