February 2019 Space News

US Must Accelerate Deployment of Space Sensors to Counter Russian Threat - NORAD Sputnik 26 Feb 2019 -- The United States needs to accelerate the deployment of sensors in space to counter threats allegedly posed by adversaries like Russia, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Commander Terrence O'Shaughnessy said in congressional testimony on Tuesday.
Iran's first ever radio telescope unveiled IRNA 25 Feb 2019 -- After years of endless efforts, Iranian researchers and scientists were quite successful to design and produce the first ever home-made radio telescope to serve the country's physicians, academicians and university students, Head of Iran's Space Research Center Omid Shokofa said on Monday.
Zafar, Pars 1 satellites to be launched next Iranian year IRNA 25 Feb 2019 -- Iran's next year (starting in March 21) will have Zafar and Pars 1 satellites and several other satellites at launching phase.
Raytheon and General Dynamics to operate Reagan Ballistic Missile Test Site Raytheon 25 Feb 2019 -- RGNext, a joint venture between Raytheon's (NYSE: RTN) Intelligence, Information and Services business and General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), will operate the U.S. Army's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site, safely managing space vehicle and ballistic missile launches and missile defense tests conducted from islands in the 750,000-square-mile Pacific Ocean range.
US Army Awards $502Mln Contract to Manage Pacific Missile Test Range - Raytheon Sputnik 25 Feb 2019 -- The US Army has awarded a $502 million contract to manage tests of ballistic missiles and missile defense systems over the Pacific to RGNext, a joint venture between Raytheon and General Dynamics, Raytheon announced in a press release on Monday.
1st Israeli Lunar Lander Lifts Off on Top of Falcon 9 Rocket From Cape Canaveral Sputnik 22 Feb 2019 -- A Falcon 9 launch vehicle has successfully blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, carrying Israel's first lunar mission, Beresheet, Indonesian communications satellite Nusantara Satu, and the US Air Force Research Laboratory S5 spacecraft, a live broadcast on SpaceX's website showed.
Air Force awards $739M launch service contracts US Air Force 22 Feb 2019 -- The U.S. Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office, awarded two Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) launch service contracts Feb. 19.
Japanese Probe Hayabusa2 Touches Down on Ryugu Asteroid Sputnik 22 Feb 2019 -- Japanese asteroid explorer Hayabusa2 landed on the surface of asteroid Ryugu for collecting samples and bringing them back to Earth, a live broadcast conducted by Japanese space agency JAXA showed on Friday.
BeiDou Navigation System completed first outbound trip, eyeing promotion in global markets People's Daily 21 Feb 2019 -- Chinese cargo ship Rongda Changsha equipped with terminal products of BeiDou Navigation Satellite System arrived at Brunei recently after embarking from Luojing Port in Shanghai, marking the first successful application of BeiDou terminal products and unveiling the ambition of promoting BeiDou products to the international market.
Russia Completes Engine Tests of Soyuz Rocket's 2nd Stage Using New Fuel - UEC Sputnik 20 Feb 2019 -- The engine for the second stage of the Soyuz-2 rocket using the new naphthyl rocket fuel instead of kerosene was successfully tested, a spokesperson for the United Engine Corporation told Sputnik on the sidelines of the Aero India exhibition in the Indian city of Bengaluru on Wednesday.
Trump Signs Directive Establishing US Space Force Sputnik 20 Feb 2019 -- President Donald Trump signed a directive that ordered the Pentagon to establish US Space Force that would operate as the sixth branch of armed forces within the Air Force.
President Donald J. Trump is Establishing America's Space Force The White House 19 Feb 2019
US Air Force Starts Detailed Planning for Space Force Set Up – Chief of Staff Sputnik 19 Feb 2019 -- The US Air Force has begun preparations for establishing a new military branch for space within the department, Air Force Chief of Staff General David Goldfein said on Tuesday.
Trump Signs Space Force Directive VOA 19 Feb 2019 -- U.S. President Donald Trump signed a directive on Tuesday to outline the establishment of the Space Force as the newest branch of the military.
Iran Confirms Failure Of Second Satellite Launch RFE/RL 16 Feb 2019 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has confirmed in an interview with NBC News that Tehran's bid to send a satellite into space failed in early February, the second such mishap within two months.
