[Satellite TODAY 05-21-10] Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) has completed a preliminary design review for a propulsion system that it is building for NASA, the company announced May 20.
    The review confirmed that the preliminary design of the propulsion system meets NASA’s system requirements and supports authorization to begin the final design phase of the project.  
    SS/L also provided NASA with a high-gain Ka-band antenna to transmit data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory, which is studying how solar variations influence life on Earth.
    “By leveraging the value of commercial space industry capabilities, the new plan for NASA will help the U.S. strengthen its leadership in space while at the same time stimulating job growth in the private sector,” John Celli, president of SS/L, said in a statement.