Satellite News

The Nepal Telecommunications Authority and Thales Alenia Space have signed an agreement under which Thales Alenia Space will build the national satellite telecommunication system for Nepal.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 3B; Payload: ChinaSat 6C; Date: 9 March 2019, 1628 UTC; Launch site: Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China. The satellite was successfully deployed into geostationary transfer orbit.

The launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV carrying the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS-10) mission for the U.S. Air Force has been delayed to allow for additional troubleshooting to resolve some off-nominal data indications.

The SpaceX Dragon 2 capsule successfully splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday after more than six days in space, completing its demonstration mission for NASA.

Russia’s Khrunichev State Space Research Center is developing a programme jointly with the State Space Corporation Roskosmos to boost the reliability and efficiency of Proton-M rockets and Briz-M upper stages in the next three years, the Khrunichev said on its website.

NASA has recovered the Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys instrument, which suspended operations on 29 February (UTC). The final tests were conducted and the instrument was brought back to its operational mode on 6 March.

China announced that the country’s new solid rocket booster, with 200-tonne thrust engine, completed hot firing tests, proving its readiness for commercial launches.

The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, Smile, has been given the green light for implementation by ESA’s Science Programme Committee.