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STS-106: Making the station a home in space
Following the Russian Zvezda service module's long-awaited launch to serve as the station's living quarters, Atlantis pays a visit in September 2000 to prepare the complex for arrival of the first resident crew.
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STS-101: ISS service call
An impromptu maintenance mission to the new space station was flown by Atlantis in May 2000. The astronauts narrate their mission highlights.
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STS-96: First ISS docking
The first shuttle mission to dock with the fledgling International Space Station came in May 1999 when Discovery linked up with the two-module orbiting outpost. The STS-96 crew tells story of the mission.
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STS-88: Building the ISS
Construction of the International Space Station commenced with Russia's Zarya module launching aboard a Proton rocket and shuttle Endeavour bringing up the American Unity connecting hub. STS-88 crew narrates highlights from the historic first steps in building the outpost.
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Delta 4-Heavy launch
The first operational Delta 4-Heavy rocket launches the final Defense Support Program missile warning satellite for the Air Force.
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Covert satellite for Israel launched by Indian rocket
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: January 21, 2008
The PSLV rocket fires up. Credit: ISRO
An Israeli spy satellite designed to scout enemy military activity in the face of darkness and poor weather was successfully launched aboard an Indian rocket Monday during a mission shrouded in a veil of secrecy. The covert payload, wrapped inside the nose of India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, lifted off at 0345 GMT Monday (10:45 p.m. EST Sunday) from the Satish Dhawan Space Center on Sriharikota Island off India's east coast, Indian news reports said. The 146-foot-tall rocket's four stages propelled the booster into orbit, and the TECSAR satellite was cast free of the PSLV's upper stage as planned about 20 minutes after liftoff. Officials declared the mission a complete success, achieving an elliptical orbit with a high point of 360 miles, a low point of 280 miles and inclination of 41 degrees to the equator. Israeli and Indian government agencies made no official announcement of an imminent launch prior to Monday's mission. A report last month indicated the flight was postponed several months due to concerns voiced by U.S. political leaders, but Indian officials immediately quashed those claims, blaming the delays on technical glitches. TECSAR is fitted with a large dish-like antenna to transmit and receive radar signals that can penetrate darkness and thick clouds. Built by Israel Aerospace Industries, the roughly 700-pound satellite is the first such spacecraft for the Israeli government. Space-based radar payloads allow intelligence analysts access to fresh imagery 24 hours a day, no matter the weather conditions. Also called Polaris, the satellite joins a fleet of Israeli optical reconnaissance satellites that can resolve ground objects as small as two feet. TechSAR's X-band radar system is believed to have a maximum resolution below four inches, according a report in the Jerusalem Post. Previous Israeli news reports said the new satellite will help keep tabs on military activity inside Iran and Syria.
Israel has today launched an advanced spy satellite, named TecSAR, into orbit on board India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. The PSLV successfully launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 3:45 a.m. GMT today, with a successful cast off from the launch rocket at around 4:05 a.m. GMT. Israel Aerospace Industries report that the first signals were received 80 minutes after the launch, present at which were both Israeli and Indian space engineers.

The launch was delayed several times for unclear reasons. At one point, it was rumoured that the launch had been cancelled completely due to pressure from the US Government. Indian and Israeli authorities denied this, however, citing technical problems instead.

The satellite, also referred to as Polaris, is equipped with the latest in spy technology, including Synthetic aperture radar, which can be used to provide details information on ground cover. The ''BBC'' also reports "enhanced footage technology" - which allows Israel to receive video and images at any time of day or night, and under any weather conditions. Israeli defence officials have said that the satellites main purpose is to track events in Iran, the countries' number one foe. The events that they wish to track include the Iranian nuclear programme, as well as military happenings in Iran and Syria.

The satellite is capable of a maximum resolution of 10 centimetres, of which the first images wil be available in "a few weeks." Development of the satellite has been quoted as "tens of millions of dollars" - and India is benefiting from a major boost in the commercialisation of the countries' 45-year-old space program - which hopes to compete with the US, Russia, China, the Ukraine and the European Space Agency in the satellite launch service field.