CHINA LAUNCHES LAND EXPLORATION SATELLITE - China launched a land exploration satellite into a preset orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert at 12:14 p.m. Saturday Beijing Time. The satellite is mainly used for remote sensing exploration of land resources.   More
(Source: Xinhua - Dec 24)

JAPANESE ROCKET LAUNCHES TWO SATELLITES INTO ORBIT - A JAXA H-2A rocket launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan carrying the Global Change Observation Mission-Climate (GCOM-C) satellite and the Super Low Altitude Test Satellite (SLATS). Liftoff occurred at 8:26 p.m. EST (0126 GMT) on Friday, though the local time was 10:26 a.m. Saturday Japan Standard Time. The GCOM-C satellite, nicknamed Shikisai (which means "Color" in Japanese), is an Earth-observing satellite designed to be the first in a pair to monitor Earth's climate from space over 15 years. It carries instruments to study Earth's carbon cycle, clouds, aerosols, ocean color, vegetation, and snow and ice, according to a JAXA mission description.    More
(Source: Space.com - Dec 24)

USED SPACEX ROCKET LAUNCHES 10 COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES ONCE AGAIN - SpaceX capped a historic year with yet another successful launch by a pre-flown rocket. A two-stage Falcon 9 booster lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California tonight (Dec. 22) at 11:27 p.m. EST (8:27 p.m. local California time, 0427 on Dec. 23 GMT), lofting 10 communications satellites for the commercial Iridium Next constellation. The launch lit up the evening sky over Southern California, providing a spectacular sight shortly after sunset for observers. The Falcon 9's first stage also launched 10 Iridium Next satellites back in June, making Iridium the first SpaceX customer ever to launch twice atop the same rocket.   More
(Source: Space.com - Dec 23)

ESA'S NEXT SATELLITE PROPELLED BY BUTANE - ESA's next miniature satellite will be its first able to change orbit. Thanks to a compact thruster resembling a butane cigarette lighter, the cereal box-sized satellite will fly around its near-twin to test their radio communications. Ready to be launched with its counterpart from China on 2 February, GomX-4B is built from six standard 10 cm CubeSat units.    More
(Source: Phys.Org - Dec 22)

RUSSIA'S PLAN TO BUILD A LUXURY HOTEL ON THE ISS - Space tourism isn't a new idea. SpaceX announced plans this year to send civilians skyward and Virgin Galactic is still working toward its goal of regular space flights. Just this week, Blue Origin released footage of its future space tourism ambitions. But all these plans aren't exactly a first-class experience. Even after paying millions, a few super-wealthy adventurers have to brave spartan accommodations in orbit alongside well-trained astronauts. But in a few years, space tourism agents might be offering five-star orbital adventures, courtesy of the Russian space agency. The amenities will include a luxury orbital suite parked at the International Space Station (ISS) offering private cabins with big windows, personal hygiene facilities, exercise equipment and even Wi-Fi.    More
(Source: Popular Mechanics - Dec 22)

WHAT ARE THE REAL PURPOSES OF PYONGYANG’S NEW SATELLITES? - A recent article about North Korea’s plans for two new satellites gained little attention beyond its immediate readership. But the article contains a wealth of intelligence about Pyongyang’s objectives if one looks for the real uses to which those satellites will likely be put. Firstly, it’s highly unlikely the satellites would have any commercial utility, nor would they provide data of value to agricultural or ecological planners. North Korea simply is not developed enough to make use of such information.   More
(Source: Asia Times - Dec 21)

SOVIET SPY SATELLITE DISAPPEARS ABOVE SOUTH PACIFIC, 35 YEARS AFTER LAUNCH - Somewhere near the western coastline of South America, a Soviet military listening satellite has reportedly succumbed to Earth’s pull and vanished from orbit more than 30 years since it first launched. The Tselina-type spacecraft likely decayed over the weekend near Chile, several satellite tracking websites show, and popular tracker N2YO says the exact date was Sunday.    More
(Source: Newsweek - Dec 21)

NOAA’S GOES-16 WEATHER SATELLITE DECLARED OPERATIONAL - An upgraded NOAA weather satellite has entered service after a year of checkouts to provide critical, rapidly-refreshed imagery to forecasters in time for next year’s severe storm and hurricane seasons in the United States and the Atlantic Ocean. NOAA announced Monday that the GOES-16 spacecraft began regular weather observations after ground controllers maneuvered the satellite to its new operating position in geostationary orbit nearly 22,300 miles (35,800 kilometers) over the equator at 75.2 degrees west longitude.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Dec 21)

SOYUZ WITH THREE-MAN CREW DOCKS WITH SPACE STATION - A Soyuz spacecraft carrying a Russian commander, a NASA flight engineer and a Japanese physician-astronaut docked with the International Space Station early Tuesday, capping a smooth two-day rendezvous to boost the lab’s crew back to six. With Soyuz MS-07 commander Anton Shkaplerov monitoring the final stages of an automated approach, the nose of the ferry ship engaged the docking mechanism in the Earth-facing Rassvet module at 3:39 a.m. EST (GMT-5). A few moments later, hooks and latches engaged, pulling the spacecraft firmly into place.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Dec 20)

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