Spacecrafts Launched in 2006


Home	2006 Summary
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Spacecrafts launched in 2006 : .

1)	New Horizons	2)	ALOS / Daichi	3)	RadioSkaf /(SuitSat) AMSAT-OSCAR 54 (AO-54)	4)	EchoStar X / Echostar 10
5)	MTSAT 2	6)	ASTRO-F / Akari	7)	Cute 1.7 + APD	8)	SSP / "Solarsail Sub Payload"
9)	Arabsat 4A / BADR-ONE	10)	Hot Bird 7A	11)	Spainsat	12)	ST5-A (ST5-FWD)
13)	ST5-B (ST5-MID)	14)	ST5-C (ST5-AFT)	15)	FalconSat 2	16)	Soyuz TMA-8 / ISS 12S
17)	JCSAT-9	18)	Formosat-3 FM1	19)	Formosat-3 FM2	20)	Formosat-3 FM3
21)	Formosat-3 FM4	22)	Formosat-3 FM5	23)	Formosat-3 FM6	24)	Astra 1KR
25)	Progress M-56 / ISS 21P	26)	Eros-B / Eros-B1	27)	Yaogan 1 / RSS 1	28)	CALIPSO
29)	CloudSat	30)	Kosmos 2420 / Kobal't-M 2	31)	GOES-13 / GOES N	32)	Kompass-2 (Compas-2)
33)	Satmex 6	34)	Thaicom 5	35)	Resurs-DK1	36)	KazSat 1
37)	Galaxy 16	38)	MITEx (USA 187)	39)	MITEx (USA 188)	40)	MITEx (USA 189)
41)	Progress M-57 / ISS 22P	42)	Kosmos 2421 / US-PU	43)	NROL-22 (USA 184)	44)	STS-121 / ULF-1.1
45)	Insat 4C	46)	Genesis 1	47)	Kosmos 2422 / Oko	48)	BelKA
49)	Baumanets	50)	Unisat-4	51)	PICPOT	52)	ICECube-1
53)	ION	54)	RINCON	55)	AeroCube-1	56)	CalPoly CP1
57)	SEEDS	58)	nCube-1	59)	HAUSAT-1	60)	MEROPE
61)	CalPoly CP2	62)	KUTESat	63)	SACRED	64)	Voyager
65)	ICECube 2	66)	KOMPSAT-2 / Arirang-2	67)	Hot Bird 8	68)	JCSAT-10
69)	Syracuse 3B	70)	Koreasat 5 / Mugunghwa 5	71)	SJ-8 / Shi Jian 8	72)	STS-115 / ISS 12A
73)	ITS-P3/P4	74)	IGS Optical-2	75)	ZX-22A / Zhongxing-22A	76)	Kosmos 2423 / Don
77)	Soyuz TMA-9 / ISS 13S	78)	SOLAR-B / Hinode	79)	HIT-SAT	80)	SSSAT
81)	Navstar 54 (USA 190)	82)	DirecTV 9S	83)	Optus D1	84)	LDREX-2
85)	METOP A	86)	Progress M-58 / ISS 23P	87)	SJ-6-2A / Shi Jian 6-2A	88)	SJ-6-2B / Shi Jian 6-2B
89)	STEREO Ahead	90)	STEREO Behind	91)	Xinnuo-2 / Sinosat-2	92)	XM 4 Blues / XM Radio 4
93)	DMSP Block 5D-3 F-17 (USA 191)	94)	Badr 4 (Arabsat 4B)	95)	Navstar 55 (USA 192)	96)	Fengyun 2D
97)	WildBlue 1	98)	AMC 18	99)	STS-116 / ISS 12A.1	100)	ITS-P5
101)	MEPSI 2A/2B	102)	RAFT	103)	NMARS	104)	ANDE-MAA
105)	ANDE-FCAL	106)	Measat 3	107)	NROL-21 (USA 193)	108)	TacSat 2
109)	Genesat-1	110)	ETS-8 / Kiku 8	111)	SAR-Lupe 1	112)	Meridian 1 (Meridian N1)
113)	Kosmos 2424 / Uragan	114)	Kosmos 2425 / Uragan	115)	Kosmos 2426 / Uragan	116)	COROT

New Horizons

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #1 ; 2006-001A ; 6,376th spacecraft.
Type:	Planetary Probe (207th) (Target: Pluto & Kuiper Belt Objects)
Families:
Ranks:	1,707th American spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	NASA

Source: NASA

Launch:	19 January 2006 at 19h00 UTC; from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, by an Atlas V.
Orbit:	Outbound interplanetary trajectory
Mission:	New Horizons is a 450-kg planetary probe directed toward Pluto and other bodies in the Kuiper Belt. It will fly around 2.3 million km from Jupiter on 28 February 2007, and to Pluto/Charon system in 2015, with possible Kuiper Belt Object(s) in around 2017. The probe's journey will take precisely 3462.7 days -- that is from 19 January 2006 at 19h00 UTC to 14 July 2015 at 12h00 UTC -- to reach Pluto. Encounter science operations will begin about 150 days before arrival at Pluto. The probe features a 2.1-meter diameter high-gain antenna for communications with Earth (as well as radiometry of Pluto) and a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) which uses the heat of 11 kg of decaying Plutonium to provide 240 W of electrical power. It carries six monitors: a high-resolution imager, with a 0.08-m telescope and a suite of detectors (black-and-white and color CCD, IR and UV spectrometers, a long-range imager, a low energy particle spectrometer, energetic particle spectrometer, a high-energy ion mass/energy spectrometer, a dust counter and a radio experiment to study radio propagation through the Pluto atmosphere). New Horizon also carried a CD containing signatures of 435,000 Americans.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 560 ; Spacewarn No. 627 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-001A ; NASA's New Horizons ; Spaceflignt Now's 19 Jan 06, 2014 Stories ; NASA's 2010-2014 NASA News Releases ;

ALOS / Daichi

Spacecraft:	ALOS stands for Advanced Land Observing Satellite and "Daichi" means Land
Chronologies:	2006 payload #2 ; 2006-002A ; 6,377th spacecraft.
Type:	Earth Remote Sensing (162nd)
Families:
Ranks:	97th Japanese spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	JAXA / Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

Launch:	24 January 2006 at 1h33 UTC, from Tanegashima Space Center, by a H-IIA.
Orbit:	Initial: 698 km x 700 km x 98.2° x 98.7 min.
Mission:	ALOS is a four-tonne remote sensing statllite that carries three instruments for cartographic and natural resource monitoring: an L-band synthetic aperture radar, an optical 2.5-meter resolution mapping camera and a 10-meter resolution visible/near-infrared radiometer.
Notes:	The H2A launch vehicle is operated and marketed by Rocket Systems Corp. with actual launch activities carried out by JAXA JAXA also manages the satellite and is apparently the effective prime contractor, with Mitsubishi, NEC and Toshiba as subcontractors.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 561 ; Spacewarn No. 627 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-003A ; Spaceflignt Now's 24 Jan 06 ;;

RadioSkaf (SuitSat) / AMSAT-OSCAR 54 (AO-54)

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #3 ; 2005-035C ; 6,378th spacecraft.
Type:	Radio-Amateur (66th)
Families:
Ranks:	83rd Amateur spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	Russia/AMSAT-NA (ARISS/AMSAT)

Source: NASA

Launch:	3 February 2006 at 23h02 UTC, deployed in orbit from ISS by a cosmonaut.
Orbit:	334 km x 344 km x 51.64° x 91.32 min.
Mission:	AMSAT-OSCAR 54 (Radioskaf or SuitSat) is an amateur radio beacon that was installed in a discarded Russian Orlan EVA suit that was ejected from the International Space Station. After activation, SuitSat transmitted for several orbits and then was thought to go silent. However better equipped stations were able to continue to hear it, and it was assumed that it somehow dropped into a very low power mode. NORAD later identified some debris in the vicinity of SuitSat which may have been part of the payload or possibly the SuitSat antenna. Based on the reports the SuitSat team has received, the last confirmed reception of the SuitSat voice audio was on Saturday February 18, 2006.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No.561 ; AMSAT ; NASA ; AMSAT-OSCAR 54 (SuitSat) ; Spaceflignt Now's 4 Feb 06 ;

EchoStar X / Echostar 10

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #4 ; 2006-003A ; 6,379th spacecraft.
Type:	Communications (998th)
Families:	757th Geostationary satellite ;
Ranks:	523rd Commercial spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	EchoStar Communications Corporation

Source :LMI (A211)

Launch:	15 February 2005 at 23h35 UTC, from Odyssey launch platform, by a Zenit 3SL/Block DM-SL (The Odyssey plaftorm was stationed on the equator at 154° West longitude in the Pacific.)
Orbit:	Geostationary at 110° West longitude.
Mission:	EchoStar X is a 4,333-kg communications satellite designed to deliver direct-to-home broadcast services to DISH Network customers throughout the United States. It features a Ku-band direct broadcast (DBS) payload optimized to provide additional bandwidth for more satellite TV services. (Photo : Sea Launch)
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 561 ; Spacewarn No.628 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-003A ; Spaceflignt Now's 15 Feb 06 ; EchoStar ; Sea Launch EchoStar X ; Boeing News ; Lockheed Martin News ; Sea Launch's 15 Feb 06 ;

MTSAT 2

Spacecraft:	MTSAT-2 stands for Multi-functional Transport Satellite 2.
Chronologies:	2006 payload #5 ; 2006-004A ; 6,380th spacecraft.
Type:	Meteorology (166th) and Data Relay
Families:	758th Geostationary satellite ;
Ranks:	98th Japanese spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	Japan Civil Aviation Bureau and the Japan Meteorological Agency

Source: ATSS

Launch:	18 February 2006 at 6h27 UTC, from Tanegashima Space Center, by a H-IIA.
Orbit:	Geostarionary at 145° East longitude
Mission:	MTSat 2 is a 1,250-kg, 2.7-kW weather satellite that carries an imaging telescope, backed by detectors for five wavelength channels. It also support air traffic control relay and ground weather data from many stations to the Meteorological Satellite Center in Japan.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No.561 ; Spacewarn No. 628 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-004A ; Spaceflignt Now's 18 Feb 06 ;

ASTRO-F / Akari

Spacecraft:	Akari means "light".
Chronologies:	2006 payload #6 ; 2006-005A ; 6,381st spacecraft.
Type:	Astronomy (106th)
Families:
Ranks:	99th Japanese spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	Japan's ISAS

Source : JAXA/ISAS

Launch:	21 February 2006 at 21h28 UTC, from Uchinoura Space Center, by a M-V.
Orbit:	Initial: 304 km x 733 km x 98.2° 10 Mar 06: 695 km x 710 km
Mission:	Akari is a 955-kg astrophysics satellite that carries a Ritchey-Chretien infrared telescope with an aperture of 67 cm and a focal length of 420 cm. The primary mirror is a gold-coated silicon carbide. It carries two focal plane instruments kept at 6 K by 170 liters of liquid helium. (The helium supply will last for 550 days of observations.) Akari is expected to provide a significant advance over the results from the earlier IRAS, launched in 1983 and which carried out the first all-sky survey at infrared wavelengths and made a huge impact on astronomy). Previously known as IRIS (for InfraRed Imaging Surveyor, Akari/ASTRO F is Japan's second infrared astronomy mission and will carry an ambitious all-sky survey with much better sensitivity, spatial resolution and wider wavelength coverage than IRAS. The spacecraft was developed by members of JAXA/ISAS and collaborators.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 562 ; Spacewarn No. 628 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-005A ; JAXA News ; Spaceflignt Now's 21 Feb 06 ;

Cute 1.7 + APD

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #7 ; 2006-005C ; 6,382nd spacecraft.
Type:	Technolog (Student) (215th)
Families:
Ranks:	84th Amateur spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	Students of Tokyo Institute of Technology

Launch:	21 February 2006 at 21h28 UTC, from Uchinoura Space Center, by a M-V.
Orbit:	Initial: 304 km x 733 km x 98.2°
Mission:	Cute-1.7+APD is a 3.6-kg picosatellite to train students at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. It is the successor of the CUTE-I nanosatellite, developed and built by the second generation of students of this university. The Avalanche Photo Diode sensor module, or APD, embarked on this 20-cm x 10-cm x 10-cm nanosatellite was also developed by these student. (The tiny satellite was ejected from the M-V-8 third stage at 21h45 UTC.)
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 562 ; Spacewarn No. 628 ; JAXA News ; Cute-1.7 + APD Project ; Spaceflignt Now's 21 Feb 06 ;

SSP / "Solarsail Sub Payload"

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #8 ; 2006-005B ; 6,383rd spacecraft.
Type:	Technology (216th)
Families:
Ranks:	100th Japanese spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	Japan

