Satellite News

Rocket: Chang Zheng-2D; Payload: Jilin-1KF01 (Red Flag-1 H9), NewSat-7, NewSat-8 (aka NuSat-8 and 8), Tianqi-2-03; Date: 15 November 2020, 0253 UTC; Launch site: Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China. The satellites were deployed into approx. 477 km x 491 km x 97,34 degrees Sun-synchronous orbit.

Arianespace has delivered another Ariane 5 to the launch zone at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, positioning the vehicle for lift-off on 16 January with two satellite passengers on board: Eutelsat KONNECT and GSAT-30.

Landsat 9’s two science instruments are now attached to the spacecraft, bringing the mission one step closer to launch. In late December, the Operational Land Imager 2 (OLI-2) and the Thermal Infrared Sensor 2 (TIRS-2) were both mechanically integrated on to the spacecraft bus at Northrop Grumman in Gilbert, Arizona.