Satellite News

International Launch Services (ILS) announced a product line extension of the Proton Briz M commercial launch vehicle designed to expand the addressable GEO market for cost effective launch solutions in the small and medium satellite class range (3 to 5 metric tons).

United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced a new service called RapidLaunch for its Atlas V rocket, which according to the company provides the customer the fastest schedule from the initial order to launch service in the industry.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed a contract with Arianespace to launch its GSAT-11 telecommunications satellite aboard an Ariane 5.

Virgin Galactic announced that Sky and Space Global has signed a binding launch services agreement to purchase four dedicated missions on the LauncherOne system. These flights will enable the deployment of Sky and Space Global’s initial constellation. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Blue Origin unveiled an artist’s concept of two- and three-stage versions of a rocket called New Glenn that could launch humans and satellites into orbit by the end of the decade.

Rocket: Atlas V; Payload: OSIRIS-REx; Date: 8 September 2016, 2305 UTC; Launch site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, USA. The Atlas V launched the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft into a hyperbolic trajectory away from Earth where it will begin a seven-year mission to return an asteroid sample.

The four spacecraft to be orbited on Arianespace’s first launch of Galileo navigation satellites by Ariane 5 have begun their processing at the Spaceport in preparation for a November lift-off from French Guiana.

Rocket: GSLV Mk. II/CUS; Payload: Insat 3DR; Date: 8 September 2016, 1120 UTC; Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, India. The weather satellite was successfully launched and has meanwhile been catalogued in a 152 km x 35,935 km x 20.6 degrees geostationary transfer orbit.