NASA UNVEILS PLANS TO COMMERCIALIZE LOW EARTH ORBIT - NASA unveiled an ambitious program Friday to commercialize low-Earth orbit, making way for product development and even advertising aboard the International Space Station, month-long visits by company astronauts starting as early as next year and use of a station docking port for privately financed research-and-development modules. NASA’s five-part commercialization blueprint also calls for the agency to facilitate development of technology needed for free-flying research labs NASA could rent space aboard in the future and work to “stimulate sustainable demand” for commercial R & D in a variety of fields ranging from in-space manufacturing to biomedicine. More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jun 8)
RICHARD BRANSON TAKES SATELLITE LAUNCH BUSINESS TO JAPAN WITH AIRLINE ANA - Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit said on Thursday it plans to bring its satellite launch system to Japan in partnership with airline operator ANA Holdings Inc, which will provide maintenance and possibly aircraft. Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne system is undergoing testing with the aim of launching rockets bearing small satellites into space from a modified jumbo jet. The company said it will conduct its first orbital test flight later this year. More
(Source: Reuters - Jun 7)
NASA'S FIRST SPACEX ASTRONAUTS PREPARED FOR 'MESSY CAMPING TRIP' TO SPACE STATION - The first US astronauts chosen to fly aboard a SpaceX capsule built for NASA shrugged off a spate of design and test mishaps, saying such setbacks were 'part of the process' and the new technology was far more advanced than the space shuttle program that ended eight years ago. Space shuttle veterans Bob Behnken, 48, and Doug Hurley, 52 are slated for blastoff later this year or in 2020 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in the debut manned flight of the Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station and back. More
(Source: Firstpost - Jun 7)
CHINA’S FIRST SEA LAUNCH DECLARED A SUCCESS - A solid-fueled Long March 11 rocket fired out of a container aboard a barge in the Yellow Sea on Wednesday with seven satellites heading into orbit on China’s first space launch from an ocean vessel. The four-stage Long March 11 booster took off from the converted barge at 0406 GMT (12:06 a.m. EDT; 12:06 p.m. Beijing time) Wednesday, and headed southeast to send its payloads into orbit, soaring over the East China Sea then over the Pacific Ocean after passing between Okinawa and the southernmost of Japan’s main islands. More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jun 6)
DOZENS OF SATELLITES JOINING VEGA'S RIDESHARE TO SPACE - More than 40 satellite missions will be launched at once by Europe's Vega launcher this autumn, thanks to the innovative modular 'Lego-style' dispenser resting on its upper stage. Up until now the smallest classes of satellites—all the way down to tiny CubeSats, built from 10 cm modular boxes—have typically piggybacked to orbit. They have to make use of any spare capacity as a single large satellite is launched, meaning their overall launch opportunities are limited. More
(Source: Phys.org - Jun 6)
INEXPENSIVE CHIP-SIZE SATELLITES ORBIT EARTH - A decade ago, while still a Ph.D. student at Cornell University, Zac Manchester imagined building chip-scale satellites that might work together to study Earth or explore space. On June 3, as NASA Ames Research Center announces the successful deployment of the largest swarm of ChipSats in history, Manchester, now an assistant professor at Stanford, is already envisioning the future of this technology. 'This is like the PC revolution for space,' said Manchester, who joined the aeronautics and astronautics faculty last year. More
(Source: Phys.org - Jun 5)
ASTRONOMY GROUP SAYS STARLINK AND OTHER SATELLITE CONSTELLATIONS COULD THREATEN SCIENCE - The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is voicing concerns about the risk that SpaceX's Starlink and other planned massive satellite constellations in low Earth orbit pose to astronomy. The group, most famous for its role in 'demoting' Pluto from the rank of planet, represents more than 13,000 astronomers worldwide. In its statement, released yesterday (June 3), the IAU pointed out that while there are several megaconstellations under development, no one knows quite what consequences such huge numbers of low Earth orbit satellites could have on astronomy. More
(Source: Space.com - Jun 5)
LOCKHEED MARTIN OFFERING NEW SATELLITE IMAGE ANALYSIS SERVICE - Lockheed Martin is marketing a new artificial intelligence product that helps analysts identify objects in satellite imagery. In a demonstration, it searched the entire state of Pennsylvania and in two hours located every fracking site in the state. The company showed the system publicly for the first time at the GEOINT 2019 symposium that is heavily attended by intelligence analysts from the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office. More
