March 2017

At NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, the James Webb Space Telescope team completed the acoustic and vibration portions of environmental testing on the telescope. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2017033000

The CanX-7 nanosatellite built by Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) has validated real-time detection and tracking of aircraft by satellite in low-Earth orbit. The next mission phase will begin in early May with deployment of drag sails developed by SFL to accelerate the deorbiting of small…

Aireon announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Spanish Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP) ENAIRE. Through this agreement, ENAIRE will begin investigating the benefits of deploying space-based automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) technology in its airspace. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2017033002

NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) completed its 50,000th orbit around Mars this week. The orbiter continues diverse science observations of Mars and communications-relay service for two active Mars rovers, Curiosity and Opportunity. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2017033003

http://www.satellitetoday.com/launch/2017/03/30/new-launch-date-unclear-ariane-5/

http://www.satellitetoday.com/telecom/2017/03/30/intelsat-signs-eprocess-epic-banking-services-africa/

http://www.satellitetoday.com/telecom/2017/03/30/thuraya-appoints-ahmed-al-shamsi-acting-ceo/

http://www.satellitetoday.com/telecom/2017/03/30/aireon-enaire-sign-agreement-evaluate-space-based-ads-b/

http://www.satellitetoday.com/telecom/2017/03/30/comtech-awarded-24-million-government-orders/

Arianespace shareholders voted unanimously to convert the launch operator and subsidiary of Airbus Safran Launchers to an SAS (simplified joint-stock company) at the company’s Annual General Meeting, held in Paris on 27 March. http://www.sat-nd.com/archive/?id=2017032900