News & Events

GPS 2F-11, the Air Force’s penultimate GPS 2F series satellite is encapsulated inside an Atlas 5 4-meter payload fairing. Photo: ULA [Via Satellite 02-01-2016] This week the U.S. Air Force, Boeing and United Launch Alliance (ULA) are planning to launch the final Global Positioning System (GPS) 2F series satellite, GPS 2F-12, in what marks not…

ILS’ Eutelsat 9B Proton launch. Photo: ILS screen capture [Via Satellite 02-01-2016] On Jan. 30, International Launch Services (ILS) launched the Eutelsat 9B satellite carrying the first European Data Relay System (EDRS) payload into orbit using a Proton rocket. Built by Airbus Defence and Space, Eutelsat 9B carries 56 Ku-band transponders for the 9 degrees…

Harris Corporation’s Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS). Photo: Harris Corp. [Via Satellite 02-01-2016] NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has awarded Harris Corporation subsidiary Exelis Space Systems a $316 million cost-plus-award-fee contract modification to build two payloads for the fourth and fifth Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) weather satellites. The space agency awarded the contract on behalf…

Photo: HD+/SES [Via Satellite 02-01-2016] SES’ German HD platform, HD+, recorded an 11.3 percent increase in subscribers in 2015. HD+ had 1.84 million subscribers at year-end 2015, compared to 1.65 million at year-end 2014. In addition, HD+ had more than 1.1 million customers during its six-month free-trial period. HD+ provides access to more than 50…

[Via Satellite 02-01-2016] Advantech Wireless has unveiled its newest VSAT router, the VR7400C. The router enables Internet / Intranet access, videoconferencing, video streaming, backup services, video-on-demand, distance learning, multicasting, and Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) trucks for broadcasters. It is also able to support efficient 3G / 4G and LTE cellular backhauling and optimize 3G…

A typical QB50 satellite with sensor unit on top. Photo: ISIS B.V., the Netherlands. [Via Satellite 01-29-2016] QB50, a project to launch 50 CubeSats for researching the Earth’s atmosphere, has shifted plans from launching with the Brazilian-Ukrainian Cyclone 4 rocket to instead launching with NanoRacks and Kosmotras. The mission, scheduled to begin this year, split…

Spacebus Neo. Photo: Thales Alenia Space [Via Satellite 01-29-2016] European satellite manufacturers Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space have signed two multiyear contracts for high purity xenon with Air Liquide. Xenon is used as fuel for electric propulsion systems. Collectively the contracts are worth approximately $22 million. Xenon is a very scarce gas…

An AH-64E Guardian helicopter. Photo: Boeing [Via Satellite 01-29-2016] ViaSat received a contract from Boeing to supply approximately 90 Link 16 Small Tactical Terminals (STT) for Lots 5 and 6 of the AH-64E Apache Guardian Attack Helicopter production line. The AH-64 Apache is an advanced multi-role combat helicopter used by the U.S. Army and a growing number of international defense…

Photo: Eutelsat [Via Satellite 01-29-2016] RR Media is partnering with Eutelsat to support the operator’s African satellite broadband initiative through the provision of an important hub. The company will contribute by providing satellite broadband capabilities to Sub-Saharan Africa from its Middle East media center. Eutelsat started this project in 2015, partnering with Facebook and Spacecom to offer…

Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). Photo: Raytheon [Via Satellite 01-29-2016] NASA has awarded Raytheon a $564 million contract modification for two satellite sensors as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration‘s (NOAA) Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Polar Follow-On missions. The company is supplying Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensors for two…