Microcom's Space Newsfeed

30 March 2008

Previous News

Satcoms
Com Dev Announces Win On Major European Commercial Satellite
(24 March 2008) Com Dev International Ltd., a leading manufacturer of space hardware subsystems, today announced that it has received a CDN US$ 4.7 million Authorization to Proceed (ATP) from EADS Astrium to supply multiplexer and switch equipment for the Eutelsat KA-SAT communications satellite.
ESA Satellite Technology Enhances Nuclear Monitoring
(28 March 2008) Satellite telecommunication technology developed with support from ESA is being used to enhance the connections between the International Atomic Energy Agency's remote monitoring centre and nuclear facilities around the world, including the Chernobyl site.
Federal Communications Commission Approves Orbcomm's Next-Generation Constellation
(27 March 2008) Orbcomm Inc., a global satellite data communications company focused on providing two way Machine-to-Machine (M2M) solutions communications, today announced that it has received a modified space station authorisation from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approving its next-generation Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation plan.
Spacenet Signs Contract To Upgrade VSAT Network For InterContinental Hotels Group
(27 March 2008) Spacenet Inc., a leading provider of advanced satellite networking services for enterprise and government, announced today that it has signed a contract to provide IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) an upgraded satellite data network and managed network services to 2,500 locations across the United States and Canada.

Broadcast
Dish Network Adds More Local High Definition Markets
(27 March 2008) DISH Network Corporation, the nation's third largest pay-TV provider, today announced that it will begin broadcasting local networks in high definition (HD) in four new markets: Austin, Texas; Flint, Mich.; Orlando, Fl.; and West Palm Beach, Fl.

Earth Observation
Key NPOESS Instrument Successfully Completes Testing
(25 March 2008) An advanced atmospheric sounding instrument being built for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) and the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) has successfully completed vibration testing.
Satellites Take Sustainability To New Heights
(25 March 2008) Shell Canada has incorporated Earth Observation data into its Sustainable Development Report, demonstrating the potential of satellites to provide a global and cost-effective way to measure objectively the sustainability of business activities.

Navigation
Raytheon Completes System Requirements Review For The Next GPS Control Segment
(28 March 2008) Raytheon Company has completed the System Requirements Review (SRR) for the U.S. Air Force on the next-generation Global Positioning System (GPS) Control Segment (OCX).

Military Space
DataPath Awarded US$ 6.6 Million For U.S. Army SATCOM Terminals
(24 March 2008) DataPath, Inc., a leading provider of satellite and wireless communications networks around the world, has been awarded US$ 6.6 million to continue resets, repairs and upgrades to DataPath Satellite Transportable Terminals (STTs) and Unit Hub SATCOM Trucks (UHSTs) used in the U.S. Army's Joint Network Node (JNN)/ Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) program.
Harris Corporation Completes Over-The-Air Certification Testing Of Shipboard SATCOM Terminal
(27 March 2008) Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company, has successfully completed over-the-air certification testing of a new shipboard satellite terminal that can help provide the U.S. Navy with more than 10 times the communications capacity of the predecessor satellite system.
Lockheed Martin Team Achieves Milestone On US Navy's MUOS
(26 March 2008) Lockheed Martin has achieved a key milestone in the development of the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) with the successful completion of static loads testing of the first satellite in the program constellation.
SAIC Delivers Infrared Sensor For Risk Reduction - Alternative Infrared Satellite System
(26 March 2008) Science Applications International Corporation today announced that it has delivered its infrared sensor for the Risk Reduction - Alternative Infrared Satellite System (RR-AIRSS) program ahead of schedule.

Astronomy
ASTRON Performs First Successful Astronomical Observations With A Focal Plane Array
(27 March 2008) ASTRON has performed the first successful astronomical observations with a so-called Focal Plane Array (FPA), installed on one of the fourteen dishes of the Westerbork telescope.
University Of Arizona Mirror Lab To Cast Two Mirrors In One For The LSST
(24 March 2008) The University of Arizona's Steward Observatory Mirror Laboratory is about to cast a new kind of giant optic for a unique wide-field survey telescope, the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope.

Moon
SpaceDev To Develop Technologies For NASA Lunar Operations
(24 March 2008) SpaceDev, Inc. announced that it has been awarded a contract for the development of next-generation seal technologies for instrument covers.

