Satellite News

Rocket: Ariane 5 ECA; Payload: Sky Brasil-1, Telkom 3S; Date: 14 February 2017, 2139 UTC; Launch site: Kourou, French Guiana. For its first launch of the year, Ariane 5 successfully completed its mission from the European space port of Kourou (French Guiana) for the 77th consecutive time.

Brazil’s SGDC geostationary defence and secure communications satellite and South Korea’s Koreasat 7 telecommunications satellite, both built by Thales Alenia Space, have just arrived at the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, where they will be lofted in a dual launch on 21 March by Ariane 5.

China plans to launch its first cargo spacecraft in April, state media reported. The Tianzhou-1 cargo resupply spacecraft will be carried into space by a Chang Zheng-7 Y2 rocket launched from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center.

An electrical short circuit may have led to the recent failure of the launch of the world’s smallest rocket capable of placing a satellite into orbit, JAXA said.