SMALL SATELLITE LAUNCHER SET FOR FIRST ORBITAL TEST FLIGHT THIS WEEK - The first test flight of Rocket Lab’s commercially-developed Electron launcher was held up by weather Sunday, but conditions could improve for a launch attempt Monday from New Zealand to place an instrumented rocket stage into Earth orbit in a demonstration of the company’s low-cost delivery system for lightweight satellites. The two-stage rocket’s launch window opens at 2100 GMT (5 p.m. EDT) Sunday, or 9 a.m. Monday in New Zealand, but officials caution the test flight could blast off any time through June 1. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 22)
NASA PLANS EMERGENCY SPACEWALK ON INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - A pair of astronauts will venture outside the International Space Station on Tuesday for an emergency spacewalk to replace a failed computer, one of two that control major U.S. systems aboard the orbiting outpost, NASA said on Sunday. The primary device failed on Saturday, leaving the $100 billion orbiting laboratory to depend on a backup system to route commands to its solar power system, radiators, cooling loops and other equipment. More (Source: Reuters - May 22)
RUSSIA JUST REACTIVATED 3 MYSTERY SATELLITES - AND WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHY THEY EXIST - Three Russian satellites that were sent into low orbit in 2013 are on the move again, and no one knows what they are for, The Daily Beast reports. Having been idle for more than a year, one of the satellites went hundreds of metres off its orbit last month to within 1,200 metres of a piece of a Chinese weather satellite that China smashed in a 2007 anti-satellite rocket test. The manoeuvre, which is pretty impressive for such a small spacecraft, is also rather close by orbital standards. More (Source: ScienceAlert.com - May 22)
INDIA TO ENTER HIGH-SPEED INTERNET ERA WITH ISRO'S NEW SATELLITES - Despite overtaking the US last year to become the world's second largest internet user base after China, India is still behind many Asian countries when it comes to internet speed. But things are set to change in the next 18 months when Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to usher in an age of high-speed internet in the country with the launch of three communication satellites. Speaking to TOI, Isro chairman Kiran Kumar said, "We will launch three communication satellites. More (Source: Times of India - May 21)
WISH UPON AN ARTIFICIAL STAR: JAPANESE STUDENTS TO SEND LED SATELLITE INTO ORBIT - Students from Japan’s Aichi University are planning to launch “an artificial star” into space, a device they say will be visible from Earth. The ultra-small cube-shaped satellite will be sent into orbit onboard the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) H-2A rocket, Asahi.com reports. The satellite, which weighs around 1.65kgs (3.6lbs) and measures 10cm (0.3ft) on each side, will and will be fitted with eight beam-type LEDs and 24 wide-angle LEDs that can be activated using an amateur radio. More (Source: RT - May 21)
CQ MAGAZINE HONOURS BRITONS INVOLVED IN ASTRO PI PROJECT - Radio amateurs David Honess, M6DNT, and Tim Peake, KG5BVI / GB1SS, have been inducted into the prestigious CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame The CQ Amateur Radio Hall of Fame honours those individuals, whether licenced hams or not, who have made significant contributions to amateur radio; and those amateurs who have made significant contributions either to amateur radio, to their professional careers or to some other aspect of life on our planet. More (Source: Southgate Amateur Radio Club - May 21)
SPACE DEBRIS AND THE PRICE OF BEING A PIONEER - Scientists will tell you, "Space debris is an urgent issue. We've got novel technology to deal with it. But we can't get the funding." It's a lot like climate change. But do we really want to wait until it's too late? Pioneers carry a heavy burden. Everything is new and you're the first to try them out. If you fail, it's moon dust on your face. And those who follow will follow you with the benefit of being able to learn from your mistakes. More (Source: Deutsche Welle - May 20)
SOYUZ ROCKET ORBITS SATELLITE FOR AIRBORNE NAVIGATION AND CONNECTIVITY - A commercial SES communications satellite on the way to an operating post over the Americas rode into orbit from French Guiana aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket Thursday, embarking on a mission to help airline travelers stay connected and improve air navigation over the United States. Powered exclusively by xenon-fed electric thrusters, the SES 15 satellite could last up to 18 years, beaming in-flight wifi to airline passengers, giving pilots and air traffic controllers more accurate GPS navigation data, and supplying capacity to television broadcasters. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 19)
WEEK’S LAST CUBESATS DEPLOYED AS CREW STUDIES SPACE HEALTH - The week’s final set of CubeSats were deployed today from outside the Japanese Kibo lab module’s airlock. Inside the International Space Station, the Expedition 51 crew continued exploring microgravity’s effects on muscles, bone cells and vision. Over a dozen CubeSats were ejected into Earth orbit this week outside the Kibo module to study Earth and space phenomena for the next one to two years. Today’s constellation of tiny satellites will explore a variety of subjects including hybrid, low temperature energy stowage systems and the upper reaches of Earth’s atmosphere known as the thermosphere. More (Source: NASA - May 19)
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