Russian Improved Missile Alert System Almost Complete - Aerospace Forces Sputnik 16 Feb 2019 -- Russia has completed reconfiguring its land-based missile attack warning system and has patched up all gaps left after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Igor Morozov, deputy chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces, said Saturday.
US 'Possibly' Sabotaging Iran's Satellite Launches Amid Failed 2nd Try - Zarif Sputnik 16 Feb 2019 -- The comments arrived on the heels of Mike Pence's outspoken remarks at a Middle East symposium in Poland, where he dwelled on Iran plotting "a new Holocaust". Days earlier, a satellite image emerged sporting an empty launch pad and a burn mark on it at the Imam Khomeini Space Centre in Iran's Semnan Province.
US Air Force Mulls Boosting Space Military Capabilities at New Mexico Base Sputnik 15 Feb 2019 -- The US Air Force is preparing to expand facilities for its space rapid response military operations at a base in the state of New Mexico, two senators said in a press release on Thursday.
Taiwan Announces New Phase of Space Program, Hopes for Moon Mission Sputnik 15 Feb 2019 -- Taiwan's Ministry of Science and Technology has announced that the nation's space program has reached its third phase, during which it hopes to launch 10 satellites ‒ one every 18 months ‒ one of which would orbit the moon.
US, Canada Must Upgrade Missile Defenses Against Russia - NORAD Commander Sputnik 14 Feb 2019 -- The commander of the US agency tasked with detecting strategic attacks on American soil called on the two countries to stop with their endless discussions and begin deploying new systems to counter the Russian military threat.
RIP Opportunity: NASA Declares Mars Rover Dead After 15-Year Run Sputnik 14 Feb 2019 -- The US space agency NASA declared the mission of its Opportunity rover on Mars to be complete Wednesday after it failed to answer more than 1,000 wake-up commands. Originally expected to last only 90 days, the Opportunity mission explored the Red Planet for nearly 15 years, making key discoveries about Martian geology.
Mars Rover's Mission Finally Over, NASA Says VOA 13 Feb 2019 -- "I declare the Opportunity mission is complete," NASA official Thomas Zurbuchen said Wednesday of the U.S. Mars rover mission that outlasted its projected life span by more than 14 years.
China improves Long March-6 rocket for growing commercial launches People's Daily 12 Feb 2019 -- China announced Monday that it is developing the modified version of the Long March-6 rocket with four additional solid boosters to increase its carrying capacity.
China: US seeking to turn space into 'battlefield' Press TV 12 Feb 2019 -- China has slammed the US over its military buildup in the outer space, warning Washington against attempts to turn the space into yet another "battlefield."
Russia Challenges US Defense in Space, Developing Capabilities - Intel Report Sputnik 12 Feb 2019 -- Russia is likely pursuing directed energy weapons including lasers that could take out enemy satellites, the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) said in a new assessment entitled "Challenges to Securities in Space".
Defense Intelligence Agency Releases Report on Challenges to U.S. Security in Space DIA 11 Feb 2019 -- The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) today released "Challenges to Security in Space," a report that examines the space and counterspace programs that could challenge U.S. or partner interests in the space domain.
DIA Report Details Threats to America's Space-Based World DoD News 11 Feb 2019 -- Space enables the modern world, and the United States needs to maintain its progress in this critical domain if it hopes to lead in the future.
US Sees as Threat North Korea, Iran Space Capabilities - Defense Intel Agency Sputnik 11 Feb 2019 -- Iran and North Korea pose an increasing challenge to the United States in space as both countries have developed jamming capabilities, the US Defense Intelligence Agency said in a new report on Monday.
US Sees Growing Threats to 'Freedom of Action' in Space VOA 11 Feb 2019 -- Russia and China are racing to advance their space-based military capabilities and could soon prevent the United States and its allies from using outer space freely.
Raptor Engine Beats Russian RD-180 Record in Combustion Chamber Pressure - Musk Sputnik 11 Feb 2019 -- The new methane-fueled Raptor engine developed by US SpaceX aerospace company for its Starship interplanetary craft has outperformed the Russian RD-180 rocket engine in terms of pressure level in the combustion chamber, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said on Monday.
