OrbitalHub

NASA dixit:

“The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) atop an Atlas V rocket was launched successfully from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 1:02 p.m. EST on Monday, Feb. 11. LDCM is a collaboration between NASA and the Department of the Interior\’s U.S. Geological Survey. The mission will continue the Landsat program\’s 40-year continuous data record by Earth\’s landscapes by satellite from space. LDCM will expand and improve on that record with observations that advance a wide range of Earth sciences and contribute to the management of agriculture, water and forest resources.”

Credit: NASA

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On February 11, 2013, an automated Russian cargo ship, Progress M-18M, docked to the International Space Station six hours after its launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Progress carried more than 2.5 tonnes of cargo: scientific equipment and spare parts for the station, fuel to maintain station orbit, food, water, and air for the station crew.

Credit: NASA / Roscosmos

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The Progress M-17M resupply spacecraft, which arrived at the station last August, departed the Pirs docking compartment, part of the Russian segment, on Saturday, February 9, 2013. The Progress left orbit three hours later and burned up above the Pacific Ocean.

Credit: NASA / Roscosmos

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On February 6, 2013, a Soyuz-2-1A/Fregat launch vehicle lifted off from Baikonur with a cluster of six second-generation Globalstar satellites. This launch completed the deployment of the second-generation fleet of satellites. Globalstar provides satellite phone and low-speed data communications services.

Credit: Roscosmos

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NASA dixit:

“NASA is preparing to launch the first in a series of three third generation advanced Tracking and Data Relay Satellites, known as TDRS-K. This latest addition to the fleet of seven will augment a space communications network that provides the critical path for high data-rate communication to the International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope, past shuttle missions and a host of other spacecraft. It has been 10 years since NASA last launched a TDRS. This launch is the beginning of a welcome replenishment to the space network, which has served numerous national and international space missions since 1983.”

Credit: NASA

Read more about TDRS-K…

They will always be remembered…

Apollo 1 (January 27, 1967)

Virgil “Gus” Grissom – Commander, Edward White – Command Pilot, Roger Chaffee – Pilot

STS-51 L (January 28, 1986)

Francis R. Scobee – Commander, Michael J. Smith – Pilot, Judith A. Resnik – Mission Specialist 1, Ellison Onizuka – Mission Specialist 2, Ronald E. McNair – Mission Specialist 3, Gregory B. Jarvis – Payload Specialist 1, Sharon Christa McAuliffe – Payload Specialist 2

STS-107 (February 1, 2003)

Rick D. Husband – Commander, William C. McCool – Pilot, Michael P. Anderson – Payload Commander, David M. Brown – Mission Specialist 1, Kalpana Chawla – Mission Specialist 2, Laurel Clark – Mission Specialist 3, Ilan Ramon – Payload Specialist 1