CHINA LAUNCHES CHANG ZHENG 3B FOR SEVENTH TJSW MISSION - At 15:41 UTC on August 24, a Chang Zheng 3B (internationally known as Long March 3B) successfully lifted off from LC-3 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China. It is believed the launch vehicle carried the seventh Tongxin Jishu Shiyan Weixing (TJSW-7) satellite to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. The nature of TJSW satellites is not fully confirmed; however, official Chinese media outlines their purpose as “satellite communications, radio and television, data transmission and other services, and … related technical test verification.”   More
(Source: NASASpaceFlight.com - Aug 26)

SPACEX TEST-FIRES ROCKET BEFORE SPACE STATION CARGO MISSION - On the cusp of ending a two-month SpaceX launch drought, ground crews raised a Falcon 9 rocket vertical Wednesday on its launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for an engine test-firing and final cargo loading before liftoff Saturday on a resupply flight to the International Space Station. SpaceX rolled the Falcon 9 rocket, powered by a reused first stage booster, out of its hangar near pad 39A at Kennedy late Tuesday night. Then teams raised the launcher vertical on the seaside complex Wednesday.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Aug 26)

BRITAIN CHARTS A NEW COURSE FOR SATELLITE NAVIGATION - When it comes to satellite navigation, the British government has struggled to find its way over the last five years. Those problems began with a June 2016 referendum, when a narrow majority voted in favor of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. That triggered the long, complex process of Britain disentangling itself from the EU across a vast spectrum of activities, with the governments not completing the final Brexit deal until December 2020.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Aug 25)

ASTRONAUT MEDICAL ISSUE FORCES NASA TO CALL OFF SPACEWALK AT SPACE STATION - NASA has called off plans for a spacewalk outside the International Space Station this week due a medical issue with one of the astronauts due to join the excursion, agency officials said Monday (Aug. 23). A "minor medical issue" involving NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei is the reason for the spacewalk's postponement, the U.S. space agency wrote in an update. Vande Hei and crewmate Akihiko Hoshide of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) were scheduled to venture outside the station on Tuesday (Aug. 24) to prepare the orbiting lab for a new solar array.   More
(Source: Space.com - Aug 25)

CHINA LAUNCHES DEMO SATELLITES FOR INTERNET CONSTELLATION - China launched two test payloads Tuesday for a planned constellation of internet satellites, a step that could lead to launches of thousands more Chinese spacecraft to match similar commercial networks already being deployed by SpaceX and OneWeb. The two pathfinder spacecraft launched aboard a Long March 2C rocket, which flew for the first time with a wider payload fairing to provide more volume for launches of larger numbers of satellites on a single mission.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Aug 25)

CHINESE ASTRONAUTS COMPLETE SECOND SPACEWALK OUTSIDE SPACE STATION - Chinese astronauts Nie Haisheng and Liu Boming accomplished a nearly six-hour spacewalk Friday outside the core module of the country’s new space station, installing a coolant pump and lifting a panoramic camera on the exterior of the complex. Nie and Liu exited the airlock of the Tianhe core module at 8:38 p.m. EDT Thursday (0038 GMT Friday), according to the China Manned Space Agency.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Aug 24)

ASTRONAUTS AND SATELLITES WATCH HURRICANE HENRI FROM SPACE AS US NORTHEAST BRACES FOR STORM - As parts of the U.S. northeast brace for Hurricane Henri to make landfall in New York today (Aug. 22), astronauts and satellites are tracking the historic storm from space. Henri, which reached category 1 hurricane status on Saturday, is forecast to make landfall on Long Island, New York by midday today, dropping torrents of rain on Connecticut and Rhode Island, according to the National Hurricane Center's morning update. Astronauts on the International Space Station spotted Henri from orbit on Saturday.    More
(Source: Space.com - Aug 23)

EUROPE, RUSSIA LAUNCH 9TH ONEWEB MISSION - In collaboration with Starsem and Roscosmos, Arianespace launched 34 new internet communication satellites aboard a Soyuz 2.1b for the OneWeb 9 mission. The flight marks the 8th operational launch of OneWeb satellites and brings the total number in orbit to 288: 48% of the 600 satellites required for global coverage with an additional 48 on-orbit spares for a total phase one constellation size of up to 648 satellites.   More
(Source: NASASpaceFlight.com - Aug 22)

PENTAGON POISED TO UNVEIL, DEMONSTRATE CLASSIFIED SPACE WEAPON - For months, top officials at the Defense Department have been working toward declassifying the existence of a secret space weapon program and providing a real-world demonstration of its capabilities, Breaking Defense has learned. The effort — which sources say is being championed by Gen. John Hyten, the vice-chairman of the joint chiefs of staff — is close enough to completion that there was a belief the anti-satellite technology might have been revealed at this year’s National Space Symposium, which kicks off next week.   More
(Source: BreakingDefense.com - Aug 20)

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