At 0556 GMT, on 30 July 2019, the MERIDIAN 8 military communications satellite was launched by a Russian Soyuz 2-1A rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. The Soyuz rocket utilised a Fregat-M upper stage. The Meridian programme utilises the highly elliptical, Molniya...
An unexpected Chinese satellite launch took place from Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 0357 GMT, 26 July 2019. This mission saw a CALT (Chinese Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology) Long March 2C (CZ-2C) rocket orbit a triplet of YAOGAN 30-05 Earth Observation...
Following a week of delays, the SpaceX Dragon CRS-18 ISS resupply mission lifted-off from Cape Canaveral, United States of America, at 25 July, at 2202 GMT, utilising the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The mission is carrying 1,691 kg of supplies and equipment to the...
At circa 0500 GMT on 25 July, the Chinese commercial launch start-up firm iSpace successfully launched two cubesat-class spacecraft into a 300 km low Earth orbit from the Jiuquan launch site on its Hyperbola 1 (Shian Quxian) rocket – plus some payloads attached...
India’s second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 was launched at 0913 GMT on 22 July 2019, from the Sriharikota launch site. The initial plan was to place the spacecraft into a low Earth orbit. From here it will slowly raise its orbit and then be injected into a...
While its Team Artemis name may be confusing given that NASA is calling its next human moon-landing programme Artemis, nevertheless, under this banner the UK Ministry of Defence – in the shape of its Secretary of State, Penny Mordaunt, has announced the...