Satellite News

One of Japan’s four spy satellites has stopped working on 25 March owing to problems with its electrical system (according to some reports with its battery).

The New Horizon Pluto probe recently went into safe mode after a memory problem but was recovered within two days.

SpaceX confirmed that the contact between the Falcon 1’s first and second stage during separation likely caused the partial failure of the second stage. The bump apparently started a development that finally led to the premature shutdown of the stage’s engine. New data show, however, that the flight was nonetheless more successful than previously thought.

SpaceX has confirmed the collision of the Falcon 1’s two stages shortly after separation but said the incident did not appear to have caused any damage.

A close inspection of SpaceX’s Falcon 1 launch video reveals that the separation of the two rocket stages has been rather bumpy. The company said it does not regard this an anomaly.

One of the two satellites that comprise the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Orbital Express experiment has experienced problems with its guidance system but is now reported to function properly.

Eutelsat’s Hot Bird 2 has suffered an anomaly in its power sub-system, the company said.

According to the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos), the explosion of a Zenit-3SL in late January was caused by poor workmanship that led to an engine failure.