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“At least we still have a satellite,” said Martin Halliwell, CTO of SES, somewhat ruefully, after the first of two launch scrubs of the company’s SES 8 satellite. While he has attended more than 20

[Via Satellite 02-16-2014] Eutelsat Communications has selected International Launch Services (ILS) to launch the Eutelsat 9B satellite in 2015. Eutelsat 9B is a high-capacity Ku-band satellite based on a Eurostar E3000 platform that will provide new resources and improved performance for broadcasting at its 9 degrees East location in Europe. It will also host European...

[Via Satellite 01-15-2014] After completing associated checks, Arianespace has set a date for its next launch, VA217. The mission will use the Ariane 5 ECA to orbit the ABS 2 satellite for Asia Broadcast Satellite and the French-Italian Athena-Fidus satellite. Liftoff is scheduled for Feb. 6, 2014 at 5:30 p.m. local time in Kourou, French...

[Via Satellite 01-14-2014] International Launch Services (ILS) has received the first of two launch assignments for Intelsat slated for 2015. The satellite, Intelsat DLA-2, also known as Intelsat 31, will be launched by an ILS Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, using the vehicle’s phase four performance capability. The satellite is currently under...

[Via Satellite 01-10-2014] Sky Perfect JSAT has signed a contract to launch its JCSAT 14 communications satellite with SpaceX. The launch is scheduled for the second half of 2015. JCSAT 14 will replace JCSAT 2A in geostationary orbit at 154 degrees east longitude. The satellite, which was built by SSL, is designed with 26 C-band...

[Via Satellite 01-10-2014] Spaceflight Inc. and NanoRacks are preparing to deploy multiple CubeSats from the International Space Station (ISS). The CubeSats are currently en route to the ISS onboard Orbital Sciences’ Cygnus Orb 1 resupply mission, which launched on Jan. 9, 2014. The satellites were manifest via the NanoRacks space act agreement with NASA, and...

[Via Satellite 01-09-2014] After a one-day delay, Orbital Sciences’ successful launch of the Antares rocket on Jan. 9, 2014 could be of strong importance to the satellite launch industry, not because of the payload, but for the nature of the delay. The Antares rocket liftoff was originally scheduled for Thursday Jan. 8, 2014, but was...

[Via Satellite 1-07-2014] Sea Launch, through Energia Logistics, has conducted a Hardware Acceptance Review of the Zenit 2S launch vehicle to be utilized in support of Eutelsat’s Eutelsat 3B mission.  A team of specialists from the chief system engineer’s office at Energia Logistics, together with specialists from RSC Energia, reviewed all of the acceptance data...

[Via Satellite 1-07-2014] Arianespace has delayed the launch of the ABS 2 and Athena-Fidus communications satellites. The company cited the need to change-out unspecified equipment on the VA217 Ariane 5 ECA launcher. The original mission was scheduled for Jan. 23, 2014. A new date for the mission will be announced very soon.

[Via Satellite 1-7-2014] SpaceX successfully launched the Thaicom 6 satellite for Asian satellite operator Thaicom. A Falcon 9 rocket was used to deliver the satellite to its targeted geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) at 22.5 degrees inclination. The launch occurred from Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at 5:06 p.m. Eastern Time. Approximately 184 seconds...