(Source: SpaceNews - Jun 5)
TOKYO 2020 TO LAUNCH FIRST-EVER OLYMPIC SATELLITE - In addition to recycling old cell phones into competition medals, as well as utilizing facial recognition software to identify athletes, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee is infusing some futuristic flair into the entire production with its new ‘G-Satellite Go to Space’ project. The project marks the first time in Olympic and Paralymic history taht a a satellite commission especially for the Games will orbit the earth independently. More
(Source: SwimSwam - Jun 4)
SPACEX DRAGON RETURNING TO EARTH AFTER SPACE STATION CARGO DELIVERY - A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is returning to Earth today (June 3) after spending nearly a month docked at the International Space Station (ISS). The Dragon CRS-17 spacecraft departed the space station this morning and will end its journey home with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean around 5:55 p.m. EDT (2155 GMT, 2:55 p.m. local time), according to NASA's ISS blog. Flight controllers expect the spaceship to splash down about 202 miles (325 kilometers) southwest of Long Beach, California. More
(Source: Space.com - Jun 4)
TECHDEMOSAT-1 ON-BOARD CAMERA CAPTURES DRAG SAIL DEPLOYMEN - Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has released an image showing the successful deployment of the de-orbit drag sail on-board TechDemoSat-1. The deployment of the Icarus-1 drag sail, which was supplied by Cranfield University, marks the end of mission operations for SSTL's TechDemoSat-1 small satellite which was launched into a 635 km Low Earth Orbit in 2014. Sarah Parker, Managing Director of SSTL, said 'It is fantastic to see an image of TechDemoSat's deployed drag sail captured by the onboard inspection camera. More
(Source: Space Daily - Jun 3)
CHINA SET TO LAUNCH NEW AMATEUR SATELLITE WITH “SAIL BALL” STABILIZATION - Chinese Amateur Satellite Group (CAMSAT) has announced the impending launch of the CAS-7B satellite, also designated as BP-1B, a short-lived spacecraft that will carry an Amateur Radio payload. An unusual feature of the spacecraft is its “sail ball” passive stabilization system. The 1.5-U CubeSat is attached to a 500-millimeter flexible film ball — or sail — that will offer passive “pneumatic resistance” stabilization. CAS-7B is expected to remain in orbit for up to 1 month. The spacecraft will carry an Amateur Radio transponder and educational mission. CAMSAT is working with Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), a top aerospace school, which is providing launch support in launch of the satellite. More
(Source: ARRL - Jun 3)
WATCH: ASTRONAUT CAPTURES AMAZING TIME-LAPSE VIDEO OF EARTH FROM ISS - Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have the best views of Earth. Have doubts? Just check out a stunning, new time-lapse video of our planet captured by NASA astronaut Nick Hague, who has been aboard the orbiting space station since mid-March. In the amazing video, Expedition 59 crew member Hague squeezed 30 minutes of footage into 60 seconds, capturing views of the Earth from the Pacific to the Atlantic. More
(Source: Geek - Jun 2)
NASA TO SHUT DOWN SPITZER SPACE TELESCOPE EARLY NEXT YEAR - After a search for an outside funding source turned up empty, NASA plans to end observations with the Spitzer Space Telescope in January to conclude a 16-year mission that discovered exoplanets, studied galaxies in the ancient universe, and peered at planets and asteroids in our own solar system. NASA quietly announced the plan to end Spitzer’s observations in a blog post earlier this month. Astronomers hoped to keep Spitzer going until after the launch of the long-delayed James Webb Space Telescope, but the new observatory is now scheduled for launch in early 2021, and continues to dominate the budget for NASA’s astrophysics division. More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jun 2)
NASA TV TO AIR US CARGO SHIP DEPARTURE FROM SPACE STATION - Filled with more than 4,200 pounds of valuable scientific experiments and other cargo, a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is set to return to Earth from the International Space Station Monday, June 3. NASA Television and the agency’s website will provide live coverage of the craft’s release beginning at 11:45 a.m. EDT. Around noon, flight controllers at mission control in Houston will deliver remote commands to the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to detached Dragon from the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module. More
(Source: Southgate Amateur Radio Club - Jun 1)
UK SATELLITE 'SETS SAIL' FOR RETURN TO EARTH - TechDemoSat-1 was launched in 2014 to trial a number of new in-orbit technologies but has now reached the end of its operational life. To bring it out of the sky faster than would ordinarily be the case, it has deployed a 'drag sail'. This large membrane will catch residual air molecules at its altitude of 635km and pull TDS-1 quickly into Earth's atmosphere where it will burn up. There is a lot of interest currently in 'clean space' technologies. More
