After major orbital manoeuvres, the second pair of Cluster satellites have been successfully inserted into their operational polar orbits. The long-awaited rendezvous of Rumba and Tango with their companions, Salsa and Samba, means that the Cluster quartet is now dancing around the Earth in close formation. It will begin to grow quite rapidly until it swells to fill the inner part of our Solar System, swallowing the Earth and the other inner planets. EMS Technologies reports the first flight of a new star tracker aboard the last space shuttle mission was successful, providing critical navigation functions for the astronauts. Visit the Tracking Station for a full listing of upcoming launches.
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