Asia Pacific Space Community Council
January 7, 2020 – SpaceX successfully launched its third batch of 60 Starlink satellites – the second designated “production” hardware, after launching an initial group of 60 early in 2019 to test the technology. This group launched aboard a Falcon 9 with a first-stage booster that has already seen service in three previous missions, including…
January 7, 2020 – Arianespace and the European Space Agency (ESA) announced the signature of a launch services contract for the Euclid satellite – with the mission’s timeframe for liftoff starting in mid-2022 from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Euclid is a medium-class astronomy and astrophysics space mission in ESA’s Cosmic…
December 18, 2019 – On its ninth and last mission of the year, Arianespace orbited innovative satellites that address the need for autonomy and reliable access to space by Italy, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the French space agency CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales). It also served the ambitions of two young innovative companies:…
December 17, 2019 – SKY Perfect JSAT Holdings Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation announced the successful launch of the JCSAT-18 communications satellite. JCSAT-18 was launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon9 launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, USA at 9:10 a.m. on December 17, 2019 Japan Standard Time (JST). The satellite…
December 12, 2019 – Kepler has selected SpaceX as launch partner to deliver a portion of its first Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation into space onboard SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Kepler has procured 400 kg of launch capacity from SpaceX for the deployment of multiple satellites. These spacecraft incorporate both a high-capacity Ku-band…
December 12, 2019 – New Shepard had a wholly successful mission on December 11, 2019. This mission was another step towards verifying New Shepard for human spaceflight as we continue to mature the safety and reliability of the vehicle. This was the 6th flight for this particular New Shepard vehicle. Blue Origin has so far…
December 5, 2019 – Panasonic Avionics Corporation has signed a multi-year agreement for Ku-band capacity on two multi-beam payloads on the EUTELSAT 10B satellite, due to be launched in 2022. This contract with Eutelsat Communications will enable Panasonic to provide multiple gigahertz of new extreme throughput (XTS1) Ku-band connectivity to airlines and their passengers flying…
December 4, 2019 – Hughes Network System announced that SES will employ the Hughes JUPITER System to enable services on its SES-17 satellite, which is being built by Thales Alenia Space and expected to launch in 2021. The agreement calls for Hughes to supply its next-generation ground network system, including data centers and hub equipment,…
December 4, 2019 – Thales Alenia Space announced that it has signed a contract with the Egyptian operator Nilesat to build the Nilesat-301 geostationary communications satellite, winning the contract against an international field of competitors. Positioned at 7° West, Nilesat-301 will work with Nilesat-201 to provide Ku-band services for the Middle East and North Africa.…
December 3, 2019 – RSCC and Azercosmos signed a cooperation agreement pertaining to satellite communications and broadcasting services in Baku, Azerbaijan. The agreement is aimed at joining the efforts and making arrangements for the collaboration of both Azerbaijani and Russian operators in the domain of creation and development of satellite communications and broadcasting networks for…