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NASA will launch the Prefire mission
Two twin satellites
NASA plans to launch two twin CubeSats on the Far Infrared Polar Radiant Energy Experiment (PreFire) mission in the spring of 2024 to collect data that could help combat climate change and make current climate models more accurate. The two satellites will be in near-polar orbits, with intersecting ranges, and will measure for the first time the full spectrum of heat lost in the polar regions of the Earth.
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French UnseenLabs will go through SpaceX
The carpool mission launched two maritime surveillance satellites
French maritime surveillance provider UnseenLabs plans to launch two nanosatellites, Bro-10 and Bro-13, on a SpaceX Transporter 10 carpool mission. Unseenlabs said the satellites are part of its planned RF geolocation network, a constellation of 25 satellites, 11 of which are currently in orbit to monitor and track ships around the world.
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Japanese universities will be launched
The world's first wooden artificial satellite
Japan's Kyoto University plans to launch the world's first wooden satellite, Lignosat, in March 2024. The use of wood reduces the amount of metal particles produced when satellites fall into the atmosphere and burn out, thereby reducing environmental hazards. The satellite is made of magnolia wood, which is lightweight and easy to process, and the wood sample has been exposed to the International Space Station for about 300 days, showing that it is particularly stable and resistant to cracking. Lignosat is expected to take to space aboard either the Cygnus supply vessel or the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
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India launches INSAT-3DS meteorological satellite
At 5:35 p.m. local time on February 17, India's GSLV rocket was launched from the Satish Dawan Space Center to launch the INSAT-3DS meteorological satellite into orbit. The INSAT-3DS is the sixth satellite in the INSAT family and carries four payloads: a 6-channel multispectral imager, a 19-channel sonde payload, a data relay** (DRT), and a satellite-aided search and rescue (SAS&R). The satellite aims to enhance the understanding of environmental dynamics, improve weather forecasting, and ensure effective data use.
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Japan's new H3 rocket No. 2 was launched
At around 9:24 local time on February 17, Japan's new H3 rocket No. 2 was launched from Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture. The rocket was originally scheduled to be launched on the 15th, but it was postponed due to weather at that time. The H3 rocket is the successor to Japan's current main rocket, the H2A. The first unit of the H3 rocket was launched in March 2023, but the second stage engine failed to ignite after liftoff, ending in failure. The No. 2 machine has improved the ignition device.
*: SpaceNews, IT House.
Compiler: Montgoli Khan.
*Please indicate the source.