FBH lidar diodes promise clearer view of climate change20 Jul 2020Franco-German Merlin satellite measuring atmospheric methane to be launched in 2025.A joint space mission by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and France's National Center for Space Studies (CNES) is scheduled for launch in 2025 to begin active measurements of atmospheric methane.
MERLINKnowledge about the emissions of methane is of great importance for climate prediction. Large uncertainties exist in the assessment of the development of tropical and boreal wetlands which comprise the largest natural methane sources. By using lidar measurements of atmospheric methane, the mission MERLIN is expected to significantly improve our knowledge of the global natural and anthropogenic methane emissions on a global basis. MERLIN was approved at ministerial level as a joint project between France and Germany. The launch is planned in the timeframe 2025.
Lindsey wasn’t more specific about a launch date other than some time in 2022. A specific date, he said, will depend on both when the vehicle is ready as well as NASA’s “traffic model” for visiting vehicles, which include Dream Chaser as well as other cargo and crew spacecraft.In addition to its NASA cargo contract, the company continues to seek other customers for the vehicle while retaining the option for a crewed version. “There is a lot of interest out there. There’s a lot of folks watching our progress,” he said. “We believe the market demand is out there.” He didn’t identify any customers beyond the United Nations’ Office for Outer Space Affairs, which previously announced an agreement with SNC for a Dream Chaser mission that would carry experiments from member countries.
Nr Version Flug Startdatum Nutzlast(en) Bemerkung24 Sojus STA VS24a 28. November 2020 Falcon Eye 2 02:33 dt. ZeitAngaben ohne Gewähr, Änderungen jederzeit möglich. Aktualisiert: 20. November 2020
"In preparation for the launch of the Soyuz-ST-A rocket, a defective valve was found on one of its side blocks. It will be replaced with a spare one taken from another rocket at the cosmodrome. This should not affect the launch date on November 29 ", - said the interlocutor of the agency.
Nov 28th 20Soyouz 11/28/2020 - 10:33 PM (GMT-3) Launch VS24
The CSG made a decision to continue the preparation and launch of the LV on November 30, 2020 at 4.33 Moscow time.
Flight VS24: Arianespace will launch from the Guiana Space Center with Soyuz its eighth mission of 2020 On November 29, Arianespace will carry out from the Guiana Space Center (CSG) in French Guiana, its eighth launch of the year.This mission will be the third realized this year with the Soyuz medium-lift launch vehicle, the two previous ones were conducted from Russia.The launcher will be carrying a total payload of approximately 1,340 kg and will place its undisclosed satellite passenger into a Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO).Flight VS24 will be performed from the Soyuz Launch Complex (ELS) in Sinnamary, French Guiana.The Launch Readiness Review (LRR) took place on Saturday, November 28, 2020 in Kourou and authorized the start of operations for the final countdown.To follow the launch live online, go to our site, arianespace.com or to the Arianespace YouTube channel at youtube.com/arianespace (audio feed in English and French starting at T-15 minutes).
Stephen [Israel] confirming the launch is scrubbed. Will try again tomorrow. [December 1 UTC, same time of date]
[Stephen Israel]: Non-nominal reception of telemetry data for the safety team. Launcher, satellite and weather were go. Will be trying again tomorrow. [December 2 UTC, same time of date]
2022October - MTG-I1 - Ariane 5 ECA - Kourou ELA-3
...EUMETSAT also confirms the option for Arianespace’s launch of its third-generation MTG-I2 imaging satellite, and has converted it to a mission with Ariane 6.... I am delighted with this decision, which confirms the launch of MTG-S1 by Ariane 6, and which paves the way for both the first Metop-SG satellites and the MTG-I2 satellite to be orbited by this future European heavy-lift launche
Today, during the virtual meeting of the EUMETSAT Council, the Director-General, Alain Ratier, signed the Joint Statement on the Institutional Exploitation of Ariane 6 and Vega C in the presence of Johann-Dietrich Wörner, the Director General of the European Space Agency.“EUMETSAT is already a long-standing customer of Ariane launch services. With this signature, we express our confidence in the next generation of European launchers and confirm our support for the European space strategy,” Ratier said.The signature followed decisions of the EUMETSAT Council to convert Ariane-5 launch service contracts into Ariane-64 launch service contracts for two Meteosat Third Generation satellites (MTG-I2 and MTG-S1) and to consider Ariane-62 for launching the first Metop-Second Generation satellites.
I think EUMETSAT themselves wrote a much clearer press release than Arianespace did.EUMETSAT to exploit ESA-developed launchers and flight operations softwareQuoteToday, during the virtual meeting of the EUMETSAT Council, the Director-General, Alain Ratier, signed the Joint Statement on the Institutional Exploitation of Ariane 6 and Vega C in the presence of Johann-Dietrich Wörner, the Director General of the European Space Agency.“EUMETSAT is already a long-standing customer of Ariane launch services. With this signature, we express our confidence in the next generation of European launchers and confirm our support for the European space strategy,” Ratier said.The signature followed decisions of the EUMETSAT Council to convert Ariane-5 launch service contracts into Ariane-64 launch service contracts for two Meteosat Third Generation satellites (MTG-I2 and MTG-S1) and to consider Ariane-62 for launching the first Metop-Second Generation satellites.So: MTG-I1 is still planned to launch on Ariane 5 ECA.MTG-S1 moves from a A5 ECA to A64 launch (if launcher available)MTG-I2 is firmed up as A64 launch.Both Metop-SG A1 ad B1 are still baselined as Soyuz ST-B Fregat-MT launches, but EUMETSAT is considering changing those to A62.Sorry, but I think the endorsement of Ariane6 by EUMETSAT isn't justified by the development progres made on it. AFAIK those contract should have been firmed up after the maiden launch of Ariane 6. Bad performance shouldn't be awarded by signing launch service commitments.
Ariane 5 VA254 slips to March 4https://www.dlr.de/rd/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-4926/a8178_read-5116/
Today from OHB:https://www.ohb.de/en/news/2020/baptism-of-fire-environmental-tests-successfully-passed-by-the-first-two-batch-3-galileo-satellitesQuote...Environmental tests successfully passed by the first two Batch 3 Galileo satellites...Bremen, December 7, 2020. Series production of the satellites for the European Galileo navigation system has taken a major step forward: FM23 and FM24 have successfully completed environmental impact testing at the Space Research and Technology Center of the European Space Agency (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, Netherlands. The first two Batch 3 satellites are expected to be launched jointly from the Kourou Space Center in summer 2021....
...Environmental tests successfully passed by the first two Batch 3 Galileo satellites...Bremen, December 7, 2020. Series production of the satellites for the European Galileo navigation system has taken a major step forward: FM23 and FM24 have successfully completed environmental impact testing at the Space Research and Technology Center of the European Space Agency (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, Netherlands. The first two Batch 3 satellites are expected to be launched jointly from the Kourou Space Center in summer 2021....
