A qualification model of Sunstorm recently underwent vibration and thermal vacuum testing at Reaktor Space Lab’s facility, as well as the solar array test seen here, in order to qualify the design ahead of the planned launch of the flight model early next year
Liftoff of Flight #VV17 is Nov. 16 from Europe’s Spaceport
Quote from: Rik ISS-fan on 11/03/2020 07:00 amI'm sorry to write this, but this schedule is not reliable. <snip>With respect, and not as the prime guardians of the several launch schedules, BUT as a member who has increasingly involved himself in their updating and as a moderator; I disagree.Our NSF launch schedule lists are as reliable as we collectively can craft. I assert that our lists are the most accurate on-line, open to the general public, and available in English. I invite opportunities to disprove that assertion. <snip>
I'm sorry to write this, but this schedule is not reliable. <snip>
Arianespace’s backlog of orders now stands at 47 launches for 25 customers:15 by Ariane 5/Ariane 6, (6x A5ECA GTO, A5ECA JWST, A5ECA JUICE; 2x A62 Gallileo, A62 CSO3, 4x A64 GTO)22 by Soyuz, (16x Oneweb, Falcon Eye2, CSO2, EUCLID, EarthCARE, MSG A1 & MSG B1)10 by Vega/Vega C. (6x Vega; 4x Vega C)
Unclear:Date - Satellite(s) - Rocket - Launch Site2026 - FORUM (Far-infrared Outgoing Radiation Understanding and Monitoring) [Earth Explorer 9 candidate] - Vega C/Ariane 62 - Kourou2026 - SKIM (Sea-surface Kinematics Multiscale monitoring) [Earth Explorer 9 candidate] - Vega C/Ariane 62 - Kourou
A new satellite to understand how Earth is losing its cool (EE09)QuoteFollowing a rigorous selection process, ESA has selected a new satellite mission to fill in a critical missing piece of the climate jigsaw. By measuring radiation emitted by Earth into space, FORUM will provide new insight into the planet’s radiation budget and how it is controlled.QuoteThe design of the mission will now be fine-tuned, and then built with a view to be launched in 2026.
Following a rigorous selection process, ESA has selected a new satellite mission to fill in a critical missing piece of the climate jigsaw. By measuring radiation emitted by Earth into space, FORUM will provide new insight into the planet’s radiation budget and how it is controlled.
The design of the mission will now be fine-tuned, and then built with a view to be launched in 2026.
Mission lifetime cycle:Phase 0 Mission analysis and identificationPhase A FeasibilityPhase B Preliminary DefinitionPhase C Detailed DefinitionPhase D Qualification and ProductionPhase E UtilisationPhase F Disposal
2) ESA's and European institution certain launch schedule.3) Long term launch prediction, based on ESA, EU or European institution mission planning.
The approval provides the green light to start industrial contracts for the six missions. However, two important milestones need to be met before the missions can be fully developed: an agreement between ESA and the EU for the EU co-funded part of the programme, and a positive decision by the EC as well as ESA/EU Member States to go from Phase B2 to Phase C/D.This decision point is planned in the second half of 2021.
In my previous post I made some launch schedule improvement remarks. In the quoted Arianespace launches backlog, I had added the launches that Arianespace had announced. For Soyuz; there are 16 launches planned for Oneweb, the next one in December. [All before 2023.]These launches were contracted via Starsem, thus the majority will launch from Vostochny or Baikonour. Do we also want to cover these Arianespace STxx launches here?Edit to add: For the launch sites; is it necessary to add 'kourou'? All launch sites (ECA-3, ECA-4, ZLV, and ELS) are unique in the world. Only for Soyuz ST-xx launches the location Baikonour or Vostochny adds information. I wonder how others think about this?
Reminder: In "Soyuz ST" ST stands for Soyuz Tropical hence only from Kourou...
Arianespace delivers 34 more constellation satellites to orbit on its latest success for OneWeb...The first Arianespace launch for OneWeb – performed with a Soyuz in February 2019 from the Spaceport in French Guiana – successfully orbited this global operator’s initial six spacecraft. It was followed by last month’s Soyuz mission that delivered 34 more satellites from Baikonur Cosmodrome. Including Flight ST28, a total of 74 OneWeb satellites have now been launched.
