ESA'S LATEST TECHNOLOGY CUBESAT CLEARED FOR LAUNCH SITE - GomX-4B, ESA's latest and largest technology-testing CubeSat, will be launched from China early next year, together with the near-identical GomX-4A. The pair will test intersatellite communication links and propulsion while orbiting up to 4500 km apart. The cereal box-sized GomX-4B has been passed as ready to travel along with its twin from manufacturer GomSpace in Denmark in early December to begin launch preparations in China.    More
(Source: Phys.org - Nov 24)

NASA'S FLAGSHIP ROCKET FACES YET ANOTHER DELAY - NASA is tentatively delaying the maiden voyage of its much ballyhooed Space Launch System (SLS) for the second time this year, saying it will not be ready for takeoff until perhaps 2020. The SLS has been in development since 2011. A heavy-lift rocket in combination with a crew capsule called the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, the SLS lacks for nothing in ambition. NASA plans to the SLS to be 385 feet tall with it a liftoff weight of 6.5 million pounds. Its four RS-25 engines would provide enough power to keep eight 747s aloft, and at liftoff it would produce a thrust equivalent to 160,000 Corvette engines—15 percent stronger than the famed Saturn V that took Neil Armstrong to the Moon.   More
(Source: Popular Mechanics - Nov 23)

NANORACKS COMPLETES 13TH CUBESAT DEPLOYMENT MISSION FROM SPACE STATION - Early this morning, NanoRacks successfully completed the Company’s 13th CubeSat deployment mission from the International Space Station. As these five CubeSats enter low-Earth orbit, this brings NanoRacks to 176 total CubeSats deployed into space via the NanoRacks CubeSat Deployer (NRCSD). In total, the Company has deployed 193 satellites into space. Additionally, NanoRacks is pleased to share that this mission marks the first deployment of the industry standard 6U CubeSats in the 2U x 3U form factor from the NanoRacks ‘Doublewide’ Deployers. The 6U satellites deployed were EcAMSat, Dellingr, and ASTERIA.   More
(Source: NanoRacks - Nov 22)

ASTRONAUTS CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING ABOARD INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - Astronauts aboard the International Space Station will share the Thanksgiving holiday together as a crew, and with family back on the ground via video conferencing, All six aboard will share a floating feast of mashed potatoes, turkey, cornbread dressing and candied yams. That is after hot water is added to rehydrate the food, tripling it in mass. NASA freeze dries foods like these in plastic pouches to extend shelf life and save weight.    More
(Source: WRAL.com - Nov 22)

CHINA LAUNCHES THREE REMOTE SENSING SATELLITES - China today launched three remote sensing satellites designed to improve observation capability to promote commercial use for the remote sensing industry. The three satellites -- Jilin-1 04, Jilin-1 05 and Jilin-1 06 -- were launched from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in China's northern Shanxi Province. It was the third launch of the Jilin-1 satellite family, a remote sensing system of more than 60 satellites developed by Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co.    More
(Source: Economic TImes - Nov 21)

FIRST SATELLITE-AS-ART PROJECT ‘ORBITAL REFLECTOR’ SET FOR 2018 LAUNCH - Modern art—with its abstract, conceptual, avant-garde approach—can be rather otherworldly. But Trevor Paglen is the first to take the characterization literally. In partnership with the Nevada Museum of Art, Paglen plans to launch a sculptural satellite into space. Orbital Reflector has no commercial, military, or scientific purpose. It’s simply a bit of cosmic decor; a public sculpture, visible from the ground (with a telescope).   More
(Source: Geek - Nov 21)

SPACEFLIGHT'S NEXT BIG LEAP? SPACEX CARGO MISSION OFFERS A GLIMPSE - If you want to make the case that spaceflight is about to take a giant leap, SpaceX's next cargo run to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA could be Exhibit A. That mission, which is currently scheduled to launch on Dec. 4, will likely represent a reusability landmark. The cargo run will employ a pre-flown Dragon capsule, and the chances are good that the Falcon 9 rocket lofting the freighter will feature a used first stage as well, NASA officials have said.   More
(Source: Space.com - Nov 21)

RADFXSAT (FOX-1B) LAUNCHED SUCCESSFULLY, DESIGNATED AO-91 - The latest CubeSat in the Fox series — RadFxSat (Fox-1B) — launched today (November 18) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The Delta II vehicle lifted off at 0948 UTC. “Following a picture-perfect launch, RadFxSat was deployed at 1109 UTC,” AMSAT reported. “Then the wait began. At 1212 UTC, the AMSAT Engineering team, watching ZR6AIC’s WebSDR waterfall, saw the characteristic ‘Fox Tail’ of the Fox-1 series FM transmitter, confirming that the satellite was alive and transmitting over South Africa. Shortly after 1234 UTC, the first telemetry was received and uploaded to AMSAT servers by Maurizio Balducci, IV3RYQ, in Italy. Initial telemetry confirmed that the satellite was healthy.”   More
(Source: ARRL - Nov 20)

SATELLITE DESIGNED BY NNU STUDENTS IS LAUNCHED INTO SPACE - NAMPA - Idaho's first satellite, Makersat-0, launched into space and is now orbiting the Earth. Engineering students from Northwest Nazarene University designed the satellite. "It's been a really long road and a lot of hard work” Mitchell Kamstra said. “But it's definitely been a really rewarding project. Makersat-0 will collect data testing how different 3-D printed plastics degrade in space. This project stems from another idea: 3-D printing a satellite known as Makersat-1.   More
(Source: KTVB - Nov 20)

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