Miscellaneous Launches and Payloads (updates)

[Unobscured Vision]

Yep. At this point, ArianeSpace is much like ULA and its' parent companies combined -- a vast, tangled, monolithic mess of bureaucracy that has no idea how to do things the NewSpace way, so it needs to resort to what it knows.

 

You'd think that they'd at least try to go for 3/4 re-use like SpaceX. Only thing SpaceX isn't able to recover is the S2 -- and I'm sure they're working on a way to get that back down the road.  

[DocM]

S2 reuse may come with a Raptor upper stage.

 

Speculation,

 

With that level of thrust & Isp combined the upper stage could have a biconic lifting body shape with a disposable or retractable payload adapter & nozzle extension. Once it discharges the payload it comes back like Blue Origin's biconic spacecraft or Russia's Klipr concept. See the last two.

 

 

Edited April 10, 2016 by DocM

[Unobscured Vision]

Nice!

 

I was thinking of some strengthened, heat-shielded or tiled Airbrakes to act both as retro and the Landing Legs. The entire outside of the S2 would need to be heat-shielded and/or tiled in some fashion in conjunction with vapor-chill cooling; and it would behoove matters if it included a retractable fairing as shown above -- minimizing orbital debris and maximizing re-use simultaneously. Add to that the Raptor Vac engine, some extra power storage, reaction wheels for orientation (so that we don't need the RCS system until we're in the atmosphere, saving weight) and we're in business.  

 

If anyone can pull something like that off it's SpaceX.

[Beittil]

Quote

Virgin Galactic is planning another price increase for suborbital flights. Richard Branson said in an interview that the company will soon raise prices for suborbital tickets on SpaceShipTwo to $300,000 from $250,000. Branson didn't disclose the reason for the increase, but said prices would decrease later as the company built more vehicles and operated from more spaceports. Virgin increased ticket prices to $250,000 from $200,000 shortly after the first powered SpaceShipTwo flight in 2013. [The Observer]

4 dead during the program, 1 craft lost, new plane not even been airborne yet... but hey, lets boost the price again a bit!

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Next Launch

 

Quote

April 22Soyuz • Sentinel 1B

Launch time: 2102:23 GMT (5:02:23 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: ELS, Sinnamary, French Guiana

An Arianespace Soyuz rocket, designated VS14, will launch on a mission from the Guiana Space Center in South America. The Soyuz will carry the Sentinel 1B radar observation satellite for the European Space Agency and the European Commission, the Microscope microsatellite to research gravitational forces, Norway’s Norsat 1 microsatellite for ship tracking and space weather and solar radiation research, and three CubeSats sponsored by the European Space Agency. The Soyuz 2-1a (Soyuz ST-A) rocket will use a Fregat upper stage. Moved forward from April 14. Delayed from April 12. [Feb. 22]

http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

 

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Europe’s Sentinel-1B satellite is fueled for Arianespace’s Soyuz launch on April 22

 

The Sentinel-1B satellite for Arianespace’s upcoming Soyuz launch is fueled in the Spaceport’s S3B clean room facility.

 

Quote

The primary payload on Arianespace’s next mission has been fueled at the Spaceport, readying this European environmental satellite for integration with its Soyuz launcher in French Guiana.

 

During activity in the Spaceport’s S3B clean room facility this week, Sentinel-1B was “topped off” with its propellant load, marking another step in preparations for liftoff on April 22.

 

Sentinel-1B carries a C-SAR (C-band synthetic aperture radar) instrument for all-weather, day/night images, and will join Sentinal-1A – lofted two years ago by Arianespace on another Soyuz mission.

 

Built by prime contractor Thales Alenia Space, the satellite will have a liftoff mass of approximately 2,300 kg. and is to operate in low Earth orbit at an altitude of 694 kilometers. It is based on a Prima spacecraft platform developed by Thales Alenia Space on behalf of the Italian space agency, ASI.

 

Sentinel-1B and the identical Sentinel-1A are part of Europe’s Copernicus Earth observation program, managed by the European Space Agency (ESA) program in partnership with the European Commission. Copernicus has the goal of ensuring European independence in the acquisition and management of environmental data concerning the planet, as well as to support local authorities and policy-makers.

 

The April 22 mission is designated Flight VS14 in Arianespace’s launcher family numbering system, and will be the company’s third of 12 targeted missions in 2016 with its medium-lift Soyuz, heavy-lift Ariane 5 and lightweight Vega vehicles.

http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/europes-sentinel-1b-satellite-is-fueled-for-arianespaces-soyuz-launch-on-april-22/

 

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A trio of miniaturized satellites are ready for Arianespace’s next Soyuz mission

 

Three “Ps in a pod!” The three CubeSat payloads from ESA’s Fly Your Satellite! program are integrated with Soyuz launcher hardware. At left, the CubeSats are shown arranged side-by-side in their P-POD deployment system. The P-POD is then secured to a vertical mounting bracket that has been attached to the Soyuz launcher’s ASAP-S platform (photos center, and right).

 

Quote

Payload integration has begun for Arianespace’s Soyuz mission on April 22, with the flight’s three miniaturized auxiliary satellite passengers now installed on a special platform that enables multiple payloads to be deployed by the workhorse launcher.

 

This spacecraft trio is from the Fly Your Satellite! program, an educational outreach of the European Space Agency (ESA) in collaboration with European universities. With the Fly Your Satellite! activity, students are provided practical experience with a space hardware project as part of the newly-established ESA Academy.

 

For Arianespace’s Soyuz mission to low Earth orbit next week, the three Fly Your Satellite! spacecraft are of the CubeSat-category – sized at 10.5 X 10.5 cm. each, and weighing 1 kg. per payload. They are installed in a deployment system called P-POD, and will be released during a launcher mission lasting a total of four hours.

