Government/Military

[Satellite TODAY 08-02-10] The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will be able to conduct launches throughout the year beginning in April, the agency announced July 29.      Under the previous arrangement between the fishery council for the Tanegashima area and JAXA, launches from Tanegashima Space Center and the Uchinoura Space Center were allowed to take...

[Satellite TODAY 08-02-10] NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) tabbed five science instruments for the first mission joint instrument to Mars, the agencies announced Aug. 2.      The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, scheduled to launch in 2016, will study the chemical makeup of the Martian atmosphere, focusing on trace gases, including methane, which could...

[Satellite TODAY 08-02-10] Astrium won a contract worth 55.2 million euros ($72 million) from the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) to manufacture and launch an Earth observation optical satellite system, Astrium announced Aug. 2.      The satellite, dubbed the Vietnam Natural Resources, Environment and Disaster Monitoring Satellite (VNREDSat-1), will be capable of capturing...

[Satellite News 08-03-10] The third Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) military communications satellite, WGS-3, has entered service for the U.S. Air Force, completing the military’s Block 1 constellation, designed to deliver improved broadband communications to U.S. military forces and their allies around the world.    The WGS-3 satellite, built by Boeing and located over the Atlantic...

[Satellite TODAY 08-02-10] Orbital Sciences has been selected by NASA as the prime contractor under the Sounding Rocket Operations Contract 2 (NSROC 2) program, the company announced July 30.     The 2 contract carries a maximum total value of $310 million over a five-year term, with a current expected value of at least $125 million....

While organizations such as the Space Foundation focus their education efforts on younger students and their teachers, the Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI), puts its focus into the university level, says Robert Bell, the SSPI executive director. “For the people I’ve interviewed, one standard question is what are the companies doing to find talent...

It’s not often that I have the time these days to write stories. But, the chance to collaborate with Associate Editor Mark Holmes on our two-part education series provided me with one of those opportunities. I look forward to interviewing and writing because it keeps me connected with the industry and the officials that play...

[Satellite TODAY 07-29-10] DigitalGlobe has opened up a call for proposals for its 8-band Research Challenge — a contest designed to encourage researchers to investigate how 8-band, high-resolution imagery can enhance image analysis and classification research, the company announced July 27.     The imagery company said all accepted proposals would receive a limited quantity of...

[Satellite TODAY 07-29-10] CapRock Government Solutions has hired William Janosky as director of its Information Assurance product division, the company announced July 27.     Janosky will be responsible for upgrading and implementing CapRock’s overall information assurance strategy to reach higher standards of compliance. Janosky also willguide the expansion of CapRock’s role in providing U.S. military...

[Satellite TODAY 07-29-10] Harris Corp. has been awarded an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract to provide design, development, manufacturing, testing and sustainment of space communications systems and equipment to NASA under its Crew, Robotics, Avionics, and Vehicle Equipment (CRAVE) program, the company announced July 28.     The contract carries a ceiling value of $70 million and will...