News on key developments at SupremeSAT, and general news on the Space and Satellite industry from across the web
On behalf of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA has awarded the Space Weather Follow-On Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) Magnetometer contract to Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) based in San Antonio, Texas. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041503
China’s Hainan plans to launch the Sanya-1 satellite constellation in space in 2021. According to the Hainan Daily, these satellites will become the first remote sensing satellites in the region that will be able to transmit high-resolution images. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041504
Spacecom, operator of the Amos satellite fleet, announced that the company signed a multi-year contract with GiTy, a.s., a telecom service provider based in the Czech Republic, for C-band capacity on the Amos-17 communication satellite, in order to deliver connectivity to embassies across Africa. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041505
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is planning to launch a micro explorer to the Moon’s orbit using a solid-fuel Epsilon rocket in the first half of the 2020s, Kyodo news agency reported citing an informed source. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041400
Intelsat SA is reportedly seeking backers for a bankruptcy loan that would keep the satellite service in business under Chapter 11 court protection while it’s waiting for billions of dollars in proceeds from a government spectrum auction. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041401
The Board of Directors of Eutelsat Communications recently met to assess the impact of Covid-19 crisis on Eutelsat’s operations and financial objectives. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041402
Roskosmos is considering participating in the resumption of launches from the Sea Launch floating spaceport in 2024. The state corporation instructed its enterprises to work out the possibility of participating in the project, according to a letter sent to industry enterprises. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041300
Three Proton-M heavy-lift launch vehicles will be returned from Baikonur to the Khrunichev rocket manufacturer in Moscow so that low-quality parts can be replaced, a source in the space and rocket industry has told Sputnik. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041301
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has opened a new, modern spacecraft development, integration and test factory with state-of-the-art laboratories and secure facilities in Centennial, Colorado. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041302
Rocket Lab successfully completed a mid-air recovery test – a manoeuvre that involves snagging an Electron test stage from the sky with a helicopter. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041200