Saturn
Cassini 'Tastes' Organic Brew At Saturn's Geyser Moon
(26 March 2008) The Cassini spacecraft tasted and sampled a surprising organic brew erupting in geyser-like fashion from Saturn's moon Enceladus during a close flyby on 12 March. Scientists are completely giddy as to why this tiny moon is so active, so hot and brimming with organics.
Ocean May Exist Beneath Titan's Crust
(25 March 2008) Cassini has discovered evidence that points to the existence of an underground ocean of water and ammonia on Saturn's moon Titan.
Warm 'Tiger Stripes' On Geyser Moon Raise Hopes For Life
(28 March 2008) The most detailed temperature map to date of the "Tiger Stripe" region on the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus reveals that the area is even warmer than previous measurements indicated.

Asteroids
University Of Maryland-Led Team Finds Oldest Known Asteroids
(24 March 2008) Using visible and infrared data collected from telescopes on Hawaii's Mauna Kea, a team of scientists, led by the University of Maryland's Jessica Sunshine, have identified three asteroids that appear to be among our Solar System's oldest objects.

Sub Orbital Space
XCOR Aerospace's Suborbital Vehicle To Fly Within Two Years
(26 March 2008) A small California aerospace company today unveiled a new suborbital spaceship that will provide affordable front- seat rides to the edge of space for the millions of people who want to buy a ticket.
XCOR Wins Contract For Operations Demonstrations With New Suborbital Vehicle
(26 March 2008) The Air Vehicles Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has awarded, pending successful contract negotiations and signature by the Government Contracting Officer, XCOR Aerospace a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract to develop and test operationally responsive features of one of the firm's commercial vehicles.

Manned Space
NASA Airs New Spacecraft's Manoeuvres And Docking To Space Station
(25 March 2008) Less than three weeks after its maiden launch, the European Space Agency's Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle, or ATV, is set to begin a series of automated approaches and make an eventual docking with the International Space Station.
Raytheon Receives US$ 56.9 Million Contract Extension From NASA
(26 March 2008) Raytheon Technical Services Company LLC (RTSC), a subsidiary of Raytheon Company, has received a US$ 56.9 million sole source contract extension to support facilities and operations for astronaut training at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) and Sonny Carter Training Facility in Houston.

Manned Space - STS 123
NASA'S Space Shuttle Endeavour To Land Wednesday
(24 March 2008) The space shuttle Endeavour crew is expected to complete its 16-day flight to the International Space Station with a landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, March 26.
NASA'S Shuttle Crew Returns Home After Successful Mission
(26 March 2008) Space shuttle Endeavour and its crew landed at 8:39 p.m. EDT Wednesday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., after completing a 16-day journey of nearly 6.6 million miles in space.
Endeavour Brings ESA Astronaut Back To Earth
(27 March 2008) Returning from its 16-day STS-123 mission to the International Space Station, NASA's Shuttle Endeavour has safely returned to earth, with a crew of seven onboard, including ESA astronaut Léopold Eyharts of France, who spent nearly 49 days in space on a mission to dock and commission Europe's Columbus laboratory.
Hamilton Sundstrand Space Suit Performs Flawlessly During STS-123 Mission
(27 March 2008) The Hamilton Sundstrand space suit performed flawlessly during more and longer space walks than ever before in International Space Station history.
UTC Power Fuel Cells Achieve Milestone, Topping 100,000 Hours In Space
(27 March 2008) UTC Power fuel cells, which generate all of the Space Shuttle's electrical power, surpassed 100,000 hours of flight operation during the recently completed STS-123 mission by the Orbiter Endeavour.
NASA Studies Microbes On Space Shuttle Flight
(26 March 2008) NASA launched four microbial experiments aboard the space shuttle Endeavour on March 11, 2008.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #24
(22 March 2008) Four down and one to go: The space shuttle Endeavour crew is just hours away from beginning its fifth and final planned spacewalk.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #25
(22 March 2008) Capping a series of five spacewalks, astronauts Robert L. Behnken and Mike Foreman completed the final spacewalk of the STS-123 mission at 9:36 p.m. CDT.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #26
(23 March 2008) After 13 busy days in space, the crew of space shuttle Endeavour will get some downtime today before bidding farewell to the International Space Station tomorrow.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #27
(23 March 2008) The crew of Endeavour neared the two-week mark in space preparing for tomorrow's undocking and departure from the International Space Station.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #28
(24 March 2008) The space shuttle Endeavour crew has just a few hours left to spend at the International Space Station.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #29
(24 March 2008) The space shuttle Endeavour undocked from the International Space Station at 7:25 p.m. CDT, completing 11 days, 20 hours and 36 minutes of docked operations.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #30
(25 March 2008) The space shuttle Endeavour crewmembers have a day of preparations and last-minute packing ahead of them, as they get ready to return to Earth on Wednesday.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #31
(25 March 2008) The space shuttle Endeavour and its crew spent the day making final preparations for their return to Earth tomorrow.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #32
(26 March 2008) Space shuttle Endeavour's record-setting visit to the International Space Station is just hours away from its conclusion.
STS-123 MCC Status Report #33
(26 March 2008) After orbiting the Earth an extra revolution due to weather at the landing site, space shuttle Endeavour and its seven-member crew landed on Runway 15 at the Kennedy Space Center at 7:39 p.m. CDT today, completing a 16-day journey of more than 6.5 million miles.

