Government/Military

[Satellite TODAY Insider 10-19-12] The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected Canadian essential information solutions provider MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) to provide a variety of servicing technologies and capabilities supporting the DARPA Phoenix Program. The Phoenix Program aims to develop and demonstrate technologies to cooperatively repurpose valuable space assets, such as retired,...

[Satellite TODAY 10-19-12] The GOES-13 spacecraft has returned to full operation and is running smoothly with improved performance after engineers from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), Boeing and ITT suppressed its motor vibration and restarted the filter wheel, NOAA announced Oct. 18. NOAA took the GOES-13 out of service Sept. 23 due...

 [Satellite TODAY 10-17-12] The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has selected Arianespace to launch its GSAT 7 and INSAT 3D satellites in the second quarter of 2013 as part of a contract that also includes two more launch options, Arianespace announced Oct. 17.   Arianespace will launch both GSAT 7 and INSAT-3D satellites aboard Ariane...

[Satellite News 10-16-12] Stabilization in military data procurement following the awards of the NGA EnhancedView contracts to DigitalGlobe and GeoEye slowed the commercial Earth observation (EO) data market significantly in 2011, according to a Euroconsult report issued Oct. 16.    The Euroconsult report, “Satellite-Based Earth Observation: Market Prospects to 2021,” found that the EO market...

[Satellite News 10-16-12] Military satellite size and demand are heading in opposite directions, according to advisory and consulting service provider Strategy Analytics, whose “Military Satellite Trends and Outlook” report concludes that the fiscally constrained international market will result in more cooperation between nations on developing and sharing military capabilities.    Strategy Analytics Director of ADS...

[Satellite TODAY 10-15-12] Arianespace launched two satellites into orbit for Europe’s Galileo global position system aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket from French Guiana on Oct. 12, the European Space Agency (ESA) confirmed Oct. 13. The launch brings the number of Galileo satellites now in orbit to four, as two others were launched last year. The...

[Satellite TODAY 10-12-12] The U.S. Air Force has launched an investigation into an upper-stage engine glitch that occurred last week during an unmanned United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta 4 rocket launch that carried a GPS navigational satellite into orbit, ULA confirmed Oct. 12. Future flights of the Delta 4 rocket are on hold pending results...

[Satellite TODAY 10-12-12] Orbital Sciences has completed production of Azerbaijan’s first national satellite, Azerpace-1, which is scheduled to launch February 2013 from Arianespace’s launch facility in Kourou, French Guiana, OJSC Azercosmos announced Oct. 12. Azerpace-1 is currently in its factory testing stage and aims to be fully ready and delivered to the Kourou spaceport in...

[Satellite TODAY 10-10-12] SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft has successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS) and completed a critical stage of its cargo resupply mission for NASA, SpaceX announced Oct. 10.  The crew onboard ISS will pressurize the vestibule between the station and Dragon and open the hatch that leads to the forward bulkhead of...

[Satellite TODAY 10-10-12] Lockheed Martin is progressing through a key test phase for GeoEye’s next-generation imaging satellite GeoEye-2 on schedule and will be prepared for a planned launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket in 2013, Lockheed Martin announced Oct. 10.       The satellite is currently in the midst of the...