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Space Newsfeed
Headlines - 4 May 2008
Satcoms
GigaSat And Vados
Systems Joint Initiative On Global Deployable Communications.
(28
April 2008) GigaSat, best known for its flyaway terminal solutions engineered
to withstand the harsh environments associated with Military operations and
Vados Systems, a provider of deployable converged integrated communications
solutions, announce the interoperability of GigaSat's FA-120 satcom terminal
with Vados' range of rapidly deployable communications solutions.
Harris
Corporation Antenna Reflector For Mobile Communications Satellite Deployed
Successfully
(28 April 2008) An antenna reflector built by Harris
Corporation for the geosynchronous ICO G1 global communications satellite was
successfully deployed on orbit Saturday, April 26, and will play a key role in
providing next-generation mobile communications services across North
America.
Hughes Broadband
Satellite Technology Helps Bridge The Digital Divide In
Australia
(28 April 2008) Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), the
global leader in providing broadband satellite networks and solutions, today
announced that Orion Satellite Systems of Australia has purchased and
commissioned a state-of-the-art DVB-S2/IPoS with Adaptive Coding Modulation
(ACM) satellite system from Hughes to provide broadband Internet access service
to remote areas in Australia.
Malaysian Satellite
Operator ScopeTel Standardises Services On iDirect Platform
(29
April 2008) iDirect, Inc (iDirect), a company of VT Systems Inc (VT Systems)
and a world leader in satellite-based IP communications technology, announced
today a contract with ScopeTel Sdn. Bhd., a major provider of satellite-based
telecommunication and networking solutions headquartered in Malaysia.
NSSL Innovation
Maximises Maritime Satellite Broadband Connectivity
(1 May 2008)
NSSL, the international satellite communications service provider, has
developed an innovative new solution designed to maximise broadband
connectivity at sea.
SES Astra Starts
New Orbital Position At 31.5 Degrees East
(29 April 2008) SES Astra,
an SES company, has announced today the start of a new orbital position at 31.5
degrees East.
Wegener Receives
US$ 1.2 Million Order For Digital Signage Project
(28 April 2008)
Wegener Corporation, a leading provider of equipment for television, audio and
data distribution networks world-wide, today announced a $1.2 million order for
a digital signage project for the financial services industry.
World's Largest
Commercial Satellite Achieves Key Milestone
(28 April 2008) Space
Systems/Loral and ICO Global Communications (Holdings) Limited today announced
the successful deployment of the ICO G1 satellite's large antenna reflector on
Saturday, April 26.
Broadcast
CanalDigitaal And
TV Vlaanderen Launch HDTV Bouquet On Astra For Dutch And Belgian
Markets
(30 April 2008) SES Astra, an SES company, today announced
the launch of a new High Definition (HD) bouquet on Astra targeting the Dutch
and Belgian markets.
HDTV Platform Hello
HD Launches in Hungary From Eutelsat's EUROBIRD 9 Neighbourhood
(29
April 2008) Hello HD, Hungary's first High-Definition television platform is
gearing up for launch on May 1 from the Eurobird 9 satellite operated by
Eutelsat Communications.
Osmosys Software To
Deliver High Definition Services For Hello HD
(28 April 2008)
Osmosys S.A., a leader and innovator in the development of open standards Java
based interactive TV solutions, today announced that together with Advanced
Digital Broadcast (ADB), it is providing Hungarian satellite and cable operator
Hello HD Platform with an end-to-end solution for the roll out of its new
'Hello HD' service - Hungary's first commercial high definition (HD)
offering.
Star Choice Launches
TLC HD And Encore Avenue HD
(25 April 2008) Star Choice, Canada's
leading satellite television service provider, is adding to its High Definition
(HD) channel line-up with the addition of Encore Avenue HD and TLC HD on April
24.
Earth
Observation
Radarsat-2
Commissioned And Ready For Commercial Operation
(1 May 2008)
MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., a provider of essential information
solutions, today announced that Radarsat-2 completed its commissioning on April
25, 2008 and fully transitioned into commercial operations to deliver advanced
radar images of the Earth.
Military Space
Cubic Receives
Contract From Boeing For 10 Gb/s Data Link
(30 April 2008) Cubic
Defense Applications, the defence segment of Cubic Corporation (Amex: CUB), has
received a three-year research and development contract from Boeing Phantom
Works, Boeing's advanced research and technology organisation, to supply
products and services for the development of a new 10 Gb/s data link capable of
transferring very high bandwidth data from air and space sensors to ground
stations.
Lockheed Martin
Achieves Key Milestone On New Missile Warning Satellite
(30 April
2008) Lockheed Martin announced today that it has achieved a major integrated
test milestone on the first Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) geosynchronous
orbit (GEO-1) spacecraft that enables the start of environmental testing in
preparation for launch in late 2009.
