DirecTV says 5G plan would degrade satellite TV reception
Original Publication Date: 2022-07-18 23:14
DirecTV: Mobile operations in the band would cause extensive harmful interference. Both Dish and DirecTV are already using frequencies in the band to provide linear TV programming. OneWeb and SpaceX recently commissioned studies showing the proposed 5G services would significantly disrupt their networks.
NASA delays VIPER lunar rover launch by a year
Original Publication Date: 2022-07-19 11:01
NASA says it is delaying the launch of its Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover. The rover is designed to land near Nobile Crater in the south polar regions of the moon. The one-year delay is to conduct additional ground testing of the Griffin lunar lander.
L3Harris, Northrop Grumman to build 28 missile-tracking satellites for U.S. Space Development Agency
Original Publication Date: 2022-07-18 18:56
L3Harris Technologies and Northrop Grumman to each build 14 missile-tracking satellites. The satellites will be part of a global network of eyes in the sky. The satellites will detect and track the latest generation of ballistic and hypersonic missiles. L3Harris got a contract for four Tracking Layer Tranche 0 satellites.
OneWeb and Hanwha partner to tap Australia’s military broadband market
Original Publication Date: 2022-07-20 14:50
OneWeb and two subsidiaries of South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group have partnered to explore the joint provision of connectivity services to the Australian defense market. U.K.-based satellite broadband operator OneWeb signed a memorandum of understanding with Hanwha Group’s Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Defense Australia units.
Impulse and Relativity announce proposal for joint Mars landing mission
Original Publication Date: 2022-07-20 11:09
Relativity Space and Impulse Space say they are working on a robotic Mars lander. The companies say they anticipate launching as soon as the late 2024 window for missions. Only NASA and China’s space program have successfully landed and operated spacecraft on Mars. The companies did not disclose the payloads or the payload capacity of the lander.
The UK’s ‘Astra Carta’ moment: Building a Space Sustainability Growth Platform
Original Publication Date: 2022-07-20 06:00
The U.K. Is seeking to shape regulations to ingrain these companies in the future space ecosystem. The government is also on a mission to incentivize sustainable space practices more broadly. The Plan for Space Sustainability joins the U.K.’s wider strategy for a bigger slice of the global space industry.
NASA selects Falcon Heavy to launch Roman Space Telescope
Original Publication Date: 2022-07-19 23:10
NASA has awarded a contract to SpaceX to launch the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The contract is valued at $255 million for the launch and other mission-related costs. Roman is the next large, or flagship, astrophysics mission after the James Webb Space Telescope. The spacecraft features a 2.4-meter primary mirror, with a wide field instrument.
NASASpaceFlight.com
India launches 55th Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on June 30, 2022. Launch carried nine payloads to a low Earth orbit (LEO) These included POEM, to demonstrate using the fourth stage as a hosted payload bus. This launch was the second orbital launch for India in 2022.
Commercial Archives
Impulse Space has announced that the company will launch the first commercial payload to Mars on board Relativity Space’s Terran R rocket. Under the new partnership, Relativity will launch Impulse’s Mars Cruise Vehicle and Mars Lander from Cape Canaveral, Florida, as part of an exclusive agreement until 2029.
International Archives
China launched two satellites on July 15 onboard a Chang Zheng 2C. The payloads went to a Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO) and are called Siwei Gaojing-2 01/02, or SuperView Neo-2 01/01. They are operated and constructed by China Siwei Survey and Mapping Technology Co. Ltd.
Chinese Long March 3B Launches APStar-6C Communications Satellite – Spaceflight101
China conducted a rare commercial launch of a Long March 3B rocket with the APStar-6C communications satellite for APT Satellite Holdings. Long March 3B lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 16:06 UTC on a mission of under half an hour to lift the spacecraft into an elliptical Geostationary Transfer Orbit. Confirmation of launch success was provided by APT Satellite around 40 minutes after liftoff when the satellite had been separated into its target orbit.
