Nine Launches Set for May
Proton rocket
Nine launches are scheduled worldwide for the month of May. The manifest includes three launches by American providers, three by Russia, one joint Russian-Ukrainian flight, and one launch each by Japan and Europe.
The U.S. launches include six Orbcomm OG2 communications satellites by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, and a pair of military satellites to be launched by ULA’s Atlas V and Delta V rockets.
The Russian launches include a new crew to the International Space Station, two communications satellites (1 with Ukraine), and a reconnaissance satellite. Arianespace will launch a pair of communications satellites with Ariane 5, while the Japanese H-2A will launch the ALOS 2 Earth observing spacecraft.
There have been 24 orbital launches through April, all successful. That number will rise to 33 if all scheduled launches are completed in May.
| MAY 2014 — SCHEDULED LAUNCHES | ||||
| Date | Launch Vehicle | Payload(s) | Launch Site | Nation |
| 05/06/14 | Soyuz | Kobalt reconnaissance satellite | Plesetsk | Russia |
| 05/10/14 | Falcon 9 | Orbcomm OG2 commsats (6) | CCAFS | USA |
| 05/15/14 | Proton | Express AM4R commsat | Baikonur | Russia |
| 05/15/14 | Delta 4 | GPS 2F-6 navigation satellite | CCAFS | USA |
| 05/22/14 | Atlas V | NROL-33 reconnaissance satellite | CCAFS | USA |
| 05/23/14 | H-2A | ALOS 2 Earth observing satellite | Tanegashima | Japan |
| 05/26/14 | Zenit 3SL | Eutelsat 3B commsat | Odyssey Platform, Pacific Ocean |
Russia/Ukraine |
| 05/28/14 | Soyuz | ISS 39S crew | Baikonur | Russia |
| 05/28/14 | Ariane 5 | Measat 3b & Optus 10 commsats | Kourou | Europe |
