Satellite News

Rocket: PSLV-C36; Payload: Resourcesat-2A; Date: 7 December 2016, 0454 UTC; Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota, India.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will launch the H-IIB Launch Vehicle No. 6 (H-IIB F6) with the H-II Transfer Vehicle “KOUNOTORI6” (HTV6) on board on 9 December.

Launch preparation activity is underway for Arianespace’s initial mission in 2017, with an all-new type of telecommunications satellite now delivered to the Spaceport for lift-off on a Soyuz launcher from French Guiana in January.

NASA has selected a first-of-its-kind Earth science mission, the Geostationary Carbon Cycle Observatory (GeoCARB), which is to probe the natural sources, sinks and exchange processes that control carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and methane in the atmosphere.

A non-toxic propulsion system developed by Chinese scientists will enable satellites to carry more payload and save on satellite launching costs, the system’s developer said according to Xinhua news agency.