March 2020 Space News

Space Force identifies USAF missions for transfer to newest service US Air Force 31 Mar 2020 -- In a significant step that enhances the U.S. Space Force's capabilities and development, the Department of the Air Force has identified 23 U.S. Air Force organizations whose space-related missions will soon transfer to the Space Force.
SMC awards $500 million contracts to Raytheon and L3 Technologies Inc. SMC 30 Mar 2020 -- The Space and Missile Systems Center awarded Raytheon Company - Space and Airborne Systems and L3 Technologies Inc. two indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multi-award contracts with ceiling values of $500 million each, totaling $1 billion, for development and production of Protected Tactical Waveform (PTW)-capable modems, over 120 days ahead of schedule, March 27.
Space Fence Surveillance Radar Ready For Use - US Space Force Sputnik 30 Mar 2020 -- The surveillance radar, capable of tracking tiny objects in low Earth orbit, took five years to complete and was said to cost $1.5 billion.
Launch of Space Force Largely Unaffected by Coronavirus, Top Space Officer Says DoD News 27 Mar 2020 -- The Space Force launched in late December and, as it approaches its 100th day, its forward momentum is unabated by the coronavirus pandemic, the chief of space operations said.
Russian Space Agency Says Will Change 2020 Launch Schedule Due to COVID-19 Outbreak Sputnik 27 Mar 2020 -- The Russian Space Agency Roscosmos will adapt its planned launch schedule for this coming year in light of the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic that has caused the suspension of satellite production in Europe, the agency's press service said on Friday.
United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches First National Security Space Mission for the U.S. Space Force United Launch Alliance 26 Mar 2020 -- A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket carrying the sixth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) communications satellite for the U.S. Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center lifted off from Space Launch Complex-41 on March 26 at 4:18 p.m. EDT.
First US Space Force Mission Launches High-Frequency Communications Satellite Sputnik 26 Mar 2020 -- A souped-up Atlas V rocket on Thursday launched an Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) communications satellite in the inaugural mission for the newly created US Space Force.
China sends new group of remote sensing satellites into space Global Times 24 Mar 2020 -- China successfully sent a group of remote sensing Yaogan-30 satellites into space on Tuesday from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Southwest China's Sichuan Province on Tuesday.
Long March-3A rocket series send 58 Beidou satellites into orbits PLA Daily 17 Mar 2020 -- The 54th navigation satellite of the BeiDou system was successfully launched at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center a few days ago, which means that the completion of BeiDou global navigation network is only one step away. The series of Long March 3A(LM-3A) rockets are indispensable for each launch mission of the Beidou project and thus known as the "BeiDou Express". This time, the LM-3A rockets also set a new launch record again.
First international standard for BDS shipborne receiver initially released PLA Daily 16 Mar 2020 -- The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) officially released the first international standard for testing ship-borne receiver equipment of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), known as IEC 61108-5:2020, on March 11, 2020.
Maiden flight of China's new modified launch vehicle failed due to unknown malfunction Global Times 16 Mar 2020 -- China's launch of its modified version of Long March-7 failed on Monday, probe into the cause of such failure will be conducted.
DOD Officials Describe Missile Defense Efforts DoD News 13 Mar 2020 -- BY Defending the homeland and deployed forces, allies and partners from missile threats of any type is the military's top priority.
China's polar-observing satellite completes Antarctic mission Global Times 13 Mar 2020 -- China's first polar-observing satellite has completed its Antarctic observation mission after orbiting Earth for six months.
China tests Mars probe for 2020 Mars mission PLA Daily 11 Mar 2020 -- The Beijing Aerospace Control Center announced on Tuesday that China completed a probe test ahead of an exploration mission to Mars this year.
Barrett points to recent activities as a clear example for why the US Space Force is needed US Air Force 11 Mar 2020 -- Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett asserted March 10 that a Russian satellite "actively maneuvering suspiciously near" a U.S. "security satellite" is the clearest sign of space's changing nature and why creating the U.S. Space Force is necessary.
Army looks to leverage 'low Earth orbit' satellites Army News 10 Mar 2020 -- Constellations of small satellites orbiting close to Earth may provide faster communications and be less vulnerable than traditional ones, defense officials said Thursday.
China successfully sent into space second to the last satellite of the BDS-3 constellation Global Times 09 Mar 2020 -- China successfully sent the 54th satellite for the country's domestically developed BeiDou Satellite Navigation System, or BDS, into designated orbit on Monday.
Shenzhen reports second imported COVID-19, patient traveled to Spain Global Times 06 Mar 2020 -- South China's Shenzhen reported its second imported COVID-19 infection on Friday, with the patient traveling to Spain in early January and transferred flight in Abu Dhabi on her way back to China.
Beijing registers 4 imported COVID-19 cases from Italy Global Times 06 Mar 2020 -- Beijing reported four new confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection on Thursday, all of which are imported cases from Italy, local health authorities said Friday.
Coronavirus death toll hits 124 in Iran, 913 patients recover IRNA 06 Mar 2020 -- Iran's Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoosh Jahanpour announced that 1,234 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since yesterday that is associated with the more activeness of the country's laboratory system.
Medical Observation and Material Supply for Preventing COVID-19 Intensified in DPRK KCNA 06 Mar 2020 -- The prevention of COVID-19 is being intensified across the country along with a series of nationwide top-class anti-epidemic measures taken true to the spirit of the enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea.
China study suggests 14-day COVID-19 quarantine too short for women CNA 06 Mar 2020 -- A Chinese study on the globally-spread epidemic caused by the new coronavirus (COVID-19) that first appeared in late 2019 in China's Wuhan, suggests there should be different control approaches between men and women, including a longer quarantine isolation period for women.
China faces rising risk of imported COVID-19 cases: official People's Daily 06 Mar 2020 -- Chinese health authorities said Friday that China must not relax its vigilance or lower the level of work in epidemic prevention and control as the number of imported cases of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) increases.
Death Toll From Coronavirus in Mainland China Reaches 3,042, Over 80,500 Infected Sputnik 06 Mar 2020 -- The outbreak of pneumonia caused by a new strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) was first registered in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Hubei province, and has since spread to at least 85 countries, according to the data provided by the World Health Organisation.
China carrying out planned space missions amid virus outbreak Global Times 06 Mar 2020 -- China's scheduled space missions this year will not be affected by the novel coronavirus epidemic, the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province said Friday.
DOD Officials Describe Layered Missile Defense Progress DoD News 05 Mar 2020 -- The mission of the Missile Defense Agency is defending the U.S., deployed forces, friends and allies from missiles of all sorts. "It's a no-fail mission," said its director, Navy Vice Adm. Jon A. Hill, speaking at the 11th annual McAleese Defense Programs Conference in Washington, D.C.
Top Space Command Official Details Strategies, Needs to House Subcommittee DoD News 04 Mar 2020 -- The U.S. Space Force has to maintain operations in the space domain while setting up operating procedures and other aspects of establishing a new armed force, a top Space Command official said.

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