Government/Military

[Satellite Today – 3-11-08] Space Explorations Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) has signed a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)’s Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Office to carry its Jumpstart mission payload on the Falcon 1, SpaceX announced March 10.     The Jumpstart mission aims to establish a preliminary framework for responsive contracting, and to demonstrate...

[Satellite Today – 3-10-08] Arianespace successfully placed Jules Verne, the European Space Agency‘s first Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) in space, but an on-board computer shut down one of the four propulsion systems soon after reaching orbit, ESA officials reported March 10.     The vehicle was designed to bring supplies to the International Space Station such...

[Satellite Today – 3-7-08] SpaceDev Inc. has been awarded a design and development subcontract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate, SpaceDev announced March 6.     The Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research contract covers development of cost-effective, deployable reflectors for satellites.     “This technology takes advantage of recent innovations in spacecraft...

[Satellite Today – 3-7-08] The U.S. Department of Defense has cancelled the Space Radar program, a U.S. Air Force spokeswoman confirmed March 6.     The program, which would have provided global intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance for the military and intelligence communities, was allotted no money in the Air Force’s Fiscal Year 2009 budget request.    ...

[Satellite Today – 3-6-08] Sensor technology company Inprox Technology Corp. has entered into a Space Act Agreement with NASA‘s Glenn Research Center to develop advanced silicon carbide-based positron sensors, the company announced recently.     The silicon carbide electronics, which are aimed at potential uses in future space flight, turbine engine controls and automotive engine applications,...

[Satellite Today – 3-6-08] The U.S. Navy‘s Space and Naval Warfare (Spawar) Systems Center has awarded seven companies contracts to bid on portable satellite communications terminals, the Navy  announced March 4.     The contract, awarded to CVG Incorporated, RSI Maryland Inc., Globecomm Systems Inc., L-3 Communications Corp. Communications Systems West, L-3 Communications Corp. Narda Microwave-East,...

[Satellite Today – 3-5-08] Northrop Grumman Corp. has delivered the payload module for the second Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) military communications satellite to Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman announced March 4.     Lockheed Martin will integrate the payload module with its A2100 satellite platform in preparation for a scheduled launch in 2009.     One AEHF...

[Satellite Today – 3-4-08] The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded funding to four contractor teams for the first phase of the Future, Fast, Flexible, Fractionated, Free-Flying Spacecraft United by Information Exchange (System F6) space technology and demonstration program, DARPA announced Feb. 26.     The four teams, led by Boeing Co., Lockheed...

[Satellite Today – 3-3-08] Northrop Grumman Corp. has been awarded the U.S. Air Force Weather Agency Systems Engineering, Management and Sustainment 2 contract, the company announced March 3.     The $239 million contract, which includes a base year and four option years, will extend work support services Northrop Grumman has provided the Air Force since...

[Satellite Today – 2-28-08] L-3 Telemetry-West will supply software to the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab for the Radiation Belt Storm Probes mission operations center, L-3 announced Feb. 28.        L-3’s InControl software will be the test executive for bench-level testing and assembly, integration and test as well as support on-orbit operations.     Part...