 

The three CubeSats are: OUFTI-1 from the University of Liege, Belgium, which will test a new communications subsystem; e-st@r-II, developed by the Politecnico di Torino, Italy to demonstrate an attitude control system using measurements of the Earth’s magnetic field; and AAUSAT4 from the University of Aalborg, Denmark, to operate an automated ocean vessel identification system.

http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/a-trio-of-miniaturized-satellites-are-ready-for-launch-on-arianespaces-next-soyuz-mission/

 

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The next big thing in space is really, really small

 

The SunCube FemtoSat and the three-tiered version have a propulsion system, data collection and communications capability. The three-tiered one also has space for a payload. Image courtesy Charlie Leight/ASU Now.

 

Quote

Going into space is now within your grasp. A tiny spacecraft being developed at Arizona State University is breaking the barrier of launch cost, making the price of conducting a space mission radically cheaper.

 

"With a spacecraft this size, any university can do it, any lab can do it, any hobbyist can do it," said Jekan Thanga, assistant professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration?The School of Earth and Space Exploration is an academic unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. and head of the Space and Terrestrial Robotic Exploration (SpaceTREx) Laboratory.

 

Thanga and a team of graduate and undergraduate students - including Mercedes Herreras-Martinez, Andrew Warren and Aman Chandra - have spent the past two years developing the SunCube FemtoSat - Femtosatellite or "femtosat" is usually applied to artificial satellites with a wet mass.

 

Wet mass in this context means the weight of the spacecraft and any fuel it will use to propel itself around while in space. between 10 and 100 g (0.35 and 3.53 ounces). It's tiny - 3 cm by 3 cm by 3 cm. Thanga envisions a "constellation of spacecraft" - many eyes in many places. A swarm of them could inspect damaged spacecraft from many angles, for example.

 

Thanga and the School of Earth and Space Exploration will host a free kickoff event Thursday night introducing the SunCube, followed by a panel discussion with scientists and space-industry professionals on the logistics, opportunities and implications of this breakthrough technology.

 

Launch and launch-integration costs currently run into $60,000-$70,000 per kilo. The Russians, the Chinese and the Indians all charge about the same amount, too. That can get pretty pricey for a full-size satellite.

 

"These high costs put out of reach most educational institutions and individuals from the ability to build and launch their own spacecraft," ASU's team wrote in a paper detailing the new model.

 

Launch expenses for the SunCube FemtoSat will cost about $1,000 to go to the International Space Station or $3,000 for flight into low-Earth orbit. (Earth escape will cost about $27,000.)

 

"That was a critical price point we wanted to hit," Thanga said. When SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket lifts off later this year, Thanga expects costs to drop by as much as half.

 

Parts cost for a SunCube FemtoSat should run in the hundreds of dollars. A garage hobbyist could literally fly his or her own mission. One example is the solar panels. They aren't available off the shelf in this size, so students cut them from scraps sold at a huge discount by manufacturers.

more at the link...

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/The_next_big_thing_in_space_is_really_really_small_999.html

 

[Unobscured Vision]

Haha I love it! Aren't those FemtoSats cute?!  Thirty Grand and you'd be able to put one of those little buggers on an escape trajectory.

 

Of course, you're responsible for it, wherever it goes, for as long as it's in flight.

 

If it punches a hole in MCT while it's making a final descent burn on the entry corridor for ColonyOne and kills the first round of Colonists -- including {redacted} and {redacted} who are on the short list to be the first two people to set foot on Mars -- you're gonna be responsible for that.

 

But hey! At least Space is within reach of everyone now; so long as we're responsible about it ....

 

RESPONSIBLE.

[Jim K Global Moderator]

Not really a "launches and payloads" update .... but thought this video was pretty cool.  It is a 360 degree video where you can move the camera around (using a mouse, moving your phone or if you have a VR headset).  This is of NROL-45 which launched on the 10th on a clandestine reconnaissance mission.  

 

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Fueling is completed for the upper stage on Arianespace’s next Soyuz mission

 

After emerging from the Spaceport’s FCube fueling operations hall (at left), the Fregat upper stage for Arianespace’s Soyuz Flight VS14 is transferred by road (photo, right) to the S3B clean room, where it will be integrated with the mission’s satellite passengers.

 

Quote

Processing of the upper stage for Flight VS14 was performed in the Spaceport’s Fregat Fueling Facility (FCube) – which entered service last year as the latest site at French Guiana created to support Arianespace’s sustained operational cadence.

 

FCube reduces the time required to “top off” Fregat upper stages during Soyuz launch campaigns. It also frees up another facility previously used for Fregat upper stage fueling operations, the Spaceport’s S3 building – making the S3 facility more available for the processing of customer spacecraft to be lofted by the various members of Arianespace’s launch vehicle family.

 

Quote

Fregat is produced by NPO Lavochkin, a company which is part of the Soyuz launcher’s Russian industrial team, and serves as an autonomous and flexible upper stage that extends Soyuz’ capability to perform a full range of missions.

 

After its fueling in the FCube, the Fregat was transferred by road today to the Spaceport’s S3B clean room, where the upper stage will be integrated with Flight VS14’s passengers: Sentinel-1B, which will provide all-weather, day/night images as part of Europe’s Copernicus Earth observation program; France’s Microscope, designed to validate the equivalence principle described by Albert Einstein; and three miniaturized CubeSats for the European Space Agency’s Fly Your Satellite! university student program.

 

Flight VS14 is set for liftoff from French Guiana on April 22, deploying its multi-satellite payload during a mission lasting four hours. This will be Arianespace’s third launch in 2016, continuing the company’s pace for as many as 12 flights this year using its medium-lift Soyuz, heavy-lift Ariane 5 and lightweight Vega.

http://www.arianespace.com/mission-update/fueling-is-completed-for-the-upper-stage-on-arianespaces-next-soyuz-mission/

[Beittil]

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

US Military's Satellite-Launching XS-1 Space Plane Could Fly in 2019

 

This artist's illustration shows one possible Boeing design for the U.S. military's XS-1 Experimental Spaceplane concept.
Credit: Boeing

 

Quote

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is now entering the second and third phases of its ambitious Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) program, which aims to make launching satellites a daily occurrence.

