Microcom's Space Newsfeed

16 March 2008

Previous News

Satcoms
ATCi Integrates Flyaway Uplink System For Televicentro
(11 March 2008) Antenna Technology Communications Inc., a provider of commercial satellite communications systems, today announced that it has completed its contract to design, integrate and install a complete 1.8 Metre flyaway uplink system for Grupo Televicentro.
Gilat Provides A SkyEdge Broadband Satellite Network To Brazil's Petrobras
(10 March 2008) Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. today announced it has provided Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras) a 500-site Gilat SkyEdge broadband network platform for enterprise and offshore maritime applications.
Highdeal Signs Agreement With Mobile Satellite Ventures To Support Its Next Generation Hybrid Communications Network
(13 March 2008) Highdeal, the world's leading provider of pricing & rating solutions, today announced that Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV), a leading supplier of mobile satellite communications services throughout the US and Canada, has chosen the Highdeal Transactive advanced billing solution for its next-generation network.
ICO Reports Progress On Regulatory Matters, Final Preparations Underway For April 14 Satellite Launch
(10 March 2008) ICO Global Communications (Holdings) Limited today reported progress on two key regulatory proceedings before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and also reported that its ICO G1 spacecraft had arrived at Cape Canaveral in preparation for its April 14 launch.
MicroCorp Signs Up As Reseller Of HughesNet Business Services
(11 March 2008) Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), the global leader in broadband satellite solutions and services, announced today that it has signed MicroCorp, Inc. to be a certified reseller of HughesNet broadband satellite business services in the US.
Micronetics Receives A US$ 1.2M Order For Space Qualified Microwave Components
(12 March 2008) Micronetics, Inc. announced today that its subsidiary Mica Microwave, Inc. has booked an order from a leading space systems integrator.
SeaMobile Enterprises Announces Extended Partnership With Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. To Provide Satellite Communication Solutions Onboard Cruise Ships
(11 March 2008) SeaMobile Enterprises, the dominant global provider of at-sea communications, connectivity and content services, announced today that it has been awarded a multi-year contract extension with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. to provide its MTN VSAT satellite communication services.

Broadcast
Conexant And Latens Team To Increase Security And Lower Costs For Pay-TV Operators
(12 March 2008) Conexant Systems, Inc. and Latens, a market leader in software conditional access and service delivery platforms for pay TV operators, today announced that they have joined forces to increase security and lower costs for satellite, cable, and digital terrestrial pay television broadcast network operators.
RRsat Launches New High Definition Playout Center
(13 March 2008) RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd., a rapidly growing provider of comprehensive content management and global distribution services to the television and radio broadcasting industries, announced today the inauguration of a new High Definition ("HD") playout centre.

Earth Observation
ESA Leads Endeavour To Save Earth Science Data
(10 March 2008) The amount of information being generated about our planet is increasing at an exponential rate, but it must be easily accessible in order to apply it to the global needs relating to the state of the Earth.
Lockheed Martin Submits Proposal To Provide GOES-R Spacecraft
(10 March 2008) Lockheed Martin today submitted its proposal to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to design and build the spacecraft for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite - Series R (GOES-R), the next generation geostationary environmental satellites for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Military Space
Norsat Awarded Nato Basic Ordering Agreement
(11 March 2008) Norsat International Inc., a leading provider of intelligent satellite solutions, announced today that its has signed a Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) with NATO's Consultation, Command and Control Agency (NC3A) for its OmniLink and GLOBETrekker portable satellite terminals, as well as its suite of microwave products.
SpaceDev On DARPA F6 Program Team
(13 March 2008) SpaceDev, Inc. announced that it is on the team led by Orbital Sciences Corporation, which was awarded a space technology demonstration contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
SpaceDev Satellite Chosen For ORS Inaugural Jumpstart Mission
(10 March 2008) SpaceDev, Inc. announced today that it has been selected to provide the first commercial satellite to be readied for the Department of Defense Operationally Responsive Space Office's (ORS) new Jumpstart Mission.

Astronomy
Europe To Build State Of The Art Laboratory To Study How Stars Evolve And Elements Are Formed In Cosmo
(11 March 2008) One of the great ongoing challenges of astrophysics, to find out how stars evolve and die, is to be tackled in an ambitious European research programme.

