NASA ASKS INDUSTRY FOR INPUT ON ISS DEORBIT CAPABILITIES - NASA is requesting information from industry on its capabilities and interest in developing a spacecraft that would deorbit the International Space Station at the end of its life. NASA issued the request for information (RFI) late Aug. 19, asking companies to supply information about how they could develop a spacecraft that would be used to perform the final reentry maneuvers at the end of the station’s life, pushing it into the atmosphere to break up over the South Pacific Ocean.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Aug 24)

NOAA’S JPSS-2 ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITE ARRIVES AT LAUNCH SITE - NOAA's Joint Polar Satellite System-2 (JPSS-2) is now at Vandenberg Space Force Base California, ahead of its mission to scan the Earth from orbit. A transport truck originating from Northrop Grumman’s facility in Gilbert, Arizona – where the spacecraft’s instruments were integrated – arrived Aug. 19, at the Astrotech Space Operations Facility at Vandenberg, where the satellite is slated to undergo final preparations before launch. Arriving ahead of the satellite were three trucks of equipment needed to support the next two and half months of processing JPSS-2 to ready it for operations.   More
(Source: noaa/nesdis - Aug 23)

SPACE FORCE WARGAME CHALLENGES SATELLITE OPERATORS TO THINK CRITICALLY - As satellites become military targets, the U.S. Space Force is training its operators to think on their feet, said officials who participated in a two-week exercise focused on space operations. “The threats have grown in both scope and complexity over the years,” said Lt. Col. Albert Harris, commander of the Space Training and Readiness Command’s 392nd Combat Training Squadron.    More
(Source: SpaceNews - Aug 22)

CHANG ZHENG 2D LAUNCHES YAOGAN-35-04 FROM XICHANG - At 17:36 UTC, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) launched another trio of Yaogan 35 satellites on a Chang Zheng 2D. Launching from Launch Complex 3 (LC-3) at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, this was the fifth launch of the CZ-2D this year, all having carried Yaogan satellites to orbit. Yaogan Weixing, which translates to “remote sensing satellite” and is often shortened to Yaogan, is the name that the Chinese space administration gives to its classified military satellites...   More
(Source: NASASpaceFlight.com - Aug 21)

SPACEX DRAGON CARGO SHIP RETURNS TO EARTH FROM SPACE STATION - A SpaceX Dragon cargo ship returned to Earth with an ocean splashdown on Saturday (Aug. 20) carrying tons of science gear from the International Space Station. The uncrewed Dragon space capsule splashed down off the coast of Florida on time at 2:53 p.m. EDT (1953 GMT) after just over a month at the space station. "Splashdown of Dragon confirmed, completing SpaceX's 25th cargo resupply mission to the space station," SpaceX wrote in a mission update on Twitter (opens in new tab) today. The company did not provide live views or images of the spacecraft's splashdown.   More
(Source: Space.com - Aug 21)

SPACEX DRAGON CARGO CAPSULE DEPARTS SPACE STATION FOR TRIP BACK TO EARTH - A SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule cast off from the International Space Station and began heading back to Earth on Friday (Aug. 19), setting the stage for a weekend splashdown. The uncrewed Dragon supply ship undocked from the International Space Station (ISS) at 11:05 a.m. EDT (1505 GMT) as both spacecraft sailed 259 miles above the South Pacific Ocean off the coast of Hawaii. The spacecraft will return to on Saturday (Aug. 20), NASA officials said.    More
(Source: Space.com - Aug 20)

INTELSAT WORKING TO REGAIN CONTROL OF GALAXY 15 SATELLITE - Intelsat said Aug. 19 it has lost control of its Galaxy 15 satellite after it was likely hit by a geomagnetic storm. High space weather activity likely knocked out onboard electronics needed to communicate with the satellite, Intelsat said, and keep it locked in its geostationary orbit slot at 133 degrees West. “The satellite is otherwise operating nominally, keeping earth pointing with all payload operations nominal,” Intelsat spokesperson Melissa Longo said.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Aug 20)

SPACEX LAUNCHES 53 MORE STARLINK SATELLITES, LANDS ROCKET AT SEA AGAIN - SpaceX launched another big batch of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit today (Aug. 19) and also aced a rocket landing at sea. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 53 Starlink spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida today at, appropriately enough, 3:21 p.m. EDT (1921 GMT). About nine minutes into the mission, the Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth for a vertical touchdown on the SpaceX droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast.   More
(Source: Space.com - Aug 20)

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION: GIRL, 8, CHATS TO ASTRONAUT ON AMATEUR RADIO - An eight-year-old girl from Kent used her father's amateur radio equipment to chat to an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Isabella, from Broadstairs, spoke to American Kjell Lindgren for about 45 seconds as the ISS passed overhead. Dr Lindgren said the conversation "may be my favourite so far". Isabella said it was "amazing", adding: "Once he found out I was eight, his voice instantly turned from normal to joyful."    More
(Source: BBC News - Aug 19)

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