On December 25, 2014 at 03:01 UTC the “Soyuz-2.1b” rocket-carrier was launched from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Arkhangelsk region, North Russia. The launch was performed by Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. The rocket orbited the “Lotos-S” reconnaissance satellite. Although Russian authorities identified the payload as a communications satellite, but independent observers believe it is the second platform in a new series of spacecraft designed to eavesdrop on radio transmissions.

On December 23, 2014 at 05:57 UTC the Russian “Angara-A5” new rocket-carrier was launched from Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Arkhangelsk region, North Russia. The launch was performed by Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. The rocket equipped with the “Breeze-M” upper stage put a dummy satellite into geostationary orbit 22,300 miles over the equator. Weighing 773 metric tons (852 tons) when filled with kerosene, liquid oxygen and hypergolic propellants, the Angara 5 is the biggest Russian launcher to debut since the Energia rocket for the Soviet Union’s Buran space shuttle flew in the late 1980s.

On December 19, 2014 at 04:43 UTC the Russian "Strela” rocket was launched from an underground missile silo at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The rocket orbited the “Kondor-E”, a Russian-built radar surveillance satellite built for the South African military. The “Strela” rocket, which means “Arrow” in Russian, is a three-stage rocket developed by NPO Mash, derived from the UR-100NUTTKh intercontinental ballistic missile.

On December 18, 2014 at 18:37 UTC the Russian "Soyuz-ST-B” rocket- carrier was launched from Kourou space center in French Guiana. The rocket equipped with the “Fregat-MT” booster orbited four O3b communication satellites. O3b Networks initiated commercial service on its state-of-the-art constellation across the Pacific, Africa, the Middle East and Asia in September of this year.

On December 15, 2014 at 00:16 UTC the Russian "Proton-M” rocket-carrier was launched from Baykonur Cosmodrome. The rocket equipped with the "Briz-M” booster orbited the “Yamal-401” telecommunication satellite to provide services to users in Russia and CIS countries. The Proton vehicle has a deep heritage, with this latest mission marking 400 launches since its inception in 1965.

On December 13, 2014 at 03:19 UTC the " Atlas-5” rocket-carrier was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA. The launch was performed by United Launch Alliance supported by the 30th Space Wing of US Air Force. The rocket orbited a spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office (NROL-35). After orbiting, the spacecraft was named as USA-259.

On December 10, 2014, at 19:33 UTC the “Long March – 4C” (“Changzheng-4C”) rocket-carrier was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, Gansu Province, the northwest of China. The rocket orbited the “Yaogan-25” remote sensing satellites. The Yaogan Weixing-25 mission is composed of three satellites, with Chinese media referring to the new satellite as “a new remote sensing bird that will be used for scientific experiments, land survey, crop yield assessment, and disaster monitoring.” The designation of the Yaogan Weixing series is used to hide the true military nature of the satellites. Designed for locating and tracking foreign warships the satellites will collect the optical and radio electronic signatures of the maritime vessels that will be used in conjunction with other information valuable for the Chinese maritime forces. ... Read more »

On December 07, 2014 at 03:26 UTC the “Long March – 2B” (“Changzheng-2B”) rocket-carrier was launched from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province. The rocket orbited the CBERS-4 (China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite) satellite.

On December 06, 2014 at 20:40 UTC the “Ariane-5ECA” rocket-carrier was launched from Kourou Cosmodrome in French Guiana. The rocket orbited the “DIRECT-14” and the “GSAT-16” telecommunications satellites.

Belgium post cards flown aboard the International Space Station.

First these 2 post cards were cancelled in the Post Office of Brussels International airport on 15 October 2013. The cards were addressed to Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov who was aboard the International Space Station at that time. Being delivered to Russia the cards were handed over to the cosmonaut’s family. Then the cards were put into the Russian “Progress M-21M” un ... Read more »