News on key developments at SupremeSAT, and general news on the Space and Satellite industry from across the web
Chang’e 5’s ascender crashed back on the moon at about 2330 UTC on 7 December 2020 after successfully transferring lunar samples to the probe’s returner at the designated lunar orbit, according to the China Nation Space Administration (CNSA). http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020120800
MDA announced that it has been awarded a contract from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to develop Canadarm3, the third generation Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based robotic system destined for "Gateway," a lunar-orbiting international space station. The contract involves the award of Phase A of the Canadarm3 programme, with options for the follow-on phases. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020120801
Teledyne e2v’s Space Imaging team, a part of the Teledyne Imaging Group, has secured funding from the UK Space Agency’s National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP) that will demonstrate and help support intelligent image processing platforms. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020120802
Germany has blocked the takeover of satellite and radar technology firm IMST by a subsidiary of state-controlled missile maker China Aerospace and Industry Group (CASIC) due to national security concerns. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020120803
Arianespace has signed a contract with Airbus to launch four new-generation optical observation satellites of the CO3D (Composante Optique 3D) constellation, to be orbited using the Vega C launcher. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020120700
Thales Alenia Space has signed a contract with Northrop Grumman to develop the pressurised module for HALO (Habitation And Logistics Outpost) that will be one of the first two elements to form the Lunar Gateway which will be launched in late 2023. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020120701
Thermal vacuum tests of the Arktika-M spacecraft have been successfully conducted at Roskosmos Rocket and Space Industry Scientific Test Center in Peresvet. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020120702
Rocket: Falcon 9; Payload: Dragon; Date: 6 December 2020, 0617 UTC; Launch site: Kennedy Space Center, Florida/USA. The Dragon resupply spacecraft is on its way to the International Space Station with more than 2,880 kg of science investigations, a new airlock, and other cargo. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020120600
Rocket: Chang Zheng-3B/G5; Payload: Gaofen-14; Date: 6 December 2020, 0358 UTC; Launch site: Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China. The observation satellite was released into a 481 km x 496 km x 97.36 degrees Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO). http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020120601
The return capsule of JAXA’s Hayabusa2 mission has safely landed in Australia, hopefully carrying rock samples from beneath the surface of asteroid Ryugu that scientists say could provide clues to the origin of the solar system and life on our planet. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2020120602