1 June 2008
Satcoms
Echo Satellite Receives Order
From NYSE Aerospace Contractor Sparton Corporation
LIAISON Project Takes Off
Marlink Signs Sealink Deal With Wilhelmsen Ship
Management
Media Broadcast Orders Nine ND
Satcom SNG Vehicles
Micronetics Delivers
Equipment For The Commercial Satellite Based In-Flight Broadband
Market
Orbcomm Announces Shipment Of Six
Satellites To The Launch Site
Orbit
Announces Agreement With AITelecom For The Sale Of Its OrSat Ku-Band Satellite
Systems In Mexico
Small GEO Mission -
Signature At ILA 2008
Broadcast
Interactive Digital TV And Distance Learning Patent
Upheld
SatLink Brings Hope Channel To
Africa
SKY Italia Deploys Harmonic's
IP-Based Digital Video Headend Solutions For Satellite TV Service
Upgrade
Earth
Observation
Astrium Wins Satellite Contract Worth Euro 263
Million
EarthCARE Satellite Contract
Signed
NASA Satellites Illuminate
Pollution's Influence On Clouds, Climate
SSTL Wins Satellite Imager Contract For Climate
Modelling
Military
Space
Boeing Submits Bid For Space Situational Awareness
Program To U.S. Air Force
Communications
& Power Industries Awarded Approximately US$ 12 Million in Follow-On Orders
in Fiscal 2008 From General Dynamics to Support U.S. Army's WIN-T Satellite
Communications Program
Harris Corporation
Awarded An IDIQ Contract With Potential Value Of US$ 85 Million For U.S. Navy
Commercial Broadband Satellite Program
Intelsat General Awarded US$ 6.5M X-Band Satellite
Services Contract From DRS - Potential Value To Reach US$ 48M
Lockheed Martin Team Delivers Flight Software For
Nation's New Missile Warning Satellite
SpaceDev Satellite Chosen For Inaugural U.S. Defense
ORS Jumpstart Mission
US Navy SPAWAR Awards
Contract To ND SatCom
Science
NASA Selects Small Explorer Investigations For Concept
Studies
Astronomy
The Perfect Science Machine
Stars
Strange Ring Found Circling Dead Star
The Behemoth Has A Thick Belt
Supernova
Scientists Hold Seance For
Supernova
Sun
Warm Coronal Loops Offer Clue To Mysteriously Hot
Solar Atmosphere
Venus
New Details On Venusian Clouds
Revealed
Earth
September Launch For ESA's Gravity Mission
GOCE
Mars
Mars Pulls Phoenix
In
Mars Express Supports Phoenix Mars
Landing
Radio Telescopes To Keep Sharp Eye
On NASA's Mars Phoenix Lander
Camera On Mars
Orbiter Snaps Phoenix During Landing
NASA's
Phoenix Spacecraft Lands At Martian Arctic Site
NASA'S Phoenix Spacecraft Reports Good Health After
Mars Landing
Lockheed Martin-Built Phoenix
Spacecraft Successfully Lands On Mars
ATK
Ultraflex Solar Arrays Deploy And Provide Critical Power To The Mars Phoenix
Lander
Honeywell Navigation Unit Helps
Successful Mars Landing
First Images From
Phoenix Mars Lander
NASA Mars Lander
Prepares To Move Arm
University Of Alberta
Device To Measure Wind On Mars Successfully Lands
NASA's Phoenix Spacecraft Commanded To Unstow
Arm
NASA Phoenix Mars Lander Puts Arm And
Other Tools To Work
Manned
Space
Aerojet Engine Test Validates Low-Risk Propulsion
Solution For NASA's Constellation Program - Orion Service Module
Kodak
Digital Technology To Provide Mission-Critical Images For Space
Flight
Mars500 - European Candidates
Selected
Launch
Services
Arianespace's Next Ariane 5 Mission Is Cleared For
Launch
Satellites For The Fourth Ariane 5
Mission Of This Year Have Arrived At Europe's Spaceport
Turksat 3A Telecommunication Satellite Is Ready For
Launch
Launches
Gonets D1 (3 satellites), Jubilee
(Yubilyeniy)
Fengyun-3A (FY-3A)
Launch
Schedule
Business
Khrunichev Purchases Majority Interest In
International Launch Services
Events
European Conference Addresses Increasing Demand For EO
Data
People
Four New Flight Directors Selected To Lead NASA's
Mission Control
Intelsat Names Kay Sears To
Head Intelsat General
Satcoms
Echo Satellite Receives
Order From NYSE Aerospace Contractor Sparton Corporation
(28 May
2008) Echo Satellite Communications, Inc., a leading global provider of
wireless, non-line-of-sight satellite communications products and services,
announced it has received its first purchase order from electronic design and
manufacturing aerospace service provider Sparton Corporation for a SatMAX
3-user Iridium satellite communications repeater system.
