OBJECT 2014-28E – SPACE JUNK OR RUSSIAN SATELLITE KILLER? - It is a tale that could have come from the cold war. A mysterious object launched by the Russian military is being tracked by western space agencies, stoking fears over the revival of a defunct Kremlin project to destroy satellites. For the past few weeks, amateur astronomers and satellite-trackers in Russia and the west have followed the unusual manoeuvres of Object 2014-28E, watching it guide itself towards other Russian space objects. The pattern appeared to culminate last weekend in a rendezvous with the remains of the rocket stage that launched it. More (Source: Financial Times - Nov 18)
OUT OF ISS: RUSSIA GOING SOLO WITH SPACE STATION? - The Russian space agency is reportedly considering construction of a high-altitude orbital station starting from 2017. This means that Moscow may walk away from the ISS after 2020, when its obligations under the current project are fulfilled. Kommersant newspaper reported that the manned space exploration program for the period until 2050 implies step-by-step assembly of a new scientific space station, citing its sources in Central Research Institute for Engineering Technology, Roscosmos space agency’s leading space scientific and research enterprise. The principal difference from the currently operating International Space Station will be the new Russian station’s high-altitude orbit with a 64.8-degree inclination, which would make up to 90 percent of the Russian territory visible from on board, including Arctic shelf seas. More (Source: RT - Nov 18)
CHINA LAUNCHES YAOGAN-23 REMOTE SENSING SATELLITE - China has launched the Yaogan-23 remote sensing satellite into scheduled orbit from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in North China’s Shanxi province. The satellite will mainly be used for scientific experiments, natural resource surveys, crop yield estimates and disaster relief. It was carried by a Long March-2C rocket, marking the 198th mission for the Long March rocket family. More (Source: CCTV - Nov 15)
GOES-S SATELLITE EXIS INSTRUMENT PASSES FINAL REVIEW - The Extreme Ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensors (EXIS) Flight Model 2 instrument that will fly on NOAA's GOES-S satellite is now complete. The instrument successfully concluded its Pre-Shipment Review on October 21, 2014, at instrument developer Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder, Colorado. The instrument will be placed into storage until GOES-S spacecraft integration begins. Earlier this year, the EXIS Flight Model 1 instrument for the GOES-R satellite was installed on the GOES-R spacecraft. The GOES-R satellite is scheduled for launch in early 2016. The EXIS Flight Model 3 instrument for the GOES-T spacecraft is currently undergoing post-environmental testing calibration. More (Source: Phys.Org - Nov 14)
STATION AVOIDS SATELLITE DEBRIS AFTER ATV-5 FIRES ENGINES - The International Space Station’s “Georges Lemaitre” Automated Transfer Vehicle fired its engines for 3 minutes, 25 seconds at 6:35 a.m. Central time today in a Pre-Determined Debris Avoidance Maneuver (PDAM) to move well away from a small piece of debris from a spent Chinese satellite (Yaogan 12) launched in November 2011. The maneuver, which was coordinated with Russian and European flight controllers, raised the station’s altitude by 9/10 of a mile at apogee and 2/10 of a mile at perigee and left the station in an orbit of 262.3 x 252.0 statute miles. More (Source: NASA - Nov 13)
SPACE STATION DODGES CHINESE SPACE JUNK - The International Space Station is out of harm's way after flying higher to avoid space junk. Flight controllers raised the space station's orbit by a mile Wednesday. That's because a small piece of debris from an old Chinese satellite was going to come dangerously close. Without the maneuver, the two objects would have come within seven-tenths of a mile later in the morning, too close for NASA's comfort. The three space station astronauts were informed of the situation. NASA says they were never in danger. More (Source: ABC News - Nov 13)
U.S. NAVY’S 3RD MUOS SATELLITE ARRIVES AT CAPE CANAVERAL - Lockheed Martin has delivered its third satellite in the U.S. Navy’s next-generation mobile communications program to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, for a January launch, the company said in a Nov. 7 press release. The multibillion-dollar Mobile User Objective System ultimately will consist of four geostationary-orbiting satellites plus one on-orbit spare, and four ground stations. Built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems of Sunnyvale, California, the MUOS constellation is designed to provide smartphone-like communications to mobile forces at rates 10 times faster than the legacy system. More (Source: Space News - Nov 11)
EUROPEAN SATELLITE TO BEGIN CORRECTIVE MANEUVERS - The European Space Agency says one of two navigation satellites that accidentally launched into the wrong orbit will begin corrective maneuvers this month. The agency said Monday that the two-week operation won't be able to correct the orbit fully, but could get the satellite into a position where it flies over the same location every 20 days. The standard orbit puts the other Galileo navigation satellites over the same location every 10 days. The two satellites launched this summer ended up in an elongated orbit rather than a circular one. More (Source: ABC News - Nov 11)
ELON MUSK PLANNING SATELLITE 'CONSTELLATION' TO DELIVER INTERNET ACCESS - Elon Musk, the billionaire behind Tesla and SpaceX, is considering plans to launch a "constellation" of satellites that are capable of delivering Internet access around the world, according to a report. Musk has teamed up with Greg Wyler, a satellite-industry veteran and former Google executive, to work on the project, which would launch 700 satellites, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing anonymous sources. The project would cost $1 billion or more to develop, according to the report. The idea is in its early stages and Musk isn't guaranteed to be a part of it, the report said. More (Source: Mashable - Nov 11)
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