SSI News
Long March 7A launches “HOTS” mission carrying experimental Shiyan 12-01 and 12-02 satellites for China
A Long March 7A (CZ-7A) rocket launched a pair of Shiyan 12 satellies, Shiyan 12-01 and Shiyan 12-02 on a mission dubbed HOTS (High Orbit Test Satellite) into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. The launch occurred from the Wenchang satellite launch centre, Hainan Island...
Inmarsat 6-F1 is launched by H-IIA rocket
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) of Japan successfully launched an H-IIA rocket (H-2A204 Upgrade (SRB-A3) variant) launch vehicle from the Tanegashima Space Centre, Japan, at 1532 GMT on 22 December. The vehicle was carrying the Inmarsat 6-F1 communications satellite...
SSTL of Guildford, Surrey, gets order from Satellite Vu
The Guildford UK-based satellite construction firm SSTL (Surrey Satellite Technology Limited), which is part of Airbus Space and Defence, has won a contract from UK-based Satellite Vu for the first satellite in its seven satellite constellation of infra red heat...
Virgin Orbit becomes launch partner for Horizon Technologies’ AMBER signals intelligence constellation
Virgin Orbit has become the "preferred" launch provider of Horizon Technologies (“Horizon”), the UK-based provider of satellite based Maritime Domain Awareness (“MDA”) through its planned AMBER signals intelligence cubesat constellation offering services to the UK's...
Dragon CRS-24 launch by SpaceX Falcon 9 marks final supply run of 2021
On 21 December, NASA and SpaceX successfully launched the Dragon CRS-24 (Commercial Resupply Services-24) spacecraft at 1007 GMT using a Falcon 9 v1.2 Block 5 from the Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This marks the final launch of 2021 from...
Rocket Lab’s purchases towards vertical integration continue, SolAero now in its sights
In November 2021 Rocket Lab announced its intention to purchase Planetary Systems Corporation (PSC), an American provider of spacecraft separation systems. This deal was for US$42m and completed on 1 December. Later in December Rocket revealed another purchase,...
Soyuz MS-20 returns ending 12-day space tourism mission
The crew of Soyuz MS-20 closed the hatch for the last time on 19 December 2021 at 1932 GMT. They undocked from the International Space Station Russian Poisk module at 2350 GMT. Around three minutes after undocking, MS-20 performed its first separation burn lasting a...
Two up for SpaceX as Falcon 9 launches deliver 52 Starlink satellites to LEO and Turksat 5B to GTO (Corrected)
SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9v1.2 Block 5 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA, at 1241 GMT on 18 December. The vehicle was carrying 52 SpaceX-built Starlink commnunications satellites. The launch used an energy expensive "dog leg" to...
Chinese small Kuaizhou-1A rocket has launch failure losing two GeeSat comsats
China attempted to launch a Kuaizhou-1A vehicle carrying the GeeSat 1A and 1B satellites at 0200 GMT on 15 December from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China. It was reported that the vehicle suffered abnormal performance during the launch, which failed. The...
Planet Labs completes SPAC merger and begins NYSE trading
Completing a process which began July this year Planet Labs has merged with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), becoming Planet Labs PBC (Planet). This new or "surviving" entity is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as of 8 December, the...
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