CHINA TO LAUNCH COMMUNICATION SATELLITE FOR INDONESIA - China is preparing to launch a communication satellite, Palapa-N1, for Indonesia at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province. The satellite was developed under a contract signed between the China Great Wall Industry Corp under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) and the Palapa Satelit Nusantara Sejahtera of Indonesia in May 2017. More (Source: The Star Online - Apr 2)
US MILITARY MAY START MOVING TOWARDS LAUNCHING FLEETS OF TINY SATELLITES - With much of the commercial space industry focused on putting small satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO), how quickly will the U.S. military follow? Companies are shifting away from traditional large satellites towards small satellites. cubesats in LEO have been increasingly used in space since the 1990s. In recent years, advances in camera technology and computer miniaturization have allowed companies to do optical imaging or radar observations using smaller and smaller satellites. More (Source: Space.com - Apr 2)
SEE HOW CORONAVIRUS HAS CHANGED SOCIETY IN THIS VIDEO OF BEFORE-AND-AFTER SATELLITE VIEWS - The coronavirus pandemic continues around the world, satellites in space are revealing a radical shift in human behavior. Countries including the United States, Italy and China have advised against nonessential travel and many people around the world are either quarantined or self-isolated to reduce the spread of the disease, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. This has led to a drastic reduction in crowds at normally populated areas. More (Source: Space.com - Apr 1)
NASA SELECTS SPACE SCIENCE CUBESAT MISSION - NASA announced March 30 it will fund the development of a cluster of six cubesats that will fly in formation above geostationary orbit to study solar storms. NASA said it selected for development the Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE) mission as a “mission of opportunity” for its heliophysics program. The mission, with a total cost of $62.6 million, will launch by July 2023. More (Source: SpaceNews - Mar 31)
HOLIDAY IN SPACE, ANYONE? SPACE X TO SEND TOURISTS TO INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - Spacex recently announced a partnership to send three tourists to the International Space Station (ISS), the first private trip in more than a decade. Elon Musk’s company has signed a deal with Axiom Space to transport the tourists along with a commander on one of its Crew Dragon capsules in the second half of 2021. Axiom CEO Michael Suffredini said the flight “will represent a watershed moment in the march toward universal and routine access to space”. He did not reveal a price tag. More (Source: The Star Online - Mar 31)
CHINA'S NEW CREW SPACECRAFT LOOKS LIKE IT COULD DOCK WITH THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - A next-generation crew spacecraft that China is preparing for a flight test this spring appears to be capable of docking with the International Space Station (ISS). An image posted by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST) shows the new spacecraft’s docking system, which appears compatible with the International Docking System Standard (IDSS). More (Source: Space.com - Mar 31)
FIVE MIT PAYLOADS DEPLOYED ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - Five research payloads from the MIT Media Lab’s Space Exploration Initiative were recently deployed on the International Space Station for a 30-day research mission. Scientists, designers, and artists will be able to study the effects of prolonged microgravity, on-station radiation, and launch loads on experiments ranging from self-assembling architecture to biological pigments. The payloads launched on the SpaceX CRS-20 via the Dragon cargo ship atop a Falcon 9 rocket on March 6. More (Source: MIT News - Mar 29)
VENEZUELA'S ONLY TELECOMS SATELLITE IS LOST IN SPACE - Venezuela’s only telecommunications satellite has veered off its orbit and stopped working, creating a logistical headache for the cash-strapped nation. The Chinese-built satellite was launched among much fanfare in 2008 under the watch of former President Hugo Chavez, who said the 6-ton machine would help to “construct 21st-century socialism” and contribute to Venezuela’s “independence and sovereignty.” More (Source: The Japan Times - Mar 29)
THE US ECONOMY HAS COME TO A STANDSTILL, SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS - The coronavirus crisis is bringing the United States economy to a screeching halt, with every sector feeling the effects of most of the country’s workforce staying home. Satellite imagery combined with other photographic evidence and alternative data sources give a stark look at the U.S. situation: Airplanes are parked on unused runways, the busiest highways are empty during rush hour times, resorts have become ghost towns, ports are seeing sharp drops in shipping activity and more. More (Source: CNBC - Mar 29)
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