Satellite News

Russia’s Center for Operation of Space Ground-Based Infrastructure (TsENKI) and Roskosmos state corporation have concluded three contracts worth some RUB1.8 billion (US$28 million) to modernise the Baikonur space centre in Kazakhstan.

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) and Solar Junction Corporation (Solar Junction) are launching a new technology that will increase the efficiency of spacecraft solar array production and operation and lower the overall cost, the companies said.

A recent test firing of Ariane 5’s solid-propellant booster demonstrated the motor’s capabilities and qualified improvements in design.

Airbus Defence and Space has been commissioned by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) to develop and build three flight units of the METimage weather instruments. The partners have signed the EUR 291 million contract in Berlin.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, has issued a request for proposal (RFP) seeking design, development and build of the robotic spacecraft that will capture a multi-ton asteroid boulder from deep space during the first segment of the agency’s Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM). The RFP is open to the four industry partners that previously completed conceptual designs of the spacecraft.

A wildfire in the vicinity of Vandenberg Air Force Base forced another postponement of the launch of WordView-4 aboard an Atlas V.

The launch of Russia’s new series Soyuz MS-02 manned spacecraft scheduled for 23 September was delayed due to a technical fault involving a short circuit that was revealed during a test.

The first GPS III satellite won’t be shipped until at least December because a subcontractor to Lockheed Martin failed to test onboard components. The satellite is already 28 months late because of other issues.