General news on the satellite and space industry from around the web
Iridium’s Satellite Network Operating Center. Photo: Iridium [Via Satellite 08-27-2014] Iridium has completed its Launch and Early Operations (LEOP) control center for Iridium NEXT. Located next to the Iridium Mission Control Center, the LEOP facility will be used to manage the NEXT constellation, test on-orbit functionality, and maneuver and monitor satellites as they are transferred…
[Via Satellite 08-27-2014] ViaSat reports it has received 3,150 orders for fixed-site Machine to Machine (M2M) and airborne terminals for its upcoming L-band network. The company is also selling vehicular, maritime and asset tracking terminals in advance of the network. ViaSat announced its new L-band network in May 2014, predicated on agreements reached with LightSquared…
An AeroMexico Boeing 737-752. Photo: Wikipedia [Via Satellite 08-26-2014] Global Mexican airline Aeromexico has signed a definitive agreement with Gogo for the company’s new 2Ku In Flight Connectivity (IFC) solution. The new agreement solidifies discussions from December 2013, where the principal terms and conditions were established. Gogo will connected a minimum of 20 of Aeromexico’s Boeing 737 aircraft…
Lockheed Martin’s Space Fence. Photo: Lockheed Martin. [Via Satellite 08-26-2014] Lockheed Martin and Electro Optics Systems have agreed to build a space object tracking facility in Western Australia. Through the use of both lasers and sensitive, telescope-like optical systems, the companies plan to use the site for a combination of government and commercial customers. Lockheed…
Comtech EF Data’s Tempe Ariz. office. Photo: Comtech [Via Satellite 08-26-2014] Comtech Telecommunications Corporation has confirmed rumors that it is considering a possible merger or sale in order to increase shareholder value. The company reports that there is no definitive timetable for completing this evaluation, nor will it disclose any further information except if required…
Artist’s impression of UKube 1. Photo: ClydeSpace. [Via Satellite 08-26-2014] The United Kingdom Space Agency’s first CubeSat mission, UKube 1, is experiencing an anomaly with its primary communications link. The agency reports that while the satellite is healthy and its attitude has been stabilized, the anomaly is preventing normal operations for payload commissioning. Launched in…
Artist’s visualization of the TRMM satellite in space over a tropical cyclone. Photo: NASA [Via Satellite 08-26-2014] The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) a joint satellite program between NASA and JAXA, has nearly exhausted its fuel supply. Based on fuel tank pressure readings NASA estimates the satellite will deorbit in November 2016. The TRMM satellite…
Arianespace’s video of Soyuz launch VS09. Photo: Arianespace [Via Satellite 08-25-2014] The Aug. 22 Soyuz launch originally celebrated as the beginning of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) fast-paced deployment of the Galileo GPS network, is now the subject of investigation after officials discovered the two satellites did not reach their intended orbits. The first two…
RD-180 engines. Photo: ULA/NASA [Via Satellite 08-25-2014] The United States Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (AFSPC) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) on a new booster as well as a potential new launch system for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. Conclusions drawn from the RFI process may constitute sufficient market…
SpaceX Falcon 9R explosion. Photo: @EthansMommy17 (Twitter), used with permission. [Via Satellite 08-25-2014] On Aug. 22, SpaceX conducted a test of a reusable rocket in McGregor, Texas. The rocket, a three-engine version of the Falcon 9R, experienced an anomaly resulting in automatic termination by its flight termination system. SpaceX said in a statement that detecting…