April 2018

A post-test inspection of the composite structure for a heat shield to be used on the Mars 2020 mission revealed that a fracture occurred during structural testing. The mission team is working to build a replacement heat shield structure. The situation will not affect the mission’s launch readiness date of 17 July 2020. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018042901

Airbus SE reported first quarter 2018 consolidated financial results. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018042902

SES S.A. announced financial results for the three months ending 31 March 2018. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018042903

Arianespace and the European Space Agency (ESA) signed a frame contract defining procedures for the procurement of launch services by ESA, especially for its own missions. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018042600

French space agency CNES has chosen the Space Alliance, formed by Telespazio (Leonardo 67%, Thales 33%) and Thales Alenia Space (Thales 67%, Leonardo 33%), to extend the fibre-optic communications system (STFO) at the Guiana Space Center (CSG), Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, to include the new launch complex under construction for Ariane 6 (ELA4). http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018042601

Iridium Communications Inc. announced that all five Iridium NEXT satellites for its sixth launch are in processing at SpaceX’s west coast launch site, Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018042602

Iridium Communications Inc. reported financial results for the first quarter of 2018. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018042603

Rocket: Rokot; Payload: Sentinel-3B; Date: 25 April 2018, 1757 UTC; Launch site: Plesetsk, Russia. Rokot’s upper stage delivered Sentinel-3B into its planned orbit. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018042500

Next-generation GLONASS satellites will be put into orbit starting next year, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin was quoted as saying. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018042501