Launch:	21 February 2006 at 21h28 UTC, from Uchinoura Space Center, by a M-V.
Orbit:
Mission:	SSP (solar sail sub payload, or "soraseiru sabupeiro-do)" is a 15 -meter-diameter solar sail. It deployed from the M-V-8 third stage at 21h46 UTC but opened incompletely.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 562 ; Spaceflignt Now's 21 Feb 06 ;

Arabsat 4A / BADR-ONE

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #9 ; 2006-006A ; 6,384th spacecraft.
Type:	Communications (999th)
Families:	696th Failure ;
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Arabsat / Arab Satellites Communications Organization

Launch:	28 February 2006 at 20h10 UTC, from Baikonur Cosmodrome, by a Proton M/Briz M.
Orbit:	Geostationary transfert orbit.
Mission:	Arabsat 4A is a 3.3-tonne geostationary communications satellite which carries 24 C-band and 16 Ku-band transponders to provide voice, video and internet services to all Arab countries. The spacecraft was to have offer a wide range of services in the Middle East for ARABSAT, the communications satellite operator based in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The satellite failed to reach geostationary orbit following a premature shutdown of Proton’s Briz-M upper stage. According to several sources, the Briz-M upper-stage had shut down 27 minutes and 31 seconds into a planned 31-minute second burn. It is unlikely that it could be made geostationary because the tranfer orbit attained an apogee of 14,700 km only (instead of the usual 36,000 km). The satellite is a Eurostar E2000+ model equipped with 24 transponders in C-band and 20 transponders in Ku-band. With a launch mass of about 3,350 kg, it is the thirtieth Eurostar to orbit. The satellites is also known as BADR-ONE (not to be confused with the small Pakistani Badr-A satellite launched in 1990) Arabsat 4A satellite was removed from orbit on 24 March 2006. The satellite probably fired its apogee engine around 0h20 UTC to lower its perigee into the atmosphere and reentered over the South Pacific at 2407 UTC.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 562 & 563 ; Spacewarn No. 628 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-006A ; Spaceflignt Now's 28 Feb 06 ;

Hot Bird 7A

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #11 ; 2006-007A ; 6,385th spacecraft.
Type:	Communications (1,000th)
Families:	759th Geostationary satellite ;
Ranks:	272nd European spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	Eutelsat

Launch:	11 March 2006 at 22h33 UTC, from Kourou Space Center's ELA-3, by an Ariane 5 ECA.
Orbit:	Geostationaru at 13° East longitude
Mission:	Hot Bird 7A is a 4,100-kg television broadcast satellite that carries 38 Ku-band transponders. It renew Eutelsat's current capacity as well as provide redundancy for the company's HOT BIRD family of relay spacecraft. Built by Alcatel Alenia Space in Cannes, France, it is the 21st satellite orbited by Arianespace for Europe's Eutelsat telecommunications operator. HB7A has a dry mass of 1,740 kg and a solar panel span of 36.9 meters.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 562 ; Spacewarn No. 629 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-007B ;

Spainsat

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #10 ; 2006-007B ; 6,386th spacecraft.
Type:	Military Communications (771st)
Families:	760th Geostationary satellite ;
Ranks:	273rd European spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	Spain's HISDESAT

Launch:	11 March 2006 at 22h33 UTC, from Kourou Space Center's ELA-3, by an Ariane 5 ECA.
Orbit:	Geostationary at 30° West longitude
Mission:	Spainsat is a 3,680-kg governmental telecommunications spacecraft that provide secure X and Ku band communications for the Spanish defense ministry. It carries 13 X-band transponders plus one Ka-band transponder. It is the first Spanish satellite dedicated to secure government communications. It is operated by HISDESAT, a company founded in 2001 by INSA, EADS CASA Espacio, Indra and Sener. The spaceraft assumed the relay duties handled by the Secomsat military payloads included on Spain's Hispasat 1A and Hispasat 1B satellites, which were launched in 1992 and 1993. Spainsat was produced by Space Systems/Loral in Palo Alto, California, and is the 25th military payload orbited by Ariane. Spainsat has a dry mass of 1,467 kg and a solar panel span of 31.4 meters.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 562 ; Spacewarn No. 629 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-007A ; Arianespace's News ;

ST5-A (ST5-FWD)

Spacecraft:	Space Technology 5
Chronologies:	2006 payload #12 ; 2006-008A ; 6,387th spacecraft.
Type:	Technology (217th)
Families:
Ranks:	1,708th American spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	NASA

Launch:	22 March 2006 at 14h03 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base, by a Pegasus XL.
Orbit:	303 km x 4,550 km x 105.6° x 137 min
Mission:	Space Technology 5 (ST5) Is a the first series of three microsatellites in the Space Technology mission of NASA’s New Millennium Program. The Goddard-built crafts study the magnetosphere, but the main point of the project - also known as Nanosat Constellation Trailblazer - is to demonstrate fully functional satellites in a very small package. ST5 consists of three small spacecrafts -- ST5-A, ST5-B and ST5-C -- each with a mass of 25 kg with a power of 20 Watt, and of octagon-shaped (53 cm x 48 cm) with a small extensible magnetometer boom. The satellites include a cold gas microthruster, and miniaturized telemetry/command and power systems. Each is called a "full service" satellite, capable of orbit/attitude maneuver and radio links. In all, about 10 innovative, miniaturized technology advances will be tested during the 90-day operational span. Among them are variable emittance coatings (to heat when cold and cool when hot), metal oxide logic circuits that can operate at 0.5 volts, miniature magnetometers, and miniature, spinning Sun-sensors. They will orbit in a "string of pearls" formation. After success with this mission, the hope is to launch many such microsatellites to better understand the space weather impacts.
Launch:	The Orbital Sciences L-1011 Stargazer carrier aircraft took off from RW-30/12 at Vandenberg on 22 March at 13h04 UTC. The Pegasus rocket was dropped from the aircraft at 14h03 UTC over approximately 123° West and 36° Nnorth. At 14h09 UTC, the vehicle reached a polar orbit and a special dispenser ejected the three satellites.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 563 ; Spacewarn No. 629 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-008A ; Spaceflignt Now's 28 Feb 06 ;

ST5-B (ST5-MID)

Spacecraft:	Space Technology 5
Chronologies:	2006 payload #13 ; 2006-008B ; 6,388th spacecraft.
Type:	Technology (218th)
Families:
Ranks:	1,709th American spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	NASA

Launch:	22 March 2006 at 14h03 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base, by a Pegasus XL.
Orbit:	303 km x 4,550 km x 105.6° x 137 min
Mission:	See ST5-A.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 563 ; Spacewarn No. 629 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-008B ;

ST5-C (ST5-AFT)

Spacecraft:	Space Technology 5
Chronologies:	2006 payload #14 ; 2006-008C ; 6,389th spacecraft.
Type:	Technology (219th)
Families:
Ranks:	1,710th American spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	NASA

Launch:	22 March 2006 at 14h03 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base, by a Pegasus XL.
Orbit:	303 km x 4,550 km x 105.6° x 137 min
Mission:	See ST5-A.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No.563; Spacewarn No. 629 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-008C ;

FalconSat 2

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #15 ; 2006 1st loss ; 6,390th spacecraft.
Type:	Technology (& launch vehicle test) (437th)
Families:	697th Failure ;
Ranks:	1,711th American spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	SpaceX & USAF Academy and DARPA

Launch:	24 March 2006 at 22h30 UTC, from Omelek Island, Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands, by a Falcon 1.
Orbit:	n/a
Mission:	Falconsat-2 is a 20-kg test/science payload built by cadets at the Air Force Academy for DARPA. It was carried by the first SpaceX's Falcon 1 rocket. The launch ended in a failure within the first minute of flight (the vehicle heading back down to the ocean). According to SpaceX founder Elon Musk, a fuel leak at T+25 seconds caused a fire in the first stage engine area. It's been reported that the payload fell back through the roof of SpaceX's machine shop.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 563 ;

Soyuz TMA-8 / ISS 12S

Spacecraft:	Soyuz 11F732 (7K-STMA) No. 218
Chronologies:	2006 payload #16 ; 2006-009A ; 6,391st spacecraft.
Type:	459th Piloted Spaceship (250th Piloted mission, 102nd Russian)
Families:
Ranks:	3,461st Russian spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	Russian Federal Space Agency & NASA

Launch:	30 March 2006 at 2h30 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-1 by a Soyuz FG.
Orbit:	Initial: 290.8 km x 244.5 km x 51.6° x 90.3 min.
Landed:	29 September at 1h13 UTC.
Mission:	Soyuz-TMA-8 is a passenger transport craft that carried three crewmembers to the International Space Station: commander Pavel Vinogradov, NASA astronaut Jeffrey Williams and Brazilian astronaut Marcos Pontes. The spacecraft docked automatically with the Zarya module on 1st April 2006 at 7h19 UTC, and delivered the crew to the station. The Brazilian stayed on ISS for eight days, the two others for six months. Soyuz TMA-8 undocked from Zarya on 28 September2006 at 21h53 UT, carrying Vinogradov, Williams and Ansari. It landed in Kazakstan on 29 September at 1h13 UTC.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 563 & 572 ; Spacewarn No. 629 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-009A ;

JCSAT-9

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #17 ; 2006-010A ; 6,392nd spacecraft.
Type:	Communications (1,001st)
Families:	761st Geostationary satellite ;
Ranks:	101th Japanese spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	Japan's JSAT Corporation

Launch:	12 April 2006 at 23h30 UTC, from Odyssey launch platform, POR, by a Zenit 3SL. (The Odyssey platform was floating over the equatorial Pacific Ocean at 154° West)
Orbit:	Geostarionary at 132° East longitude
Mission:	JCSAT 9 is a 4,401-kg communications satellite that provides voice, video and internet services through out Asia, through its 20 C-band and 20 Ku-band transponders Ir joins JSAT's nine spacecraft currently in orbit, providing communications and broadcasting services to businesses throughout Asia. The successor to the N-STARa satellite at 132º East Longitude, JCSAT-9 is equipped with Ku-band transponders for domestic communications and an S-band transponder for mobile communications. In addition, the satellite features new C-band transponders for international communications. Besides serving domestic and mobile communications customer bases, JCSAT-9 will cover an extensive area ranging from Hawaii and Oceania to countries in Southeast Asia, a region witnessing the convergence of communications and broadcasting, and digitalization of the latter. Built by Lockheed Martin, it used an A2100AX bus,.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 563 ; Spacewarn No. 630 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-010A ; JCSAT Corp's JCSAT-9 ; Sea Launch's JCSAT-9 & 12 Apr 06 ;

Formosat-3 FM1

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #18 ; 2006-011A ; 6,393rd spacecraft.
Type:	Earth/Space Science (327th)
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Taiwan's National Space Program Office (NSPO)

Source : OSC

Launch:	15 April 2006 at 1h40 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's SLC-8, by a Minotaur 1.
Orbit:	Initial: 500 km x 540 km x 72° 496 km x 540 km x 72° x 95 min.
Mission:	The FORMOSAT-3 program use a constellation of six remote sensing microsatellites to collect atmospheric data for weather prediction and for ionosphere, climate and gravity research. The fleet consists of six small 62-kg Orbcomm-type crafts with GPS receivers which will measure atmospheric conditions by studying the effect of the atmosphere on GPS satellite signals passing through it. Thsy will eventually be positioned in equally spaced orbit planes at around 800 km altitude. The project, also known as COSMIC (Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate) is a collaboration between the National Space Program Office (NSPO) of Taiwan and the United States. Data from the satellites are made available to the international scientific community in near real-time. After maneuvering their relative positions in the orbit, they will enable derivation of the atmospheric temperature and water vapor distribution by looking for the GPS radio signals arriving from the horizon. The occulted signals suffer refraction depending upon atmospheric parameters. Such data over oceans will be especially useful in predicting cyclogenesis conditions.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 563 ; Spacewarn No. 630 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-011A ; OSC's FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC ;

Formosat-3 FM2

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #19 ; 2006-011B ; 6,394th spacecraft.
Type:	Earth/Space Science (328th)
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Taiwan's National Space Program Office (NSPO)

Source : OSC

Launch:	15 April 2006 at 1h40 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's SLC-8, by a Minotaur 1.
Orbit:	Initial: 500 km x 540 km x 72° 496 km x 540 km x 72° x 95 min.
Mission:	See Formosat 3 FM1.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 563 ; Spacewarn No. 630 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-011B ;

Formosat-3 FM3

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #20 ; 2006-011C ; 6,395th spacecraft.
Type:	Earth/Space Science (329th)
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Taiwan's National Space Program Office (NSPO)

Source : OSC

Launch:	15 April 2006 at 1h40 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's SLC-8, by a Minotaur 1.
Orbit:	Initial: 500 km x 540 km x 72° 496 km x 540 km x 72° x 95 min.
Mission:	See Formosat 3 FM1.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 563 ; Spacewarn No. 630 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-011C ;

