Satellite News

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.

An altimeter which represents one of the Geo-IK-2 geodetic satellite payload’s main instruments has been delivered to ISS-Reshetnev Company.

Lockheed Martin’s newly upgraded Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) ground system received sign-off from the U.S. Air Force, enhancing the constellation’s ability to deliver infrared data that is critical to early missile warning and defence.

Russia’s the Progress MS-04 cargo spacecraft was lost in a Soyuz-U launch failure. The rocket and its payload disintegrated in the skies over Southern Siberia after what appeared to be a catastrophic failure of the rocket’s third stage.

A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Medium+ (5,4) configuration will launch the eighth Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS-8) mission for the U.S. Air Force on 7/8 December 2016 (UTC) from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.