Ukraine and Russia forge new launch contract
Washington, DC Nov. 8, 1997 -
 Washington, DC Nov. 8, 1997 - A new joint venture to sell converted former Soviet SS-18 ballistic missiles as commercial smallsat boosters was signed today, the Interfax News Agency reported from Moscow. Interfax quoted the head of the Ukrainian National Space Agency, Alexander Negota, as saying the deal was a 50-50 venture of the Yuzhnoye and Yuzhmash design bureaus, as well as other rocket engine and component makers, equally from both nations.
The SS-18 missiles converted as space launchers will fly 20 missions for
the Teledesic mobile satellite network, beginning in 1998. The new venture
was named Kosmotras, and the name for the converted missiles was given as
Dnepr.
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Iridium batch of five launched by 250th Delta
Vandenberg Air Force Base, Nov 8, 1997 --
The 250th Delta expendable launch vehicle successfully carried five satellites into orbit today at 5:34:26 p.m. PST, from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. "Delta 250 is more than a milestone for us," said Gale Schluter, vice president of Boeing Expendable Launch Systems. "The teamwork and cooperation between the Boeing Delta team, our customers and our suppliers has made 250 launches possible. It is that same teamwork and dedication to bringing a quality product to the market that will carry Delta rockets into the next millennium."
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