Government/Military

[Satellite TODAY 11-05-09] Boeing has completed ground tests on the Global Positioning Systems (GPS) 2F satellite, which concluded that the satellite is on track to meet the U.S. Air Force‘s current launch commitments, Boeing announced Nov. 4.     The satellite also completed a consolidated systems test, which is a set of onetime, system-level design verification...

[Satellite TODAY 11-05-09] Integral Systems subsidiary Integral Systems Europe (ISE), has opened a new facility in the United Kingdom, the company announced Nov. 4.      The facility, named "ISE UK," aims to provide satellite operators, telecommunications providers, broadcasters, cable operators and content providers, government agencies, and the military with the company’s recently-launched Earth Station Integrated...

[Satellite TODAY 11-04-09] BAE Systems Australia has contracted ViaSat to provide satellite ground stations for a high-speed upgrade to Australian Defense Force (ADF) satellite communications for $9.4 million, ViaSat announced Nov. 3.     ViaSat will provide multiple 9-meter Ka-band and 16-meter X-band earth terminals and services, with delivery scheduled for the third quarter of calendar...

 [Satellite TODAY 11-04-09] CapRock Government Solutions signed a multi-year, multi-transponder strategic purchase agreement with U.K.-based Paradigm Secure Communications, CapRock announced Nov. 3.     The deal gives CapRock the ability to offer X-band capacity and network services to the U.S. military and intelligence communities via Paradigm’s Skynet 5 satellite fleet.     In December 2008, CapRock signed...

[Satellite TODAY 11-02-09] DigitalGlobe signed an agreement with Microsoft Corp. to launch the Clear30 program, which aims to distribute high-resolution aerial imagery of contiguous landscapes in the United States and Western Europe, the imagery company announced Oct. 30.     The companies will use the UltraCamG, a large format digital aerial camera manufactured by Microsoft German...

This column has devoted substantial attention this year to the growth of U.S. government/Department of Defense procurement of commercial satellite capacity and network solutions, but mostly in the context of fixed and mobile satellite services. The increasing use of commercial Earth imaging services is just as significant. While satellite imaging has become familiar from Google...

[Satellite TODAY 10-30-09] The second Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) geosynchronous orbit (GEO-2) spacecraft is progressing through a series of tests that will demonstrate the integrated satellite’s readiness to enter the critical environmental test phase in preparation for launch, the spacecraft’s manufacturer Lockheed Martin announced Oct. 29.     Lockheed Martin is under contract by the U.S....

[Satellite TODAY 10-29-09] Stratos Global Corp. has been contracted to provide a dedicated, leased channel on Inmarsat’s Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) mobile broadband satellite service to the Canadian government, Stratos announced Oct. 28.     Stratos, an Inmarsat distribution partner, will provide the BGAN lease service, valued at more than $1.85 million, as part of...

[Satellite TODAY 10-29-09] NASA launched the Ares 1-X test flight after several delays , NASA announced Oct. 28.     The prototype rocket, originally scheduled for launch Oct. 27, was designed to fly for two minutes before its first-stage booster burns out. Following the test, NASA will recover the booster from the Atlantic Ocean for research...

[Satellite TODAY 10-27-09] Raytheon received a $3 million award from the U.S. Air Force Space Command to develop an enterprise sensing prototype architecture for space situational awareness (ESP-SSA), the company announced Oct. 26.     The ESP-SSA prototype aims to demonstrate an open, service-oriented architecture to integrate Space Command space surveillance sensors with U.S. Missile Defense...