Satellite News

The launch of a Cygnus cargo vessel to the ISS aboard an Antares rocket from Wallops Island was scrubbed on 9 February 2020. A new launch date was not immediately announced.

Thirty-four OneWeb satellites were successfully deployed into a circular low Earth orbit on 7 February during a flight lasting 3 hours and 45 minutes from lift-off to final payload separation.

Rocket: H2A No. 41; Payload: IGS-Optical 7; Date: 9 February 2020, 0134 UTC; launch site: Tanegashima Space Center, Japan. The successful lift-off of the H2A rocket marked the 35th in a row, raising the success rate of Japan’s workhorse launch vehicle to 97.6%.

China’s Chang Zheng-5B carrier rocket arrived at the launch site in southern China’s Hainan Province Wednesday after a week of ocean and rail transport, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

Rocket: Soyuz 2-1b/Fregat; Payload: 34 OneWeb satellites; Date: 6 February 2020, 2142 UTC; Launch site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The rocket lifted off a planned and was to deploy the satellites during a mission of 3 hours, 45 minutes [too long for this issue–Ed.]

Russia’s State Space Corporation Roskosmos is ready to develop a new rocket for the Sea Launch floating spaceport owned by S7 Group replacing Ukrainian Zenit launch vehicles, Roskosmos Chief Dmitry Rogozin was quoted as saying.

Airbus-built Solar Orbiter has been fitted inside the protective fairing, mounted on top of an Atlas 5 launcher and is now ready to fly from Cape Canaveral on 9 February (UTC).

Firefly Aerospace, Inc. announced the execution of a Launch Services Agreement with SATLANTIS, a provider of high-performance payload technologies for Earth observation and remote sensing.