Moon
NASA Ames Scientist Selected For Return To Moon Team
(10 March 2008) A scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center is one of 24 researchers selected to join the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission to explore and measure geological features on the moon's surface.
NASA Selects Scientists And Investigations For Robotic Moon Mission
(10 March 2008) NASA has selected 24 scientists to initiate new investigations and assist with planned measurements to be conducted by the agency's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).
New Lunar South Polar Maps From SMART-1
(11 March 2008) Newly-released images of the lunar south-polar region obtained by ESA's SMART-1 are proving to be wonderful tools to zero-in on suitable study sites for potential future lunar exploration missions.

Venus
The Puzzling 'Eye Of A Hurricane' On Venus
(13 March 2008) Venus Express has constantly been observing the south pole of Venus and has found it to be surprisingly fickle.

Mars
Mars Express Reveals The Red Planet's Volcanic Past
(14 March 2008) A new analysis of impact cratering data from Mars reveals that the planet has undergone a series of global volcanic upheavals.

Saturn
Cassini Spacecraft To Dive Into Water Plume Of Saturn Moon
(10 March 2008) NASA's Cassini spacecraft will make an unprecedented "in your face" flyby of Saturn's moon Enceladus on Wed., March 12.
Cassini Flies Through Watery Plumes Of Saturn Moon
(13 March 2008) NASA's Cassini spacecraft performed a daring flyby of Saturn's moon Enceladus on Wed., March 12, flying about 15 kilometres per second (32,000 mph) through icy water geyser-like jets.

Meteors
Brown Scientist Answers How Peruvian Meteorite Made It To Earth
(13 March 2008) It made news around the world: On Sept. 15, 2007, an object hurtled through the sky and crashed into the Peruvian countryside.
Meteorites A Rich Source For Primordial Soup
(13 March 2008) The organic soup that spawned life on Earth may have gotten generous helpings from outer space, according to a new study.

Extra-Solar Planets
First Observation Of Earth-Like Planet Formation
(13 March 2008) For the first time, astronomers have observed the initial phase in the formation of an earth-like planet.
Spitzer Finds Organics And Water Where New Planets May Grow
(13 March 2008) Researchers using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope have discovered large amounts of simple organic gases and water vapour in a possible planet-forming region around an infant star, along with evidence that these molecules were created there.

Sub Orbital Space
Student Teams Selected To Take Part In Sounding Rocket And Balloon Campaigns
(12 March 2008) Following a workshop held 5-6 March at the European Space Technology and Research Centre (ESTEC) in the Netherlands, 8 student teams from various ESA Member States and Co-operating States have been selected to fly their experiments on future sounding rocket and balloon campaigns.

Manned Space
Aerojet Signs Ares I Upper Stage Associate Contractor's Agreement With Boeing
(14 March 2008) Aerojet, a GenCorp company, has signed an Associate Contractor's Agreement (ACA) with The Boeing Company on the Ares I upper stage launch vehicle, NASA's new space transportation system for the Orion crew vehicle.
Columbus Camera Captures First Views Of Earth
(11 March 2008) One of the experiments housed on the European Columbus laboratory's external platform is an automated eye in the sky known as the Earth Viewing Camera (EVC).
NASA Extends Contract For Astronaut Training Facilities
(11 March 2008) NASA has issued a contract extension with a potential value of US$ 78.25 million to Raytheon Technical Services Co. of Webster, Texas.
NASA Readies Hardware For Test Of Astronaut Escape System
(12 March 2008) NASA has completed production of hardware for use in the first flight test of the astronaut escape system for the Constellation Program's Orion crew capsule.
Starfire Develops Second Repair Solution For NASA Space Shuttle
(13 March 2008) Starfire Systems has once again contributed materials technology that could provide NASA astronauts technical options for repairing large damage to the wing leading edge thermal protection system.
United Space Alliance Plays Key Role In Challenging Flight Schedule
(11 March 2008) The second successful launch of a Space Shuttle in 33 days set the pace for a challenging remainder of the year for the Shuttle team.

