Satellite News

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) decided to launch the H-IIA Launch Vehicle No. 26 (H-IIA F26) with the Asteroid Explorer “Hayabusa 2″ onboard on 30 November.

Aerojet Rocketdyne and United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced that they have signed a contract for a joint investment to complete technical feasibility analysis, detailed programme plans, technology integration, affordable production processes and plans, mission assurance and related criteria.

NASA and Lockheed Martin have finished fuelling the Orion spacecraft with ammonia, hydrazine and high pressure helium at Kennedy Space Center’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. Orion has now been moved to the Launch Abort System Facility for integration with the launch abort system (LAS).

The European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission will deploy its lander, Philae, to the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on 12 November.

NSR’s Satellite Operator Financial Analysis (SOFA), 4th Edition, finds that operational efficiency is more important than ever for satellite operators, with many taking a multi-pronged approach to increasing productivity. This trend is not limited to acquisitions, but also extends to HTS payloads being launched.

Rocket: Proton M/Briz M; Payload: Luch (Olimp-K?); Date: 27 September 2014, 2023 UTC; Launch site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The (rather mysterious) satellite was reportedly delivered directly to geosynchronous orbit.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 2C; Payload: Shijian 11-07; Date: 28 September 2014, 0513 UTC; Launch site: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China. The launch was declared a success.

Sea Launch has denied reports of plans to sell the company to an Israeli company. “We have received no proposals on the Sea Launch purchase,” the company’s CEO Sergey Gugkayev was quoted as saying.