Government/Military

Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman Corp. have established a test bed intended to demonstrate network-centric missions that will be enabled by the Transformational Satellite Communications (TSAT) system, Northrop Grumman announced. The test bed, based upon technologies developed for the Milstar and Advanced Extremely High Frequency (EHF) satellite communications systems, is intended to demonstrate how data...

Raytheon Co. delivered the first rapid-development, space-optical payload to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, the company announced. The $14 million ARTEMIS (Advanced Responsive Tactically Effective Military Imaging Spectrometer) program required Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems to develop within 15 months an experimental payload that could help troops identify potential threats on the ground. While...

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. announced Dec. 12 that its Maryland-based subsidiary, Comtech Mobile Datacom Corp., has received orders totaling $1.9 million for its mobile satellite data communications transceivers. The orders are for Comtech’s Model 2011E mobile satellite data transceivers to the Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below – Blue Force Tracking (FBCB2-BFT) program. The orders...

Boeing Co. has been awarded a contract to launch a pair of commercial satellites in 2007 for the Italian Space Agency, Boeing announced Dec. 11. Under the contract from Alcatel Alenia Space Italia, the prime contractor for the Italian Space Agency, two Delta 2 launch vehicles will each carry a Cosmo-SkyMed spacecraft from Vandenberg Air...

China placed the Fengyun-2D meteorological satellite into orbit Dec. 8, Xinhua announced. The Long March-3 rocket lifted off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province at 8:53 a.m. local time. The spacecraft, China’s second geostationary orbit meteorological satellite, will provide improved weather forecast services for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games as well as form...

The U.S. Air Force announced has tasked General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman Corp. to develop potential alternatives over the next 18 months to the Space Based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) High missile launch warning satellite. Under contracts valued at $23.3 million and $24.8 million, respectively, General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman will work until May 2008 under...

The launch of the Corot satellite has been postponed due to a leak in the fuel circuit of the Soyuz rocket’s Fregat upper stage, the European Space Agency announced. The mission, which will take place from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, has been posted from Dec. 21 to Dec. 27. Corot will be placed into a...

Northrop Grumman Corp. has been awarded a 14-month, $8.4 million phase-two study contract by the U.S. Air Force for further work on the Enhanced Polar System (EPS) satellite communications program, the company announced. The study is designed to assist the Air Force in defining a payload for next-generation polar military satellite communications. Under the $1.5...

Orbital Sciences Corp. has formed a partnership with Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology of Alexandria, Va., to develop a small satellite that will be built entirely by high school students, Orbital announced Dec. 6. The mission for TJ-Sat will be determined by the students, who will be responsible for design and integration...

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute has chosen Arianespace to launch the Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite-1 (COMS-1), Arianespace announced Dec. 4. COMS-1 will be placed into geostationary transfer orbit by an Ariane 5 in the first half of 2009. The spacecraft, being manufactured by EADS Astrium will carry payloads that will perform meteorological observation and...