There, the rockets will link up, creating an 80-ton spacecraft that will ascend to 22,000 miles and lock into 'geosynchronous' orbit.

The key to this concept was the placement of space stations in 'geosynchronous' Earth orbit, a location 35,786 kilometers above Earth.

The tail of the 'geosynchronous' satellite launch vehicle was engulfed seconds before the planned liftoff, disappointing hundreds, including space scientists.

Up to a dozen 'geosynchronous' satellites go out of service every year, and there are now several hundred derelicts in the disposal orbit.

For early-warning purposes, scientists look to observations from 'geosynchronous' weather satellites, each of which constantly monitors an entire hemisphere and beams data to Earth every 30 minutes or so.