Government/Military

[Satellite TODAY 09-14-10] China’s Sinosat-6 satellite has experienced a helium-pressurization system leak that may require operators to initiate extraordinary measures to bring the satellite into its operational orbit at the cost of a reduced operational life, Chinese officials confirmed Sept. 10 to media outlet Xinhua.     The report said the leak would force operator China...

[Satellite TODAY 09-13-10] The European meteorological satellite organization (Eumetsat) has selected Arianespace to launch its new Metop-C satellite into polar orbit on a Soyuz launch vehicle during the last quarter of 2016, Arianespace announced Sept. 10.     The Meteorological Operational Polar Satellite program, a joint effort of Eumetsat, the European Space Agency, the French Space...

[Satellite TODAY 09-10-10] Arianespace has signed a production contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to produce the first operational Vega rocket launch, Arianespace announced Sept. 8.     The deal is part of an ESA Vega program that is jointly financed by Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden.     Arianespace also signed...

[Satellite TODAY 09-09-10] GeoEye has contracted Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services to launch the GeoEye-2 Earth-imaging satellite on an Atlas 5 rocket, Lockheed Martin announced Sept 8.     Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services, which markets the Atlas 5 to commercial customers, will launch GeoEye-2 into a sun-synchronous orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. in...

[Satellite TODAY 09-09-10] Astrium Services has entered into an agreement with Avanti Communications to use Ka-band transponder capacity on the upcoming Hylas 1 satellite to test future military and government services, Astrium announced Sept. 8.     System tests on the satellite will cover military use of Ka-band, including tactical and coms-on-the-move terminals in field locations....

[Satellite News 09-09-10] RapidEye has hired Roland Berger Strategy Consultants to help the German geospatial solutions provider attract new investors and raise additional capital to expand its business, the company announced Sept. 9.     RapidEye CEO Wolfgang Biedermann said his company is well equipped with the technical resources necessary for global expansion, but has invested...

[Satellite TODAY 09-08-10] Secure mobile communication technology provider TeleCommunication Systems (TCS) has received antenna systems, quad band satellite emulators and other support equipment orders from the U.S. Army, TCS announced Sept. 7.     The U.S. Army Project Manager for the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (PM WIN-T) will initially place $1.3 million in orders through its $5...

[Satellite TODAY 09-08-10] The European Space Agency‘s (ESA) Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite has recovered from a late July computer glitch and has resumed collecting data, the agency announced Sept. 7.     The $444 million GOCE satellite resumed normal operations after engineers raised the spacecraft’s temperature by about 7 degrees Celsius,...

[Satellite TODAY 09-03-10] The U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) has issued Integral Systems with a $1.5 million contract modification to its Command and Control System-Consolidated (CCS-C) contract, the company announced Sept. 2.     The contract modification includes software development, installation and test support for Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) telemetry and orbital...

[Satellite TODAY 09-02-10] Satellite imagery provider DigitalGlobe has awarded $301 million in development contracts for the WorldView-3 satellite to Ball Aerospace & Technologies and ITT Corp., DigitalGlobe announced Sept. 1.     Ball Aerospace will build the satellite based on its BCP 5000 spacecraft bus. DigitalGlobe will pay Ball up to $180.6 million if the satellite...