10 Oct 24. The Boeing [NYSE: BA]-built X-37B will soon perform a series of advanced aerobraking maneuvers, taking the dynamic spaceplane from a Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO), where it’s been operating since December 2023, and lowering its altitude using minimal fuel.
This will be the first time Boeing, the United States Space Force (USSF) and the X-37B attempt to accomplish this novel demonstration.
“Space is a vast and unforgiving environment where testing technologies is critical to the success of future endeavors,” said Michelle Parker, vice president of Boeing’s Space Mission Systems. “There is no other space platform as capable, flexible and maneuverable as the X-37B, and its next demonstration will be another proof point that this test vehicle sets the pace of innovation.”
During aerobraking, the X-37B will use the drag of Earth’s atmosphere to slow it down, reducing the vehicle’s energy and changing the orbit while expending minimal fuel. The Service Module disposal will be conducted in accordance with established standards for space debris mitigation, and the X-37B’s orbit change will occur in a safe and responsible manner. Once aerobraking is complete, the X-37B will resume its test and experimentation objectives.
“This first-of-a kind maneuver from the X-37B is an incredibly important milestone for the United States Space Force as we seek to expand our aptitude and ability to perform in this challenging domain,” said Gen. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations.
The program will leverage six successful missions of safely operating the X-37B around Earth during this next demonstration. Boeing brings decades of lessons learned from operating other spacecraft in a variety of orbits, from the Apollo missions, the Space Shuttle Program, and hundreds of government and commercial satellites.
10 Oct 24. UK and Canada announce satellite collaboration.
Dstl will test a short wave infrared camera to identify objects in orbit over the South Pole as part of a space domain awareness trial.
The UK is to collaborate with Canada on the Redwing microsatellite Space Domain Awareness (SDA) mission scheduled to launch in 2027.
Redwing will track objects in congested orbits with improved sensors, and provide near real-time tasking in response to evolving space events.
Redwing, which is the size of a small washing machine, will be directed and tasked by the Department of National Defence’s science and technology organisation, Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC). The satellite will itself deploy a smaller nanosatellite that will incorporate a payload from the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and UK Space Command.
Dr Gemma Bagheri, Dstl Space Research and Development Programme Manager, commented: “Space is increasingly congested and it is vital that we keep pace with new and emerging threats. The collaboration with our Canadian partners will enable us to improve the characterisation of objects and maintain security in space to protect our mutual interests.”
The nanosatellite, roughly the size of a cereal box and known as Little Innovator in Space Situational Awareness (LISSA), will incorporate as its primary payload a Dstl experimental short wave infrared (SWIR) camera. Once separated, Redwing and LISSA will fly in tandem in sun-synchronous low Earth orbit, approximately 575km above the Earth and up to 200km apart.
The mission will assess the capabilities of the SWIR camera with particular focus on the South Pole of Earth, where the glare from the illuminated Antarctic ice sheet can hinder object identification in orbit. Space objects over the Earth’s South Pole is less monitored than the North Pole and the mission will inform future space surveillance considerations based on findings from the mission.
This international research cooperation between the countries provides the opportunity for joint collaboration and for developing prototype infrastructure and data processing architecture.
Major General Paul Tedman, Commander, UK Space Command, said:
This is yet another example of the value of international collaboration in space. Through Redwing and LISSA, the UK and Canada will test innovative technologies, which in the long term may vastly improve our ability to monitor and identify objects in space.
Magellan Aerospace will design, build, prepare for launch, and operate the Redwing microsatellite and LISSA nanosatellite. LISSA will be built by the University of Manitoba. Bornea Dynamics has been contracted by Dstl to produce and qualify the SWIR camera payload hardware.
Scott McLelland, DRDC Director of Research and Development for the Defend North America strategic focus area, commented:
The space domain continues to change and evolve and requires space faring nations to innovate to keep informed of the security situation in the space domain. DRDC is thrilled to have Dstl participate in the Redwing mission to help grow both nations’ defence space programs.
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
08 Oct 24. Millennium completes PDR for FOO Fighter satellite programme.
The FOO Fighter aims to enhance missile defence by integrating fire control-quality sensors into a prototype satellite constellation.
