Government/Military

Viasat revealed upgrades to its KG-142 network encryptor device (KG-142) for military and government customers. The upgraded KG-142 supports the shift to cloud-centered communications, aiming to provide added flexibility for customers and reducing the size, weight, power, and overall cost for today’s cloud networks. Viasat’s KG-142 network encryptor is part of the company’s portfolio of...

SpaceX postponed the Tuesday launch of a Falcon 9 rocket, which would carry the GPS III satellite for the U.S. Air Force. “SpaceX team called a hold due to an out of family reading on first stage sensors. Vehicle and payload remain healthy; next launch attempt is tomorrow at 9:07 EST, 14:07 UTC,” according to...

E-GEOS, a joint venture between Telespazio and the Italian Space Agency, signed a contract with the government of Saint Lucia for setting up an early warning system to support the management of weather-related emergencies that frequently hit the Caribbean island. E-GEOS aims to provide a complete “geo-information center” on the island — combining the technological...

Rocket Lab launched its third orbital mission of 2018, successfully deploying satellites to orbit for NASA. The mission, designated Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa)-19 , took place just over a month after Rocket Lab’s last successful orbital launch. Rocket Lab has launched a total of 24 satellites to orbit in 2018. Rocket Lab’s Electron launch...

Intelsat General Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Intelsat S.A., revealed that it is launching FlexAir — a managed end-to-end service providing In Flight Connectivity (IFC). This service will be providing support to military aircraft in the way of communications and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) applications. It was also revealed that Comsat will be...

Kratos Defense and Security Solutions revealed that its winning team, led by Space Vector,  received an Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) contract to support the U.S. Air Force’s Sounding Rocket Program-4 (SRP-4). The seven-year contract has a total potential value of up to $424 million, which is available to Kratos/Space Vector and one other awardee. The Space Vector and...

The U.S. Air Force‘s first Lockheed Martin-built GPS III satellite is now encapsulated for its planned Dec. 18 launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. GPS III Space Vehicle 01 (GPS III SV01) underwent pre-launch processing, fueling, and encapsulation at Astrotech Space Operations. During encapsulation, GPS III SV01 was...

The Australian Space Agency official launched on Dec. 11. The agency opened in South Australia, and is responsible for government coordination of civil space matters, and is the primary source of advice to the Australian Government on civil space policy. According to its website, further functions of the agency include providing national policy and strategic...

At CyberSat 2018, a number of speakers discussed the growing threat to satellites from nation states and other actors — and they believe that satellites will continue to be targeted. In fact, Dave DeWalt, the chairman of Momentum Cyber, said satellites was one of the areas that worried him the most. One of the companies...

Scientists from NATO‘s Science and Technology Organization (NATO STO) are deploying an Internet of Things (IOT) solution using Globalstar satellite communications, including Spot Trace. Research teams from the NATO STO Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE), based in Italy, are embedding Spot Trace devices in freely drifting buoys and setting them afloat in the...