Satellite News

Virgin Orbit announced that commercial satellite developer Cloud Constellation Corporation has selected Virgin Orbit as its launch partner for a dozen satellites that will become the communications backbone of the SpaceBelt system.

Rocket: Soyuz FG; Payload: Soyuz MS-06; Date: 12 September 2017, 2117 UTC; Launch site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The spacecraft arrived in its orbit nine minutes after lift-off and was expected to dock with the International Space Station at 0257 UTC.

Rocket: Proton M/Briz M; Payload: Amazonas 5; Date: 11 September 2017, 1923 UTC; Launch site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The multi-mission Amazonas 5, designed and built for Hispasat, is successfully performing post-launch manoeuvres according to plan.

Glavkosmos, GK Launch Services, and Lavochkin Science and Production Association have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. The key area of the joint work will be the use of the Fregat Upper Stage and its modifications to expand business opportunities in provision of launch services by GK Launch Services.

Inmarsat has selected Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) as the launch provider for the first satellite in the Inmarsat-6 fleet.

SES has selected Arianespace for its fifth launch of four O3b satellites joining the O3b Medium Earth Orbit fleet. The mission on a Soyuz rocket will be conducted from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, in 2019.

SES has selected Arianespace to launch its high-power, high-throughput satellite SES-17 on an Ariane 5 in 2021 from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.

Arianespace and EUMETSAT have announced the signature of a contract entrusting Arianespace with the launch of the first two Metop-SG satellites of the EUMETSAT Polar System of Second Generation (EPS-SG), plus an option for the launch of a third satellite, to be performed from the Guiana Space Center – Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.