SSI News
Space Insurance: OneWeb decides to insure its entire GEN 1 constellation’s launches (Corrected)
OneWeb, the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications company part-owned by the UK Government, has signed an agreement to insure its GEN 1 (Generation 1) constellation’s remaining launches up to an aggregate value of more than US$1 billion. The insurance...
SpaceX returns from summer slumber to launch a Dragon to resupply the ISS
A SpaceX Cargo Dragon was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, at 0714 GMT on 29 August. The Falcon 9 launch vehicle carried the freighter making up the SpaceX CRS-23 mission into a low Earth orbit, from where it...
Blue Origin completes New Shepard sub-orbital mission carrying multiple science payloads
Blue Origin conducted its New Shepard-17 (NS-17) suborbital mission carrying 18 experiments for commercial and institutional customers inside the capsule. Of the payloads 11 were NASA-supported, additionally it also carried an art installation on the exterior of the...
Astra Rocket 3.3 launch ends in failure after engine fault causes a bizarrely dithering lift-off
The Astra Space Inc, Rocket 3.3 executed what has to be one of the strangest "dithering" lift-offs ever witnessed, before later having its flight eventually terminated downrange by the Range Safety Officer. The launch took place from the Kodiak Island "Pacific...
Virgin Orbit uses special-purpose acquisition company to fund growth
Launch company Virgin Orbit has joined the growing number of space companies to use a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) to fund its future development by merging with NextGen Acquisition Corp II, a SPAC that holds US$383 million in its trust account. The...
Second Chinese launch in one day places experimental comms sat into transfer orbit to GEO
A Long March 3B (CZ-3B) rocket lifted-off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China, carrying a experimental communications technology test satellite into a Geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). Occurring at 1541 GMT on 24 August, this mission was roughly 4.5...
Experimental communications satellites launched to LEO by China
A normally two-stage Long March 2C (CZ-2C) rocket with an Yuanzheng-1S upper-stage lifted-off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China, at 1115 GMT on 24 August. Although there was some confusion among initial reports, it seems this mission carried three...
OneWeb continues steady constellation deployment with fifth launch of the year
At 2213 GMT on 21 August a Soyuz 2-1B rocket lifted-off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, carrying 34 satellites for the OneWeb constellation. This launch, the fifth so far this year, takes the in-orbit satellite count to 288, out of a planned total of around...
Chinese taikonauts complete second spacewalk
Shenzhou 12 taikonauts, Liu Boming and Nie Haisheng conducted the second EVA from the Chinese Space Station (CSS) on 20 August at 0038 GMT. Tang Hongbo remained inside the Tianhe-1 module this time whilst mission commander Nie Haisheng worked with Liu Boming to...
Billionaire’s court case against Sutherland spaceport dismissed
Sutherland Spaceport in Scotland has survived an attempt by Danish billionaire Anders Povlsen and his company Wildland Ltd to halt development of one of the UK’s potential spaceport sites. A ruling published on 20 August by the Scottish Court of Session found against...
Stay Informed with Seradata
Stay informed on the latest news, insights, and more from Seradata by signing up for our newsletter.