Third stage launch failure on Simorgh rocket denies Iran’s PAYAM satellite an orbit
In the early hours of 15 January 2019, local time, the Iranian Space Agency (ISA) attempted to launch the PAYAM satellite into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) utilising their Simorgh, light launch vehicle. This launch is reported to have ended in failure due to an anomaly with...
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FLEX gets its construction order finally awarded to Thales Alenia Space
The construction of the FLEX - Fluorescence Explorer spacecraft to study "vegetation fluorescence" to determine global photosynthetic activity has been officially ordered. Having been originally selected in Novemer 2015 as the 8th ESA Earth Explorer mission, the...
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Russia loses control of its Spektr-R (Radioastron) in orbit radio telescope
While it might be over two years past its "use-by" date - i.e. its five year minimum design life - Russia has keenly felt the loss of its in-orbit radio astronomy telescope Spektr-R (Radioastron). The spacecraft which was built by NPO Lavotchkin to detect gamma and...
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Dragon CRS-16 departs ISS and splashes down carrying return cargo
It was return time for the Dragon CRS-16 spacecraft which originally arrived and docked at the International Space Station on 16 December 2018. Having been unberthed from Harmony Nadir Port, the ISS robot arm released the Dragon CRS-16 spacecraft at 2333 GMT on 13...
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Vandenberg Iridium launch by Falcon 9 takes place successfully with first stage recovered…then reveals shiny test rocket…then notes that workforce will be reduced
A SpaceX Falcon 9v1.2FT Block 5 rocket successfully launched 10 Iridium next generation satellites from Vandeberg, California on 11 January 2018. The satellites carried were Iridium NEXT 68-77. The launch took place at 1531 GMT. The vehicle's reusable first stage was...
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Long March 3B-G3 launches Chinasat 2D – a Shentong 2 class military comsat for China
A Chinese military communications satellite Chinasat 2D (Zhongxing-2D) - the third in the series of military Shentong 2 class satellites - was launched by a Long March 3B-G3 (CZ-3B-G3) rocket at 1703 GMT on 10 January 2018. The launch using a Long March 3b-G2 rocket...
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NASA cancels planned February visit of head of Roscosmos to USA
While it might have been viewed as a calculating and even cynical move to force his international acceptance, Russia's President Vladimir Putin's decision to appoint his long time ally Dmitry Rogozin as head of the space agency/industrial complex Roscosmos,...
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Doctor Who causes anger as she wades in on Brexit stay-in side…as satellite firms start to ship out
Satellite operators are now starting to make tangible moves given the British withdrawal from the European Union (EU) - a "no deal" Brexit - is likely to occur by the end of March, unless another referendum is held to attempt to reverse the original close decision to...
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Early end of mission beckons for WorldView-4 after gyro failures
The WorldView-4 commercial imaging satellite has experienced a failure in its control moment gyros (CMGs), which has effectively ended its mission as it preventing the from stably pointing its imaging systems. The failures of the CMGs began earlier in the year and it...
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China’s Chang’e 4 lander and rover makes successful landing on lunar far side
At 0226 GMT 3 January 2019, China's Chang'e 4 lander along with the rover it was carrying successfully made a landing on the Moon's lunar far side at the Atkin Basic crater near its South Pole. The official location is at 177.6 degrees East, 45.5 degrees. South. .On...
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