Boeing company Millennium Space Systems has successfully completed the preliminary design review (PDR) for the Fire-control On Orbit-support-to-the-war Fighter (FOO Fighter) in the US.
In April 2024, the company secured a contract, a total potential value of approximately $414m, from the US Space Development Agency (SDA) to deliver a constellation of eight satellites with a ground system and perform mission operations.
The programme is now gearing up for the critical design review scheduled in early 2025.
implementation with Q14(1), ensuring coherence between both guidelines. “Understanding Q14 requires consideration of both Q2(R1) and Q2(R2), as these guidelines…
By Butterworth Laboratories
Millennium Space Systems portfolio lead Doug Hulse said: “We’re building off our common bus architecture, so our bus design is solid.
“For PDR, that allowed us to focus on the mission itself – that’s what’s critical.”
The FOO Fighter is designed to enhance missile defence by integrating fire control-quality sensors into a scalable prototype satellite constellation.
The programme aims to expedite the ability to provide fire-control in support of global detection, warning, and precision tracking of sophisticated missile threats, such as hypersonic missile systems.
The firm fixed-price contract forms part of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture’s FOO Fighter programme, which is set to demonstrate the advanced missile defence capabilities of the proposed satellite constellation.
Boeing Space Mission Systems vice-president Michelle Parker said: “Just like the name says, our focus is the warfighter and ensuring our system can perform the mission they need.
“FOO Fighter really showcases our team’s ability to meet the mission, supporting a real-time warfighter need. Completing PDR in such a short timeframe is significant because it validates the feasibility and design of the system, ensuring we are moving with pace to meet mission requirements.”
The SDA has plans to launch the FOO Fighter constellation no later than the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
07 Oct 24. Kratos and Radisys Partner on Cloud Native 5G-NTN OpenSpace Solutions to Enable Seamless Satellite Access for Terrestrial Networks.
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTOS), a technology company in the defense, national security and global markets, announced today that it is partnering with Radisys® Corporation, a global leader in open telecom solutions, to develop cloud native 5G-NTN (non-terrestrial network) solutions for satellite connectivity. These solutions will be available through Kratos OpenSpace® Platform, the only commercially available, fully software-defined satellite ground system.
Radisys is a leading Radio Access Network (RAN) partner for telecom and mobile network operators around the world. Radisys and Kratos share a common vision for the future of connectivity to provide open standards-based solutions that interoperate seamlessly across terrestrial and space networks.
“Radisys is the ideal partner for Kratos in leading the satellite industry forward with 5G-NTN solutions,” said Greg Quiggle, SVP Product Management at Kratos. “Together, we are building a cloud native end-to-end 5G solution for non-terrestrial networks in the OpenSpace Platform. This new solution will enable open, highly scalable high-performance 5G service delivery through any 5G core network worldwide.”
Together, Kratos and Radisys are developing a 5G-NTN satellite base station equivalent to a cellular base station but delivered completely as cloud native software. The ability to do satellite signal processing in software brings standards-based interoperability for quick orchestration of networks within a variety of elastic environments. Doing so better positions satellite operators and service providers to capture the $35 bn in revenue opportunities over the next decade recently identified by GSMA Intelligence at Mobile World Congress earlier this year.
“Our collaboration with Kratos on 5G-NTN solutions marks a significant milestone in the advancement of 5G non-terrestrial network technologies,” said Munish Chhabra, Head of Mobility Software and Services Business, Radisys. “This partnership will drive innovative applications, improve high-speed and ubiquitous global connectivity with seamless TN-NTN integration. Radisys’ unique value proposition of creating 5G-NTN RAN with ORAN disaggregated containerized architecture will help reduce the costs associated with non-terrestrial network communications and facilitate new NTN deployments and use cases.”
5G NTN technology allows satellites to provide internet access to almost anywhere on Earth in much the same way 5G works across cellular towers today. Kratos’ and Radisys’ 5G-NTN solutions will enable tighter integration with terrestrial networks to deliver true 5G mobile broadband over satellites.