Formosat-3 FM4

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #21 ; 2006-011D ; 6,396th spacecraft.
Type:	Earth/Space Science (330th)
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Taiwan's National Space Program Office (NSPO)

Source : OSC

Launch:	15 April 2006 at 1h40 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's SLC-8, by a Minotaur 1.
Orbit:	Initial: 500 km x 540 km x 72° 496 km x 540 km x 72° x 95 min.
Mission:	See Formosat 3 FM1.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 563 ; Spacewarn No. 630 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-011D ;

Formosat-3 FM5

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #22 ; 2006-011E ; 6,397th spacecraft.
Type:	Earth/Space Science (331st)
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Taiwan's National Space Program Office (NSPO)

Source : OSC

Launch:	15 April 2006 at 1h40 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's SLC-8, by a Minotaur 1.
Orbit:	Initial: 500 km x 540 km x 72° 496 km x 540 km x 72° x 95 min.
Mission:	See Formosat 3 FM1.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 563 ; Spacewarn No. 630 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-011E ;

Formosat-3 FM6

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #23 ; 2006-011F ; 6,398th spacecraft.
Type:	Earth/Space Science (332nd)
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Taiwan's National Space Program Office (NSPO)

Source : OSC

Launch:	15 April 2006 at 1h40 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's SLC-8, by a Minotaur 1.
Orbit:	Initial: 500 km x 540 km x 72° 496 km x 540 km x 72° x 95 min.
Mission:	See Formosat 3 FM1.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 563 ; Spacewarn No. 630 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-011F ;

ASTRA 1KR

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #24 ; 2006-012A ; 6,399th spacecraft.
Type:	Communications (1,002nd)
Families:	762nd Geostationary satellite ;
Ranks:	524th Commercial spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	SES Astra

Launch:	21 April 2006 at 20h47 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's LC-41, by an Atlas V.
Orbit:	Geostationary at 19.2° East longitude.
Mission:	ASTRA 1KR is a 4.3 tonne communications satellite that provides direct-to-home voice, video and internet services to much of Europe through its 32 Ku-band transponders. It delivers broadcast services to Continental Europe, and also transmit HDTV channels. The spacecraft is a Lockheed Martin A2100 Ku-band communications satellite. The ASTRA Satellite System is the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite system in Europe, delivering services to some 107 million Direct-to-Home and cable households. The ASTRA satellite fleet currently comprises 13 satellites, transmitting in excess of 1,600 analogue and digital television and radio channels as well as multimedia and Internet services.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 563 ; Spacewarn No. 630 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-012A ; SES ASTRA's News ;

Progress M-56 / ISS 21P

Spacecraft:	Progress M (7K-TGM) No. 356
Chronologies:	2006 payload #25 ; 2006-013A ; 6,400th spacecraft.
Type:	Cargo delivery to the International Space Station (460th piloted spaceship)
Families:	111th Progress cargoship (21st to ISS) ;
Ranks:	3,462nd Russian spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	Russian Federal Space Agency

Launch:	24 April 2006 at 16h03 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrom's LC-1, by a Soyuz U.
Orbit:	Initial: 193.6 km x 237.7 km x 51.64° x 88.53 min. 337 km x 348 km x 51.6° x 91.4 min.
Deorbit:	19 September 2006.
Mission:	Progress M-56 is an automatic cargo transport vehicle that carries about 2.6 tonnes of various cargoes, including fuel, food, water and equipment to the ISS. It also carried an experimental picosatellite named SPHERE (built by MIT students) that will float inside the station, strictly maintaining its location inside. The cargo craft docked with the Zvezda module at on 26 April 2006 at 16h12 UT. Progress M-56 is the 21th Progress cargoflight launched toward ISS and the 111th operation of Progress vehicles (that began in 1978). The Progress M-56 undocked from Zvezda on 19 September at 0h28 UT. It was later deorbited over the Pacific.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 563 & 571 ; Spacewarn No. 630 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-013A ; Energiya's News ;

Eros-B / Eros-B1

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #26 ; 2006-014A ; 6,401st spacecraft.
Type:	Earth imaging (163rd)
Families:
Ranks:	10th Israelian spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	Israeli ImageSat International

Launch:	25 April 2006 at 16h47 UTC, from Svobodny, by a Start 1.
Orbit:	503 km x 513 km x 97.3° x 94.8 min.
Mission:	EROS B-1 is a 360-kg (290-kg?), 800-watt photo-imaging commercial/military satellite capable of images at a resolution of 70 cm. It joins the EROS A satellite to provide very high resolution commercial satellites constellation for a wide range of applications. Similar to EROS A, the EROS B satellite is expected to provide services for 8-10 years. The spacecraft is operated by the Israeli ImageSat company (incorporated in the Cayman Island). ImageSat International’s shareholders include Israel Aircraft Industries and Elbit/ElOp Electro Optics Industries as well as investors from the US and Europe. The satellite was produced by Israel Aircraft Industries/MBT Space Division and includes Elbit / ElOp camera installed on board.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 563 ; Spacewarn No. 630 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-014A ; ImageSat's News ;

Yaogan 1 / RSS 1

Spacecraft:	RSS 1 stands for Remote Sensing S,atellite
Chronologies:	2006 payload #27 ; 2006-015A ; 6402nd spacecraft.
Type:	Earth Remote Sensing (164th)
Families:
Ranks:	97th Chinese spacecrarft ;
Sponsor:	China

Launch:	26 April 2006 at 22h48 UTC, from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, by a Chang Zheng 4B.
Orbit:	Initial: 601 km x 621 km x 97.8° May 1, 2006: 628 km x 629 km x 97.8° 624 km x 626 km x 97.8° x 97.2 min.
Mission:	Yaogan 1, or Remote Sensing Satellite 1 (RSS 1) is a 2.7-tonne photo-imaging satellite that to enable land survey, crop appraisal and disaster monitoring. The satellite was built by the Shanghai SAST group, which also builds the Feng Yun weather satellites.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 564 ; Spacewarn No. 630 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-015A ; China Daily Online's 27 Apr 06 ;

CALIPSO

Spacecraft:	(Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations
Chronologies:	2006 payload #28 ; 2006-016A ; 6,403rd spacecraft.
Type:	Earth Remote Sensing (333rd)
Families:
Ranks:	274th European spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	NASA/CNES

Launch:	28 April 2006 at 10h02 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's SLC-2W, by a Delta II.
Orbit:	Initial: 687 km x 689 km x 98.2° x 98.5 min. Deployment orbit: 687 x 689 km x 98.2°
Mission:	CALIPSO is a, a joint CNES (France) and NASA meteorological satellite that will work in concert with the co-launched CloudSat, as well as the three older satellites (Aqua, PARASOL and Aura), all these five forming what is named as A-Train. The A-Train satellites have almost the same orbit, all crossing the equator within 15 minutes. CALIPSO carries three instruments: CALIOP (Cloud Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization) which enables derivation of the vertical distribution of aerosols and water vapor at a resolution of 40 meters. IIR (Imaging Infrared Radiometer) will image the clouds at three wavelengths andWFC (Wide Field Camera) is an off-the-shelf commercial star tracker camera that will take pictures. The NASA part of the project is considered to be an ESSP (Earth System System Pathfinder) mission.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No .630 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-016A ;

CloudSat

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #29 ; 2006-016B ; 6,404th spacecraft.
Type:	Earth Remote Sensing (334th)
Families:
Ranks:	1,712th American spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	NASA

Launch:	28 April 2006 at 10h02 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's SLC-2W, by a Delta II.
Orbit:	Initial: 689 km x 690 km x 98.2° x 98.6 min. Deployment orbit: 687 x 689 km x 98.2°
Mission:	CloudSat is an meteorological satellite that will work in concert with the co-launched CALIPSO, as well as the three earlier satellites (Aqua, PARASOL and Aura), all forming what is named as A-Train. All five have almost the same orbit, crossing the equator within 15 minutes of each other. CloudSat carries a single radar (CPR or Cloud Profiling Radar) to obtain the reflectivity of the clouds. The reflectivity is obtained at a height-resolution of 500 m, and width resolution of about 2 km. Cloudsat is another ESSP (Earth System System Pathfinder) mission.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No.630 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-016B ;

Kosmos 2420

Spacecraft:	Kobal't-M No. 2
Chronologies:	2006 payload #30 ; 2006-017A ; 6,405th spacecraft.
Type:	Reconnaissance (1,186th)
Families:
Ranks:	3,463rd Russian spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	Russia Defense ministry

Launch:	3 May 2006 at 17h38 UTC, from Plesetsk Cosmodrome's LC-16, by a Soyuz U.
Orbit:	Initial: 189 km x 337 km x 67.2° x 89.8 min.
Mission:	Kosmos 2420 is probably the second Kobal't-M satellite, built by the Arsenal factory. Kobal't-M carries small film recovery capsules and one large reentry vehicle with the camera and more film.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 564 ; Spacewarn No. 631 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-017A ;

GOES-13 / GOES N

Spacecraft:	GOES stands for Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite
Chronologies:	2006 payload #31 ; 2006-018A ; 6,406th spacecraft.
Type:	Meteorology (167th)
Families:	763rd Geostationary satellite ;
Ranks:	1,713th American spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	NOAA / National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administrationc

Launch:	24 May 2006 at 22h11 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-37B, by a Delta IV.
Orbit:	Geostationary at 105° West longitude
Mission:	GOES-N, which was designated GOES-13 once it reaches final orbit, is a 3,209 kg (fuelled, 1,543 kg empty), 2.3-kW weather satellite that carries imager and sounder instruments, a space environment monitor, a soft X-ray solar imaging telescope, an energetic particle detector, and ground-data relaying equipment. It supply data critical for fast, accurate forecasts and warnings for severe weather, including tornadoes, winter storms and hurricanes. Additionally, it detects solar storm activity, relay distress signals from emergency beacons, monitor the oceans and scan the landscape for the latest drought and flood conditions. The first spacecraft in the new GOES-N/O/P series, it features a highly stable pointing platform, which will improve the performance of the imager and sounder instruments. It also has expanded measurements for the space and solar environment monitoring instruments. The satellite also features a new dedicated broadcast capability to be used by the Emergency Managers Weather Information Network and a new digital weather facsimile capability for higher quality transmissions of data and products. It joins GOES 10 (operating as GOES-WEST), GOES 12 (operating as GOES-EAST) and GOES 11 (standby, will replace GOES-10 on Jun 27). Arter a six-month check-out phase, GOES-13 is expected to be put into a storage mode, ready to replace one of the two existing GOES spacecraft should either experience trouble.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 565 & 566 ; Spacewarn No. 631 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-018A ; NOAA ; GOES ; Spaceflight Now’s 2013 Stories ;

Kompass-2 (Compas-2)

Spacecraft:	Complex Orbital Magneto-Plasma Autonomous Small Satellite 2,
Chronologies:	2006 payload #32 ; 2006-019A ; 6,407th spacecraft.
Type:	Earth/Space Science (Earthquake prediction) (334th)
Families:	698th Failure ;
Ranks:	3,464th Russian spacecraft ;
Sponsor:	Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere, and Radio Waves Propagation, (IZMIRAN)

Launch:	26 May 2006 at 18h50 UTC, from a K-84 ("Ekaterinburg") submarine in the Barents Sea, Russia, by a Shtil'.
Orbit:	Initial: 402 km x 525 km x 78.9° x 93.9 min. 399 km x 494 km x 78.9°
Mission:	COMPASS-2 (KOMPAS-2) is a 80-kg earthquake research satellite for the Moscow-based IZMIRAN science institute, It carries detectors for electomagnetic signatures created by/before earthquakes and volcanoes. The satellite carries detectors for electrons, UHF/VHF waves, UV emission and radiation, a radio frequency analyser for electric field waves, and a Mayak ionospheric beacon. The satellite was developed by the Makeev KB. Reports indicate that the satellite is not responding to ground commands and that its mission may be abandoned. On 30 May 2006, the mission web site reported that: “After a few successful contacts with COMPASS-2 it has become clear that serious problems have developped onboard. Insufficient power supply prevents activation of the scientific payload.”
Launch:	COMPASS-2 marked the second launch into orbit from a submarine. The launch platform was the submarine K-84 'Ekaterinburg' in the Barents Sea.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 565 ; Spacewarn No. 631 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-019A ; Interfax ; IZMIRAN’s Kompas-2 ; Kompas-2 Mission ; Spaceflight Now ;

Satmex 6

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #33 ; 2006-020A ; 6,408th spacecraft.
Type:	Communications (1,003rd)
Families:	764th Geostationary satellite ;
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Mexico's Satelites Mexicanos SA de

