Satellite News

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.

Rocket: PSLV-C33; Payload: IRNSS-1G; Date: 28 April 2016, 0720 UTC; Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota, India. IRNSS-1G, the seventh satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) was deployed into a Sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (Sub-GTO).

Russia’s first upgraded Proton-M rocket may be launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on 28 May, a space industry source was quoted as saying by Novosti.

The U.S. Air Force announced the award of the first competitively sourced National Security Space (NSS) launch services contract in more than a decade. Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) was awarded a contract for Global Positioning System (GPS) III Launch Services – by default as its competitor ULA did not bid for the contract.

Japan’s space agency said that the ASTRO-H ‘Hitomi’ x-ray satellite has failed, concluding a month-long effort to salvage the ambitious project closely watched across the globe.

Launched in January 2016, the Jason-3 operational oceanography satellite recently passed its in-orbit acceptance review. Jason-3 is a quadripartite programme between Eumetsat and NOAA (the European and American weather satellite organisations), and the French and American space agencies, CNES and NASA.

Kongsberg has signed two contracts with a total value of EUR23.6 million with Airbus Defence and Space for delivery of a Ka-band Antenna Pointing System and Solar Array Drive Assembly for the next generation European MetOp-Second Generation (MetOp-SG) satellites.

Airbus Group reported first quarter 2016 results.