Satellite News

Rocket: Pegasus; Payload: IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer); Date: 19 October 2008; Site: Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands. Following a one-hour preplanned positioning flight, the Pegasus rocket was released from Orbital Science’s L-1011 carrier aircraft at approximately 1747 UTC.

Arianespace announced that SES has committed to three new primary launch services using Ariane, under the Multi Launch Agreement (MLA) signed in June 2007.

Spacehab Inc. announced that its Astrotech subsidiary was awarded a US$1.17 million contract from Alliant Techsystems in support of ATK’s planning and assembly of Ares I-X first stage hardware to be flown during the 2009 test flight for the development of NASA’s Ares I launch vehicle.

The U.S. Defense Department’s Defense Advisory Working Group (DAWG) has decided to terminate the current competition for the Transformational Satellite (TSAT) programme, Reuters reported.

Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) announced that it has been awarded a contract for a high-power spacecraft.

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announced it has completed the final handover of Superbird-7, which is the first Japan-made commercial communications satellite and also the next-generation communications satellite for SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation.

Roots Global, a pan-European TV platform for South Asian communities in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, is expanding up its offer of channels broadcast from the Eurobird 9 satellite of Eutelsat Communications.

Hughes Network Systems, LLC announced that its Brazilian operating entity, Hughes do Brasil, will implement services on new Ku-band capacity on Intelsat’s Galaxy-28 satellite to meet growing demand for its HughesNet broadband services across Latin America.