A Proton Breeze M launch vehicle successfully lifted the ASTRA 1M satellite into orbit today, marking the fifth mission of the year for International Launch Services (ILS).
The Proton vehicle lifted off from Pad 39 at the cosmodrome at 2:44 a.m. today local time (3:44 p.m. EST Wednesday, 20:44 GMT Wednesday). After a 9-hour-12-minute mission, the launcher released the satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit.
The satellite will eventually go into operation at 19.2 degrees East longitude for SES ASTRA of Luxembourg.
Proton is Russia's premier heavy-launch vehicle, and is manufactured by Khrunichev Space Center of Moscow. Khrunichev is the majority owner of ILS.
The ASTRA 1M mission is the third launch for ILS since mid-August. Although the satellites were for different customers, all three were built on the Eurostar 3000 bus by EADS Astrium of France. In addition to the ILS launches, there was one Russian federal mission on Proton during that time frame as well.
"SES is a long-time customer, and in fact was the first ILS customer to launch on Proton," said ILS President Frank McKenna. "We thank SES for its confidence in Proton and for supporting us during our return-to-flight activities, the implementation of the Khrunichev Quality Initiative and now the successful launch of ASTRA 1M."
"We are very proud and satisfied that the ASTRA 1M launch has been a success," said Ferdinand Kayser, president and CEO of SES ASTRA.
"ASTRA 1M will benefit our customers and allow them to broadcast additional high-definition channels. The success of the ASTRA 1M launch is an important milestone for SES ASTRA and we would like to underline the very good cooperation with our launch partners, International Launch Services and EADS ASTRIUM."
Three Carolinas companies have partnered to bring the first large-scale solar energy project to Western North Carolina. Progress Energy Carolinas has signed an agreement with FLS Energy to purchase the output from a 1-megawatt (MW) solar power plant on the site of a now-closed landfill in Haywood County owned by Evergreen Packaging.
FLS Energy, based in Black Mountain, will build, own and operate the solar photovoltaic (PV) array and sell the energy produced to the utility for distribution to customers.
"Progress Energy is moving forward aggressively in pursuing renewable energy as part of a balanced strategy for meeting the region's growing energy needs reliably, affordably and in an environmentally responsible fashion," said Robert Sipes, vice president for Progress Energy Carolinas' western N.C. region.
"This is the third megawatt-sized solar project we have signed this year. It combines an important emerging technology with an outstanding location, and we're pleased to be part of it. We're pursuing technology, partnerships and other agreements to expand the use of renewable energy in North Carolina. Innovative projects such as this one will be critical in meeting our state's objectives for renewable energy in the future."
The FLS Energy solar farm will include 3,288 PV panels installed on about seven acres at the closed landfill. Evergreen Packaging, located near Canton, will lease the land to FLS Energy for 20 years, the term of the power-purchase agreement. This PV array is expected to start producing electricity in the spring of 2009.
FLS Energy President Michael Shore said, "Solar energy is a critical component in our energy future. FLS Energy is extremely proud to be at the forefront of commercial solar development in our region. Expanding solar energy will improve our nation's energy security and reduce global warming pollution."
"Energy costs and environmental concerns are critical to every business," said Derric Brown, the director of Health and Environmental Safety for Evergreen Packaging. "We are happy to make this site available for a project that is good for Western North Carolina now and in the future. It is an excellent re-use of a closed landfill site."
A PV array is a collection of solar cells, each consisting of thin layers of semiconducting material (silicon) that generate electricity when exposed to sunlight. This 1-MW array is expected to produce more than 1.6 million kilowatt-hours of electricity over the course of a year.
An average home in Progress Energy Carolinas' service area uses about 14,200 kWh in a year. In addition to its investment in solar power generation, Progress Energy will be testing battery storage technology so that solar power generated when the sun is shining can be stored and used at other times when customers need it.
FLS Energy proposed the latest solar PV project in response to Progress Energy Carolinas' request for renewable energy proposals, which is part of the company's plan to meet the requirements of Senate Bill 3, North Carolina's clean energy law signed into law by Governor Easley in August of 2007.
The law established a renewable and energy-efficiency portfolio standard, which requires utilities to provide a portion of their energy sales using renewable energy sources and energy efficiency. For Progress Energy Carolinas, that portion grows from 3 percent of total energy sales in 2012 to 12.5 percent in 2021. For solar-generated energy, the requirement begins in 2010.
Google on Monday brought the popular Google Earth application to Apple's iPhone, allowing users to fly around the globe with just a touch of the screen.
Google Earth for the iPhone and iPod Touch is available for free in 18 languages and 22 countries through the iTunes App Store, Google said in a posting on the official blog of the Mountain View, California-based company.
"With just a swipe of your finger you can fly from Peoria to Paris to Papua New Guinea, or anywhere in between," the posting said.
"It may be small, but it brings all the power of Google Earth to the palm of your hand, including all of the same global imagery and 3D terrain," it added.
Just by touching the screen, a user can move from point to point around the world, zooming in or out by pinching the screen and tilting the device to get a 3D view of mountainous terrain.
The "My Location" feature instantly shows a user's real world location while Google Local Search helps locate nearby places, businesses and landmarks.
More than eight million photos pictures of landmarks and scenery are integrated into the phone allowing users to take a "virtual tour" of the world.
A Proton Breeze M launch vehicle successfully lifted the ASTRA 1M satellite into orbit today, marking the fifth mission of the year for International Launch Services (ILS).