Launch Services
ATK And Ad Astra Rocket Company Sign Technology Development Alliance
(26 March 2008) On March 17, Alliant Techsystems and the Ad Astra Rocket Company of Houston, Texas signed and executed a Technology Development Alliance designed to strengthen the market presence of the two companies and explore future in-space propulsion systems for lunar and planetary missions.
Odyssey Moon Announces Commercial Launch Services Agreement
(26 March 2008) Odyssey Moon Limited, a commercial provider of lunar transportation products and services, announced today that it has reached a commercial launch services agreement with Celestis, Inc., the pioneer and global leader in Memorial Spaceflight.
SpaceX Conducts First Three-Engine Firing Of Falcon 9 Rocket
(27 March 2008) Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) conducted the first three-engine firing of its Falcon 9 medium to heavy lift rocket at its Texas Test Facility outside McGregor, on March 8, 2008.

Launch Services - SAR-Lupe 4
SAR-Lupe 4 Successfully Launched
(27 March 2008) The fourth German SAR-Lupe reconnaissance satellite was launched at 18:15 hours from the Russian space centre Plesetsk south of Archangelsk.
Successful Fourth Launch For SAR-Lupe Observation Satellite, Equipped With Thales Alenia Space's SAR Sensor Electronics Units
(28 March 2008) Thales Alenia Space welcomed the successful launch of the fourth SAR-Lupe satellite.

Launches
SAR-Lupe 4
Launch Schedule

Business
RRsat Enters Agreement To Acquire The Satellite Business Of Bezeq, Israel's Leading Telecom Group
(27 March 2008) RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd. ("RRsat"), a rapidly growing provider of comprehensive content management and global distribution services to the television and radio broadcasting industries, announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the satellite business of Bezeq, the Israel Telecommunications Corp. Limited ("Bezeq"), Israel's leading telecommunications service provider, for approximately US$ 15 million in cash.
Vizada Sells GMPCS Personal Communications, Inc.
(27 March 2008) Vizada, the leading provider of global satellite communications solutions with more market share on more satellite networks than any other provider, today announced the sale of its affiliate, GMPCS Personal Communications, Inc., to a private investor.

Products and Services
Eutelsat And SpeedCast Announce The Launch Of A New Global Maritime Broadband Service
(26 March 2008) On the occasion of Asia Pacific Maritime, Eutelsat Communications and SpeedCast announce they are jointly launching a new maritime broadband communications service addressing the commercial shipping sector.

Events
MSUA-5 International Conference And Exhibition To Highlight The Promise Of Mobile Satellite Services
(26 March 2008) The Mobile Satellite Users Association (MSUA) announced today that the MSUA International Conference and Exhibition will focus on "Delivering the Promise of Mobile Satellite Services."

People
AsiaSat Appoints New General Manager Engineering
(26 March 2008) Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat), Asia's leading satellite operator, announced the appointment of Roger Tong as its new General Manager Engineering.
AURA Selects David Silva As New Director Of The National Optical Astronomy Observatory
(25 March 2008) The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) has selected Dr. David Silva as the new director of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), based in Tucson, Arizona.
NASA Administrator Announces Science Mission Directorate Leadership Changes
(26 March 2008) NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin issued the following statement Wednesday regarding the announcement that Dr. S. Alan Stern, NASA associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, has decided to leave the agency.