Tag: Earth observation
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Five Chinese smallsats launched by Long March 11 rocket
A solid-fueled Long March 11 rocket lifts off from the Jiuquan launch base Thursday at 0642 GMT (2:42 a.m. EDT; 2:42 p.m. Beijing time). Credit: Xinhua Five commercial Earth-imaging satellites rode a Long March 11 rocket into orbit Thursday from the Jiuquan space base in northwestern China. The five satellites will join the Zhuhai 1…
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China launches Earth-observing satellites, solar sail experiment
A Long March 4B rocket lifted off Thursday from the Taiyuan space center in China. Credit: CCTV Two Earth-imaging satellites and an experimental solar sail payload rocketed into orbit Thursday aboard a Chinese Long March 4B launcher, the first flight for China’s Long March 4 rocket family since an upper stage failure in May. The…
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Investigators narrow cause of Vega launch failure to second stage
Giulio Ranzo, CEO of Avio, discusses the outcome of the Vega launch failure investigation, backdropped by the forward dome of a Zefiro 23 rocket motor at the rocket’s factory in Italy. Credit: Avio Engineers believe super-hot gas from burning solid propellant impinged on the structure of the second stage on a European Vega launcher during…
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Surveillance photos reveal apparent explosion on Iranian launch pad
This image, tweeted by President Trump on Friday, appears to come from a high-resolution camera on a U.S. government drone or satellite. It shows damage to an Iranian satellite launch pad. A day after commercial satellite images revealed a smoke plume over an Iranian launch pad, President Trump tweeted a remarkably high-resolution aerial photograph of…
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Launch providers announce rideshare missions large and small
Artist’s illustration of a Falcon 9 rocket’s upper stage. Credit: SpaceX SpaceX and Arianespace recently announced plans to launch rideshare missions to sun-synchronous and geostationary orbit, dedicating big rocket capacity for small satellites as the U.S.-based launch broker Spaceflight committed to using a new Indian microsatellite launcher set to debut later this year. The announcements…
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Rocket Lab launch fulfills initial block of BlackSky Earth-imaging satellites
Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket streaks into the sky over Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand in this long exposure image. Credit: Rocket Lab The fourth and last spacecraft in BlackSky’s initial flock of commercial Earth-imaging microsatellites successfully launched Monday aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket with three other payloads, setting the stage for the final assembly…
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Live coverage: Rocket Lab launches four satellites
Live coverage of the countdown and launch of a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand carrying four small satellites into orbit on a rideshare mission arranged by Spaceflight and Rocket Lab. Text updates will appear automatically below. Follow us on Twitter. Rocket Lab’s live video webcast begins approximately 15 minutes…
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ICEYE releases first sub-meter radar imagery from a microsatellite
ICEYE radar satellite imagery that has been acquired and processed at 0.5-meter ground sample distance, featuring a port container terminal near Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Credit: ICEYE ICEYE, a Finnish company that builds and operates a growing fleet of commercial Earth-observing spacecraft, has released the first radar image from a microsatellite with a resolution of less…
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Rocket Lab announces August launch with commercial and military satellites
EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated with orbital parameters, and identities of the U.S. Air Force Command satellites. The first stage for Rocket Lab’s next Electron launch. Credit: Rocket Lab Rocket Lab’s next launch from New Zealand in August will carry four small spacecraft into orbit for BlackSky’s Earth-imaging constellation, the U.S. Air Force, and a French startup developing…
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Ariane 5 launch delayed in aftermath of Vega failure
The first stage for the next Ariane 5 launch is prepared for stacking on top off a mobile launch table inside the launcher integration building at the Guiana Space Center. Credit: ESA/CNES/Arianespace – Photo Optique Video du CSG – S. Martin The next flight of an Ariane 5 rocket, previously set for next week, has…