Manned Space - STS-123
NASA'S Shuttle Endeavour Begins Mission To The Space Station
(11 March 2008) Space shuttle Endeavour brought an early sunrise to the East Coast Tuesday, launching from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 2:28 a.m. EDT and beginning the STS-123 mission to the International Space Station.
Endeavour En Route For The ISS
(11 March 2008) Space Shuttle Endeavour lifted off this morning at 07:28 CET (06:28 UT) from Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, on a 16-day mission to the ISS.
Space Shuttle Endeavour And International Space Station Crews Join Forces
(13 March 2008) The crews of space shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station have completed their first day as an orbital team, beginning 12 days of joint operations.
ATK Solid Rocket Motors Help Propel Successful Launch Of Space Shuttle Endeavour
(11 March 2008) Alliant Techsystems' Reusable Solid Rocket Motors (RSRM) and the company's Booster Separation Motors (BSM) performed flawlessly today for NASA's STS-123 Space Shuttle Endeavour launch.
Boeing Supports Contributions By Canada And Japan To The International Space Station
(11 March 2008) A Boeing International Space Station (ISS) team performed the complex task of integrating Canada's Dextre robotic device and a segment of Japan's Kibo laboratory ahead of their launch today aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour.
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne's Space Shuttle Main Engines Propel Japanese Laboratory To International Space Station
(11 March 2008) Three Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Space Shuttle Main Engines powered the launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour from NASA's Kennedy Space Center today on Mission STS-123 to the International Space Station.
VA Research Project On NASA Space Shuttle
(13 March 2008) A Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) research project, which may lead to development of a vaccine to prevent Salmonella poisoning, was aboard the NASA space shuttle that launched March 11.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #01
(11 March 2008) Space shuttle Endeavour delivered an early sunrise to the Florida coast this morning, lifting off at 1:28 a.m. CDT from the Kennedy Space Center to begin a 16-day mission to the International Space Station.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #02
(11 March 2008) The seven members of space shuttle Endeavour's crew have begun their first full day in space.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #03
(12 March 2008) The seven-member crew of Space Shuttle Endeavour is ready for tonight's rendezvous and docking with the International Space Station, planned for 10:25 p.m. CDT.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #04
(12 March 2008) The seven-member crew of space shuttle Endeavour is just a few hours away from arriving at the International Space Station.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #05
(13 March 2008) A record 12 days of planned joint operations are now under way, after space shuttle Endeavour docked to the International Space Station at 10:49 p.m. CDT Wednesday.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #06
(13 March 2008) The crew of space shuttle Endeavour has a full day ahead, and by the end of it, the International Space Station will be as international as it has been planned to be.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #07
(14 March 2008) The newest international component of the orbiting International Space Station has officially reached its home in space.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #08
(14 March 2008) Space shuttle Endeavour crew members will make their first foray into new international territory today, as the hatch is opened between the International Space Station and its newest module.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #09
(15 March 2008) The crews of Space Shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station opened the hatch to the station's new module, the Japanese Experiment Logistics Module - Pressurized Section (JLP), at 8:23 p.m. CDT Friday.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #10
(15 March 2008) Two members of the space shuttle Endeavour crew will soon be stepping into space to give the International Space Station's newest robot a pair of arms.

Launch Services
Sea Launch Prepares To Launch DirecTV 11 On March 17
(14 March 2008) The Sea Launch team has arrived at the launch site on the equator and will initiate a 72-hour countdown today, in preparation for the launch of the DirecTVAmericom 11 broadcast satellite on Monday, March 17.
SpaceX Signs Contract With Department Of Defense - Falcon 1 To Launch Operationally Responsive Space Satellite On Next Flight
(10 March 2008) Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) announced that it has signed a contract with the Department of Defense's Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Office to carry their first Jumpstart mission payload onboard the upcoming Falcon 1 launch.
Vietnam's VINASAT-1 Satellite Is Readied For Arianespace's Heavy-Lift Ariane 5 Mission In April
(10 March 2008) The second of two commercial telecommunications satellite passengers for Arianespace's next heavy-lift Ariane 5 flight is undergoing pre-launch checkout in preparation for a mid-April lift-off from Europe's Spaceport.

Launch Services - AMC-14
Lockheed Martin-Built AMC-14 Satellite Ready For Launch From Baikonur Cosmodrome
(12 March 2008) The AMC-14 communications satellite, designed and built by Lockheed Martin for SES Americom, an SES company, is ready for launch on March 15 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard a Proton/Breeze M launch vehicle provided by International Launch Services.
ILS Declares Proton Launch Anomaly
(15 March 2008) Khrunichev and International Launch Services regret to announce an anomaly during today's Proton mission with the AMC-14 satellite.

