Satellite News

Progress-M-19M has successfully undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) despite a malfunctioning antenna.

Progress-M-19M has successfully undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) despite a malfunctioning antenna.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 2F; Payload: Shenzhou 10; Date: 11 June 2013, 0938 UTC; Launch site: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China. The crewed Shenzhou spacecraft entered its designated orbit nine minutes after lift-off.

Rocket: Soyuz-2.1b; Payload: Kosmos 2486; Date: 10 June 2013, 1837 UTC; Launch site: Plesetsk, Russia. “The spacecraft separated from the booster rocket in a routine mode,” a spokesman for the Russian defence ministry’s space defence forces was quoted as saying.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Arianespace S.A. have concluded a memorandum of understanding (MOU) pertaining primarily to implementation of joint proposals relating to commercial space rocket launches.

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) announced the successful start of the latest phase of hybrid rocket motor qualification testing for the Dream Chaser flight vehicle. SNC completed two tests this week at its rocket test facility in San Diego, California.

The Ariane 5 that launched the ATV-4 ‘Albert Einstein’ also carried the STEREX experiment, funded by the DLR Space Administration and the European Space Agency. The heart of this system consists of four cameras incorporated into the Ariane 5. Two of these cameras recorded the separation of ATV-4 for the first time in 3D.

Rocket: Ariane 5 ES; Payload: ATV-4 Albert Einstein; Date: 5 June 2013, 2142 UTC; Launch site: Kourou, French Guiana. The unmanned cargo vessel separated from the upper stage at 2256 UTC, about half an hour later deployed its solar arrays and is now on its way to the ISS, with a docking scheduled in ten days’ time. It will remain attached to the station for about five months.