Satellite News

The launch of NASA’s planet-hunting satellite TESS has been postponed until 19 April. The satellite had been scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on the evening of 16 April (UTC).

China plans to launch its heavy-lift carrier rocket, the Chang Zheng-5 Y3, in late 2018, after finding the cause of the failure of the Chang Zheng-5 Y2, according to the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.

Rocket: Atlas V; Payload: AFSPC-11; Date: 14 April 2018, 2313 UTC; Launch site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, USA.

A Roskosmos committee has approved RSC Energia’s conceptual design for the Medium Launch Vehicle System intended for flight developmental testing of key elements of the Super-Heavy Space Launch Vehicle System. The acceptance report and committee’s statement have been handed over to Energia.

Rocket: PSLV-C41; Payload: IRNSS-1I; Date: 11 April 2018, 2234 UTC; Launch site: SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota, India. The spacecraft was deployed to a 281 km x 20,730 km transfer orbit. It will later propel itself into a geosynchronous orbit with an inclination of 29 degrees.

Everything is progressing toward the ULA Atlas V launch carrying the Air Force Space Command (AFSPC)-11 mission.

Rocket: Chang Zheng-4C; Payload: three Yaogan-31 remote sensing satellites and a micro nano technology experiment satellite; Date: 10 April 2018, 0425 UTC; Launch site: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China.

Payload: Ariane 5 ECA; Payload: DNS-1/Superbird-8, HYLAS 4; Date: 5 April 2018, 2254 UTC; Launch site: Kourou, French Guiana. The satellites were successfully deployed into geostationary transfer orbit just under 34 minutes after lift-off.