SSI News
After negotiations Intelsat places order for two Airbus OneSat satellites
Peter B. de Selding (spaceintelreport.com) has revealed that after initially wanting three units in November 2020, Intelsat has had to place an order for two satellites from Airbus DS. This renegotiated order was placed on 31 December after its Creditors would not...
SpaceX receives contract to launch multiple Space Development Agency satellites
As a last hurrah on 31 December 2020, SpaceX was awarded the launch contract for the 28 satellites the Space Development Agency (SDA) has in development. These are made up of the 20 Transport Layer data-relay units and eight Tracking Layer missile-warning satellites....
Soyuz ST-A (Fregat M) launches CSO-2 Earth observation “Identification” sat
On its VS25 flight, a Soyuz ST-A (Fregat M) successfully launched from Sinnamary Launch Site near Kourou, French Guiana at 1642 GMT on 29 December 2020. The 3,562 kg payload carried was the Airbus Defence and Space-built CSO-2 Earth observation "identification"...
Yaogan 33R radar sat is launched along with small technology test nanosat on Long March 4C
A Long March 4C (CZ-4C) rocket successfully launched the Yaogan 33R (aka Yaogan 33-02) radar/remote sensing satellite at 1544 GMT on 27 December 2020. The spacecraft was thought to be a replacement for the Yaogan 33 lost in a launch failure in 2019. However this is...
NASA budget: Administration gets some of what it wants…but its funding for a lunar lander is cut
In what will both please and disappoint the leadership of NASA, US Congress has voted to give NASA US$23.3 billion in funding for the fiscal Year 2021 as part of its "Omnibus spending bill". The budget deal represents an increase of US$642 million over the previous...
ESA chooses Josef Aschbacher as its next Director General…who is he and what does he want?
It has been confirmed that Josef Aschbacher will succeed the sometimes controversial but nevertheless well-regarded Jan Woerner as Director General of the European Space Agency. The ESA Council meeting on 17 December formally appointed Dr Aschbacher for a period of...
Long March 8 rocket has successful maiden flight
Filling a gap in its rocket stable, China's new medium-lift rocket, the Long March 8 (CZ-8), successfully lifted off on its maiden flight at 0437 GMT on 22 December from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in South Hainan Province, China. The launch carried the...
Lockheed Martin announces intention to acquire Aerojet Rocketdyne for US$4.4 billion
One of the giant American aerospace companies, Lockheed Martin, has announced its intention to buy US rocket engine manufacturer Aerojet Rocketdyne. The transaction is valued at US$4.4 billion. A purchase of Aerojet by Lockheed will expand its offering in munitions,...
SpaceX Falcon 9 launches secret NRO L-108 mission from Kennedy Space Center
At 1400 GMT on 21 December 2020 a SpaceX Falcon 9v1.2FT Block 5 rocket launched the NRO L-108 mission for the US National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) into a low Earth orbit. The launch used the former Space Shuttle pad LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) near...
Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat launches 36 OneWeb satellites from Vostochny
A Soyuz 2-1b/Fregat was launch from Vostochny in Eastern Russia at 1226 GMT on 18 December carrying 36 OneWeb communications satellites as part of the Anglo-Indian owned mobile communications constellation . The satellites were deployed into a near polar orbit in...
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