AIR FORCE ACADEMY SATELLITE TO LAUNCH ABOARD X-37B ORBITAL TEST VEHICLE - A satellite built by Air Force Academy cadets will launch into space May 16 aboard the X-37B, Orbital Test Vehicle sponsored by the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office and built by Boeing. This is the first time a satellite built and designed by cadets will catch a ride into space aboard the X-37B.   More
(Source: U.S. Air Force Academy - May 7)

RUSSIAN DOSAAF-85 (RS-44) AMATEUR RADIO SATELLITE TRANSPONDER NOW ACTIVE - The amateur radio linear transponder (SSB/CW) on the Russian DOSAAF-85 (RS-44) has been activated. Dmitry Pashkov, R4UAB, explains that RS-85 is a small scientific satellite built by specialists at Information Satellite Systems and students at Siberian State Aerospace University (SibSAU). The satellite’s name commemorates the 85th anniversary of the Voluntary Society for the Assistance to the Army, Aviation, and Navy (DOSAAF), the organization responsible for the military training of Soviet youth.   More
(Source: ARRL - May 7)

EXPERIMENTAL CHINESE CARGO RETURN CAPSULE MALFUNCTIONS DURING RE-ENTRY - An experimental cargo return craft launched as a secondary payload on China’s Long March 5B rocket malfunctioned during its return to Earth on Wednesday, while an unpiloted prototype for the country’s next-generation crew capsule continues raising its orbit before its scheduled landing Friday, Chinese officials said.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 6)

SPACEX TO DEBUT SATELLITE-DIMMING SUNSHADE ON NEXT STARLINK LAUNCH - A new sunshade, or visor, designed to reduce the brightness of SpaceX’s Starlink broadband Internet satellites will debut on the company’s next launch, a measure intended to alleviate astronomers’ concerns about impacts on observations through ground-based telescopes, SpaceX founder Elon Musk said. Beginning with the next launch of Starlink satellites — scheduled for 18 May from Cape Canaveral — SpaceX will try out a new light-blocking panel to make the spacecraft less visible to skywatchers and astronomers.   More
(Source: Astronomy Now Online - May 6)

BUILDING SATELLITES AMID COVID-19 - During these unprecedented times of the COVID-19 lockdown, trying to work poses huge challenges for us all. For those that can, remote working is now pretty much the norm, but this is obviously not possible for everybody. One might assume that like many industries, the construction and testing of satellites has been put on hold, but engineers and scientists are finding ways of continuing to prepare Europe's upcoming satellite missions such as the next Copernicus Sentinels.    More
(Source: Phys.org - May 6)

PENTAGON CALLS IRAN’S RECENT MILITARY SATELLITE LAUNCH A ‘SECURITY CONCERN’ AMID DETERIORATING RELATIONS - The nation’s top military officer said Tuesday that Iran’s recent military satellite launch, the first for the rogue regime, is a concerning feat. “Different missiles can do different things, one can carry a satellite and one can carry some sort of device that can explode. So, the bottom line is yes, it is a security concern anytime Iran is testing any type of long-range missile,” explained Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Army Gen. Mark Milley.   More
(Source: CNBC - May 6)

CHINA TO DEBUT NEW VERSION OF POWERFUL LONG MARCH 5 ROCKET THIS WEEK - A prototype for China’s next-generation human-rated spacecraft — flying on a test flight without astronauts — is scheduled to ride a new version of the country’s heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket into orbit this week. The Long March 5B rocket could take off as soon as Tuesday from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan Island in southern China, but Chinese officials have not officially announced the target launch date.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 6)

VIRGIN ORBIT’S FIRST LAUNCH COULD HAPPEN LATER THIS MONTH - Virgin Orbit could attempt its first orbital test launch later this month over the Pacific Ocean southwest of Los Angeles, capping a development program for an air-launched small satellite carrier that began in earnest eight years ago. The small satellite launch company, part of Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, entered the final phase of pre-flight testing last week with a ground fueling test of its first flight-worthy LauncherOne rocket.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 5)

RUSSIA TO LAUNCH FIRST SATELLITE TO MONITOR ARCTIC CLIMATE IN 2020 - Russia is planning to launch a satellite called Arktika-M at the end of the year to monitor the Arctic climate and environment. The announcement was made by Vladimir Kolmykov, General Director of the Lavochkin aerospace company. Russia’s Arktika-M remote-sensing and emergency communications satellites aim to gather meteorological data in the polar regions, which will allow for improved weather forecasts and enable scientists to study climate change better.   More
(Source: SatelliteProME.com - May 5)

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