Satellite News

PlanetiQ announced the opening of its new science and engineering facility in Boulder, Colorado. The facility includes a laboratory clean room where PlanetiQ will complete the development and manufacture of its first 12 Pyxis-RO flight instruments for the world’s first commercial satellite constellation exclusively focused on weather, climate and space weather.

NSR’s Satellite-Based Earth Observation (EO), 7th Edition report, forecasts that data, value-added services and Information Products markets from Earth Observation (EO) will reach US$4.5 billion by 2024, from US$2.3 billion in 2014.

Russia is set to develop a new Reusable Space Rocket System, or MRKS in Russian, which is to reduce the cost of launching satellites and other equipment into space. The system, which is being developed under the Federal Space Program, is set to cost no less than RUB12.5 billion (US$185 million).

GSLV-D6 is the ninth flight of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). It is also the fifth developmental flight of GSLV. This is the third time the indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) is being carried on-board during a GSLV flight.

Rocket: Ariane 5 ECA; Payload: Eutelsat 8 West B, Intelsat 34; Date: 20 August 2015, 2034 UTC; Launch site: Kourou, French Guiana. Arianespace’s workhorse vehicle deployed Eutelsat 8 West B and Intelsat 34 into geostationary transfer orbit, delivering a total payload performance estimated at 9,922 kg – which included the two satellites and Ariane 5’s dual-payload deployment system.

Argentina’s ARSAT-2 telecommunications satellite has landed in French Guiana for Arianespace’s September Ariane 5 mission.

ASTROSAT, India’s first astronomical satellite aimed at studying distant celestial objects, has been transported to the Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh for expected launch in September.

Aerojet Rocketdyne has completed delivery of a green propellant propulsion subsystem that will be used to test a non-toxic fuel on NASA’s future spacecraft, the Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM).