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)

SECRET SPY SATELLITE LAUNCHES ATOP ATLAS V ROCKET - The NROL-42 spy satellite lifted off from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base this morning (Sept. 24) at 1:49 a.m. EDT (0549 GMT; 10:49 p.m. Sept. 23 local California time), streaking skyward atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. NROL-42 is the latest addition to the fleet of spacecraft built and operated by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). NRO satellite missions are classified, so it's unclear what orbit NROL-42 will occupy, or what exactly the craft will be doing as it zooms around Earth.    More
(Source: Space.com - Sep 25)

ASTRONAUTS CELEBRATE AUTUMN EQUINOX 2017 WITH ONE LAST ALOHA FRIDAY - Today (Sept. 22) is the first day of autumn in the northern hemisphere, but the astronauts on the International Space Station squeezed in one last "Aloha Friday." Randy Bresnik, NASA astronaut and Expedition 53 commander, posted two photographs to Twitter of he and his crewmates wearing space-themed Hawaiian shirts (or Aloha shirts). The brightly colored short-sleeved shirts feature red and yellow planets, blue stars and purple gas clouds. "Our Earth is but an island in the cosmos," Bresnik wrote. "Exp 53 crew is embracing the island lifestyle with our @Space_StationHawaiians on #AlohaFriday!"   More
(Source: Space.com - Sep 24)

CHINA’S TIANZHOU 1 SUPPLY VEHICLE RE-ENTERS ATMOSPHERE - The Chinese Tianzhou 1 resupply and refueling freighter re-entered Earth’s atmosphere Friday, burning up as designed after a five-month mission demonstrating servicing techniques for China’s future space station. The nearly 35-foot-long (10.6-meter) robotic cargo carrier fired its thrusters two times to slow down and drop out of orbit, according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency. The ground-commanded deorbit burns guided the Tianzhou 1 spacecraft into the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean at around 1000 GMT (6 a.m. EDT; 6 p.m. Beijing time) Friday, Chinese space officials said.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Sep 24)

REPLACEMENT SATELLITE LAUNCHED INTO RUSSIA’S GLONASS NAVIGATION FLEET - A Soyuz rocket added a new satellite to Russia’s Glonass navigation network Friday with an on-target delivery nearly 12,000 miles above Earth. The fresh Glonass M spacecraft replaces a defunct satellite launched nearly 11 years ago, sustaining the Glonass system’s near-global reach for the Russian military. A Soyuz-2.1b rocket lifted off at 0002:32 GMT Friday (8:02:32 p.m. EDT Thursday) from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, military spaceport in the Arkhangelsk region about 800 kilometers (500 miles) north of Moscow.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Sep 23)

Previous Next