Jun 19 2003
From The Space Library
Russia's Space Forces launched a Molniya 3-53 military communications satellite aboard a four-stage Molniya-M rocket from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk region of Russia. Molniya 3-53 was the second Molniya communications satellite launched in 2003.(Spacewarn Bulletin, no. 596; Associated Press, “Russia Lofts Military Payload from Plesetsk, Makes Plans for Commercial South American Shots,” 20 June 2003; Stephen Clark, “Molniya Satellite Deployed from Plesetsk Spaceport,” Spaceflight Now, 20 June 2003.
NASA released topographic data collected during its Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), which had lasted from 11 to 22 February 2000, producing three-dimensional measurements of more than 80 percent of Earth's landmass between 60° north and 56° south of the equator. Because of South America's proximity to the equator and its frequent tropical cloud cover, traditional satellites had encountered difficulty acquiring imagery of its topography, but the cloud-penetrating radar on board the SRTM had produced information with scientific and commercial value that would help improve life on the continent. SRTM Project Scientist Michael Kobrick of NASA's JPL remarked that the data would assist governments to prepare for natural hazards like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and floods. In addition, the information would help improve aviation safety in mountainous areas, and would help land-use planners make better-informed decisions about the development of critical infrastructure. The mission was a cooperative project of NASA, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) of the U.S. DOD, and the German and Italian space agencies. (NASA, “South America Shines in NASA's Latest Space Radar Map Release,” news release 03-204, 19 June 2003, http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2003/jun/HQ_03204_S_Amer_Space_Radar.html (accessed 12 December 2008).
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