EUROPE PLANS SENTINEL SATELLITE EXPANSION - Europe has begun the process of scoping an expansion to its Sentinel Earth observation network. Six new satellite concepts will be studied, including a constellation of spacecraft that can monitor emissions of carbon dioxide. Invitations to tender (ITTs) for the feasibility work will be sent out to industry in the coming weeks. The European Space Agency hopes to put a list of satellites for implementation before ministers in late 2019. Those platforms that are selected would launch in the mid-2020s. More (Source: BBC News - Sep 29)
SPACEX SETS TARGET LAUNCH DATES FOR BACK-TO-BACK FLIGHTS NEXT MONTH - SpaceX engineers are readying two Falcon 9 rockets for launches Oct. 7 and Oct. 9 from Florida and California, setting up another quick turnaround to first deploy a large TV broadcasting satellite for SES and EchoStar over the United States with a previously-flown booster, then add 10 more spacecraft to Iridium’s fleet of new-generation voice and data relay network. First up is the Oct. 7 launch of an Airbus-built communications satellite from pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for SES and EchoStar. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Sep 28)
HELLO, UP THERE! VICE PRESIDENT PHONES SPACE STATION ASTRONAUTS - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence spoke with three NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station during his visit to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, on Monday (Sept. 25). Pence asked NASA astronauts Randy Bresnik, the space station's current commander, and Mark Vande Hei and Joseph Acaba, who both arrived two weeks ago, about what it's like to be in space. He also queried the astronauts on their best advice for kids who dream of spaceflight and how their work in orbit advances U.S. leadership in space. More (Source: Space.com - Sep 28)
B.O.B’S $1 MILLION FLAT EARTH CONSPIRACY SATELLITE GOFUNDME IS A SCAM - Musician B.o.B has started a GoFundMe campaign that’s looking to raise $1 million to “launch one, if not multiple, satellites into space,” toward the goal of “finding the curve.” In other words: B.o.B would like you to give him a million dollars so that he can prove that the Earth is in fact round, and not, as B.o.B currently believes (despite the frankly impossibly overwhelming glut of evidence to the contrary) flat. More (Source: The Verge - Sep 27)
BLUE ORIGIN SELECTED AS LAUNCH PROVIDER FOR SATELLITE STARTUP MU SPACE - Thai space startup mu Space will launch its first geostationary satellite with Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, the companies announced today at the International Astronautical Congress in Australia. Mu Space, founded by Northrop Grumman Corporation alum James Yenbamroong, will launch its first geostationary satellite with a target date of 2021, with the aim of helping provide space-based satellite broadband, broadcast, mobile and satellite services to Thailand. Blue Origin, the Amazon billionaire’s rocket company, intends to build New Glenn to bring orbital payloads to space, with a reusable platform that can potentially be flown multiple times like rival SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch craft. New Glenn is expected to make its first test launches before 2020, and then move on to serving customers. More (Source: TechCrunch - Sep 27)
LONG MARCH 5 FAILURE TO POSTPONE CHINA’S LUNAR EXPLORATION PROGRAM - A leading official of China’s space program confirmed Sept. 25 that the July failure of the country’s largest launch vehicle will lead to delays to upcoming lunar missions, including one to return samples. Tian Yulong, secretary general of the China National Space Administration, said at a press conference during the 68th International Astronautical Congress here that the investigation into the July 2 failure of the Long March 5 on its second mission was ongoing, with no updates on the cause of the failure. “The Long March 5 is a bigger challenge for China’s space agency,” he said. “In the future, maybe the end of the year, we will have a clear understanding of the problem.” More (Source: SpaceNews - Sep 27)
FALCONSAT-3 NOW OPEN FOR AMATEUR RADIO USE - The Air Force Academy satellite FalconSAT-3 is now open for Amateur Radio use as a digital store-and-forward system. Built in 2005 and 2006 by cadets and faculty in the Space Systems Research Center at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, FalconSAT-3 was launched in 2007. The satellite has completed its scientific and training missions, and the Academy now is making it available for Amateur Radio use. The Packet Bulletin Board System operates at 9,600 baud with a 145.840 MHz uplink/435.103 MHz downlink. More (Source: ARRL - Sep 27)
US GOVERNMENT SATELLITE IMAGE SHOWS PUERTO RICO BLACKOUT - Millions of people in Puerto Rico remain without electricity in the wake of Hurricane Maria, a new image taken by a US government satellite shows. Outside the capital city San Juan, residents are still isolated without power or communications, which could take weeks to restore. Clean water and medicine are also scarce, locals report. The island's governor warned on Monday of a "humanitarian crisis occurring in America", and called for more aid. More (Source: BBC News - Sep 26)
RUSSIA MULLS SENDING COSMONAUTS TO CHINA’S PLANNED ORBIT STATION - Russia’s space agency is considering plans of sending cosmonauts to China’s orbit station currently under construction, Roscosmos chief Igor Komarov told reporters at the International Astronautical Congress on Monday. "There have been certain talks on this issue," Komarov said, commenting on whether Russia has received any offers for its cosmonauts to visit China’s orbit station in the future. The Roscosmos chief said he expects that the parliament will ratify a fundamental law regulating the exchange of technologies in rocket industry within one or two months. "I hope that after this a possibility will open for full-fledged and full-scale cooperation." More (Source: TASS - Sep 26)
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