ISRO PREPARES FOR CHALLENGING EXPERIMENT OF AGED SATELLITE'S REENTRY ON MARCH 7 - The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up for a challenging experiment of controlled re-entry of a decommissioned low earth orbit satellite, Megha-Tropiques-1 (MT1), on March 7. MT1 was launched on October 12, 2011, as a joint satellite venture of ISRO and French space agency CNES for tropical weather and climate studies. Although the mission life of the satellite was originally three years, the satellite continued to provide valuable data services for more than a decade...    More
(Source: The Economic Times - Mar 6)

THOUSANDS OF SATELLITES ARE LAUNCHED INTO LOW ORBIT. IT COULD HARM THE OZONE LAYER. - Thousands of small satellites are being launched into the “lower orbit” of space, just above the stratosphere, by companies like SpaceX, OneWeb, Amazon’s proposed Project Kuiper and more — devices that can provide internet service among other uses. Because the number will soon reach many tens of thousands, concern is growing among atmospheric scientists about how they may harm the protective ozone layer that shields life on Earth from dangerous radiation from the sun.   More
(Source: The Washington Post - Mar 6)

CHINA AND FRANCE PREPARE TO LAUNCH SATELLITE TO HUNT FOR GAMMA-RAY BURSTS - France is set to send a pair of advanced science instruments to China in preparation for launch of a joint space observatory. The Space-based multi-band astronomical Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) is a collaboration forged in 2014 between the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and the Centre national d’études spatiales (CNES). The satellite will be on the lookout for short-lived and extremely violent cosmic explosions known as gamma-ray bursts by detecting high-energy electromagnetic radiation in the X-ray and gamma-ray ranges.   More
(Source: Space.com - Mar 6)

NASA PROPOSES FINAL EXTENSION OF ISS CARGO CONTRACTS - NASA is proposing extending three existing contracts to transport cargo to and from the International Space Station through the anticipated end of the station in 2030, rather than recompete them. In a March 2 procurement notice, NASA said it intended to issue sole-source extensions of its Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) 2 contracts with Northrop Grumman, Sierra Space and SpaceX. Those extensions would cover missions from January 2027 through December 2030. NASA has previously announced its intent to end the ISS program and transition to commercial space stations by 2030.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Mar 6)

SPACEX CREW-6 MISSION'S APPROACH TO SPACE STATION CAPTURED IN BREATHTAKING VIDEO - Early Friday morning (March 3), SpaceX's Dragon Endeavour spacecraft carrying the four astronauts of the Crew-6 mission approached the International Space Station (ISS). Crew-6's dramatic meetup with the space station, which culminated with a docking at 1:40 a.m. EST (0640 GMT) on Friday, was captured in a breathtaking time-lapse video created using NASA footage.   More
(Source: Space.com - Mar 6)

NOZZLE EROSION BLAMED FOR VEGA C LAUNCH FAILURE - Europe plans to return the Vega C rocket to flight by the end of the year after concluding an eroded nozzle component caused the failure of its previous launch last December. The European Space Agency announced March 3 it had completed an independent investigation into the failed Dec. 20 launch of the Vega C on the VV21 mission, which experienced a loss of thrust from its Zefiro-40 solid-fuel second stage. The failure resulted in the loss of two Pléiades Neo imaging satellites for Airbus Defence and Space.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Mar 5)

AFTER SLIGHT DELAY, SPACEX ASTRONAUT CAPSULE DOCKS AT SPACE STATION - A crew of astronauts aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule docked at the International Space Station, concluding a one-day trip to rendezvous with the orbiting laboratory after launching from Florida early Thursday. The capsule made first contact with the space station at 1:40 a.m. ET Friday and began opening the hatches at 3:45 a.m. EST. The spacecraft was slated to dock with the ISS around 1:15 a.m. ET, but it was delayed as ground crews worked to troubleshoot an issue with a sensor on the capsule’s docking hardware, which is used to latch the vehicle onto its port.    More
(Source: CNN - Mar 4)

JAPAN TARGETING SUNDAY FOR 2ND TRY AT H3 ROCKET'S DEBUT LAUNCH - Japan's new H3 rocket will soon get a second chance to fly for the first time. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) tried to debut the H3 on Feb. 16, but that attempt was aborted when the vehicle's two solid rocket boosters failed to ignite as planned.   More
(Source: Space.com - Mar 4)

SPACEX LAUNCHES 51 STARLINK SATELLITES TO ORBIT AFTER WEATHER DELAYS - SpaceX launched another big batch of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit on Friday (March 3) after a series of weather delays. A Falcon 9 rocket topped with 51 Starlink spacecraft lifted off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base Friday at 1:38 p.m. EST (1838 GMT; 10:38 a.m. local California time).   More
(Source: Space.com - Mar 4)

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