July 2018

Intelsat S.A., and Eutelsat announced that they are aligned on a market-based proposal for the future use of the lower C-band spectrum in the U.S. Eutelsat has agreed to join the proposal initiated by Intelsat, Intel and SES. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018071201

U.S. orbital launch provider Rocket Lab has confirmed plans to expand its launch capability by developing a U.S. launch site, with four U.S. space ports shortlisted to launch the Electron rocket. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018071100

A 3-D printed titanium dome for satellite fuel tanks completed final rounds of quality testing this month, ending a multi-year development programme at Lockheed Martin. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018071101

GomSpace A/S has signed a EUR400.000 contract with ESA for the first phase of the RACE project to deliver two 6-unit CubeSats for an IOD mission to demonstrate the capability of nano-satellite systems to perform close proximity operations such as rendezvous and docking, and close fly around manoeuvres. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018071102

Rocket: Soyuz 2.1a; Payload: Progress MS-09; Date: 9 July 2018, 2151 UTC; Launch site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The Progress cargo spacecraft docked to the International Space Station (ISS) less than four hours after lift-off, completing this fast-track orbital rendezvous attempt for the first time. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018071000

Rocket: Chang Zheng 3A; Payload: Beidou 2-G8 [?]; Date: 9 July 2018, 2058 UTC; Launch site: Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China. The navigation satellite was placed in a geostationary transfer orbit. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018071001

Beijing-based space launch company LandSpace recently revealed that its Suzaku No. 2, the largest privately-owned rocket developed in the country so far, will be launched in 2020. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018071002

Iridium Communications Inc. announced an updated launch date for the seventh Iridium NEXT launch. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018071003

Aerojet Rocketdyne successfully fired its AR-22 booster rocket engine 10 times in 240 hours at NASA Stennis Space Center, demonstrating the feasibility of rapidly recycling the engine to enable a reusable launch vehicle capable of high-tempo, aircraft-like flight operations. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018071004

ICESat-2 engineers at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California successfully finished the final ground-based test of the lasers, which are part of the satellite’s sole instrument called the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS). ICESat-2 is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg on 12 September 2018. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018071005