TWO MORE RADIO AMATEURS JOIN INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION CREW - he ISS ham radio population expanded to three, following the arrival of NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Kornienko, RN3BF, and Gennady Padalka, RN3DT, on March 28 (UTC). Kelly, 51, and Kornienko, 54, will remain aboard the ISS for 1 year -- the longest space mission ever assigned to a NASA astronaut.   More
(Source: eHam.net - Apr 4)

NASA DENIES AGREEMENT WITH RUSSIA FOR NEW SPACE STATION - NASA denies the United States has agreed to build a new orbital space station with Russia. Russian space agency head Igor Komarov said on March 28 that NASA and Roscosmos agreed to extend operations of the International Space Station (ISS) to 2024 and work on a replacement after that. NASA spokesman David Weaver said later on March 28 that the U.S. space agency appreciated Russia's commitment to full use of the ISS through 2024 and its expression of "interest in continuing international cooperation for human space exploration beyond that.” He did not confirm any plans for a future space station.   More
(Source: RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty - Apr 3)

RUSSIA LAUNCHES COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES AND SECRET PAYLOAD - After a four-week delay, a converted ballistic missile launched a trio of communications satellites and a classified piggy-back cargo on Tuesday. The rocket carried three barrel-shaped Gonets-M satellites for the Gonets-D1M communications network, while the fourth payload might be a maneuverable experimental satellite. The launch was previously scheduled for March 3, however the liftoff was delayed by additional inspections of the engines on the second stage of the rocket. The Rockot booster (which means "rumble" in Russian) is made of a retired Soviet-era UR-100NU ballistic missile, plus an additional third stage known as Briz-KM, which serves as a space tug to deliver its payload from an initial parking orbit to a final operational orbit.   More
(Source: Sen - Apr 2)

WOW! 8 ROCKET MISSIONS LAUNCHED IN 6 DAYS LAST WEEK - Spacefaring nations greeted the arrival of the Northern Hemisphere spring with a pretty impressive fireworks display last week. Countries including the United States, Russia, Japan and India combined to launch eight space missions in a six-day span last week, beginning just a few days after winter relinquished its grip on the land with the spring equinox on March 20. Here's a brief rundown of all the spaceflight action, which ranged from suborbital missile tests to the liftoff of the first-ever yearlong mission to the International Space Station.    More
(Source: Space.com - Apr 1)

MYSTERIOUS MINI SPACEPLANE THE NEXT ATLAS 5 PAYLOAD - With its new homeport in renovated NASA space shuttle hangars off in the distance, the Air Force’s X-37 mini spaceplane will be launched from Cape Canaveral on May 6 for its fourth journey into orbit. The Orbital Test Vehicle will be the primary payload aboard the next United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, the 54th Atlas 5 and ULA’s 96th mission overall. The launch has a codename AFSPC 5 for the Air Force Space Command flight No. 5. Liftoff is targeted some time between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. EDT (1300-1700 GMT). Stacking of the two-stage launcher began today inside the Vertical Integration Facility at Complex 41. The rocket will fly in its 501 configuration, the 6th flight of its type, that features a five-meter nose cone, no solid boosters and a single engine on the Centaur upper stage.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Mar 31)

CHINA CONSIDERING SPACE-BASED SOLAR POWER STATION - Chinese scientists are considering how they can build and put into orbit a massive space station that would supply a constant stream of solar energy to Earth. The project, which is still in the conceptual stage, would involve a satellite that weighs more than 10,000 lbs., dwarfing anything previously placed into orbit, including the International Space Station, according to the China-based Xinhuanet, part of the Xinhua News Agency. While space-based solar power is not a new idea, some Chinese scientists believe a collector could be launched as soon as 2020, although others place the launch date further out, as far away 2050.   More
(Source: Computerworld - Mar 31)

CHINA LAUNCHES UPGRADED BEIDOU NAVIGATION SATELLITE - China launched a new-generation satellite into space for its indigenous BeiDou global navigation and positioning network on Monday. Launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan, the satellite was boosted by a Long March-3C carrier rocket developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, reported the state-run Xinhua news agency. This is the 17th satellite for the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS). The launch marked the beginning of an expansion of the BDS from regional to global coverage.   More
(Source: Zee News - Mar 31)

SPACEX FALCON 9 ROCKET LAUNCH SET FOR APRIL 10 - The SpaceX Falcon 9 is set to launch from the Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on April 10 at 5:42 p.m. This will be the sixth operational cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station for SpaceX under the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. Falcon 9 is SpaceX’s two-stage rocket manufactured to successfully transport satellites and their Dragon spacecraft into orbit. Currently the only rocket fully designed and developed in the 21st century, Falcon 9 delivers payloads to space aboard the Dragon spacecraft or inside a composite fairing.   More
(Source: SpaceCoastDaily.com - Mar 30)

ISRO NAVIGATION SATELLITE IN ORBIT - India on Saturday demonstrated its ability to establish an independent regional navigation satellite system, as ISRO’s PSLV C-27 successfully launched Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) 1-D satellite into the intended orbit. “We will now be able to make use of our receivers to locate ourselves independently,” ISRO Chairman K.S. Kiran Kumar said. This is the first launch this year and the first under his chairmanship. While the ambit of the U.S. GPS was global, the IRNSS was meant for regional coverage, he said, replying to a query. “The globe comes later, the country comes first.” IRNSS 1-D is the fourth of the series of seven satellites, which would form ISRO’s IRNSS.    More
(Source: The Hindu - Mar 28)

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