SSI News
ISRO launches comms sat to GEO using PSLV
Launched at 1011 GMT, 17 December an Indian communications satellite has been orbited from Sriharikota, India. The mission saw a PSLV-XL rocket variant drop-off the satellite in a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO). From there it will make use of it own propulsion to...
China returns lunar samples on Chang’e 5
The last stage of the Chinese Chang’e 5 mission – the attempt to return lunar samples safely to Earth – has been successfully accomplished. After a “skip” trajectory during re-entry, the sample return vessel landed in Inner Mongolia at around 1730 GMT on 16 December....
Another launch failure for Astra Space…but its 3.2 flight got close
The Astra Rocket 3 (3.2) Dummy Payload fell back into the Pacific Ocean after a failed launch attempt by the Astra Rocket 3. The "3.2" launch by start-up Astra Space was made at 2055 GMT on 15 December from Kodiak Island, the Pacific Spaceport Complex, Alaska. The...
Thales Alenia Space gets order for two COSMO-Skymed Second Generation Sats
The Italian arm of the satellite constructor, Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), and Telespazio, Joint Venture between Leonardo (67%) and Thales (33%), forming the Space Alliance, have signed the contracts with the Italian...
ESA finally commits to reusable Italian-led Space Rider “space plane” prototype…as it also plans reusable rocket stage
On 9 December 2020 ESA (European Space Agency) placed an order with Italian suppliers for an reusable lifting body called Space Rider. The Space Rider has been championed by the Italian government and industry for many years as a way forward to a "space plane". This...
Eutelsat taps Arianespace for Ariane 5 launch of Eutelsat 10B
Arianespace and Eutelsat have confirmed that Eutelsat 10B, a high-throughput telecommunications satellite, will be launched on an Ariane 5 rocket (probably the ECA variant) in 2022. Eutelsat 10B is a telecommunications satellite to be positioned at the 10° East...
Rocket Lab Electron launches small StriX-α radar sat
At 1009 GMT on 15 December 2020, a Rocket Lab Electron KS rocket was launched into a near polar Sun-synchronous low Earth orbit (LEO) from the Onenui station on the Mahia peninsula in New Zealand. On board was a small 150 kg synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite...
Lockheed Martin receives official order for second pair of GPS 3F sats
In a award which was received in October but only made public on 10 December, Lockheed Martin gets the go ahead for the second pair of GPS 3F satellites. This construction contract is valued at US$511 million for the two units. Lockheed Martin was selected as the...
Loft Orbital announces customer for YAM-6 mission Hydrosat
On 9 December American missions-as-a-service company Loft Orbital announced a new customer for its upcoming YAM-6 mission. Hydrosat Inc, based in Washington D.C. (which also has offices in Luxembourg) has contracted with Loft Orbital to fly its VanZyl-1 payload on the...
Angara A5 is back in play…after a six year hiatus
Russia’s new Angara A5 launch vehicle design returned to operation after a near six year wait. Lift off occurred at 0550 GMT on 14 December 2020 from Plesetsk. After an initial parking orbit and injection into a transfer orbit, the spacecraft dummy IPM 2 (GVM 2) had a...
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