Raytheon Awarded
US$ 86.7 Million To Upgrade Satellite Communication Terminals
(28
April 2008) Raytheon Company has won an US$ 86.7 million contract to produce
and install upgrade kits for the Army's Secure Mobile Anti-jam Reliable
Tactical Terminal, or SMART-T.
Astronomy
Austria Declares
Intent To Join ESO
(24 April 2008) At a press conference today at
the University of Vienna's Observatory, the Austrian Science Minister Johannes
Hahn announced the decision by the Austrian Government to seek membership of
ESO from 1 July this year.
Stars
McDonald
Observatory Astronomers Discover New Type Of Pulsating White Dwarf
Star
(1 May 2008) University of Texas at Austin astronomers Michael
H. Montgomery and Kurtis A. Williams, along with graduate student Steven
DeGennaro, have predicted and confirmed the existence of a new type of variable
star with the help of the 2.1-meter Otto Struve Telescope at McDonald
Observatory.
NASA Satellite Pins
Down Timer In Stellar Ticking Time Bomb
(30 April 2008) Using
observations from NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE), an international
team of astronomers has discovered a timing mechanism that allows them to
predict exactly when a superdense star will unleash incredibly powerful
explosions.
Galaxies
Compact Galaxies In
Early Universe Pack A Big Punch
(29 April 2008) Imagine receiving an
announcement touting the birth of a baby 20 inches long and weighing 180
pounds.
Oldest Known
Objects May Be Surprisingly Immature
(28 April 2008) Some of the
oldest objects in the Universe may still have a long way to go, according to a
new study using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory.
Earth
Long-Lived NASA
Polar Satellite, Built By Lockheed Martin, Ends Service After 12 Productive
Years
(29 April 2008) After more than 12 years of collecting
valuable data on how Earth's space environment is affected by continual
bombardment from radiation and particles from the Sun, NASA has decommissioned
its Polar spacecraft.
Mars
Andrews Space Wins
NASA Exploration Contract
(30 April 2008) Andrews Space, Inc.
(Andrews) announced today that it has signed a contract with the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to analyse design solutions related
to NASA's Vision for Space Exploration.
Artificial
Intelligence Boosts Science From Mars
(29 April 2008) Artificial
intelligence (AI) being used at the European Space Operations Centre is giving
a powerful boost to ESA's Mars Express as it searches for signs of past or
present life on the Red Planet.
Life-Probing
Instrument Preparing For Mission To Mars
(28 April 2008) Scripps
researcher receives US$ 2 million in funding for Urey instrument's flight
planning and design
Jupiter
Scientists Find
Rings Of Jupiter Are Shaped In Shadow
(30 April 2008) Scientists
from the University of Maryland and the Max-Planck Institute for Solar System
Research in Germany appear to have solved a long-standing mystery about the
cause of anomalies in Jupiter's gossamer rings.
Saturn
NASA Spacecraft
Tracks Raging Saturn Storm
(29 April 2008) As a powerful electrical
storm rages on Saturn with lightning bolts 10,000 times more powerful than
those found on Earth, the Cassini spacecraft continues its five-month watch
over the dramatic events.
Manned
Space
ATK Conducts
Successful Test Firing Of Space Shuttle Reusable Solid Rocket
Motor
(1 May 2008) The Utah desert was filled with the sight and
sound of power today as Alliant Techsystems conducted a successful test firing
of NASA's space shuttle reusable solid rocket motor (RSRM) as part of
continuous testing to improve performance and ensure safety of the space
shuttle and to aid development of the first stage of Ares I.
NASA Awards
External Tank Contract Modification
(30 April 2008) NASA has signed
a US$ 39.5 million contract modification with Lockheed Martin Space Systems,
New Orleans, to implement an external tank program employee retention
plan.
NASA's Space
Shuttle Discovery To Move To Launch Pad Saturday
(29 April 2008)
Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to roll out to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's
Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on Saturday, May 3, as preparations for the STS-124
mission move forward.
NASA Test Fires
Space Shuttle Reusable Solid Rocket Motor
(1 May 2008) NASA's Space
Shuttle Program on Thursday successfully conducted a test firing of a space
shuttle reusable solid rocket motor in Utah.
Technology
Kopin Selected For
Award Of NASA Solar Cell Development Contract
(1 May 2008) Kopin
Corp., the world's leading provider of heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT)
wafers for cellular phones and wireless local area networks, today announced
that it has been selected for the award of a US$ 600,000 solar cell development
contract from NASA.
Launch
Services
Military And
Civilian Telecom Satellites Are Readied For Arianespace's Third Ariane 5
Mission In 2008
(25 April 2008) The two payloads for Ariane 5's
third mission of 2008 are undergoing pre-flight checkout at Europe's Spaceport
in French Guiana as Arianespace maintains the accelerated launch rate for its
heavy-lift workhorse vehicle this year.
