July 2015

[Via Satellite 07-22-2015] Norsat International has appointed Peter Ciceri to the board of directors, taking the place of Shannon Susko, who stepped down to focus full time on a new venture. Susko served the Board since 2014. Ciceri is currently chairman of Archipelago Marine Services and a corporate director of Terapeak Data. His executive experience…

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Photo: SpaceX [Via Satellite 07-21-2015] After reviewing data consisting of more than 3,000 telemetry channels from the June 28 Falcon 9 rocket failure, SpaceX has identified the probable cause as a defective strut in the second stage. Going forward, SpaceX intends to replace the strut entirely, though thousands of them…

A Harris Fly-Away terminal. Photo: Harris [Via Satellite 07-21-2015] Harris Corporation has received $45 million in delivery orders for advanced satellite communications terminals under the U.S. Army‘s Modernization of Enterprise Terminals (MET) program. The company will supply additional terminals, including large fixed X-/Ka-band terminals and small fixed X-/Ka-band terminals. The order also includes common electronics…

A GELBR radome in production. Photo: CPI Radant Technologies Division. [Via Satellite 07-21-2015] Communications and Power Industries’ (CPI) Radant Technologies Division has received multi-year orders for radomes and related services from the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Aviation in Philadelphia, Pa. The $7.6 million contract supports an airborne electronic warfare system for the U.S. Navy.…

A helicopter equipped with satellite communications. Photo: Hughes [Via Satellite 07-21-2015] Hughes Network Systems’ Defense and Intelligence Systems Division (DISD) has demonstrated the transmission of real-time, high definition video through helicopter blades with no signal disruption. The test, which took place from July 6 to July 8, used Hughes’ beyond-line-of-sight (BLoS) end-to-end airborne satcom solution…

Artist’s rendition of the JUICE mission. Photo: Airbus Defence and Space [Via Satellite 07-21-2015] The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected Airbus Defence and Space to develop and build the JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft, the first large mission of the ESA Cosmic Vision program. The company will build the satellite ahead of a…

Rear Adm. Brian Brown, deputy commander at JFCC Space. Photo: JFCC Space [Via Satellite 07-20-2015] In an effort to include greater industry input in day-to-day operations, the United States Strategic Command’s (U.S. Stratcom) Joint Functional Component Command for Space (JFCC Space) has kicked off the six month Commercial Integration Cell (CIC) experiment. The CIC is…

Test firing of ISRO’s high thrust cryogenic rocket engine. Photo: ISRO [Via Satellite 07-20-2015] The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) completed a hot test of a high thrust cryogenic rocket engine for a duration of 800 seconds. The engine generated a nominal thrust of 19 tons and ran for approximately 25 percent more time than…

GO FET 2′s second flight test. Photo: Generation Orbit [Via Satellite 07-20-2015] Generation Orbit Launch Services (GO) completed a second flight of its GO-Flight Experiments Testbed (GO-FET). The flight test is a key milestone on the company’s roadmap to develop affordable air-launched rocket systems for access to space and for hypersonic flight research. GO-FET serves…

A Samsung Ultra-HD television. Photo: Maurizio Pesce [Via Satellite 07-20-2015] SES announced it has initiated a live and linear Ultra-HD trial with cable Multiple System Operator (MSO) Armstrong. From its headquarters cable lab in Butler, Pa., Armstrong is testing SES’s camera-to-screen Ultra-HD ecosystem first unveiled in April 2015. SES’ solution combines broadcast and IP technologies…