Technology

[Via Satellite 06-13-2014] Exelis acquired Celestech, a technology and engineering firm that develops targeted technical solutions for government and commercial customers, leveraging expertise in advanced signal processing and communications systems. Upon close of the transaction, Celestech will become part of the Electronic Systems division within Exelis. “The Celestech acquisition enhances our ability to provide fighting...

[Via Satellite 06-12-2014] In a move to capture the ever-growing small satellite market, Lockheed Martin resurrected the Athena rocket family to provide dedicated small satellite launches. Constructed by Lockheed Martin and Alliant Tech Systems (ATK), the Athena 1 and the Athena 2 are back on the market with at least one other iteration under development....

[Via Satellite 06-11-2014] Kymeta is now transitioning toward mass-producing its meta-material-based antennas. Speaking at the Washington Business Space Roundtable event, Vern Fotheringham, CEO of Kymeta, announced a partnership with Sharp that will enable the company to begin the large-scale production of its antenna products. “We’ve entered into a strategic relationship that will be able to...

[Via Satellite 06-10-2014] Executives from Com Dev International said they are using the explosive growth of the company’s subsidiary exactEarth to compensate for the continued slump in U.S. defense sales. Commercial sector revenues increased 33.2 percent in Q2, whereas Com Dev’s civil and defense programs still showed the effects of reduced U.S. government spending, with...

[Via Satellite 06-10-2014] Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) selected Nimbus Data Systems’ Gemini all-flash arrays (AFA) as the storage foundation for the company’s computing infrastructures. SNC selected Nimbus Data after testing a series of vendors for storage solutions for its Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) system. Since 2012, SNC has purchased seven AFAs from Nimbus Data....

[Via Satellite 06-06-2014] Macom released a new three-stage low noise amplifier (LNA) for point-to-point applications. The LNA covers 22 to 38 GHz applications, and features a small quad flat no-leads (QFN) package. The MAAL-011111 provides 19 dB of gain and less than 3 dB of noise figure. The LNA requires a single 3.3 V voltage...

[Via Satellite 06-05-2014] Space Angels Network signed a partnership with delta-V, Australia’s first space 2.0 accelerator, to support early-stage space ventures, connect the companies to investment capital and facilitate growth in the commercial space sector. “delta-V and Space Angels Network have a shared vision for creating a next-generation commercial space industry ecosystem,” said Tim Parsons,...

[Via Satellite 06-04-2014] After getting a boost during panels and conversations at the SATELLITE 2014 Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C. last March, in-orbit satellite servicing seems to be moving back to the surface. Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) CEO Tom Choi, in particular, expressed notable interest at the show for possibly lengthening the life of ABS’ satellite...

[Via Satellite 06-04-2014] Northrop Grumman released two new high power gallium nitride (GaN) Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) power amplifiers for Ka-band satellite terminals and point-to-point digital communication links. The APN228 and APN229 power amplifiers provide saturated output power of 13 and 8 watts, respectively. The amplifiers operate between 27 and 31 GHz and allow...

[Via Satellite 06-04-2014] API Technologies introduced a new line of radiation-hardened (rad-hard) power conversion and control products for extreme temperature ranges and radiation exposure. This new line of products includes linear voltage regulators with adjustable or fixed output voltage options, point-of-load (switching) regulators and solid state relays (SSRs) that include radiation-hardened single pole, double throw...