December 2019

Lloyd’s has launched a new multi-million-pound space insurance policy for the emerging private spaceflight industry. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019120503

SpaceX called off an attempt to launch a Dragon cargo vessel aboard a Falcon 9 on 4 December owing to out-of-limits upper level winds over Cape Canaveral. Another attempt to launch the space station resupply flight is planned at 1729 UTC on 5 December. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019120400

PSLV-C48, which is the 50th mission of PSLV, will launch RISAT-2BR1 from the First Launch Pad (FLP) of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. The launch is tentatively scheduled at 0955 UTC on 11 December 2019, subject to weather conditions. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019120401

Spaceflight announced that together with Hypergiant SEOPS, it will be launching three CubeSats from the International Space Station (ISS) and Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft in early January. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019120402

Officials at JAXA have struck a deal with Tokyo-based venture firm Space BD to arrange for different microsatellites to be launched on the same rocket. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019120403

Thales Alenia Space has signed a contract with the Egyptian operator Nilesat to build the Nilesat-301 geostationary communications satellite, winning the contract against an international field of competitors. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019120404

JAXA’s Hayabusa2 asteroid probe set off on its return voyage to Earth on Tuesday by activating its electric propulsion system. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019120405

The Enhanced Polar System Recapitalisation (EPS-R) Payload programme reached a major programme milestone completing a successful Delta Critical Design Review (CDR). Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems (NGAS) is the EPS-R Payload developer via an approximately US$410 million contract awarded in February 2018 that runs through December 2023. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019120406

The launch of Boeing’s uncrewed Orbital Flight Test to the International Space Station, as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, now is targeted for 1159 UTC on 19 December 2019. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019120300

The launch of a Rokot rocket with three Gonets-M telecommunications satellites from Plesetsk has been scheduled for 26 December (local time), First Deputy Director General of Gonetsk Satellite System company Oleg Khimochko was quoted as saying. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2019120301