A sixth Czech satellite, Mimosa, was orbited on 30 June by a Rokot booster from Plesetsk, Russia. The launch cost €750,000 ($857,000), most of which will be deducted from Russia's debt to the Czech Republic. Mimosa will measure the forces that affect the trajectory of objects in space, to predict the exact location of satellites.
Source: Flight International
Orbital launch pioneer SpaceX is being contracted by the American space agency NASA to develop a so-called “US Deorbit Vehicle” that can safely return the International Space Station to Earth via controlled re-entry.
BAE Systems has completed its acquisition of Ball Aerospace, with the move further strengthening its US business presence.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has retired its Mars helicopter Ingenuity after the craft suffered damage upon landing.