According to Carmel Ortiz, SVP of Technology and Innovation at Intelsat, one of the world’s largest global satellite operators, “We are implementing Kratos’ OpenSpace Platform to support our next generation, multi-orbit network. This partnership between Kratos and Radisys gives us confidence that we will be able to offer our consumer, business and government customers best in class 5G services.” (Source: ASD Network)
06 Oct 24. US FAA authorizes SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle for Monday flight.
• Summary
• FAA had grounded Falcon 9 after second stage malfunctioned
• Elon Musk’s company has publicly quarreled with the FAA
SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket can return to flight for a mission planned for Monday to launch the European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft from Florida, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Sunday.
Elon Musk’s company, which has engaged in a public quarrel with the FAA in recent weeks, said on Sunday it is planning the liftoff for 10:52 a.m. ET (1452 GMT) from Cape Canaveral.
“The SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle is authorized to return to flight only for the planned Hera mission scheduled to launch on Oct. 7 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida,” the FAA said on Sunday.
The agency said it has “determined that the absence of a second stage reentry for this mission adequately mitigates the primary risk to the public in the event of a reoccurrence of the mishap experienced with the Crew-9 mission.”
The FAA on Sept. 30 said SpaceX must investigate why the second stage of its Falcon 9 malfunctioned after a NASA astronaut mission, grounding the launch vehicle for the third time in three months. The malfunction caused the booster to fall into a region of the Pacific Ocean outside of the designated safety zone that the FAA approved for the mission.
Hera is set to study the effects of the 2022 impact that NASA’s DART spacecraft had with the asteroid Dimorphos in a test of a planetary defense system – the first time a spacecraft managed to alter the motion of any celestial body. Dimorphos is a moonlet of Didymos, which is defined as a near-Earth asteroid.
The Hera mission is expected to provide data for future asteroid deflection missions with an eye toward redirecting objects that could pose a future collision threat for Earth.
The FAA on Sept. 17 proposed fining SpaceX $633,000 for violating agency rules ahead of two 2023 Falcon 9 launches.
“They’ve been around 20 years, and I think they need to operate at the highest level of safety,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said on Sept. 24.
SpaceX took issue with Whitaker’s comments, saying the company is the “safest, most reliable launch provider in the world, and is absolutely committed to safety in all operations.”
Whitaker defended the FAA’s decision to delay a planned September Starship 5 launch, noting that SpaceX failed to complete a timely sonic boom analysis as required. The FAA has said it does not expect a license determination before late November for that launch.
Musk has criticized FAA leaders over the agency’s proposed fine and called for Whitaker’s resignation.
In February 2023, the FAA proposed a $175,000 penalty against SpaceX for failing to submit some safety data to the agency prior to an August 2022 launch of Starlink satellites. The company paid that penalty.
(Source: Reuters)
06 Oct 24. ULA’s Vulcan launches second certification flight for U.S. Space Force “all rockets are not created equal”.
A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket carrying the Cert-2 mission lifts off from Space Launch Complex-41 at 7:25 a.m. EDT, marking the completion of Vulcan’s second and final certification flight. Photo by United Launch Alliance
United Launch Alliance (ULA) ushers in a new era of space capabilities with the successful launch of its second certification flight (Cert-2) of the next generation Vulcan rocket on Oct. 4 at 7:25 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
“The success of Vulcan’s second certification flight heralds a new age of forward-looking technology committed to meeting the ever-growing requirements of space launch and supporting our nation’s assured access to space. We had an observation on one of our solid rocket boosters (SRB) that we are reviewing but we are overall pleased with the rocket’s performance and had a bullseye insertion,” said Tory Bruno, ULA’s president and CEO. “Vulcan provides high performance and greater affordability while continuing to deliver our unmatched reliability and orbital precision for all our customers across the national security, civil and commercial markets.”
The Cert-2 mission carried experiments and demonstrations associated with future capabilities of Centaur V, the world’s highest-performing upper stage designed to further deliver on ULA’s unrivaled legacy of reliability and precision. Centaur V provides 2.5 times the energy and 450 times the endurance of its predecessors, enabling the most complex orbital insertions within the most challenging and clandestine orbits.
