EchoStar 3 was originaly ordered as DBSC 1 by DBSC (Direct Broadcast Satellite Corporation) which merged with a subsidiary of EchoStar in late 1995. The merger was approved by the FCC in August 1996. EchoStar is only authorized to operate 11 transponders from 61.5°W but was granted in Mar 1998 a special authorization to use the full frequency space at that location.
Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. It was designed to launch payloads into low earth orbit, geosynchronous transfer orbit or geosynchronous orbit. Sixty-three launches of the Atlas II, IIA and IIAS models were carried out between 1991 and 2004; all sixty-three launches were successes, making the Atlas II the most reliable launch system in history.
Lockheed Martin's Space Division started in the production of missiles and later ICBM's in the 1950s. Their TITAN missile system was used for 12 Gemini spacecraft and the Voyager probes. They have worked largely in collaboration with NASA on many of their probes, landers, and spacecraft, and hope to play a key role in NASA's return to the moon in 2024.
INFO WIKINote: Payload identity and Cosmos series number uncertain. The Razdan satellite is reportedly a new electro-optical reconnaissance satellite desi…
Officially described as "Satellite-Internet Technology Demonstration Satellite(s)" built by Chinese Academy of Sciences. Probable 3 (?) test satellit…
A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Malligyong-1c (meaning "Telescope-1") is the third attempt by North Korea to launch a satellite officially declared to be for military reconnaissance…
A batch of 22 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Second test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle. The booster is expected to separate 170 seconds into flight and return to land approxima…
A batch of 23 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Next generation Chinese ocean color measurements satellite to study ocean ecology and effects on biological cycles and the climate.
Fifth and sixth of a constellation of eleven high-throughput communications satellites in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) built by Boeing and operated by SE…
Transporter 9 mission is a dedicated rideshare flight to a sun-synchronous orbit with dozens of small microsatellites and nanosatellites for commerci…