News on key developments at SupremeSAT, and general news on the Space and Satellite industry from across the web
One of the three launches of Russia’s Soyuz-ST rocket from the Kourou Space Centre in French Guiana, slated for 2020, has been postponed for 2021, while two other launches have been delayed for one month, a source in the rocket and space industry said. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020051802
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory engineers launched PRAM, the Photovoltaic Radio-frequency Antenna Module, aboard an Air Force X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle on 17 May as part of a comprehensive investigation into prospective terrestrial use of solar energy captured in space. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020051803
The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded two contracts to Thales Alenia Space concerning EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service). These contracts, fully financed under the European Commission H2020 programme concern study phases on the system evolution. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020051804
Kerbal Space Program enthusiasts will receive a free update to their space simulator to build an Ariane 5 rocket and tackle real ESA missions in ‘Shared Horizons’ from 1 July. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020051805
Rocket: Atlas V 501; Payload: USSF-7 (X-37B, FalconSat 8, various others); Date: 17 May 2020, 1314 UTC; Launch site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, USA. The X-37B space plane was successfully deployed into the targeted orbit. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020051700
The launch of a Falcon 9 rocket with another batch of 60 Starlink satellites was scrubbed on 17 May owing to adverse weather conditions. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020051701
China plans to complete its BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) with the launch of its last satellite in June, according to a BDS official. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020051702
Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) received its Shooting Star transport vehicle at the company’s Colorado production facility, marking the beginning of a key integration phase. This phase includes installation of the SNC-built Passive Common Berthing Mechanism that will allow SNC’s Dream Chaser Tenacity spaceplane, the first orbital vehicle in the company’s Dream Chaser fleet, to berth…
A new programme for exploration of Venus, including sending at least three scientific devices, will be developed in Russia, its main stages will be presented in 2021, scientific director of the Russian Space Research Institute Lev Zeleny was quoted as saying. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020051704
A Japanese cargo spacecraft loaded with experiment hardware, supplies and spare parts is scheduled to launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan to the International Space Station at 1730 UTC on Wednesday, 20 May. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020051400