May 2015 Space News

Putin rather sees threat in US missile defense system than weapons deployment in Europe TASS 16 Jun 2015 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he sees no real threat in the West's statements about possible deployment of weapons in Europe, since the missile defense system deployment is a bigger threat.
NATO Secretary General describes missile defence as transatlantic teamwork on visit to the USS Carney NATO 29 May 2015 -- Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg commended the key US contribution to NATO's missile defence capability in a visit to the USS Carney, an Aegis destroyer, at Naval Station Mayport in Florida on Friday (29 May 2015). The destroyer will set sail to Rota, Spain, in September to be part of the Alliance's ballistic missile defence system alongside three sister ships.
US GMD Anti-Missile Defense System Plagued by Defects, Report Finds Sputnik 31 May 2015 -- Despite being warned about the system's flaws, the Pentagon has pushed ahead with its plans to deploy 44 of its anti-missile interceptors by the end of 2017.
Russia Will Respond to NATO's Missile Defense Buildup in Europe – General Sputnik 29 May 2015 -- Russia will adequately respond to what it sees as an "unrestrained expansion" of NATO's missile defenses, a top defense ministry official said on Friday.
Russia concerned over upcoming missile defense drills involving US TASS 29 May 2015 -- Russia's Defense Ministry has voiced concerns over the At Sea Demonstration-2015 exercises planned for this autumn that will involve the US and will simulate interception of Russian ballistic missiles.
NASA Begins Major Reconfiguration of International Space Station Sputnik 27 May 2015 -- NASA plans to relocate a storage module from one node to another in what would be the largest change to the configuration of the International Space Station (ISS) as the agency prepares the ISS for the arrival of commercial spacecraft.
Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center Certifies SpaceX for National Security Space Missions AFNS 26 May 2015 -- Lieutenant General Samuel Greaves, Commander of the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) and Air Force Program Executive Officer for Space, has announced the certification of Space Exploration Technologies Corporation's (SpaceX) Falcon 9 Launch System for national security space missions.
Department of Defense Identifies Planned Site of Future Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) DoD 22 May 2015 -- The Department of Defense announced today a proposal to deploy a planned Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) in Alaska, pending completion of required environmental and safety studies. Current plans call for the radar to begin defensive operations in 2020.
Recent Proton Loss to Push Up Launch Costs - Manufacturer Sputnik 22 May 2015 -- According to the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, recent loss of the Proton-M rocket will push up launch costs and affect the overall number of contracts.
Navy Space-Based Orbital Debris Sensor Receives U.S. Patent NNS 21 May 2015 -- Small orbital debris objects can threaten vital space-based assets. The Navy's patented compact debris detection device can detect debris in near real-time and provide essential trajectory data for future use.
China aims to be first to land on 'dark side' of moon People's Daily 21 May 2015 -- China is planning to land its Chang'e-4 probe on the moon's 'dark side', which has never before been explored, Wu Weiren, the chief engineer for China's Lunar Exploration Program told Chinese Central Television.
Three Soyuz-2 Launch Pads to Be Built at Plesetsk Space Center by 2019 Sputnik 21 May 2015 -- Three separate launch pads for Soyuz-2 rockets will be built at the Plesetsk space center in northwestern Russia after its renovation is over by 2019, a defense ministry spokesman said Thursday.
Seoul Divided on Proposed THAAD Introduction Sputnik 21 May 2015 -- Washington's desire to deploy its advanced missile defense system in South Korea remains a serious cause of concern in Seoul and also in China and Russia, media reported on Thursday.
AF successfully launches the AFSPC-5 mission AFNS 20 May 2015 -- The Air Force and its mission partners successfully launched the AFSPC-5 mission aboard the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) procured United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch vehicle at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, May 20, at 11:05 a.m. EST. There were no issues reported with the launch.
Russia warns of retaliatory measures if Ukraine hosts NATO missiles Press TV 20 May 2015 -- Russia has threatened to adopt countermeasures if NATO deploys its ballistic missile system in Ukraine.
No Decision Yet on East Coast Missile Defense Site, Winnefeld Says AFPS 19 May 2015 -- The Defense Department has not made a decision on the establishment of an East Coast-based missile defense site, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today.
Work on Russia's Unitary System of Missile Warning on Schedule - Deputy PM Sputnik 19 May 2015 -- Russia is working on its unitary space system of early warning missile strikes according to the schedule.
Seoul Wants to Make Sure THAAD is the Real Thing Sputnik 19 May 2015 -- South Korea is looking into whether a US advanced missile-defense system could boost its defense capabilities against North Korea, a government official said Tuesday.
Russia Orders Probe of Latest Space Launch Failure VOA 16 May 2015 -- Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev has ordered the formation of a special commission to probe the failed launch early Saturday of a Russian rocket carrying a Mexican satellite into space.
Mexican Satellite Launched on Proton-M Carrier Rocket Burnt Up Sputnik 16 May 2015 -- Mexico's MexSat-1 communication satellite launched on a Russian Proton-M rocket from Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan on Saturday morning has burnt up in atmosphere. This comes on the same date as a near identical crash of the same launch vehicle exactly one year ago, carrying Russia's most advanced satellite Express-AM4R.
Germany to Decide on MEADS Missile Systems Purchase by Late June Sputnik 15 May 2015 -- According to ministry spokesperson, Germany Defense Ministry will decide whether to purchase the Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS), a replacement for the US-developed Patriot.
Failure of Progress Mission Caused by Separation Glitch, Fuel Leaks Sputnik 12 May 2015 -- An improper separation of the Progress M-27M space freighter from a carrier rocket following leaks in fuel tanks on the booster caused the failure of the Progress cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in April, Russia's space agency Roscosmos said Tuesday.
US to Announce Integration of Gulf Council Ballistic Defense Architecture Sputnik 12 May 2015 -- The United States and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states will announce plans to integrate ballistic defense capabilities after the US-GCC summit meeting at Camp David on Thursday, National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes stated during a press call.
DPRK slams U.S. for suspecting its satellite program People's Daily 08 May 2015 -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Friday lashed out at the United Statesand other 'hostile forces' for suspecting ulterior motives behind Pyongyang's satellite program after a new satellite control and command center was completed for space research.
US Awards $600 Million for NATO's Ballistic Missile Defense Kill Vehicle Sputnik 04 May 2015 -- The US Missile Defense Agency awarded a $600 million contract for 44 anti-ballistic missiles to be placed in Romania as part of the NATO's missile defense shield, US defense contractor Raytheon said in a statement on Monday.
Kim Jong Un Visits Newly-built General Satellite Control and Command Centre KCNA 03 May 2015 -- Kim Jong Un, first secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, first chairman of the DPRK National Defence Commission and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army (KPA), inspected the newly-built General Satellite Control and Command Centre of the National Aerospace Development Administration (NADA).
North Korea set to become space power: Kim Press TV 03 May 2015 -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says Pyongyang plans to launch more satellites into orbit despite international sanctions and become a "space power."
N Korea Unveils New Satellite Control Center Sputnik 03 May 2015 -- North Korea will continue developing space technology despite international sanctions, the country's leader Kim Jong-un said when visiting a newly-built satellite command and control center earlier this week.

NEWSLETTER

Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list