News & Events

China’s first generation of geostationary meteorological satellite named Feng Yun (FY-2). Photo: China’s National Satellite Meteorological Center [Via Satellite 12-30-2014] China’s first geostationary meteorological satellite, FY 2C, has been deorbited in compliance with national space debris mitigation standards and those of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC), according to China’s state-run media agency Xinhua. The…

Emiliano Kargieman, founder and CEO of Satellogic. Photo: Satellogic [Via Satellite 12-29-2014] Satellogic, a startup company founded in Palo Alto, California with offices around the world, has finalized plans for its first wave of satellites to begin launching in the second half of 2015. The company finished the preliminary design review this month and plans…

The ILS Proton mission that launched SES’ Astra 2G satellite. Photo: Roscosmos. [Via Satellite 12-29-2014] International Launch Services (ILS) lofted the Astra 2G satellite for SES on Dec. 27 using a Proton Breeze M booster. The rocket carried the six-ton satellite into Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) after a mission lasting nine hours and 12 minutes.…

Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Photo: russavia/Wikipedia [Via Satellite 12-29-2014] RigNet has acquired 49 percent of the shares of the oilfield communications company Timas Munaicom in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The purchase enables RigNet to provide remote communications services in the country as well as a means to expand to nearby geographies. “RigNet now has the ability…

Earth as seen from the Himawari 8 weather satellite. Photo: Japan Meteorological Agency [Via Satellite 12-29-2014] The Japan Meteorological Agency has released the first images from the Himawari 8 geostationary weather satellite, which launched Oct. 7, 2014 aboard an H2A rocket. Mitsubishi Electric built the satellite using the DS2000 platform. The Himawari 8 spacecraft is…

The Resurs P2 Soyuz launch. Photo: Roscosmos [Via Satellite 12-29-2014] The Russian remote sensing spacecraft Resurs P2 launched aboard a Soyuz 2.1b rocket on Dec. 26 2014 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The Earth observation satellite is capable of panchromatic and hyperspectral imaging, and carries equipment for automatic ship identification. Built by TsSKB-Progress (Samara), the Soyuz…

The Yaogan 26 Long March 4B mission. Photo: Xinhua [Via Satellite 12-29-2014] China’s state-run news agency Xinhua reports the Yaogan 26 remote sensing satellite entered space after launching aboard a Long March 4B rocket on Dec. 26. The launch, which was the 202nd for the Long March rocket family, occurred from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch…

Optus Satellite VP Paul Sheridan. Photo: Optus Satellite [Via Satellite 12-26-2014] Australia’s remote connectivity needs are fueling growth for domestic satellite operator Optus Satellite. The company’s latest satellite, Optus 10, began commercial service this month following a Sept. 11 Ariane 5 launch. Optus Satellite Vice President Paul Sheridan told Via Satellite that demand for telecommunications…

Artist’s rendition of akatsuki’s findings. Photo: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) / The University of Tokyo [Via Satellite 12-26-2014] Scientists have continued to make use of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA’s) Venus Climate Orbiter Mission AKATSUK after it missed its intended orbital injection around the planet in 2010. Researchers from the University of Tokyo…