Satellite News

The next SpaceX cargo mission to the International Space Station under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services contract is scheduled to launch Monday, 14 April, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Arianespace said it is maintaining its rapid-paced mission planning in 2014 as preparations move ahead for the next flight – a light-lift Vega launch, which is to orbit the DZZ-HR Earth observation spacecraft from French Guiana on 28 April.

Rocket: Atlas V 401; Payload: DMSP-19; Date: 3 April 2014, 1446 UTC; Launch site: Vandenberg Air Force Base, USA. The military weather satellite was placed into a near-polar, Sun-synchronous orbit.

Rocket: Soyuz/Fregat; Payload: Sentinel-1A; Date: 3 April 2014, 2102 UTC; Launch site: Sinnamary, French Guiana. The Earth observation satellite separated from the upper stage some 23 minutes after lift-off as planned and is now in a at 693-km Sun-synchronous orbit.

The Soyuz for Arianespace’s seventh mission with its medium-lift workhorse launcher is now in the launch zone at French Guiana, ready to receive the Sentinel-1A satellite payload for Europe’s Copernicus Earth observation programme.

The launch rehearsal for India’s second navigational satellite IRNSS 1B was completed successfully at the spaceport of Sriharikota, setting the stage for commencement of over 58-hour countdown for its lift off onboard PSLV C24 on 4 April.

Tempus Global Data, Inc. announced that it has opened operations in Utah to deliver weather data through the use of the Utah State University-built Sounding & Tracking Observatory for Regional Meteorology instrument under an exclusive agreement.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 2C; Payload: Shijian 11-06; Date: 30 March 2014, 0246 UTC; Launch site: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China. State media reported the satellite was successfully launched into preset orbit.