Satellite News

Rocket Lab has officially opened Launch Complex 2, the company’s first U.S. launch site, and confirmed the inaugural mission from the site will be a dedicated flight for the U.S. Air Force.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has begun preparatory works for setting up a third rocket launchpad in the small coastal hamlet of Kulashekhrapattinam in the Thuthukudi district of Tamil Nadu.

Payload: PSLV-C48; Payload: RISAT-2BR1, nine smallsats; Date: 11 December 2019, 0955 UTC; Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota, India. About 16 minutes and 23 seconds after lift-off, RISAT-2BR1 was injected into an orbit of 576 km at an inclination of 37 degrees to the equator.

Satellite remote sensing has widely been used to monitor and characterise the spatial and temporal changes of the Earth’s vegetative cover. Satellites used in these analyses have conventionally been polar-orbiting satellites. The utility of these polar-orbiting satellites has, however, often been limited because frequently occurring clouds block their view of the land surface. New-generation geostationary satellites present an opportunity to observe land surfaces in a more efficient manner.

Iridium Communications Inc. announced the first seven companies it has authorised to provide its Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) services, planned for commercial introduction in the first half of 2020.

Eutelsat Communications has secured a multi-year capacity contract at its flagship Hotbird neighbourhood with Spanish telecommunications operator, Telefonica.

Rocket Lab said it has flown a fully Autonomous Flight Termination System (AFTS) for the first time on an Electron launch vehicle. The AFTS flown on the company’s most recent mission, ‘Running Out Of Fingers’, makes Rocket Lab one of only two U.S. launch companies to fly with an autonomous system.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. announced that it had been awarded a US$39 million sole-source contract for Geolocation Global Support Services.