 

"I can tell you officially now that we have been funded by the [Obama] Administration for the next phase of XS-1," DARPA's Jess Sponable told applauding attendees at the Space Access '16 Conference in Phoenix last week. "What I can tell you right now is that we have $146 million."

 

DARPA launched the XS-1 program in 2014 with the goal of developing a reusable launch system capable of flying 10 times in 10 days with aircraftlike operability, at a cost of no more than $5 million per flight. [XS-1: A US Military Space Plane in Pictures (Gallery)]

 

Over the past two years, DARPA has funded Phase 1 studies by three companies: Boeing, which partnered with Blue Origin; Masten Space Systems, which partnered with XCOR Aerospace; and Northrop Grumman, which partnered with Virgin Galactic.

 

Quote

The goal of the next phases of the program is to take the program beyond studies to flight tests. The solicitation will be open to all companies, not just the ones that were funded in Phase 1. Sponable said that although he expects more than three bids, the level of detail required for the next phases will make it difficult for new entrants to compete with the companies that are already in the program.

 

DARPA will kick off Phase 2 with a proposers' day on April 29 in Arlington, Virginia. The agency will send out a solicitation following the meeting, with the goal of selecting a single contractor early in fiscal year 2017. Flights of the vehicle would occur in the 2019 to 2020 time frame.

 

Sponable said that the $146 million DARPA has received is sufficient to begin to support a single contractor. "That's enough to pick someone and go," he said. "It's probably not enough to fully fund what we have envisioned."

 

Bidders will be required to bring their own funding to the table as part of a public-private partnership, Sponable said. The days of the federal government fully funding development programs is over, he added.

 

The initial version of the launch vehicle must be capable of placing a 900-lb. (408 kilograms) payload into low Earth orbit. The contractor will need to show how the vehicle can be upgraded to carry 3,000-lb. (1,360 kg) payloads in commercial operations using an expendable upper stage.

http://www.space.com/32574-military-space-plane-xs1-2019-flight.html

[Draggendrop Veteran]

As Beittil posted above....

 

China begins testing Tiangong-2 space lab

 

The Tiangong 2 space laboratory is designed to probe life support technologies for Beijing's future space station.

 

Quote

China has completed the assembly and started testing its Tiangong-2 space laboratory, local media said on Tuesday.

 

With assembly complete on Monday, experts began adjusting mechanisms and testing the module's systems, the China Central Television (CCTV) national broadcaster reported.

 

The launch of Tiangong-2 is planned for the second half of 2016. The module set to replace the Tiangong-1 prototype, which has been in orbit since 2011. The module will later be docked with a cargo spacecraft which is set to launch in 2017.

 

The Tiangong 2 space laboratory is designed to probe life support technologies for Beijing's future space station.

 

In early January, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said that Beijing will conduct over 20 space missions in 2016, including the launch of a manned spacecraft.

 

China is also expecting to launch two satellites for domestic navigation systems and one communications satellite for Belarus.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/China_begins_testing_Tiangong_2_space_lab_999.html

 

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Quote

April 22 Soyuz • Sentinel 1B

Launch time: 2102:23 GMT (5:02:23 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: ELS, Sinnamary, French Guiana

An Arianespace Soyuz rocket, designated VS14, will launch on a mission from the Guiana Space Center in South America. The Soyuz will carry the Sentinel 1B radar observation satellite for the European Space Agency and the European Commission, the Microscope microsatellite to research gravitational forces, Norway’s Norsat 1 microsatellite for ship tracking and space weather and solar radiation research, and three CubeSats sponsored by the European Space Agency. The Soyuz 2-1a (Soyuz ST-A) rocket will use a Fregat upper stage. Moved forward from April 14. Delayed from April 12. [Feb. 22]

http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

 

SOYUZ FLIGHT VS14
with Sentinel-1B, Microscope and Fly Your Satellite!

 

Launch Kit (pdf)

http://www.arianespace.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ARIANESPACE_Dossier-de-presse-VS14-GB.pdf

 

Press Release

http://www.arianespace.com/press-release/flight-vs14-arianespaces-first-soyuz-launch-in-2016-supporting-european-space-applications/

 

//

 

Sentinel-1B

 

Quote

Sentinel-1B, the second spacecraft in the Sentinel-1 family of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) observation satellites, is part of a vast joint research program by ESA and the European Union called Copernicus.

 

Copernicus aims to provide operational information on land masses, oceans and the Earth’s atmosphere – data that will play a critical role in determining the policies needed to protect our environment and security, and to meet the needs of both consumers and service providers.

 

Microscope

 

Quote

The Microscope satellite (Micro-Satellite à traînée Compensée pour l’Observation du Principe d’Equivalence) will test the equivalence principle described by Albert Einstein, with a precision on the order of 10-15. In space, it is possible to study the relative motion of two bodies in almost perfect and permanent free fall aboard an orbiting satellite, shielded from perturbations encountered on Earth (notably seismic), over the course of several months.

 

To achieve this, two concentric cylindrical test masses made of different materials – one titanium and one a platinum-rhodium alloy – will be minutely controlled to keep them motionless with respect to the satellite inside independent differential electrostatic accelerometers. If the equivalence principle is verified, the two masses will be subjected to the same control acceleration. If different accelerations have to be applied, the principle will be violated: an event that would shake the foundations of physics.

 

Fly Your Satellite!

 

Quote

Fly Your Satellite! is an educational program of the ESA Education and Knowledge Management Office operated in close collaboration with European universities and aimed at complementing academic education.

 

It is providing university students across Europe with the unique opportunity to gain practical experience in key phases of a challenging, real satellite project: a CubeSat – from integration, test and verification to launch and operations. Through Fly Your Satellite! and other educational projects, ESA acts to inspire, engage and better prepare students to undertake scientific and technological careers, particularly in the space sector. Fly Your Satellite! is part of the newly-established ESA Education and Knowledge Management Office’s program.

