JAPAN'S LOW ALTITUDE SATELLITE TSUBAME REGISTERED IN GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS - Japan’s superlow altitude satellite Tsubame has been registered by Guinness World Records as having achieved the “lowest altitude by an Earth observation satellite in orbit,” the nation’s space agency has announced. The satellite flew at an orbital altitude of 167.4 kilometers from Sept. 23 to 30 as part of its test mission from Dec. 23, 2017, to Oct. 1, 2019, compared with the 600 to 800 km zone where most Earth observation satellites operate.   More
(Source: The Japan Times - Dec 31)

ORBITING TOWARD 2020: NEW YEAR TREE LAUNCHED IN ZERO-G ABOARD INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION - The crew of the ISS is fully geared for a New Year’s party. The walls of the station, orbiting the Earth at an altitude of over 400km, have been decorated and an adorned fir tree sent flying between the modules. The holiday mood aboard the ISS was captured in a video, published by Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos. There are oranges, sweets, toys and New Year-themed banners prepared by the crew for the celebrations.   More
(Source: RT - Dec 31)

CHINA'S TAIJI-1 SATELLITE PASSES IN-ORBIT TESTS - China's first satellite to conduct experiments on key technologies related to space-based gravitational wave detection, Taiji-1, has successfully completed its in-orbit tests, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced Wednesday. The satellite, sent into orbit on Aug. 31, 2019, is China's first such kind of satellite, and has completed its in-orbit experiments, making a breakthrough in the country's gravitational wave detection, said Wu Yueliang, chief scientist of the project.   More
(Source: Space Daily - Dec 30)

CHINA SET TO LAUNCH ITS GPS COMPETITOR NEXT YEAR - China is close to launching the last two satellites that will complete BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System—the nation’s rival to the United States’ Global Positioning System. Ran Chengqi, a spokesperson for China’s Satellite Navigation Office, shared the status of the program on Friday at a rare media event, according to the Associated Press. Ran told reporters that this month China launched satellites that comprised the core of the navigation system, enabling the network to provide global service.    More
(Source: Gizmodo - Dec 29)

SUCCESSFUL LONG MARCH 5 LAUNCH PAVES WAY FOR NEW CHINESE SPACE MISSIONS - The third launch of China’s heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket successfully delivered its satellite payload to orbit Friday, validating engine design changes after a failure on the Long March 5’s second flight, and clearing the way for the launch of a Chinese Mars rover and lunar sample return mission in 2020. The 187-foot-tall (57-meter) rocket, the most powerful in China’s fleet, lifted off from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan Island in southern China at 1245 GMT (7:45 a.m. EST; 8:45 p.m. Beijing time) Friday.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Dec 29)

BOEING TO DELIVER WGS-11 COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE TO U.S. AIR FORCE BY 2024 - Boeing will deliver the 11th satellite of the Wideband Global Satellite Communication (WGS) constellation to the U.S. Air Force by 2024, the company said Dec. 26. The announcement comes eight months after Boeing received a $605 million contract for the production of the WGS-11 satellite that Congress funded in 2018. The WGS constellation provides broadband communications to the U.S. military and allies.   More
(Source: SpaceNews - Dec 27)

HOW TO WATCH THE DECADE’S FINAL ROCKET LAUNCH, CHINA’S GAME-CHANGING ‘LONG MARCH 5’ - China is about to launch a massive new rocket that, if successful, will pave the way for a new Chinese space station and daring missions to the moon and even Mars—and all in 2020. Due to take place on December 27, the stakes are high for the Long March 5 and the China National Space Administration (CNSA), not least because the rocket has been meticulously worked on by engineers since it failed to get to orbit during its first outing in July 2017.    More
(Source: Forbes - Dec 27)

JAXA SET GUINNESS WORLD RECORD FOR LOWEST ORBITING SATELLITE - The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has set the Guinness World Record for the “lowest altitude by an Earth observation satellite in orbit”. Launched aboard a home-grown H-IIA rocket on December 21, 2017, the Super Low Altitude Test Satellite (SLATS) first maintained an orbital altitude of 271.5 kilometers. Ground crews then gradually lowered its orbit finally reaching the Guinness-World-Record-setting 167.4-kilometer altitude.    More
(Source: Rocket Rundown - Dec 26)

PROTON LAUNCHES RUSSIAN WEATHER SATELLITE - The final Proton launch of the year lifted off Dec. 24 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, sending a Russian weather satellite into orbit. Proton lifted off at 7:03 a.m. Eastern with the Electro-L No. 3 satellite, according to Russia’s state space corporation Roscosmos. The satellite separated from the four-stage rocket six hours and 37 minutes later. Five Proton rockets launched this year — four for the Russian government and one for International Launch Services, which sells commercial missions.    More
(Source: SpaceNews - Dec 25)

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