Satellite News

Sierra Nevada Corporation’s (SNC) Space Systems said it continues to expand its Space Technologies product line, by growing its capability in solar array design, production and verification.

Rocket: H-IIB; Payload: HTV-5 “Kounotori”; Date: 19 August 2015, 1150 UTC; Launch site: Tanegashima Space Center. The launch vehicle flew smoothly, and, at about 14 minutes and 54 seconds after lift-off, the separation of HTV-5 was confirmed.

The launch of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) D6 carrying the GSAT-6 communication satellite is scheduled for 27 August, ISRO said.

Arianespace’s fourth flight of its heavy-lift Ariane 5 this year is a “go” for lift-off on Thursday, 20 August following a launch readiness review at the Spaceport in French Guiana. Lift-off is planned as soon as possible within the 2010 – 2156 UTC launch window. The targeted orbit is 252 km x 35,845 km x 4.7 degrees.

Construction of NASA’s next-generation hurricane-observing satellite mission now is underway in Texas. NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) mission, a constellation of eight microsatellites, will improve hurricane forecasting by making measurements of ocean surface winds in and near the eye wall of tropical cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes throughout their life cycle.

Airbus Defence and Space has designed and built a payload platform for the International Space Station (ISS) for NanoRacks LLC, a privately-owned U.S. space company. The platform will be installed outside of the ISS, and will be used to carry out multiple experiments to be carried out with a wide variety of payloads in zero gravity conditions.

NASA has executed a contract with Bigelow Aerospace for the company to develop human spaceflight missions that leverage its B330 space habitat.

Chinese scientists have successfully tested the power system of a Chang Zheng-5 rocket scheduled to serve the Chang’e-5 lunar mission around 2017.