Satellite News

A full-scale, test version of the booster for NASA’s new rocket, the Space Launch System, will fire up for the second of two qualification ground tests on 28 June at prime contractor Orbital ATK’s test facility in Promontory, Utah.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued reprimands to Roskosmos head Igor Komarov and Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who oversees the country’s space industry, for the delay in launching the first rocket from the newly-built Vostochny Cosmodrome, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed.

Orbital ATK, Inc. announced that the Thaicom 8 satellite has arrived at its launch site in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Thaicom 8 is the second satellite Orbital ATK has built for Thaicom PLC and is based on the company’s flight-proven GEOStar-2 platform.

Europe’s latest navigation satellites, launched last December, have been officially commissioned into the Galileo constellation, and are now broadcasting working navigation signals.

SES S.A. has agreed to increase its interest in O3b Networks (O3b) to 50.5% and, in doing so, will take a controlling share in the company. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals which are expected to be completed during H2 2016.

SES S.A. reported financial results for the three months ending 31 March 2016.

DigitalGlobe, Inc. announced it has entered into a letter of intent for direct access capacity on WorldView-4 with a new international defence and intelligence customer.

Rocket: Soyuz 2-1a/Volga; Payload: Mikhailo V. Lomonosov [MLV-300], Aist-2D and SamSat-2018 [Kontakt-NS]; Date: 28 April 2016, 0201 UTC; Launch site: Vostochny, Russia. The separation of spacecraft was completed normally at 0407 UTC. Normal separation was confirmed during a communications session at 0505 UTC. Contact has been established with the satellites.