SSI News
Stymied would-be astronaut Ed Dwight finally makes it to space after 63 years…taking record as oldest ever space traveller
At 1435 GMT on 19 May 2024 a suborbital flight of the reusable Blue Origin New Shepard Mk 2 rocket took off from Van Horn, Texas, USA. The automonous spacecraft and launch vehicle carried six passengers to an apogee of 107 km. The booster landed successfully on its...
Another woe for space insurers: US$175 million claim made for SkyTerra-1’s faulty antenna
Seradata understands that an insurance claim for US$175 million has been filed for 'total loss' - the SkyTerra-1 communications satellite after its 22 m diameter main mess antenna developed a fault. No details have been released by its owner Ligado Networks...
Launches in May 2024
China shows its prowess with Chang’e 6 lunar Far Side sample return mission
The Chang'e 6 mission uses hardware originally designed for a reflight of first Chinese lunar smaple return misison, Chang'e 5 lest that failed. In the event Chang'e 5 sample return mission in November/December 2020 was a significant success leaving hardware left...
The US$3.1 billion offer Intelsat could not refuse from rival SES
SES has made an agreed bid of US$3.1 billion in cash for rival satellite operator Intelsat. The deal, expected to close in the second half of 2025, will see two of the ‘Big Four’ fixed-satellite service (FSS) commercial satellite operators merge to form a mega GEO...
Launches in April 2024
Round-up of recommended space stories in April 2024
We're keeping an eye on space news on the web so you don't have to wade through it all. Here is our round-up of the most important, and interesting, space news stories of April (note that space orders is on another post): Future Human Spaceflight Blue Origin...
Mel’s Good Space
I love a good space story. Especially the ones of adventure, risk, technology and humans overcoming challenges presented by the cosmos. Enter our recently released report. Positioned through the lifecycle of a satellite, it makes for the start of a fascinating story....
Thuraya-3 satellite’s comms payload fails in orbit
Middle Eastern satellite operator Yahsat’s subsidiary Thuraya has lost the communications payload on one of its satellites. The Thuraya-3 communications satellite, located over 98.5 degrees east in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO), had a serious payload anomaly on 15...
International Space Station battery debris falls on Florida home…so should Keraunothnetophobics be afraid?
Keraunothnetophobia, as defined by some online dictionaries, is the fear of falling artificial satellites and other space objects. It is not to be confused with Keraunophobia, the fear of lightning strikes. Although often regarded as especially irrational,...
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