JAPAN TO LAUNCH CLIMATE RESEARCH SATELLITE IN DECEMBER - Japan will launch a climate research satellite in December to analyze and forecast global warming-linked environmental changes, the science ministry said Friday. The satellite, named Shikisai, will be placed in orbit 800 kilometers above the ground from where it will conduct long-term monitoring of cloud cover, levels of dust and aerosols in the atmosphere as well as ocean color, vegetation, snow and ice cover on the earth's surface.   More
(Source: Kyodo News Plus - Oct 28)

AGEING SATELLITES PUT CRUCIAL SEA-ICE CLIMATE RECORD AT RISK​ - One of the most important continuous records of climate change — nearly four decades of satellite measurements of Arctic and Antarctic sea ice — might soon be interrupted. Scientists all over the world rely on the sea-ice record compiled by the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) in Boulder, Colorado. But the US military satellites that collect the data, by measuring ice extent using microwave sensors, are approaching the end of their lives. Three are still working but ageing, and their intended successor started experiencing glitches in 2016, before conking out for good this month.    More
(Source: Nature - Oct 28)

FIRST NEW WEATHER SATELLITE OF TRUMP ERA LAUNCHES NEXT MONTH - As the launch date for the first in a series of new satellites to be sent up during the Trump era nears, the spacecraft is mainly being championed for its ability to predict the weather, despite its potential to provide significant insight into climate change. Scheduled to for launch on Nov. 10, the Joint Polar Satellite System-1 (JPSS-1) will provide meteorologists and other researchers with weather-related data such as the temperature and moisture of the atmosphere, ocean color, sea ice cover and surface temperature, and it can detect volcanic ash and fire, according to a release.    More
(Source: The Weather Channel - Oct 27)

POPE DISCUSSES LIFE'S BIGGEST QUESTIONS WITH INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION CREW - The Earth is a fragile thing that could even destroy itself, Pope Francis told astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, saying they had an opportunity to see the planet “from the eyes of God”. The voice of Pope Francis was heard in the heavens when he made a 20-minute video call to six astronauts to talk about life’s biggest questions – including their opinions on love, their sources of joy and how life without gravity changed their view of the world. The US astronaut and mission commander Randy Bresnik told the pope that they saw a world without borders or conflicts from their point of view above the Earth.    More
(Source: The Guardian - Oct 27)

FIRST CENTRAL AMERICAN SATELLITE IS READY TO LAUNCH - Costa Rican scientists have finished construction on the first Central American satellite, which will be launched into space for a carbon emissions project. The satellite, named Project Irazú in honor of one of Costa Rican’s iconic volcanoes, is now ready to send to the Kyutech Technological Institute in Japan, where it will undergo flight tests before its launch in 2018.   More
(Source: The Tico Times - Oct 25)

JORDAN'S FIRST SATELLITE — JY1-SAT — COMPLETES BUILD - The JY1- SAT was designed and built by young engineering students in Jordanian universities under the supervision of the Crown Prince Foundation (CPF). His Highness, who made a visit to the Nanotechnology Institute, participated in the installation of the last piece of the mini satellite, which comes within CPF’s "Masar" initiative aimed to guide young people toward space science and related research, and provide training and research opportunities in the field of satellite engineering and design of space missions.   More
(Source: SatNews Publishers - Oct 25)

SPACEX, ULA WIN NASA CONTRACTS TO LAUNCH EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITES - NASA has selected SpaceX and United Launch Alliance to deliver to orbit a joint U.S.-European oceanography mission and the next land imaging satellite in the Landsat series on Falcon 9 and Atlas 5 rockets. The space agency announced the contracts Thursday, splitting awards between the two U.S. companies certified to launch NASA’s large robotic space missions. NASA’s Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center made the selections after separate competitive procurements. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will loft the next satellite in a line of oceanography missions extending back to 1992. Known as Sentinel 6A, or Jason Continuity of Service (Jason-CS), the satellite will measure sea level and wave height on the world’s oceans...   More
(Source: SapceFlight Now - Oct 25)

ANOTHER SATELLITE ENTRY OVER UAE SKIES LIKELY TODAY - In case you missed last week's fiery space junk entry over the UAE skies, here's another rare opportunity for you. In a tweet by the UAE Space Agency, an expired satellite was expected to enter the atmosphere on Monday at around 6.15pm, and there was a likelihood of it being seen from some Arab countries, including UAE. "An expired satellite is expected to enter the atmosphere at 6.15 pm, which may be seen from some Arab countries, including the UAE," Dr. Mohammed Al Ahbabi, Director General of the UAE Space Agency, said.   More
(Source: Khaleej Times - Oct 24)

DETECTOR TROUBLE EXPECTED TO DELAY ESA’S EUCLID DARK ENERGY MISSION - Technical problems discovered during ground testing of U.S.-built detectors for the European Space Agency’s Euclid astronomy mission will delay the completion of the telescope’s scientific payload, jeopardizing the observatory’s 2020 launch target, the head of NASA’s astrophysics division said last week. Officials expect the problem, traced to an electronics package, will delay assembly of the detectors with Euclid’s Near-Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer, or NISP, instrument at least 12 months.   More
(Source: SpaceFlignt Now - Oct 24)

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