Five foreign satellites will be launched from Baikonur cosmodrome at 2 p.m. Moscow time on Friday with a Russian intercontinental ballistic missile SS-18.
The press service of the Strategic Rocket Force told Interfax that the missile serving as a prototype of the new Dnepr class of light booster-rockets will carry small space probes belonging to Italy, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.
This will be a space debut for Saudi Arabia and Malaysia these being the first satellites made in those countries to be taken to space.
Two satellites will be launched for Italy. The 56-kilo Megsat is designed for environmental monitoring and data transmission for commercial purposes. The 10-kilo Unisat will perform educational and scientific tasks of the university of Rome.
Two 10-kilo satellites – Saudisat-1A and Saudisat-1B – of the Saudi Arabian Space Research Institute were also designed for educational and scientific purposes.
The fifth satellite, 52-kilo Tingsat, is owned by a Malaysian government company and will be used for long-distance probing of the earth.
The press service said that the it will be the third launching of the SS-18 rocket under the Dnepr program in three years. In addition to its commercial purpose it will a test launch for the missile itself aimed at prolonging its service life in the Armed Forces by a year. The press service stressed that testing is the main task for the combat use of the system.
The Russian government passed a resolution in October 1998 on developing the Dnepr space system on the basis of converting the SS-18 ballistic missile. The system consists of the missile, silo and launching pad of the so-called mortar type. The launching system as well as the missile were somewhat altered for launching satellites.
The press service said that the SS-18 will be given the name Dnepr after the completion of the required series of testing and certification.
Copyright 2000
