Technical problem postpones final Ariane 5 launch
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-15 23:35
Arianespace postpones the 117 th and final launch of the Ariane 5. The launch had been scheduled for June 16 from Kourou, French Guiana. X-ray inspections raised doubts about three lines on the vehicle. Arianespace has not set a new launch date for the mission.
Eutelsat reversing course with European retail broadband business sale
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-15 22:05
Eutelsat is selling its European retail broadband activities to "an experienced private operator" The sale includes assets the French satellite operator bought just three years ago. Eutelsat’s sale bucks a trend in recent years that has seen satellite operators snap up service providers.
Virgin Galactic sets late June date for first commercial SpaceShipTwo flight
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-15 20:10
Virgin Galactic says it will conduct SpaceShipTwo flights on a monthly basis thereafter. The company performed the Unity 25 test flight May 25, the first powered flight of the vehicle. Virgin Galactic did not disclose who would fly VSS Unity or its mothership aircraft. The company said that crew assignments would be announced in advance of each mission.
Project Kuiper urges regulators to focus on satellite maneuverability rules
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-15 16:45
Government should consider requiring satellites to be maneuverable, Project Kuiper exec says. Project Kuiper is equipping 3,200 broadband satellites it plans to start deploying by the end of this year. Avanti Communications, EchoStar, GHGSat, OneWeb, Planet, and SES were among 27 companies that endorsed guidelines.
Former Spaceflight CEO joins law firm to support commercial space clients
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-15 14:59
Curt Blake was co-founder and chief executive of Spaceflight Inc., stepping down this year. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati announced June 15 that Blake had joined its Seattle office. Wilson Sonsini has several space companies as clients, including Astranis, BlackSky and Slingshot Aerospace.
Luxembourg approves program to give NATO O3b mPower access
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-15 14:14
Luxembourg has approved a program to carve out capacity from its O3b mPower broadband network. The U.S. Space Force has allocated $59 million in its proposed 2024 budget to buy services from O3b. Each O3b m power satellite is designed to scale up to multiple gigabits per second.
Ariane 5 flight VA261 — launch delay – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-15 00:00
The Ariane 5 flight that was scheduled for June 16th has been delayed. Flight VA261 will carry to space two payloads — the German Space Agency’s experimental communications satellite, Heinrich Hertz, and the French communications satellite, Syracuse 4b. The flight will be the 117th mission for Ariane 5, a series which began in 1996.
Canada’s Space Agency selects Canadian student teams who build and launch their own small satellites – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-16 00:00
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has awarded nine grants representing $3.15 million under the CubeSats Initiative in Canada for STEM (CUBICS) CUBICS gives students the unique opportunity to design, build, test, launch and operate their own miniature satellite. This initiative builds on the success of the Canadian CubeSat Project, which had a third launch of miniature satellites on June 5.
Septentrio collaborates with Xona on PULSAR™ GNSS receiver – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-15 00:00
Xona Space Systems and Septentrio are collaborating to develop an experimental receiver. The receiver will decode all PULSAR™ signals in parallel with other standard GNSS* signals. This makes it ideal for testing Xona’s upcoming LEO-PNT constellation in a simulated environment, since live signals are not yet available.
Bright Ascension software suite launched aboard the Transporter-8 mission – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-15 00:00
Bright Ascension Ltd. Has confirmed that another three of the company’s flight software deployments were launched aboard the SpaceX Transporter 8 mission on June 12, 2023. The three launched spacecraft, powered by Bright Ascension’s software, were designed and built by AAC Clyde Space in Glasgow. The company is developing an innovative end to end suite of highly integrated space software products.
SSC to support OHB’s Heinrich Hertz mission with critical ground segment services – SatNews
Original Publication Date: 2023-06-15 00:00
Swedish Space Corporation (SSC) has been contracted by OHB System AG to provide TT&C, LEOP and Emergency S-Band support for Germany’s new communications satellite Heinrich Hertz. The spacecraft was scheduled the be launched on Friday, June 16, 2023 from Kourou, French Guiana, but that event has been delayed.