News on key developments at SupremeSAT, and general news on the Space and Satellite industry from across the web
Rocket: Chang Zheng 2D; Payload: Gaofen 9-04; Date: 6 August 2020, 0401 UTC; Launch site: Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China. The satellite was deployed into a 486 km x 506 km x 97.48 degrees Sun-synchronous orbit. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020080600
NASA’s Lucy mission has completed its Systems Integration Review, which ensured segments, components, and subsystems, scientific instrumentation, electrical and communication systems, and navigation systems are on schedule to be integrated into the system. It confirmed that facilities, support personnel, and plans and procedures are on schedule to support integration. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020080601
Lockheed Martin is building mission payloads for a Space Engineering Research Center at University of Southern California (USC) Information Sciences Institute small satellite programme called La Jument, which enhance Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) space technologies. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020080602
SES announced that SpaceX will provide launch capability for up to three of its C-band satellites over two launches as part of the company’s accelerated C-band clearing plan. In addition, SES has selected United Launch Alliance (ULA) to launch two C-band satellites. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020080500
A recent study has proved it is possible, in full daylight, to use lasers to determine the distance to space debris. This new laser ranging method will help improve orbit predictions for debris objects, drastically increasing the time available to make observations and keeping valuable spacecraft safe. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020080501
Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) has announced a new line of high-performance, low-cost CubeSat buses. The 3U ("THUNDER"), 6U ("SPARTAN") and 12U/16U ("JAEGER") CubeSats complement SFL’s legacy suite of space-heritage nano- and microsatellites, fulfilling mission size requirements from 3 kg to 500 kg. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020080502
The progress of operations currently underway at the Final Assembly Building at the Guiana Space Centre has enabled 14 August to be envisioned as the launch date for Ariane Flight 253 (VA253). http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020080400
Rocket Lab announced a major performance increase to the Electron launch vehicle, boosting the company’s payload lift capacity up to 300 kg. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020080401
PredaSAR Corporation announced that its first of 48 advanced commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites will launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020080402
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has released detailed images of Al-Udeid Air Base – the Qatar-based home of the U.S. military’s Central Command. The images were taken by Iran’s new domestically-developed ‘Noor’ (Light) military satellite. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020080403