Belarus to launch second space satellite in 2009

The second Belarusian space satellite is expected to be launched in 2009, Sergei Zolotoi, Chief Designer of the BelKA space satellite, Director of Geoinformational Systems company of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, told a press conference in Moscow. The satellite will be placed into orbit by a Russian booster Rokot, which will be launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome. “Regretfully, the first project has not been implemented and work is in progress to build a new spacecraft. Its name will be different as using an old name for a new project is a bad omen,” said Sergei Zolotoi. He remarked, Belarus is creating not only the spacecraft itself but also the ground infrastructure necessary to control the spacecraft and download data. According to Sergei Zolotoi, the new spacecraft will be twice as light, more manoeuvrable and will have new capabilities. The special equipment will be the same.

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