Satellite News

The launch of an ILS Proton launch vehicle with the Astra 2G satellite was postponed due to the off-nominal operation of the Briz M upper stage gyro unit during planned pre-flight testing.

The fifth SpaceX cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract is scheduled to launch on Tuesday, 16 December from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Payload processing for Arianespace’s third Soyuz mission at the service of O3b Networks has reached full speed, with all four connectivity satellites now at the Spaceport – where fuelling and integration operations are underway.

The first flight test of NASA’s Orion spacecraft is scheduled for Thursday, 4 December.

The next launch of a Russian navigation satellite GLONASS-K from the Plesetsk cosmodrome is scheduled for 30 November (UTC).

Rocket: Soyuz-FG; Payload: Soyuz TMA-15M; Date: 23 November 2014, 2101 UTC; Launch site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The Soyuz TMA-15M manned transport spacecraft was accurately placed on the target orbit and has meanwhile docked with the ISS.

Following the State Review Board’s decision, the Proton M/Astra 2G integrated launch vehicle (ILV) was rolled out to Launch Complex. The ILV is now installed on its launch pad.

As Arianespace prepares to close out a busy year of mission activity, the initial Ariane 5 for launch in 2015 already is beginning to take shape at the Spaceport in Kourou.