Launch Date Not Yet Determined For Proton-M Carrying WorldSat-3

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File photo of a Proton M rocket with Briz-M booster being erected for launch.

Moscow (SPX) Dec 08, 2005
The launch date for a Proton-M rocket carrying a U.S. AMC-23 satellite (WorldSat-3) has yet to be determined, Russia's Federal Space Agency said Wednesday, reports RIA Novosti.

According to a statement posted on the agency's Web site, technical teams at the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan are preparing to replace a faulty device on the rocket's Briz-M booster.

The rocket is currently at a fuelling station near testing area 92A-50. The crews will first drain the rocket's fuel tanks, detach the booster from the main body, and then start replacing the faulty equipment, the statement said.

The scheduled launch was postponed on December 6 due to technical faults in the booster.

Proton-M carrier rockets and Briz-M boosters are manufactured by the Russian Khrunichev Space Center.

Launch services are provided under contract with the International Launch Services (ILS) joint venture, which includes Lockheed Martin and Khrunichev.

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Arianespace Ready To Add Soyuz To It's Launch Fleet

Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 08, 2005
Plans for the first launch of an evolved Soyuz from French Guiana in 2008 are moving ahead smoothly, laying a key cornerstone in Arianespace's new total launch solutions strategy to win an even greater share of the market.