(Source: BBC News - Jun 1)![Radio Radio](/uploads/1/2/5/3/125312997/656330652.jpg)
EUTELSAT 7C SATELLITE ARRIVES IN FRENCH GUIANA - Eutelsat Communications’ newest high-power broadcast satellite, EUTELSAT 7C, arrived at the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana where it will be launched as a co-passenger on an Ariane 5 rocket on June 20. Built by Maxar Technologies, the 3.4 ton satellite will serve markets across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Turkey through 49 36-Mhz equivalent Ku-band transponders. More
(Source: Via Satellite - Jun 1)
MOST OF SPACEX'S STARLINK INTERNET SATELLITES ARE ALREADY ON TRACK - The first batch of 60 Starlink internet satellites has been orbiting Earth for about a week, and now SpaceX has released a status update on the mission. According to a spokesperson, 'all 60 satellites have deployed their solar arrays successfully, generated positive power and communicated with our ground stations.' The statement didn't directly mention concerns by astronomers about their brightness and visibility, but Elon Musk already has, and they aren't expected to reach their full altitude for three to four weeks. According to SpaceX, 'observability of the Starlink satellites is dramatically reduced as they raise orbit to greater distance... More
(Source: Engadget - Jun 1)
AIRBUS TO BUILD TRIO OF INMARSAT-7 SATELLITES - Inmarsat on May 30 announced an order with Airbus Defence and Space to build three satellites using a serial production method that will enable faster build times for follow-on spacecraft. The reprogrammable geostationary satellites mark the beginning of London-based Inmarsat’s seventh-generation fleet, previously referred to as Global Xpress Flex, or GX Flex. The Inmarsat-7 satellites are expected to launch in 2023, expanding Inmarsat’s fleet of Ka-band high-throughput satellites to 10. More
(Source: SpaceNews - May 31)
PROTON ROCKET LIFTS OFF WITH YAMAL 601 COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE - On its first launch of the year, a Russian-made Proton rocket lifted off Thursday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with a French-built, Russian-owned communications satellite. The 191-foot-tall (58-meter) Proton rocket lifted off at 1742 GMT (1:42 p.m. EDT; 10:42 p.m. Baikonur time) Thursday to carry the Yamal 601 spacecraft toward a perch in geostationary orbit more than 22,000 miles (nearly 36,000 kilometers) over the equator. Mounted on a mobile rail transporter, the Proton rocket, its Breeze M upper stage and the Yamal 601 communications satellite departed a hangar at the Central Asia space base around sunrise Monday. More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 30)Older news
Track the location of the International Space Station in real-time. See the plotted paths of past, present and future orbits all from a single page.
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jun 8)
RICHARD BRANSON TAKES SATELLITE LAUNCH BUSINESS TO JAPAN WITH AIRLINE ANA - Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit said on Thursday it plans to bring its satellite launch system to Japan in partnership with airline operator ANA Holdings Inc, which will provide maintenance and possibly aircraft. Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne system is undergoing testing with the aim of launching rockets bearing small satellites into space from a modified jumbo jet. The company said it will conduct its first orbital test flight later this year. More
(Source: Reuters - Jun 7)
NASA'S FIRST SPACEX ASTRONAUTS PREPARED FOR 'MESSY CAMPING TRIP' TO SPACE STATION - The first US astronauts chosen to fly aboard a SpaceX capsule built for NASA shrugged off a spate of design and test mishaps, saying such setbacks were 'part of the process' and the new technology was far more advanced than the space shuttle program that ended eight years ago. Space shuttle veterans Bob Behnken, 48, and Doug Hurley, 52 are slated for blastoff later this year or in 2020 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in the debut manned flight of the Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station and back. More
(Source: Firstpost - Jun 7)
CHINA’S FIRST SEA LAUNCH DECLARED A SUCCESS - A solid-fueled Long March 11 rocket fired out of a container aboard a barge in the Yellow Sea on Wednesday with seven satellites heading into orbit on China’s first space launch from an ocean vessel. The four-stage Long March 11 booster took off from the converted barge at 0406 GMT (12:06 a.m. EDT; 12:06 p.m. Beijing time) Wednesday, and headed southeast to send its payloads into orbit, soaring over the East China Sea then over the Pacific Ocean after passing between Okinawa and the southernmost of Japan’s main islands. More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jun 6)
