SSI News
Second Artika-M weather satellite is launched into Molniya type orbit by Soyuz
Russia launched the Artika-M 2 (Artika-M No 2) polar weather satellite from Baiknonur launch site near Tyuratam in Kazakhstan at 0917 GMT on 16 December 2023 on a Soyuz-2-1b/Fregat. The satellite was sent into highly inclined (62.8 degrees inclination) Molniya orbit. ...
Dear-1 microgravity spacecraft is launched by Chinese Hyperbola-1 rocket
China’s national launch rate remains impressive. Its 62nd launch of the year was of the Hyperbola-1 (aka SQX-1) rocket which took place at 0700 GMT on 17 December. . The launch took place from the Jiuquan launch site in Inner Mongolia. Aboard was the Dear-1 prototype...
China’s Long March 5 launches Yaogan-41 high orbit optical remote sensing satellite
A Long March 5/YZ-2 rocket was successfully launched from Wenchang Satellite Launch Centre, Hainan Island on 15 December at 1341 GMT. The payload is reported to be Yaogan-41, a high orbit optical remote sensing satellite. Chinese state television (CCTV) later...
Rocket Lab Electron successfully returns to flight with launch of QPS-SAR 5
Rocket Lab achieved a successful launch with an Electron KS at 0405 GMT on 15 December, from the Onenui Station located on Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand. It marked the company’s first launch attempt since an ill-fated mission in September. The latest Rocket Lab launch,...
Chinese spaceplane is launched for possibly its third mission using same hull
Launching from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China, a Long March 2F rocket has reportedly successfully carried a Chinese reusable spaceplane into LEO. There has been no official confirmation of the launch time from Chinese sources but observers believe lift-off...
Can Elon make it work? A short history of staged fully reusable aerospace vehicles (Updated)
While staging in rocketry has been around since the 1940s, culminating in the first orbital success with Vostok rocket’s flight of Sputnik 1, stages were not truly reusable until the arrival of the Space Shuttle in 1981. Even then, one major part of its stack – the...
China launches ZhuQue-2 rocket carrying three technology development sats (Corrected)
The Chinese successfully launched a ZhuQue-2 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, China at 2339 GMT on 8 December 2023. The launch vehicle was carrying Tianyi-33, Honghu 1 and 2. All three appear to be technology research satellites. The Honghu 1 and 2 satellites...
Three Yaogan 39-05 satellites are launched on Long March 2D from Xichang
At 0158 GMT on 10 December three Yaogan 39-05 reconnaissance satellites related to signals intelligence (Yaogan 39-05-A, -B and -C) were launched on a Long March 2D/2 (CZ-2D/2) rocket launched from Xichang in China. China has never formally admitted to launching...
SpaceX operated Falcon 9v1.2FT Block 5 rocket sends Starlink group 7-8 into orbit
A SpaceX operated Falcon 9v1.2FT Block 5 rocket sent Starlink group 7-8 into orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA at 0803 GMT on 8 December 2023. The group consisted of 22 v2 Mini spacecraft for the second...
Space Insurers wither from ‘worst year’ in over twenty years as claims get close to US$1 billion (Updated and corrected)
Space insurers are still licking their wounds after what has been the worst year in over two decades in terms of claims, with a total of close to US$1 billion for the industry. In the early part of the year there were few insurance losses and, although they received a...
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