Satellite News

Arianespace is preparing its initial Ariane 5 and Soyuz missions of 2018, which will set the stage for up to 14 flights this year using its family of launchers.

JAXA has rescheduled the launch of Epsilon-3, the third Epsilon launch vehicle which encapsulates NEC’s small radar satellite “ASNARO-2” from the JAXA Uchinoura Space Center.

GomSpace has purchased a launch for several nanosatellites onboard a LauncherOne rocket from the California based company Virgin Orbit. The flight, which is bound for a low-inclination orbit, is scheduled to occur in early 2019.

In light of adverse weather predicted for the launch day, JAXA postponed the launch of Epsilon-3, the third Epsilon launch vehicle which encapsulates NEC Small radar satellite “ASNARO-2”, from the JAXA Uchinoura Space Center, to no earlier than 17 January 2018 (UTC).

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) lifted off from Space Launch Complex-6 on 12 January at 2211 UTC. Designated NROL-47, the mission is in support of U.S. national defence.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 3B/YZ-1; Payload: two Beidou satellites; Date: 11 January 2018, 2318 UTC; Launch site: Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China. The navigation satellites were deployed into medium Earth orbit by the Yuanzheng-1 upper stage.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 2D; Payload: LKW-3 (Land Survey Satellite-3); Date: 13 January 2018, 0710 UTC; Launch site: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, China. The observation satellite was placed into a Sun-synchronous orbit.

Rocket: Delta IV; Payload: NROL-47; Date: 12 January 2018, 2211 UTC; Launch site: Vandenberg Air Force Base, USA. The rocket lifted off successfully after several delays. Owing to a news blackout the outcome of the launch was not immediately known.