 

Quote

As part of the Fly Your Satellite! Program, 3 student-built CubeSats have been selected for launch out of the 6 initial participating teams, and have been working hard to perfect their spacecraft:

 

OUFTI-1 from the University of Liege, Belgium, will test a new communications subsystem;
e-st@r-II from the Polytechnic of Turin, Italy, will demonstrate an attitude determination system using measurements of the Earth’s magnetic field;

AAUSAT-4 from the University of Aalborg, Denmark, will operate an Automated Identification System (AIS) receiver in order to identify and track the position of ships transiting away from coastal areas.

The Fly Your Satellite! CubeSats will be respectively, the 52nd, 53rd and 54th ESA spacecraft launched by Arianespace.

http://www.arianespace.com/mission/ariane-flight-vs14/

 

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Here is a newer SLS animation. I put an older one under it for comparison.

 

Space Launch System Scale and Power (Animation)

video is 1:29 min.

 

Quote

Published on Apr 13, 2016
Animation depicting NASA’s Space Launch System, the world's most powerful rocket for a new era of human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit. With its unprecedented capabilities, SLS will launch crews of up to four astronauts in the agency’s Orion spacecraft on missions to explore multiple, deep-space destinations, including Mars. Traveling to deep space requires a large vehicle that can carry huge payloads, and future evolutions of SLS with the exploration upper stage and advanced boosters will increase the rocket’s lift capability and flexibility for multiple types of mission needs. For more information on SLS, visit www.nasa.gov/sls

 

 

 

America's Rocket - Space Launch System Animation (2014)

video is 1:23 min.

 

Quote

Published on Sep 12, 2014
Animation of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) 70-metric-ton configuration launching to space. SLS will be the most powerful rocket ever built for deep space missions, including to an asteroid and ultimately to Mars (NASA/MSFC)

 

 

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Chinese Research Satellite returns to Earth after two-week Flight

 

Photo: Xinhua

 

Quote

China’s Shijian-10 research spacecraft made a successful return on Monday, bringing back experiments after a two-week stay in space for extensive analysis on the ground covering various fields of scientific research. Landing occurred Monday morning in Inner Mongolia and the return capsule was retrieved shortly after landing to quickly gain access to the experiments on board.

 

Shijian-10, the second recoverable satellite in the Shijian series of experimental satellites, was launched on Tuesday, April 5 atop a Long March 2D rocket lifting off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and sending the 3,600-Kilogram craft into orbit less than ten minutes after launch. The SJ-10 satellite entered an orbit of 234 by 268 Kilometers, inclined 43 degrees and executed three orbit-adjustment maneuvers over the course of its mission to set up the proper ground track for its landing.

 

Photo: Xinhua

 

Quote

Orbital maneuvers are not common for microgravity science missions since they disturb the pristine microgravity environment needed for many of the experiments ongoing aboard the spacecraft, requiring coordination of experiments around the placement of orbital maneuvers.

 

Over the course of the SJ-10 flight, no details on the progress of the mission were released until navigational warnings for the landing of the spacecraft were published on Friday. A landing rehearsal was held in the recovery zone over the weekend with teams practicing the fast recovery and transport of the spacecraft from the landing site. SJ-10 used the same landing area of China’s crewed Shenzhou spacecraft as well as the Chang’e 5 Lunar Test Mission.

 

On Monday at 8:15 UTC, the Shijian-10 Return Vehicle separated from the Orbital Module that will continue to operate on battery power for at least another 3 days for the completion of fluid science experiments that do not need to be returned and collect all science data for downlink to the ground. The deorbit maneuver occurred shortly after module separation and sent the Return Vehicle on its course towards the landing site in Siziwang Banner. Tracking of the spacecraft was confirmed at 8:19 and parachute deployment occurred at 8:23 UTC.

 

Photo: Xinhua

 

Quote

Touchdown was confirmed around 8:30 UTC and recovery forces began looking for the vehicle and trace down its location using beacon signals. At the landing site, the Return Vehicle was safed and hooked up to a helicopter that transported it to a nearby processing facility where the vehicle was opened up and returned payloads were retrieved in an expedited manner. Collection of data began immediately after the experiments were retrieved and biological samples were placed in controlled environments for the transfer to laboratories at the experiments’ respective institutions.

more at the link...

http://spaceflight101.com/chinese-research-satellite-returns-to-earth-after-two-week-flight/

 

Shijian-10 successfully completes return to Earth

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2016/04/long-march-2d-shijian-10/

 

in related news...

 

Chinese scientists succeed in micro-g 3D printing test

 

Earth-bound 3D printing technology, materials, equipment and operations need to be adapted to work in space, Wang Gong said.

 

Quote

Chinese scientists have successfully tested 3D printing at microgravity, the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization (CSU) announced Wednesday.

The CSU team has conducted 93 parabolic test flights in France, and printed out the designed specimen with Chinese-developed equipment and processes.

The parabolic test flights, which created a microgravity environment that lasts about 22 seconds, were facilitated by the Space Administration of Germany.

Wang Gong, technical chief of the team, said 3D printing in an environment such as this would be advantageous to space probe technology as it would enable supplies to be printed during space missions.

At present, supplies must be sent to space stations via carrier rockets or cargo spacecraft, which is both costly and time-consuming, Wang added.

Earth-bound 3D printing technology, materials, equipment and operations need to be adapted to work in space, Wang said.

The experiment team has tested five materials, including fiber reinforced polymer, which has not been tested by NASA, Wang said.

