Satellite News

After a five-month stay aboard the International Space Station, NASA’s two Nodes satellites were deployed on 16 May from the NanoRacks platform and into low-Earth orbit to begin their technology demonstration.

NASA has awarded a sole source contract to Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation of Boulder, Colorado, for the Thermal Infrared Sensor-2 (TIRS-2) instrument Cryocooler for Landsat 9.

MicroLink Devices announced that Airbus Defence and Space has issued a production contract for MicroLink’s epitaxial lift-off (ELO)-based multijunction solar sheets for use on the new Zephyr S platform.

The Chang Zheng-7, one of China’s next-generation rockets, has arrived at the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in south China’s Hainan Province. The rocket will transport cargo for China’s planned space station and is expected to become a main carrier for space launches.

The GOES-R team has begun a series of rehearsals to simulate specific steps in the deployment of the satellite, such as spacecraft separation.

A new purpose built satellite ground station has been established in Adelaide, to land Airbus Defence and Space’s Skynet secure military satellite communications. The Australian facility extends an existing chain of teleports in France, Germany, Norway, the UK and the USA, providing global coverage in both fixed and mobile satellite services.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 2D; Payload: Yaogan Weixing-30 (Yaogan 30, YG-30); Date: 15 May 2016, 0243 UTC; Launch site: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China. The satellite has been tracked in a 628 km x 656 km x 98.1 degrees orbit.

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy will launch the NROL-37 mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) on 4 June between 1800 and 2300 UTC.