Satellite News

Attempts to regain control of the unmanned Progress M-27M cargo ship have been unsuccessful, and the mission is now considered lost.

Shipped from Thales Alenia Space’s Cannes plant, MSG-4, the fourth and last Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) weather satellite, arrived at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, on 29 April. Built by Thales Alenia Space for the European Space Agency and Eumetsat, the satellite is scheduled for launch on 2 July 2015.

Arabsat and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) announced contracts for Lockheed Martin to manufacture two A2100 communications satellites. One will be launched by Arianespace, the other by SpaceX.

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. announced that it has signed a six year contract with a ceiling of C$29 million with the European Space Agency.

The launch of a Proton launch vehicle with the Centenario satellite was postponed in order to investigate an anomalous condition discovered on another spacecraft and to re-confirm the flight worthiness of the Centenario satellite.

Iridium Communications Inc. announced production is complete of the qualification dispenser for the Iridium NEXT constellation’s initial launch, which will be conducted by ISC Kosmotras from the Yasny launch site in Russia using a Dnepr rocket, and qualification testing is on-track for completion in June 2015.

Airbus Defence and Space has signed a contract with the French space agency (CNES) to build the platform and carry out final integration of the MERLIN (MEthane Remote sensing LIdar missioN) satellite. From 2020 MERLIN will measure methane (CH4), one of the main greenhouse gases, in the Earth’s atmosphere. MERLIN is the first joint Earth observation satellite programme between the French (CNES) and German (DLR) space agencies.

NASA’s Dawn spacecraft entered into its first science orbit around dwarf planet Ceres on Thursday, 23 April as scheduled.