SSI News
South Korea conducts first successful launch of KSLV rocket
South Korea conducted its first successful launch of the KSLV-1 vehicle at 0700 GMT on 30 January. The rocket was carrying the STSAT-2C scientific satellite and early reports indicate that the satellite was deployed successfully. The KSLV-1 rocket is a...
Space Insurers continue to make profits…but for how much longer?
Perhaps the ultimate in “risk takers” in the insurance profession are space underwriters. As they try to match premium income against the risk of losses, their annual results and even their job prospects can sometimes hinge on a single spacecraft or on a single rocket launch. Following the recent trend, 2012 was again a profitable year with a net underwriting result (i.e. before costs and expenses are deducted) of circa $400 million. But practitioners in this most glamorous and devil-may-care class are worried that the good times may not continue for long.
Dextre robot proves spacecraft refuelling concept
The was a boost for proponents of using “in flight refueling” for spacecraft in space. On the International Space Station, the Dextre robot has just completed experiments under the Robotic Refuelling Mission to test the concept of such satellite servicing. During the six-day experiment, the robot opened a fuel valve on a mock satellite and transfered liquid ethanol into a fuel tank.
Iran releases television footage of monkey’s suborbital launch
Iran’s Press TV English language television service Press TV has released footage of the successful launch of a small monkey aboard a Kavoshgar launch vehicle. The Pishgam (Pioneer) capsule was recovered intact with the monkey still alive after its suborbital flight into space. Such flights will allow Iran to perfect life support systems for manned systems. Iran has a declared aim of launching a human into space by 2019. That statement of intent did not specifyl whether this would be a fully orbital flght or a suborbital one. Iran has already launched small satellites into orbit and is believed to be working on much larger launch vehicles to launch larger spacecraft. One of these might one day be manned.
Iran launches a monkey
Iran has claimed -- and it is likely, though not verified at this stage -- to have launched and recovered a live monkey, using a Kavoshgar launch vehicle and a Pishgam capsule. The country attempted a virtually identical launch in October, 2011, which failed. Little...
SSTL awarded 12-satellite Formosasat-7 contract
After an open competition, the UK-based small satellite manufacturing arm of EADS, Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) has been awarded a contract to build 12 satellites for the Formosat-7/Cosmic 2 global wealther forcasting programme. The contract was awarded by Taiwan’s National Space Organisation (NSPO) on behalf of themselves and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) who jointly run the programme.
Japan launches radar reconnaissance and technology test satellites
A Japanese H2A202 rocket successfullly launched two satellites for the Japanese Defence Agency from the Tanegashima launch site at 0440 on 27 January. The main payload on the launch was the IGS-4D radar carrying spacecraft which was built for Information Gathering Satellite (IGS) programme by Mitsubishi Electric Corp. The IGS-4D spacecraft’s Synthetic Aperture Radar allows it to image the ground both at night and through clouds. The launch of IGS-4D is thought to be especially relevant to monitoring developments in North Korea’s nuclear and launch vehicle programmes. The second spacecraft on board was the IGS Optical Demonstration spacecraft, which is testing technology to be used by future IGS spacecraft.
Swarm mission set for delay following Rockot upper stage anomaly
After Flightglobal’s Hyperbola revelation that the Breeze M (Briz M) upper stage had not peformed a planned post-satellite delivery final orbit-lowering/propellant depletion manoeuvre during the latest Rockot launch, Eurorockot, the firm that markets Russian-built Rockot launch vehicles, has confirmed that an investigation is underway and that subsequent Rockot launches including the planned early year launch of the European Space Agency’s Swarm mission will now be delayed.
Lockheed Martin gets $1.94 billion contract for AEHF 5 & 6 satellites
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $1.94 billion contract to deliver two more Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellites for the US Air Force. These satellites AEHF 5 and AEHF 6 are designed to provide protected military satellite communications for the US armed forces. The contract contains elements of evolution of government contracts from cost-plus to fixed-price contracts.
Gogo leases satellite capacity for inflight connectivity
Having previously offered transcontinental airline passangers to ability to connect to the internet via ground based transmitters and receivers, the Gogo firm announced in May 2012 that it intended to offer similar services on trans-oceanic routes by leasing Ku-band communications satellite capacity to provide this. The firm has followed through with this pledge by announcing in December 2012 that it had leased capacity on SES-1, SES-4 nd NSS-703 satellites. The firm is also expected to take capacity on SES-6 when it is launched later this year.
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