CHINA SET TO LAUNCH NEW AMATEUR SATELLITE WITH “SAIL BALL” STABILIZATION - Chinese Amateur Satellite Group (CAMSAT) has announced the impending launch of the CAS-7B satellite, also designated as BP-1B, a short-lived spacecraft that will carry an Amateur Radio payload. An unusual feature of the spacecraft is its “sail ball” passive stabilization system. The 1.5-U CubeSat is attached to a 500-millimeter flexible film ball — or sail — that will offer passive “pneumatic resistance” stabilization. CAS-7B is expected to remain in orbit for up to 1 month. The spacecraft will carry an Amateur Radio transponder and educational mission. CAMSAT is working with Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), a top aerospace school, which is providing launch support in launch of the satellite.    More
(Source: ARRL - Jun 3)

WATCH: ASTRONAUT CAPTURES AMAZING TIME-LAPSE VIDEO OF EARTH FROM ISS - Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have the best views of Earth. Have doubts? Just check out a stunning, new time-lapse video of our planet captured by NASA astronaut Nick Hague, who has been aboard the orbiting space station since mid-March. In the amazing video, Expedition 59 crew member Hague squeezed 30 minutes of footage into 60 seconds, capturing views of the Earth from the Pacific to the Atlantic.   More
(Source: Geek - Jun 2)

NASA TO SHUT DOWN SPITZER SPACE TELESCOPE EARLY NEXT YEAR - After a search for an outside funding source turned up empty, NASA plans to end observations with the Spitzer Space Telescope in January to conclude a 16-year mission that discovered exoplanets, studied galaxies in the ancient universe, and peered at planets and asteroids in our own solar system. NASA quietly announced the plan to end Spitzer’s observations in a blog post earlier this month. Astronomers hoped to keep Spitzer going until after the launch of the long-delayed James Webb Space Telescope, but the new observatory is now scheduled for launch in early 2021, and continues to dominate the budget for NASA’s astrophysics division.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jun 2)

NASA TV TO AIR US CARGO SHIP DEPARTURE FROM SPACE STATION - Filled with more than 4,200 pounds of valuable scientific experiments and other cargo, a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is set to return to Earth from the International Space Station Monday, June 3. NASA Television and the agency’s website will provide live coverage of the craft’s release beginning at 11:45 a.m. EDT. Around noon, flight controllers at mission control in Houston will deliver remote commands to the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to detached Dragon from the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module.   More
(Source: Southgate Amateur Radio Club - Jun 1)

UK SATELLITE 'SETS SAIL' FOR RETURN TO EARTH - TechDemoSat-1 was launched in 2014 to trial a number of new in-orbit technologies but has now reached the end of its operational life. To bring it out of the sky faster than would ordinarily be the case, it has deployed a "drag sail". This large membrane will catch residual air molecules at its altitude of 635km and pull TDS-1 quickly into Earth's atmosphere where it will burn up. There is a lot of interest currently in "clean space" technologies.    More
(Source: BBC News - Jun 1)

EUTELSAT 7C SATELLITE ARRIVES IN FRENCH GUIANA - Eutelsat Communications’ newest high-power broadcast satellite, EUTELSAT 7C, arrived at the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana where it will be launched as a co-passenger on an Ariane 5 rocket on June 20. Built by Maxar Technologies, the 3.4 ton satellite will serve markets across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Turkey through 49 36-Mhz equivalent Ku-band transponders.   More
(Source: Via Satellite - Jun 1)

MOST OF SPACEX'S STARLINK INTERNET SATELLITES ARE ALREADY ON TRACK - The first batch of 60 Starlink internet satellites has been orbiting Earth for about a week, and now SpaceX has released a status update on the mission. According to a spokesperson, "all 60 satellites have deployed their solar arrays successfully, generated positive power and communicated with our ground stations." The statement didn't directly mention concerns by astronomers about their brightness and visibility, but Elon Musk already has, and they aren't expected to reach their full altitude for three to four weeks. According to SpaceX, "observability of the Starlink satellites is dramatically reduced as they raise orbit to greater distance...   More
(Source: Engadget - Jun 1)

AIRBUS TO BUILD TRIO OF INMARSAT-7 SATELLITES - Inmarsat on May 30 announced an order with Airbus Defence and Space to build three satellites using a serial production method that will enable faster build times for follow-on spacecraft. The reprogrammable geostationary satellites mark the beginning of London-based Inmarsat’s seventh-generation fleet, previously referred to as Global Xpress Flex, or GX Flex. The Inmarsat-7 satellites are expected to launch in 2023, expanding Inmarsat’s fleet of Ka-band high-throughput satellites to 10.    More
(Source: SpaceNews - May 31)

PROTON ROCKET LIFTS OFF WITH YAMAL 601 COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE - On its first launch of the year, a Russian-made Proton rocket lifted off Thursday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with a French-built, Russian-owned communications satellite. The 191-foot-tall (58-meter) Proton rocket lifted off at 1742 GMT (1:42 p.m. EDT; 10:42 p.m. Baikonur time) Thursday to carry the Yamal 601 spacecraft toward a perch in geostationary orbit more than 22,000 miles (nearly 36,000 kilometers) over the equator. Mounted on a mobile rail transporter, the Proton rocket, its Breeze M upper stage and the Yamal 601 communications satellite departed a hangar at the Central Asia space base around sunrise Monday.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 30)

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