News on key developments at SupremeSAT, and general news on the Space and Satellite industry from across the web
Rocket: Chang Zheng 11; Payload: two GECAM astronomy satellites; Date: 9 December 2020, 2014 UTC; Launch site: Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China. The satellites were deployed into 587 km x 605 km x 29.00 degrees orbits. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020121000
The first mockup of the RD-0124MS rocket engine, developed for use in the Soyuz-5 perspective rocket was built at Voronezh Rocket Engine Building Center (part of Roskosmos). http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020121001
NASA and Boeing are targeting 29 March for the launch of Starliner’s second uncrewed flight test to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) is a critical developmental milestone on the company’s path toward flying crew missions for NASA. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020121002
Supporting a rideshare manifest with a mix of small and large satellites, TriSept Corporation has selected Relativity Space for a full mission aboard Relativity’s Terran 1, the world’s first entirely 3D printed rocket. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020121003
Airbus has successfully qualified Europe’s first five metre deployable antenna reflector. The 70 kilogram deployable reflector will help enable higher resolution from a radar instrument for Earth observation. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020121004
Thales Alenia Space has delivered the K-band high gain antenna to be integrated with the rest of the Euclid satellite in its plant in Turin. Thales Alenia Space in Spain is responsible for the deep space communications system, which comprises the communications panel delivered in 2019 and the high gain antenna, built by Thales Alenia…
Thales Alenia Space and AVIO as co-contractor have signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for the development of the automated reusable Space Rider transportation system, designed for deployment by the new Vega C light launcher into low Earth orbit (LEO). The total worth of the contract is EUR167 million. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020120900
ALTEC and Telespazio have signed a contract with ESA to manage the ground segment and operations for the Space Rider system. ALTEC and Telespazio will be responsible for managing the entire ground segment and subsequent mission operations and act as Co-Prime, in an integrated manner. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020120901
Isar Aerospace has raised EUR75 million (US$91 million) from investors in the biggest funding round by a European space technology startup, which it said would be enough to fund the maiden flight of its launch vehicle. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020120902
Chang’e 5’s ascender crashed back on the moon at about 2330 UTC on 7 December 2020 after successfully transferring lunar samples to the probe’s returner at the designated lunar orbit, according to the China Nation Space Administration (CNSA). http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020120800