They shifted the satellite launches back to unmanned rockets.
A satellite launched 20 years later revealed an understanding of our world that went far beyond science books.
A second satellite will launch in 2013 and its orbit around the globe will be off set from the first by 180 degrees.
The satellites as launched varied in mass from 1845 to 1900 kilograms.
These were the largest commercial telecommunications satellites ever launched.
The satellite launched today was thrust into a preliminary orbit ranging from about 104 to 22,300 miles high.
The satellite launched today is expected to go into operation in six weeks in its orbit 22,300 miles above the equator.
Neither the stranded satellite nor the one launched today were insured.
Sputnik 1, while the first satellite ever launched, did not conduct Earth science.
This satellite launched after a series of other amateur satellites, only this operational now.