“Vulcan is built with the strength of a national workforce whose unmatched dedication and innovation has modernized the very best of our industry-leading heritage,” said Mark Peller, vice president of Vulcan Development. “The foundation of Vulcan’s purpose-built design rests on the best of what we’ve learned from more than 130 combined years of launch experience with Atlas and Delta.” (Source: Satnews)
30 Sept 24. Rivada Space Networks, the would-be constellation operator of 288 yet-to-be-built satellites, is in deep trouble.
Rivada’s litany of problems continues to mount. Not only is the company late in stumping up the small matter of $2.4bn (€2.1bn) needed to build its ‘OuterNet’ constellation, Rivada now faces another major hurdle from its licensing authority, the tiny European state of Liechtenstein, which has allocated Rivada its operating license (for a fee of €6 m per annum).
On September 27th, Liechtenstein Vaterland, a newspaper in the country, described the Rivada project as being “on the brink.” It cites the challenges of building and launching 288 satellites by mid-2026 as being especially difficult, even if the funding was available immediately.
The newspaper reported that officials are considering reassigning the Rivada operating license given that the ITU timings for launching the fleet are now extremely close. Failure to meet the ITU deadline would render the license near-worthless.
The Liechtenstein filing with the ITU goes back to 2015 (as 3ECOM1-3) and called for 24 satellites in each of 12 orbital planes, or 264 satellites in total using Ku- and Ka-band. These 264, plus orbital spares, makes up the total 288 constellation.
Rivada is already in the ITU’s debt given that, in July of 2023, the ITU granted it a waiver and no longer requiring Rivada to put 10 per cent of its constellation into orbit in 2023 – a then impossible task. But clearly the ITU trusted that Rivada would get the $2.4 bn funding in place and start building satellites. Rivada gave the satellite build contract to Terran Orbital.
Rivada, under the terms of the ITU rules must put 144 satellites (half the constellation) into orbit by June 2026, and the other 144 a few weeks later by September 2026.
In July last year, Dr. Rainer Schnepfleitner, Director of the AK (Amt für Kommunikation) of Liechtenstein,, said, “The [Liechtenstein] Office for Communications has put its trust in the ITU process and is delighted about the positive decision of the Radio Regulations Board. These filings were secured at a very early stage in the development of Non-GSO constellations for global connectivity and are an important asset – not only for Liechtenstein. A shortage of launch capacity and delays in technology development have been significant challenges to overcome in order to deploy these constellations in the stipulated timeframe. The perseverance of Rivada and ITU’s positive decision mean that the deployment of the constellations can move forward for the benefit of all the stakeholders.”
Indeed, although not mentioned by the newspaper, there could be many interested parties in the Rivada license, not the least of which could be SpaceX, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, Telesat of Canada or others. Each would still have to meet the ITU’s obligatory mid-2026 completion date (or obtain a permitted delay).
However, the fallout from a Rivada collapse would be significant. Financial regulators on both sides of the Atlantic would be concerned, as would the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. Much the same applies to Terran Orbital.
The complaints from investors in Terran – now in the process of being acquired by Lockheed Martin – allege deliberate misinformation from Terran’s senior executives as to the company’s financial position. As one observer summed up the situation on September 28th, and stated, “[Terran CEO] Marc Bell would go from investor conference to investor conference (Jeffries, Gabelli, Schwab, Sidoti) claiming to have ‘real revenues and real backlog’ 90 percent of backlog was a mirage sold to investors.” (Source: Satnews)
29 Sept 24. The West of Scotland Space Cluster launches. The West of Scotland Space Cluster, the newest addition to the UK’s thriving ecosystem of regional space clusters, recently launched. The region is a key hub in the Scottish space sector, operating at the forefront of a European revolution in spacecraft systems, payload manufacture, launch (upstream) and data analysis (downstream) activity. Space companies, such as AAC Clyde Space and Spire Global, have led the way, building more satellites in Glasgow than any other city in Europe, with other players such as Craft Prospect and Alba Orbital introducing further innovation in the global small satellites market.
