Satellite News

Rocket: Proton M/Briz M; Payload: Yamal-601; Date: 30 May 2019, 1742 UTC; Launch site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Separation of the Yamal 601 satellite from the Briz M upper stage is scheduled more than nine hours into the mission, at 0255 UTC (too late for this issue).

Airbus has signed a contract with Inmarsat to design, manufacture and build the first in their next generation of geostationary Ka-band satellites, Inmarsat GX7, 8 & 9. The three satellites are the first to be based on Airbus’ new OneSat product line, which is fully reconfigurable in orbit.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Spacecraft Element (SCE) successfully completed its last environmental test, thermal vacuum testing, at Northrop Grumman Corporation in Redondo Beach.

The ExoMars 2020 Rover Operations Control Center (ROCC) was inaugurated by Thales Alenia Space (the joint venture between Thales 67% and Leonardo 33%), ALTEC (Aerospace Logistics Technology Engineering Company), the Italian space agency ASI and the European Space Agency (ESA). It is located on the premises of ALTEC, an engineering and logistics services joint venture between Thales Alenia Space and ASI.

The Pentagon has introduced restrictions that will prevent U.S. companies from using Russian space rocket launches and satellite services, set to take effect in 2023.

Program validation tests for ETID (Expander-cycle Technology Integrated Demonstrator), which is designed to develop new technologies for upper stage rocket engines, were completed on 22 March 2019, with the successful hot-fire testing campaign. A total of 14 thrust chamber and valve components developed by ArianeGroup and its European partners have been undergoing testing at the German Aerospace Center, DLR, in Lampoldshausen, Germany, since June 2018.

The economic losses of Russia from 11 failed space launches in the period from 2010 to 2018 amounted to more than RUB35 billion (US$541.83 million), including RUB10.5 billion (US$162.55 million) uncovered by insurance, according a financial and economic justification to the draft resolution of the Russian Government.

Russia will spend RUB259.4 billion (approx. US$4 billion) on space launches in 2019-2021, according to a government resolution drafted by state corporation Roskosmos.