KUAIZHOU-1A ROCKET LAUNCHES CLASSIFIED SHIYAN-11 SATELLITE - A Chinese Kuaizhou-1A rocket launched the experimental Shiyan-11 satellite for China’s main space contractor from northwest China late Nov. 24. The 19.4-meter-long Kuaizhou-1A lifted off from a transporter erector launcher at 6:41 p.m. Eastern Wednesday, rising into pre-dawn skies over the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. Aboard was the classified Shiyan-11 satellite, belonging to a series of nominally experimental satellites. It was later tracked in a 489 by 502-kilometer altitude Sun-synchronous orbit by the U.S. 18th Space Control Squadron.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Nov 26)

SOYUZ 2.1B LAUNCHES RUSSIAN EARLY WARNING SATELLITE - At 01:09 UTC, or 4:09 A.M. local time in Moscow, a Soyuz 2.1b rocket launched carrying the Tundra 15L early warning satellite for the Russian Ministry of Defense. The launch occurred from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. Plesetsk is located in the Arkhangelsk oblast. The Cosmodrome has been in operation since 1957 and is predominately used for Russian military launches.   More
(Source: NASASpaceFlight.com - Nov 25)

ONEWEB MULLS DEBRIS-REMOVAL SERVICE FOR FAILED SATELLITE - OneWeb is considering options to remove one of its broadband satellites from low Earth orbit after it failed following a software issue last year. “We are looking at all potential suppliers to address de-orbit as and when the tech is safe,” said Chris Mclaughlin, OneWeb’s chief of government, regulation and engagement. The failure was disclosed in a OneWeb financial report filed Nov. 17. That report noted OneWeb has deployed 358 satellites at 1,200 kilometers through 11 launches, “with loss of only one satellite to date.”   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Nov 25)

RUSSIA LAUNCHES NEW PRICHAL MODULE TO INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - A new Russian module is on its way to the International Space Station. A Russian-built Soyuz rocket carrying a modified Progress cargo spacecraft and the new Prichal docking module lifted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Wednesday (Nov. 24) at 8:06 a.m. EST (1306 GMT). "Liftoff! Twenty-three years and four days after the first module launched to the International Space Station, a new docking port takes flight," NASA spokesperson Rob Navias said during the agency's live broadcast. "It was a flawless ride to orbit."   More
(Source: Space.com - Nov 25)

FALCON 9 LAUNCHES DART - A SpaceX Falcon 9 successfully launched a NASA mission that will deliberately collide with a near Earth asteroid to test a technique that could be used to deflect the trajectory of any future asteroid on a collision course with the Earth. The Falcon 9 lifted off on schedule at 1:21 a.m. Eastern Nov. 24 from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The rocket’s upper stage deployed NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft about 55 minutes later, after two burns of that stage. NASA later confirmed that the spacecraft was in good health and had deployed its solar arrays.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Nov 25)

NANORACKS TO DEPLOY FIRST-EVER 0.3U CUBESAT FROM SPACE STATION - Nanoracks Europe is on track to set a new record as the company prepares to deploy the first-ever 0.3U CubeSat from the International Space Station (ISS). The satellite, named FEES2, was developed by the Italian company GP Advanced Projects and is approximately the thickness of a cherry. It will be one of the smallest trackable objects deployed directly from the Space Station. FEES2 (Flexible Experimental Embedded Satellite-2) is a platform for demonstrating and validating CubeSat technology in orbit. The mission will test critical satellite components, such as GPS receivers and attitude control systems, that have specifically been designed for miniaturized experiments.   More
(Source: SpaceRef - Nov 24)

RUSSIAN MODULE LAUNCHING TO SPACE STATION WEDNESDAY MORNING: WATCH LIVE - A new Russian module will launch toward the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday morning (Nov. 24), and you can watch the action live. A modified Progress cargo craft topped with the Prichal docking module is scheduled to lift off atop a Russian Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan Wednesday at 8:06 a.m. EST (1306 GMT). You can watch it live here and on the Space.com homepage courtesy of NASA, or directly via the space agency. NASA's live coverage will begin at 7:45 a.m. EST (1245 GMT).   More
(Source: Space.com - Nov 24)

RUSSIAN ANTI-SATELLITE MISSILE TEST DRAWS CONDEMNATION FROM SPACE COMPANIES AND COUNTRIES - Across the globe, nations and space companies alike are speaking out about Russia's anti-satellite (ASAT) test that forced astronauts in space to take cover. On Monday (Nov. 15), the seven astronauts and cosmonauts living on board the International Space Station were forced to take shelter in the spacecraft they flew to the station. The orbiting lab was passing through a cloud of space debris that threatened the station and its inhabitants. Later that day, the U.S. State Department revealed, with confirmation from the Pentagon, that the space debris — which will be trapped in orbit for years to come — was the result of a Russian anti-satellite test.    More
(Source: Space.com - Nov 23)

ASTRA REACHES ORBIT FOR FIRST TIME, CLEARING WAY FOR COMMERCIAL LAUNCHES - Astra launched its first rocket into orbit from Alaska early Saturday after falling short on three previous tries, an achievement company officials said will unlock “tremendous demand” for its small satellite launch service. Company officials did not disclose a scheduled for its next mission in a virtual briefing with reporters Monday. But a NASA official said Astra’s next mission will carry six small CubeSat payloads into orbit for the space agency, and could take off before the end of the year.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Nov 23)

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