Launch Services - ATV 1 Jules Verne
Ariane 5 Orbits The Automated Transfer Vehicle On A Historic Mission In Support Of The International Space Station
(9 March 2008) Arianespace opened another busy year of Ariane 5 launch activity with a record-setting mission today that placed Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) on its way to a rendezvous with the International Space Station.
Europe Launches Its First Re-Supply Ship - Jules Verne ATV - To The ISS
(9 March 2008) Jules Verne, the first of the European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATV), a new series of autonomous spaceships designed to re-supply and re-boost the International Space Station (ISS), was successfully launched into low Earth orbit by an Ariane 5 vehicle this morning.
A Photo Report Of Ariane 5's Successful Flight With The Automated Transfer Vehicle
(9 March 2008) The launcher used for today's successful mission was an Ariane 5 ES version, which is tailored for the European-built Automated Transfer Vehicle re-supply spacecraft and for its specific mission profile to low-Earth orbit.
Jules Verne On Track For Long Journey To ISS
(11 March 2008) Following an overnight recovery operation, Jules Verne ATV's propulsion system has successfully been restored to full robustness.
Successful Manoeuvres Position Jules Verne ATV For Crucial Tests
(12 March 2008) Jules Verne ATV successfully performed two boosts today, bringing the spacecraft to an altitude of 303 km - half-way between the insertion orbit reached after last Sunday's launch and the orbit of the International Space Station.
Jules Verne Ready To Demonstrate Critical Manoeuvre
(13 March 2008) Jules Verne ATV has successfully passed an initial test of its Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre capability, clearing the way for a full demonstration of this vital functionality on Friday morning.
Jules Verne Demonstrates Flawless Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre
(14 March 2008) Mission controllers received confirmation shortly after 10:45 CET (09:45 UT) this morning that Jules Verne ATV had successfully demonstrated the critical Collision Avoidance Manoeuvre.
Crucial Terma Role In Europe's ATV
(7 March 2008) Terma has been involved in the preparations for the ATV mission in three crucial areas.
Thales Alenia Space, A Major Contributor To The ATV
(7 March 2008) Thales Alenia Space is proud to announce that it has significantly contributed to the development and manufacturing of the European Space Agency's ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle), for the prime contractor Astrium Space Transportation.

Launch Services - GPS 2R-19 (M6)
Sixth Modernised GPS Satellite Built By Lockheed Martin Ready For Launch From Cape Canaveral
(13 March 2008) A U.S. Air Force modernised Global Positioning System Block IIR (GPS IIR-M) satellite built by Lockheed Martin is ready for launch aboard a Delta II rocket on March 15 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Modernised GPS Satellite Built By Lockheed Martin Successfully Launched From Cape Canaveral
(15 March 2008) A U.S. Air Force modernised Global Positioning System Block IIR (GPS IIR-M) satellite, built by Lockheed Martin, was successfully launched today from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta II launch vehicle.
United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches GPS IIR-19 Mission For Air Force
(15 March 2008) United Launch Alliance successfully launched a Delta II expendable launch vehicle today from Space Launch Complex 17-A at 2:09 a.m., EDT carrying the Air Force's GPS IIR-19(M) satellite.

Launch Services - NRO L-28
ATK Composite Technology Supports First Atlas V Launch From Vandenberg Air Force Base
(13 March 2008) Alliant Techsystems' composite technology supported today's successful launch of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, RD AMROSS Power Atlas V's Inaugural Launch From Vandenberg AFB
(13 March 2008) Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) and RD AMROSS, LLC powered the launch of an Atlas V rocket for the first time from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., today on a mission to deliver a U.S. National Reconnaissance Office satellite into orbit. PWR is a United Technologies Corp. company.
United Launch Alliance Inaugural Atlas V West Coast Launch a Success
(13 March 2008) Adding to the Atlas rocket's legacy of launches from the west coast that began in 1959, United Launch Alliance's Atlas V made its debut flight from Space Launch Complex-3 East here at 3:02 a.m. PDT, today.

Launches
ATV 1 Jules Verne
Space Shuttle Endeavour ISS-25-1J/A
NRO L-28
AMC-14
GPS 2R-19 (M6)
Launch Schedule

Business
Orbcomm And Wavecom Enter Into Joint Marketing Agreement
(11 March 2008) Orbcomm, announced today that it has signed a joint marketing agreement with Wavecom whereby the two companies will work together to address the growing demand for devices that combine both satellite and terrestrial wireless communications.