Satellite News

Rocket: Chang Zheng 6; Payload: 20 micro-/nano-satellites; Date: 19 September 2015, 2301 UTC; Launch site: Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China. The satellites, developed by a number of universities and space research institutes across China, include nine amateur radio satellites. The spacecraft were deployed into a 515 km x 550 km Sun-synchronous orbit 15 minutes after lift-off.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced the launch schedule for Telesat’s broadcast and telecommunication satellite, Telstar 12V, by H-IIA Launch vehicle No. 29 (H-IIA F29).

A problem recently discovered in two sensors in the propulsion system of the entry, descent and landing demonstrator module has prompted the recommendation to move the launch of the ExoMars 2016 mission aboard a Proton rocket, initially foreseen in January, to March – still within the launch window of early 2016.

Russia’s space start-up Yaliny, which intends to create a constellation of satellites in orbit to provide global Internet access, has concluded an agreement with Kosmotras on the launch of its satellites using the Dnepr rocket.

The Dynetics and Aerojet Rocketdyne (AJRD) team recently performed with its NASA partner, the second successful gas generator test series of the F-1 engine as part of the Space Launch System (SLS) Advanced Booster Engineering Demonstration and/or Risk Reduction (ABEDRR) contract.

ASTROSAT, the satellite for the first dedicated Indian astronomy mission aimed at studying celestial objects, is scheduled for launch on 28 September on 0430 UTC on board the launch vehicle PSLV C-30.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 3B; Payload: Communications Engineering Test Satellite 1 (TXJSSY-1) [?]; Date: 12 September 2015, 1542 UTC; Launch site: Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China. The satellite was deployed into a 201 km x 35,824 km x 27.1 degrees geostationary transfer orbit.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 2D; Payload: Gaofen-9; Date: 14 September 2015, 0445 UTC; Launch site: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China. The satellite was placed in a 618 km x 664 km x 98.0 degrees Sun-synchronous orbit.