Satellite News

Lockheed Martin announced that the first Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) geosynchronous orbit (GEO) spacecraft bus has successfully completed engineering thermal vacuum testing at its facilities in Sunnyvale, California/USA.

It looks increasingly likely that Israel will use a foreign vehicle to launch its radar spy satellite TechSAR, at least according to a report by Globes. The leading candidate is an Indian PSLV. This has been reported before, but the new Globes article may shed some light on Israel’s decision not to use its own Shavit 1 to launch the spacecraft.

The second satellite for Arianespace’s initial heavy-lift Ariane 5 flight of 2007 has arrived at the Spaceport in French Guiana…

BSkyB has reached a two-year agreement with the Rugby Football League (RFL) to screen live National League One and Two rugby leagues…

SES Americom’s AMC-18 satellite completed in-orbit tests and has begun operations, the company announced…

NASA signed Space Act agreements with PlanetSpace Inc. and Transformational Space Corp. to support the companies’ development of commercial systems…

SpaceDev has completed a series of three hot-fire tests of its hybrid upper stage motor, the company announced Feb. 1. The tests, conducted at the…

A report by U.S. news agency UPI over the weekend claimed that “U.S. and Russian officials changed the International Space Station’s orbit to keep it clear of debris from a satellite destroyed by China.” This has turned out to be completely untrue. — In related news, the number of fragments stemming from the Chinese ASAT test is still rising and may reach a record number.