NASA To Launch
GRAIL Satellite On United Launch Alliance Delta II In 2011
(1 May
2008) NASA has designated the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL)
mission to fly aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II Heavy rocket.
Ocean Survey
Spacecraft Arrives At Launch Site
(30 April 2008) A NASA and French
Space Agency (CNES) spacecraft designed to continue a long-term survey of
Earth's oceans has arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., for final
launch preparations.
Thales Alenia Space
Delivers Jason-2 Satellite To Its Californian Launch Base
(30 April
2008) The Jason-2 satellite, built by Thales Alenia Space, left its integration
centre in Cannes for its launch site.
Launch Services - Amos 3
AMOS-3
Communications Satellite Successfully Launched
(28 April 2008)
Spacecom, the operator of the AMOS satellite fleet, today announced that its
newest satellite, AMOS-3, has been successfully launched from the Baikonur
Cosmodrome launch site in Kazakhstan.
Successful Launch
For Amos-3 Israeli Telecommunication Satellite With A Payload Provided By
Thales Alenia Space
(28 April 2008) The Amos-3 telecommunication
satellite, equipped with a Thales Alenia Space payload, was successfully
launched today by a Zenith-3SLB rocket from the Baïkonur
cosmodrome.
Launch Services -
CartoSat 2A, AAUsat 2, CanX-2, CanX-6 (NTS), Compass 1, CUTE-1.7+APD II,
Delfi-C3, IMS-1, RUBIN-8, SEEDS 2
India's PSLV
Successfully Launches Ten Satellites
(28 April 2008) In its
thirteenth flight conducted from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR,
Sriharikota, today (April 28, 2008), ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle,
PSLV-C9, successfully launched the 690 kg Indian remote sensing satellite
Cartosat-2A, the 83 kg Indian Mini Satellite (IMS-1) and eight nanosatellites
for international customers into a 637 km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit
(SSO).
Com
Dev Launches Advanced Space-Based AIS Validation Nanosatellite
(28
April 2008) Com Dev International Ltd., a leading manufacturer of space
hardware subsystems, today announced that a nanosatellite carrying an Automatic
Identification System (AIS) receiver built by Com Dev has successfully been
deployed by the Antrix PSLV-C9 launch conducted from the Satish Dhawan Space
Centre in Sriharikota, India on April 28, 2008.
CARTOSAT-2A And
IMS-1 Cameras Switched On
(1 May 2008) The Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle (PSLV-C9) launched India's Remote Sensing satellites CARTOSAT-2A and
Indian Mini Satellite-1 (IMS-1) along with eight nanosatellites successfully on
April 28, 2008 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR,
Sriharikota.
Launch Services -
Giove B
Arianespace's
Starsem Affiliate Successfully Launches GIOVE-B For The European Galileo
Navigation System
(27 April 2008) The 21st commercial flight
performed by Arianespace's Starsem affiliate orbited the GIOVE-B payload today,
reconfirming its Soyuz launcher's capability to deploy a constellation of
satellites for the newest space-based navigation network - Europe's Galileo
system.
ESA's Most Advanced
Navigation Satellite Launched Tonight
(27 April 2008) A further step
towards the deployment of Europe's Galileo global navigation satellite system
was taken tonight, with the successful launch of ESA's second Galileo In-Orbit
Validation Element (GIOVE-B) satellite, carrying the most accurate atomic clock
ever flown into space.
GIOVE-B Spacecraft
In Good Health
(29 April 2008) After its successful launch by a
Soyuz Rocket from Baiknour on 27 April and accurate insertion into its target
orbit by the Fregat autonomous upper stage, GIOVE-B is now completing its
Launch and Early Operations Phase (LEOP), which will shortly give way to the
platform commissioning phase.
Launches
Tianlian
1
Giove-B
CartoSat 2A, AAUsat
2, CanX-2, CanX-6 (NTS), Compass 1, CUTE-1.7+APD II, Delfi-C3, IMS-1, RUBIN-8,
SEEDS 2
Amos-3
Launch
Schedule
Business
RRsat Completes
Acquisition Of Hawley Teleport In Pennsylvania
(2 May 2008) RRsat
Global Communications Network Ltd., a rapidly growing provider of comprehensive
content management and global distribution services to the television and radio
broadcasting industries, announced today that it has completed the previously
announced acquisition of the Hawley Teleport located in Pike County,
Pennsylvania, for approximately US$ 4.25 million, of which US$ 4 millions in
cash and US$ 250 thousands in services.
Products and Services
Kemet Launches
Space Grade Series Of Capacitors
(2 May 2008) Kemet Corporation
announced today that, as part of its continuing commitment to the defence and
aerospace markets, the Company is introducing a new Space Grade Series of
capacitors designed for use by military/aerospace customers in high-reliability
space applications. |
