Satellite News

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) is announcing the launch of TechDemoSat-1, an in-orbit technology demonstration mission for innovative UK spacecraft equipment and software, planned for 28 June 2014 by a Soyuz-2 launch vehicle with a Fregat upper stage from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

RUAG Space received an order from Airbus Defence and Space to deliver a deployable camera mast for the Mars rover element of the European-Russian collaborative ExoMars mission, for which Thales Alenia Space Italy has entered a contract with European Space Agency ESA to undertake the ExoMars Implementation Project as Prime Contractor.

NASA has given a green light to a group of citizen scientists attempting to breathe new scientific life into a more than 35-year old agency spacecraft.

The international COSPAS-SARSAT rescue network, responsible for saving more than 37,000 people worldwide, including more than 7,300 in the United States thanks to NOAA satellite operations, was inducted into the Space Foundation’s Space Technology Hall of Fame yesterday.

Rocket: Atlas V; Payload: NROL-33; Date: 22 May, 1309 UTC; Launch site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, USA. The classified military satellite was successfully put into its target orbit.

The launch time of the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 14 (H-IIA F14) with the Daichi-2 (ALOS-2) satellite onboard was set for 24 May 2014, 0305-0320 UTC.

Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services (LMCLS) will launch the WorldView-3 commercial remote sensing spacecraft, placing it into orbit on 13 August for DigitalGlobe.

The development of a rocket engine to replace the Russian-made RD-180 would cost US$1.5 billion and take up to six years, Bloomberg reported citing data from an independent panel advising the Pentagon.