Aligned with the regional space clusters operating across the UK, the West of Scotland Space Clusters incorporates industry, universities and colleges, as well as economic development and support organisations, aiming to capitalize and expand on existing regional strengths in space technologies. The region’s capability extends from small satellite design, manufacture and mission capability and advanced space data-driven services to leading-edge R&D in fields such as quantum, photonics, communications and AI. It is widely acknowledged that the growth of the West of Scotland Space Cluster companies will be critical in helping Scotland achieve its ambition of securing £4 bn of the global space market by 2030.
Craig Clark MBE, space entrepreneur, the founder of AAC Clyde Space and a Professor of Practice in the University of Strathclyde’s space cluster, said that the new cluster would help drive regional growth, combining pioneering research, industry innovation and manufacturing facilities to provide the foundation for Scotland’s emerging end-to-end capability in the European small satellite value chain.
Mr. Clark said, “With SaxaVord Spaceport now operating as the first fully-licensed vertical launch Spaceport in Europe, the West of Scotland has a pivotal role to play in the delivery of the country’s end-to-end capability and helping to attract international companies to set up operations here as we have recently seen with the South African CubeSat imaging company, Simera Sense. From a standing start in 2005, Scotland now has one of the fastest-growing space sectors in the world, fuelled by global excellence in space-related research and a long history of innovation and entrepreneurship in engineering. The aim of the West of Scotland Space Cluster is to grease the wheels of the continued growth of the sector in the region and help make Scotland a leading global space player.”
John Ward, Senior Director of Research & Development at Spire Global, which designs and builds the world’s largest multipurpose satellite constellation in Glasgow, said that the new cluster would serve as a platform for greater connectivity and collaboration between the region’s key players. Mr. Ward said, “Spire Global has manufactured over 175 satellites right here in Glasgow, where the majority of our R&D efforts take place. This new space cluster will enhance collaboration and connectivity among regional players, accelerating innovation and creating a more integrated supply chain. By fostering this ecosystem, we can unlock new opportunities for growth and cement the West of Scotland as a leading hub in the global space industry.”
Andrew Strain, Chief Technology Officer at AAC Clyde Space, added that the cluster’s new advisory group would be focused on actions that drive growth across a region which stretches all the way to the Prestwick, home to Scotland’s largest aerospace hub. He said, “The West of Scotland has amassed an incredible amount of capability in the space industry over the past two decades, particularly in small satellite design and manufacturing. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the launch of Scotland’s first satellite UKube-1, built by Clyde Space Ltd, now part of AAC Clyde Space. In the following decade, Scotland has gone from never having launched a satellite to building more than anywhere else in Europe. Satellites and systems designed and built here account for hundreds of years of accumulated on-orbit heritage – very few places in the world can claim that. Through the West of Scotland Space Cluster, we have to opportunity to maintain and grow our admirable position in this innovative section of the space industry.”
Antonia Yendell, Head of the Space Ecosystem team at the UK Space Agency, said, “The UK Space Agency strongly supports and is investing in the growth of the Scottish Space Economy. The UK Space Ecosystem is a competitive advantage for the UK Space Sector and Scotland plays a critical role in our thriving and interconnected cluster network, developing our national capabilities and driving economic growth.” (Source: Satnews)
30 Sept 24. CesiumAstro unveils their new Element phased array satellite.
CesiumAstro has announced Element, a groundbreaking, fully integrated satellite platform that is set to revolutionize both defense and commercial space sectors. With adaptable, reconfigurable payloads, Element can evolve with changing mission conditions, advancing satellite flexibility and capability.
For years, CesiumAstro has been a pioneer in commercial phased array technology, focusing its resources and expertise on developing advanced satellite communication solutions. Element is the next step in CesiumAstro’s product roadmap, leveraging the company’s core strengths to deliver integrated, scalable satellites.
Key Features of Element
• Advanced phased array antenna systems developed with CesiumAstro’s expertise
• Fully integrated design for enhanced efficiency and performance
• Cutting-edge connectivity systems for improved data transmission
• Reconfigurable payloads adaptable to changing mission conditions
“With Element, we’re showcasing years of innovation in phased array technology,” said Shey Sabripour, Founder and CEO of CesiumAstro. “Our team has built a platform that not only pushes technological boundaries but also meets the evolving needs of defense and commercial customers.”
