OrbitalHub

NASA dixit:

“After launching earlier in the day in their Soyuz MS-05 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 52-53 Soyuz Commander Sergey Ryazanskiy of Roscosmos and Flight Engineers Randy Bresnik of NASA and Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency arrived at the International Space Station on July 28.”

Video credit: NASA/Roscosmos

NASA dixit:

“The unpiloted Russian ISS Progress 67 cargo ship automatically docked to the rear port of the station’s Zvezda Service Module on June 16, completing a two-day journey following its launch atop a Soyuz booster from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on June 14. The new Progress is delivering three tons of food, fuel and supplies to the residents of the station and will remain attached to the outpost through December.”

Video credit: NASA

NASA dixit:

“The unpiloted Russian ISS Progress 67 cargo ship launched atop a Soyuz booster June 14 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on a two-day journey to the International Space Station. The new Progress, which is carrying three tons of food, fuel and supplies for the residents of the orbital complex, is scheduled to automatically dock to the rear port of the station’s Zvezda Service Module on June 16. It will remain attached to the station through December.”

Video credit: NASA/Roscosmos

Wikipedia dixit:

“EchoStar was originally formed in 1980 as a distributor of C band TV systems. In 1987, it applied for a direct broadcast satellite (DBS) license with the Federal Communications Commission and was granted access to orbital slot 119° west longitude in 1992. On December 28, 1995, the firm successfully launched its first satellite, EchoStar I. On March 4, 1996, it established the Dish Network brand name to market its home satellite TV system.

In 1998, EchoStar purchased the broadcasting assets of a satellite broadcasting joint venture of News Corporation’s ASkyB and MCI Worldcom. With this purchase the firm obtained 28 of the 32 transponder licenses in the 110° W orbital slot, more than doubling existing CONUS broadcasting capacity at a value of $682.5 million. The acquisition inspired the company to introduce a multi-satellite system called DISH 500, theoretically capable of receiving more than 500 channels on one dish.
“Legacy” represent the 950 to 1450 MHz frequencies used to deliver the signal throughout the home; the signal is broadcast to the home on the Ku band from satellite (12.2-12.7 GHz). Ku frequencies will not work on home wiring, the signal is downconverted to the intermediate frequency (IF) of 950-1450 MHz at the dish antenna. Newer technology (DishPro) also uses 1650-2150 MHz in addition to 950-1450.

Also in 1998, the firm, in association with Bell Canada, launched Bell TV. On September 25, 2007, the firm announced it had agreed to acquire Sling Media, Inc.
On January 2, 2008, the Dish Network business was demerged from the technology and infrastructure side of the business. A split in the shares created two companies, DISH Network Corporation which consists mainly of the DISH Network business, and EchoStar Corporation which retains ownership of the technology side including the satellites, Sling Media, and the set-top box development arm. DISH Network completed its distribution to Echostar of its digital set-top box business, certain infrastructure, and other assets and related liabilities, including certain of their satellites, uplink and satellite transmission assets, and real estate (the “Spin-off”). Since the Spin-off, EchoStar and DISH Network have operated as separate publicly-traded companies. However, as a result of the Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction, DISH Network owns shares of EchoStar and their subsidiary’s preferred tracking stock representing an aggregate 80.0% economic interest in the residential retail satellite broadband business of their Hughes segment.

EchoStar 21 will provide mobile broadband services over Europe with an S-band payload for EchoStar Mobile Ltd (formerly known as TerreStar 2).”

Video credit: Roscosmos

Wikipedia dixit:

“SpaceX CRS-11, also known as SpX-11, is a current cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station, launched successfully on 3 June 2017. The mission was contracted by NASA and is being flown by SpaceX. The mission utilized a Falcon 9 launch rocket and reuses a Dragon v1 cargo vessel that was previously flown on the CRS-4 mission. CRS-11 is the penultimate of the first twelve missions awarded to SpaceX under the CRS contract to resupply the International Space Station.

This was the first time that a Dragon spacecraft is reused, helping SpaceX to scale back its production line and shift focus to Dragon 2. CRS-11 launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket on 3 June 2017 at 21:07 UTC from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A. The spacecraft rendezvoused with the station on 5 June and conducted a series of orbit adjustment burns to match speed, altitude, and orientation with the ISS. After arriving at the capture point at 13:37 UTC, the vehicle was snared at 13:52 UTC by Canadarm2, operated by Peggy Whitson and Jack Fischer. It was berthed to the Harmony module at 16:07 UTC, where it will reside until 2 July 2017.

The first stage landed successfully on Landing Zone 1, making it the fifth successful touch down on land and the 11th overall.”

Video credit: SpaceX

NASA dixit:

“The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off on June 3 from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, carrying the uncrewed Dragon cargo ship to orbit for the start of a delivery run to the residents of the International Space Station. Loaded with about 6,000 pounds of supplies and science experiments, Dragon is scheduled to arrive at the station on June 5, where it will be captured by Expedition 52 Flight Engineer Jack Fischer of NASA using the station’s Canadian-built robotic arm. Dragon is scheduled to remain at the station for a month before it is unberthed and deorbited for a parachute-assisted splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.”

Video credit: NASA