Satellite News

The Russian State Commission investigating the AMC-14 failure of a Proton Briz M launch has traced the cause to the rupture of the gas duct between the gas generator and the propellant pump turbine in the Briz M main engine.
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Russia has denied that another of its military satellites has disintegrated but confirmed the spacecraft has ceased operations.
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SES Americom has declared to insurers that its recently launched AMC 14 satellite is now considered a total loss, owing to a lack of viable options to reposition the satellite to its proper geostationary orbit. A rescue mission using a lunar flyby was reportedly prevented by Boeing, which holds a controversial U.S. Patent describing such manoeuvres.
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The Earth imaging satellite Landsat 5 is once again collecting and downlinking land-image data. The satellite was temporarily taken out of service in October 2007 following a cell failure within one of the satellite’s two operating on-board batteries.

In its most definitive statement yet on the outcome of the “shootdown” of the failed NRO-L21 (USA 193) spy satellite over the Pacific on 21 February (UTC), the U.S. Department of Defense said that based on debris analysis it is clear that the Navy missile destroyed the spacecraft’s fuel tank.

Ulysses, a joint ESA/NASA mission to study the Sun’s poles and the influence of the star on surrounding space, is coming to an end after almost four times its expected lifetime. An attempt to extend its life by saving power failed in January.

A U.S. missile shot down the failed NRO-L21 (USA 193) spy satellite in space, defence officials said.

The U.S. military may have to delay its shootdown of the failed NRO-L21 (USA 193) spy satellite planned for 21 February (UTC) because of bad weather, a senior military official said.