AIR FORCE'S SECRET X-37B SPACE PLANE JUST SCORED A BIG WIN - The Air Force's secret X-37B space plane just boosted its public profile, taking home the prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy for advancing "the boundaries of flight and space exploration," according to an Aug. 13 service release. "As the world's only autonomous, reusable space plane, it continues to contribute to our understanding of both space and air flight," said Jim Albaugh, chairman of the National Aeronautic Association, which sponsors the competition. More (Source: Military.com - Aug 18)
MORE STARLINKS AND SKYSATS READY FOR LAUNCH TUESDAY FROM CAPE CANAVERAL - The last planned batch of high-resolution SkySat commercial Earth-viewing reconnaissance satellites owned by Planet will accompany 58 Starlink broadband relay stations on a climb into orbit Tuesday from Cape Canaveral on top of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, adding to the world’s two largest commercial satellite fleets. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Aug 18)
LATEST RADAR SATELLITE SHOWS WAKASHIO HULL BROKEN IN TWO - A Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite from Iceye and analyzed by Ursa Space Systems reveals that the Wakashio had broken in two parts by 3.28pm on 15 August 2020. This validates imagery taken earlier in the day that showed water rushing into the hull of the stricken vessel in the morning of Saturday 15 August. More (Source: Forbes - Aug 17)
DEBUTING UPGRADES, ARIANE 5 ROCKET DEPLOYS THREE U.S.-BUILT SATELLITES IN ORBIT - An Ariane 5 rocket delivered a robotic space tug and a pair of commercial communications satellites into orbit Saturday following a fiery blastoff from French Guiana, debuting new upgrades in Arianespace’s first mission since temporarily suspending launch operations earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The European Ariane 5 rocket and its three U.S.-built payloads took off from the ELA-3 launch zone at the Guiana Space Center at 6:04 p.m. EDT... More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Aug 16)
NASA TV TO AIR DEPARTURE OF JAPANESE CARGO SHIP FROM SPACE STATION - Eleven years after the launch of the first H-II Transfer cargo vehicle (HTV) to the International Space Station, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA’s) HTV-9 will depart the orbital laboratory Tuesday, Aug. 18, with live coverage beginning at 1:15 p.m. EDT on NASA Television and the agency’s website. More (Source: NASA - Aug 14)
GROWING NUMBER OF SATELLITE CONSTELLATIONS HAS ASTRONOMERS WORRIED - One hundred years ago, when the world was just recuperating from the damage caused by the first world war, humanity could have never guessed what the future had in store for us. Over the years, not only did we manage to get out of Earth and land on other celestial bodies (only the Moon so far, alas), we also started sending our own creations to roam the skies. However, some astronomers are of the view, that we might have gone a little too far, and worry that Amazon’s constellation of 3,236 satellites (along with others) might just bring forth unwanted complications in the future. More (Source: The Tech Portal - Aug 13)
BACK AT CAPE CANAVERAL, SPACEX’S CREW DRAGON CAPSULE PREPS FOR NEXT MISSION - Fresh off a 64-day test flight to the International Space Station with astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, SpaceX’s first human-rated Crew Dragon spaceship is back at Cape Canaveral for inspections, refurbishment and upgrades before flying to the station again with a four-person crew next spring. The crew capsule — named “Endeavour” by Hurley and Behnken — arrived at Port Canaveral on Aug. 7 aboard SpaceX’s “Go Navigator” recovery ship after sailing from the Gulf of Mexico, where the Dragon spacecraft splashed down under parachutes Aug. 2 south of Pensacola, Florida. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Aug 13)
MEET 'TENACITY': 1ST DREAM CHASER SPACE PLANE GETS A NAME - The first orbital Dream Chaser space plane recently got its wings, and a name. Dream Chaser, which is built by Colorado-based company Sierra Nevada Corp., is the world's only non-capsule private orbital spacecraft. The winged vehicle will launch vertically atop a rocket but end its missions with runway landings, like NASA's now-retired space shuttle orbiters used to do. More (Source: Space.com - Aug 13)
UAE TO LAUNCH A NAVIGATION SATELLITE NEXT YEAR - The United Arab Emirates will launch a navigation satellite next year aimed at demonstrating the country’s technological capabilities, a top official told Emirates News Agency, WAM. “The first satellite will be launched in 2021 and the second – a technologically enhanced one – the following year,” said Dr. Khaled Al Hashmi, Director of the National Space Science and Technology Centre, NSSTC, in UAE University in Al Ain. More (Source: SpaceWatch.Global - Aug 12)
Previous Next