The data obtained will be important to the future of space-bound 3D printing.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Chinese_scientists_succeed_in_micro_g_3D_printing_test_999.html

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Florida factory to mass-produce satellites at record pace

 

Artist’s concept of the OneWeb factory at Exploration Park, Florida. Credit: OneWeb

 

Quote

OneWeb officials Tuesday unveiled plans for a factory just outside the gates of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida that will churn out up to 15 satellites per week to populate low Earth orbit and beam broadband Internet signals worldwide.

 

Repurposing aircraft assembly line methods to satellite manufacturing, OneWeb and Airbus Defense and Space are partnering to produce 900 refrigerator-sized spacecraft for launches beginning in 2018.

 

The first 10 satellites will be assembled at Airbus’s existing satellite factory in Toulouse, France, with series production of 890 more Airbus-designed platforms to follow at a new $85 million facility to be built at Exploration Park near the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, officials said Tuesday.

 

The Florida factory is due to open by the end of 2017.

 

Each OneWeb spacecraft will weigh about 150 kilograms (330 pounds) and use electrical propulsion to enter formation in 20 orbital planes 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) above Earth to broadcast high-speed Internet connectivity to customers across the globe.

 

The network will provide more than 10 terabits per second of new capacity to underserved areas around the world and extend the reach of mobile phone networks and Internet service providers.

 

Founded by Greg Wyler, a satellite and telecom entrepreneur, OneWeb plans to launch 648 satellites in the first phase of the constellation. The rest of the spacecraft will be spares pre-positioned in orbit or on the ground.

 

Quote

The bulk of the initial constellation — totaling up to 700 satellites — will be launched by Russian Soyuz rockets under a contract signed last year between OneWeb and Arianespace.

 

OneWeb ordered 21 Soyuz launches from up to four spaceports — the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Vostochny and Plesetsk in Russia, and the European-run Guiana Space Center in South America — to send up between 32 and 36 satellites at a time.

 

Arianespace also secured optional orders from OneWeb for five more Soyuz launches and three flights of the next-generation Ariane 6 rocket.

 

Virgin Galactic’s air-launched LauncherOne vehicle, which is still in development and could fly by the end of 2017, was also awarded 39 launches by OneWeb to replenish the company’s satellite fleet as old satellites stop working. LauncherOne will haul up one satellite at a time after dropping from a modified Boeing 747 carrier jet.

http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/04/19/florida-factory-to-mass-produce-satellites-at-record-pace/

 

This plant is being built here for future reasons....IMHO, reduced launch costs.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Soyuz to launch Sentinel-1B

UPDATE, April 22: The mission postponed for at least 24 hours due to weather.

 

 

 

A Sentinel-1B satellite in orbit.

 

Quote

Launch delay

 

The launch of the Soyuz-ST-A booster with a Fregat-M upper stage was originally scheduled for April 22, 2016, at 6:02:13 p.m. local time from the Soyuz launch facility in Kourou, French Guiana. However on the day of the launch, despite full readiness of hardware and facilities for the mission, the liftoff had to be postponed for at least 24 hours due to weather conditions, Arianespace announced. According to the company's announcement issued on the day of the launch, given the weather conditions observed above the Guiana Space Center - and the forecast for the moment of liftoff - Arianespace decided to interrupt the final countdown and not initiate launcher fueling operations.

 

Around the same time, the favorable weather forecast for the next day enabled the mission officials to schedule the next launch attempt 24 hours later, on April 23, 2016, at 06:02:13 p.m. local time (21:02 UTC, 05:02 p.m. EDT).

 

VS-14 mission profile (Phase 1):

 

 

VS-14 mission profile (Phase 2):

 

http://www.russianspaceweb.com/sentinel1b.html

 

 

Live coverage tomorrow at...

http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/04/22/vs14-mission-status-center/

 

Cluster of satellites meets Soyuz launcher in French Guiana

 

Nice image collection

http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/04/20/cluster-of-satellites-meet-soyuz-launcher-in-french-guiana/

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

India to Launch Navigation Satellite on April 28, Complete Full System

 

The PSLV rocket will blast off after 12 noon on April 28 from India's spaceport at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

 

Quote

India is slated to put into orbit its seventh and final navigation satellite on April 28, thereby having its full satellite navigation system up in the sky, said a senior space agency official.

 

"The launch of India's seventh and the final in the series of satellites will be on April 28 afternoon. The IRNSS-1G (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-1G) will be put into orbit by our rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)," K.Sivan, director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), told IANS over phone on Tuesday.

 

The PSLV rocket will blast off after 12 noon on April 28 from India's spaceport at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, around 80 km from here.

 

Till date, India has launched six regional navigational satellites (IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, ID, 1E and 1F) as part of a constellation of seven satellites to provide accurate position information service to users across the country and the region, extending up to an area of 1,500 km.

 

Though the full system comprises nine satellites - seven in orbit and two on the ground as stand-by, the navigation services could be made operational with four satellites, ISRO officials had said earlier.

 

Quote

The IRNSS is similar to the global positioning system (GPS) of the US (24 satellites), Glonass of Russia, and Galileo of Europe as well as China's Beidou.

 

While GPS and Glonass are fully functional global systems, the Chinese and the Japanese systems are offering regional coverage and Europe's Galileo is yet to be operational.

 

The IRNSS will provide two types of services - standard positioning service and restricted service. The former is provided to all users and the latter is an encrypted service for authorised users.

http://www.gpsdaily.com/reports/India_to_Launch_Navigation_Satellite_on_April_28_Complete_Full_System_999.html

 

-----------------------

 

China plans to launch core module of space station around 2018

 

file image.

 

Quote

China will launch a core module belonging to its first space station around 2018, according to a senior engineer with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. on Thursday. Two space labs will be launched later and dock with the core module, "Tianhe-1," said Wang Zhongyang, spokesperson with a key research institute attached to the corporation.

 

The construction of space station is expected to finish in 2022, Wang said.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/China_plans_to_launch_core_module_of_space_station_around_2018_999.html

 

----------------

 

China set to launch "more livable" space lab in Q3

 

Quote

China will put the country's second space lab Tiangong-2 into space in the third quarter of this year with more livable conditions for astronauts, a spokesman said here Thursday.

