Satellite News

Space Systems/Loral (SSL) and Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat) announced that AsiaSat 6 has arrived at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, where it will be launched by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle next month, following the launch of AsiaSat 8 currently scheduled for next week.

Eutelsat Communications announced it has sealed procurement and launch contracts with Airbus Defence and Space and Arianespace for the Eutelsat 172B satellite.

The USAF Space and Missile Systems’ ORS Office, in partnership with SMC’s Space Superiority Systems Directorate and Advanced Systems and Development Directorate, is developing a new mission to answer a United States Strategic Command need for Space Situational Awareness of the geosynchronous Earth orbit belt.

The next rover NASA will send to Mars in 2020 will carry seven carefully-selected instruments to conduct unprecedented science and exploration technology investigations on the Red Planet, the agency said.

Rocket: Delta IV Medium-plus (4,2); Payload: two Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites, Automated Navigation and Guidance Experiment for Local Space (ANGELS); Date: 28 July 2014, 2328 UTC; Launch site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, USA.

Rocket Lab announced its plan for the creation of Electron, a lightweight, cost-effective rocket, making it easier for companies to launch small satellites into orbit.

Arianespace’s heavy-lift Ariane 5 workhorse has been given the go-ahead for Flight VA219 – a record mission carrying Europe’s last Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV).

The launch of a United Launch Alliance Delta IV carrying the AFSPC-4 mission was scrubbed on 25 July due to a violation of multiple weather criteria.