SSI News
What’s Next for Space Exploration in 2023 and Beyond
Much changed on Earth and in space during 2022. In July the James Webb Telescope, the largest optical telescope in space, delighted the world with stunning infrared images, revealing the most detailed view ever of the Universe. After a series of stalled attempts,...
Poland orders two reconnaissance satellites from Airbus DS
Poland has ordered two reconnaissance satellites from Airbus Defence and Space (Airbus DS) to bolster its reconnaissance capabilities against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. The satellites are being built by Airbus DS using the basic design of the latest...
Israeli EROS C3 reconnaissance/Earth imaging satellite is launched by SpaceX Falcon 9
A Falcon 9v1.2FT Block 5 rocket operated by SpaceX has launched the Israeli EROS C3 reconnaissance/Earth observation satellite into a retrograde low Earth orbit of 503 x 485 km at 139.4 degrees inclination from the Vandenberg launch site in California, USA. The...
Last Chinese launch of the year: Shiyan 10-02 is launched by Long March 3B
China has launched a Long March 3B-G2 (CZ-3B-G2) rocket from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China, carrying the Shiyan 10-02 satellite into what is thought to be a "Molniya" style highly inclined and eccentric orbit like its predecessor in the Shiyan 10 class,...
Falcon 9 launches Starlink Group 5-1 – the first “Generation 2” Starlink comsats
On 28 December 2022 at 0934 GMT SpaceX launched their Falcon 9v1.2FT Block 2 rocket successfully from Cape Canaveral with 54 Starlink Gen2 (Generation 2) satellites aboard - the first set of the newest generation of Starlink communications satellites. SpaceX’s...
Long March 4B rocket puts Chinese Gaofen 11-04 imaging satellite into orbit
A Long March 4B (CZ-4B) launch vehicle was launched at 0737 GMT on 27 December from Taiyuan in China. It carried the Gaofen 11-04 high resolution imaging satellite into orbit. The spacecraft is believed to be a military reconnaissance satellite. The spacecraft is...
Astronauts successfully install fourth iROSA solar array on ISS
NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio competed their mission to install the fourth of six roll-out solar array panels during US EVA-83. The ISS Quest airlock was depressurised at 1311 GMT and the hatch was opened at 1319 GMT to begin the spacewalk on 22...
NASA selects SpaceX to launch second Sentinel-6 mission in 2025
NASA has returned to Space X to launch the second Sentinel-6 satellite. In a contract announced on 20 December SpaceX will launch Sentinel-6B/Jason-CS B satellite in November 2025 using a Falcon 9 rocket. This contract is valued at US$94 million. The mission will...
Vega-C rocket fails on second flight losing two insured Pleiades-Neo satellites (Updated)
While maiden flights of new rockets are known to be risky, with a failure rate of around 40 per cent according to the Seradata SpaceTrak database, second flights are considerably less so. Nevertheless, they still have a failure rate of around 19-20 per cent. And so it...
Maxar Technologies sold for US$6.4 billion to private equity firm
Satellite manufacturer and operator Maxar Technologies has been acquired by global private equity investor group Advent International in a US$6.4 billion deal. The all-cash transaction was announced on 16 December. US-based Advent, which had US$89 billion in assets...
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