Satellite News

Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) has entered into a non-binding letter of intent with GomSpace, parent company of GomSpace ApS, regarding the potential sale of 100% of SSC’s shares in its Swedish subsidiary NanoSpace AB.

NASA is preparing to launch its first mission to return a sample of an asteroid to Earth. The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer(OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft will travel to the near-Earth asteroid Bennu and bring a sample back to Earth for intensive study.

Astro Aerospace, a Northrop Grumman Corporation company, has completed the preliminary design review (PDR) of the AstroMesh radar antenna reflector for the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite.

Vector Space Systems, a space systems company focused on micro launches and micro space platforms, announced the launch of its Software Defined Satellites business unit named Galactic Sky.

The Quantum Communication Satellite of China Academy of Science was successfully launched by a Chang Zheng 2D launch vehicle. In this mission, China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) also launched a piggyback Spanish 6U Cubesat designed and manufactured by the NanoSat Lab at the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain, which was released from the launch vehicle 33 seconds after the main passenger separation.

NASA has selected the Ixion Initiative Team, comprised of NanoRacks, Space Systems Loral and United Launch Alliance to participate in the Agency’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-2 (“NextSTEP-2”) programme. The Ixion Team will conduct a comprehensive feasibility study evaluating the conversion of rocket upper stages into habitats.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 2D; Payload: Quantum Space Satellite (QSS) [Quantum Experiments at Space Scale (QUESS)] “Micius”; Date: 15 August 2016, 1740 UTC; Launch site: Jiuquan Space Center, China. The experimental satellite was deployed into a Sun-synchronous circular orbit with an altitude of 600 km.

Rocket: Falcon 9; Payload: JCSAT-16; Date: 14 August 2016, 0526 UTC; Launch site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, USA. After its deployment into geostationary transfer orbit, the satellite is performing post-launch manoeuvres according to plan.