Bremen / Plesetsk, 30 June 2003. Eurockot Launch Services GmbH successfully
launched the Multiple Orbit Mission into different orbits today at 14:15 GMT
using the ROCKOT launch system from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Northern Russia.
The multiple payload consisted of 8 micro- and nano-satellites for
scientific purposes as well as a satellite simulator. This launch is
Eurockot`s first sun-synchronous mission.
The ROCKOT launch vehicle successfully deployed the Czech republic`s MIMOSA
spacecraft into an elliptical orbit of 820 x 320 km and the Canadian Space
Agency`s MOST spacecraft, together with a host of nano-satellites, including
the Japanese Cubesat and CUTE-1, the Canadian Can X-1, the Danish AAU
Cubesat and DTUsat, the US Quakesat, into a sun-synchronous orbit of 820 km.
Next to demonstrating the multiple orbit deployment capability of its Breeze
upper stage, this launch was also Eurockot`s first sun-synchronous mission.
The ninth payload of this mission, a mass frequency simulator of the Russian
MONITOR satellite, intentionally remained on Breeze and will burn up during
deorbiting.
Like most of its co-passengers, MIMOSA will perform a scientific mission.
The Czech Astronomical Institute will use it to measure the density of the
earth’s upper atmosphere. MOST will carry Canada`s first space telescope and
will probe the age of planets and stars for the Canadian Space Agency. The
Japan spacecraft Cubesat Xl and CUTE-1 are educational nano-satellites of
the University of Tokyo and the Tokyo Institute of Technology.
The main purposes of CanX-1, AAU Cubesat and DTUsat is star-imaging. They
will be operated for the University of Toronto, Aalborg University and the
Danish Technical University respectively. Quake-sat`s mission will be the
detection of earthquakes for the Quake-Finder Institute.
With the Mutiple Orbit Mission (MOM), Eurockot demonstrated the unique
capability of its Breeze upper stage: multiple reignitions allow it to be
precisely positioned into different orbits and release several spacecraft
successively.
Eurockot`s next launch will be performed in October 2003 for the Japanese
Institute for Unmanned Space Experiment Free Flyer (USEF) by deploying its
SERVIS-1 spacecraft into a sun-synchronous orbit of 1000 km altitude.
Eurockot Launch Services GmbH is the joint venture of EADS SPACE
Transportation (51%) and Khrunichev Space Centre (49%) and performs launch
services for operators of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites using the
flight-proven Rockot launch vehicle. Future launches in 2004 comprise ESA`s
CRYOSAT and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute`s KOMPSAT-2 missions.
