Space Missions

Following a successful launch on Saturday, analysis showed that Lucy’s second array had not fully latched. NASA is currently investigating what caused the failure and how they could achieve full deployment of the solar array. The solar panels were successfully deployed 91 minutes after a smooth launch.

As part of the partnership between SpaceWatch.Global and Orbital Gateway Consulting we have been granted permission to publish selected articles and texts. We are pleased to present “Dongfang Hour China Aerospace News Roundup 11 - 17 October 2021”. Hello and welcome to another episode of the Dongfang Hour China Aero/Space News Roundup! A special shout-out to our friends at SpaceWatch.Global,

NASA’s Lucy mission to Jupiter’s Trojan asteroids successfully launched on Saturday on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41. Over the next 12 years, Lucy will fly by one main-belt, and seven Trojan asteroids. The spacecraft will investigate “fossils” of planetary formation.

The 2021 Wernher Von Braun Symposium, October 12 - 14, an annual event that brings together the rocket, propulsion and aerospace part of the NASA community, has just ended in Huntsville, Alabama. This year’s priorities were linked to the upcoming launch of Artemis I, the first unmanned phase of the long-term Artemis project,

As space technology continues to develop at pace, we are seeing larger numbers of satellites being launched than ever before. Used for communication, navigation, earth observation and scientific development (to name but a few), these satellites provide some incredible services and insights required for the everyday functioning of our society.

OneWeb launched another 36 satellites, bringing the constellation in orbit to 358, over half of the planned 648 satellites, the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite company said. The satellites were launched by Arianespace from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia.

SpaceLink announced it has chosen OHB Systems as the preferred tenderer for the initial constellation of four high-capacity optical relay satellites after a comprehensive tender process. The parties are currently in advanced contract negotiations about the manufacturing and delivery of the initial constellation.

Planet Labs announced the launch of Pelican, a new line of imagery satellites to upgrade the company’s existing constellation of the 21 SkySat spacecraft. With the new, higher-resolution satellites the company can provide faster and near-real time data to customers, Planet said.

Rocket Lab has acquired Advanced Solutions, a Colorado-based aerospace engineering firm, for $40 million, the company announced. Advanced Solution delivers mission proven space software, mission simulation and test systems, and Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) solutions.

Blue Origin successfully completed its second human spaceflight yesterday on board of New Shepard. The flight carried four space tourists, Dr. Chris Boshuizen, Glen de Vries, Audrey Powers, and William Shatner through the Kármán line. Also, on board were the thousands of postcards made by young students for Blue Origin’s foundation, Club for the Future.