News on key developments at SupremeSAT, and general news on the Space and Satellite industry from across the web
Viasat Inc. has been awarded a contract by the Administrator of the Space Enterprise Consortium, under the Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles XVI programme, to deliver and test the first-ever Link 16-capable LEO spacecraft. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019052204
The Ball Aerospace-built small spacecraft for NASA’s Green Propellant Infusion Mission (GPIM) has arrived in Florida to prepare for a June launch on board a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. GPIM is NASA’s first opportunity to demonstrate a new "green" propellant and propulsion system in orbit – an alternative to conventional chemical propulsion systems. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019052100
DISH announced that it has entered into an all-stock deal to buy the satellite services business from EchoStar Corporation. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019052101
Arianespace and the European Space Agency (ESA/Earth Observation Programs directorate) announced the signature of a launch services contract with a Vega launcher for SEOSat (Spanish Earth Observation SATellite) for Spain’s Center for Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI – Centro para el Desarrollo Technologico Industrial). http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019052000
United Launch Alliance completed the system Critical Design Review (CDR) for the company’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket. The system-level CDR is the final review of the design for the overall rocket. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019052001
LandSpace, a private startup in Beijing, announced that its TQ-12 methane rocket engine successfully underwent a 20-second trial run at the company’s test facility in Huzhou, Zhejiang province. It is the world’s third high-performance methane engine after SpaceX’s Raptor and Blue Origin’s BE-4. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019052002
Rocket: Chang Zheng 3C; Payload: Beidou 2G8 (GEO-8); Date: 17 May 2019, 1548 UTC; Launch site: Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China. The satellite is the fourth BDS-2 backup satellite and the 45th satellite of the BDS satellite family. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019051900
A SpaceX launch already scrubbed once due to inclement weather was postponed again nearly 24 hours later on Thursday, this time for "about a week," in order to update satellite software and "triple-check everything," SpaceX said. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019051901
Earth to Sky, Inc. (ETS) announced the signing of a definitive launch services agreement with Delta Satellite Solutions, Inc. (DSS), a provider of payload and satellite integration services for academic institutions. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019051902
SpaceX postponed the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the first 60 satellites for his new Starlink Internet service, citing excessive winds over the Florida launch site. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019051600