ROCKET LAB BEGINS NEW COUNTDOWN WITH FIX FOR PROPULSION SYSTEM GLITCH - The Electron launch was scrubbed again Wednesday night (U.S. time), and liftoff has been rescheduled for Thursday night (U.S. time)... With a fix in place for a propulsion system alarm that cut short a countdown in the final seconds Monday, U.S. time, Rocket Lab is readying an Electron rocket for another try in a window opening at 8:30 p.m. EST Wednesday (0130 GMT Tuesday) to begin a test flight aiming to deliver three small commercial CubeSats to orbit from a remote New Zealand launch pad.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Dec 14)

FCC BEGINS APPROVAL OF ORBITAL ATK SATELLITE-SERVICING MISSION FOR INTELSAT-901 - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission on Dec. 5 okayed the first part of a satellite-servicing mission Orbital ATK’s Space Logistic subsidiary has with Intelsat, saying the servicing vehicle can execute “rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking with the Intelsat-901” satellite while in a graveyard orbit. Regulatory approvals for the first Mission Extension Vehicle-1 (MEV-1) are proceeding as planned, Joe Anderson, vice president of business development and operations for Space Logistics, told SpaceNews Dec. 12, though the FCC deferred on some of the company’s requests.    More
(Source: SpaceNews - Dec 13)

TO FIX THE SPACE JUNK PROBLEM, ADD A SELF-DESTRUCT MODULE - Humans have gotten pretty good at launching stuff into space—but way less good at getting stuff back down. Up in lower Earth orbit, along with a thousand-plus productive satellites, there are many more slackers: space junk, cosmic trash, garbage of the highest-orbiting order. According to the European Space Agency’s latest statistics, there are about 29,000 pieces of such junk larger than 10 centimeters, 750,000 between 1 and 10 centimeters, and a 166 million between 1 mm and 1 centimeter.   More
(Source: Wired - Dec 13)

NASA AND SPACEX NOW TARGET WEDNESDAY FOR DRAGON LAUNCH - NASA and SpaceX are now targeting no earlier than 11:24 a.m. EST Wednesday, Dec. 13th, for the company’s 13th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. SpaceX requested additional time for prelaunch ground systems checks. A Dragon spacecraft will launch atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Dragon is now scheduled to arrive at the space station on Saturday, Dec. 16.   More
(Source: NASA - Dec 13)

ARIANE 5 ROCKET LAUNCHES 4 MORE SATELLITES FOR EUROPE'S GPS NETWORK - A European Ariane 5 rocket shot skyward from the small South American country of French Guiana this afternoon (Dec. 12), carrying four new navigation satellites into orbit for the European Space Agency. The rocket, built by European launch provider Arianespace, lifted off from the Guiana Space Center in Korou at 1:36:07 p.m. EST (1836:07 GMT and 3:36:07 p.m. in Kourou) with the new Galileo navigation system satellites, which will join 18 already in orbit. The European Union is adding members to its own satellite-navigation system, the Galileo constellation, which will function much like the United States' Navstar GPS system.    More
(Source: Space.com - Dec 12)

SPACEX READIES USED ROCKET FOR SPACE STATION FLIGHT - SpaceX is readying a previously flown Falcon 9 booster and an equally "used" Dragon cargo ship for launch Wednesday, one day later than planned, on a flight to deliver 4,800 pounds of equipment and supplies to the International Space Station. It will be the California rocket builder's 17th flight so far this year. The launching will mark the fourth time SpaceX has reflown a recovered Falcon 9 first stage -- a first for NASA -- and the second time the California rocket builder has re-launched a Dragon supply ship.   More
(Source: CBS News - Dec 12)

ROCKET LAB ABORTS TEST LAUNCH SECONDS BEFORE LIFTOFF - The private spaceflight company Rocket Lab aborted a scheduled test launch of its small-scale Electron rocket today (Dec. 11), just 2 seconds before liftoff. At Rocket Lab's private launch facility in New Zealand, the countdown clock had nearly reached zero when a white puff of smoke erupted from the bottom of the Electron rocket — but then, the clock stopped, and the rocket failed to rise off the ground. The launch was abruptly halted at 10:50 p.m. EST on Dec. 11 (0350 GMT), which is 4:50 p.m. New Zealand Time on Dec. 12.   More
(Source: Space.com - Dec 12)

ROCKET LAB LAUNCH CANCELLED SIX MINUTES INTO WINDOW - Rocket Lab postponed the launch of its second trial rocket until Tuesday after cancelling its launch on Monday afternoon. Rocket Lab spokeswoman Morgan Bailey said the launch was cancelled due a mix of atmospheric conditions and space traffic. The International Space Station flying through orbit coupled with the weather conditions gave a tight six minute window to attempt launch at 2.30pm, she said.   More
(Source: Stuff.co.nz - Dec 11)

CHINESE LONG MARCH 3B LAUNCHES ALGERIA’S FIRST TELECOM SATELLITE - China Great Wall Industry Corp. launched Algeria’s first telecommunications satellite, Alcomsat-1, aboard a Long March 3B rocket at 11:40 a.m. Eastern to geostationary transfer orbit, the Algerian press agency APS said today. The 5,225-kilogram satellite carries a 33-transponder payload comprised of 19 in Ku-band, 12 in Ka-band and two in L-band, according to a statement from China Great Wall Industry Corp. (CGWIC). Similar to China’s other foreign satellite deals, CGWIC built the satellite and provided the launch vehicle, sidestepping manufacturing and rocket restrictions tied to U.S. components, which are in most other commercial telecom satellites.    More
(Source: SpaceNews - Dec 11)

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