Government/Military

Congress should consider limiting NASA spending on the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) program to nothing beyond the preliminary design review, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) stated. NASA shouldn’t enter into longer-term deals with contractors, the watchdog agency advised. The GAO made its recommendation in a 22-page report to Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.), chairman of...

By Jason Bates VSAT systems have established themselves as a technology ideally suited to corporate networking, enabling a new tier of users to take advantage of the enhanced flexibility the platforms offer. But the industry has had to respond to a growing competitive threat from terrestrial services, which are expanding their offerings and geographic reach....

For a long time, establishing a satellite link required the user to stop or pause along the way, and that still remains a valid option today in many instances. However, mobile connectivity when fixed services are impaired, provides greater flexibility, and saves time as the user moves, either in order to arrive at the scene...

By Gerry Oberst In a June report, the European Commission reported that the Galileo satellite navigation program is the largest pan-European industrial project ever. European scientists and industry have been working on this project for almost 10 years, but the report also notes that the program will not start commercial operation until the end of...

Scientists using data provided by a European radar satellite say the recent tear in the Earth’s continental crust near the Red Sea in Africa’s Afar desert could isolate Ethiopia and Eritrea from the rest of Africa and could eventually form a new ocean. In September 2005, the Earth split apart along a 60-kilometer section of...

Stratos Global Corp. already holds more than $100 million in U.S. government contracts from the U.S. Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the White House Communications Agency, among others. This is up from a paltry $400,000 of contracts in 1998. But Stratos wants more and has launched a new organization, Stratos Government Services...

With a population of more than 1 billion people, India has been targeted as one of the largest potential markets for satellite services, but the Indian Space Research Organization‘s (ISRO) efforts to play a key role in developing the market have been thrown into chaos after the failed launch of the Insat-4C satellite July 11,...

Emerging from the elation of a first-rank performance in the Space Shuttle Discovery mission to the International Space Station (ISS), NASA now faces a sobering series of challenges extending over four years. The Discovery mission, STS-121, suffered little of the foam insulation loss from its external fuel tank that was evident in earlier missions. The...

Boeing Co. warned that it would take a $350 million charge before the end of 2006 if it shuts down its Connexion by Boeing satellite Internet service for aircraft, the company announced July 26. In a release detailing the company’s 2006 second quarter financial performance, Boeing said its business segment that includes the Connexion service...

San Diego-based All Road Communications, a provider of satellite phone equipment for the Iridium and Globalstar systems, donated two Iridium satellite phones to the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society as the organization is attempting to strengthen its communications between workers in the field and headquarters. The Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society is focused on helping...