Government/Military

NASA selected Bell Helicopter Textron, The Boeing Co. [BA] and Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a unit of United Technologies Corp. [UTX] to compete for task orders in a total $40 million rotary aircraft contract. How much money each firm receives will depend on what task orders it receives. The cost plus fixed fee, indefinite delivery, indefinite...

NASA and industry engineers successfully completed the second drop test of a drogue parachute for the Ares I rocket at the Army Yuma Proving Ground near Yuma, Ariz. The Ares I would be a rocket lifting the Orion space capsule that will take explorers to the International Space Station, the moon and beyond in coming...

[Satellite Today 02-27-09] Raytheon Systems Ltd., a subsidiary of Raytheon Co. received a $1.4 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for initial production of the GPS Advanced Digital Antenna Production (ADAP) system, Raytheon announced Feb. 26.     The contract provides the military with 41 antenna electronics and 28 controlled reception pattern antenna to equip...

[Satellite News 02-26-09] DigitalGlobe‘s WorldView 2 remote sensing instrument, provided by ITT Corp., has been integrated by Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. into the WorldView 2 spacecraft, DigitalGlobe announced Feb. 24.     DigitalGlobe is running system-level environmental testing on the instrument. “The construction of the WorldView 2 satellite is on track and we are pleased...

[Satellite News 02-26-09] Orbital Sciences’ investigation into the cause of a Feb. 24 Taurus rocket failure that destroyed NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) could take months, Orbital spokesman Barry Beneski told Satellite News.     "We assembled a internal failure investigation board made up of senior Orbital engineers with NASA participation on that board," he said....

[Satellite News 02-26-09] Orbital Sciences is in the initial stages of an investigation, in coordination with NASA, to determine the cause of Taurus launch failure that destroyed the agency’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) Orbital spokesman Barry Beneski told Satellite Today Feb. 25.     "We assembled a internal failure investigation board made up of senior Orbital...

[Satellite Today 02-25-09] Integral Systems has purchased the intellectual property rights and other assets relating to the SatID product line from U.K.-based Qinetiq Group, Integral announced Feb. 24.     The acquisition adds geolocation capabilities to Integral Systems’ product line and includes a technology support agreement and strategic partnership with Qinteq to pursue teaming arrangements with...

[Satellite Today 02-25-09] The launch of a Taurus XL rocket carrying NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) satellite failed Feb. 24 when the rocket’s payload fairing failed to separate properly, satellite manufacture, Orbital Sciences announced.     NASA officials declared a mission about 13 minutes after launch and does not know if the satellite ever reached orbit....

[Satellite Today 02-25-09] Elbit Systems has completed the acquisition of Shiron Satellite from Polar Communications for $16 million, Elbit announced Feb. 24.     Polar Communications, which owned 47.4 percent of Shiron, said it will record a profit of 22 million shekels ($5.3 million) in the first quarter of 2009 as a result of the deal....

[Satellite Today 02-24-09] Al Yah Satellite Communications (Yahsat) is launching YahSecure, a secure satellite communications service to military, government agencies and mission-critical commercial applications, the company announced Feb. 22.     YahSecure intends to offer secure links in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East through Yahsat’s Ka-band satellite capacity for a range of applications. The...