 

According to Wang Zhongyang, spokesman with the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), the new space lab will consist of a hermetically sealed experiment cabin, designed to provide astronauts with clean air and suitable temperature and humidity, and a resource module featuring solar wings, batteries and propellant for thrusters.

 

"We have specifically modified the interior of the new space lab to make it more livable for mid-term stays for our astronauts," Wang said ahead of the country's Space Day on April 24, set to mark the launch of China's first satellite 46 years ago.

 

Tiangong-2 is China's second space lab designed to carry out space science experiments and repair tests to pave way for the country's first orbital space station which is expected to be in service around 2022.

 

Tiangong-1, launched in September 2011 with an initial design life of two years, just ended its data service earlier this year after an operational orbit of 1,630 days during which it docked with the Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 spacecraft and undertook a series of experiments.

 

"Unlike Tiangong-1, Tiangong-2 will be our first genuine space lab," said Wang.

 

Earlier reports said Tiangong-2 will dock with the Shenzhou-11 spacecraft, which is expected to blast off in the fourth quarter and carry two male Chinese astronauts for a 30-day mission in the new space lab before returning to Earth.

 

The astronauts are currently receiving training.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/China_plans_to_launch_core_module_of_space_station_around_2018_999.html

[Draggendrop Veteran]

WhiteKnightTwo returns to New Mexico skies

 

Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo, piloted by Kelly Latimer and Dave Mackay, and an Extra 300 chase plane fly operational tests at Spaceport America on Wednesday. The aircraft eventually will carry SpaceShipTwo and its passengers to the edge of space. (Greg Sorber/Albuquerque Journal)

 

 

The hatch door of WhiteKnightTwo is sealed before operational tests. (Greg Sorber/Albuquerque Journal)

 

 

Quote

SPACEPORT AMERICA – Virgin Galactic on Wednesday performed the first operational tests of its WhiteKnightTwo aircraft in New Mexico in almost two years.

 

The dual fuselage WhiteKnightTwo – which will eventually carry SpaceShipTwo to high altitude before the vehicle drops and rockets to space – took off from Spaceport America after 9 a.m. for two hours of flight that allowed Virgin Galactic pilots and air traffic controllers at White Sands Missile Range and in Albuquerque to practice working together.

 

Virgin Galactic brought six of its seven pilots to southern New Mexico this week for the operational tests, which began Monday and end today.

Chief Pilot Dave Mackay and pilot Kelly Latimer, who is Virgin Galactic’s newest hire to its flight team, flew the WhiteKnightTwo exercises on Wednesday.

 

This week marks the second time that WhiteKnightTwo has performed operational exercises at Spaceport America. The first time was in September 2014, a month before a catastrophic accident delayed Virgin Galactic plans by at least a year.

 

On Wednesday, WhiteKnightTwo corkscrewed up to about 40,000 feet and repeatedly glided back toward Spaceport, engines idle, only to graze the runway and take off again.

 

Lead test pilot Mark “Forger” Stucky stayed on the ground to explain the day’s mission, which included tests that allowed the aircraft to simulate SpaceShipTwo’s descent.

 

An October 2014 accident during a rocket-powered test flight in California tore apart the company’s spaceship and killed one pilot. Virgin Galactic has been recovering from that accident, rebuilding its spaceship and returning to its test flight program.

 

Virgin Galactic rolled out a new SpaceShipTwo earlier this year and has begun ground testing, according to Mike Moses, senior vice president of operations. Flight testing could begin this summer, he said, and would be followed by rocket-powered test flights.

 

Some 700 “future astronauts” have put down payments for the $250,000 trips to the edge of space and back.

 

Virgin Galactic says passengers will glimpse the curve of Earth from space and feel a few minutes of weightlessness before SpaceShipTwo returns to earth’s atmosphere and glides back to Spaceport America.

 

“A suborbital spaceflight – it’s not going to the moon and it’s not going to the space station – but it’s a unique challenge, and it’s not easy,” Stucky said. “Doing it right and giving the right customer experience, I think that is a great challenge. It’s hard to imagine anything more fun than being a regular pilot taking paying passengers up into space and seeing the smiles on their face when they get back. I really look forward to that.”

http://www.abqjournal.com/760393/news/virgins-whiteknighttwo-flies-new-mexico-skies.html

 

Virgin’s WhiteKnightTwo flies New Mexico skies

video is 0:59 min.

 

 

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Live coverage: Bad weather delays Soyuz launch from French Guiana to Sunday

 

ESA

 

Quote

Unfavorable high-altitude winds over the Soyuz launch pad in French Guiana have again forced officials to delay liftoff of five European satellites.

 

The launch is now set for 2102:13 GMT (5:02:13 p.m. EDT) Sunday, assuming the conditions improve.

 

High-altitude winds already delayed the launch from Friday.

 

Launch managers from Russia and Arianespace want to avoid filling the Soyuz rocket with kerosene and liquid oxygen propellants if weather conditions are predicted to by iffy at launch time. The Soyuz can only hold its fuel load about two-and-a-half days before requiring refurbishment.

 

Launch delays are very rare for the Soyuz, which is designed to launch in most weather conditions.

http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/04/22/vs14-mission-status-center/

 

[Unobscured Vision]

Ouch.  That's really the main problem with the Soyuz design -- the LO2 tanks degrade very quickly when filled; and if there are delays, the entire rocket essentially needs to be rebuilt.

[DocM]

R7 was designed as an all weather ICBM which would only be filled on a very bad day then fired immediately. Guess not many improvements along the lines of pad cycle durability.

[Unobscured Vision]

Yep.

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Europe makes fourth attempt to launch Russian rocket

 

Quote

Europe will attempt to launch a Russian Soyuz rocket for the fourth time Monday after weather conditions and technical faults halted previous take-offs, launch service Arianespace said.

