NORTH KOREA WANTS TO PUT 'SEVERAL' SPY SATELLITES INTO ORBIT THIS YEAR - North Korea plans to follow up last year's launch of a spy satellite by putting several more in orbit by the end of this year, according to state media. Pyongyang plans to make itself a "space power," putting it on the fast track to economic and scientific prowess, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) wrote Monday in a report marking the 11th anniversary of North Korea's space industry. More (Source: Newsweek - Apr 3)
TRASH FROM THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION MAY HAVE HIT A HOUSE IN FLORIDA - A few weeks ago, something from the heavens came crashing through the roof of Alejandro Otero's home, and NASA is on the case. In all likelihood, this nearly two-pound object came from the International Space Station. Otero said it tore through the roof and both floors of his two-story house in Naples, Florida. More (Source: Ars Technica - Apr 2)
SPACEX PULLS OFF STARLINK 7-18 MISSION ON FOURTH DAY OF LAUNCH ATTEMPTS - Following three unsuccessful launch attempts at the end of March, SpaceX was able to pull off an April Fool’s Day Starlink launch. The Starlink 7-18 mission launched at 7:30 p.m. PDT (10:30 EDT, 0230 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E). This was the 11th launch from the Western Range in 2024. The launch with a batch of 22 of its Starlink satellites on board ran into poor weather on the previous two attempts. SpaceX didn’t state why they scrubbed on Thursday. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Apr 2)
SPACEX LAUNCHES 23 STARLINK SATELLITES ONBOARD FALCON 9 FLIGHT FROM CAPE CANAVERAL - SpaceX followed the successful launch of a European television satellite with the first of a planned pair of its own Starlink missions from both Florida and California. The first Falcon 9 flight, Starlink 6-45, departed from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at pad 40 at 9:30 p.m. EDT (0130 UTC). This was the 20th Starlink mission of 2024. Launch weather for the mission was about as ideal as it gets. The 45th Weather Squadron forecast a greater than 95 percent chance of favorable launch conditions, with the Thick Cloud Layers rule as the main watch item. More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Apr 1)
SPACEX LAUNCHES EUTELSAT 36D, LANDS BOOSTER ON SEVENTH REUSE ANNIVERSARY - SpaceX launched Eutelsat’s latest geostationary satellite March 30 on a trip due to take around half a year to a geostationary orbit slot over Africa and Eurasia. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the roughly 5,000-kilogram Eutelsat 36D lifted off 5:52 p.m. Eastern from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, and placed the satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit 34 minutes later. Eutelsat 36D is based on the all-electric Airbus Eurostar Neo platform and equipped with 70 physical Ku-band transponders for providing TV and government connectivity services from 36 degrees East. The satellite has a steerable antenna and is set to replace French fleet operator Eutelsat’s aging Eutelsat 36B satellite. More (Source: SpaceNews - Apr 1)
EUTELSAT MISSION MARKS FIRST OF POSSIBLE TRIPLE FALCON 9 LAUNCH DAY FOR SPACEX - SpaceX is aiming for an ambitious launch cadence on Saturday evening with potentially three launches on tap in fewer than five hours. The first two Falcon 9 rockets are set to depart from Florida’s Space Coast with the last mission taking off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. First up to the plate was the Eutelsat 36D mission, which lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 5:52 p.m. EDT (2152 UTC). More (Source: SpaceFlight Now - Mar 31)
NASA SELECTS 10 NEW CUBESAT MISSIONS TO FLY TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - NASA’s CubeSat initiative supports 10 new missions, promoting educational and technological advancement through modular satellites. These include diverse projects from universities and a K-12 school, focusing on scientific research and sustainable space technology. NASA selected 10 small research satellites across eight states to fly to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s efforts to expand education and science opportunities, support technology advancement, and provide for workforce development. More (Source: SciTechDaily - Mar 31)
NORTH KOREA PREPARING SPY SATELLITE LAUNCH, SOUTH SAYS - South Korea has warned that North Korea is preparing to launch a new satellite as the race to deploy reconnaissance satellites between the two Koreas heats up. "While there are activities preparing for an additional military satellite launch by North Korea, there are no signs as of now of an imminent [launch]," South Korean Colonel Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters in a briefing, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap News on Thursday. More (Source: Newsweek - Mar 30)
SPACEX LAUNCHING 22 STARLINK SATELLITES FROM CALIFORNIA ON MARCH 30 - SpaceX has reset the launch of another batch of its Starlink internet satellites to no sooner than Saturday night (March 30). A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink spacecraft was set to lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Thursday (March 28), but the company called off the attempt before beginning to fuel the vehicle. SpaceX is now targeting to earlier than Saturday at 10:30 p.m. EDT (7:30 p.m. Pacific time or 0230 GMT on March 31). More (Source: Space.com - Mar 30)
Previous Next
