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[Via Satellite 1-6-2014] The Indian Space Research Organization accomplished a milestone launch with its GSLV D5 launch vehicle on Jan. 05, 2014 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center SHAR, Sriharikota. The launch included the successful use of an indigenous cryogenic upper stage, making India the sixth space agency to successfully use the engine. The communications...

[Via Satellite 1-6-2014] Thales Alenia Space Belgium has signed a contract for the development of the control electronics on the upper-stage Vinci engine steering system with Astrium, prime contractor for the Ariane 5 ME (Midlife Evolution). Scheduled to make its first flight in mid-2018, Ariane 5 ME is a higher performance version of Europe’s Ariane...

[Via Satellite 1-2-2014] After two delays, the new Soyuz 2.1v rocket completed its inaugural launch on Saturday, Dec. 28, 2013 from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia at 4:30 p.m. Moscow time. The launcher carried two payloads: an AIST student built microsatellite, and two SKRL 756 radar calibration spheres for the Russian Ministry of Defense. The...

[Via Satellite 12-31-13] Energia has completed a full cycle of ground tests, assembly and factory trials for EgyptSat 2. The satellite launch is expected to occur in April 2014 using a Soyuz U booster at the Baikonur commodore. Egyptsat 2 is an Earth observation satellite capable of both visible and infrared imaging.  

[Via Satellite 12-30-13] The launch date has been set for Thaicom’s Thaicom 6 satellite for the first week of 2014. The 87-minute launch window is set for Jan. 3, 2014 from 5:50 p.m. to 7:17 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral, Fla. using a Falcon 9 rocket. This will be SpaceX’s second commercial GEO launch. The...

[Via Satellite 12-27-13] NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have selected a launch window on Thursday Feb. 27, 2014 from 1:07 p.m. to 3:07 p.m. EST (3:07 a.m. to 5:07 a.m. JST Friday, Feb. 28, 2014) for a Japanese H 2A rocket carrying the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory satellite from JAXA’s...

[Via Satellite 12-27-13] Florida-based Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA) has signed its first tenant agreement at Cecil Spaceport with Generation Orbit Launch Services (GO). GO, based in Atlanta, will use Cecil’s hangar space, its 12,500-foot runway and the safe flight paths that have already been coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), among other things, to...

[Via Satellite 12-26-13] The ISS-Reshetnev-built Express AM5 satellite was successfully launched from platform 81 at Russia’s Baikonur Cosmodrome onboard a Proton M rocket. Express AM5 is the first satellite built around ISS-Reshetnev’s heavy-class Express-2000 platform. Positioned in GEO at 140 degrees east, the satellite will carry 30 transponders for C-band, 40 Ku-band transponders, 12-Ka band,...

[Via Satellite 12-26-13] The joint French-Italian multipurpose satellite Athena-Fidus has finished its initial checkout at Arianespace’s spaceport. The spacecraft has a launch date on Jan 23rd, along with the SSL-built ABS 2 satellite. This will be Arianespace’s first launch of 2014. Thales Alenia Space built the Athena-Fidus satellite on behalf of the French CNES and...

[Via Satellite 12-24-13] On Friday Dec. 20, 2013, Bolivia launched its first telecommunications satellite, designated Tupak Katari. The launch took place at 16:42 UTC onboard a Long March 3B rocket from China’s Xichang satellite launch center. Bolivian president Evo Morales traveled to China to watch the launch, making him the first foreign head of state...