It was announced that the two satellites had a design life of at least two years, and would be used to probe the space environment, radiation and its effects, record space physical environment parameters, and conduct other related space experiments.
Low Earth OrbitDirecTV 9S is a high-power spot beam satellite that will enable DirecTV to serve additional markets. Serving high-quality local and national digit video service. Optus D1 is a communications satellite serving many customers. LDREX was an engineering test to validate the antenna on the ETS-8.
Geostationary Transfer OrbitThe GPS-IIR replenishment satellites are produced by General Electric Astrospace (later Martin Marietta and Lockheed Missiles & Space) under a contract issued in 1989, which included 21 satellites based on the commercial AS-4000 bus. These provided improved navigation accuracy and longer autonomous satellite operation than earlier model GPS satellites. The satellites were three-axis stabilized and operated at downlink frequencies of 1572.42 MHz and 1227.6 MHz (L-Band) and 2227.5 MHz (S-Band). Lockheed was responsible for launch and flight operations support of the GPS-IIR through 2006.
Medium Earth OrbitSoyuz TMA-9 begins Expedition 14 by carrying 3 astronauts and cosmonauts to the International Space Station. Russian Commander, cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin alongside Flight Engineers, Michael López-AlegrÃa (NASA) & spaceflight participant Anousheh Ansari (Space Adventures) will launch aboard the Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and then rendezvous with the station. It landed on 21 April 2007, 12:31 UTC
Low Earth Orbit