Satellite News

The 12th flight of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), GSLV-F08 with GSAT-6A as its payload is scheduled for launch on 29 March at 1126 UTC.

ESA’s Light satellite Launch opportunities initiative is investigating possible low-cost launch services based on Ariane 6, Vega and Vega-C efficiently combining payloads in the same mission and offering a standardised service to customers.

Rocket: Soyuz-FG; Payload: Soyuz MS-08 [Soyuz 54S]; Date: 21 March 2018, 1844 UTC; Launch site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The crewed vessel was launched on a two-day flight to the International Space Station.

The Sentinel-3B satellite was shipped from Thales Alenia Space’s Cannes plant last week.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 2D; Payload: Land Survey Satellite 4 (Ludikancha Weixing 4, LKW-4); Date: 17 March 2018, 0710 UTC; Launch site: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, China. China’s main space contractor CASC confirmed that launch had been successfully towards a 500 km altitude Sun-synchronous orbit less than an hour after lift-off.

The U.S. Air Force announced the award of two Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) launch service contracts.

ILS announced multiple launch assignments for Proton Medium launches that will include the use of both the 4.35 meter and the new 5.2 meter payload fairing. The missions will take place beginning in late 2019 from Pad 24 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

DigitalGlobe said that the initial block of the company’s multi-satellite WorldView Legion constellation will be launched by two flight-proven Falcon 9 rockets in 2021.