CHINA LAUNCHES MOBILE TELECOM SATELLITE - A new Chinese mobile communications satellite launched Thursday on top of a Long March 3B rocket, joining a similar spacecraft launched four years ago to provide voice and data services to users on the go. The Tiantong 1-02 mobile communications satellite lifted off at 1559 GMT (10:59 a.m. EST) Thursday from the Xichang satellite launch center in Sichuan province of southwestern China, according to the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Nov 15)

WEATHER DELAY MOVES SPACEX-NASA ASTRONAUT LAUNCH TO SUNDAY - Four astronauts are slated to ride into orbit aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule this weekend, kicking off what NASA hopes will be years of SpaceX conducting routine trips to keep the International Space Station fully staffed. Liftoff was originally slated for Saturday night, but NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said Friday afternoon that rough winds at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, the launch site, prompted SpaceX and NASA to push their target launch time to Sunday at 7:27 pm ET.   More
(Source: CNN - Nov 14)

ATLAS V ROCKET LAUNCHES NROL-101 SPY SATELLITE TO ORBIT - United Launch Alliance (ULA) successfully sent an Atlas V rocket into space today (Nov. 13), following a series of delays due to hardware issues and poor weather conditions at the launch site. The 206-foot-tall (63 meters) rocket blasted off from Space Launch Complex 41 here at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 5:32 p.m. EST (2232 GMT), carrying with it a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office, which manages the U.S. government's fleet of spy satellites.    More
(Source: Space.com - Nov 14)

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM SPACEX’S CREW-1 LAUNCH TO THE SPACE STATION - On the evening of November 14th, SpaceX plans to re-create the monumental feat it achieved earlier this year by launching another crew of astronauts to the International Space Station. This mission is a milestone for both SpaceX and NASA. It is the first “operational” crewed flight for the company and a step toward making American astronaut launches relatively routine.   More
(Source: The Verge - Nov 13)

ATLAS 5 ROCKET BACK ON THE LAUNCH PAD FOR NATIONAL SECURITY MISSION - A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket made its third trip to a Cape Canaveral launch pad Thursday, rolling into position for liftoff Friday afternoon with a classified payload for the U.S. government’s spy satellite agency. The 206-foot-tall (63-meter) rocket made the 1,800-foot (550-meter) trip from ULA’s Vertical Integration Facility to Cape Canaveral’s Complex 41 launch pad Thursday afternoon.    More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Nov 13)

GONETS-M SATELLITES SCHEDULED ON NOV 24 - The next three Gonets-M satellites are scheduled for launch on 24 November, two days ahead of the previous date, a spokesman for satellite operator Gonets told Sputnik on Saturday. "The launch of three Gonets-M satellites is scheduled on 24 November", the spokesman said.   More
(Source: Spacewar.com - Nov 12)

THE PLAN TO TURN SCRAPPED ROCKETS INTO SPACE STATIONS - In early October, a dead Soviet satellite and the abandoned upper stage of a Chinese rocket narrowly avoided a collision in low Earth orbit. If the objects had crashed, the impact would have blown them to bits and created thousands of new pieces of dangerous space debris. Only a few days prior, the European Space Agency had published its annual space environment report, which highlighted abandoned rocket bodies as one of the biggest threats to spacecraft.    More
(Source: WIRED - Nov 12)

NASA CHIEF WARNS OF GAP AFTER RETIREMENT OF INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - The International Space Station is likely to continue operating for another decade, but without more government support, a privately-owned outpost may not be ready in time to replace it, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said. Bridenstine told Spaceflight Now he is concerned that a commercial space station may not be ready by the time the International Space Station reaches the end of its life.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Nov 12)

OMNISPACE SELECTS EXOLAUNCH TO DELIVER TWO NEXT-GENERATION SATELLITES - Omnispace, the company that is reinventing mobile communications by building a global hybrid network, has signed a launch agreement with Exolaunch, the rideshare launch and deployment services provider. Exolaunch will deliver two Thales Alenia Space-built satellites into orbit aboard SpaceX’s rideshare missions. Exolaunch will provide launch, mission management, integration and deployment services for the two Omnispace satellites, targetted for launch in 2022.   More
(Source: SatelliteProME.com - Nov 12)

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