 | 21 June 2010: Germany’s second Earth observation satellite, TanDEM-X, was launched successfully from the
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Atop a Russian Dnepr rocket, the satellite, weighing more
than 1.3 tons and five metres in length, started its journey into orbit. The first signal was received
via the Troll ground station in the Antarctic. TanDEM-X, the twin spacecraft of TerraSAR-X already in
orbit will see both satellites’ orbits closely linked to follow formation flying requirements during
certain mission phases for X-SAR interferometry.
TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X together form the first bistatic SAR mission. According to the HRTI-3
specifications, the primary mission objective is the generation of a consistent global digital elevation
model with an unprecedented accuracy. |
 | 21 June 2015: GPS contributed more than $68 billion to the U.S. economy in 2013, according to the
preliminary results of a new study presented to the National Space-Based Positioning,
Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Advisory Board. |
 | 21 June 2014: NASA today awarded two contracts to Deep Space Industries Inc. to accelerate the
agency’s plans to partner with private industry on asteroid prospecting and
harvesting.
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 | 21 June 2011: China launched a television broadcasting and broadband communications satellite
aboard a Long March rocket to replace an aging 12-year-old craft serving
Asia. The satellite, carried by a Long March-3B rocket carrier, blasted off at 0:13 a.m.,
said a statement from the centre. The launch was the 138th mission for the Long
March carrier rocket series. The satellite will provide communication, broadcasting and
data transmission services for users in China and the Asia-Pacific region. It will replace
the Zhongxing-5B satellite, which was launched in 1998. |
 | 21 June 2021: A report earlier this month claimed that Russia was selling a high-resolution imaging
satellite to Iran that could launch within months. Bart Hendrickx examines the evidence
supporting such a deal. |
 | 21 June 2009: Ground has been broken on the construction site of Spaceport America, the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport. Those behind the project say that it will help provide a new chapter in space exploration. When finished in 18 months’ time, the facility will house Virgin Galactic’s space tourism business and other firms working in the commercial space arena.
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 | 21 June 2008: On 12 June 2008, the International Astronautical Federation held a special presentation consisting of different contributions from four of its Committees specially relevant to UN COPUOS main interests. |
 | 21 June 2019: Last week, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample-return mission announced that they had
achieved an orbit above asteroid Bennu with an altitude of only 680 meters. Now they are
surveying for landing sites and have invited the public’s help. |
