Satellite News

Russia plans to conduct seven launches, six of them from Baikonur, during the period from December 2014 until February 2015, a source in the space industry was quoted as saying by Novosti news agency.

Airbus Defence and Space has signed a production contract with ELV (European Launch Vehicle, an AVIO and ASI Company), the industrial prime contractor for the European Vega launcher, to provide electronic components, including inertial navigation systems and backup units.

Spaceflight Inc. announced it has signed NovaWurks, Inc., to a launch services agreement for the eXCITe spacecraft, which NovaWurks is developing as part of the Phoenix programme for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Orbital Sciences Corporation announced new details in its plans to resume cargo flights to the International Space Station (ISS) and to accelerate the introduction of an upgraded Antares launch vehicle. These plans are expected to allow Orbital to accomplish all remaining cargo deliveries under its current Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA by the end of 2016 and with no cost increase to the space agency.

Airbus Defence and Space has signed as the leader of the industrial team (including Thales Alenia Space as co-prime contractor), a contract with the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates (UAEAF) for the development, manufacture and launch of Falcon Eye, a high-performance optical Earth-observation satellite system. The contract was officially signed by the United Arab Emirates in August 2014 and is now entering into force.

The latest member of ESA’s Proba mini-satellite family will begin its ambitious mission in about four years’ time, the agency said. Two satellites will be launched together then separate to fly in tandem, going on to experiment with high-precision formation-flying techniques.

Airbus Defence and Space has signed a contract to build three MicroWave Sounder (MWS) instruments for the MetOp Second Generation series of satellites (MetOp-SG).

Northrop Grumman Corporation has been selected by prime contractor Lockheed Martin to provide its space inertial reference system for the U.S. Air Force Space-Based Infrared System’s (SBIRS) fifth Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite.