Government/Military

[Satellite Today 02-18-09] The Secure World Foundation (SWF) has proposed a series of space traffic control solutions to the United Nations in response to the recent collision of an Iridium and Russian military satellite, the SWF announced Feb. 18.     Brian Weeden, a technical consultant for the SWF, said the collision resulted in the generation...

[Satellite Today 02-18-09] Impeva Labs Inc., a global asset management firm, and Agility, a logistics provider, deployed a new satellite service to track and monitor more than 365 U.S. military trucks operating on 2,000-plus miles of remote roads across challenging terrain between depots in Dubai, Jordan and Iraq, the companies announced Feb. 17.     The...

[Satellite Today 02-18-09] The U.S. Navy has accepted the in-motion satellite terminal installed by Americom Government Services (AGS) on board the seventh fleet command ship, the USS Blue Ridge, AGS announced Feb. 17.     The Blue Ridge now is connected into the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DISA)’s VSAT network, providing voice, VTC and data capabilities...

[Satellite Today 02-18-09] A team led by Northrop Grumman has completed a system design review for the GPS next-generation Operational Control Segment (OCX) program for the U.S. Air Force, Northrop Grumman announced Feb. 17.     The system design review included testing of the total system architecture —software, hardware, processes, interfaces and operations — by Air...

[Satellite Today 02-18-09] Sri Lanka is set to launch its first satellite in 2009, a spacecraft named after science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke, Sri Lankan government officials confirmed in a press announcement released Feb. 16.     “Our exclusive economic zone will probably expand this year from 200 nautical miles to about 800 nautical miles,”...

[Satellite Today 02-17-09] Boeing Co. delivered the first Legacy communications payload and the first digital channelizer to Lockheed Martin in support of the U.S. Navy‘s Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) communications system, Boeing announced Feb. 17.     Boeing is under contract to MUOS prime contractor Lockheed Martin to build, test and deliver three Legacy communications...

Updated — Feb. 10, 2009 – 9:20 a.m. EST Legend: + Targeted For | *No Earlier Than (Tentative) | **To Be Determined 2009 Launches Date: Feb. 22 * Mission: STS-119 Launch Vehicle: Space Shuttle Discovery Launch Site: Kennedy Space Center – Launch Pad 39A Launch Time: TBD Description: Space shuttle Discovery launching on assembly flight...

[Satellite Today 02-16-09] DigitalGlobe named Rafay Khan as its new senior vice president of international sales, the company announced Feb. 13.      In his new role, Khan will be responsible for expanding DigitalGlobe’s international sales operations as the company seeks to capitalize on the growing worldwide demand for high-resolution satellite and aerial imagery.     Khan...

More Space Collisions Could Turn Low Earth Orbit Into A Shooting Gallery Hazardous To Spacecraft Issues of liability and fault are unresolved at this point in the collision of an Iridium Satellite LLC spacecraft and a defunct Russian satellite. Iridium indicated the collision took it by surprise, adding that it has completed initial moves to...

Iran proved it now possesses the technology to build intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), though further work would be required to perfect such a weapon, according to Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Iran’s move toward developing an ICBM is demonstrated by its launch of a satellite using...