Satellite News

The U.S. Air Force’s third GPS III satellite in production flow at Lockheed Martin ‘s satellite manufacturing facility is now fully integrated into a complete space vehicle.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 2C; Payload: three Yaogan Weixing-30-02 satellites; Date: 25 November 2017, 1820 UTC; Launch site: Xichang Satellite Launch Centre, China. The satellites have entered the preset orbit and the mission was declared a success.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will try again to launch its SS-520 No. 5 small rocket, carrying a 3-kg microsatellite.

GomX-4B, ESA’s latest and largest technology-testing CubeSat, will be launched from China early next year, together with the near-identical GomX-4A. The pair will test intersatellite communication links and propulsion while orbiting up to 4,500 km apart.

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has shipped two small satellites, CARBONITE-2 and LEO-1, to India in preparation for a late December launch on ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Sriharikota launch site.

ESA’s first Earth observation satellite was launched on 23 November 1977. When the first Meteosat satellite took its place in the sky, it completed coverage of the whole globe from geostationary orbit and laid the foundations for European and world co-operation in meteorology that continues today.

Europe’s next four Galileo navigation satellites and the Ariane 5 rocket due to lift them into orbit are being readied for their 12 December launch from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

A session of the Scientific and Technical Council (STC) to review the results of R&D efforts on the project Development of Conceptual Design for a Medium Launch Vehicle and the project Development of Conceptual Design on a Set of Transportation Equipment for a Medium Launch Vehicle took place in Samara at Rocket and Space Center (RSC) Progress.