SSI News
CGWIC gets turnkey order for Supremesat 2
Having previously launched a jointly owned Chinasat 12 (Supremesat 1) together, the Sri Lankan satellite operator SupremeSat has elected to order a fully owned satellite Supremesat 2 from CGWIC (China Great Wall Industries Corp) as part of a turnkey deal to constructed and launch the satellite. The deal, which includes a Long March launch in 2016 was signed on 30 May and is worth $215 million. The satellite is likely to use the DFH-4 bus design built by CGWIC’s subcontractor and sister organisation CAST and its Dongfanghong Satellite Company subisidiary.
Palapa E communications satellite will be built by Orbital Sciences
The US satellite manufacturing arm of Orbital Sciences Corp has been selected for the construction of the Palapa E communications satellite by Indosat. According to Space News, the firm has been authorised via a contract to order long lead items. The satellite will be launched in 2016 and will operate over the longitude of 150.5E in Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO).
Solar storms: Satellites are less vulnerable than rest of human infrastructure say experts
The 17th International Space Conference held in Rome in May 2013, concentrated on the various threats and hazards to and from space. Organised by Pagnanelli Risk Solutions, its head Benito Paganelli noted at the start that while major space storms affecting Earth are a relatively low frequency event, their potential for major damage meant that they had to be taken seriously.
Crew of three launched on Soyuz TMA-09M which docks with ISS
The Soyuz TMA-09M mission was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome (near Tyuratam in Kazakhstan) at 2013 GMT on 28 May 2013 on a Soyuz FG launch vehicle. Aboard the launch was a crew of three: Russian cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, US NASA Astronaut Karen Nyberg, and Italian ESA astronaut, Luca Parmitano. The spacecraft docked at 0210 GMT on 29 May with the International Space Station’s Rassvet module.
WGS-5 is launched into orbit on Delta IVM+ 5,4
The WGS-5 (Wideband Global Satcom 5) communications satellite was successfully launched for the US Air Force by a Delta IVM+ 5,4 launch vehicle operated by the United Launch Alliance which lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 0027GMT on 25 May 2013. The satellite, which was built by Boeing using a version of its BSS-702HP bus, is designed to be part of the constellation of satellites providing global communicaitons coverage to US forces. The launch was delayed from the day before due to a fault with ground support system helium pressurization line.
GOES 13 has fault so is temporarily replaced by GOES 14 (Updated)
GOES-13 (East) has experienced an anomaly at 0340 GMT on 22 September 2012 and fell into a safe/storage mode. In not now being pointed at the Earth, it is unable to generate imagery of the planet. The reserve spacecraft GOES-14 is being brought in to replace it for the Goes East weather montioring function for the US NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
Ecuador’s first satellite NEE 1 (Pegasso) is struck by space debris
Ecuador’s fiirst satellite NEE 1 (Pegasso) has apparently failed in orbit after an alleged debris strike which had be expected to take place at 0538 GMT on 23 May 2013. According to reports, the nanosat class spacecraft of under 2kg mass, which was launched on 25 April, was stuck by incidental debris near a rocket upper stage from a Soviet-era Tsyklon-3 launch vehicle. The satellite has ceased transmitting and an assessment of the damage is on going. A “lateral collision” glancing blow by the debris on the satellite was confirmed by the The Joint Space Operations Center in the United States.
WGS-5 launch scrubbed for today
WGS-5 launch pushed back 24h. Here's the release: Cape Canaveral Air ForceStation, Fla.(May 23, 2013) -- The launch of a United Launch Alliance DeltaIV rocket carrying the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS-5) satellite for the U.S.Air Force was scrubbed today due to...
WGS-5 launch scrubbed for today
WGS-5 launch pushed back 24h. Here's the release: Cape Canaveral Air ForceStation, Fla.(May 23, 2013) -- The launch of a United Launch Alliance DeltaIV rocket carrying the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS-5) satellite for the U.S.Air Force was scrubbed today due to...
For clarity’s sake Flightglobal’s SpaceTrak database renames Eutelsat satellites
The decision made just over a year ago by the European satellite operator, Eutelsat, to rename its entire satellite fleet according to the GEO location where they are serving has led to confusion with respect to which satellite is which, especially when they relocate and then are renamed. To counter this confusion, Flightglobal’s SpaceTrak database, which is used by much of the space and related insurance industries, will henceforth rename all Eutelsat satellites according to the Eutelsat name followed by the international number (a number that does not change once a satellite is in orbit). This will be followed by the “official” Eutelsat name in brackets/parentheses.
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