LIAISON Project Takes Off
(26 May 2008) On
May 20th, the Italian Fire Brigade, Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio
presented the LIAISON (Location-based services for the enhancement of working
environment) project at the fire crew Training Center in Montelibretti, near
Rome (Italy).
Marlink Signs Sealink Deal With
Wilhelmsen Ship Management
(30 May 2008) Marlink, a Vizada company,
and the world's leading maritime satellite communications integrator, today
announced an agreement to provide the Sealink Maritime VSAT solution to
Wilhelmsen Ship Management (WSM), market leader for the international
transportation of vehicles at sea and part of Wilhelmsen Maritime Services, a
Wilh. Wilhelmsen group company.
Media
Broadcast Orders Nine ND Satcom SNG Vehicles
(28 May 2008) ND
SatCom, an SES Astra company, announced that German radio and media service
provider Media Broadcast, formerly known as T-Systems Media & Broadcast,
ordered nine redundant SNG (Satellite News Gathering) vehicles for its
fleet.
Micronetics Delivers Equipment For The
Commercial Satellite Based In-Flight Broadband Market
(30 May 2008)
Micronetics, Inc. announced today that it's subsidiary, Microwave Concepts
(Micro-Con), has delivered an integrated microwave subsystem used to enable
satellite based in-flight broadband connectivity.
Orbcomm Announces Shipment Of Six Satellites To The
Launch Site
(28 May 2008) Orbcomm Inc., a global satellite data
communications company focused on providing two way Machine-to-Machine (M2M)
communications, today announced that its Coast Guard demonstration and five
Quick Launch satellites have been shipped to the launch site in Kapustin Yar,
Russia.
Orbit Announces Agreement With
AITelecom For The Sale Of Its OrSat Ku-Band Satellite Systems In
Mexico
(28 May 2008) Orbit - a recognised leader in the development
of advanced solutions for mobile SatCom, tracking antennas, and audio
management for commercial and government applications - announces the delivery
of six Marine Stabilized Satellite systems - the OrSat - to AITelecom.
Small GEO Mission - Signature At ILA
2008
(27 May 2008) Today - during the Berlin Air Show, ILA 2008 -
ESA and Hispasat S.A. (Spain) signed a preliminary authorisation to proceed for
the Small GEO Mission.
Broadcast
Interactive Digital TV And Distance Learning Patent
Upheld
(24 May 2008) After nearly five years of review instigated by
SES-Astra, on Thursday May 8th, the European Patent Office affirmed the
validity of a broad patent # 0 958 569 B1 which issued on October 31, 2002 to
Frederick R. Guy of Syracuse, New York.
SatLink Brings Hope Channel To Africa
(27
May 2008) SatLink Communications Ltd., the fastest growing teleport in 2007
according to The World Teleport Association, announced today the launch of
Brazilian spiritual channel, Hope Channel's Novo Tempo (Canal de Esperana TV)
in the Portuguese language to Africa.
