PROJECT KUIPER: AMAZON'S ANSWER TO SPACEX'S STARLINK PASSES 'CRUCIAL' TEST - Amazon's upcoming satellite broadband network, dubbed "Project Kuiper," just passed a key test test that paves the way for a 2024 launch. Similar to SpaceX's Starlink, Project Kuiper is Amazon's plan to provide high-speed internet by launching and connecting 3,236 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO). The firm launched two prototype satellites in October and began testing the systems required for the network to operate. One key test was validating the optical inter-satellite link (OISL) technology, which uses infrared lasers to send data between the spacecraft. More (Source: Space.com - Dec 27)
CHINA LAUNCHES NEW BEIDOU SATELLITES, ROCKET BOOSTER LANDS NEAR HOUSE - China added a new pair of satellites to its Beidou positioning and navigation system late Monday, but spent stages from the launch landed within inhabited areas. A Long March 3B equipped with a Yuanzheng-1 upper stage lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 10:26 p.m. Eastern Dec. 25 (0326 UTC, Dec. 26), successfully delivering two Beidou satellites into medium Earth orbit (MEO). More (Source: SpaceNews - Dec 27)
CHINA LAUNCHES FOUR METEOROLOGICAL SATELLITES - China successfully sent four meteorological satellites into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Monday. The satellites, belonging to the Tianmu-1 meteorological constellation, were launched by a Kuaizhou-1A carrier rocket at 9:00 a.m. (Beijing Time) and have entered the planned orbit. They will be mainly used to provide commercial meteorological data services. It was the 23rd flight mission of the Kuaizhou-1A rockets. More (Source: Xinhua - Dec 26)
ASTRONAUTS IN SPACE BEAM HOLIDAY WISHES TO EARTH FOR CHRISTMAS (VIDEO) - Astronauts on the International Space Station are sending holiday cheer to Earth with a festive video just in time for Christmas. Clad in red and green Santa hats, NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara joined the station's Expedition 70 commander Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency and Satoshi Furukawa of Japan to share what it's like to spend the holidays off Earth. More (Source: Space.com - Dec 26)
SPACEX FALCON 9 ROCKET LAUNCHES 2 GERMAN MILITARY SATELLITES - A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off with two radar reconnaissance satellites for the German military on Sunday morning (Dec. 24). The Falcon 9 rocket launched the SARah-2 mission to low Earth orbit (LEO) from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base at 8:11 a.m. EST (1311 GMT; 5:11 a.m. local California time). The flight had originally been slated for Saturday (Dec. 23) but was pushed back a day to allow for additional preflight checks. More (Source: Space.com - Dec 25)
SHENZHOU-17 ASTRONAUTS CONDUCT FIRST SPACEWALK TO REPAIR SOLAR ARRAY - China’s Shenzhou-17 astronauts embarked on their first extravehicular activity Thursday to address minor damage to a Tiangong space station solar array. Mission commander Tang Hongbo and Tang Shengjie began a roughly 7.5-hour extravehicular activity (EVA), or spacewalk, Thursday. The pair reentered Tiangong through the Wentian science module’s EVA hatch at 8:35 a.m. Eastern (1335 UTC) Dec. 21, according to the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO). More (Source: SpaceNews - Dec 25)
THE OVZON 3 LAUNCH IS DELAYED UNTIL JANUARY NEXT YEAR - “Launch of Ovzon 3 is now targeted for early January 2024 due to continuous unfavorable weather and as a result of shifts in the launch schedule. While weather is out of our control, the spacecraft remains healthy, and we continue to work closely with SpaceX to prepare for launch in early January. This shift does not affect the roll-out of our unique next generation SATCOM-as-a-Service offerings”, says Per Norén, CEO of Ovzon. More (Source: SatNews - Dec 24)
ROCKET LAB WINS $515 MILLION CONTRACT TO BUILD 18 SATELLITES FOR U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCY - Space launch provider and satellite manufacturer Rocket Lab has secured a deal worth over half a billion dollars to build 18 satellites for a U.S. government agency. As disclosed in an SEC regulatory filing Dec. 21, Rocket Lab National Security will “design, manufacture, deliver and operate 18 space vehicles” as part of a U.S. government contract valued at $515 million. A spokesperson said the company could not provide further details. More (Source: SpaceNews - Dec 24)
ISS ROUNDUP: 25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY, SPACEWALKS, CARGO ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES - The final quarter of 2023 saw the International Space Station (ISS) celebrate 25 years in orbit, though there was no letup in the ongoing work as the Expedition 70 crew settled into the tasks and experiments that are carried out onboard the orbital laboratory. Cargo spacecraft arrived at the Station carrying supplies and fresh experiments and departed, taking scientific results, redundant equipment, and trash down to Earth. More (Source: NASASpaceFlight.com - Dec 24)
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