September 20, 2018

Baikonur Facilities to Undergo Overhaul Before OneWeb Satellites Launch (Source: Sputnik)
The assembly and testing facility of the Baikonur cosmodrome which will be used for the launch of OneWeb satellites atop Russian rockets will go through a reconstruction ahead of the beginning of the launches, said a source at the cosmodrome. "In the central hall of the assembly and testing facility floor is being replaced... The floor replacement will help to improve considerably the air quality in the hall," the source said.

Besides, the facility's ventilation system and electricity are being examined by the specialists, according to the source. The source recalled that the first launch of the OneWeb satellites from the Baikonur cosmodrome will take place six months after a qualification launch from the Guiana Space Center, which, according to the existing schedule, will be held in mid-February 2019. (9/17)

China Lofts Pair of Beidou Navigation Satellites with 25th Space Launch of 2018 (Source: GB Times)
China successfully launched a pair of Beidou navigation and positioning satellites into medium Earth orbits on Wednesday, marking the country's 25th launch of a record-setting 2018. A Long March 3B rocket with a Yuanzheng-1 upper stage lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest China at 14:07 UTC (10:07 EDT).

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) declared the mission a success just over four hours later, following direct insertion of the Beidou-3 satellites into their intended medium Earth orbits (MEO). Wednesday's mission saw the 37th and 38th satellites of the Beidou system put into orbit, following the launch of the first in 2000. (9/19)

AFA Suggests "Aerospace Force" Name Change for Air Force (Source: Space Policy Online)
The Air Force Association (AFA) has issued a position paper rejecting the idea of creating a new U.S. Department of the Space Force as demanded by President Trump, at least for now. Instead, it calls for renaming the Air Force as the Aerospace Force to highlight that air and space are “indivisible,” as pointed out at the beginning of the Space Age by then Air Force Chief of Staff Thomas White. (9/18)