July 2015

[Via Satellite 07-02-2015] The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) issued a statement from President and CEO David Melcher following U.S. Congress’ decision to let the bank’s charter expire on June 30. “Congress missed an opportunity to support thousands of American jobs at firms across the nation that are striving to compete in a global marketplace tilted…

Graphic of Gogo’s 2Ku solution. Photo: Gogo [Via Satellite 07-01-2015] Gogo is optimistic it will stay on top of the In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) market with its satellite-enabled 2Ku capability raising the ante for global connectivity. Speaking at the Nasdaq Investor Program in London on June 30, Gogo Chief Executive Officer Michael Small was heavy handed…

Johann-Dietrich Woerner, ESA’s new director general. Photo: ESA [Via Satellite 07-01-2015] Johann-Dietrich Woerner has begun his new role as director general of the European Space Agency (ESA), which is headquartered in Paris, France. The ESA Council unanimously appointed Woerner in December 2014 for a period of four years. Previously, he was chairman of the executive…

Digital rendering of Rocket Lab’s future Kaitorete Spit launch site. Photo: Rocket Lab [Via Satellite 07-01-2015] Rocket Lab recently announced plans to establish a commercial launch site on Kaitorete Spit in the Canterbury region of New Zealand’s South Island for its Electron launch vehicle. The location, which has been used for suborbital flights by NASA in…

Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) president José Raimundo Braga Coelho, left, and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden sign agreements to further research into heliophysics and space weather and to enhance global climate study and educational opportunities.Photo: NASA/Bill Ingalls [Via Satellite 07-01-2015] NASA and the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) have signed agreements to further research into heliophysics and…

Artist’s rendition of the JPSS 1 satellite. Photo: Ball Aerospace [Via Satellite 07-01-2015] Ball Aerospace has powered on the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS 1) satellite for the first time. Following activation, the environmental monitoring satellite performed within specifications, according to the company. JPSS 1 is scheduled to launch in 2017. To date, Ball has…