Launch

An Ariane 5 Evolution Cryotechnique Type A (ECA) rocket made history as the 100th Ariane 5 launch carried the Azerspace 2/Intelsat 38 and Horizons 3e satellites into orbit from the French Guiana Space Center. Over the past 22 years, European commercial launcher Arianespace has provided an important sense of stability for the satellite industry through...

Arianespace has been selected by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) to launch Kompsat-7. Arianespace Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Stephane Israël and KARI President Lim Cheol-Ho signed the Kompsat-7 launch contract today. Using a Vega C launcher, the mission will be conducted from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, from December 2021. Developed by...

Northrop Grumman conducted its first ground test of a 63-inch diameter Graphite Epoxy Motor (GEM 63) yesterday in Promontory, Utah. Utilizing advanced technologies, the company developed this new rocket motor for use on the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V launch vehicle. Northrop Grumman began developing the motor three years ago. The GEM 63 motor will...

U.S. orbital launch provider Rocket Lab  signed a contract with Luxembourg-based satellite technology company Kleos Space to launch the scouting mission satellites, which will geolocate maritime radio to guard borders and protect assets. The multi-satellite system of the Kleos Scouting Mission (KSM) will form the cornerstones of a 20-system constellation that will geolocate Very High...

The Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) PSLV launcher has successfully placed the Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL)-built NovaSAR-1 radar imaging satellite into orbit. NovaSAR-1, which carries an S-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) built by Airbus, will monitor the Earth uninterrupted, thanks to the ability of the SAR to see through cloud cover. The UK Space...

There is little doubt that the growth of satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) will continue to be a hot topic for years to come at shows like Satellite and World Satellite Business Week (WSBW). A number of executives joined a panel, “Next Steps for NGSO Satellite Constellations,” to discuss...

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II rocket is in final preparations to launch NASA‘s Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (IceSat-2) spacecraft from Space Launch Complex-2 on Sept. 15. This marks the final launch of the Delta II rocket, which first launched on Feb. 14, 1989. IceSat-2, with its single instrument, the Advanced Topographic...

Viasat has chosen the launch vehicle that will deliver one of three critical Ka-band satellites into orbit, bringing the Carlsbad-based satellite operator’s vision of a worldwide 100+ megabit-per-second (Mbps) broadband offering closer to reality. United Launch Alliance (ULA) beat out competitors for the first of the ViaSat-3 series launch contract – the first since ULA assumed responsibility...

Launch providers speaking at World Satellite Business Week (WSBW) yesterday told audiences that the stagnant GEO satellite market is creating a number of challenges as they look to grow their businesses. However, the panel was split when it came to forecasting future GEO orders, with United Launch Alliance (ULA) President and CEO Tory Bruno and ILS President Kirk Pysher...

LeoSat, which is launching a global data network via a constellation of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, has achieved an important milestone by securing commercial agreements valued at over $1 billion. These pre-launch agreements span a wide range of fast-growing data and mobility sectors including enterprise, telecom, government, and finance. “We believe that LeoSat can...