JAPAN’S SIXTH HTV CARGO MISSION SLATED FOR SEPT. 30 LAUNCH - Japan’s space agency has set Sept. 30 as the target launch date for the country’s sixth resupply mission to the International Space Station, carrying cargo, experiments and six lithium-ion batteries to kick off a major upgrade of the lab’s electrical system. The cylinder-shaped cargo craft is set for liftoff at 1716 GMT (1:16 p.m. EDT) Sept. 30 from the Tanegashima Space Center, a facility nestled on the southern coast of Tanegashima Island in southern Japan, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency announced Tuesday.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jul 29)

CHINESE ROCKET BURNS UP OVER WESTERN U.S. - Pieces of China's newest rocket could be seen burning up in the skies over the western U.S. last night as the spacecraft re-entered the earth's atmosphere. What was first described as a freak meteor shower or space junk appears to have been an experimental Chinese rocket called Long March 7, according to experts who tweeted on social media. Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, says it's a notable event. "So far in 2016 there have been 25 reentries of objects massing 1 ton or more. But objects of 5 ton+ class like this are rare."   More
(Source: TWC News - Jul 28)

CHINESE SATELLITE IS ONE GIANT STEP FOR THE QUANTUM INTERNET - China is poised to launch the world’s first satellite designed to do quantum experiments. A fleet of quantum-enabled craft is likely to follow. First up could be more Chinese satellites, which will together create a super-secure communications network, potentially linking people anywhere in the world. But groups from Canada, Japan, Italy and Singapore also have plans for quantum space experiments. “Definitely, I think there will be a race,” says Chaoyang Lu, a physicist at the -University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, who works with the team behind the Chinese satellite. The 600-kilogram craft, the latest in a string of Chinese space-science satellites, will launch from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in August. The Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Austrian Academy of Sciences are collaborators on the US$100-million mission.   More
(Source: Nature - Jul 28)

CHINA TO LAUNCH 1ST HIGH-CAPACITY BROADBAND SATELLITE - China is scheduled to launch its first high-capacity broadband satellite by the end of 2018, and to begin satellite communications services by 2019, according to the satellite system's blueprint. The blueprint was revealed as part of a contract signed between the Shenzhen government and China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) on July 23, according to CASC's official WeChat platform. A new company, APT Mobile SatCom Limited (APSTAR), co-founded by the two bodies, was also unveiled.   More
(Source: China.org.cn - Jul 27)

NEW SATELLITE FOR SPY AGENCY AWAITS LAUNCH INTO SPACE THURSDAY - An Atlas 5 rocket carrying a classified national security satellite was rolled to the launch pad this morning for Thursday’s flight to bolster the U.S. intelligence-gathering space architecture. Liftoff will occur at 8:37 a.m. EDT (1237 GMT). The duration of the day’s usable launch window remains classified. Weather forecasters expect favorable conditions for liftoff, placing 80 percent odds on launching. The only concern is a stray coastal shower impeding the rules. United Launch Alliance will perform the satellite-delivery mission using a 421-configured Atlas 5 rocket that is distinguished by a nose cone 14 feet in diameter and two solid-fuel boosters for added takeoff thrust.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jul 27)

UK ASTRONAUT TIM PEAKE, KG5BVI/GB1SS, HEADS HAM CONTINGENT TO 10 DOWNING STREET - UK Astronaut Tim Peake, KG5BVI/GB1SS — just back from a duty tour on the International Space Station — headed a contingent of radio amateurs and youngsters invited to visit new British Prime Minister Theresa May at 10 Downing Street earlier this month. The July 18 reception at the PM’s official residence celebrated the success of Peake’s “Principia Mission” and his time in space. Sandringham School student Jessica Leigh, M6LPJ, and her head teacher Alan Gray, G4DJX, were among those also on hand, along with students from the Principia Mission schools. Jessica, then a brand-new ham, was the first student in the UK to speak with Peake during an Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) ham radio contact with the ISS. Peake inaugurated the use of the ISS Ham TV system when he spoke on January 8 with Jessica and other students at Sandringham School in Hertfordshire, England.   More
(Source: ARRL - Jul 27)

US MILITARY CREATES 'SPACE MISSION FORCE' TO WAGE SATELLITE WAR - If a major war ever happens, low-Earth orbit could turn into a combat zone. To that end, the US Air Force Space Command has created the "Space Mission Force" to train soldiers to operate military satellites in response to threats. "Adversaries have developed and fielded capabilities to disrupt and deny the space systems we operate on behalf of the United States and our allies," writes US General John Hyten. "Consequently, [we] must organize, train and equip our space forces in a way that maintains our vigilance." The Air Force already has Space Command squadrons to defend and attack military satellites, but wants to jack up the number of personnel.    More
(Source: Engadget - Jul 26)

MALFUNCTIONING WEATHER SATELLITE CAN'T BE RECOVERED, AIR FORCE FINDS - “At this time, there is no impact to the Department of Defense core weather sensing mission, and the DMSP constellation remains able to support mission requirements through resilient systems and processes,” the Air Force stated. The Flight 19 satellite will remain in space and will be able to gather data for as long as it remains pointed toward the Earth’s surface. Eventually, however, the accuracy of that data will degrade as it begins to point away from the Earth. At that point, the Air Force will continue tracking the satellite for situational awareness and collision avoidance purposes, the service said. Still unknown is whether the Air Force will opt to launch its completed DSMP Flight 20 satellite — which is currently being stored at manufacturer Lockheed Martin’s Sunnyvale, Calif.-facility — as a replacement capability.    More
(Source: DefenseNews.com - Jul 26)

LAUNCH OF SECOND NBN SATELLITE TO ADDRESS AUSTRALIA’S DIGITAL DIVIDE - The National Broadband Network is getting set to launch its second satellite into orbit as the company continues its mission to address what’s been dubbed as the digital divide in Australia. NBN Co. will launch its second Sky Muster satellite from French Guiana Space Centre in South America on October 5. Joining the company’s first satellite, the huge spacecraft is set to orbit 36,000km above Earth and will provide improved internet access to Australians in rural areas. The two NBN satellites will have a combined capacity of 135 gigabits per second and provide services to some 400,000 homes and businesses in regional and remote Australia.   More
(Source: NEWS.com.au - Jul 25)

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