Satellite News

Chinese Tycoon Wang Jing has unveiled plans to develop a constellation of satellites aimed at providing low-cost mobile communication services across China, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 2C; Payload: Shijian 11-08; Date: 27 October 2014, 0659 UTC; Launch site: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China. State media said the launch was successful.

Both satellite passengers for Arianespace’s sixth Ariane 5 mission of 2014 are now in French Guiana, marking a new milestone as preparations continue ahead of this heavy-lift flight scheduled for early December.

SpaceX’s Dragon cargo spacecraft splashed down on Saturday, 25 October in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 480 km west of Baja California, returning 1,470 kg of NASA cargo and science samples from the International Space Station (ISS).

Russia’s Progress M-24M cargo resupply spacecraft has undocked from the International Space Station (ISS), the Mission Control Center (MCC) said.

The recently launched Ekspress AM6 has in fact been deployed into a lower-than-planned orbit following an underperformance of the launcher’s Briz M upper stage.

MESSENGER mission controllers at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory conducted the third of four manoeuvres to raise the spacecraft’s minimum altitude sufficiently to extend orbital operations and delay the probe’s inevitable impact onto Mercury’s surface until early next spring.

SES TechCom, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SES S.A. and Es’hailSat, The Qatar Satellite Company registered in the State of Qatar, announced the signing of a comprehensive consultancy service agreement.