Satellite News

Rocket: Soyuz-FG; Payload: Progress MS-10 [ISS 71P]; Date: 16 November 2018, 1814 UTC; Launch site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Progress MS-10 has arrived at the International Space Station and performed an automated docking to the aft port of the Zvezda Service Module on 18 November, 1928 UTC.

Rocket: Antares 230; Payload: Cygnus [NG-10, CRS 10]; Date: 17 November 2018, 0901 UTC; Launch site: Wallops Flight Facility, USA. The spacecraft, which is carrying carrying about 3,300 kg of vital supplies and scientific equipment, is scheduled to arrive at the ISS on 19 November.

The upcoming Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base has been delayed to give the launch team time to complete more inspections.

Avio successfully tested the prototype of the new M10 liquid oxygen-methane engine, developed by Avio in partnership with the European Space Agency within the Vega E (Vega Evolution) programme.

On 15 November, NASA’s Kepler space telescope received its final set of commands to disconnect communications with Earth. The “goodnight” commands finalise the spacecraft’s transition into retirement, which began on 30 October with NASA’s announcement that Kepler had run out of fuel and could no longer conduct science.

ISRO has successfully placed the high throughput communication satellite GSAT 29 in its final geostationary orbit. This was done after carrying out the final orbit raising operation by firing the liquid apogee motor engine for 207 seconds, the space agency said.

Russia is working on designing a satellite for Kazakhstan, and has invited Uzbekistan to co-operate, Roskosmos representative in Kazakhstan Anatoly Krasnikov was quoted as saying.

Maxar Technologies (formerly MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates) announced that shareholders approved the company’s U.S. domestication at a special meeting held earlier in Westminster, Colorado.