Launch:	27 May 2006 at 21h09 UTC, from Kourou Space Center's ELA-3, by an Ariane 5 ECA.
Orbit:	Geostationary at 113° West longitude
Mission:	Satmex 6 is a 5.5 tonne communications satellite that provides voice, data, internet service, and video services to Mexico, South America and continental United States, through its 36 C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders. Satmex 6 is a Loral 1300X satellite, built by Space Systems/Loral of the United States in Palo Alto, California, with a mass of 2310 kg (5456 kg when fuelled).
Launch: Notes	This Ariane 5 ECA heavy-lift launch is the 27th flight for the Ariane 5 launcher family. The combined weight of Ariane 5's Thaicom 5 and Satmex 6 spacecraft payloads was more than 8,200 kg, marking a new record for satellite mass delivered into orbit. With this success, Arianespace has launched a total of more than 230 satellites since the company pioneered the commercial launch services industry with its first Ariane mission in 1984.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 565 ; Spacewarn No. 631 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-020A ; Arianespace News:

Thaicom 5

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #34 ; 2006-020B ; 6,409th spacecraft.
Type:	Communications (1,004th)
Families:	765th Geostationary satellite ;
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Thailand's Shin Satellite Public Company Limited

Launch:	27 May 2006 at 21h09 UTC, from Kourou Space Center's ELA-3, by an Ariane 5 ECA.
Orbit:	Geostationary at 78.5° East longitude
Mission:	Thaicom 5 is a 2.8 tonne, triaxially-stabilized communications satellite that provides television and internet services to the Asia-Pacific region through its 25 C-band and 14 Ku-band transponders. It will replace the aging Thaicom 1 and Thaicom 2 satellites that were launched in 1993 and 1994. The spacecraft is an Alcatel Alenia Space Spacebus 3000A with a mass of 1,220 kg (2,766 kg when fully fuelled).
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 565 ; Spacewarn No. 631 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-020B ;

Resurs-DK1

Spacecraft:	Resurs-DK1 means "Resurs - High Resolution 1"
Chronologies:	2006 payload #35 ; 2006-021A ; 6,410th spacecraft.
Type:	Earth Remote Sensing
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Russia

Launch:	15 June 2006 at 8h00 UTC, from Baikonur Cosmodrome, by a Soyuz-U.
Orbit:	Iitial: 193 km x 339 km x 70.0°. 18 June: 355 km x 585 km x 69.9° September 2010: 567 km x 573 km x 69.9°
Mission:	Resurs-DK1 is a 6,650-kg Multi-spectral remote sensing satellites that provides Earth’s surface images in hith-resolution. It is the first Russia civil Earth Observation imaging satellite able of transmitting high-resolution imagery (1 meter) to the ground stations as it passes overhead. Its Geoton-1 camera payload enable one-meter resolution black & white images or two-meter resolution in color. Its mission is to acquire high-quality visible images in near real-time as well as on-line data delivery via radio link and providing a wide range of consumers with value-added processed data. Unlike earlier missions (which captured images on a film and dropped the canisters over Russia), this satellite downlinks the data over selected Russian stations. The spacecraft is owned, designed, built and operated by TsSKB Progress (State Research & Production Space Rocket Center) of Samara. Roskosmos is funding the project, the commercial data distributor is Sovinformsputnik of Moscow. The satellite was successfully placed in its target orbit less than nine minutes after lift-off. However, a malfunction of unknown nature has occurred during the activation of systems aboard the spacecraft.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 566, 632 ; Spacewarn No. 632 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-021A ; NTs OMZ s Resurs-DK1 ; EO's Resurs-DR1 ; ;

KazSat 1

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #36 ; 2006-022A ; 6,411th spacecraft.
Type:	Communications (multi-services)
Families:
Ranks:	1st Kazakh satellite
Sponsor:	Kazakhstan

Launch:	17 June 2006 at 22h44 UTC, from Baikonur Cosmodrome, by a Proton-K/Block-DM3
Orbit:	Geostarionary
Mission:	KazSat 1, the first kazakh communication satellite, is a 1.4-tonne (with fuel) satellite that carries 12 Ku-band transponders 8 for fixed communications and 4 for TV-transmissions, The spacecraft is intended for telecast, fixed satellite communication and data transmission for Kazakhstan and central asia. The satellite cost 100 million dollars. Kazakhstan purchased the satellite from the Russian space company Krunichev, which also launched it using its Proton-K rocket.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 566 ; Spacewarn No. 632 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-022A ;

Galaxy 16

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #37 ; 2006-023A ; 6,412th spacecraft.
Type:	Communications
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	PanAmSat Corp.

Launch:	18 June 2006 at 7h50 UTC, from Odyssey Launch Platform, by a Zenit 3-SL/Block-DM-SL (positioned on the equator at 154° West Longitude in the Pacific Ocean).
Orbit:	Geostarionary at 99° West longitude.
Mission:	Galaxy 16 is a 4,640-kg (with fuel) high-power fixed satellite service (FSS) communications satellite which carries 24 C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders. From its orbital location, it provides coverage for data and video services, including high-definition television (HDTV) broadcasts and IPTV (Internet Protocol Television), across the entire United States, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, in addition to Canada and Mexico. The spacecraft, which is a Loral LS-1300, is designed to provide over 10 kilowatts of power throughout its 15-year mission life. Through its owned and operated fleet of 24 satellites, PanAmSat is a leading global provider of video, broadcasting and network distribution and delivery services. It transmits nearly 2,000 television channels worldwide and, as such, is the leading carrier of standard and high-definition signals. In total, the Company's in-orbit fleet is capable of reaching over 98 percent of the world's population through cable television systems, broadcast affiliates, direct-to-home operators, Internet service providers and telecommunications companies.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 566 ; Spacewarn No. 632 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-023A ; Panamsat's ; Space System/Loral's Galaxy 16 ; Sea Launch's 18 Jun 06 ;

MITEx (USA 187)

Spacecraft:	Micro-Satellite Technology Experiment
Chronologies:	2006 payload #38 ; 2006-024A ; 6,413th spacecraft.
Type:	Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	DARPA, U.S. Air Force and U.S.Navy

Source: Space Review

Launch:	21 June 2006 at 22h15 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-17A, by a Delta II
Orbit:	Geostarionary
Mission:	The MITEX project consists of three spacecraft. Two of them are small 250-kg-class satellites, one built by Orbital Sciences (OSC) and the other by Lockheed Martin (LM). The third is an advanced liquid propellant upper stage developed by the Naval Research Lab (NRL). The NRL stage has a 400-N thruster and, unusually, solar panels, allowing the stage to operate for an extended time and deliver multiple payloads to different orbits. On this mission, the NRL stage will deliver the OSC and LM satellites to geostationary orbit, where they will carry out a number of maneuvers. Observers speculate that the small satellites are prototypes for inspector spacecraft which could rendezvous with and take closeup images of other geostationary satellites. The three satellites have been given the cover names USA 187, 188 and 189. It's not known which number applies to which payload.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 566 ; Spacewarn No. 632 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-024A ; Spaceflight Now 21 Jun 06 ; Space Review's Mysterious microsatellites in GEO: is MiTEx a possible anti-satellite capability demonstration? ;

MITEx (USA 188)

Spacecraft:	Micro-Satellite Technology Experiment
Chronologies:	2006 payload #39 ; 2006-024B ; 6,414th spacecraft.
Type:	Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	DARPA, U.S. Air Force and U.S.Navy

Source: Space Review

Launch:	21 June 2006 at 22h15 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-17A, by a Delta II
Orbit:	Geostarionary
Mission:	See MITEx (USA 187).
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 566 ; Spacewarn No. 632 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-024B ; Spaceflight Now 21 Jun 06 ;

MITEx (USA 189)

Spacecraft:	Micro-Satellite Technology Experiment
Chronologies:	2006 payload #40 ; 2006-024C ; 6,415th spacecraft.
Type:	Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	DARPA, U.S. Air Force and U.S.Navy

Source: Space Review

Launch:	21 June 2006 at 22h15 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-17A, by a Delta II
Orbit:	Geostarionary
Mission:	See MITEx (USA 187).
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 566 ; Spacewarn No. 632 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-024C ; Spaceflight Now 21 Jun 06 ;

Progress M-57 / ISS 22P

Spacecraft:	Progress M (7K-TGM) No. 357
Chronologies:	2006 payload #41 ; 2006-025A ; 6,416th spacecraft.
Type:	Cargo delivery to the International Space Station (460thpiloted spaceship)
Families:	112th Progress cargoship (22nd to ISS) ;
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Russian Federal Space Agency

Source: NASA


			Source: NASA

Launch:	24 June 2006 at 15h08 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrom's LC-1, by a Soyuz U.
Orbit:	At docking : 335 km x 349 km x 51.6°
Mission:	Progress-M 57 is a cargo craft which carried about 2.6 tones of various cargo, including food, fuel, water, air and scientific hardware and equipment to the International Space Station. Following a two-day free flight, the cargo transport ship docked on the Pirs module docking port of ISS on 26 June 2006 at 16h25 UT. The vehicle rendezvous with the Station, fly-about and birthing were performed in the automatic mode. Progress M-57 is the 22nd flight of the ISS program and the 111th Progress since 1978. These vehicle are developed and manufactured by RSC Energia in cooperation with space industry companies.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 566 ; Spacewarn No. 632 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-025A ; Energiya's News ; Energiya 24 Jun 06 & 26 Jun 06 ;

Kosmos 2421

Spacecraft:	US-PU
Chronologies:	2006 payload #42 ; 2006-026A ; 6,417th spacecraft.
Type:	Electronic Intelligence
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Russia Defense Ministry

Launch:	25 June 2006 at 4h00 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-90?, by a Tsyklon 2.
Orbit:	404 km x 418 km x 65.1° x 92.7 min.
Mission:	Kosmos 2421 is a Russian Navy US-PU satellite for ocean electronic surveillance. It provide the Russian Navy with electronic intelligence data for military operations at sea. The most recent launch of a similar payload was in May 2004, but that spacecraft was destroyed as it fell from orbit after ceasing operations in late April 2006.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 566 ; Spacewarn No. 632 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-026A ; Spaceflight Now 25 Jun 06 ;

NROL-22 (USA 184)

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #43 ; 2006-027A ; 6,418th spacecraft.
Type:	Electronic Intelligence
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	U.S. National Reconnaissance Office

Launch:	28 June 2006 at 3h33 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's SLC-6, by a Delta IV.
Orbit:	A Molniya-type (12-hour, highly-elleptical and inclined at 65°) orbit ?
Mission:	This spacecraft is an electronic intelligence satellite codenamed NROL-22 and it received the designation USA 184, held over from last year. The intended orbit is an elliptical 12-hour orbit with an inclination of 63 degrees; NRO data relay and signals intelligence satellites have used this orbit in the past. This payload is likely to be one of the signals intelligence series that began with the JUMPSEAT satellites in 1971. Aviation Week, on the other hand, thinks that it's a Satellite Data System data relay satellite. NROL-22 probably also carries NASA's TWINS-A science payload which carries neutral atom imagers to map the Earth's magnetosphere. It may also have an additional USAF SBIRS-HEO test payload. SBIRS-HEO is the highly elliptical orbit component of the new Space-Based Infrared missile early warning satellite system that will replace the old DSP satellites. The HEO-1 payload was delivered to the USAF in 2004 which is consistent with a launch on this mission, originally scheduled to go up in early 2005.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 567 ; Spacewarn No. 632 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-027A ; NRO's 27 Jun 06 ;

STS-121 / ULF-1.1

Spacecraft:	Utilization and Logistics Flight-1.1 (ULF-1.1)
Chronologies:	2006 payload #44 ; 2006-028A ; 6,419th spacecraft.
Type:	Piloted Spaceship
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	NASA

Launch:	4 July 2006 at 18h38 UTC, from Kennedy Space Center's LC-39B, by the Space Shuttle.
Orbit:	Initial: 155 km x 253 km x 51.6°. 332 km x 351 km x 51.6° x 91.4 min.
RecoveryL	17 July 2006 at 13h14 UT on Runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center.
Mission:	Space Shuttle mission STS 121 carry seven astronauts to the International Space Station. The crew consists of commander Steven Lindsey, pilot Mark Kelly and mission specialists Michael Fossum, Lisa Nowak, Stephanie Wilson, Piers Sellers and Thomas Reiter (who is stayiing onbaord ISS as part of the Expedition 13 crew). It was the first flight after the Orbiter fleet was grounded a year ago to make safety-related modifications to the external, cryogenic fuel tank. This time the take-off was nominal with no significant thermal shield degradation. Discovery, whicu carried 12 tonnes of food, fuel, and equipment to the ISS, completed its rendezvous with ISS on 6 July as it docked with the PMA-2 adapter on the Destiny module at 14h52 UT. During the 12-day mission, the astronauts tested new equipment and procedures aimed at increasing Shuttle safety. They deployed the ISS robotic arm, with its attached camera, to examine the exterior of the Orbiter for damage (none of significance was noticed). Two astronauts did three spacewalks. The first one was to test the dynamic response of the OBSS robot arm extension to check it out for possible use on future missions to send an astronaut underneath the Shuttle for tile repairs. During the second EVA, they installated a spare pump module on the ESP-2 platform used as a place to stash spare parts for ISS. They also replaced an umbilical cable assembly for the Mobile Transporter. On the third EVA, the astronauts worked at the rear of Discovery's payload bay, playing with repairing heat shield samples in a test box. The crew also carried out 21 biological and technical experiments on-board. STS 121 landed back on 17 July, leaving at the ISS Reiter who will spend some six months at the station. (The ISS Expedition 13 crew now consists of Pavel Vingradov, Jeffrey Williams and Thomas Reiter.) The STS-121 mission has concluded successfully, putting the Shuttle program back on track for further Station assembly missions.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 567 & 568 ; Spacewarn No. 633 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-028A ;

sts

Insat 4C

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #45 ; 2006 2nd loss ; 6,420th spacecraft.
Type:	Communications
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	India's ISRO

