Satellite News

ESA’s Gaia mission to survey a billion stars is ‘go’ for launch. The satellite has passed its final checks and is ready to be launched tomorrow from the Soyuz Launch Complex (ELS) in Sinnamary, French Guiana on 19 December, 0912:19 UTC.

Six out of the eight scientific instruments deployed to the moon with the Chang’e-3 lunar mission have been activated by scientists and are functioning properly, according to scientists working on the mission.

The final three of eighteen primary mirrors built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have arrived at Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, for integration prior to a scheduled launch in 2018.

Exelis is supporting Japan’s forecasting capabilities with the delivery of its first advanced weather satellite payload to Mitsubishi Electric Corporation.

Brazil and China will launch a new joint environmental monitoring satellite next year to replace one which failed to enter orbit earlier this month, Communications Minister Paulo Bernardo was quoted as saying.