Satellite News

The launch of the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying EchoStar XIX (aka Jupiter-2) mission has been postponed to 18 December.

The launch of a Pegasus XL rocket from Orbital ATK’s L-1011 aircraft was cancelled after a hydraulic system was not meeting its prescribed pressures, indicating a problem with a pump.

Thales Alenia Space announced that its satellite platform ELiTeBUS 1000 has been accepted by the Rapid Spacecraft Development Office (RSDO) in the Rapid III Catalog managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. announced that its U.S. division, SSL, was selected to provide an SSL 1300 spacecraft bus to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for its Restore-L servicing mission.

Rocket: H-IIB; Payload: H-II Transfer Vehicle “KOUNOTORI6” (HTV6); Date: 9 December 2016, 1326 UTC; Launch site: Tanegashima Space Center, Japan. The launch vehicle flew as planned, and at approximately 15 minutes and 11 seconds after lift-off, the separation of HTV6 was confirmed.

The U.S. Air Force’s Rocket Systems Launch Program, part of the Launch Enterprise Directorate at the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), awarded the National Reconnaissance Office Launch-111 contract to Orbital ATK.

On Sunday, 11 December at 1704 UTC, NASA’s Juno spacecraft will make its third science flyby of Jupiter.

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