Launch:	10 July 2006 at 12h08 UTC, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR's SLP, by a GSLV-F02.
Orbit:	N/a (geostationary)
Mission:	INSAT-4C is the second satellite in the INSAT-4 series (Insat 4A, was launched in December 2005). The 2,168-kg (950 kg dry) spacecrart carries 12 high-power Ku-band transponders designed to provide Direct-To-Home (DTH) television services, facilitate Video Picture Transmission (VPT) and Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG), as well as to serve National Informatics Centre (NIC) for its VSAT connectivity. It C wass launched by the second operational flight of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, (GSLV-F02). The satellite is designed for a mission life of ten years. INSAT system was established in 1983. With nine satellites (INSAT-2E, INSAT-3A, INSAT-3B, INSAT-3C, INSAT-3E, INSAT-4A, GSAT-2, EDUSAT and KALPANA-1) in service with a total of 175 transponders in Ku-band, C-band and Extended C-band besides instruments for meteorological imaging and data relay functions, INSAT is the largest domestic communication satellite system in the Asia-Pacific region. Once commissioned, , INSAT-4C would had bneen co-located with INSAT-3C, KALPANA-1 and EDUSAT at 74 degree East Longitude.
Launch:	The GSLV-F02 rocket failed seconds after launch and crashed into the sea. One of the strapon motors failed to develop thrust, sending the launcher off course. By 40 seconds after launch, it was outside the planned corridor and it broke up at 60 seconds. Following a command destruct, the debris fell in the Bay of Bengal not far from the Satish Dhawan Space Center launch site. The Failure Analysis Committee (FAC), constituted to review the reasons for the failure, concluded that the primary cause for the failure was the sudden loss of thrust in one of the four liquid propellant strap-on motors (S4) immediately after lift-off resulting from the malfunctioning of a propellant regulator. FAC also concluded that the design of GSLV is robust and recommended implementation of stricter control on fabrication, inspection and acceptance procedures.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 568 ; ISRO's 5 Jul 06, 10 Jul 06 & 2 Sep 07;

Genesis 1

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #46 ; 2006-029A ; 6,421st spacecraft.
Type:	Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Bigelow Aerospace

Exterior views from Genesis I (Source: Bigelow Aerospace)

Launch:	12 July 2006 at 14h53 UTC, from Dombarovskiy launch site, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	556 km x 561 km x 64.5° x 95.8 min.
Mission:	Genesis 1 is a 1,300-kg entrepreneur's inflatable satellite which is a pathfinder for future human-occupied space station modules. The craft successfully inflated about two hours after launch to its normal cylindrical size of 2.4 meter x 4.5 meter and deployed a pair of solar arrays. It is made of a tough sheet fabricated from a composite Kevlar that is often used in bullet-proof vests. The goal of the entrepreneur is to launch a few more of them, string them together and promote "space tourism".
Launch:	For the Russian this is the first orbital launch from the Dombarovskiy launch site, previously just an intercontinental missile base.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 568 ; Spacewarn No. 633 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-029A ; Bigelow Aerospace's Genesia 1 ; Space Review's Genesis and the future space hotel ;

Genesis I launched by a Dnepr rocket (Source Bigelow Aerorospace)

Kosmos 2422

Spacecraft:	Oko
Chronologies:	2006 payload #47 ; 2006-030A ; 6,422nd spacecraft.
Type:	Missile Early Warning
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Russia Defense Ministry

Launch:	21 July 2006 at 4h20 UTC, from Plesetsk Cosmodrome's LC-16/2, by a Molniya-M.
Orbit:	534 km x 39,134 km km x 62.8° x 703.9 min.
Mission:	Kosmos 2422 is a new missile early warning satellite in the Oko series put into a highly elliptical orbit. The Oko satellites are built by the Lavochkin company. Kosmos-2422 was in an initial 533 x 39135 km x 62.9 deg orbit; on Jul 31 it maneuvered to a 539 x 39570 km orbit.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ; Spacewarn No. 633 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-030A ;

BelKA

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #48 ; 2006 3rd loss ; 6,423rd spacecraft.
Type:	Earth observation
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Belarus

Launch:	26 July 2006 at 19h43 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-109, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	n/a
Mission:	BelKA was a750-kg Earth observation satellite. It was the first satellite owned by Belarus; it was built in Russia by Energiya using the Viktoria (Yamal) bus and carried a 2.5-meter resolution pan camera and a 10-meter resolution multispectral camera for Earth observation. BelKA - the first orbiting satellite for Belarus. The Earth observation platform was built by Energia in Russia to carry out a robust remote sensing campaign for Belarus and other users worldwide. Major objectives of the five-year mission included mapping, climate observations, and tracking geological processes. BelKA's manufacturer says the satellite was designed to capture both visible and infrared images in high resolution. These pictures were then to have been digitally sent to communications stations scattered across Russia. Plans then called for the images to be sold commercially. The project cost approximately 230 million rubles, which converts to around $9 million, media reports said.
Launch:	The three-stage Dnepr rocket fired out of an underground missile silo at 19h43 UT. R eports say the rocket's first stage engine was switched off 86 seconds after liftoff. This was about ten seconds before the powerplant was to have shut down before giving way to the Dnepr's second stage. The booster and its paying cargo crashed some 16 miles south of the launch pad, but no damage or injuries have been reported,
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ;

Baumanets

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #49 ; 2006 4th loss ; 6,424th spacecraft.
Type:	Student satellite (Technology & Earth imaging)
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Students of the Moskovskiy Gosudarstvenniy Tekhnicheskiy Universitet

Launch:	26 July 2006 at 19h43 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	n/a
Mission:	The 92 kg Baumanets is a student satellite from the MGTU (Moskovskiy Gosudarstvenniy Tekhnicheskiy Universitet) in N.E. Baumann, the Bauman Moscow State Technical University. It carried an Earth imager and an amateur radio link. The small spacecraft was to have operated in space for at least one year as an educational tool and technology pathfinder for students.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ;

Unisat-4

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #50 ; 2006 5th loss ; 6,425th spacecraft.
Type:	Student satellite
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Students of Universita di Roma "La Sapienza"

Launch:	26 July 2006 at 19h43 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	n/a
Mission:	The 12 kg Unisat-4 is a technology satellite from the Universita di Roma "La Sapienza". It carried cameras, a GPS navigation experiment and an aerodynamic reentry device experiment. UniSat 4 was the fourth member of a series of microsatellites managed by professors and students at the University of Rome.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ;

PICPOT

Spacecraft:	Piccolo Cubo del Politecnico di Torino
Chronologies:	2006 payload #51 ; 2006 6th loss ; 6,426th spacecraft.
Type:	Student satellite
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Student ofPolitecnico di Torino, Italy

Launch:	26 July 2006 at 19h43 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	n/a
Mission:	PICPOT is a small 2 kg, 0.15-meter cube satellite from the Politecnico di Torino. It carried an Earth imager.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ; Amsat's PicPot ;

ICE Cube-1

Spacecraft:	ICE Cube stands for Ionospheric sCintillation Experiment CUBESat
Chronologies:	2006 payload #52 ; 2006 7th loss ; 6,427th spacecraft.
Type:	Amateur technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Studen of of Cornell University

Launch:	26 July 2006 at 19h43 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	n/a
Mission:	ICECube-1 was a 1-kg, 0.1-meter size CubeSat. The mission objective was to design, build, test and operate a fully functional 10-cm CubeSat for GPS scintillation science in Low Earth Orbit.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ; Amsat's ICE Cube 1 ; Cornell University's ICE Cube Projetc :

ION

Spacecraft:	ION stands for Illinois Observing Nanosatellite
Chronologies:	2006 payload #53 ; 2006 8th loss ; 6,428th spacecraft.
Type:	Student satellite
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Student of University of Illinois

Launch:	26 July 2006 at 19h43 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	n/a
Mission:	ION, consisting of a double cubesat 2 kg, 0.1 x 0.2-meter. It is the first project of the Illinois Tiny Satellite Initiative (ITSI), which is organized through an interdisciplinary senior design course. The course objectives include training students to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems as part of a large multi-team project. In addition, the University of Illinois has strived to also demonstrate the utility of these tiny satellites by following through on real missions including a science mission. The ION team had hope that the resulting product will help expand the perceptions of what these tiny satellites can do someday leading to future space sensor webs.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ; Amsat's ION ; University of Illinois' ION ;

RINCON

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #54 ; 2006 9th loss ; 6,429th spacecraft.
Type:	Satellite satellite
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Student of University of Arizona

Launch:	26 July 2006 at 19h43 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	n/a
Mission:	RINCON was a 1-kg, 0.1-meter size CubeSat.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ; Amsat's RINCON ;

AeroCube-1

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #55 ; 2006 10th loss ; 6,430th spacecraft.
Type:	Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	AerospaceCorp

Launch:	26 July 2006 at 19h43 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	n/a
Mission:	AeroCube-1 was a 1-kg, 0.1-meter size CubeSat.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ;

CalPoly CP1

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #56 ; 2006 11th loss ; 6,431st spacecraft.
Type:	Amateur Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Stndent of the California Polytechnic University

Launch:	26 July 2006 at 19h43 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	N/a
Mission:	CP1, a 1-kg, 0.1-meter size CubeSat, is designed with the objective of providing a reliable bus system to allow for flight qualification of a wide variety of small sensors and attitude control devices. It is the first satellite developed at Cal Poly. For the first launch, CP1 carries a sun sensor developed by Optical Energy Technologies and an experimental magnetorquer developed at Cal Poly by undergraduate students.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ;; Amsat's CP1 ; Cal Poly PolySat Project

SEEDS

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #57 ; 2006 12th loss ; 6,432nd spacecraft.
Type:	Amateur Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Student of of Nihon University (Japan)

Launch:	26 July 2006 at 19h43 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	n/a
Mission:	Nihon University/Japan SEEDS was a 1-kg, 0.1-meter size CubeSat.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569; Amsat SEEDS ;

nCube-1

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #58 ; 2006 13th loss ; 6,433rd spacecraft.
Type:	Amateur Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Norway's University of Technology

Launch:	26 July 2006 at 19h43 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	n/a
Mission:	Norway nCube was a 1-kg, 0.1-meter size CubeSat.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ; Amsat's nCUBE ;

HAUSAT-1

Spacecraft:	HAUSAT-1 stands for Hankuk Aviation University SATellite-1
Chronologies:	2006 payload #59 ; 2006 14th loss ; 6,434th spacecraft.
Type:	Amateur Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Student of South Korea's Hankuk Aviation University

Launch:	26 July 2006 at 19h43 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	n/a
Mission:	HAUSAT-1 is the first picosatellite in Korea developed by graduate students. The primary mission objective of HAUSAT-1 development is to offer graduate and undergraduate student great oppertunities and help them understand the whole developement processes of satellite design, analysis, manufacturing, assembly, inefration, test, launch. Mission mission objective were: collecting the satellite position data with spaceborne GPS receiver, experiment on deployment mechanism of solar cell panel, space verification of home-made Sun sensor, and getting data related to satellite Status of Health (SOH) from various sensors. The satellite was designed for a one year operation.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ;; Amsat's HAUSAT-1 ; Hankuk Aviation University's Hausat-1 l

MEROPE

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #60 ; 2006 15th loss ; 6,435th spacecraft.
Type:	Amateur Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Student of Montana State University.

Launch:	26 July 2006 at 19h43 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	n/a
Mission:	MEROPE, a 1-kg, 0.1-meter size CubeSat, is the first satellite ever in Montana. MEROPE is a completely student run program which has involved over 75 graduate and undergraduate students. The project has campus wide involvement with students' majors varying from the science and engineering fields to business.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ; Amsat's MEROPE : Montana State University' MEROPE ;

CalPoly CP2

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #61 ; 2006 16th loss ; 6,436th spacecraft.
Type:	Amateur Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Stndent of the California Polytechnic University

Launch:	26 July 2006 at 19h43 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	n/a
Mission:	Cal Poly CP2 was a 1-kg, 0.1-meter size CubeSat. Its mission was to provide a highly capable bus system that can support numerous small payloads. The ambitious mission concept includes duplex 1200bps digital communications, three-axis attitude determination and control, and substantial data processing and storage capability while still providing at least 33% of the spacecraft mass, volume, and power for payloads.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ;; Amsat's CP2 ; Cal Poly PolySat Project

KUTESat

Spacecraft:	KUTESat stands for Kansas Universities' Technology Evaluation Satellite
Chronologies:	2006 payload #62 ; 2006 17th loss ; 6,437th spacecraft.
Type:	Amateur Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Student of University of Kansas.

