Long-delayed NASA satellite ICON orbited by air-launched Pegasus XL rocket
Following a launch abort at 0130 GMT, the Pegasus XL rocket successfully launched at 0200 GMT, 11 October 2019, carrying the NASA ICON satellite to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The ICON (Ionospheric Connection Explorer) satellite is part of the NASA Explorer programme...
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Proton M flies Eutelsat comsat and MEV-1 servicing spacecraft into orbit…then ILS President Kirk Pysher resigns
A Proton M/Briz M vehicle was launched at 1017 GMT on 9 October from Baikonur Cosmodrome near Tyuratam inn Kazakhstan. The vehicle was carrying two satellite payloads into a super-synchronous transfer orbit on their way to the geostationary arc. While...
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Kepler Communications to launch their first two full service units on a Soyuz in 2020
Kepler Communications have announced an launch agreement with Dutch-company Innovative Space Logistics B.V. (ISL). The agreement, in partnership with GK Launch Services of Russia, will see two 6U-CubeSat satellites launched into a sun-synchronous orbit during Q2-Q3...
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Gaofen-10R satellite is launched by China to replace destroyed predecessor
Lifting-off from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, Northern China at 1850 GMT on 4 October 2019, a Long March-4C (CZ-4C) rocket carried the Gaofen-10R satellite into Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The satellite has entered into a sun-synchronous low Earth orbit inclined at...
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Spacewalking astronauts start ISS battery replacement moves
On 4 October 2018, the Canadarm-2 robot arm took Exposed Pallet-8 ( EP-8) with batteries attached off the POA (Payload ORU Accommodations) again and moved it next to the P6 truss in preparation for spacewalk operations. On 6 October 2018, NASA astronauts Koch and...
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Having served beyond its planned lifetime Jason-2 sea level monitor is finally retired
The Franco-US Jason-2 oceanography spacecraft which was operated by the French Space Agency CNES has now been retired from scientific operations, having exceeded its minimum three-year design life by over eight years. Launched in June 2008, the Jason-2 spacecraft -...
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Soyuz MS-12 undocks from ISS and lands safely with three crew aboard
At 0736 GMT on 3 October 2019, the Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft (aka ISS-58S) undocked with the ISS carrying Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin, US astronaut Nick Hague and the first UAE astronaut Hazzaa Ali Almansoori aboard. Later the same day, the spacecraft made a...
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Nova-C lunar lander is signed to a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch
Having received a NASA CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) contract in May worth US$77 million to carry up five payloads to the lunar surface, the Nova-C commercial lunar lander's operator has moved quickly to secure its passage to the Moon. It has signed up for...
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US Air Force starts to make payments to cap off final EELV launches
Due to mission delays putting some of its launches beyond 30 Sept 2019, the US Air Force Missiles and Space Center has signed a follow up Launch Operations Support (LOPS) contract with the ULA worth US$1.18 billion covering NRO L-44, NRO L-82, NRO L-91, NRO L-68 and...
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ISISpace to build second spysat for Royal Thai Air Force
Having already ordered a small reconnaissance satellite from the Netherlands-based ISISpsace (originally called ISIS BV) in September 2018, the Royal Thai Air Force has decided to order a second one. The new spacecraft is based on a ISIS 6U cubesat bus design and will...
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