On December 12, 2011 at 01:21 UTC the H-2A (202) rocket-carrier was launched by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries from Tanegashima Space Center in the southwestern Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The rocket orbited the IGS Radar-3 satellite. The radar satellite launch was believed to be an attempt by the Japanese government to hone its intelligence-gathering capabilities. It will also play a role in collecting data on natural disasters.
On December 11, 2011 at 11:16 UTC the Russian "Proton-M” rocket-carrier was launched from Baykonur Cosmodrome. The rocket equipped with the "Briz-M” booster orbited the "Luch-5A” communication satellite and the "AMOS-5” communication satellite.
The Russian "Luch-5A” satellite will provide connections to lower-orbiting spacecraft beneath it, like the Russian segment of the International Space Station and the country's other satellites when they are flying outside of ground-based tracking stations. Manufactured by the Russian Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems Co., Luch-5A spacecraft weighs about 950 kilograms and has a 10-year design life.
The AMOS-5 is the latest spacecraft in the growing communications fleet for Israeli operator Space-Communication Ltd. of Tel Aviv. Built by the Russian Reshetnev Informa
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On December 7, 2011 Chairman of the FIP Section for Astrophilately, Igor Rodin had a meeting with Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Samokutyayev.
The meeting took place in Star city (Zvyozdny gorodok). Cosmonaut Samokutyayev who had spent in space 164 days and had returned to Earth on September 16, 2011, told about his mission aboard the ISS as well as about Astrophilatelic activities during his space flight.
The cosmonaut postmarked covers aboard the ISS in the frames of so-called symbolic activities in according to the request of Russian Space Agency as well as the "Energy” Space Corporation. Aleksandr Samokutyayev handed over 2 flown covers to Igor Rodin’s collecti
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Date: 08.12.2011
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On December 1, 2011 at 21:07 UTC (on December 2 at 05:07 Beijing Time) the Chang Zheng-3A (Long March-3A) rocket-carrier was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the southwestern Sichuan Province, China.
The rocket orbited the "Beidou-2 G10” navigation satellite. It is the 10th satellite of its indigenous global navigation and positioning network known as Beidou, or Compass system.
The global satellite positioning and navigation system will be completed in 2020 with 30 satellites orbiting the earth. Started in 2000, the Beidou satellite navigation system is designed to break China's dependence on the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS).
On November 29, 2011 at 18:50 UTC (on November 30 at 02:50 Beijing time) the Chang Zheng-2C (Long March-2C) rocket-carrier was launched from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the northern province of Shanxi, China.
The rocket orbited the "Yaogan XIII” remote-sensing satellite. The satellite will be used to conduct scientific experiments, carry out surveys on land resources, monitor crop yields and help with natural disaster-reduction and prevention.
The Long March 2C rocket was produced by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. This launch is the 152th mission of Long-March-series rockets.
His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco thanked Chairman of the FIP Section for Astrophilately, Igor Rodin, for his Astrophilatelic exhibit at MonacoPhil 2011, December 2, 2011.
On November 28, 2011 at 08:25 UTC the "Soyuz-2.1b” rocket-carrier was launched from Russian Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The rocket equipped with the "Fregat” booster orbited the "Glonass-M” navigation satellite. The Glonass-M will augment a group of 30 Glonass satellites already in orbit. This was the last launch of a Glonass satellite this year.
Glonass is Russia's answer to the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS, and is designed for both military and civilian uses. Both systems allow users to determine their positions to within a few meters. Russia’s Glonass system currently has 23 operational satellites, while a total of 24 is needed to provide global coverage.
On November 26, 2011 at 15:02 UTC the US "Curiosity” Mars rover was launched from complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station by United Launch Alliance.
The NASA's $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover was orbited by the "Atlas-5” rocket-carrier and began an eight-and-a-half-month 352-million-mile voyage to the red plane. Engineers received data from the MSL showing that all systems are operating normally.
NASA image
The rover is to spend two Earth years on the surface of Mars search
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On November 25, 2011 at 19:10 UTC the "Proton-M” rocket-carrier was launched from Baykonur Cosmodrome. The rocket orbited the "AsiaSat-7” satellite. The satellite is to broadcast television across a swath of the globe from Israel to New Zealand. It was built by the US "Space Systems/Loral” company for Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat).
