Satellite News

The landing of Philae on its target comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was even more eventful than originally thought. The lander is stable, though, has sufficient power (at least for the time being) and is transmitting data from several of its instruments onboard. The main problem: it is not where it was supposed to be (where exactly is unknown), and it is not in the position it should be.

NASA has officially confirmed the Ionospheric Connection Explorer, or ICON, mission, clearing it to move forward into the development phase. ICON will explore a swath of Earth’s atmosphere where weather close to the ground impacts the dynamic space environment above in unexpected ways.

Despite glitches, ESA’s Rosetta mission has soft-landed its Philae probe on its target comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko despite some glitches. But even hours after the confirmation it appears unclear what exactly had happened. The lander is working, but it is unknown whether it is safely anchored.

Boeing has successfully mated two 702SP (small platform) satellites in a stacked configuration in preparation for the first-ever conjoined satellite launch.

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Phoenix programme has shared its Hosted POD Assembly Interface Control Document. The document provides specifications for Phoenix’s Payload Orbital Delivery (POD) system, a standardised mechanism currently in development that is intended to safely carry a wide variety of payloads to GEO aboard commercial communications satellites.

CGS SpA Compagnia Generale per lo Spazio has signed a contract with Airbus Defence and Space for the realisation of the MicroWave Imager (MWI) instrument for the MetOp Second Generation satellites.

NASA has officially confirmed the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission, clearing it to move forward into the development phase.

ESA’s fifth Galileo navigation satellite, one of two left in the wrong orbit this summer, will make a series of manoeuvres this month as a prelude to its health being confirmed.