Satellite Launch Business

The first test models of Ariane 6 are being manufactured while Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, is preparing to test the launch vehicle and all systems involved with launch. Under ESA’s responsibility, upcoming tests will show that the launch complex is ready for Ariane 6, and prove the launch …

An Ariane 5, operated by Arianespace, has delivered the TIBA-1 and Inmarsat-GX5 telecom satellites into their planned orbits. Liftoff was announced at 21:23 GMT (22:23 CET, 18:23 local time) on 26 November 2019 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The mission lasted about 34 minutes. TIBA-1 with a launch …

Arianespace and MEASAT Global Berhad (MEASAT), the leading Malaysian satellite operator, has announced the signature of a launch services contract for MEASAT-3D. MEASAT-3D, a new multi-mission telecommunications satellite, will be launched into geostationary transfer orbit by an Ariane 5 heavy-lift launch vehicle from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in …

Germany’s largest private satellite manufacturing company OHB SE intends to start satellite launch services within two years, according to a 15 November 2019 report in Bloomberg Businessweek. OHB SE is well-known for the manufacture of small communications, Earth observation, navigation, and scientific research satellites, as well as spacecraft for space …

The Ukrainian parliament passed the country’s first commercial space law, titled “On Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine on the State Regulation of Space Activities,” that was signed on 25 October 2019 by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to Oleksiy Burchevskyy of the Kinstellar law firm writing in Lexology. Until …

Mubadala Investment Company, the Abu Dhabi-based global investor, will showcase the latest development across its diverse aerospace portfolio at Dubai Airshow 2019, which runs from 17-21 November 2019. Mubadala’s aerospace assets, which is comprised of wholly-owned national champions in manufacturing, industrial services and satellite communications, have rapidly scaled over the …

A new report has found New Zealand’s space sector contributed $1.69 billion to the economy in the last financial year and employs 12,000 people, Minister for Economic Development Phil Twyford announced on 14 November 2019. The report by Deloitte was commissioned by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and …

RUAG Space, a leading supplier to the space industry, has successfully developed and tested a new low shock jettison system for payload fairings. This enables a quieter and smoother journey to space for satellites or other payload. The required payload fairings for the European launchers Ariane and VEGA have been …

On Monday, 11 November 2019 at 9:56 a.m. EST, 14:56 UTC, SpaceX launched 60 Starlink satellites from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Falcon 9’s first stage launched the Iridium-7 communications satellite; the SAOCOM-1A Earth observation satellite for Argentina; and the Nusantara Satu communications …

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) has shipped a 16kg Target satellite for Astroscale’s End-of-Life Services by Astroscale demonstration (ELSA-d) mission to Tokyo, where it will be bolted to the Chaser satellite for environmental testing ahead of launch in 2020. The ELSA-d mission is designed to simulate capture of orbital debris …