PLéIADES NEO 4 SATELLITE ENTERS SERVICE WITHOUT A HITCH - Pléiades Neo 4, the second of four planned high-resolution images satellites built and operated by Airbus Defense and Space, entered service Dec. 15 free from an issue that prompted an insurance claim for Pléiades Neo 3. Francois Lombard, Airbus Defense and Space head of intelligence, told SpaceNews that Pléiades Neo 4 “is fullfilling all expected performance specifications” as it begins commercial operations four months after its mid-August launch aboard a Vega rocket.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Dec 17)

SPACEX TO CLOSE OUT YEAR WITH SURGE OF LAUNCHES - SpaceX is set to close out the year with three Falcon 9 rocket flights in a span of about 72 hours from launch pads in Florida and California, carrying another batch of Starlink internet satellites, a Turkish data relay spacecraft, and a resupply mission to the International Space Station. The missions will blast off from each of the company’s active orbital launch pads at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and Kennedy Space Center.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Dec 17)

CHINESE KUAIZHOU-1A ROCKET FAILS AFTER LAUNCH, 2 SATELLITES LOST - A Kuaizhou-1A solid rocket by Chinese commercial company Expace failed to make it to orbit Tuesday (Dec. 14), taking two commercial satellites with it during its demise. The rocket launched from the China National Space Administration's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert at 9 p.m. EST (0200 GMT or 10 a.m. local time Wednesday, Dec. 15), according to a SpaceNews report, which cited airspace closure notices in pinpointing the launch time. On board the rocket were two satellites for Geespace, which were expected to test autonomous driving navigation assistance.   More
(Source: Space.com - Dec 16)

NASA DELAYS LAUNCH OF WEBB TELESCOPE TO NO EARLIER THAN DEC. 24 - Engineers discovered an intermittent data dropout associated with a piece of ground support equipment after connecting the James Webb Space Telescope with its Ariane 5 launcher over the weekend in French Guiana. The observatory’s long-awaited blastoff will be delayed at least two days to Dec. 24 to troubleshoot the problem, the head of NASA’s science division said Tuesday.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Dec 16)

PRIVATE SPACE STATIONS ARE COMING. WILL THEY BE BETTER THAN THEIR PREDECESSORS? - A new era of space stations is about to kick off. NASA has announced three commercial space station proposals for development, joining an earlier proposal by Axiom Space. These proposals are the first attempts to create places for humans to live and work in space outside the framework of government space agencies. They’re part of what has been called “Space 4.0”, where space technology is driven by commercial opportunities. Many believe this is what it will take to get humans to Mars and beyond.    More
(Source: The Space Review - Dec 15)

CHINA LAUNCHES SECOND TIANLIAN II COMMUNICATION SATELLITE - China has launched the second satellite for the Tianlian II tracking and data relay series. This satellite enables communications between spacecraft and is part of the new series of Tianlian satellites, after the initial launch of the first Tianlian II in March of 2019. The liftoff occurred at 00:09 local time on December 14 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. The launch vehicle was a Chang Zheng 3B/E and the launch was confirmed a success by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The target orbit for the Tianlian satellites is a Geostationary Orbit (GEO).   More
(Source: NASASpaceFlight.com - Dec 14)

NASA SELECTS SECOND PRIVATE ASTRONAUT MISSION TO SPACE STATION - NASA has selected Axiom Space for the second private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. NASA will negotiate with Axiom on a mission order agreement for the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) targeted to launch between fall 2022 and late spring 2023. Ax-2 will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a mission of no more than 14 days docked to the space station. NASA and Axiom will negotiate in-orbit activities for the private astronauts to conduct in coordination with space station crew members and flight controllers on the ground. The Ax-2 mission concept includes scientific research and outreach activities.   More
(Source: NASA - Dec 14)

PROTON ROCKET LAUNCHES TWO RUSSIAN BROADCASTING SATELLITES - Two Russian telecommunications satellites are riding a Proton rocket and Breeze M upper stage into a high-altitude orbit after launch Monday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The mission took off at 7:07 a.m. EST (1207 GMT) Monday, and will last 18 hours from launch through separation of the final spacecraft, one of the longest ascents ever for a Russian rocket.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Dec 13)

FOR A FEW MINUTES ON DECEMBER 11, THERE WERE 19 PEOPLE IN SPACE — HIGHEST SO FAR - On December 11, the human population in space reached a record high number of 19, after six passengers blasted off into space aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, as part of the NS-19 mission. The 19th New Shepard mission was suborbital, like previous crewed spaceflight missions of Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin. Previously, the human population in space reached a record high number of 14 on September 16, when four civilians reached Earth orbit as part of the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission.   More
(Source: ABP LIVE - ABP News - Dec 13)

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