Government/Military

Alcatel Alenia Space will develop on-board and ground segment equipment for the Laser Interferometry Space Antenna (LISA) Pathfinder mission, the company announced Oct. 25. The LISA Pathfinder will provide in-orbit testing and validation for concepts and technologies that will be used on the LISA mission being planned by the European Space Agency and NASA. The...

BA Charges related to the shut down of the Connexion satellite Internet unit pushed Boeing Co.‘s profit lower in the 2006 third quarter, the company announced Oct. 25. Boeing posted a profit of $694 million in the quarter which closed Sept. 30, down from earnings of $1 billion in the same period in 2005. Revenues...

Galileo is one of the most ambitious space projects ever undertaken in Europe, as a partnership between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission (EC) works to bring full operability to Europe’s own satellite navigation system. While early tests with GIOVE-A have been successful, Galileo is entering a critical phase. The contract for...

An analysis of land-change data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) found that 217 square miles of Louisiana’s coastal lands were transformed to water after hurricanes Katrina and Rita swept across the coastline in August and September 2005, the USGS announced. The agency now will use satellite imagery and aerial photography to determine how much...

In the increasingly connected world, "users are growing to expect continuous access to data, and they increasingly are using location information where they live and work," according to Darren Koenig, wireless market director at Tele Atlas of Boston. Companies are providing this information via overlapping spheres of connectivity, including wired, Wi-Fi and cellular and satellite...

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Oct. 3 granted anti-trust clearance to the United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture that will combine the government launch operations of Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. The clearance remains subject to compliance with a consent order that both parties have approved and which will govern certain activities...

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites-R series (GOES-R), which already has seen its price tag soar more than $5 billion, stands in danger of seeing further cost increases, missed schedules and performance shortfalls, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported. Reform moves should be imposed on the program so that it avoids the troubles that plagued other...

The satellite manufacturing landscape remains a tough place to do business, with a host of manufacturers still competing for relatively few orders. Despite the intense competition, EADS Astrium remains one of the major players on the European satellite landscape, winning some high-profile manufacturing contracts in 2006. In June, EADS Astrium signed a contract with Middle...

Rocketplane Kistler and Andrews Space Inc. have entered into a strategic relationship to work on NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, the companies announced Sept. 28. Rocketplane Kistler and Orbital Sciences Corp. received contracts in August to develop a vehicle that can demonstrate the ability to loft cargo, and eventually crew members, to the...

If only the airlines managed passengers’ luggage so reliably: The wireless Precision Airdrop System (PADS) — developed by Reston, Va.-based Planning Systems Inc. — is proving to be a soaring success in its early deployment for U.S. Air Force supply missions in Afghanistan. Using GPS technology, PADS allows aircrews to literally steer and fly a...