SPACEX'S 1ST UPGRADED DRAGON CARGO SHIP DOCKS ITSELF AT SPACE STATION WITH SCIENCE, GOODIES AND NEW AIRLOCK - A SpaceX Dragon cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station today (Dec. 7) to deliver vital supplies for NASA and try something brand-new: park itself without the help of astronauts. The private spaceflight company used a Falcon 9 rocket to launch CRS-21, the first flight to use the upgraded version of its Dragon cargo spacecraft, to the space station Sunday (Dec. 6) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The vehicle autonomously docked with the orbiting laboratory today at 1:40 p.m. EST (1840 GMT)... More (Source: Space.com - Dec 8)
CHINA SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES NEW EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITE - China on Sunday successfully launched a new Earth observation satellite which can take high-resolution pictures of ground objects across the globe. The satellite was launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest China's Sichuan province, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The satellite, Gaofen-14, was sent into orbit by a Long March-3B carrier rocket. Geofen-14 is an optical stereo mapping satellite. More (Source: Economic Times - Dec 7)
SPACEX LAUNCHES FIRST IN NEW LINE OF UPGRADED SPACE STATION CARGO SHIPS - An upgraded version of SpaceX’s Dragon cargo freighter launched Sunday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, loaded with 3.2 tons of supplies and experiments in the first of at least nine resupply flights to the International Space Station under a new NASA contract. The cargo capsule lifted off on top of a 215-foot-tall (65-meter) Falcon 9 rocket at 11:17:08 a.m. EST (1617:08 GMT) Sunday, vaulting away from pad 39A with 1.7 million pounds of thrust from nine Merlin main engines. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Dec 7)
NASA, SPACEX NOW TARGETING DEC. 6 FOR CRS-21 LAUNCH - Because of poor weather conditions in the recovery area for today’s planned launch of SpaceX’s 21st commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station, SpaceX and NASA are now targeting lift off for Sunday, Dec. 6, at 11:17 a.m. EST. Launch coverage will begin at 10:45 a.m. on NASA TV and the agency’s website. More (Source: NASA - Dec 6)
LOCKHEED MARTIN’S SBIRS GEO-5 SATELLITE READIES FOR LAUNCH IN 2021 - Lockheed Martin revealed Wednesday that the fifth Space Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (SBIRS GEO-5) satellite is complete and ready for launch in 2021, as determined by the U.S. Space Force. SBIRS GEO-5 is the first military space satellite built on Lockheed Martin’s LM 2100 combat bus. The SBIRS GEO-6 satellite is also being built on the new bus, with plans to launch in 2022. Both SBIRS GEO-5 and GEO-6 will to join the U.S. Space Force’s constellation of missile warning satellites, which have scanning and staring infrared surveillance sensors. More (Source: Via Satellite - Dec 5)
ROCKET-LAUNCHING DRONE READY TO TAKE SATELLITES INTO ORBIT - It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s the RAVN-X—a rocket-launching drone designed to send small satellites to orbit without a pilot or a launchpad. Aerospace startup Aevum unveiled the first flight-ready model today, in advance of the system’s first mission: a 2021 launch for the U.S. Space Force, to take place after flight testing. The company has already inked about $1 billion in military contracts, but Jay Skylus, founder and CEO, believes the RAVN-X system will be useful for remote-sensing scientists interested in launching small satellites quickly into custom orbits More (Source: Science Magazine - Dec 5)
NASA SPACE STATION ON-ORBIT STATUS 1 DECEMBER 2020 - CARGO RESUPPLY PREPARATIONS - Cargo operations are underway at the International Space Station as a U.S. resupply ship prepares for launch and another prepares for departure. Meanwhile, a host of microgravity research is keeping the Expedition 64 crew busy. SpaceX is preparing its upgraded SpaceX Dragon cargo craft for a launch from Florida on Dec. 5 and a rendezvous with the orbiting lab about 24 hours later. This will be the first automated docking of the Cargo Dragon. More (Source: Space Ref - Dec 4)
SOYUZ ROCKET LIFTS OFF FROM PLESETSK WITH RUSSIAN RELAY SATELLITES - Three Russian Gonets communications satellites launched late Wednesday from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, riding a Soyuz rocket and Fregat upper stage into orbit on the second successful Soyuz mission in less than 24 hours. The Gonets-M satellites lifted off at 8:14 p.m. EST Wednesday (0114 GMT; 4:14 a.m. Moscow time Thursday) from Plesetsk, a military spaceport in the Arkhangelsk region of northern Russia. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Dec 4)
FIFTH SBIRS MISSILE WARNING SATELLITE READY FOR 2021 LAUNCH - Lockheed Martin has announced the US Space Force has determined the fifth Space-Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbit satellite (SBIRS GEO-5) is complete and ready for launch in 2021. Built in a record time and at no additional cost to the government for the upgrade, SBIRS GEO-5 is the first military space satellite built on the company’s modernised, modular LM 2100 combat bus. SBIRS GEO-6, launching in 2022, is also being built on the new bus designed for speed and resilience. More (Source: SatelliteProME.com - Dec 4)
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