SKY
Italia Deploys Harmonic's IP-Based Digital Video Headend Solutions For
Satellite TV Service Upgrade
(27 May 2008) Harmonic Inc. today
announced that SKY Italia, a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corporation, has
deployed Harmonic's market-leading compression and IP-based statistical
multiplexing solutions for its direct broadcast satellite (DBS)
service.
Earth
Observation
Astrium Wins Satellite Contract Worth Euro 263
Million
(27 May 2008) Europe's leading space company, Astrium, has
been commissioned by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop and build the
EarthCARE Earth observation satellite.
EarthCARE Satellite Contract Signed
(27 May
2008) The European Space Agency and Astrium GmbH have today signed a contract
worth €263 million to provide the EarthCARE satellite, the sixth Earth
Explorer mission of ESA's Living Planet Programme.
NASA Satellites Illuminate Pollution's Influence On
Clouds, Climate
(27 May 2008) Using data from instruments in a
constellation of NASA satellites, scientists have discovered that they can see
deep inside of clouds.
SSTL Wins Satellite
Imager Contract For Climate Modelling
(28 May 2008) Surrey Satellite
Technology Ltd (SSTL), the world's leading small satellite manufacturer, has
secured a contract worth Euro 1.6 million from Astrium GmbH, Germany to proceed
with work on a new contract to develop and supply the Multi-Spectral Imager
(MSI) for the European Space Agency's (ESA) EarthCARE
Mission.
Military
Space
Boeing Submits Bid For Space Situational Awareness
Program To U.S. Air Force
(28 May 2008) The Boeing Company today
announced that it submitted a bid to the U.S. Air Force earlier this month for
the Self-Awareness Space Situational Awareness (SASSA) program.
Communications & Power Industries Awarded
Approximately US$ 12 Million in Follow-On Orders in Fiscal 2008 From General
Dynamics to Support U.S. Army's WIN-T Satellite Communications
Program
(27 May 2008) Communications & Power Industries, Inc.
(CPI) has been awarded approximately US$ 12 million in follow-on orders from
General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies in fiscal 2008 to support Increment One of
the U.S. Army's Warfighter Information Network Tactical (WIN-T)
program.
Harris Corporation Awarded An IDIQ
Contract With Potential Value Of US$ 85 Million For U.S. Navy Commercial
Broadband Satellite Program
(28 May 2008) Harris Corporation, an
international communications and information technology company, has been
awarded a potential five-year, US$ 85 million Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite
Quantity (IDIQ) contract from the U.S. Navy for multiband satellite
communications terminals that will provide advanced communications for aircraft
carriers and other large deck ships.
Intelsat
General Awarded US$ 6.5M X-Band Satellite Services Contract From DRS -
Potential Value To Reach US$ 48M
(29 May 2008) Intelsat General
Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Intelsat, Ltd., has been awarded a
contract by DRS Technologies Inc. to provide X-band satellite connectivity,
fibre and teleport services in the Middle East using Intelsat infrastructure
and the Skynet satellite fleet owned and operated by Paradigm Secure
Communications.
Lockheed Martin Team Delivers
Flight Software For Nation's New Missile Warning Satellite
(27 May
2008) Lockheed Martin announced today that it has successfully delivered the
first of two major blocks of flight software designed to provide highly
reliable command and control of the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS)
geosynchronous orbit (GEO) spacecraft.
SpaceDev Satellite Chosen For Inaugural U.S. Defense
ORS Jumpstart Mission
(29 May 2008) SpaceDev, Inc. has been informed
by the U.S. Department of Defense Operationally Responsive Space Office (ORS)
that it has selected SpaceDev's Trailblazer spacecraft bus as the primary
payload to fly on its inaugural mission, called Jumpstart.
US Navy SPAWAR Awards Contract To ND
SatCom
(30 May 2008) ND SatCom, an SES Astra company, announced that
its US affiliate ND SatCom Inc. has recently been awarded an
indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, performance-based contract from the US
Department of the Navy, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in Charleston,
S.C.
