Satellite News

Iran said that two newly constructed satellites have passed pre-launch tests and will be transported to the nation’s space centre for eventual launch, without elaborating.

Rocket: Ariane 5 ECA; Payload: Eutelsat KONNECT, GSAT-30; Date: 16 January 2020, 2105 UTC; Launch site: Kourou, French Guiana. The two satellites were deployed into geostationary transfer orbit as planned.

Rocket: Kuaizhou-1A (KZ-1A); Payload: Yinhe-1 (GS-SparkSat-03); Date: 16 January 2020, 0302 UTC; Launch site: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China. The satellite, the first one of Beijing-based GalaxySpace, was sent into its planned orbit of 621 km x 637 km x 86.40 degrees.

The launch of a Russian rocket powered by methane is expected to cost half as much as the lift-off of a Soyuz-2 carrier, Progress Space Rocket Center CEO Dmitry BaraNovember was quoted as saying.

Rocket: Chang Zheng-2D; Payload: Jilin-1KF01 (Red Flag-1 H9), NewSat-7, NewSat-8 (aka NuSat-8 and 8), Tianqi-2-03; Date: 15 November 2020, 0253 UTC; Launch site: Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, China. The satellites were deployed into approx. 477 km x 491 km x 97,34 degrees Sun-synchronous orbit.

Arianespace has delivered another Ariane 5 to the launch zone at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, positioning the vehicle for lift-off on 16 January with two satellite passengers on board: Eutelsat KONNECT and GSAT-30.

Final payload integration has begun for Arianespace’s year-opening mission on 16 January with GSAT-30 now installed atop its Ariane 5 launcher at the Spaceport in French Guiana.

Boeing has delivered the core stage of NASA’s first Space Launch System (SLS) deep space exploration rocket, moving it out of the NASA Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to the agency’s Pegasus barge.