Satellite News

The fourth Ariane 5 for lift-off in 2015 has begun its integration process. This heavy-lift vehicle will be used for Flight VA225 in August, which will deliver two relay satellites – Eutelsat 8 West B and Intelsat 34 – to geostationary transfer orbit.

Delivered by the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin, the fourth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite arrived at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, prior to its expected August launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 4B; Payload: Gaofen-8; Date: 26 June 2015, 0622 UTC; Launch site: Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China. The high-resolution optical Earth observation satellite was successfully launched for the China National Space Administration.

Russia will grant 21 Soyuz carrier rockets to Arianespace between 2017 and 2019 for launching OneWeb mobile communications satellites, the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) said.

Khrunichev Space Center (KhSC) and OAO Russian Space Systems (RSS), both affiliates of URSC, in the process of expanding their mutually beneficial co-operation, have agreed to reduce by 10% the cost of RSS-manufactured hardware for the Proton-M booster and Briz-M Upper Stage.

Rocket: Vega; Payload: Sentinel-2A; Date: 23 June 2015, 0152 UTC; Launch site: Kourou, French Guyana. The rocket deployed its 1,140-kg-class passenger after a mission lasting just under 55 minutes.

Rocket: Soyuz 2-1B; Payload: Kosmos 2506 (Persona-1 #3?); Date: 23 June 2015, 1644 UTC; Launch site: Plesetsk, Russia. The payload is believed to be the third Persona electro-optical reconnaissance satellite, also known as Kvarts (Quartz).

Aerojet Rocketdyne (AJRD) and NASA Stennis Space Center signed a Space Act Agreement for test services and test stand support of the AR1 multi-element pre-burner and main injector.