SPACEX FALCON 9 ROCKET ABORTS STARLINK SATELLITE CONSTELLATION LAUNCH AT LAST SECOND - SpaceX aborted the launch of 60 new Starlink satellites at the last second today (March 15) due to an engine power issue with the mission's Falcon 9 rocket. The Falcon 9 rocket's onboard computer triggered an abort just before a scheduled 9:22 a.m. EDT (1322 GMT) liftoff after detecting an issue with one of its nine Merlin 1D engines. More (Source: Space.com - Mar 16)
WITH CORONAVIRUS SPREADING, NASA MAY TWEAK ASTRONAUT PRELAUNCH QUARANTINE PLANS - The procedure to ensure that astronauts don't bring an illness to the International Space Station is under evaluation as NASA enacts tactics to help slow the spread of the novel-coronavirus disease COVID-19. Governments and agencies around the world have been enacting measures meant to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus; those measures include social distancing and quarantines for people who think they may have been exposed to the virus. More (Source: Space.com - Mar 15)
SPACEX TO GROW SATELLITE NETWORK WITH UPCOMING LAUNCH - An upcoming launch will put SpaceX one step closer to offering global internet service The Hawthorne, California-based rocket company will blast another 60 satellites into orbit from Cape Canaveral on March 15. The launch is part of an initiative by SpaceX, the firm founded by billionaire Elon Musk, to offer global internet service within two years and acts as one of the anchor programs for the region’s space economy. More (Source: Orlando Business Journal - Mar 14)
RUSSIAN CREW SWAP AND CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS WEIGH ON UPCOMING LAUNCH TO SPACE STATION - With the next Soyuz mission preparing to launch to the International Space Station, the crew has passed its final exams. But, while NASA's space station manager has made assurances that an earlier swap of the two Russian cosmonauts on the crew should pose no issues, concerns surrounding coronavirus will likely alter the mission's standard preflight quarantine. More (Source: Space.com - Mar 14)
SATELLITE IMAGES SHOW IRAN HAS BUILT MASS GRAVES AMID CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK - Satellite images of mass graves in the city of Qom suggest Iran’s coronavirus epidemic is even more serious than the authorities are admitting. The pictures, first published by the New York Times, show the excavation of a new section in a cemetery on the northern fringe of Iran’s holy city in late February, and two long trenches dug, of a total length of 100 yards, by the end of the month. More (Source: The Guardian - Mar 13)
CHINA'S NEW NAVIGATION SYSTEM IS NEARLY COMPLETE WITH PENULTIMATE BEIDOU SATELLITE LAUNCH - The Chinese Beidou satellite navigation system is almost finished, thanks to the launch of a new satellite this week. China launched its 54th Beidou satellite on a Long March 3B rocket on Monday (March 9). The rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China at 7:55 p.m. local time (7:55 a.m. EDT; 1155 GMT). Footage from state media outlet CCTV showed a flawless night liftoff as the satellite rocketed into space, en route to geosynchronous orbit. More (Source: Space.com - Mar 13)
CHINA'S MARS MISSION LIKELY STILL ON TRACK FOR JULY LAUNCH DESPITE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK - China is planning to launch its first solo interplanetary mission in July, but the new coronavirus has severely hindered and slowed activity in the country. Will the COVID-19 outbreak keep China from launching for Mars? Chinese authorities enacted a range of travel and enforced quarantine measures in January to combat the spread of infection. This meant many employees, including those in the space sector, could not return to work. More (Source: Space.com - Mar 13)
ASTRONAUTS TAKING PRECAUTIONS TO KEEP CORONAVIRUS FROM SPREADING TO SPACE - Astronauts preparing for an international space mission are taking precautions to avoid bringing coronavirus to space, according to a report. NASA’s Chris Cassidy along with Russian astronauts Ivan Vagner and Anatoly Ivanishin are prohibited from leaving the Star City training center outside of Moscow ahead of their April 9 mission to the International Space Station, the Telegraph reported. More (Source: New York Post - Mar 13)
LOCKHEED MARTIN APP OFFERS A GLIMPSE INTO THE PLANNING OF A SATELLITE CONSTELLATION - Lockheed Martin developed an iPhone and iPad app called “Constellations” that visualizes the tradeoffs and calculations that go into designing a network of satellites in space. Company officials demonstrated a beta version of the app to reporters March 10 during the Satellite 2020 conference. The final product will be available on the Apple app store in a few weeks, a spokesman said. More (Source: SpaceNews - Mar 12)
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