Satellite News

Boeing will investigate hosting a scientific payload on a commercial satellite under a new six-month contract awarded by the Air Force’s Space and Missiles Systems Center (SMC).

Iridium Communications Inc. announced the completion of an extensive testing programme for qualification of its new solar panel design for the Iridium NEXT constellation. The array that powers the Iridium NEXT satellites, expected to begin launching in 2015, contains four solar panels and will span 9.4 meters when fully extended, developing more than 2 kilowatts of power over a demanding charging cycle in Iridium’s low Earth orbit.

Contact has been lost with South Korea’s Science and Technology Satellite-2C months ago, according to local media.

Thaicom’s CEO Suphajee Suthumpun has been named ‘Satellite Executive of the Year in the Asia-Pacific’ by the Asia-Pacific Satellite Communications Council (APSCC).

Rocket: Falcon 9; Payload: Dragon; Date: 21 September 2014, 0552 UTC; Launch site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, USA. After a successful launch, about 2,250 kg of NASA science investigations and cargo are on their way to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.

Another lightweight Vega launcher has begun its build-up at the Spaceport, initiating preparations for Arianespace’s mid-November lift-off from French Guiana with the European Space Agency’s Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV).

NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft successfully entered Mars’ orbit at 1524 UTC on 21 September 2014. MAVEN is the first spacecraft dedicated to exploring the tenuous upper atmosphere of Mars.

The 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) of India’s Mars Orbiter Spacecraft, last fired on 1 December 2013, was successfully fired for a duration of 3.968 seconds at 0900 UTC on 22 September 2014.