 

The launch from French Guiana was initially scheduled for Friday and was to be Europe's first of the year from the South American space centre.

 

"Operations to replace the central inertial unit of the Soyuz VS14 are currently underway," Arianespace said in a statement Sunday. "The launch is now scheduled for Monday 25 April 2016 from Kourou at 18.02 local time (2102 GMT)."

 

A countdown on Sunday was halted after scientists observed an "anomaly", the company said in an earlier statement, while adverse weather conditions had thwarted other attempts.

 

The rocket is set to launch Microscope, a French-built orbiter seeking to poke a hole in Einstein's theory of general relativity, and satellite Sentinel-1B.

The satellite is the twin of Sentinel-1A, launched two years ago.

 

The pair are equipped with sophisticated, cloud-penetrating radar to monitor Earth's surface by day and night, regardless of the weather conditions.

Their mission is to track climate and environmental change and assist in disaster relief operations.

 

Sentinel-1A and 1B are part of the 3.8-billion-euro ($4.3-billion) Copernicus project, which will ultimately sport six orbiters in all. It is a joint undertaking of the European Space Agency and the European Commission.

 

The Soyuz will also boost into orbit three so-called "CubeSats", tiny orbiters built by European science students.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Europe_makes_fourth_attempt_to_launch_Russian_rocket_999.html

 

Quote

April 25

Soyuz • Sentinel 1B

Launch time: 2102:13 GMT (5:02:13 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: ELS, Sinnamary, French Guiana

An Arianespace Soyuz rocket, designated VS14, will launch on a mission from the Guiana Space Center in South America. The Soyuz will carry the Sentinel 1B radar observation satellite for the European Space Agency and the European Commission, the Microscope microsatellite to research gravitational forces, and three CubeSats sponsored by the European Space Agency. The Soyuz 2-1a (Soyuz ST-A) rocket will use a Fregat upper stage. Moved forward from April 14. Delayed from April 12, April 22 and April 23. Scrubbed on April 24. [April 24]

http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

 

Quote

The European-funded, Russian-built pad is located about eight miles northwest of the Ariane 5 and Vega launch pads at the Guiana Space Center. Engineers selected the Soyuz launch site based on terrain, geology and a location away from Ariane facilities to ensure they did not interfere with each other.

 

It took three years and cost European governments $800 million to build the Soyuz launch facility, which is known by its French acronym ELS. Other than the 17-story mobile servicing tower and four lightning masts, the launch pad is modeled after the Soyuz launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

 

This  launch is the 14th Soyuz to fly from ELS.

 

The Soyuz pad includes blue and yellow umbilical arms and hold-down petals at the base of the rocket. On the back side of the pad is a deep flame trench dug out of granite bedrock. The facility also houses living quarters for Russian workers and a launch control center.

 

The Soyuz site lies closer to the town of Sinnamary than Kourou, which is more typically associated with the spaceport.

 

ESA

 

http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/04/22/vs14-mission-status-center/

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Soyuz rumbles off with Sentinel-1B Satellite

 

Quote

Finally lifting off on its fourth launch attempt, a Russian-built Soyuz rocket successfully carried Europe’s Sentinel-1B satellite into orbit on Monday ahead of a four-hour secondary mission to deliver the French MicroSCOPE satellite and three University CubeSats.

http://spaceflight101.com/video-soyuz-rumbles-off-with-sentinel-1b-satellite/

 

Soyuz ST-A lifts off from French Guiana with Europe's Sentinel-1B Satellite

video is 2:46 min.

 

 

 

Soyuz rocket from French Guiana   Arianespace/ESA

 

-------------------------

 

Next Launch

 

Quote

April 26/27Soyuz • Mikhailo Lomonosov

Launch time: 0201 GMT on 27th (10:01 p.m. EDT on 26th)
Launch site: Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia

A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch for the first time from the new Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East, carrying a satellite named Mikhailo Lomonosov with instruments to study high-energy cosmic rays, gamma rays and the Earth’s upper atmosphere and magnetosphere. Two smaller secondary payloads, named Aist 2 and SamSat 218, will also launch aboard the Soyuz rocket. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz-2.1a configuration with a Volga upper stage. Delayed from April 25. [April 6]

 

April 28PSLV • IRNSS 1G

Launch time: 0720 GMT (3:20 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: Satish Dhawan Space Center, Sriharikota, India

India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), flying on the PSLV-C33 mission in the PSLV-XL configuration, will launch the IRNSS 1G navigation satellite. The payload is the seventh spacecraft in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, which aims to improve positioning services over India and neighboring regions. Delayed from March 31. [April 20]

 

May 4Falcon 9 • JCSAT 14

Launch window: 0522-0722 GMT (1:22-3:22 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the JCSAT 14 communications satellite for Tokyo-based SKY Perfect JSAT Corp. JCSAT 14 will support data networks, television broadcasters and mobile communications users in Japan, East Asia, Russia, Oceania, Hawaii and other Pacific islands. Delayed from late 2015 and April 28. [April 20]

http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

 

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Indian launch rounds out domestic navigation network

 

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle takes off Thursday with India’s seventh navigation satellite. Credit: ISRO

 

Quote

India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle blasted off Thursday with the seventh and final spacecraft for a regional navigation network to provide position data to users across the subcontinent independent of foreign satellite systems.

 

The PSLV took off from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Center on India’s east coast at 0720 GMT (3:20 a.m. EDT), or 12:50 p.m. local time, Thursday.

 

The seventh member on the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System — IRNSS 1G — completes the deployment of an indigenous network of satellites thousands of miles above Earth to broadcast information about the location of users across India and neighboring territories.

 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi watched the launch via a live video broadcast and spoke in public remarks after the mission’s successful conclusion, in which he congratulated space officials and renamed the IRNSS constellation Navic.

 

Modi also emphasized the independence of the $210 million Indian navigation system, calling it a “made in India” project.

