June 18, 2024 Quick space links
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay. This post is also an open thread. I welcome my readers to post any comments or additional links relating to any space issues, even if unrelated to the links below.
- Space Force awards contracts to Blue Origin, CACI International Inc., General Atomics, and Viasat to develop space laser terminals [pdf]
These are small contracts to begin design work on using lasers for satellite communications.
- ULA CEO touts photos of new Vulcan launchpad under construction at Vandenberg
The first launch at this pad is scheduled sometime next year.
- Local officials in Cameron County praise SpaceX for bring billions in economic growth to region
Who cares? Elon Musk is evil and all his efforts must be shut down! That’s the rule when someone famous won’t vote for Democrats!
- Russia hopes to revive its Molniya satellite constellation, this time using Chinese parts
The original Molniya communications satellites — first launched in the 1960s — used a clever very eccentric orbit to get the best coverage of Russia, which sits at a high latitude. Traditional geosynchronous communications satellites don’t see those high latitudes that well.
Courtesy of BtB’s stringer Jay. This post is also an open thread. I welcome my readers to post any comments or additional links relating to any space issues, even if unrelated to the links below.
- Space Force awards contracts to Blue Origin, CACI International Inc., General Atomics, and Viasat to develop space laser terminals [pdf]
These are small contracts to begin design work on using lasers for satellite communications.
- ULA CEO touts photos of new Vulcan launchpad under construction at Vandenberg
The first launch at this pad is scheduled sometime next year.
- Local officials in Cameron County praise SpaceX for bring billions in economic growth to region
Who cares? Elon Musk is evil and all his efforts must be shut down! That’s the rule when someone famous won’t vote for Democrats!
- Russia hopes to revive its Molniya satellite constellation, this time using Chinese parts
The original Molniya communications satellites — first launched in the 1960s — used a clever very eccentric orbit to get the best coverage of Russia, which sits at a high latitude. Traditional geosynchronous communications satellites don’t see those high latitudes that well.