News on key developments at SupremeSAT, and general news on the Space and Satellite industry from across the web
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced that it has completed construction of a new facility for the production of satellites at the company’s Kamakura Works in Kamakura, Japan. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020021902
Rocket: Ariane 5 ECA; Payload: JCSAT-17, GEO-KOMPSAT-2B; Date: 18 February 2020, 2218 UTC; Launch site: Kourou, French Guiana. The total performance required of the launcher was 10,109 kg, including 9,236 kg for the two satellites which were injected into a geostationary transfer orbit inclined 6° to the equator. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020021800
Russia will use a new upper stage, originally developed for the Angara-A5 heavy rocket, also for the Soyuz-5 launch vehicle to deliver payloads into orbit, a source in the Russian space industry was quoted as saying. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020021801
The ESAIL microsatellite for tracking ships at sea has completed its latest environmental and system performance tests and set off for Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020021802
MDA, a Maxar Technologies company, announced that technology developed by its UK division in partnership with the UK Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency was delivered to the International Space Station (ISS). The European Space Agency (ESA)’s Columbus Ka-Band Terminal (COLKa) was launched aboard the NG-13 Commercial Resupply Mission to the ISS. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020021803
Inmarsat has announced that it will bring maritime, aviation and enterprise connectivity solutions to customers based in Saudi Arabia through new partner agreements. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020021804
Rocket: Falcon 9; Payload: 60 Starlink satellites; Date: 17 February 2020, 1505 UTC; Launch site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, USA. While the satellites were successfully deployed, the rocket’s first stage failed to land on a platform as planned. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020021700
Rocket: Antares 230+; Payload: NG-13/Cygnus; Date: 15 February 2020, 1821 UTC; Launch site: Wallops Flight Facility, USA. The Cygnus spacecraft is scheduled to arrive at the International Space Station at about 0905 UTC on 18 February. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020021600
NASA has selected Rocket Lab of Huntington Beach, California, to provide launch services for the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) CubeSat. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020021601
Arianespace’s dual-payload mission with satellites to serve Japan and South Korea – JCSAT-17 and GEO-KOMPSAT-2B, respectively – has been approved for next week’s launch from the Spaceport in French Guiana. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020021602