AMERICA'S NEXT SPACE STATION WILL BE TWICE AS BIG THANKS TO SPACEX - The International Space Station is a technological marvel. Beginning with the Zarya power and propulsion module launched in 1998, through the installation of its latest solar array last year, the ISS took more than a quarter-century, 42 space launches, and $150 billion to build. 108.5 meters end-to-end, the ISS boasts 1,0005 cubic meters of pressurized volume on its inside, of which roughly 39% (388 cubic meters) are habitable.   More
(Source: Yahoo Finance - Feb 20)

ROCKET LAB LAUNCHES ADRAS-J SPACE JUNK INSPECTION SATELLITE FOR ASTROSCALE - Rocket Lab launched an ambitious space-junk inspection satellite for the Japanese company Astroscale Sunday morning (Feb. 18), Astroscale's ADRAS-J satellite lifted atop an Electron rocket from Rocket Lab's New Zealand launch site today at 9:52 a.m. EST (1452 GMT; 3:52 a.m. local New Zealand time on Feb. 19). The satellite is designed to inspect a large piece of space junk: a defunct Japanese H-2A rocket stage in low Earth orbit.   More
(Source: Space.com - Feb 19)

RESUPPLY SHIP DOCKS TO STATION COMPLETING SPACE DELIVERY - An uncrewed Roscosmos Progress 87 spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station’s aft port of the Zvezda service module at 1:06 a.m. EST, as the orbiting laboratory was 260 miles over the south Pacific Ocean. The spacecraft launched on a Soyuz rocket at 10:25 p.m. EST Wednesday, Feb. 14 (8:25 a.m. Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Progress is delivering almost three tons of food, fuel and supplies to the International Space Station for the Expedition 70 crew.   More
(Source: NASA - Feb 19)

RUSSIA SENDS RESUPPLY MISSION TO INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - Russia launched an automated cargo supply spaceship to the International Space Station, with three tons of food and other items. A Soyuz-2.1a rocket launched the Progress MS-26 carrier ship into orbit early Thursday morning local time, Russia's state-run news agency TASS reported. The Russia resupply spaceship is also delivering nearly 1,300 pounds of refueling propellant, 110 pounds of potable water and nearly 90 pounds of compressed nitrogen in cylinders.   More
(Source: Yahoo News - Feb 19)

IRIDIUM ADDS FIVE YEARS TO CONSTELLATION LIFETIME ESTIMATE - Iridium Communications expects to get another five years out of its satellites, pushing out any need to complete a replenishment of the L-band connectivity constellation to at least 2035. The 80 satellites in the operator’s second-generation Iridium Next low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation, launched from 2017-2019 apart from five spares lofted last year, came with a 12.5-year design life from their prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space. Speaking during Iridium’s Feb. 15 quarterly earnings call, CEO Matt Desch said a recent engineering assessment “prompted us to update the constellation’s estimated life, which we now believe will perform well to at least 2035.”   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Feb 16)

WHITE HOUSE CONFIRMS US HAS INTELLIGENCE ON RUSSIAN ANTI-SATELLITE CAPABILITY - The White House on Thursday confirmed that the national security threat flagged by the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee the previous day is related to “an anti-satellite capability that Russia is developing,” but sought to soothe concerns about the danger it presents to the United States. “This is not an active capability that’s been deployed,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday. “And though Russia’s pursuit of this particular capability is troubling there was no immediate threat to anyone’s safety.”    More
(Source: CNN - Feb 16)

RUSSIA LAUNCHES A VALENTINE'S DAY PROGRESS SUPPLY SHIP TO THE ISS - A fresh load of supplies is headed for the International Space Station. Russia launched its robotic Progress 87 cargo ship on a Valentine's Day delivery mission toward the International Space Station tonight (Feb. 14). The freighter lifted off atop a Soyuz rocket from the Russian-run Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 10:25 p.m. EST (0325 GMT and 8:25 a.m. on Feb. 15 local time in Baikonur).   More
(Source: Space.com - Feb 15)

SPACEX DELAYS CALIFORNIA LAUNCH OF 22 STARLINK SATELLITES TO FEB. 15 - SpaceX plans to launch 22 more of its Starlink internet satellites on Thursday (Feb. 15), after a one-day delay. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink spacecraft is scheduled to lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Thursday during a four-hour window that opens at 4:34 p.m. EST (1:34 p.m. local California time, or 2134 GMT).   More
(Source: Space.com - Feb 15)

SPACEX LAUNCHES U.S. MISSILE-DEFENSE SATELLITES - SpaceX launched a U.S. military classified mission Feb. 14, sending to orbit six missile-detection satellites: two for the Missile Defense Agency and four for the Space Development Agency. The mission, named USSF-124, flew to orbit on a Falcon 9. The rocket lifted off at 5:30 p.m. Eastern from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The payload included five satellites made by L3Harris Technologies and one made by Northrop Grumman.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Feb 15)

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