Satellite News

The launch of a Dnepr rocket carrying a total of 18 spacecraft, including Belarus’ BelKa Earth observation satellite, has failed.

Orbcomm plans to file a claim under the insurance policy for the company’s six satellites (one Coast Guard demonstration and five so-called quick-launch satellites) launched in June 2008.
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GeoEye-1 is experiencing technical difficulties that could affect some customers, GeoEye COO Bill Schuster said.
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The loss of Eutelsat’s W3B satellite shortly after launch may have been caused by changes made to the spacecraft’s propulsion system. The location of the leak that rendered W3B useless shortly after separation from the Ariane 5 launcher was likely located in a propellant tube connected to one the satellite’s thrusters.
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The defunct NOAA 16 weather satellite has possibly suffered an in-orbit breakup, the Joint Space Operations Center of the U.S. Air Force warned satellite operators.

U.S. officials have lost control over DMSP-19 on 11 February and officials are unsure whether it can be regained. The satellite is no longer responding to commands but otherwise still working.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has been trying to communicate with the X-ray Astronomy Satellite “Hitomi” (ASTRO-H), using ground stations both in Japan and overseas.

The U.S. Air Force has ceased efforts to regain control over the DMSP F19 weather satellite, which failed in orbit less than two years after launch.