News on key developments at SupremeSAT, and general news on the Space and Satellite industry from across the web
SpaceX has delayed the launch of 60 Starlink satellites aboard a Falcon 9 for unspecified reasons. The launch of the next Progress cargo vessel to the ISS has also been postponed. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041500
Exolaunch, a German rideshare launch and deployment solutions provider, signed a Launch Services Agreement with SpaceX to launch small satellites on a Falcon 9 as part of SpaceX’s SmallSat Rideshare Program. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041501
Rocket Lab has signed a deal with Japanese satellite company Synspective to launch a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite in late 2020. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041502
On behalf of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA has awarded the Space Weather Follow-On Lagrange 1 (SWFO-L1) Magnetometer contract to Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) based in San Antonio, Texas. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041503
China’s Hainan plans to launch the Sanya-1 satellite constellation in space in 2021. According to the Hainan Daily, these satellites will become the first remote sensing satellites in the region that will be able to transmit high-resolution images. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041504
Spacecom, operator of the Amos satellite fleet, announced that the company signed a multi-year contract with GiTy, a.s., a telecom service provider based in the Czech Republic, for C-band capacity on the Amos-17 communication satellite, in order to deliver connectivity to embassies across Africa. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041505
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is planning to launch a micro explorer to the Moon’s orbit using a solid-fuel Epsilon rocket in the first half of the 2020s, Kyodo news agency reported citing an informed source. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041400
Intelsat SA is reportedly seeking backers for a bankruptcy loan that would keep the satellite service in business under Chapter 11 court protection while it’s waiting for billions of dollars in proceeds from a government spectrum auction. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041401
The Board of Directors of Eutelsat Communications recently met to assess the impact of Covid-19 crisis on Eutelsat’s operations and financial objectives. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041402
Roskosmos is considering participating in the resumption of launches from the Sea Launch floating spaceport in 2024. The state corporation instructed its enterprises to work out the possibility of participating in the project, according to a letter sent to industry enterprises. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020041300