US military alarmed by possible threats from Chinese space station in Argentina: Report Press TV 09 Feb 2019 -- The United States military is concerned about possible "threats" coming from a Chinese-run space station in Argentina which Beijing used recently to land a probe on the dark side of the moon, according to a new report.
US May Dump Patriot Sales to Turkey in Event of Russian S-400 Purchase – Report Sputnik 08 Feb 2019 -- Last month, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin reaffirmed that Ankara would purchase Russian S-400 air defence systems regardless of a potential deal with the United States on the acquisition of Patriot surface-to-air missile systems.
U.S. Assails Iranian Space Program After Reports Of Second Failed Launch RFE/RL 08 Feb 2019 -- The United States has again accused Iran of developing and testing ballistic missiles in "defiance of the international community" after reports of a second failed space launch by Tehran in less than a month.
Egypt to Host African Space Agency's Headquarters - Foreign Ministry Sputnik 08 Feb 2019 -- Egypt has won the bid to host the headquarters of the African Space Agency, with the decision due to be endorsed at the next week's African Union (AU) summit in the Ethiopian capital, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced on 8 February.
Attempted Space Launch by the Iranian Regime US Dept. of State 07 Feb 2019 -- "In defiance of the international community, the Iranian regime continues to develop and test ballistic missiles, including a reported second failed space launch in less than a month."
Imagery Suggests Second Launch Attempt Of Iranian Satellite RFE/RL 07 Feb 2019 -- Two satellite-imagery companies have released photos that suggest Iran has attempted a second launch of a satellite after the failure of the first lift-off in January.
PHOTOS Suggest Alleged Iran's 'Attempt to Launch Satellite' Despite US Criticism Sputnik 07 Feb 2019 -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in January that two domestically made satellites would be launched "in the coming days" despite US claims that this would violate a UN Security Council resolution dealing with Tehran's nuclear programme.
Japan's Hayabusa-2 Probe Expected to Land on Asteroid Ryugu in Late February Sputnik 07 Feb 2019 -- Officials with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced this week that the Hayabusa-2 probe is expected to land on the Ryugu asteroid at roughly 8 a.m. local time on February 22, 2019.
Kingdom launches first Saudi communications satellite (SGS-1) successfully, HRH the Crown Prince signed the final piece to be placed on the satellite with the words, "Above the Clouds" SPA 06 Feb 2019 -- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the King Abdul-Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), announced today that the first Saudi satellite for communications (SGS-1) has been launched successfully from the Guiana Space Centre on an Ariane 5 rocket. HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Crown Prince, Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Defense, had signed the final piece to be placed on the Saudi satellite before its launch with the words, "above the clouds."
U.S. Navy Successfully Conducts AN/SPY-6(V) Air and Missile Defense Radar Ballistic Missile Test NNS 05 Feb 2019 -- The U.S. Navy's AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) successfully tracked a ballistic missile target, Jan. 31.
Iran marks space day, plans building advanced satellites Press TV 04 Feb 2019 -- Iran has stressed the peaceful nature of its space program, denying there is any connection between its satellite launches and the national missile defense program.
Fire At Iran Space Center Kills Three Scientists RFE/RL 04 Feb 2019 -- A fire at the Iranian Space Research Center has killed three scientists, a top Iranian official has announced.
India Enlists France's Arianespace to Replace Dying Satellite - Report Sputnik 04 Feb 2019 -- The replacement satellite, GSAT-31, will provide wide-beam coverage to facilitate communication over large oceanic regions including the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean using a wide-band transponder. The two Ku-band beacon down-link signals are transmitted for the purpose of ground tracking.
Arianespace Rejects Russia Offer to Fix Seam Rupture in Fregat Booster - Source Sputnik 04 Feb 2019 -- Arianespace has not accepted the offer by the Russian Lavochkin Research and Production Association to "patch up" the rupture in the pipeline that supplies helium to fuel tanks of the Fregat booster on the Soyuz-ST carrier rocket at the space center, a source in the rocket and space industry told Sputnik on Monday.

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