Dec. 5/6 Atlas 5 • NROL-39
Launch time: 0713 GMT on 6th (2:13 a.m. EST; 11:13 p.m. PST on 5th)
Launch site: SLC-3E, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, designated AV-042, will launch a
classified spacecraft payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. The
rocket will fly in the 501 vehicle configuration with a five-meter fairing, no
solid rocket boosters and a single-engine Centaur upper stage. See our Mission
Status Center. [Dec. 2]
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Dec. 8 Proton • Inmarsat 5 F1
Launch time: 1212 GMT (7:12 a.m. EST)
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
An International Launch Services Proton rocket with a Breeze M upper stage will
deploy the Inmarsat 5 F1 communications satellite for Inmarsat of London. [Oct.
3]
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Dec. 8/9 Long March 4B • CBERS 3
Launch time: 0326 GMT on 9th (10:26 p.m. EST on 8th)
Launch site: Taiyuan, China
A Chinese Long March 4B rocket will launch the CBERS 3 remote sensing satellite.
CBERS 3 is the third China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite for the collection
of global imagery for environmental, urban planning and agricultural
applications. Delayed from December 2012, January, February and October. Moved
forward from Dec. 27. [Nov. 14]
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Dec. 17/18 Antares • Orb-1
Launch time: 0307 GMT on 18th (10:07 p.m. EST on 17th)
Launch site: Pad 0A, Wallops Island, Virginia
The Orbital Sciences Antares rocket will launch the second Cygnus cargo
freighter on the first operational cargo delivery flight to the International
Space Station. The mission is known as Orb-1. The Antares rocket will fly an
upgraded Castor 30B second stage motor for the first time. Delayed from November
and Dec. 8. [Nov. 28]
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Dec. 19 Soyuz • Gaia
Launch time: 0912:18 GMT (4:12:18 a.m. EST)
Launch site: ELS, Sinnamary, French Guiana
An Arianespace Soyuz rocket, designated VS06, will launch on a mission from the
Guiana Space Center in South America. The Soyuz will launch the Gaia mission,
which will survey more than one billion stars, creating an astronomical census
and map to help scientists chart the evolution of the Milky Way galaxy. The
Soyuz 2-1b rocket will use a Fregat upper stage. Arianespace will oversee the
launch. Delayed from Sept. 19 and Nov. 20. Moved forward from Dec. 20. [Nov. 22]
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Dec. 20 Falcon 9 • Thaicom 6
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Thaicom 6 communications satellite.
Thaicom 6 will provide C-band and Ku-band communications services across
Southeast Asia and Africa. The rocket will fly in the Falcon 9 v1.1
configuration with upgraded Merlin 1D engines, stretched fuel tanks, and a
payload fairing. Delayed from August, October and Dec. 12. [Nov. 24]
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Dec. 20 Long March 3B • Tupac Katari
Launch time: 1702 GMT (12:02 p.m. EST)
Launch site: Xichang, China
A Chinese Long March 3B/E rocket will launch the Tupac Katari communications
satellite for the government of Bolivia. [Oct. 3]
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Dec. 23 Soyuz 2-1v • AIST & Calibration Spheres
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia
A Russian government Soyuz 2-1v rocket with a Volga upper stage will launch with
the AIST student-built microsatellite and SKRL 756 calibration spheres. The
Soyuz 2-1v rocket and Volga upper stage will be making their first flight. The
new rocket is a smaller version of the Soyuz launch vehicle without strap-on
boosters. [Nov. 28]
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Dec. 26 Proton • Express AM5
Launch time: 1050 GMT (5:50 a.m. EST)
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
A Russian government Proton rocket with a Breeze M upper stage will deploy the
Express AM5 civil communications satellite for the Russian Satellite
Communications Co. [Nov. 21]
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December Long March 4B • Gaofen 2
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Taiyuan, China
A Chinese Long March 4B rocket will launch the Gaofen 2 high-resolution remote
sensing satellite. Gaofen 2 will collect high-resolution images of Earth's
surface for research and civil government applications. The main users of the
satellite are the Chinese Ministry of Land and Resources, the Chinese Ministry
of Agriculture, and the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection. [Nov. 7]
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January GSLV • GSAT 14
Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India
India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), flying on the GSLV-D5
mission, will launch the GSAT 14 communications satellite. The rocket will fly
in the GSLV Mk.2 configuration with an Indian-built cryogenic third stage.
Delayed from October, December, January, February, April, July and Aug. 6.
Scrubbed on Aug. 19 by second stage fuel leak. Delayed from Dec. 15. [Dec. 5]
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TBD Delta 4 • GPS 2F-5
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: SLC-37B, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
A United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket will deploy the Air Force's fifth Block
2F navigation satellite for the Global Positioning System. The rocket will fly
in the Medium+ (4,2) configuration with two solid rocket boosters. Delayed from
Oct. 17, Oct. 23 and Dec. 12. [Dec. 5]
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TBD H-2A • ALOS 2
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: Tanegashima Space Center, Japan
A Japanese H-2A rocket will launch the second Advanced Land Observing Satellite
for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. ALOS 2 carries a high-resolution
radar payload for environmental, infrastructure and disaster monitoring. [Jan.
4]
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January Ariane 5 • ASTRA 5B & Amazonas 4A
Launch window: TBD
Launch site: ELA-3, Kourou, French Guiana
Arianespace will use an Ariane 5 ECA rocket, designated VA216, to launch the
ASTRA 5B and Amazonas 4A satellites. ASTRA 5B will provide Ku-band and Ka-band
television broadcasting services for SES of Luxembourg, and the satellite hosts
an L-band navigation payload for the European Commission's European
Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS). Amazonas 4A will expand
Ku-band broadcast television services over Latin America for Hispasat of Madrid.
Moved forward from Dec. 13. Delayed from Dec. 6. [Nov. 14]
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Launch information supplied by:
http://spaceflightnow.com/tracking/
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