Satellite News

Rocket: PSLV-C44; Payload: Microsat-R, Kalamsat; Date: 24 January 2019, 1807 UTC; Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota, India. Around 13 minutes into the mission, the fourth and final stage (PS4) of PSLV injected the Microsat-R imaging satellite into a 277-km Sun-synchronous polar orbit inclined at 96.6 degrees.

Payload preparations have commenced for Arianespace’s first Vega mission in 2019, which will deliver the Italian Space Agency’s (ASI) newest Earth observation satellite to Sun-synchronous orbit in March.

Small satellite launch company Rocket Lab announced that its first mission of 2019 will be a dedicated launch of a 150-kg satellite for the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Arianespace is discounting the price of satellite launches with its Ariane 5 rockets as it competes against U.S. rival SpaceX for customers before the release of the cheaper Ariane 6 rocket next year, a senior executive was quoted as saying.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 11; Payload: two Jilin-1 satellites, two experimental satellites; Date: 21 January 2019, 0542 UTC; Launch site: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China. The satellites have successfully entered their preset orbit, according to the center.

The first Russian satellite for weather forecasting and monitoring climate and environment in the Arctic region, Arktika-M, is planned to be sent to near-earth orbit in June 2019, a source in the Russian space industry was quoted as saying.

Rocket: Epsilon-4; Payload: Innovative Satellite Technology Demonstration-1; Date: 18 January 2019, 0050 UTC; Launch site: Uchinoura Space Center, Japan. The launch and flight of Epsilon-4 occurred nominally. All seven satellites separated from the launch vehicle successfully.

Rocket: Delta IV Heavy; Payload: NROL-71; Date: 19 January 2019, 1910 UTC; Launch site: Vandenberg Air Force Base, USA. The classified payload was delivered into an unusual low-Earth orbit with an inclination of approx. 74 degrees.