UK WILL BUILD OWN SATELLITE SYSTEM IF FROZEN OUT OF EU'S GALILEO – CHANCELLOR - The chancellor, Philip Hammond, has warned that the UK will build its own satellite navigation system to rival the European Union’s €10bn (£9bn) Galileo project if Brussels carries out its threat to block access. The European commission has cited legal issues about sharing sensitive information with a non-member state to justify its decision to shut British firms out of the project. The EU has also said it will restrict access to encrypted signals from Galileo.   More
(Source: The Guardian - May 26)

ROCKET LAB UPDATES LAUNCH WINDOW FOR FIRST COMMERCIAL MISSION - After a two-month delay to resolve a technical concern, Rocket Lab plans to launch its first commercial mission as soon as June 22, U.S. time, from the company’s rocket base in New Zealand, the company announced Friday. Rocket Lab has four-hour launch windows available during a 14-day period extending from June 22 through July 5, U.S. time, with the daily window opening at 8:30 p.m. EDT. That translates to 0030 GMT or 12:30 p.m. New Zealand time the following day.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 26)

ORBITAL ATK CYGNUS CARGO SHIP DELIVERS SCIENCE GEAR (AND GOODIES) TO SPACE STATION - An Orbital ATK Cygnus cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station early Thursday (May 24) to deliver more than 3 tons of science gear and supplies — and some goodies for astronauts, too. NASA astronaut Scott Tingle captured the uncrewed Cygnus spacecraft using the space station's robotic arm at 5:26 a.m. EDT (0926 GMT). It was attached to the an Earth-facing port on the station's Unity module about 3 hours later. The spacecraft is packed with 7,385 lbs. (3,350 kilograms) of science experiments, equipment and basic supplies, like clothing and food, for the station's Expedition 55 crew. But it contained some extra treats for the astronauts, too.   More
(Source: Space.com - May 25)

HOW LONG SHOULD A SATELLITE LAST: FIVE YEARS, TEN YEARS, 15, 30? - Satellite manufacturers and operators attending the Space Tech Expo here offered contrasting views on how long satellites should continue to work in orbit. For years, government and commercial operators sought to extend the life of satellites by sending them into orbit with plenty of fuel and components designed to withstand 15 years of harsh radiation. Now, the market is diversifying. Customers want everything from cubesats built for six-month missions to geostationary communications satellites designed to last decades.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - May 25)

NEWEST NOAA WEATHER SATELLITE SUFFERS CRITICAL MALFUNCTION - The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released some bad news today: the GOES-17 weather satellite that launched almost two months ago has a cooling problem that could endanger the majority of the satellite’s value. GOES-17 is the second of a new generation of weather satellite to join NOAA’s orbital fleet.   More
(Source: Ars Technica - May 24)

AMATEUR RADIO TRANSPONDERS ON PLANNED CHINESE SATELLITES TO INCLUDE HF - China’s Amateur Radio Satellite organization, CAMSAT, has released some details of three new Amateur Radio satellites that could be launched as early as September. Two of the satellites, CAS-5A and CAS-6, will carry transponders, and one of them will have HF capability. CAS-5A is a 6U CubeSat. It will an HF/HF (21/29 MHz) mode linear transponder; an HF/UHF (21/435 MHz) mode linear transponder; an HF CW telemetry beacon; VHF/UHF mode linear transponder; a VHF/UHF mode FM transponder; a UHF CW telemetry beacon, and UHF AX.25 4,000/9,600-baud GMSK Telemetry.    More
(Source: ARRL - May 23)

RUSSIA TO CREATE ORBITAL INTERNET SATELLITE CLUSTER BY 2025 - Russian Space Systems Company (part of the State Space Corporation Roscosmos) plans to implement a project to create a global satellite communications network, which will require 288 satellites operating in the 870 km orbit by 2025, Company representative and project Head Yuri Mishin said on Tuesday. "The Efir project envisages an aerospace infocommunications network. This is the project of creating orbital Internet. We plan 288 satellites in the 870km obit. They will form a system expected to start operating in 2025," Mishin said at the presentation titled: "Space Services for the Digital Economy" in Moscow.    More
(Source: TASS - May 23)

RIDESHARE LAUNCH BY SPACEX SERVES COMMERCIAL AND SCIENTIFIC CUSTOMERS - A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket powered by a reused first stage climbed into orbit Tuesday from California’s Central Coast, carrying five satellites to upgrade Iridium’s global messaging service and two research craft to study Earth’s water cycle. The rideshare mission, arranged between SpaceX, Iridium, and the German research center in charge of launching the Earth science satellites, took off at 12:47:58 p.m. PDT (3:47:58 p.m. EDT; 1947:58 GMT) from Space Launch Complex 4-East at Vandenberg Air Force Base. The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket climbed through a mostly sunny midday sky, and a marine cloud layer that threatened to obscure viewing of the launch stayed offshore over the Pacific Ocean.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 23)

CHINA'S SPACE AMBITIONS CONTINUE WITH REPORTED LAUNCH OF SATELLITE TO EXPLORE FAR SIDE OF THE MOON - China launched a relay satellite early on Monday designed to establish a communication link between earth and a planned lunar probe that will explore the dark side of the moon, the official Xinhua news agency said. Citing the China National Space Administration, Xinhua said the satellite was launched at 5:28 a.m. (21:28 GMT Sunday) on a Long March-4C rocket from the Xichang launch centre in the southwest of the country.   More
(Source: CNBC - May 22)

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