SSI News
Soyuz makes two launches on same day from French Guiana and Kazakhstan (Corrected)
Four O3B network communications satellites were launched from the Sinnamary launch site near Kourou, French Guiana by a Soyuz ST-B (Fregat M) at 1927 GMT on 25 June. Earlier the same day, at 1728 GMT a Soyuz 2-1b Fregat launched the Resurs P1 high resolution Earth observation satellite from the Baikonur launch site, near Tyuratam, Kazakhstan.
Cosmonauts make successful spacewalk from International Space Station
Cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Alexander Misurkin made a six-hour 34-minute “Extra Vehicular Activity” spacewalk begining at 1332 GMT. The spacewalkers replaced a flow control panel on the Zarya module’s thermal control system and installed an atmospheric sensor on the Poisk module. The two crew also removed an exposure experiment and the Foton-Gamma instrument,
Turkmenistan NSSC comsat launch order goes to SpaceX (again)
The launch for the Turkmenistan National System of Satellite Communications satellite (Turkmenistan NSSC aka Turkmensat 1) has been awarded to Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX). Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) was awarded a contract by Thales Alenia Space to launch Turkmenistan NSSC to geostationary transfer orbit in late-2014 or early 2015 aboard a Falcon 9 alunch vehicle.
Shenzhou-10 undocks and redocks with Tiangong-1 mini-space station
On 23 June the Chinese Shenzhou 10 spacecraft carried out an undocking redocking exercise. The craft undocked from Tiangong minispace station at 0026 GMT and redocked with it at 0200 GMT using a manual technique this time. The two male, one femaletaikonaut crew were aboard the Shenzhou craft for this small flight.
Paris Air Show: Göktürk-1 launch order goes to Arianespace for Vega launch
Arianespace and Telespazio used the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget to announce the launch contract of the Göktürk-1 satellite which is being built for the Turkish government. The launch contract was signed with Telespazio, which is building the satellite under a delivery-to-orbit contract.
Paris Air Show: Arianespace wants longer satellite accommodation for Ariane 5
At the Paris Air Show, it was revealed that the European launch provider, Arianespace, is requesting from the European Space Agency (ESA) financing for a new volumetric fairing extension for its Ariane 5 rocket so that new bulkier, if not heavier, design satellites can be carried. The cost of this extension is reported to be circa €30 million. If approved, and ESA Director General, Jean-Jacques Dordaine expects it to be as he described the funding needed as a “fairly small amount of money”, then this modification will be flying in 2015.
Paris Air Show: Buzz Aldrin visits Flightglobal saying that Moon should not be NASA’s main exploration target
Legendary Apollo 11 astronaut who flew with Neil Armstrong to walk on the surface of the Moon in July 1969, made an almost equally as important visit when he joined the team at Flightglobal’s chalet at the Paris Air Show. While Space is usually a tad subdued at this mainly aviation event, it is good to see Buzz flying the flag for manned space exploration. Buzz appears to be strongly convinced that the Moon should just be a stepping stone to the exploration of other planets rather than a principal destination for NASA.
Video of his interview is on our space page https://www.seradata.com/news/space/
How did gliders help win D-Day battle and will they ever fly on Mars?
Every now and then interplanetary missions have been proposed which are are both exciting and innovative and yet, regretfully, still did not make the cut for funding. One of these was an ambitious plan to fly a rocket-boosted glider on Mars. For despite NASA winning overwhelming plaudits for its innovative landing and operation of its Mars Curiousity Rover, it went back to a more conservative approach for its next Mars mission and chose the the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) Mars orbiter which is due to be launched end of the year.
Sea Launch to launch EUTELSAT 3B on Zenit 3-SL next year
On 18 June, the launch provider Sea Launch and the satellite operator Eutelsat announced an agreement fo ar Sea Launch operated Zenit 3-SL to launch the EUTELSAT 3B spacecraft from the ocean-based Odyssey launch platform in April 2014.
ADS-B air traffic signals successfully received by Proba-V
While its main role is vegetation mapping, the European Space Agency’s Proba-V spacecraft is also being used to carry an aircraft tracking payload. While primary radars can give direct positioning of aircraft by their radar returns, and transponders can give “squawk” identifying information, the latest improvement Automatic Dependent Broadcast – Surveillance (ADS-B) system.
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