Satellite News

Avanti Communications has been appointed by the UK Space Agency to deliver a crucial air navigation project in Africa, SBAS-Africa, powered by satellite technology. The satellite operator has been awarded the contract under the agency’s International Partnership Space Programme (IPSP), which exists to open up opportunities for the UK space sector to share expertise in real-world satellite technology and services overseas.

Rocket: PSLV-C27 (XL); Payload: IRNSS-1D; Date: ; Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota, India. It was the twenty eighth consecutively successful mission of the PSLV. The ‘XL’ configuration of PSLV was used for this mission. Previously, the same configuration of the vehicle was successfully used seven times.

The EU’s Galileo satellite navigation system now has eight satellites in orbit following the successful launch of the latest pair.

Rocket: Soyuz 2-1b [Soyuz ST-B]/Fregat-MT; Payload: Galileo FOC M2, SAT 7-8; Date: 27 March 2015, 2146 UTC; Launch site: Sinnamary, French Guiana. The satellites were to be inserted into a circular 23,522 km x 55 degrees orbit 3 hours, 48 minutes after lift-off (too late for this issue).

Rocket: Soyuz FG/Fregat-I; Payload: Soyuz TMA-16M; Date: 27 March 2015, 1943 UTC; Launch site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The crewed capsule reached its target orbit nine minutes after lift-off.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been selected for the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2014 for its contribution to the country’s development through space technology and satellite-based services. The award, comprising INR10 million (US$160,000) and a citation, was decided after the jury for the prize met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Rocket: H-2A; Payload IGS Optical 5; Date: 26 March 2015, 0121 UTC; Launch site: Tanegashima Space Center, Japan. The launch went smoothly, a JAXA spokeswoman said, noting “the satellite separated and entered orbit as scheduled.”

Rocket: Dnepr; Payload: KOMPSAT 3A [Arirang 3A]; Date: 25 March 2015, 2208 UTC; Launch site: Yasny, Russia. A radio communication between the satellite and South Korea’s ground station was established 5 hours and 57 minutes after launch, indicating that the satellite is operating properly.