Satellite News

Rocket: Chang Zheng 3B; Payload: Communications Engineering Test Satellite 1 (TXJSSY-1) [?]; Date: 12 September 2015, 1542 UTC; Launch site: Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China. The satellite was deployed into a 201 km x 35,824 km x 27.1 degrees geostationary transfer orbit.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 2D; Payload: Gaofen-9; Date: 14 September 2015, 0445 UTC; Launch site: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China. The satellite was placed in a 618 km x 664 km x 98.0 degrees Sun-synchronous orbit.

Rocket: Proton M/Block DM-3; Payload: Ekspress-AM8 ; Date: 14 September 2015, 1900 UTC; Launch site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Lift-off and flight have so far proceeded nominally.

An Atlas V 421 will launch the Morelos-3 satellite from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on 2 October during a 1008-1028 UTC launch window. The United Launch Alliance Atlas V is provided by Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services.

Arianespace has been selected by SSL to launch the BSAT-4a satellite for the Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) of Japan.

International Launch Services (ILS) and Hispasat announced a contract for the launch of a satellite on ILS Proton in the first half of 2017 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

SpaceX announced two new orders for Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicles. The contracts include launch of a communications satellite [probably Hispasat 1F or Amazonas 5] for Hispasat on a Falcon 9 and launch of the Saudi Arabian Arabsat 6A communications satellite on a Falcon Heavy.

Virgin Galactic said it has nearly doubled the amount of payload that customers can deliver to orbit for the same price.