MOSCOW, November 7 - RIA Novosti. At the end of December, the Russian Soyuz launch vehicle will launch a CSO-2 reconnaissance satellite from the Kourou cosmodrome in French Guiana in the interests of the French Defense Ministry, a source in the rocket and space industry told RIA Novosti."The launch of the Soyuz-ST-A rocket with the Fregat-M upper stage and the CSO-2 satellite from Kuru is scheduled for December 28," the source said.
https://fcc.report/IBFS/SES-STA-INTR2020-03399/2776921QuoteFalconeye-2 is the second generation earth observation satellites launched by UAE to serve the European Union. Falconeye-2 will be launched from the Kourou space center on Nov 29th , 2020 at a nominal liftoff time of 01:33:28 UTC. The Falconeye-2 spacecraft will be supported by the USN Alaska ground station using a downlink frequency = 2264.500 MHz and uplink = 2085.200 MHz, and has been fully coordinated by Comsearch.Maybe someone did a date conversion wrong, it's off one day from the previous post but with the same time.
Falconeye-2 is the second generation earth observation satellites launched by UAE to serve the European Union. Falconeye-2 will be launched from the Kourou space center on Nov 29th , 2020 at a nominal liftoff time of 01:33:28 UTC. The Falconeye-2 spacecraft will be supported by the USN Alaska ground station using a downlink frequency = 2264.500 MHz and uplink = 2085.200 MHz, and has been fully coordinated by Comsearch.
Bremen, July 31, 2020. OHB System AG, a subsidiary of the space and technology group OHB SE, today signed a contract with the European Space Agency ESA for the realisation of the CO2M Earth observation mission. The mission is part of the European Copernicus program and in its first stage of completion will consist of two satellites equipped with payloads specifically designed to measure carbon dioxide emissions caused by human activities. The total value of the contract is 445 million euros....The launch is planned for late 2025.
With a planned launch in 2027, the European Union intends to use CRISTAL to monitor the cryosphere, which includes all areas of the Earth’s surface where water is found in solid form. ...According to Copernicus program manager Guido Levrini, the spacecraft will be designed to be compatible with two different launch vehicles, one of which is the Arianespace Vega-C — a light-lift launch vehicle now expected to debut in mid-2021.
Launched:№ – Date - Satellite(s) - Rocket - Launch Site - Time (UTC)202004 - September 3 - SSMS POC flight: AMICal Sat, Athena, DIDO-3, ESAIL, Flock 4v (x14), GHGSat-C1, Lemur-2 (x8 ), NAPA-1 (RTAF-SAT 1 - Royal Thai Air Force cubesat), NEMO-HD, NewSat (ÑuSat-6, Aleph-1 6, Hypatia), OSM-1 Cicero, PICASSO-BE, SIMBA, SpaceBee (x12), TARS, TRISAT, TTÜ100, Tyvak-0171, UPMSat 2, ION-SVC 1 (ION-SVC Lucas) [3Cat-5/A (FSSCat A, Phi-Sat-1 A, PhiSat1, BrainSat, Φ-sat-1), 3Cat-5/B (FSSCat B, Phi-Sat-1 B, PhiSat1, BrainSat, Φ-sat-1), Flock 4v (x12)] - Vega (VV16) - Kourou ZLV - 01:51:10 (partial success)Changes on November 5th
Arianespace announces latest Ariane 5 contract, plans up to four more launches by end of year and raises Executive Committee’s European profile...Ariane 5 still has eight more launches to carry out before it is retired and passes the baton to Ariane 6, scheduled to make its first flight in 2022....https://www.arianespace.com/press-release/arianespace-announces-latest-ariane-5-contract-plans-up-to-four-more-launches-by-end-of-year-and-raises-executive-committees-european-profile/
Planned launches:Date - Satellite(s) - Rocket - Launch Site - Time (UTC)2028Midyear - ARIEL (Atmospheric Remote‐sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large‐survey), Comet Interceptor - Ariane 62 - Kourou ELA-4
ESA’s exoplanet mission Ariel, scheduled for launch in 2029 ...
Ariel is planned for launch on ESA’s new Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. It will operate from an orbit around the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point, L2, 1.5 million kilometres directly ‘behind’ Earth as viewed from the Sun, on an initial four-year mission. The ESA-led Comet Interceptor mission will share the ride into space.