Launch:	26 July 2006 at 19h43 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	n/a
Mission:	KUTESat Pathfinder was a 1-kg, 0.1-meter size CubeSat.. It is a joint venture among several universities located in the state of Kansas that aims to promote interest in space activities while establishing the capability to design, build, test, and operate satellites at the University of Kansas. The KUTESat satellites are 10 cm cube pico satellites. The program consists of three mission phases, each with its own purpose, development, and testing program. The objective of the first phase of the of the KUTESat program is to design, develop, and operate a simple CubeSat called Pathfinder. The primary mission of this satellite is to measure the radiation in LEO and take photographs with an onboard camera. The second phase of the program is to build an engineering demonstration of the satellite with an onboard attitude control system using miniature thrusters. This prototype will then be tested in the neutral gravity environment by flying it as an experiment on the NASA JSC KC135 or similar aircraft. The final phase of the KUTESat mission involves developing and testing three different prototype satellites. The Inspection Sensor Satellite (ISS) will do the imaging inspection of a target with its complete translational and rotational capabilities. The Space Environment Satellite (SES) will measure the space environment away from the mother ship. The Target Relay Satellite (TRS) will then act as a target for the ISS and as a relay satellite for both the ISS and the SES to communicate with the ground. The overall project name for this third phase of the program is Mission of ISS, SES, TRS, or also known as MIST.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ; Amsat's KUTEsat ; Kansas University's KUTSAT ;

SACRED

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #63 ; 2006 18th loss ; 6,438th spacecraft.
Type:	Amateur Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Studentof University of Arizona

Launch:	26 July 2006 at 19h43 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	n/a
Mission:	SACRED was a 1-kg, 0.1-meter size CubeSat.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ; Amsat's SACRED ;

Voyager

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #64 ; 2006 19th loss ; 6,439th spacecraft.
Type:	Student satellite
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Student of Hawaii Univerisyt

Launch:	26 July 2006 at 19h43 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	n/a
Mission:	Voyager was a 1-kg, 0.1-meter size CubeSat.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ;

ICE Cube 2

Spacecraft:	ICE Cube stands for Ionospheric sCintillation Experiment CUBESat
Chronologies:	2006 payload #65 ; 2006 20th loss ; 6,440th spacecraft.
Type:	Amateur Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Studen of of Cornell University

Launch:	26 July 2006 at 19h43 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome, by a Dnepr.
Orbit:	n/a
Mission:	ICECube-2 was a 1-kg, 0.1-meter size CubeSat.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ; Spaceflight Nos 26 Jul 06 ; Amsat's ICE Cube 2 ; Cornell University's ICE Cube Projetc :

KOMPSAT-2 / Arirang-2

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #66 ; 2006-031A ; 6,441st spacecraft.
Type:	Earth Remote Sensing
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	South Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI)

Launch:	28 July 2006 at 7h05 UTC, from Plesetsk Cosmodrome's LC-133, by a.Rokot.
Orbit:	656.3 km x 680.9 km x 98.1° x 98.6 min.
Mission:	Kompsat 2 is a 800-kg remote sensing satellites that carries imaging systems to yield high-resolution (1-meter), multispectral images of Earth's surface. KOMPSAT 2 is setting off on a three-year mission to provide a wide variety of international customers with a new source of high resolution imagery of locations worldwide. In South Korea, the satellite is commonly called Arirang 2. KOMPSAT 2 carries a high resolution camera jointly developed by Israel's Electro-Optics Industries and Korean engineers. The imager can resolve objects as small as one meter in black-and-white, while color pictures taken by the camera will have a resolution of four meters. The detailed images will be used by South Korea in applications such as land management, crop and vegetation monitoring, ocean observations, and other environmental studies. Urban areas, disaster zones, and many other regions worldwide may also be a prime focus of the mission. KOMPSAT 2's camera provides 45 times better resolution than earlier South Korean craft. With this increased resolution, pictures from the camera could be sharp enough to spy on strategic sites such as missile bases and nuclear plants inside North Korea,. The image distributor says KOMPSAT 2 products are ideal for intelligence gathering and identifying sensitive areas such as airfields, missile sites, communication centers, ports, and railroad depots, among others. It is the second member of South Korea's multipurpose satellite fleet operated by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute.
Notes:	On 21 March 2001, it was annonnced that, under an agreement signed between China's Great Wall Industries Corp. and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, KOMPSAT-2 will be launched bu a Long March-2C rocket in April 2004. “South Korea chose the Chinese rocket after its evaluation of four different launch vehicles showed that the LM-2C is superior in cost and reliability,” Chinese source reports.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ; Spacewarn No. 633 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-031A ; Spaceflight Now's 28 Jul 06 ; Xinhua’s 21 Mar 01 ;

Hot Bird 8

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #67 ; 2006-032A ; 6,442nd spacecraft.
Type:	Communications
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Eutelelsat

Source : Astrium

Launch:	4 August 2006 at 21h48 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-200, by a Proton-M/Briz-M.
Orbit:	Geostationary at 13° East longitude
Mission:	Hot Bird 8 is 4,875-kg (with fuel), 14-kw satellite which carries 64 Ku-band transponders to provide radio and television coverage through 950 digital channels to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, replacing Hot Bird 3. The craft is a Astrium-built Eurostar 3000 satellite carries a communications payload for the French-based Eutelsat SA company.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ; Spacewarn No. 634 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-032A ;

JCSAT-10

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #68 ; 2006-033A ; 6,443rd spacecraft.
Type:	Communications
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Japan's JSAT Corp.

Launch:	11 August 2006 at 22h15 UTC, from Kourou Space Center's ELA-3, by an Ariane 5 ECA.
Orbit:	Geostarionaty at 128° East longitude
Mission:	JCSat 10 is a 4,048-kg fuelled (1,858 kg dry) communications satellite which carries 30 Ku-band and 12 C-band transponders to provide direct-to-home radio and television services to Japan, Asia-Pacific and Hawaii,. The craft is a Lockheed Martin A2100AX Ku/C-band television broadcasting satellite.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ; Spacewarn No. 634 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-033A ;

Syracuse 3B

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #69 ; 2006-033B ; 6,444th spacecraft.
Type:	Communications 1
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	France Defense Ministry (DGA / Delegation Generale pour l'Armement)

Launch:	11 August 2006 at 22h15 UTC, from Kourou Space Center's ELA-3, by an Ariane 5 ECA.
Orbit:	Geostationary (parking longitude is not available)
Mission:	Syracuse 3B is a 3,750-kg fuelled (1,658 kg dry) military communications satellite which provide SHF and EHF communications links for the French military. It carries four spot beams in SHF frequencies and two spot beams in EHF frequencies.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 569 ; Spacewarn No. 634 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-033B ;

Koreasat 5 / Mugunghwa 5

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #70 ; 2006-034A ; 6,445th spacecraft.
Type:	Communications
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	South Korea Telecom & South Korean government's Agency for Defense Development.

Launch:	22 August 2006 at 3h27 UTC, from Odyssey launch platform, by a Zenit 3SL. (The Odyssey platform was floating on the equatorial Pacific Ocean at 154° West longitude.)
Orbit:	Geostationary at 113° East longitude.
Mission:	KoreaSat 5 is a 4.5-tonne (with fuel) communications satellite which carries 24 Ku-band, 8 SHF-band, and 4 Ka-band transponders to provide digital television and conventional telecom services to the Asia-Pacific region, serving the interests of commercial and (primarily) military agencies. The craft is an Alcatel Alenia Spacebus 4000C1 satellite. (It is reported that there has not been a KoreaSat 4, because the number four may be associated with death in some Asian cultures. Mugungwha is the Korean name for South Korea's national flower, the Rose of Sharon.)
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 570 ; Spacewarn No. 634 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-034A ; Sea Launch's 21 Aug 06 ;

SJ-8 / Shi Jian 8

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #71 ; 2006-035A ; 6,446th spacecraft.
Type:	Material Processing
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	China

Launch:	9 September 2006 at 7h00 UTC, from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, by a Chang Zheng 2C.
Orbit:	178 km x 428 km x 63.0° x 90.6 min.
Recovered:	24 September 2006 at 2h43 UT.
Mission:	Shi Jian 8is a recoverable satellite twhich carried 250 kg of seeds of plants and fungus. The SJ-8 seeds satellite was recovered in Sichuan province on 24 September 2006. After recovery, the seeds will be germinated to produce high quality and high yield plants and their seeds. Unlike earlier SJ satellites, the SJ-8 recoverable satellite derived from earlier FSW reconnaissance and microgravity satellites.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 570 & 572 ; Spacewarn No. 635 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-035A ; Sea Launch's 21 Aug 06 ;

STS-115 / ISS 12A

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #72 ; 2006-036A ; 6,447th spacecraft.
Type:	Piloted Spaceship
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	NASA

Launch:	9 September 2006 at 15h15 UTC, from Kennedy Space Center's LC-39B, by the Space Shuttle.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 570 & 571 ; Spacewarn No. 635 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-036A ;

ITS P3/P4

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #73 ; 2006 n/a ; 6,448th spacecraft.
Type:	Space Station Coomponent
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	NASA

Launch:	9 September 2006 at 15h15 UTC, from Kennedy Space Center<s LC-39B, by the Space Shuttle. Installed on the International Space Station from Atlantis cargobay.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 570 ; Spacewarn No. 635 ;

IGS Optical-2

Spacecraft:	IGS stands for Information Gathering Satellite
Chronologies:	2006 payload #74 ; 2006-037A ; 6,449th spacecraft.
Type:	Photo Surveillance
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Japan Defense Ministry

Launch:	11 September 2006 at 4h35 UTC, from Tanegashima Space Center, by a H-IIA.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 571 & 572 ; Spacewarn No. 635 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-037A ;

ZX-22A / Zhongxin-22A

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #75 ; 2006-038A ; 6,450th spacecraft.
Type:	Communications
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	China

Launch:	12 September 2006 at 16h05 UTC, from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, by a Chang Zheng 3A.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 571 ; Spacewarn No. 635 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-038A ;

Kosmos 2423

Spacecraft:	Don-class
Chronologies:	2006 payload #76 ; 2006-039A ; 6,451st spacecraft.
Type:	Photo Surveillance
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Russia Defense Ministry

Launch:	12 September 2006 at 13h41 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-31, by a Soyuz-U.
Orbit:
Mission:	As of 23 October 2006, Kosmos-2423 remains in a 205 km x 300 km x 64.9° orbit.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 571& 572 ; Spacewarn No. 635 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-039A ;

Soyuz TMA-9 / ISS 13S

Spacecraft:	Soyuz 11F732 (7K-STMA) No. 219
Chronologies:	2006 payload #77 ; 2006-040A ; 6,452nd spacecraft.
Type:	Piloted Spaceship
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Ruaais

Launch:	18 September 2006 at 4h08 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-1, by a Soyuz-FG.
Orbit:
Landing:	20 April 2007 at 12h31 UTC.
Mission:	On 20 April 2007, Lopez-Alegria, Tyurin and tourist Charles Simonyi returned to Earth in the Soyuz TMA-9 ship, landing at 12h31 UTC.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 571 & 579 ; Spacewarn No. 635 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-040A ;

SOLAR-B / Hinode

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #78 ; 2006-041A ; 6,453rd spacecraft.
Type:	Sun Observatory
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	JAXA / Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

Launch:	22 September 2006 at 21h36 UTC, from Uchinoura Space Center, by a M-V.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 572 ; Spacewarn No. 635 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-041A ;

HIT-SAT

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #79 ; 2006-041B ; 6,454th spacecraft.
Type:	Amateur Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Japan's Hokkaido Insttitute of Technology

Launch:	22 September 2006 at 21h36 UTC, from Uchinoura Space Center, by a M-V.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 572 ; Spacewarn No. 635 ;

SSSAT

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #80 ; 2006-041C ; 6,455th spacecraft.
Type:	Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Japan (ISAS-JAXA)

Launch:	22 September 2006 at 21h36 UTC, from Uchinoura Space Center, by a M-V.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 572 ; Spacewarn No. 635;

Navstar 54 (USA 190)

Spacecraft:	Navstar SVN 52 / GPS 2R-15
Chronologies:	2006 payload #81 ; 2006-042A ; 6,456th spacecraft.
Type:	Navigation
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	U.S. Department of Defense