DOZENS OF SATELLITES JOINING VEGA'S RIDESHARE TO SPACE - More than 40 satellite missions will be launched at once by Europe's Vega launcher this autumn, thanks to the innovative modular 'Lego-style' dispenser resting on its upper stage. Up until now the smallest classes of satellites—all the way down to tiny CubeSats, built from 10 cm modular boxes—have typically piggybacked to orbit. They have to make use of any spare capacity as a single large satellite is launched, meaning their overall launch opportunities are limited. More
(Source: Phys.org - Jun 6)
INEXPENSIVE CHIP-SIZE SATELLITES ORBIT EARTH - A decade ago, while still a Ph.D. student at Cornell University, Zac Manchester imagined building chip-scale satellites that might work together to study Earth or explore space. On June 3, as NASA Ames Research Center announces the successful deployment of the largest swarm of ChipSats in history, Manchester, now an assistant professor at Stanford, is already envisioning the future of this technology. 'This is like the PC revolution for space,' said Manchester, who joined the aeronautics and astronautics faculty last year. More
(Source: Phys.org - Jun 5)
ASTRONOMY GROUP SAYS STARLINK AND OTHER SATELLITE CONSTELLATIONS COULD THREATEN SCIENCE - The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is voicing concerns about the risk that SpaceX's Starlink and other planned massive satellite constellations in low Earth orbit pose to astronomy. The group, most famous for its role in 'demoting' Pluto from the rank of planet, represents more than 13,000 astronomers worldwide. In its statement, released yesterday (June 3), the IAU pointed out that while there are several megaconstellations under development, no one knows quite what consequences such huge numbers of low Earth orbit satellites could have on astronomy. More
(Source: Space.com - Jun 5)
LOCKHEED MARTIN OFFERING NEW SATELLITE IMAGE ANALYSIS SERVICE - Lockheed Martin is marketing a new artificial intelligence product that helps analysts identify objects in satellite imagery. In a demonstration, it searched the entire state of Pennsylvania and in two hours located every fracking site in the state. The company showed the system publicly for the first time at the GEOINT 2019 symposium that is heavily attended by intelligence analysts from the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and the National Reconnaissance Office. More
(Source: SpaceNews - Jun 5)
TOKYO 2020 TO LAUNCH FIRST-EVER OLYMPIC SATELLITE - In addition to recycling old cell phones into competition medals, as well as utilizing facial recognition software to identify athletes, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee is infusing some futuristic flair into the entire production with its new ‘G-Satellite Go to Space’ project. The project marks the first time in Olympic and Paralymic history taht a a satellite commission especially for the Games will orbit the earth independently. More
(Source: SwimSwam - Jun 4)
SPACEX DRAGON RETURNING TO EARTH AFTER SPACE STATION CARGO DELIVERY - A SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is returning to Earth today (June 3) after spending nearly a month docked at the International Space Station (ISS). The Dragon CRS-17 spacecraft departed the space station this morning and will end its journey home with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean around 5:55 p.m. EDT (2155 GMT, 2:55 p.m. local time), according to NASA's ISS blog. Flight controllers expect the spaceship to splash down about 202 miles (325 kilometers) southwest of Long Beach, California. More
(Source: Space.com - Jun 4)
TECHDEMOSAT-1 ON-BOARD CAMERA CAPTURES DRAG SAIL DEPLOYMEN - Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) has released an image showing the successful deployment of the de-orbit drag sail on-board TechDemoSat-1. The deployment of the Icarus-1 drag sail, which was supplied by Cranfield University, marks the end of mission operations for SSTL's TechDemoSat-1 small satellite which was launched into a 635 km Low Earth Orbit in 2014. Sarah Parker, Managing Director of SSTL, said 'It is fantastic to see an image of TechDemoSat's deployed drag sail captured by the onboard inspection camera. More
(Source: Space Daily - Jun 3)
CHINA SET TO LAUNCH NEW AMATEUR SATELLITE WITH “SAIL BALL” STABILIZATION - Chinese Amateur Satellite Group (CAMSAT) has announced the impending launch of the CAS-7B satellite, also designated as BP-1B, a short-lived spacecraft that will carry an Amateur Radio payload. An unusual feature of the spacecraft is its “sail ball” passive stabilization system. The 1.5-U CubeSat is attached to a 500-millimeter flexible film ball — or sail — that will offer passive “pneumatic resistance” stabilization. CAS-7B is expected to remain in orbit for up to 1 month. The spacecraft will carry an Amateur Radio transponder and educational mission. CAMSAT is working with Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), a top aerospace school, which is providing launch support in launch of the satellite. More
(Source: ARRL - Jun 3)
