December 2018

The Soyuz ST-B and Falcon 9 launches scheduled for 18 December have been recycled 24 hours. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018121800

The decision of OneWeb to scale back the constellation of its communications satellites will not affect the number of Russia’s Soyuz rockets contracted by the company for the launches, a source in the space industry told Sputnik news agency. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018121700

Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat) and Hughes Network Systems announced the commencement of a joint venture to provide commercial satellite services across Africa, the Middle East and southwest Asia. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018121701

Rocket: Electron/Curie; Payload: ELaNa-XIX [13 cubesats]; Date: 16 December 2018, 0633 UTC; Launch site: Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand. The Curie third stage injected the CubeSats, which had a total mass of 78 kg, into a 500 km circular orbit at an inclination of 85 degrees. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018121600

Everything is progressing toward the ULA Delta IV Heavy launch carrying the NROL-71 mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018121601

The Khrunichev Space Center has shipped the flight adapter system assigned to the commercial Proton M/Briz M dual launch of Eutelsat 5 West B and MEV-1 (Mission Extension Vehicle-1) mission for joint fitcheck testing with the spacecraft. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018121602

Exactly one year after the signing of the Prometheus demonstrator development contract between the European Space Agency (ESA) and ArianeGroup, testing of the 3D-printed gas generator has started at the DLR site in Lampoldshausen, Germany. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018121603

Northrop Grumman Corporation along with NASA and Lockheed Martin successfully performed a ground firing test of the abort motor for NASA’s Orion spacecraft Launch Abort System (LAS) at Northrop Grumman’s facility in Promontory, Utah. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018121604

Three Russian engines RD-181 have been handed over to Northrop Grumman, the research and industrial association NPO Energomash said. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018121605

With a worsening weather system on the way, Rocket Lab is now targeting no earlier than 16 December for the #ELaNa19 launch on Electron. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2018121300