50: CRS-7 Update & SatShow 2018

SatShow 2018 brings updates on SpaceX, Blue Origin, ULA, and Satellite Servicing enters the mainstream, this week on SPEXcast

50: CRS-7 Update & SatShow 2018

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Last Thursday, March 29th, 2018, SpaceX launched the fifth batch of Iridium satellites from Vandenberg Air Force Base in the early morning. Later today, SpaceX will launch CRS-14, a SpaceX Dragon on a resupply mission to the ISS. These missions are a part of what have been dubbed the "SpaceX Steamroller" of April 2018, however it is important to remember it hasn't always been this way.

This week on SPEXcast, we discuss the recent release of the public report on the CRS-7 incident. We also cover the exciting new from Satellite 2018, including updates from key space industry executives. Orbital ATK also unveiled their Mission Extension Vehicle, which they intend to use to provide on-orbit maintenance and mission life extensions.

CRS-7 Report

NASA released the public report on the CRS-7 incident on March 12th, 2018.
Table Excerpt from the CRS-7 Incident Report, citing a design error as the lead cause of the accident.

Spacex "Steam Roller"

April is a busy month for SpaceX. They planned to launch 5 rockets under 30 days. Here is the provisional schedule as of April 2nd, 2018. Iridium-6 has since moved outside that window.

  • Iridium-5 - 30 March 2018
  • CRS-14 - 02 April 2018
  • Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) - 16 April 2018
  • Bangabandhu-1 - 24 April 2018
  • Iridium-6 - 10 May 2018

Sat Show

Satellite 2018 was held in Washington, D.C. between March 12th - 15th 2018.

At the conference, many key executives of space launch companies spoke to give updates on the work of their companies.

  • Bob Smith, CEO of Blue Origin
  • Tory Bruno, CEO ULA
  • Gwynne Shotwell, President Spacex
  • Ko Ogasawara, Vice President and & General Manager responsible for business development of all of space business at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI).
  • Clay Mowry: VP Sales, Marketing and Customer Experience
  • Stéphane Israël, CEO of Arianespace

BE-4 Engine Test

Orbital ATK Mission Extension Vehicle


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