Previous Spaceflight Launches
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Electron | I Can’t Believe It’s Not Optical (Capella 2 & First Light)
Rocket Lab | United States of AmericaRocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
Aug. 31, 2020, 3:05 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
This return to flight mission is dedicated for Capella Space, an information services company providing Earth observation data on demand. Capella’s payload, ‘Sequoia’, is a single 100 kg class microsatellite which will be the first publicly available satellite in the company’s commercial Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) constellation. By positioning the satellite to a 45-degree inclination, Capella Space will maximize coverage over important areas such as the Middle East, Korea, Japan, Europe, South East Asia, Africa, and the U.S. The mission name is a nod to Capella’s SAR technology that provides high quality images of the Earth day or night, and in any weather conditions, as well as a nod to the infamous advertisement campaign for “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter”. Capella’s space-based radar can detect sub-0.5 meter changes on the surface of the Earth, providing insights and data that can be used for security, agricultural and infrastructure monitoring, as well as disaster response and recovery.
Low Earth Orbit
Falcon 9 Block 5 | SAOCOM 1B
SpaceX | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Aug. 30, 2020, 11:18 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
The SAOCOM 1B spacecraft is the second of the two SAOCOM constellation satellites. It is tasked with hydrology and land observation, and will also operate jointly with the Italian COSMO-SkyMed constellation in X-band to provide frequent information relevant for emergency management. Two rideshare payloads are present - Tyvak-0172 and PlanetiQ’s GNOMES-1.
Sun-Synchronous Orbit B1059 - Flight Proven ( ) Landing Zone 1
Long March 2D | Gaofen-9-05
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | ChinaJiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Aug. 23, 2020, 2:27 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Gaofen is a series of civilian Earth observation satellites developed and launched for the China High-definition Earth Observation System (CHEOS), a state-sponsored programme aimed to develop a near-real time, all-weather, global surveillance network consisting of satellite, near-space (stratosphere) airships, and aerial observation platforms.
Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink 10
SpaceX | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
Aug. 18, 2020, 2:31 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
A batch of 58 satellites for Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system. This launch will also carry 3 SkySat Earth-imaging satellites as a rideshare.
Low Earth Orbit B1049 - Flight Proven ( ) Of Course I Still Love You
Ariane 5 ECA+ | Galaxy 30, MEV-2 & BSAT-4B
ArianeGroup | FranceGuiana Space Centre, French Guiana
Aug. 15, 2020, 10:04 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Galaxy-30 is a geostationary communications satellite for Intelsat. Satellite is built by Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems (NGIS) and is planned to provide video distribution and broadcast services to customers in North America. Galaxy 30 satellite is launched in tandem with MEV-2 vehicle. MEV-2, which stands for Mission Extension Vehicle-2, is the second servicing mission by NGIS. MEV-2 will rendezvous and dock with the Intelsat 1002 satellite in early 2021. Then, MEV-2 will use its own thrusters and fuel supply to control the satellite’s orbit, thereby extending its useful lifetime. Another passenger of the flight is the BSAT-4b satellite for the Japanese operator BSAT. BSAT-4b will serve as a back-up for BSAT-4a satellite, launched in 2017. BSAT-4b will provide Direct-to-Home television services and is expected to operate for at least 15 years.
Geostationary Transfer OrbitFalcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink 9
SpaceX | United States of AmericaKennedy Space Center, FL, USA
Aug. 7, 2020, 5:12 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
A batch of 57 satellites for Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system. This launch will also carry two BlackSky Earth-imaging satellites as a rideshare.
Low Earth Orbit B1051 - Flight Proven ( ) Of Course I Still Love YouLong March 2D | Gaofen-9-04
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | ChinaJiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China
Aug. 6, 2020, 4:01 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Gaofen is a series of civilian Earth observation satellites developed and launched for the China High-definition Earth Observation System (CHEOS), a state-sponsored programme aimed to develop a near-real time, all-weather, global surveillance network consisting of satellite, near-space (stratosphere) airships, and aerial observation platforms.
Sun-Synchronous Orbit
Starship SN5 | 150m Hop
SpaceX | United States of AmericaSpaceX Starbase, TX, USA
Aug. 4, 2020, 11:57 p.m.
Proton-M/Briz-M | Ekspress-80 & Ekspress-103
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center | RussiaBaikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
July 30, 2020, 9:25 p.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Ekspress-80 and Ekspress 103 are communications satellites for Russian domestic communication services owned by RSCC (Kosmicheskiya Svyaz). Express 80 will be positioned at 80° East, and will be fitted with 16 C-band and 20 Ku-band transponders to cover Russia, as well as two L-band transponders offering global coverage. Express 103 will be positioned at 103° East, and will be fitted with 16 C-band and 20 Ku-band transponders to cover Russia and Southeast Asia, as well as one L-band transponder for global coverage. Both have a design life of 15 years.
Geostationary Transfer Orbit
Atlas V 541 | Mars 2020 (Perseverance rover & Ingenuity helicopter)
United Launch Alliance | United States of AmericaCape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA
July 30, 2020, 11:50 a.m.
Status: Launch Successful
Mission:
Atop this ULA Atlas V rocket will be Perseverance, a car-sized rover which will explore an ancient river delta on Mars. Armed with a suite of six scientific instruments, Perseverance will primarily hunt for clues to the planet's distant past, and hopefully uncover signs of ancient life and habitability. The rover also carries an experiment that'll convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, a box-sized helicopter named Ingenuity that'll demonstrate powered flight on Mars, and a system that enables the rover to leave behind samples for later retrieval and return to Earth during NASA and ESA's ambitious sample return mission later this decade.
Heliocentric N/A