Trey Pappas, the Vice President of Business Development at CesiumAstro, said, “By offering a multi-beam active phased array satellite, we provide customers with a turnkey solution that reduces integration complexities and time-to-orbit. Element’s design enhances mission flexibility, performance, and reduces overall system costs.”
Mike Cheung, Vice President of Product at CesiumAstro, said, “We engineer our products for dual use and scalability from the ground up. Originally designed for defense applications, Element transitions seamlessly into all space connectivity markets, addressing both national security needs and commercial space industry opportunities.”
CesiumAstro is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with offices in Colorado, California, and the United Kingdom, CesiumAstro builds high-throughput, software-defined phased array communications payloads for airborne and space platforms, including satellites, missiles, UASs, and more. CesiumAstro’s full-stack, multi-mission hardware and software solutions enable a range of commercial, government, and defense objectives. CesiumAstro provides full in-house design, manufacturing, and testing capabilities based on the ISO AS9100 standard. (Source: Satnews)
30 Sept 24. U.S. Commerce Department’s new TraCSS launches initial capabilities. NOAA, a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce, announced that the initial phase of its Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS) has begun delivering spaceflight safety services to a beta group of satellite operators. For the first time, satellite operators are receiving basic space situational awareness (SSA) data and space traffic coordination (STC) services from the Commerce Department.
TraCSS is a modern, cloud-based IT system that provides warning notifications for satellites potentially in danger of collision. With increasing numbers of satellites and orbital debris, space traffic information and safety notifications are essential for global spaceflight safety and the long-term sustainability of the space environment.
Nine satellite operators – NOAA, Maxar, Telesat, Intelsat, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Planet Labs, Eutelsat Oneweb, Iridium, and the Aerospace Corporation – now receive validated safety notifications from TraCSS in the form of conjunction data messages (CDMs, alerts describing potential collisions). TraCSS will add satellite operators and provide more data and services as the program progresses.
The announcement marks a milestone in DOC’s work to implement the U.S. Space Priorities Framework and Space Policy Directive-3, which directed DOC to take this mission over from the Department of Defense.
TraCSS is an agile software development program that is being conducted in several phases. In Phase 1.0, TraCSS provides CDMs for approximately 1,000 space objects six times a day. The CDMs generated by TraCSS Phase 1.0 are currently distributed to a set of beta users via the Space-Track.org website managed by the Department of Defense.
The TraCSS program has accelerated since receiving a significant funding boost in Fiscal Year 2023. Collaboration among the Department of Commerce, NOAA, and the Office of Space Commerce teams with industry enabled rapid progress from receiving an Authority to Proceed from DOC on March 5, 2024, to the TraCSS system integrator contract award later in March 2024, to achieving Authority to Operate with NOAA Office of the Chief Information Officer in August 2024, and the successful fielding of TraCSS 1.0.
This release marks the start of the beta test phase of the project, as the TraCSS team continues to field successive upgrades over the next year, leading to Phase 1.4 by the end of September 2025. Planned improvements include the establishment of a dedicated TraCSS.gov website and the integration of additional commercial SSA capabilities. The Office of Space Commerce (OSC) will also work with the Department of Defense to migrate satellite operators from Space-Track.org to TraCSS.
“The Office of Space Commerce leads our Department’s efforts to advance U.S. leadership in the global commercial space industry, and TraCSS is a testament to U.S. leadership in safe and sustainable space commerce,” said U.S. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Don Graves. “The Department of Commerce is building this system in close cooperation with industry partners to harness and promote commercial innovation in space. Together, we are helping to ensure the safe and sustainable growth of the space economy.”
“As space has become more congested, NOAA has risen to the challenge to prevent catastrophic collisions in space by developing TraCSS,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D.
“TraCSS represents a modern approach to spaceflight safety, integrating the latest technologies and providing on-ramps for continuous improvements that will scale into the future,” said Richard Dalbello, director of NOAA’s Office of Space Commerce. “I’m thankful for our team and partners for doing the hard work to launch the first phase on schedule.” (Source: Satnews)