News on key developments at SupremeSAT, and general news on the Space and Satellite industry from across the web
Eutelsat Communications announced the order of a next-generation VHTS satellite system named KONNECT VHTS (Very High Throughput Satellite) to support the development of its European fixed broadband and in-flight connectivity businesses. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018040502
US orbital launch provider Rocket Lab confirmed it will open a 14-day launch window this month to conduct the company’s first fully commercial launch. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018040400
China Wednesday received the first package of data from the three high-resolution Gaofen-1 satellites launched on 31 March, according to the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018040401
Two instruments built by Northrop Grumman Corporation for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) newest weather satellite were activated and are successfully performing post-launch procedures after reaching orbit. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018040402
Rocket: Falcon 9; Payload: Dragon/CRS-14; Date: 3 April 2018, 1230 UTC; Launch site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, USA. SpaceX did not attempt to recover Falcon 9’s first stage after launch. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018040300
Arianespace’s next Ariane 5 flight has been authorised for lift-off on 5 April following a launch readiness review, which was conducted at the Spaceport in French Guiana. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018040301
SSL was selected by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to design and build critical equipment for the Europa Clipper spacecraft that will explore Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018040302
Deep Space Industries (DSI) announced that it has signed a contract to provide its Comet water-based satellite propulsion systems for the BlackSky Earth observation constellation of smallsats. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018040303
The Chinese Tiangong-1 space station burned up in the atmosphere over the southern part of the Pacific Ocean. According to the Chinese Manned Space Agency (CMSA), the vast majority of its debris did not reach the Earth. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018040200
The in-orbit delivery ceremony of Alcomsat-1 was held on 1 April at the headquarters of Algeria Space Agency (ASAL); the In-Orbit Delivery & Final Acceptance Certificate was signed. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018040201