Blue Origin’s New Shepard Reaches new Heights in latest Test Flight – Spaceflight101
Blue Origin's reusable New Shepard spacecraft reached a new altitude of 107 Kilometers on Sunday. The flight marked the eighth in Blue Origin’s New Shepard flight test program that was off to a bumpy start in 2015 when the company lost their first Propulsion Module during its landing attempt. New Shepard 1 and 2 provided Blue Origin with a number of important lessons regarding the operational aspects of their missions as well as the re-usability elements of the craft.
News – Spaceflight101
Russia's Rockot booster set to blast off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome at 17:57 UTC with the Sentinel-3B multi-function satellite. Copernicus satellite fleet is gearing up for the arrival of its next addition on Wednesday with a Russian Rockot booster.
ISS Updates – Spaceflight101 – International Space Station
A veteran NASA spacewalker and an EVA rookie from Japan ended their week with nearly six hours of work outside the International Space Station. The restoration of the Station’s Mobile Servicing System started last year and continued in January to provide Canadarm2 with a new pair of grappling hands.
Featured – Spaceflight101
SpaceX Falcon 9 took to the skies over Florida’s Cape Canaveral Monday afternoon. Falcon 9 lifted a flight-proven Dragon spacecraft into orbit for a critical delivery of science gear, supplies and maintenance hardware. First of at least six cargo ships inbound to the U.S. Segment of ISS this year.
Re-Entry: Long March 11 Rocket Body – Spaceflight101
The CZ-11 fourth stage used leftover propellant for a partial de-orbit maneuver, lowering its perigee to 120 Kilometers to significantly accelerate its orbital decay. It is reportedly built around a YF-50 main engine and conducts the orbital circularization after the three CZ-11 stages finish their job.
NASA, SpaceX Launch Climate Science Research, More to Space Station
Microgravity causes changes in human immune cells that happen faster than the actual process of aging on Earth. Cell-free technology could provide a simple, portable, and low-cost tool for medical diagnostics, on-demand production of medicine and vaccines, and environmental monitoring on future space missions.
NASA’s New Mineral Dust Detector Readies for Launch
EMIT will identify the composition of mineral dust from Earth’s arid regions. Desert regions produce most of the mineral dust that makes its way into the atmosphere. The imaging spectrometer will also provide information on the color and composition of dust sources globally for the first time.
NASA Reveals Webb Telescope’s First Images of Unseen Universe
The James Webb Space Telescope is a partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) The full set of the telescope’s first full-color images and spectroscopic data, which uncover a collection of cosmic features elusive until now, are available at: nasa.gov/webbfirstimages.
President Biden Reveals First Image From NASA’s Webb Telescope
President Joe Biden released the first full-color image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Monday. This first image showcases the powerful capabilities of the Webb mission, a partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) “These images are going to remind the world that America can do big things, and remind the American people – especially our children – that there’s nothing beyond our capacity,” said President Biden.
NASA’s Perseverance Scouts Mars Sample Return Campaign Landing Sites
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is conducting its science campaign, taking samples at Jezero Crater’s ancient river delta. The rover is looking for locations where the planned Mars Sample Return (MSR) Campaign can land spacecraft and collect sample tubes. Mars Sample Return is a historic endeavor that would retrieve and deliver samples of that faraway terrain.
NASA Shares List of Cosmic Targets for Webb Telescope’s First Images
The James Webb Space Telescope will soon reveal unprecedented and detailed views of the universe with the upcoming release of its first full-color images and spectroscopic data. The images will be released in NASA’s live broadcast beginning at 10:30 a.m. EDT (7:30 p.m. PDT) Tuesday, July 12.
NASA Highlights Climate Research on Cargo Launch, Sets Coverage
Dragon will dock at 11:20 a.m. EDT on Saturday, July 16. The spacecraft is expected to spend about a month attached to the orbiting outpost. Dragon returns to Earth with research and return cargo, splashing down off the coast of Florida. Full coverage of this mission is as follows (all times Eastern)