Launch:	25 September 2006 at 18h50 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-17A, by a Delta II.
Orbit:	Iinitial: 173 km x 20,414 km x 40.0° x 357 min.
Mission:	Navstar 58 (GPS Block IIR-M, GPS 2R-15, SVN 58) satellite is a navigation satellite in the GPS fleet that is positioned in Plane A, Slot 2, replacing the aging GPS 2-12 launched in 1992, which, in turn, will be maneuvered to A-4 as a backup till its useful life ends. At present, there are 24 operational craft in the fleet, plus five that are spares.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 572 ; Spacewarn No. 635 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-042A ;

DirecTV 9S

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #82 ; 2006-043A ; 6,457th spacecraft.
Type:	Communications
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	DirecTV

Launch:	13 October 2006 at 20h56 UTC, from Kourou Space Center's ELA-3, by an Ariane 5 ECA.
Orbit:	Geostarionary at 101° or 119° West longitude
Mission:	DirecTV 9S is a communications satellite that carries 52 Ku-band and two Ka-band transponders to provide direct-to-home, through its 27 spot-beams, voice, video, and internet transmissions to North American subscribers. DirectTV is a Loral 1300 satellite.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 572 ; Spacewarn No. 636 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; DirecTV's 13 Oct 06 ;

Optus D1

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #83 ; 2006-043B ; 6,458th spacecraft.
Type:	Communications
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Australia (Singapore-owned) Optus system

Launch:	13 October 2006 at 20h56 UTC, from Kourou Space Center's ELA-3, by an Ariane 5 ECA.
Orbit:	Geostationary at
Mission:	OPTUS D1 is a 2.5-tonne (with fuel) communications satellite that carries 24 Ku-band transponders to provide voice and video transmissions to Australia and New Zealand.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 572 ; Spacewarn No. 636 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; OSC's Optus D1 anbd D2 ;

LDREX-2

Spacecraft:	LDREX stands for Large Deployable Reflector Small-sized Partial Model
Chronologies:	2006 payload #84 ; 2006-043C ; 6,459th spacecraft.
Type:	Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	JAXA / Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

Launch:	13 October 2006 at 20h56 UTC, from Kourou Space Center's ELA-3, by an Ariane 5 ECA.
Orbit:	Initial: 264 km x 35,648 km c 7.0° x 629.6 min.
Mission:	LDREX 2 is a technology demonstration craft which deployed and then ejected a 6.5-meter antenna as a rehearsal for Japan's ETS-8 experimental satellite. (LDREX-1, in December 2000, failed to deploy correctly.)
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 572 ; Spacewarn No. 636 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; JAXA's LDREX-2 Dep ;

MetOp 2 (MetOp A)

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #85 ; 2006-044A ; 6,460th spacecraft.
Type:	Meteorology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Eumetsat

Source: Eumetsat

Eumetsat Polar System (Source: Emmetsat)

Launch:	19 October 2006 at 16h28 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-31, by a Soyuz-2-1A.
Orbit:	819 km x 821 km x 98.7° x 101.3 min.
Mission:	METOP A (METOP 2) is a 4.1-tonne polar-orbiting weather satellite that inaugurates the Eumetsat Polar System, a European equivalent of NOAA's polar satellites (just as Eumetsat's METEOSAT series are the analog of NOAA's GOES geostationary weather platforms). METOP A carries a wide range of advanced instruments including ozone monitors, a GPS atmospheric sounding device, and a wind scatterometer, as well as the usual visible and IR imagers and sounders. It also carries a search and rescue package as well as five heritage instruments provided by NOAA. Operationally, there will be close collaboration between NOAA, ESA, and EUTEMSAT.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 572 ; Spacewarn No.636 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; Eumetsat' MetOp 2 , 19 Oct 06 ;;


(Source: Eumetsat)	(Source: )	(Source: Eumetsat)	(Source: Eumetsat)	(Source: Eumetsat)	(Source: Eumetsat)

Progress M-58 / ISS 23P

Spacecraft:	Progress M (7K-TGM) No. 358
Chronologies:	2006 payload #86 ; 2006-045A ; 6,461st spacecraft.
Type:	Cargo delivery to the International Space Station (463rd piloted spaceship)
Families:	113th Progress cargoship (23rd to ISS) ;
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Russian Federal Space Agency

Source: NASA

Launch:	23 October 2006 at 13h40 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-1, by a Soyuz U.
Orbit:	Initial: 195,0 km x 256,0 km x 51.65° x 88.7 min. 329 km x 346 km x 51.63° x 91.3 min.
Deorbit:	27 March 2007 at 22h44 UTC.
Mission:	Progress M-58 transport cargo vehicle delivered some 2,4 tons of various cargoes to the International Space Station, including 880 kg of propellant, 52 kg of oxygen, 1221 kg of dry cargoes among which are 237 kg of food, medical equipment, personal hygiene means and prophylactic means, 304 kg of USOS equipment, onboard systems and research equipment, onboard documentation and crew parcels Following its autonomous, three-day orbital flight, the cargoship docked with ISS on 26 October 2006. During the docking process, telemetry sensors indicated that one of the antennas of the Kurs rendezvous system as part of the cargo vehicle failed to close completely. The retraction process was suspended until the situation was made clear. The specialists from the Lead Operational Control Team (LOCT) looked into the situation and decided to continue retraction. For safety reasons, the crew of ISS Expedition 14th was commanded to close Transfer Compartment hatch. During the next communication session, the docking operation had been successfully completed. Progress M-58 undocked from the Zvezda module on 27 March 2007 at 18h11 UTC and was deorbited at 22h44 UTC. Progress M-58 is the 23th cargo flight in the ISS program and the 113th flight of a Progress vehicles since 1978..
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 572, 573 & 579 ; Spacewarn No. 636 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; Energiya's News ; Energiya's 23 Oct 06 & 26 Oct 06 ;

SJ-6-2A / Shi Jian 6-2A

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #87 ; 2006-046A ; 6,462nd spacecraft.
Type:	Earth Sciences
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	China

Launch:	23 October 2006 at 23h34 UTC, from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, by a Chang Zheng 4B.
Orbit:	595 km x 600 km x 97.7° x 96.6 min.
Mission:	Shijian 6C and Shijian 6D (SJ-6 Group 2 satellites A and B) are Chinese satellites which officially carry radiation detectors and other space environment-related instruments. They replace the SJ-6 Group 1 satellites A and B. China reports the purpose of these satellites is to measure the space environment, but it seemed that no scientific results have been published (an intelligence role seems possible).
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 572 ; Spacewarn No. 636 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ;

SJ-6-2B / Shi Jian 6-2B

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #88 ; 2006-046B ; 6,463rd spacecraft.
Type:	Earth Sciences
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	China

Launch:	23 October 2006 at 23h34 UTC, from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, by a Chang Zheng 4B.
Orbit:	595 km x 600 km x 97.7° x 96.6 min.
Mission:	Shijian 6C and Shijian 6D (SJ-6 Group 2 satellites A and B) are Chinese satellites which officially carry radiation detectors and other space environment-related instruments. They replace the SJ-6 Group 1 satellites A and B. China reports the purpose of these satellites is to measure the space environment, but it seemed that no scientific results have been published (an intelligence role seems possible).
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 572 ; Spacewarn No. 636 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ;

STEREO Ahead

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #89 ; 2006-047A ; 6,464th spacecraft.
Type:	Sun Observatory
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	NASA

Launch:	26 October 2006 at 0h52 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-17B, by a Delta II.
Orbit:	Final: 0.95 AU x 0.97 AU x 0.12° x 344 days
Mission:	STEREO-A (ahead) and STEREO-B (behind) are two identical 620-kg (dry mass) heliospheric craft to observe the Sun, allowing coordinated observations of solar activity from vantage points inaccessible for Earth-orbiting spacecraft. Optical and UV imagers, radio burst monitors and particle detectors provide space weather information and allow study of Earthbound coronal mass ejections from the side. Each craft will be maneuvered so that STEREO-A will orbit the Sun ahead of the Earth (with an orbital period of 345 days), and STEREO-B will orbit behind the Earth (with an orbital period of 385 days). On 15 December 2006 at 13h50 UTC, STEREO B will pass 10,745 km above the lunar surface and be thrown into a 130,000 x 870,000 km x 27.9° phasing orbit. Five minutes later, STEREO A will fly 5,937 km above the Moon and enter a 180,000 x 1,750,000 km x 33.6° orbi. STEREO A will escape the Earth-Moon system around 24 December. On 21 January 2007 at 15h52 UTC, STEREO B will re-encounter the Moon with a 16,029 km altitude flyby and also end up on a departure orbit. STEREO A will end up in a 0.95 x 0.97 AU x 0.12° x 344 days orbit around the Sun, leading the Earth. STEREO B will end up in a 0.99 x 1.09 AU x 0.03° x 389 days orbit trailing the Earth.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 573 ; Spacewarn No. 636 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; STEREO Web Site & Press Kit ;

STEREO Behind

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #90 ; 2006-047B ; 6,465th spacecraft.
Type:	Sun Observatory
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	NASA

Launch:	26 October 2006 at 0h52 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-17B, by a Delta II.
Orbit:	0.99 AU x 1.09 AU x 0.03° x 389 days
Mission:	STEREO-A (ahead) and STEREO-B (behind) are two identical 620-kg (dry mass) heliospheric craft to observe the Sun, allowing coordinated observations of solar activity from vantage points inaccessible for Earth-orbiting spacecraft. Optical and UV imagers, radio burst monitors and particle detectors provide space weather information and allow study of Earthbound coronal mass ejections from the side. Each craft will be maneuvered so that STEREO-A will orbit the Sun ahead of the Earth (with an orbital period of 345 days), and STEREO-B will orbit behind the Earth (with an orbital period of 385 days). On 15 December 2006 at 13h50 UTC, STEREO B will pass 10,745 km above the lunar surface and be thrown into a 130,000 x 870,000 km x 27.9° phasing orbit. Five minutes later, STEREO A will fly 5,937 km above the Moon and enter a 180,000 x 1,750,000 km x 33.6° orbi. STEREO A will escape the Earth-Moon system around 24 December. On 21 January 2007 at 15h52 UTC, STEREO B will re-encounter the Moon with a 16,029 km altitude flyby and also end up on a departure orbit. STEREO A will end up in a 0.95 x 0.97 AU x 0.12° x 344 days orbit around the Sun, leading the Earth. STEREO B will end up in a 0.99 x 1.09 AU x 0.03° x 389 days orbit trailing the Earth.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 573 ; Spacewarn No. 636 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ;

Xinnuo 2 / Sinosat-2

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #91 ; 2006-048A ; 6,466th spacecraft.
Type:	Communications (DBS)
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	China's Sino Satellite Communications Co

Launch:	28 October 2006 at 16h20 UTC, from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, by a Chang Zheng 3B.
Orbit:	Geostationary at approximately 110° East longitude.
Mission:	Xinnuo-2 (Sinosat-2) is a 5.1-tonne (with fuel) communications satellite which carries 22 transponders to provide analog and digital television to China and Taiwan. The craft is China's first direct-to-home broadcast satellite. It is the first of a new heavy Chinese communication satellite series, DFH-4, with a communications payload by Alcatel Alenia. A month after its launch, it was revealed that the satellite failed to deploy its solar panels and communication antennae and was deemed inoperable, the Sino Satellite Communications Co. Ltd. (SinoSat), a Chinese satellite operator and the user of the SinoSat series, has said. A substitute satellite for the failed craft will take at least three years to develop, with more technical upgrades, according to a SinoSat spokesman last November.
Notes:	On 27 January 2002, Sino Satellite Communications Corp (Sinosat), a major satellite operator in Beijing, signed a contract to buy a satellite from the Chinese Academy of Space Technology to be launched in 2005 to meet mounting domestic demands for communications and broadcasting. “The move signals that the country's satellite operators are readying themselves for a new market surge for remote learning, live broadcasting and broadband Internet access,” it was reported. Founded in 1994, Sinosat is the only operator in China that owns a European-manufactured satellite - Sinosat-1. It was manufactured by Aerospatiale (France) and was delivered into orbit atop a Chinese LM-3B rocket in 1998.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 573 ; Spacewarn No. 636 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; Spaceflight.now 11 Apr 07 ; People's Daily Online's 1 Jun 07 ; China Daily's 18 Jan 02, 28 Jan 02 ;

XM 4 Blues / XM Radio 4

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #92 ; 2006-049A ; 6,467th spacecraft.
Type:	Communications (Radio Broadcast)
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	XM Satellite Radio Inc.

