LANDSAT: A GUIDE TO THE EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITE FLEET - Landsat is an eagled-eyed satellite fleet that's kept a watchful eye on Earth since 1972. According to NASA, it is the "longest continuous space-based record (opens in new tab) of Earth's land in existence." The program takes images of the Earth at a range that allows scientists to see large-scale changes in the landscape, including those changes induced by human-driven climate change. Landsat 9, the most recent of the series, launched in September 2021 and as late as 2019, researchers have said the program's consistent, multi-decadal record is a boon to science.   More
(Source: Space.com - Jul 21)

L3HARRIS, NORTHROP GRUMMAN TO BUILD 28 MISSILE-TRACKING SATELLITES FOR U.S. SPACE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY - The Space Development Agency announced July 18 it selected L3Harris Technologies and Northrop Grumman to each build 14 missile-tracking satellites for a low Earth orbit constellation known as the Tracking Layer. L3Harris won a $700 million contract and Northrop Grumman a $617 million deal for the Space Development Agency’s Tracking Layer Tranche 1.    More
(Source: SpaceNews - Jul 20)

SATELLITES CAPTURE EUROPE BROILING IN RECORD-BREAKING HEATWAVE - It's rare for satellites to get a perfectly cloud-free view of the entirety of Europe, but on Monday (July 18), the European weather satellite Eumetsat captured exactly that. The clear view means a bright blue sky even for those Europeans who usually worry more about remembering an umbrella than sunscreen. The clear blue sky also offers no respite from a heatwave that has engulfed the continent, bringing record-high temperatures across the continent and sparking devastating wildfires that have already ravaged hundreds of square miles of land.    More
(Source: Space.com - Jul 20)

FIRST LAB MODULE FOR CHINA SPACE STATION ROLLED OUT TO LAUNCH PAD, EXPECTED TO BE LAUNCHED SOON - The combination of China's space station lab module Wentian and the Long March-5B Y3 carrier rocket has been transferred to a launch pad, the Global Times learned from the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Monday, which revealed that it will be launched at an appropriate time in the near future. A slew of pre-launch function checks and joint tests will be carried out in the following days, the CMSA noted. The logo for this launch mission has also been released on the same day.    More
(Source: Global Times - Jul 19)

CREW UNPACKING NEW SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS FROM DRAGON - New science experiments continue to be unpacked from inside the newly-arrived SpaceX Dragon resupply ship. The seven Expedition 67 crew members also ensured the International Space Station continues orbiting Earth in tip-top shape. NASA Flight Engineers Jessica Watkins and Bob Hines spent Monday unloading some of the more than 5,800 pounds of science experiments and crew supplies delivered on Saturday inside the Dragon cargo craft. The duo transferred time-critical research samples into the orbital lab to begin exploring a variety of space phenomena to benefit humans on and off the Earth.   More
(Source: NASA - Jul 19)

NORTHROP WINS SPACE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY'S CONTRACT TO BUILD 14 SATELLITES - Defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC.N) said on Monday it had won a contract to build and deploy a low-Earth orbit constellation of 14 satellites for the U.S. Space Development Agency. The satellites are part of the agency's plan to build the Tranche 1 Tracking Layer for detecting, identifying and track hypersonic weapons and other advanced missiles from their earliest stages of launch through interception.   More
(Source: Reuters - Jul 19)

SATELLITE DODGES SPACE DEBRIS AS IT SCRAMBLES AGAINST SPACE WEATHER - A European satellite that has been scrambling to escape premature death in Earth's atmosphere due to bad space weather has narrowly avoided a collision with a random piece of space junk. The satellite, part of the constellation Swarm, which monitors Earth's magnetic field, has been climbing to a higher altitude after it experienced increased drag due to changes in the density of the upper layers of Earth's atmosphere that occurred in response to solar activity.    More
(Source: Space.com - Jul 19)

SPACEX DEPLOYS 53 MORE STARLINK SATELLITES ON RECORD-TYING 31ST LAUNCH OF THE YEAR - Fifty-three more Starlink internet satellites thundered into orbit from Cape Canaveral atop a Falcon 9 rocket Sunday on SpaceX’s 31st launch of the year, tying the company’s number of missions for all of 2021 and maintaining a pace of one flight per week. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 10:20 a.m. EDT (1420 GMT) Sunday. Nine Merlin 1D engines flashed to life with 1.7 million pounds of thrust and burned rocket-grade kerosene fuel to drive the Falcon 9 launcher off the pad.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jul 19)

CHINA'S HOPES HIGH AS SPACE STATION NEARS COMPLETION - Chinese astronauts, known as taikonauts, and a ground crew are working to finish their country's first permanent orbiting space station and the world's second by year's end, official media outlets say. That milestone will boost China's national pride and provide it with new channels for economic development and a possible new tool for military use on the ground, analysts say.   More
(Source: voanews.com - Jul 17)

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