200905 May/June 2009 Archives - Inside GNSS - Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engineering, Policy, and Design

200905 May/June 2009

April 18, 2009

China Launches Second Compass (Beidou-2) Satellite in $1.46 Billion First Phase

Compass-G2 Launch, April 15, 2009 (Xinhua/Li Gang photo)

Launch of a second modernized Compass (Beidou 2) satellite on April 14 — this one a geostationary spacecraft — marks the return of China to its GNSS launch program two years after the initial venture into space.

Designated Compass G2 — reflecting the geostationary nature of its intended orbital position about 22,300 miles above the equator, the satellite lifted off at 16:16 UTC aboard a Long March 3C rocket from the Xichang launch base in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, according to China’s state news agency Xinhua.

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By Inside GNSS
March 26, 2009

European Court of Auditors Lambastes Galileo Satellite Navigation Program

European Court of Auditors, Luxembourg

Here’s an interesting document: Preliminary observations on “The management of the Galileo programme’s development and validation phase,” adopted at its January 21–22 meeting by the European Court of Auditors (ECA).

If you’re the kind of person who wakes up in a strange room after a night on the town and wonders how you got there, you’ll want to take in the full 50-page report and six addenda.

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By Inside GNSS
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