Launch:	30 October 2006 at 23h49 UTC, from Odyssey Launch Platform, by a Zenit 3SL/Block DM-SL. (The Odyssey platform was positioned at 154° West Longitude in the equatorial Pacific.)
Orbit:	Geostationary at 115° West Longitude
Mission:	XM 4 is a 5.2-tonne (with fuel) communications satellite which carries a 18 kW transponder to provide S-band Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS) to homes and automobiles in North America. It joins the company's existing fleet of three satellites (XM Rock, Roll and Rhythm). XM-4 transmits XM Radio's direct broadcast of digital radio programming to cars, homes, and portable radios throughout the continental United States and Canada. Built by the Boeing Satellite, the 5,193-kg spacecraft carries a high-power S-band Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS) payload provided by Alcatel Alenia Space. It had 18 kilowatts of total power at the beginning of life on orbit, replacing two co-located XM satellites currently at 115 degrees. XM-4 had a specified lifespan of 15 years. XM Satellite Radio broadcast to more than 7 million subscribers live daily from studios in Washington, DC, New York City, the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Toronto and Montreal, XM's 2006 lineup includes more than 170 digital channels of choice from coast to coast: commercial-free music, premier sports, news, talk radio, comedy, children's and entertainment programming; and the most advanced traffic and weather information.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 573 ; Spacewarn No. 636 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; XM Radio's30 Oct 06 ; Sea Launch's 30 Oct 06 ; Spaceflignt Now's

DMSP Block 5D-3 F-17 (USA 191)

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #93 ; 2006-050A ; 6,468th spacecraft.
Type:	Meteorology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	U.S. Department of Defense

Source: Lockheed Martin

Launch:	4 November 2006 at 13h53 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base< SLC-6, by a Delta IV. .
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; SpacewarnNo.637 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; Spaceflight Now<s 4 Nov 06 : Lockheed's 4 Nov 06 : Boeing's 4 Nov 06 ; Skyrocket DMSP 5D3 ;

Badr 4 (Arabsat 4B)

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #94 ; 2006-051A ; 6,469th spacecraft.
Type:	Communications
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Arabsat

Launch:	8 November 2006 at 20h01 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-200/39, by a Proton-M/Briz-M.
Orbit:	Geostationary at 26° East longitude ;
Mission:	BADR-4, formely Arabsat 4B, is a 3,280-kg communications satellite which carry 32 transponders in Ku-band for direct-to-home television services, together with voice and data services, across the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Europe. Co-located with the rest of the BADR satellites (at Arabsat's 26° East longitude), BADR-4 will provide during its 15-year expected life wider choices and new possibilities to an audience of 130 million viewers enjoying more than 240 TV channels and 90 radio stations, as well as serving all of the 324 millions inhabitants covered from Morocco and Algeria to the Arabian Gulf. The carft is the 31st Eurostar E2000+ model, built by Astrium Satellites, for the Arab Satellite Communications Organization (ARABSAT), based in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,. Alcatel Alenia Space manufactured the communications payload.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. 637 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; Spaceflight Now's 8 Nov 06 ; Arabsat's Astrium's 31 Oct 06 ; ILS's 8 Nov 06 ;

Navstar 55 (USA 192)

Spacecraft:	Navstar SVN 58 / GPS 2R-16
Chronologies:	2006 payload #95 ; 2006-052A ; 6,470th spacecraft.
Type:	Navigation
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	U.S. Department of Defense

Launch:	17 November 2006 at 19h12 UTC, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's SLC-17A, by a Delta 7925-9.5Delta 7925-9.5.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. 637 ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ;

Fengyun 2D

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #96 ; 2006-053A ; 6,471st spacecraft.
Type:	Meteorology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	China

Launch:	8 December 2006 at 0h53 UTC, from Xichang Satellite Launch Center, by a Chang Zheng 3A.
Orbit:	Geostationary at
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ;

WildBlue 1

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #97 ; 2006-054A ; 6,472nd spacecraft.
Type:	Communications (Internet)
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	WildBlue Communications

Launch:	8 December 2006 at 22h08 UTC, , from Kourou Space Center's ELA-3, by an Ariane 5 ECA.
Orbit:	Geostationary at
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; Spaceflight Now 's 8 Dec 06 ;

AMC 18

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #98 ; 2006-054B ; 6,473rd spacecraft.
Type:	Communications
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	SES Americom

Launch:	8 December 2006 at 22h08 UTC, , from Kourou Space Center's ELA-3, by an Ariane5 ECA.
Orbit:	Geostationary at
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; Spaceflight Now 's 8 Dec 06 ;

STS-116 / ISS 12A.1

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #99 ; 2006-055A ; 6,474th spacecraft.
Type:	Piloted Spaceship
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	NASA

Launch:	10 December 2006 at 1h47 UTC, from Kennedy Space Center's LC-39B, by the Space Shuttle.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ;

ITS-P5

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #100 ; n/a ; 6,475th spacecraft.
Type:	Space Station Component
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	NASA

Launch:	10 December 2006 at 1h47 UTC, from Kennedy Space Center's LC-39B, by the Space Shuttle. Deployed from Discovery payload bay and installed on the International Space Station main truss....
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ;

MEPSI 2A/2B

Spacecraft:	MEPSI stands for Microelectromechanical System-Based (MEMS) PICOSAT Inspector
Chronologies:	2006 payload #101 ; 2006-055B ; 6,476th spacecraft.
Type:	Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	U.S. Department of Defense

Launch:	10 December 2006 at 1h47 UTC, from Kennedy Space Center's LC-39B, by the Space Shuttle. Deployed from Discovery payload bay on 21 December at 0h19...
Orbit:
Mission:	MEPSI demonstrates the use of tiny (the size of a coffee cup) low-power inspection satellites that can be sent out to observe larger spacecraft. The small inspection satellites are enabled by microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and will test the functioning of small camera systems and gyros.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; STS-116 Press Kit, p. 81 ;

RAFT-1

Spacecraft:	RAFT stands for Radar Fence Transponder
Chronologies:	2006 payload #102 ; 2006-055 ; 6,477th spacecraft.
Type:	Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Students of U.S. Naval Academy

Launch:	10 December 2006 at 1h47 UTC, from Kennedy Space Center's LC-39B, by the Space Shuttle. Deployed from Discovery payload bay.on 21 December at 1h56.
Orbit:
Mission:	RAFT is a student experiment that uses picosatellites to test the Space Surveillance Radar Fenc and experimental communications transponders.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; U.S. Department of Defense

NMARS

Spacecraft:	RAFT stands for Radar Fence Transponder
Chronologies:	2006 payload #103 ; 2006-055 ; 6,478th spacecraft.
Type:	Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:

Launch:	10 December 2006 at 1h47 UTC, from Kennedy Space Center's LC-39B, by the Space Shuttle. Deployed from Discovery payload bay.on 21 December at 1h56.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; U.S. Department of Defense

ANDE-MAA

Spacecraft:	ANDE stands for Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment
Chronologies:	2006 payload #104 ; 2006-055 ; 6,479th spacecraft.
Type:	Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	U.S. Department of Defense

Launch:	10 December 2006 at 1h47 UTC, from Kennedy Space Center's LC-39B, by the Space Shuttle. Deployed from Discovery payload bay.on 21 December at 18h22..
Orbit:
Mission:	Space Test Program –H2 ANDE consists of two microsatellites launched from the Shuttle payload bay will measure the density and composition of the low-Earth orbit atmosphere while being tracked from the ground. The data will be used to better predict the movement of objects in orbit.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; STS-116 Press Kit, pp 80-1 ;

ANDE-FCAL

Spacecraft:	ANDE stands for Atmospheric Neutral Density Experiment
Chronologies:	2006 payload #105 ; 2006-055 ; 6,480th spacecraft.
Type:	Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	U.S. Department of Defense

Launch:	10 December 2006 at 1h47 UTC, from Kennedy Space Center's LC-39B, by the Space Shuttle. Deployed from Discovery payload bay.on 21 December at 18h22.
Orbit:
Mission:	Space Test Program –H2ANDE consists of two microsatellites launched from the Shuttle payload bay will measure the density and composition of the low-Earth orbit atmosphere while being tracked from the ground. The data will be used to better predict the movement of objects in orbit.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; STS-116 Press Kit, pp 80-1 ;

Measat 3

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #106 ; 2006-056A ; 6,481st spacecraft.
Type:	Communications
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Indonesia

Launch:	11 December 2006 at 23h28 UTC, from Baikonur Cosmodrome's LC-200/39, by a Proton-M/Briz-M.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; Spaceflight Now's 12 Dec 06 ;

NROL-21 (USA 193)

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #107 ; 2006-057A ; 6,482nd spacecraft.
Type:
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	U.S. National Reconnaissance Office

Launch:	14 December 2006 at 21h00 UTC, from Vandenberg Air Force Base's SLC-2W, by a Delta II 7920.
Orbit:
Mission:	See: «Revealed! Stargazer snaps splatellite», Galaxy Picture Library, 28 January 2008.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ;

TacSat 2

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #108 ; 2006-058A ; 6,483rd spacecraft.
Type:	Technology & Earth imaging
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	U.S. Air Force Research Lab

Source: KAF

Launch:	16 December 2006 at 12h00 UTC, from Wallops Island's LA-0B, by a Minotaur 1.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; Spaceflight Now's 16 Dec 06 ;

Genesat 1

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #109 ; 2006-058B ; 6,484th spacecraft.
Type:	Technology & Earth imaging
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	NASA

Launch:	16 December 2006 at 12h00 UTC, from Wallops Island's LA-0B, by a Minotaur 1.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; Spaceflight Now's 16 Dec 06 ;

ETS-8 / Kiku 8

Spacecraft:	Engineering Test Satellite (ETS) VIII
Chronologies:	2006 payload #110 ; 2006-059A ; 6,485th spacecraft.
Type:	Technology
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

Launch:	18 December 2006 at 6h32 UTC, from Tanegashima Space Center, by a H-IIA.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; Spaceflight Now's 18 Dec 06 ;

SAR-Lupe 1

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #111 ; 2006-060A ; 6,486th spacecraft.
Type:	Photo Surveillance (radar)
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	German Federal Ministry of Defense

Source: OHB-System

Launch:	19 December 2006 at 14h00 UTC, from Plesetsk Cosmodrome's LC-132/1 , by a Kosmos-3M.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; Spaceflight Now's 19 Dec 06 ; OHB-System's SAR-Lupe & SAR-Lupe 1 ;

Meridian 1 (Meridian N1)

Spacecraft:
Chronologies:	2006 payload #112 ; 2006-061A ; 6,487th spacecraft.
Type:	Communications
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:

Launch:	24 December 2006 at 8h34 UTC, from Plesetsk Cosmodrome's LC-43/4, by a Soyuz 2.1a/Fregat.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ;

Kosmos 2424

Spacecraft:	Glonass-M
Chronologies:	2006 payload #113 ; 2006-062A ; 6,488th spacecraft.
Type:	Navigation
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Russia Defense Ministry

Launch:	25 December 2006 at 20h18 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-81/24, by a Proton-K/DM-2.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 576 ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; Spaceflight Now's ;

Kosmos 2425

Spacecraft:	Glonass-M
Chronologies:	2006 payload #114 ; 2006-062A ; 6,489th spacecraft.
Type:	Navigation
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Russia Defense Ministry

Launch:	25 December 2006 at 20h18 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-81/24, by a Proton-K/DM-2.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 576 ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ;

Kosmos 2426

Spacecraft:	Glonass-M
Chronologies:	2006 payload #115 ; 2006-062A ; 6,490th spacecraft.
Type:	Navigation
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	Russia Defense Ministry

Launch:	25 December 2006 at 20h18 UTC, from Baykonur Cosmodrome's LC-81/24, by a Proton-K/DM-2.
Orbit:
Mission:
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 576 ; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ;

COROT

Spacecraft:	COnvection, ROtation des étoiles et Transits des planètes extrasolaires
Chronologies:	2006 payload #116 ; 2006-063A ; 6,491st spacecraft.
Type:	Astronomy
Families:
Ranks:
Sponsor:	France (CNES)

Source : ESA

Launch:	27 December 2006 at 14h23 UTC, from Baikonur Cosmodrome, by a Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat.
Orbit:
Mission:	On 18 June 2014, CNES announced that CoRoT will be retired from service. Although its instrument stopped sending data in November 2012, the satellite continues to function and engineers plan a series of technological experiments before switching off the spacecraft. "Engineering teams and scientifics have been unable to recover the instrument," CNES said in a press release. "A series of operations will now be performed to lower CoRoT's orbit and conduct some technology experiments before passivating the satellite. Its journey will end as it burns up on re-entry in Earth's atmosphere." The CoRoT mission was supposed to last two-and-a-half years, but it was twice extended in 2009 and 2012. Officials granted a last extension until 2016 three days before the instrument anomaly on Nov. 2, 2012. CoRoT's data set revealed 32 planets and astronomers are trying to confirm the existence of 100 more exoplanetsthey believe CoRoT detected.
Source:	Jonathan Space Report No. 576; Spacewarn No. ; National Space Science Data Center's 2006-0 ; CNES's COROT ; ESA's 27 Dec 06 ; SpaceflighNow's 2014 Stories ;

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