Government/Military

[Via Satellite 09-22-2014] Following a 10-month interplanetary journey, NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) research satellite has reached the Red Planet. Lockheed Martin, MAVEN’s manufacturer, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) confirmed the orbital insertion, with telemetry and tracking data coming from NASA’s Canberra, Australia-based Deep Space Network antenna station. The spacecraft now begins...

[Via Satellite 09-19-2014] The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has released the Signal-in-Space Interface Control Document (ICD) for Standard Positioning Service (SPS) for the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). Currently under development, the IRNSS constellation will serve as India’s domestic Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The first two of seven satellites, IRNSS 1A and...

[Via Satellite 09-19-2014] Commercial satellite weather company PlanetiQ has partnered with Millennium Engineering and Integration to provide hosted payload opportunities on its upcoming satellite constellation. Millennium received a Hosted Payloads Solutions (HoPS) Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract from the U.S. Air Force earlier this summer. PlanetiQ is building a privately funded weather constellation starting...

[Via Satellite 09-18-2014] Harris Corporation completed the integration of the first weather product applications onto the ground segment hardware for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration‘s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite – R (GOES-R) Series program. Harris delivered the ground system to NOAA earlier this year, for which it is the prime contractor. The recent...

[Via Satellite 09-18-2014] The United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) has taken operational control of the Lockheed Martin-built Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) 19 satellite. United Launch Alliance (ULA) launched the satellite on April 3, 2014, after which Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force performed on-orbit checkout procedures. The Air Force and the...

[Via Satellite 09-16-2014] Telebras and the Brazilian Ministry of Defense have ordered a X- and Ka-band satellite from Thales Alenia Space. The Geostationary Satellite Defense and Strategic Communications (SGDC) spacecraft is planned to serve both military applications as well as provide telecommunications to rural parts of the country. Currently, Brazil relies heavily on foreign satellites...

[Via Satellite 09-16-2014] The United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has awarded a $19 million Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to Harris Corporation for as many as 1,500 Falcon 3 AN/PRC-152A wideband radios and accessories. The U.S. Department of Defense uses the AN/PRC-152A wideband tactical radios for ground-to-air communications and enhanced battlefield...

[Via Satellite 09-11-2014] The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has exercised the first option year period in its contract with TeleCommunication Systems (TCS). Issued under the joint DISA/General Services Administration (GSA) Future Commercial Satcom Acquisition Program, the agency awarded $13.7 million for Ku-band satellite capacity as well as terrestrial support services for the U.S. Marine...

[Via Satellite 09-10-2014] DRS Technologies has renewed its contract with Intelsat General for satellite capacity over Afghanistan. Intelsat General began providing the service in August 2012 through an Intelsat 9 series satellite. Located over southwest Asia, the spacecraft provides 180 MHz of Ku-band capacity to DRS Technologies, a division of Finmeccanica that is supporting U.S....

[Via Satellite 09-09-2014] The United States Defense Information Services Agency (DISA) has awarded a contract to SES Government Solutions to provide capacity for the Army Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T). Under the five year agreement, SES GS will operate as a sub-contractor to AIS Engineering. AIS and SES GS’ combined solution will use SES satellites exclusively....