April 2018

Lockheed Martin has submitted a proposal for the U.S. Air Force’s GPS III Follow On (GPS IIIF) programme, which will add enhanced capabilities to the system. The GPS IIIF programme intends to produce up to 22 next-generation satellites. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018041703

The launch of NASA’s planet-hunting satellite TESS has been postponed until 19 April. The satellite had been scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on the evening of 16 April (UTC). http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018041600

China plans to launch its heavy-lift carrier rocket, the Chang Zheng-5 Y3, in late 2018, after finding the cause of the failure of the Chang Zheng-5 Y2, according to the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018041601

Ball Aerospace completed the handover of NOAA’s advanced next-generation polar-orbiting weather satellite, the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS-1), to NASA following a successful satellite acceptance review. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018041602

As part of a mission to demonstrate interlink communication on nanosatellite tandem formation flights and data retrieval, including surveillance of the Arctic area, the Danish nanosatellite specialist GomSpace launched two nanosatellites in February. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018041603

Intelsat General announced that it is part of a team of companies awarded a new task order by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop and operate a satellite payload to aid aircraft navigation, particularly precision approaches to airports without dependence on ground-based infrastructure. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018041604

Rocket: Atlas V; Payload: AFSPC-11; Date: 14 April 2018, 2313 UTC; Launch site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, USA. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018041500

A Roskosmos committee has approved RSC Energia’s conceptual design for the Medium Launch Vehicle System intended for flight developmental testing of key elements of the Super-Heavy Space Launch Vehicle System. The acceptance report and committee’s statement have been handed over to Energia. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018041501

Rocket: PSLV-C41; Payload: IRNSS-1I; Date: 11 April 2018, 2234 UTC; Launch site: SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota, India. The spacecraft was deployed to a 281 km x 20,730 km transfer orbit. It will later propel itself into a geosynchronous orbit with an inclination of 29 degrees. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018041200

Everything is progressing toward the ULA Atlas V launch carrying the Air Force Space Command (AFSPC)-11 mission. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018041201