News & Events

India declined to comment on a statement by a U.S. space official that India’s recent test of an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon created debris that could threaten the International Space Station. According to an expert, there are currently no usable data portraying the ASAT test. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019040302

The European Data Relay System (EDRS)–dubbed the "SpaceDataHighway" by its private operator, Airbus–has passed another milestone. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019040303

NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine said that India’s recent ASAT test has created 400 pieces of orbital debris, some of which could endanger the International Space Station. Also, a report claims that the test was preceded by another one in February, which however failed. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019040200

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) and Oxford Space Systems (OSS) have been awarded UK National Space Technology Programme funding to develop an innovative and stowage-efficient Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019040201

Effective today, Aireon, the first ever real-time, global air traffic surveillance system, is fully operational and in trial use over the North Atlantic. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019040202

C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. announced its first successful integration with Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite tracking capabilities. The test was completed with the C-COM iNetVu FLY-981 Ku-band antenna and with Kepler Communications’ first in orbit LEO satellites, KIPP and CASE. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019040203

Telesat announced that PT iForte Solusi Infotek (iForte), a provider of USO (Universal Service Obligation) VSAT services in Indonesia, has signed major contracts for Ku-band HTS and C-band capacity on Telesat’s new Telstar 18 VANTAGE satellite. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019040204

Rocket: PSLV-C45; Payload: EMISAT, 28 piggyback satellites; Date: 1 April 2019, 0357 UTC; Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota, India. The rocket injected India’s EMISAT into a 748 km sun-synchronous polar orbit, 17 minutes and 12 seconds after lift-off. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019040100

Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) and Airbus have signed a contract for SSC ground segment support services to the new Pléiades Neo constellation of very high resolution Earth observation satellites. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019040101

Rocket: Electron; Payload: R3D2; Date: 26 March 2019, 2327 UTC; Launch site: Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand. The mission launched a prototype reflect array antenna to orbit for the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019033100