Satellite News

Rocket: Soyuz-2-1b/Fregat; Payload: GLONASS-M No. 51 [Kosmos-2514]; Date: 7 February 2016, 0021 UTC; Launch site: Plesetsk, Russia. The navigation satellite was deployed into a 19,132 km x 19,158 km x 64.8 degrees orbit approx. four hours after lift-off as planned.

Rocket: Atlas 5; Payload: GPS IIF-12 [GPS SVN-70]; Date: 5 February 2016, 1338 UTC; Launch site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, USA. About three hours and 23 minutes after lift-off, the spacecraft was released into a 20,438 km x 20,442 km x 55.0 degrees orbit. Signal acquisition was confirmed at 1709 UTC.

Russia’s State Space Corporation Roskosmos will launch two Rokot carrier rockets converted from ICBMs as part of the federal space programme for 2016-2026 that will be its last launches, according to a draft document.

International Launch Services (ILS) successfully placed the Eutelsat 9B satellite into a 4,371 km x 35,687 km x 12.05 degrees geosynchronous transfer orbit.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 3C/YZ-1; Payload: BDS M3-S [Beidou Daohang Weixing 21, Beidou DW 21, Beidou 21]; Date: 1 February 2016, 0729 UTC; Launch site: Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China. The experimental navigation satellite was successfully deployed into a 21,512 km x 21,981 km x 55 degrees orbit.

Thales Alenia Space Belgium announced that it has signed a contract with Airbus Safran Launchers (ASL), prime contractor for the Ariane 6 launcher on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA), to particpate in development of the range safety system for Ariane 6, including a qualification launch.

Rocket: Proton-M/Briz-M; Payload: Eutelsat 9B/EDRS-A; Date: 29 January 2016, 2220 UTC; Launch site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The rocket lifted off as scheduled.

The launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the GPS IIF-12 mission is set to launch on 5 February.