Government/Military

[Satellite Today – 5-7-08] The Galileo In-Orbit Validation Element (GIOVE-B) satellite has starting transmitting signals, the European Space Agency announced May 7.         GIOVE-B was lofted into orbit April 27 and will continue the demonstration of technologies for the navigation payload of future Galileo satellites. The quality of the signals transmitted by GIOVE-B will...

[Satellite Today – 5-5-08] United Launch Alliance will launch NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission aboard a Delta 2 rocket, NASA announced May 5.     Part of NASA’s Discovery Program, GRAIL will fly twin spacecraft in tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure its gravity field in detail. The mission...

[Satellite Today – 5-2-08] The Russian Satellite Communications Co. (RSCC) has received the payloads for the Express-AM44 and Express-MD1 satellites, the organization announced.     The Express-AM44 payload was delivered to Information Satellite Systems – Reshetnev Company (formerly NPO PM) for integration with the platform. The satellite, being manufactured in cooperation with Thales Alenia Space, will...

[Satellite Today – 5-2-08] A sensor for monitoring global climate has been restored to the first satellite scheduled to fly in the National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS), officials from, NASA, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Air Force announced May 1.     Members of the NPOESS executive committee  agreed to...

[Satellite Today – 5-2-08] The Jason-2 satellite has left the integration center in France and is being shipped to its California launch site, Thales Alenia Space announced April 30.     Designed to study the Earth’s oceans and climate, Jason-2 will take over from Jason-1, which has been in orbit for seven years. Jason-2 will provide...

[Satellite Today – 5-1-08] Radarsat-2 has been commissioned and is ready for commercial operations, MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) announced May 1.     Launched in December, the satellite completed its commissioning April 25 and transitioned into commercial operations to deliver radar imagery of Earth.     Radarsat-2, a follow-on to Radarsat-1, was developed under a...

[Satellite Today – 5-1-08] India is setting up a satellite-based information system using Inmarsat’s maritime network to enable vessel tracking for maritime security and permit faster search and rescue of vessels along its coastline, Inmarsat announced May 1.     The new system will use Inmarsat C and Mini C to track all safety of life...

[Satellite Today – 5-1-08] Lockheed Martin has completed a baseline integrated system test (BIST) on the first Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) geosynchronous orbit spacecraft, the company announced April 30.     The completion of the test clears the way for integration of the solar arrays, deployable light shade and thermal blankets and then the acoustic and...

[Satellite Today – 5-1-08] Glowlink’s Wideband Global Spectrum Monitoring System has begun monitoring traffic carried on the first U.S. Department of Defense Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) satellite, Glowlink announced April 28.     The satellite, which began operations April 15, is the first in a new generation of wide bandwidth communications satellites and is the most...

[Satellite Today – 4-29-08] The Florida National Guard has selected SkyPort Global Communications and Applied Global Technologies (AGT) to provide satellite communications services and solutions in emergencies, SkyPort announced April 29.     AGT and SkyPort will provide with teleport services, bandwidth, hardware and MPLS backhaul to the Florida National Guard’s network and iDirect Hub services...