WATCH: ASTRONAUT CAPTURES AMAZING TIME-LAPSE VIDEO OF EARTH FROM ISS - Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have the best views of Earth. Have doubts? Just check out a stunning, new time-lapse video of our planet captured by NASA astronaut Nick Hague, who has been aboard the orbiting space station since mid-March. In the amazing video, Expedition 59 crew member Hague squeezed 30 minutes of footage into 60 seconds, capturing views of the Earth from the Pacific to the Atlantic. More
(Source: Geek - Jun 2)
NASA TO SHUT DOWN SPITZER SPACE TELESCOPE EARLY NEXT YEAR - After a search for an outside funding source turned up empty, NASA plans to end observations with the Spitzer Space Telescope in January to conclude a 16-year mission that discovered exoplanets, studied galaxies in the ancient universe, and peered at planets and asteroids in our own solar system. NASA quietly announced the plan to end Spitzer’s observations in a blog post earlier this month. Astronomers hoped to keep Spitzer going until after the launch of the long-delayed James Webb Space Telescope, but the new observatory is now scheduled for launch in early 2021, and continues to dominate the budget for NASA’s astrophysics division. More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Jun 2)
NASA TV TO AIR US CARGO SHIP DEPARTURE FROM SPACE STATION - Filled with more than 4,200 pounds of valuable scientific experiments and other cargo, a SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft is set to return to Earth from the International Space Station Monday, June 3. NASA Television and the agency’s website will provide live coverage of the craft’s release beginning at 11:45 a.m. EDT. Around noon, flight controllers at mission control in Houston will deliver remote commands to the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to detached Dragon from the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module. More
(Source: Southgate Amateur Radio Club - Jun 1)
UK SATELLITE 'SETS SAIL' FOR RETURN TO EARTH - TechDemoSat-1 was launched in 2014 to trial a number of new in-orbit technologies but has now reached the end of its operational life. To bring it out of the sky faster than would ordinarily be the case, it has deployed a 'drag sail'. This large membrane will catch residual air molecules at its altitude of 635km and pull TDS-1 quickly into Earth's atmosphere where it will burn up. There is a lot of interest currently in 'clean space' technologies. More
(Source: BBC News - Jun 1)
![Radio Radio](/uploads/1/2/5/3/125312997/656330652.jpg)
EUTELSAT 7C SATELLITE ARRIVES IN FRENCH GUIANA - Eutelsat Communications’ newest high-power broadcast satellite, EUTELSAT 7C, arrived at the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana where it will be launched as a co-passenger on an Ariane 5 rocket on June 20. Built by Maxar Technologies, the 3.4 ton satellite will serve markets across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Turkey through 49 36-Mhz equivalent Ku-band transponders. More
(Source: Via Satellite - Jun 1)
MOST OF SPACEX'S STARLINK INTERNET SATELLITES ARE ALREADY ON TRACK - The first batch of 60 Starlink internet satellites has been orbiting Earth for about a week, and now SpaceX has released a status update on the mission. According to a spokesperson, 'all 60 satellites have deployed their solar arrays successfully, generated positive power and communicated with our ground stations.' The statement didn't directly mention concerns by astronomers about their brightness and visibility, but Elon Musk already has, and they aren't expected to reach their full altitude for three to four weeks. According to SpaceX, 'observability of the Starlink satellites is dramatically reduced as they raise orbit to greater distance... More
(Source: Engadget - Jun 1)
AIRBUS TO BUILD TRIO OF INMARSAT-7 SATELLITES - Inmarsat on May 30 announced an order with Airbus Defence and Space to build three satellites using a serial production method that will enable faster build times for follow-on spacecraft. The reprogrammable geostationary satellites mark the beginning of London-based Inmarsat’s seventh-generation fleet, previously referred to as Global Xpress Flex, or GX Flex. The Inmarsat-7 satellites are expected to launch in 2023, expanding Inmarsat’s fleet of Ka-band high-throughput satellites to 10. More
(Source: SpaceNews - May 31)
PROTON ROCKET LIFTS OFF WITH YAMAL 601 COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE - On its first launch of the year, a Russian-made Proton rocket lifted off Thursday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with a French-built, Russian-owned communications satellite. The 191-foot-tall (58-meter) Proton rocket lifted off at 1742 GMT (1:42 p.m. EDT; 10:42 p.m. Baikonur time) Thursday to carry the Yamal 601 spacecraft toward a perch in geostationary orbit more than 22,000 miles (nearly 36,000 kilometers) over the equator. Mounted on a mobile rail transporter, the Proton rocket, its Breeze M upper stage and the Yamal 601 communications satellite departed a hangar at the Central Asia space base around sunrise Monday. More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - May 30)