Satellite News

In its third dedicated rideshare mission with SpaceX, Exolaunch successfully integrated and launched 29 small satellites from customers across the globe. The company’s rideshare clusters aboard the SpaceX Transporter-3 mission were an amalgamation of microsats, cubesats (up to 16U) and PocketQubes.

NASA has selected 12 companies to provide launch services for the agency’s Venture-Class Acquisition of Dedicated and Rideshare (VADR) missions, providing new opportunities for science and technology payloads.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 4C; Payload: L-SAR 01A (Gongjian Ludi Tance-1 01A); Date: 25 January 2022, 2344 UTC; Launch site: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China. The satellite was deployed into a 594 km × 602 km × 97.81 degrees Sun-synchronous orbit.

Celestis, Inc. announced that it has entered into a launch services agreement with United Launch Alliance (ULA). ULA will host a Celestis Memorial Spaceflight payload aboard the initial flight of ULA’s Vulcan Centaur, planned for later this year.

The Sultanate of Oman has selected Poland’s SatRevolution S.A. (SatRev) to deliver and operate its proprietary nanosatellite technologies alongside partners Virgin Orbit, Polish capital group and AI data analytics specialists TUATARA, and Omani-based emerging technology innovator ETCO, under a framework agreement for collaboration on Oman’s first mission to deep space and for delivering small satellites to Low Earth Orbit.

JAXA has confirmed that it will put off the launch of the first model of the new H-3 rocket under development after a problem was found with its main engine.

China plans to launch its new generation rocket Chang Zheng-8 Y2 between late February and early March from the southern island of Hainan, sources with the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, the country’s leading rocket maker, were quoted as saying.

Rocket: Atlas V 511; Payload: USSF-8 (GSSAP-5 and GSSAP-6); Date: 21 January 2022, 1900 UTC; Launch site: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, USA. The satellites were successfully delivered to near-geosynchronous orbit after a nearly 7-hour mission.