Japan enters commercial space race

post from Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News on 16 May 2012 05:16:00 AM. © Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News

Tokyo (AFP) May 16, 2012
Japan will put a commercial satellite into space on Friday, officials said, in its first foray into the European- and Russian-dominated world of contract launches. The H-IIA rocket, which was developed by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and has been launched 20 times since 2001, will carry a South Korean payload, a JAXA official said. The satellite, the KOMPSAT-3, was developed

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China confirms plans to build own orbital station

post from Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News on 16 May 2012 05:16:00 AM. © Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News

Moscow (RIA Novosti) May 15, 2012
Chinese space officials have confirmed plans to build a 60-ton space station by 2020 and develop a space freighter for hauling supplies to the station, the China Daily newspaper said on Tuesday. The China Manned Space Engineering Office unveiled on Monday a blueprint of the future orbital station, which will comprise an 18.1-meter core module and two 14.4-meter lab modules. "The 60-t

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Ariane rocket launches two Asian satellites

post from Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News on 16 May 2012 05:16:00 AM. © Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News

Paris (AFP) May 15, 2012
An Ariane 5 rocket successfully launched two Asian telecoms satellites into orbit from the Kourou space centre in French Guiana on Tuesday, European operator Arianespace announced. The second Ariane launch of the year lifted off at 7:13 pm local time (2213 GMT). It placed into orbit two geostationary satellites - the JCSAT-13 for the Japanese SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation and the VINASAT

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