Government/Military

[Satellite TODAY 01-11-10] NASA has delayed the launch of its space imagery satellite, Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), due to technical issues discovered in its rocket booster steering engine, the agency announced Jan. 8.     NASA said engineers will replace a suspect component in time for a rescheduled launch Jan. 11. The agency predicts an...

[Satellite TODAY 01-08-10] The European Commission (EC) and European Space Agency (ESA) issued three of six Galileo program contracts in its satellite tendering process that began in September 2008.     The EC contracted a consortium led by OHB-System and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) to build and test the 14 satellites for the Galileo satellite...

[Satellite TODAY 01-08-10] Comtech Mobile Datacom Corp.’s Blue Force Tracking-HC (BFT-HC) ground mobile and aviation transceiver and network solution has passed U.S. Army-sponsored field-testing, Comtech announced Jan. 7.     Comtech said the commercial-off-the-shelf equipment met or exceeded all JCR and BFT-2 specifications during the testing, which included performance judgment during flight maneuvers at speeds approaching...

[Satellite TODAY 01-07-10] The European Space and Defense Agencies (ESA, EDA) issued two contracts to Astrium to enhance the performance of Arianespace’s Ariane 5 launch vehicle and put together a new preparatory study aimed at coordinating the future military communication needs of the European Union (EU), Astrium announced Jan. 6.     EADS Astrium was awarded...

[Satellite TODAY 01-07-10] Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) has been selected to provide a propulsion system to NASA‘s Ames Research Center for the Lunar Atmosphere Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft, SS/L announced Jan. 6.     NASA’s LADEE spacecraft is a small observatory intended to study the moon’s thin atmosphere and dust above the lunar surface. The LADEE...

[Satellite TODAY 01-07-10] MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) signed a contract with Boeing Satellite and Intelligence Systems to deliver four network and media services technology solutions for Canadian Defense Forces on Boeing 702B satellites, MDA announced Jan. 6.     The contract offers the potential opportunity for MDA to supply 12 additional units.     The contract...

[Satellite TODAY 01-06-10] The U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center has contracted United Launch Alliance (ULA) to launch the Wideband Global Satcom-4 (WGS-4) satellite, ULA announced Jan. 4.     ULA will launch WGS-4 aboard a Delta 4 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., between December 2011 and February 2012, WGS-4 will...

[Satellite TODAY 01-06-10] Globecomm Systems received a $9.1 million contract extension from NATO to continue providing communication services and onsite support for its GPS-based Force Tracking System (FTS), Globecomm announced Jan. 5.     The extension builds on $35 million in contracts previously awarded to Globecomm from NATO to design and install a GPS FTS and...

[Satellite TODAY 01-06-10] ITT Corp. is reorganizing and renaming its defense segment, ITT announced Jan. 5.     The unit will be renamed ITT Defense and Information Solutions and its current organizational structure, comprising seven separate business units, will be consolidated into three larger ones.     ITT’s electronic and communications systems divisions, along with a portion...

[Satellite TODAY 01-05-10] Booz Allen Hamilton was awarded a four-year $38.4 million contract to provide launch and test range system engineering and integration support to the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles, Booz Allen Hamilton announced Jan. 4.     Booz Allen will lead a team, which includes Lockheed Martin and...