Plus: New GPS contract awarded to Raytheon, and China launches the first Long March 12 rocket
| | | A SpaceNews daily newsletter | | 12/02/2024 | | | | | Raytheon won a nearly $200 million contract extension for work on a GPS ground system that is years behind schedule. The Space Force's Space Systems Command announced last week the $196.7 million extension for Global Positioning System Next Generation Operational Control System (OCX), bringing the total contract value to nearly $4.5 billion since its inception in 2010. OCX represents a comprehensive modernization of GPS ground control infrastructure, designed to enhance navigation signal accuracy and cybersecurity for both military and civilian applications, but is about seven years behind its original schedule because of the complexity of its software development. [SpaceNews]
Astroscale's British subsidiary is preparing for a critical design review early next year of a satellite servicer mission. The 500-kilogram servicer for the ELSA-M program, or End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-Multiple, is currently in a "flatsat" phase where its various components are laid out on a clean room table for testing and checkout. ELSA-M, scheduled for launch in 2026, will attempt to remove a defunct OneWeb satellite from orbit as a precursor to a commercial deorbit business Astroscale hopes to start offering toward the end of this decade. [SpaceNews]
Europe's Vega C rocket is scheduled to return to flight this week after a one-day delay. Arianespace announced last week that the launch, which had been scheduled for this Tuesday, would be delayed a day to allow more time for final checkouts. The launch will be the first for the Vega C since a failure nearly two years ago blamed on the rocket's solid-fuel second-stage motor. That motor has been redesigned and successfully completed two static-fire tests earlier this year. The payload for the launch is the Sentinel-1C radar imaging satellite for the Copernicus program of Earth observation missions. [SpaceNews]
The European Union has a new commissioner responsible for space. Andrius Kubilius formally started his tenure as the European Commissioner for Defence and Space on Sunday after being confirmed last week along with other EU commissioners by the European Parliament. At a hearing last month, Kubilius said he would maintain the EU's current flagship programs of Copernicus and Galileo along with the new IRIS² secure broadband constellation. He also highlighted five other initiatives, from passage of a long-anticipated EU space law to improving European access to space. [SpaceNews]
China is planning to launch a new generation of Beidou navigation satellites in 2027. The country plans to complete key technology research for the next-generation Beidou system by 2025 and launch three test satellites around 2027, according to a plan released last week guiding development of the system through 2035. The upgraded Beidou system will use satellites in high (likely geosynchronous), medium and low Earth orbits, according to the report. Beidou is already widely considered to be superior to the GPS in some areas, and advanced capabilities in a next-generation system could see China far surpass the U.S. and others in positioning, navigation and timing capabilities. [SpaceNews]
Lockheed Martin says it has completed key tests of a new solar array design intended for Artemis missions at the lunar south pole. The company said it recently completed tests of a prototype vertical solar array, designed to extend up to 20 meters high to capture sunlight at low elevations above the lunar surface at the poles. Lockheed, along with Blue Origin's Honeybee Robotics and Astrobotic, received $20 million in NASA awards in 2022 to begin development of vertical solar arrays, although NASA has not determined what the next steps will be once those contracts are completed. [SpaceNews]
| | | | | China successfully launched the first Long March 12 rocket Saturday. The rocket lifted off at 9:25 a.m. Eastern from the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site and placed two experimental satellites into orbit. The kerosene-fueled Long March 12 is China's first 3.8-meter-diameter launch vehicle, and can place up to 12,000 kilograms into low Earth orbit. The new rocket could play a role in the construction of China's planned LEO megaconstellations. [SpaceNews]
A Falcon 9 launched a combination of Starlink satellites and an NRO payload Saturday. The rocket lifted off at 3:10 a.m. Eastern from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It carried 20 Starlink satellites as well as an unspecified number of NRO satellites on a mission designated NROL-126. This was the fifth launch of the NRO's proliferated architecture of imaging satellites built by SpaceX and Northrop Grumman. [SpaceNews]
Another Falcon 9 launched Starlink satellites from Florida a few hours before the NRO launch. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 12 a.m. Eastern Saturday and put 24 Starlink satellites into orbit. SpaceX finished November conducting 16 Falcon launches as well as a Starship test flight. [Spaceflight Now]
Russia launched a radar imaging satellite Friday. A Soyuz-2.1a rocket lifted off from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East region at 4:50 p.m. Eastern and placed the Kondor-FKA No. 2 satellite into orbit. The radar imaging satellite is intended for civilian applications. [RussianSpaceWeb]
Australian launch startup Gilmour Space Technologies has delayed its inaugural launch. The company announced last week that it pushed back the first orbital launch of its Eris small launch vehicle to no earlier than mid-January. The company received an Australian launch license last month that would have allowed a launch as soon as this month, but the company said that final testing work as well as airspace coordination led it to delay the launch until after the holidays. [Facebook]
OpenCosmos has signed a contract with ESA for development of a trio of space science cubesats. The $36.5 million contract, signed during a conference last week, covers development and launch of NanoMagSat, part of ESA's Scout line of low-cost Earth observation missions. The three NanoMagSat cubesats will study the Earth's magnetic field and ionosphere. The first cubesat is scheduled to launch in late 2027 with the other two to follow in 2028. [SpaceNews]
| | | | | | The Week Ahead
Tuesday: -
Xichang, China: Projected launch of a Long March 3B carrying an unidentified payload at 12:55 a.m. Eastern. -
Plesetsk, Russia: Anticipated launch of a Soyuz-2.1b carrying a classified payload at 11 a.m. Eastern. -
Luxembourg/Online: The Newspace Europe conference will discuss various aspects of commercial space activity in Europe and elsewhere. -
Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif.: Scheduled launch of a Falcon 9 carrying a set of Starlink satellites at 7:29 p.m. Eastern. -
Xichang, China: Projected launch of a Kuaizhou 1A rocket with an unidentified payload at 11:50 p.m. Eastern. Wednesday: -
Cape Canaveral, Fla.: Scheduled launch of a Falcon 9 carrying Starlink satellites at 3:29 a.m. Eastern. -
Sriharikota, India: Scheduled launch of a PSLV rocket carrying ESA's Proba-3 mission at 5:38 a.m. Eastern. -
Online: SpaceNews hosts a webinar on "Extreme Weather: Revolutionizing Weather Preparedness with Space Technology" at 1 p.m. Eastern. -
Kourou, French Guiana: Scheduled return to flight of the Vega C rocket carrying the Sentinel-1C satellite at 4:20 p.m. Eastern. Wednesday-Thursday: Wednesday-Saturday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday: Sunday: | | | | | | What's New With SpaceNews? | | Don't forget to sign up for our next webinar! |  | | Join us December 4 at 1:00 PM EST for a dynamic webinar featuring leading government, academic and commercial experts to explore how space technology is transforming the way we predict and address severe weather challenges. | | | | |
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