CHINA POSTPONES LAUNCH OF BEIDOU GLOBAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE - China will have to wait to finish a long-awaited upgrade of its global navigation satellite system. The final Beidou Navigation Satellite-3 (BDS-3) launch, planned for Tuesday, June 16 Beijing time and GMT (late Monday, June 15 in EDT) was delayed due to technical issues with the rocket, Chinese state media service Xinhua reported. More details were not made immediately available. More (Source: Space.com - Jun 17)
INTERNATIONAL SATELLITE TO TRACK SEA LEVEL RISE COMPLETES TESTING - An international satellite that will collect the most accurate data yet on sea levels around the world, a key indicator of how Earth's warming climate is affecting the oceans, weather and coastlines, has completed all the tests ahead of its scheduled launch in November. The tests for the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich spacecraft -- which is being built in Germany --began in November 2019 and they finished at the end of May this year, NASA said. More (Source: Times Now - Jun 16)
SPACEX'S PREDAWN STARLINK SATELLITE LAUNCH LOOKS SIMPLY STUNNING IN THESE TWITTER PHOTOS - When SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket into space Saturday (June 13), it delivered 58 Starlink satellites and three Planet SkySats into orbit. The mission was a success. It also looked amazing. That's because SpaceX launched the Falcon 9 rocket at 5:21 a.m. EDT (0921 GMT), just over an hour before sunrise, from Space Launch Complex 40 of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. As the rocket climbed into the predawn sky, its exhaust plume was illuminated by sunlight, creating a dazzling view. More (Source: Livescience.com - Jun 16)
THE LAST BEIDOU NAVIGATION SATELLITE TO LAUNCH IN FEW DAYS - China's GPS replacement is taking shape as the last satellite in the 30-satellite navigation system will be launched in a few days. China Satellite Navigation Office made the announcement on Sunday. The satellite will be launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern Sichuan Province, by a Long March-3B carrier rocket. It has been in the center for preparations since about two months ago. More (Source: CGTN - Jun 15)
ESAIL MARITIME SATELLITE READY FOR LAUNCH - The ESAIL microsatellite for tracking ships worldwide - developed under an ESA Partnership Project - has completed its accommodation on Vega's new dispenser for small satellites and is ready for launch. The Vega launch campaign at Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, resumed three weeks ago, following an interruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. More (Source: Space Daily - Jun 15)
SPACEX LAUNCHES 58 STARLINK SATELLITES AND 3 PLANET SKYSATS, NAILS ROCKET LANDING - SpaceX successfully launched its first rideshare mission into orbit today (June 13), lofting a new batch of 58 Starlink internet satellites along with three small Earth-observation satellites before nailing a Falcon 9 rocket landing at sea. It was a mostly clear morning, with just a few clouds above the launch pad here at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at liftoff. Onlookers were treated to an awesome view in the predawn sky — the glow from the rocket's engines were visible well into the flight as it launched at 5:21 a.m. EDT (0921 GMT). More (Source: Space.com - Jun 13)
JAPAN FIRM TO DEVELOP SATELLITE TO REMOVE SPACE DEBRIS - Japan's SKY Perfect JSAT Corp. said Thursday it will develop a satellite to remove space debris with lasers, aiming to launch a related service in 2026. The satellite communications service provider will make the satellite mainly with government-affiliated research institute Riken and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, it said. More (Source: Nippon.com - Jun 13)
ESAIL MARITIME SATELLITE READY FOR LAUNCH - The ESAIL microsatellite for tracking ships worldwide—developed under an ESA Partnership Project—has completed its accommodation on Vega's new dispenser for small satellites and is ready for launch. The Vega launch campaign at Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, resumed three weeks ago, following an interruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. More (Source: Phys.Org - Jun 13)
UNIVERSITY-BUILT CUBESAT LAUNCHED WITH SWARM OF AURORAL SCIENCE NODES - Rocket Lab successfully launched five small satellites from New Zealand Saturday for customers in the United States and Australia, including a CubeSat with a novel swarm of tiny magnetometers to measure the plasma currents that shape colorful auroras. The 55-foot-tall (17-meter) rocket took off at 0512:12 GMT (1:12:12 a.m. EDT) from Rocket Lab’s privately-operated spaceport on Mahia Peninsula, located on the eastern coast of New Zealand’s North Island. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jun 13)
Previous Next
