LANDMARK FOUR-TON WEATHER SATELLITE BLASTS OFF FROM JAPAN - Japan launched a $1.2 billion joint satellite mission with NASA on Thursday to measure global rain and snowfall, filling coverage gaps and anchoring an international orbital network to supply scientists and forecasters a radar-like snapshot of global precipitation every three hours. Data from the Global Precipitation Measurement satellite fleet will help predict a range of natural cataclysms, from floods and cyclones to drought and famine. The 8,500-pound satellite launched from southern Japan on Thursday is the network's centerpiece, helping officials tie together disparate measurements into a single dataset, a one-stop shop for researchers interested in global precipitation patterns.    More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Feb 28)

SNOW-MEASURING SATELLITE READIED FOR LAUNCH - Researchers who study inputs to the Earth’s water cycle are eagerly awaiting the launch this week of a satellite that should provide the most detailed global measurements yet of rain and snow. The data collected by the US$933-million Global Precipitation Measurement Core Observatory (GPM) could improve severe weather forecasts, estimates of freshwater supplies and projections of future climate change.   More
(Source: Nature.com - Feb 26)

EUROPE'S FIRST SENTINEL SATELLITE SHIPPED TO KOUROU - The first satellite in the European Union's long-awaited Copernicus Earth observation program arrived in French Guiana on Monday to prepare for liftoff on top of a Soyuz rocket in early April. Packed inside a shipping container aboard an Antonov An-124 transport plane, the Sentinel 1A environmental satellite rode across the Atlantic Ocean from Turin, Italy.    More
(Source: SapceFlight Now - Feb 26)

NASA TO LAUNCH SATELLITE IN COLLABORATION WITH ISRO - US space agency NASA today said it would launch a water-related satellite in collaboration with India's ISRO. The NASA-Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Synthetic Aperture Radar mission is a part of its plan to launch in the next seven years a series of satellite related to water and drought, the agency said. Among others include the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2); Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Follow-on and Surface Water Ocean Topography mission.   More
(Source: NDTV - Feb 26)

MORE CUBESATS EXPECTED TO DEPLOY FROM ISS THIS WEEK - Another batch of CubeSats is set for deployment February 25 from the International Space Station, but no Amateur Radio satellites are expected to be among them. They may be put into orbit later in the week, however. According to NASA, astronaut Koichi Wakata, KC5ZTA, last week prepared the second batch of NanoRacks CubeSats for deployment. “Wakata opened the inner hatch to the airlock and replaced the empty deployers on the Multipurpose Experiment Platform with loaded deployers,” NASA reported.    More
(Source: ARRL - Feb 25)

BOULDER-BUILT INSTRUMENT KEY TO SATELLITE MISSION - A new satellite carrying critical instrumentation developed in Boulder is scheduled to be launched from Japan on Thursday. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. developed, designed and is providing launch support for what it calls the Global Precipitation Measurement Microwave Imager, one of the prime instruments aboard a joint NASA-Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency mission. Engineers say the satellite could give forecasters far greater ability to predict severe weather.    More
(Source: MiamiHerald.com - Feb 24)

U.S. AIR FORCE REVEALS "NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH" SPY SATELLITE PROGRAM - The United States plans to launch a pair of satellites to keep tabs on spacecraft from other countries orbiting 22,300 miles above the planet, as well as to track space debris, the head of Air Force Space Command said. The previously classified Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) will supplement ground-based radars and optical telescopes in tracking thousands of pieces of debris so orbital collisions can be avoided, General William Shelton said at the Air Force Association meeting in Orlando on Friday.   More
(Source: Reuters - Feb 23)

SATELLITE ENVISAT COULD SPARK 'GRAVITY' STYLE DEBRIS CLOUD - A satellite which has lost contact with the European Space Agency could potentially pose a similar threat to that experienced by Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in the Oscar nominated 'Gravity, if it breaks up and sparks a deadly debris field, students have claimed. Physics students at the University of Leicester have suggested that the observational satellite Envisat is at risk of colliding with other satellites and debris during the 150 years it is expected to remain in space in their final year paper.   More
(Source: The Independent - Feb 21)

LIFT OFF: DELTA IV ROCKET LAUNCHES FROM CAPE CANAVERAL - A Delta IV rocket lit up the skies over Brevard County Thursday night. The Air Force sent a new GPS satellite into orbit. The launch was put on hold briefly during the launch window over a concern about solar radiation -- flares that could hinder communications. But those concerns were put to rest, and the rocket launched just before the window closed. The Delta IV rocket has been under review since a problem was detected on an October 2012 rocket launch, when an engine leak caused a lower than expected thrust.   More
(Source: Bay News 9 - Feb 21)

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