A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying an Argentine satellite has blasted off from California. The primary purpose of Sunday's mission is to place the SAOCOM 1A satellite into orbit, but SpaceX will also try for the first time to bring the Falcon's first stage back to a landing at the Vandenberg Air Force Base launch site.
A specially designed software to help detect, monitor and identify jiggers operating in international waters in the South Atlantic was presented at a meeting organized by Argentina's National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, INIDEP together with the country's Space Research national commission, partners in the development.
A space tracking station for lunar exploration being built in Argentine Patagonia by China, as part of the strategic relation and accords between the two countries, has caused concern in the Argentine congress because of the secrecy surrounding the terms of the deal.
An Argentine bondholder seeking to collect on hundreds of millions of dollars in judgments stemming from the country's historic 2002 default filed a lawsuit on Tuesday aiming to take control of the country's rights under a contract for satellite launches with a private US firm.
The joint Argentine/US satellite Aquarius/SAC-D (Satellite de Aplicaciones Cientaficas) mission was successfully launched Friday from Vandenberg military air base in California. Argentine president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said the Argentines “on this day should feel happy and proud”.