Satellite News

International Launch Services (ILS) successfully placed the Astra 2E satellite into a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) for SES of Luxembourg.

Harris Corporation said it has delivered a system that will help prepare U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite operators for the new Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite – R (GOES-R) Series weather satellites.

Rocket: Falcon 9 v1.1; Payload: Cascade Smallsat and Ionospheric Polar Explorer (CASSIOPE); Date: 29 September 2013, 1800 UTC; Launch Site: Vandenberg Air Force Base, USA. The Falcon 9 rocket accomplished all of its primary objectives, placing its payloads into polar orbit and successfully demonstrating the launcher’s upgraded engines, flight computer and stage separation system, according to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. But not everything went as planned.

Rocket: Proton-M/Briz-M; Payload: Astra 2E; Date: 29 September 2013, 2138 UTC; Launch Site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The rocket lifted off as scheduled, and at the time of this writing the Briz-M upper stage had completed its first burn. The satellite is to be deployed at around 0650 UTC on 30 September [too late for this issue].

Orbital Sciences Corporation announced that its Cygnus cargo logistics spacecraft successfully completed its rendezvous and approach manoeuvres with the International Space Station (ISS) and was grappled and berthed with the station by the Expedition 37 astronaut crew earlier this morning.

The Astra 2E satellite, designed and manufactured for satellite operator SES by Astrium, is ready to be launched on 29 September, 2138 UTC by an International Launch Services Proton launch vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The Canadian satellite CASSIOPE (Cascade SmallSat and Ionospheric Polar Explorer) is ready for its second attempt to launch. The event is planned on 29 September with a launch window opening at 1600 UTC. CASSIOPE will lift off from Vandenberg, California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

NASA and its International Space Station partners have approved a 29 September target arrival of Orbital Sciences’ Cygnus spacecraft on its demonstration cargo resupply mission to the space station.