Satellite News

Rocket: Soyuz-2-1b/Fregat; Payload: GLONASS-M No. 51 [Kosmos-2514]; Date: 7 February 2016, 0021 UTC; Launch site: Plesetsk, Russia. The navigation satellite was deployed into a 19,132 km x 19,158 km x 64.8 degrees orbit approx. four hours after lift-off as planned.

Rocket: Atlas 5; Payload: GPS IIF-12 [GPS SVN-70]; Date: 5 February 2016, 1338 UTC; Launch site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, USA. About three hours and 23 minutes after lift-off, the spacecraft was released into a 20,438 km x 20,442 km x 55.0 degrees orbit. Signal acquisition was confirmed at 1709 UTC.

Kazakhstan’s upper house of parliament ratified a protocol, introducing amendments to the 1999 intergovernmental agreement with Russia on procedures in the event of an accident occurring during a rocket launch from the Baikonur space centre, local media reported.

NASA’s solar-powered Juno spacecraft successfully executed a manoeuvre to adjust its flight path on 3 February. The manoeuvre refined the spacecraft’s trajectory, helping set the stage for Juno’s arrival at the solar system’s largest planet five months from now.

The 18th and final primary mirror segment has been installed on the James Webb Space Telescope.

Honeywell announced that it has completed the acquisition of Ontario, Canada-based COM DEV International. The acquisition was announced on 5 November 2015.

Russia’s State Space Corporation Roskosmos will launch two Rokot carrier rockets converted from ICBMs as part of the federal space programme for 2016-2026 that will be its last launches, according to a draft document.

SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract for JCSAT-17, a satellite based on the A2100 common design.