Satellite News

Maxar Technologies Ltd. (formerly MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.) reported financial results for the first quarter ending 31 March 2018.

A high-energy survey of the early Universe, an infrared observatory to study the formation of stars, planets and galaxies, and a Venus orbiter are to be considered for ESA’s fifth medium class mission in its Cosmic Vision science programme, with a planned launch date in 2032.

Pakistan is devoting more resources to its space programme as part of its effort to become less reliant on foreign-owned space assets, according to a new report.

SpaceX will reportedly be trying to launch Bangabandhu Satellite-1 for Bangladesh aboard a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket on 10 May from Kennedy Space Center.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) represented employees at Decatur, Alabama; Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida; and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, voted to reject United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) contract offer and have elected to go on strike.

Rocket: Atlas V 401/Centaur; Payload: Mars Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight), plus two Mars Cube One (MarCO) CubeSats; Date: 5 May 2018, 1305 UTC; Launch site: Vandenberg Air Force Base, USA. Riding the Centaur second stage of the rocket, the spacecraft reached orbit 13 minutes and 16 seconds after launch. Seventy-nine minutes later, the Centaur ignited a second time, sending InSight on a trajectory towards Mars. InSight separated from the Centaur about 9 minutes later – 93 minutes after launch – and contacted the spacecraft via NASA’s Deep Space Network at 1441 UTC.

Arianespace and D-Orbit announced the signature of an agreement to offer InOrbit NOW launch and deployment service through the launch of D-Orbit’s ION CubeSat Carrier on the Vega launch vehicle, as part of the Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS) Proof Of Concept flight (POC flight).

Yahsat of the United Arab Emirates has entered into an agreement to acquire a majority stake in the mobile satellite services operator Thuraya, also based in the UAE, subject to final pre-closing conditions being met.