Science
NASA Selects Small
Explorer Investigations For Concept Studies
(29 May 2008) NASA has
selected six candidate mission proposals for further evaluation as part of the
agency's Small Explorer (SMEX) Program.
Astronomy
The Perfect Science Machine
(27 May 2008)
Today marks the 10th anniversary since First Light with ESO's Very Large
Telescope (VLT), the most advanced optical telescope in the
world.
Stars
Strange Ring Found
Circling Dead Star
(28 May 2008) NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has
found a bizarre ring of material around the magnetic remains of a star that
blasted to smithereens.
The Behemoth Has A
Thick Belt
(27 May 2008) Talk about a diet!
Supernova
Scientists Hold Seance For Supernova
(29
May 2008) Astronomers have unearthed secrets from the grave of a star that
blasted apart in a supernova explosion long ago.
Sun
Warm Coronal Loops Offer Clue To Mysteriously Hot
Solar Atmosphere
(30 May 2008) Scientists at NASA reveal a new
understanding of the mysterious mechanism responsible for heating the outer
part of the solar atmosphere, the corona, to million degree
temperatures.
Venus
New Details On Venusian Clouds Revealed
(30
May 2008) As ESA's Venus Express orbits our sister planet, new images of the
cloud structure of one of the most enigmatic atmospheres of the Solar System
reveal brand-new details.
Earth
September Launch For ESA's Gravity Mission
GOCE
(27 May 2008) A new launch date has been set for
GOCE.
Mars
Mars Pulls Phoenix
In
(25 May 2008) NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander sped on Sunday morning
toward its arrival at Mars, as the tug of the Red Planet's gravity accelerated
the craft during the final day of its trip from Earth to Mars.
Mars Express Supports Phoenix Mars
Landing
(26 May 2008) Today at 00:57 UTC (02:57 CEST), crucial data
recorded by ESA's Mars Express during Phoenix's descent to the Martian surface
were successfully received at the European Space Operations Centre.
Radio Telescopes To Keep Sharp Eye On NASA's Mars
Phoenix Lander
(23 May 2008) As NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander descends
through the Red Planet's atmosphere toward its landing on May 25, its progress
will be scrutinised by radio telescopes from the National Radio Astronomy
Observatory (NRAO).
Camera On Mars Orbiter
Snaps Phoenix During Landing
(26 May 2008) A telescopic camera in
orbit around Mars caught a view of NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander suspended from
its parachute during the lander's successful arrival at Mars Sunday evening,
May 25.
NASA's Phoenix Spacecraft Lands At
Martian Arctic Site
(25 May 2008) NASA's Phoenix spacecraft landed
in the northern polar region of Mars Sunday to begin three months of examining
a site chosen for its likelihood of having frozen water within reach of the
lander's robotic arm.
NASA'S Phoenix
Spacecraft Reports Good Health After Mars Landing
(25 May 2008) A
NASA spacecraft today sent pictures showing itself in good condition after
making the first successful landing in a polar region of Mars.
Lockheed Martin-Built Phoenix Spacecraft Successfully
Lands On Mars
(25 May 2008) NASA has a new spacecraft operating on
the surface of Mars.
ATK Ultraflex Solar
Arrays Deploy And Provide Critical Power To The Mars Phoenix
Lander
(26 May 2008) Alliant Techsystems announces that the
Ultraflex Solar Arrays deployed and now provide power to the Mars Phoenix
Lander.
Honeywell Navigation Unit Helps
Successful Mars Landing
(28 May 2008) Honeywell announced today that
its Miniature Inertial Measurement Units (MIMUs) helped successfully guide
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander to a safe landing May 25th on the planet's
surface.
First Images From Phoenix Mars
Lander
(26 May 2008) ESA completed a key step in its ongoing support
to NASA's Phoenix mission, when signals from the Phoenix Mars lander recorded
by Mars Express were successfully received at ESA's Space Operations Centre
(ESOC), Darmstadt, Germany.
