'SPACE' in news
May 28, 2012
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• Ariane 5 solid booster test fired

An Ariane 5 solid-propellant booster was test-fired yesterday at Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana to help improve the reliability of Europe's heavy launcher.
The firing was performed in the booster engine stand, specifically designed for the vertical testing of motors at the site.
The motor burned for about 135 seconds, simulating the firing time during an Ariane 5 flight, and delivered a mean thrust of 6.9 MN (1.5 million lbf).
One of the goals was to prove new, thinner thermal protection on the inside of the motor's casing. The reduced pressure oscillations will lower the stress on the vehicle and its valuable passengers.
The nozzle tested a new composite material that is more resistant to combustion, and the motor also used an improved igniter.
The detailed analysis will last about six months, but preliminary results on the motor's behaviour will be available within ten days.
This firing is part of the Ariane 5 Research and Technology Accompaniment (ARTA) programme, designed to validate modifications for the next production batch of boosters to be flown.
These changes improve the vehicle's performance, modify elements that are now obsolete and reduce manufacturing costs. The programme also confirms that Ariane 5 remains reliable and ensures Europe's independent access to space.
This was the fifth test of Ariane 5's booster as part of ARTA - the next is expected in about three years.

Source: ESA PR

• Sri Lanka orders Chinese satellite - report

Sri Lanka company SupremeSAT (Pvt) Ltd. has entered into an exclusive partnership agreement with China's state owned China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) for the design, manufacturing and launching of a satellite, Daily News reported.
The company signed an investment agreement with the Board of Investment Sri Lanka to the tune of US$20 million, the daily said. This will be further increased to US$320 million, the company's long term plan is to utilise Sri Lanka's orbital slot at 50 degrees East and launch SupremeSAT, the country's first ever telecommunications satellite. It will be based on the DFH 4 platform. CGWIC has already signed nine contracts with international customers for manufacture and in-orbit delivery of telecommunication satellites, out of which four have been launched into orbit, whilst two more are set to be launched next year. 
SupremeSAT will offer all types of telecommunication services such as broadband and networking services, various broadcast solutions, back-haul or range extension facilities for telecom operators and other services such as E-government and E-learning, the Daily News said.

Source:  Daily News

• XCOR's tests of Lynx cryogenic piston pump a success

XCOR announced that it has achieved a key technical milestone with its flight weight rocket piston pump hardware. XCOR engineers have successfully and repeatedly pumped liquid oxygen (LOX) at flow rates required to supply the Lynx suborbital vehicle main engines.
Combined with earlier demonstrated kerosene pumps and fully characterised engines, XCOR is now poised for main propulsion integration into the Lynx flight weight fuselage.
XCOR's family of rocket piston pumps and engines now includes and is suitable for: kerosene, LOX, liquid hydrogen (LH2), and liquid methane. These piston pumps are highly reusable rocket engines for XCOR's Lynx and other launchers including upper stage liquid hydrogen engines suitable for the Atlas V, Delta IV, and the planned NASA Space Launch System (SLS). The current generation pump will supply fuel and oxidiser for the Lynx suborbital launch vehicle, also being developed by XCOR.

Source:  XCOR PR

• Long March 3B launches military satellite Chinasat-2A

May 26th, 2012 - A new military communications satellite – the Zhongxing-2A (Chinasat-2A) – was launched by a Chang Zheng-3B (Y17) (Long March 3B) launch vehicle on Saturday. Lift off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center LC2 launch complex took place at 15:56 UTC.
The Chinasat-2A satellite was built on the DFH-4 platform, with a launch mass around 5,200 kg. It was manufactured by the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC).
Due to its military nature, there is little technical information on the satellite. However, China use two types of satellites for secure military communications: the Fenghuo and the Shentong.
The Fenghuo series is used for tactical military communications, providing secured digital data and voice communication to Chinese military forces.
The Chinese are currently operating the DFH-4 based Fenghuo-2 second generation satellite, with the first of the series – the ZX-1A Zhongxing-1A (37804 2011-047A) – launched at 13:33 UTC on September 18th, 2011, by the Chang Zheng-3B (Y16) rocket.
The Shentong geostationary military communication satellites are operated by the Army and their aim is to provide secured voice and data communications services for ground users using Ku-band. The satellite was based on the DFH-3 (Dongfanghong-3) satellite platform that was developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), having a heavier payload with better reliability and increased power supply.
Chinasat-2A will be the first of a second generation DFH-4 based Shentong-2 satellite in operation.
To meet demand of international satellite launch market, especially for high power and heavy communications satellites, the development of Chang Zheng-3B launch vehicle was started in 1986 on the basis of the fight proven technology of Long March launch vehicles. The Chang Zheng-3B is the most powerful launch vehicle on the Chinese space launch fleet.

Each of the four boosters has a 15.326 meter length with a 2.25 meter diameter, consuming 37,700 kg of N2O4 / UDMH. Equipped with a YF-25 engine capable of a ground thrust of 740.4 kN and a ground specific impulse of 2,556.2 Ns/kg.
The first stage has a 23.272 meter length with a 3.35 meter diameter, consuming 171,800 kg of N2O4 / UDMH. Equipped with a YF-21C engine capable of a ground thrust of 2,961.6 kN and a ground specific impulse of 2,556.5 Ns/kg.
The second stage has a 19.92 meter length with a 3.35 meter diameter, consuming 49,400 kg of N2O4 / UDMH. Equipped with a YF-24E cluster engine with a main engine capable of a vacuum thrust of 742 kN and a vernier engine with a vacuum thrust of 47.1 kN (specific impulses of 2,922.6 Ns/kg and 2,910.5 Ns/kg, respectively).
The third stage has a 12.375 meter length with a 3.0 meter diameter, consuming 18,200 kg of LH2 / LOX. Equipped with a YF-75 engine capable of a vacuum thrust of 167.17 kN and a specific impulse in vacuum of 4,295 Ns/kg.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/