Satellite News

The European Space Agency (ESA) has converted a previously contracted back-up launch on a Rokot to a firm agreement with Eurockot Launch Services GmbH for placing into orbit an additional spacecraft from the Copernicus Sentinel range of satellites.

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. announced that the Sapphire satellite developed by MDA for Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) has completed its commissioning and is fully transitioned into operations as a contributing sensor to the U.S. Space Surveillance Network.

Harris Corporation has passed a critical pre-shipment review and initiated a phased delivery and installation of hardware and software that will form the network infrastructure for the ground segment of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite – R Series (GOES-R) programme.

Exelis said it has successfully completed several software upgrades for the new Global Positioning System Next Generation Operational Control System, or GPS OCX. Integration and testing were recently conducted on iteration 1.5 of the OCX navigation, encryption and Mission Upload Generator, or MUG, software.

SES and Eutelsat Communications announced that the two companies have concluded a series of agreements including a comprehensive settlement of legal proceedings concerning the right to operate at the 28.5 degrees East orbital position and containing long-term commercial as well as frequency coordination elements.

Northrop Grumman Corporation reported financial results for the fourth quarter and the year 2013.

ATK reported operating results for the third quarter of its Fiscal Year 2014, which ended on 29 December 2013.

The Federal Compression and Multiplexing Center (FCMC) has been inaugurated at RSCC’s ‘Shabolovka’ Technical Center in Moscow on 27 January.