April 5 News Items

North Korea Claims Satellite in Orbit Despite Reports of Failed Launch (Source: Itar Tass)
North Korea claimed on Sunday that it put a communications satellite into orbit in a step toward becoming a powerful nation, ignoring foreign analysis that the launch failed. The North's state media continued to promote its "successful satellite launch," while the South Korean government and the U.S. military confirmed no North Korean satellite made it into orbit. North Korea earlier said it launched the communications satellite Kwangmyongsong-2 through a three-stage rocket from its east coast at 11:20 a.m. and that the satellite entered orbit 9 minutes later. "Our satellite rose to the sky. The space star world is now mine," a song aired by the Korean Central TV Broadcasting Station said. (4/5)

NASA Won't Say if Air Force Will Get Retired Shuttle for Museum (Source: Dayton Daily News)
NASA has turned to the Air Force for guidance on how the nation's space shuttles should be prepared for life after their retirement. But NASA won't tell the Air Force whether it will be given one of the shuttles for permanent display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, despite a formal expression of interest from Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and the Ohio congressional delegation's intention to send NASA a letter supporting the Air Force's bid. The letter signed by the congressional delegation is to be sent on Apr. 6, said spokesman Telly Lovelace for U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, who coordinated the effort. (4/5)

Indian Launch Rescheduled to Late April (Source: The Hindu)
The launch of Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT) by the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C12) from Sriharikota has been rescheduled to take place in the third or fourth week of April. The PSLV C-12 was to originally put it in orbit in the first week of April. (4/5)