Russia successfully launched a Soyuz 2-1b Fregat M vehicle carrying the Arktika-M 1 satellite into a highly inclined elongated Molniya orbit at 0655 GMT on 28 February 2021. The Arktika-M 1 satellite was built by NPO Lavotchkin for the Roshydromet (Russian Weather...
The UK-based mobile communications GEO satellite operator Inmarsat has appointed Rajeev Suri to replace Rupert Pearce who steps down as its CEO at the end of February. Suri was the former CEO of the Finnish firm Nokia which was once the dominant player in the mobile...
During February 2021 DARPA extended its Blackjack commitment with Blue Canyon Technologies (BCT) by exercising part of an option to purchase six additional satellites from the company. The option stems from an original Blackjack order made with BCT in June 2020. DARPA...
China launched three Yaogan 31-03 satellites, Yaogan 31-03-A, -B, and -C, into low Earth orbit at 0222 GMT on 24 February 2021. The satellites were launched on a Long March 4C (CZ-4C) launch vehicle from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China. The three...
The US commercial unmanned space freighter Cygnus NG-15 (Katherine Johnson) was launched successfully by an Antares 230+ rocket at 1736 GMT on 20 February from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia. The 8,050 kg craft was launched on a...
Lifting off from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 0359 GMT on 16 February, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried the second Starlink launch of the month into LEO. The 60 Starlink satellites were deployed one hour five minutes into the launch into the correct orbit. However, it...