 

The final satellite in the IRNSS, or Navic, fleet will be operational in a few weeks.

 

This photo shows the IRNSS 1G satellite before encapsulation inside the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle’s payload fairing. Credit: ISRO

 

http://spaceflightnow.com/2016/04/28/indian-launch-set-to-round-out-domestic-navigation-network/

 

Indian PSLV lofts IRNSS-1G to complete navigation constellation

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2016/04/indian-pslv-irnss-1g-complete-navigation-constellation/

 

Indian PSLV successfully launches final Building Block in Regional Navigation Satellite System

http://spaceflight101.com/pslv-c33-launch-success/

 

------------------------------------

 

Launch Schedule

 

Quote

May 4 Falcon 9 • JCSAT 14

Launch window: 0522-0722 GMT (1:22-3:22 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the JCSAT 14 communications satellite for Tokyo-based SKY Perfect JSAT Corp. JCSAT 14 will support data networks, television broadcasters and mobile communications users in Japan, East Asia, Russia, Oceania, Hawaii and other Pacific islands. Delayed from late 2015, April 28 and May 3. [April 26]

 

Quote

May Rockot • GEO-IK 2

Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia

A Russian government Rockot launch vehicle and Breeze KM upper stage will launch the GEO-IK 2 spacecraft. The satellite is designed to survey Earth to measure variations in the gravitational field and study other geodetic features of the planet. [April 6]

 

Quote

May 17 Proton • Intelsat 31/DLA-2

Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

An International Launch Services Proton rocket with a Breeze M upper stage will deploy the Intelsat 31/DLA-2 communications satellite owned by Intelsat. A majority of Intelsat 31’s capacity will be leased to DirecTV Latin America to provide direct-to-home television broadcasts to Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Delayed from April 23. [March 28]

http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

[Draggendrop Veteran]

Launch schedule

 

Quote

May Rockot • GEO-IK 2

Launch time: TBD
Launch site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia

A Russian government Rockot launch vehicle and Breeze KM upper stage will launch the GEO-IK 2 spacecraft. The satellite is designed to survey Earth to measure variations in the gravitational field and study other geodetic features of the planet. [April 6]

 

May 21  Soyuz• Glonass M

Launch time: 0917:47 GMT (5:17:47 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia

A Russian government Soyuz rocket will launch a Glonass M navigation satellite. The rocket will fly in the Soyuz 2-1b configuration with a Fregat upper stage. [April 29]

 

May 24 Soyuz • Galileo 13 & 14

Launch time: 0848:43 GMT (4:48:43 a.m. EDT)
Launch site: ELS, Sinnamary, French Guiana

An Arianespace Soyuz rocket, designated VS15, will launch on a mission from the Guiana Space Center in South America. The Soyuz will carry two Galileo full operational capability satellites for Europe’s Galileo navigation constellation. The Soyuz 2-1b (Soyuz ST-B) rocket will use a Fregat-MT upper stage. [April 20]

 

May 26 Falcon 9 • Thaicom 8

Launch time: 2140 GMT (5:40 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Thaicom 8 communications satellite. Thaicom 8 will provide Ku-band broadcast and data services to Thailand, Southeast Asia, India and Africa. Moved forward from June. [May 6]

http://spaceflightnow.com/launch-schedule/

 

------------------------------

 

Global Small Satellite Market Worth USD 5.32 Billion by 2021

 

Quote

Press Release From: Research and Markets 

Posted: Friday, May 6, 2016

 

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Small Satellite Market by Type (Nano, Mini, & Microsatellite), by Application (Earth Observation & Meteorology, Scientific Research & Exploration, Surveillance & Security, and Others), by End-User, by Geography - Global Forecast to 2021" report to their offering.

 

The small satellite market is expected to grow from USD 2.22 billion in 2016 to USD 5.32 billion by 2021, at a CAGR of 19.14% from 2016 to 2021.

The microsatellite segment is projected to be the fastest-growing segment in the small satellite market. These satellite are useful for high precision and complex space missions, such as remote-sensing and navigation, maritime and transport management, space and earth observation, disasters management, military intelligence, telecommunication, and among other academic purpose.

 

The segment comprising mapping and navigation is projected to be the fastest-growing segment in the small satellite market as it helps the Global Navigational Satellite Systems (GNSS) to generate signals for effective navigation and accurate global positioning data during the forecast period.

 

Companies Mentioned:

 

Aerospace Corporation
Airbus Defense and Space
Boeing
Geooptics Inc
Harris Corporation
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Millennium Space Systems Inc.
Northrop Grumman Corporation
OHB
Oneweb Ltd.
Planet Labs Inc.
ST Engineering Limited
Sierra Nevada Corporation
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (Space X)
Spire Global Inc.
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.
Thales Alenia Space

 

<snip>

// end //

http://spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=48623

 

If anyone had doubts about the future of "cube sat's"....this will help ....

[Jim K Global Moderator]

This is the drill that will, ummm drill, into the Moon's south pole in 2020.  It will be aboard the Russian's Luna-27 lander.

 

Quote

Developed by Finmeccanica in Nerviano, Italy, the drill would first penetrate into the frozen ‘regolith’ and then deliver the samples to a chemical laboratory, which is being developed by the UK’s Open University.

 

The development team has tested the drill design with simulated lunar soil cooled to –140°C (typical of the expected landing site of Luna-27) but the permanently shadowed regions of the Moon are known to be even colder, at down to –240°C.

 

The drill system plus laboratory are collectively known as Prospect: Platform for Resource Observation and in-Situ Prospecting in support of Exploration, Commercial exploitation & Transportation.

 

Prospect is one of the packages being developed by ESA for flight to the Moon as part of cooperation on Russia’s lunar programme. Pilot – Precise Intelligent Landing using On-board Technology – is an autonomous precision landing system incorporating ‘laser radar’ lidar for hazard detection and avoidance.

More at ESA

 

Nice looking drill....very shiny.