Government/Military

[Satellite TODAY Insider 03-08-12] The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has significantly restructured the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) program in order to cap spending at $12.9 billion, according to the NOAA’s fiscal 2013 budget request and a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report issued earlier this week.    NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco...

[Satellite TODAY 03-08-12] The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will commence a competition March 28 for teams or individuals looking to develop unique algorithms to control small satellites on-board the International Space Station (ISS), the agency announced March 7.    DARPA’s Zero Robotics Autonomous Space Capture Challenge calls for programmers from around the...

[Satellite TODAY 03-07-12] GeoEye has received a multi-year, multimillion-dollar contract from GE Aviation to produce aviation reference data that will serve all of the world’s International Air Transport Association (IATA) airports, GeoEye confirmed March 6.    The agreement allows GE Aviation to utilize GeoEye 3D Airports and Terrain/Obstacle databases produced from GeoEye’s stereo satellite imagery....

[Satellite TODAY 03-06-12] Canadian satellite and information solutions provider MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) has signed a $14.7 million contract amendment with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) for logistics and sustaining engineering requirements for its Mobile Servicing System, MDA announced March 5.    The amendment extends MDA’s work on the system through March 2013 and...

[Satellite TODAY Insider 03-06-12] Connectivity and content services provider MTN Satellite Communications (MTN) announced the latest development in its company-wide executive shift March 5 to support its growth plans following the upcoming launch of its next-generation network to various market segments.    MTN hired Robert Wise for its newly created Chief Innovation Officer position and Susan Miller...

[Satellite TODAY Insider 03-05-12] Azerbaijani Communication and Information Technologies Minister Ali Abbasov predicts that demand for satellite capacity is set to quadruple in the region, according to a March 2 public statement.    Orbital Sciences is currently assembling Azerbaijan’s Azerspace/Africasat-1A satellite based on its Star-2 Bus platform with 36 transponders that will operate to provide...

[Satellite TODAY 03-05-12] Ball Aerospace & Technologies has shipped the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Microwave Imager (GMI) it built for NASA to the Goddard Space Flight Center for integration with its launch spacecraft, Ball Aerospace announced March 2.    Ball said the GMI instrument would play an essential role in the worldwide measurement of precipitation...

[Satellite News 03-05-12] While Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) hopes to make more of an impact in the Earth Observation (EO) market, its new director of Earth observation and science Luis Gomes does not think there will be a large number of contracts in this area during the next two years.    “There are a...

[Satellite TODAY Insider 03-02-12] DigitalGlobe produced strong 2011 fiscal fourth quarter results though its performances in government value-added services and hardware sales fell below analysts’ projections due to a downturn in the sector, according to the company’s latest financial report issued March 1.    DigitalGlobe fourth quarter 2011 revenues increased 17 percent year-over-year to $97.7...

[Satellite TODAY 03-02-12] Raytheon was awarded a two-year, $3.8 million contract from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to allow armed forces to conduct jamming operations with minimal communication and control interference to friendly forces, the company announced March 1.    Raytheon will produce a technology demonstration showcasing the ability to efficiently generate...