LAUNCH CENTER

Success

Wed Dec 24 1997

Strategic Rocket Forces

EarlyBird

Launch Successful

LAUNCH PREVIEW

Launch Time

(1:32 PM UTC)

Launch Window Start

(1:32 PM UTC)

Launch Window End

(1:32 PM UTC)

RECOVERY OVERVIEW

Location

No Recovery Specified

Type

No Recovery Specified

Rocket Details

Name:

Start-1

Description:

Start-1 is a Russian satellite launch vehicle based on the RT-2PM Topol, a Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile developed by Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology.

MISSION OVERVIEW

Type: Earth Science
EarlyBird 1, a remote sensing satellite built by CTA Space Systems (now part of Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC)) for EarthWatch, Inc., was to provide high resolution commercial imagery. EarthWatch planed to offer black-and-white images with a resolution as high as 3 meters per pixel, and color images with a resolution of 15 meters per pixel. The imaging sensor was derived from NASA's cancelled Clark satellite.

COMPLEX OVERVIEW

Location

Svobodny Cosmodrome, Russian Federation

Pad