Satellite News

The Astra 2E telecommunications spacecraft, manufactured for satellite operator SES by EADS Astrium, Toulouse, France, has arrived at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, where it will be processed for launch aboard a Proton Briz M launch vehicle.

Payload preparations for Arianespace’s third Ariane 5 mission in 2013 have commenced following this week’s delivery of INSAT-3D, which is one of two spacecraft that will be lofted on a heavy-lift flight targeted for the second half of July.

The 2nd Space Operations Squadron accepted satellite control authority of its fourth GPS Block IIF satellite.

Northrop Grumman Corp recently delivered the first of approximately 20 electronics units for the fourth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite payload, allowing the integration and test phase of production to get under way.

Assembly of the backbone of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the primary mirror backplane support structure, is a step closer to completion with the recent addition of the backplane support frame, a fixture that will be used to connect all the pieces of the telescope together.

Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) and FOX International Channels Philippines Corporation (FIC) announced that they have signed a multi-year and multi-million dollar contract agreement for MCPC services, playout and satellite capacity on ABS-1 and ABS-2 satellites.