NASA Mars Lander
Prepares To Move Arm
(27 May 2008) NASA's Phoenix Lander is ready to
begin moving its robotic arm, first unlatching its wrist and then flexing its
elbow.
University Of Alberta Device To
Measure Wind On Mars Successfully Lands
(27 May 2008)
Edmonton--University of Alberta scientist Carlos Lange is thrilled that an
instrument he invented, a wind sensor called the Telltale, has successfully
landed on Mars.
NASA's Phoenix Spacecraft
Commanded To Unstow Arm
(28 May 2008) Scientists leading NASA's
Phoenix Mars mission from the University of Arizona in Tucson sent commands to
unstow its robotic arm and take more images of its landing site early
today.
NASA Phoenix Mars Lander Puts Arm And
Other Tools To Work
(29 May 2008) NASA's Mars lander is returning
more detailed images from the Martian surface and is now preparing its
instruments for science operations.
Manned Space
Aerojet Engine Test Validates Low-Risk Propulsion
Solution For NASA's Constellation Program - Orion Service Module
(28
May 2008) Aerojet, a GenCorp company, successfully completed 250 hot-fire test
sequences of its legendary R-4D 100-pound-thrust bipropellant engine.
Kodak Digital Technology To Provide Mission-Critical
Images For Space Flight
(28 May 2008) On the upcoming flight of
space shuttle Discovery, planned for launch on May 31, 2008, Kodak Digital
Technology will again be instrumental in capturing critical images and helping
to safeguard the well-being of shuttle astronauts during re-entry back to
earth.
Mars500 - European Candidates
Selected
(27 May 2008) Last week, 32 talented candidates gathered at
the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, with the hope of becoming
part of a unique study that will act as a platform for human exploration of the
Solar System.
Launch
Services
Arianespace's Next Ariane 5 Mission Is Cleared For
Launch
(28 May 2008) This Friday's heavy-lift Ariane 5 flight with
two satellite payloads satellites has been cleared for lift-off following the
launch readiness review conducted today at Europe's Spaceport.
Satellites For The Fourth Ariane 5 Mission Of This
Year Have Arrived At Europe's Spaceport
(28 May 2008) The two
satellite payloads for Arianespace's fourth Ariane 5 flight of 2008 are now at
the Spaceport as the mission rate for this heavy-lift workhorse launcher
continues to accelerate.
Turksat 3A
Telecommunication Satellite Is Ready For Launch
(28 May 2008)
Turksat 3A communication satellite built by Thales Alenia Space is now ready
for launch at the Kourou site, in French Guiana.
Launches
Gonets D1 (3 satellites), Jubilee
(Yubilyeniy)
Fengyun-3A
(FY-3A)
Launch Schedule
Business
Khrunichev Purchases Majority Interest In
International Launch Services
(29 May 2008) ILS International Launch
Services Inc., a world leader in launch services for commercial satellites,
announced today that Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
acquired the shares of ILS owned by majority shareholder, Space Transport
Inc.
Events
European Conference
Addresses Increasing Demand For EO Data
(28 May 2008) For more than
40 years, Earth observing satellites have delivered valuable data about our
planet and have enabled a better understanding and improved management of the
Earth and its environment.
People
Four New Flight Directors Selected To Lead NASA's
Mission Control
(30 May 2008) NASA has selected four new flight
directors. Gary C. Horlacher, Jerry P. Jason, Michael L. Lammers and Royce J.
Renfrew will join a select group of individuals who lead human spaceflights
from Mission Control at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston.
Intelsat Names Kay Sears To Head Intelsat
General
(23 May 2008) Intelsat, Ltd., the world's leading provider
of fixed satellite services, today announced that satellite industry veteran
Kay Sears has been named President of the company's subsidiary, Intelsat
General, effective 30 June 2008.
