RUSSIAN SCIENTISTS PROPOSE CREATION OF SEPARATE ISS MODULE FOR SPORTS, MEDICINE - The Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Science (IBMP RAS) considers it necessary to create a special module for sports and medical experiments at the International Space Station (ISS), IBMP deputy chief designer Yevgenia Yarmanova said. "If we recall the plans for the Russian segment of the ISS, initially it would have included two Science Power Modules (SPM).    More
(Source: Space Daily - Nov 12)

SPACEX SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES FALCON 9 ROCKET WITH 60 SATELLITES ON BOARD - The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 9:56 a.m. Monday, with 60 Starlink satellites on board. The satellites will beam internet service to hard-to-access places across the world, according to SpaceX, which was founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk. It was the fourth launch for the Falcon 9, and the first time that SpaceX reused the tip of the rocket known as the fairing. SpaceX deployed a first round of Starlink satellites in May.   More
(Source: Fox Business - Nov 11)

HOW TO TRACK AND PHOTOGRAPH SECRET SPACECRAFT - Earlier this year, Dutch science journalist and satellite tracker Ralf Vandebergh successfully snagged detailed images of the X-37B, the Air Force’s secret spaceplane that recently landed, in low orbit using a hand-trafficking method—catching sight of the vehicle and guiding his 10-inch reflector telescope manually—and video-based imaging techniques. Want to capture a satellite, booster rocket, or the ISS in action? Follow Vandebergh’s lead.   More
(Source: Popular Mechanics - Nov 11)

SPACEX READIES UPGRADED STARLINK SATELLITES FOR LAUNCH - New satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network set for launch Monday from Cape Canaveral will debut several performance and safety upgrades, but they do not include changes to reduce the brightness of the satellites, a modification SpaceX says it will introduce on future Starlink craft to mitigate their impacts on ground-based astronomy.   More
(Source: SpaceFlight Now - Nov 11)

HIBER STARTS COMMERCIAL IOT TRIALS ON GLOBAL SCALE - Hiber‘s Internet of Things (IoT) network is now live, following the launch of its first two nanosatellites in late 2018. After three years of product development, the commercial launch of the fully automated end-to-end service known as Hiberband, marks the latest step for Hiber, where it will see its first customers trialling the technology.   More
(Source: Via Satellite - Nov 10)

CHEAP IOT SATELLITE NETWORK GETS APPROVAL - Space communications start-up Swarm Technologies will begin delivering commercial, bi-directional Internet of Things (IoT) data early next year, according to the company, which has just received its regulatory go-ahead to launch its satellites and transmit. “Swarm will begin rolling out its commercial, two-way data offerings in early 2020,” Sara Spangelo, co-founder and CEO told me in a recent e-mail. The company aims to deploy 150 satellites before the end of 2020, she says.   More
(Source: Network World - Nov 8)

SPACEX TEST-FIRES ROCKET FOR NEXT LAUNCH OF 60 STARLINK SATELLITES - SpaceX has fired up the rocket booster that will ferry the company's next batch of Starlink satellites into space. The company conducted a static-fire test on Tuesday (Nov. 5) of a Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the company said on Twitter. That rocket is expected to send 60 Starlink internet satellites into space no earlier than Monday (Nov. 11), ending a nearly three-month launch hiatus for the company.    More
(Source: Space.com - Nov 7)

SPACEFLIGHT AND ROCKET LAB WILL PUT A JAPANESE SHOOTING-STAR SATELLITE INTO ORBIT - Seattle-based Spaceflight says it’s handling the pre-launch logistics for a Japanese satellite that’s designed to spray artificial shooting stars into the sky. Tokyo-based ALE’s spacecraft is just one of seven satellites due to be sent into orbit from New Zealand as early as Nov. 25, aboard a Rocket Lab Electron launch vehicle. It’ll be the 10th Electron launch, earning the nickname “Running Out of Fingers.” It’ll also be the first launch to test the guidance and navigation hardware as well as the sensors that Rocket Lab will eventually use to help make the Electron’s first stage recoverable.   More
(Source: GeekWire - Nov 7)

A BIPARTISAN GROUP OF SENATORS WANTS TO EXTEND THE SPACE STATION TO 2030 - A bipartisan quartet of United States senators has filed a new bill that sets out space policy for NASA over the coming decade. The new authorizing legislation is largely consistent with much of NASA's present activities, but it differs from White House policy in some key respects.   More
(Source: Ars Technica - Nov 7)

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