SSI News
LATE NEWS: Private space telescope called Sentinel will search for threatening asteroids
On 28 June, A US private organisation called the B612 Foundation announced that it will build, launch, and operate the world’s first privately funded deep space telescope mission to map the inner solar system and identify Earth crossing asteroids. The Sentinel Infra-red space telescope will be placed in orbit around the Sun at circa 170 million miles from Earth, on a five and half year mission. The spacecraft is to be built by the satellite maker, Ball Aerospace, located in Boulder, Colorado and will consist of 20 inch diameter infrared telescope with the launch taking place in 2017-2018 on a probably Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The trajectory is likely to use a gravitational sling shot trajectory using the planet Venus.
Progress resupply craft to test rapid rendezvous flight profile.
When Progress M-016M launches on 01 August the craft will conduct an experiment to dock with the International Space Station during its fourth orbit instead of the usual 34th orbit. This is expected to save around 45 hours on the normal flight profile used by previous...
LATE NEWS: Soyuz TMA-05M/ISS-31S is successfully launched with three crew
Soyuz, International Space Station
Comment: Is “best launcher” not quite French enough to be chosen?
The Director General of the European Space Agency, Jean-Jacques Dordain, noted why the surprise entry by the UK reusable rocket engineering firm Reaction Engines in the competition to replace the Ariane 5 rocket, did not get further
FARNBOROUGH: SHORT NOTES – Vega’s lifting power to rise, SSTL and MDA get payload contracts
Enrico Sargesse, Director General of the Italian Space Agency ASI noted in his presentation that Vega’s payload is to be increased to 3-3.5 tonnes. He foresaw that the launch vehicle would bid to launch small communications satellites heading for geostationary Earth orbit using electric propulsion for the final orbit raising from low Earth orbit. He also suggested that the International Space Station should be allowed to continue operations beyond 2020 until 2027.
FARNBOROUGH: Satellites offer key communications and navigation apps for civil aviation
At a mini-space conference on “International Market Opportunities in Space”ne at Farnborough, the benefit of satellites to the aeronautical and maritime communications and navigation was emphasised.
FARNBOROUGH: UK is seen as teacher in space growth quest as Roscosmos gets advice from SpaceX
The Minister of State for Universities and Science, the Rt Hon David Willetts MP used the Farnborough International Air Show to announce the new ‘Civil Space Strategy’ setting out the direction for the UK space sector over the next four years. With the UK space sector growing at 7.5% growth remains the aim for the UK Space Agency. Other space agencies were taking note. The Director General of the European Space Agency, Jean-Jacques Dordain, said that he was learning from the United Kingdom with respect to “taking competitive lessons” adding that it was the “right time for ESA to go for competitiveness and growth”.
FARNBOROUGH: Olympics will be boost to satellite television services and makes Thales Starstreak II missile famous already
While satellite and television companies are looking forward to the mini-windfall in revenues that the Olympic games will bring (satellite transponder leasing rates, advertising revenues etc) others have more pressing issues on their minds. Currently the British Army is concerned about rogue aircraft disrupting or even attacking the Olympic games starting in London at the end of July. As such it is currently in the process of deploying surface-to-air missiles around the games. In parkland the Rapier missile batteries are being installed. More controversially, lightweight Thales Starstreak missiles are being positioned on some tower blocks. But can they do the job if needed?
FARNBOROUGH: Results so far on Skylon Pre-cooler testing get Ministerial and ESA approval (Updated)
The Minister of State for Universities and Science, the Rt Hon David Willetts MP gave his support to UK technology firm Reaction Engines Limited as it announced the success of the first and second stages of its testing of the revolutionary precooler section of a new type of engine called SABRE.
Proton launches SES 5 satellite
A Russian Proton M rocket launched the SES 5 satellite at 1838 GMT on 9 July. The launch, brokered by International Launch services, placed the satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit. The satellite used the LS 1300X satellite bus built by Space...
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