Satellite News

Harris Corporation has formed a team to compete for a six-and-a-half-year, US$455 million contract to provide operations and maintenance support to the 50th Space Wing’s Air Force Satellite Control Network at locations around the world.

Harris Corporation said it was bidding as prime contractor and systems integrator for the ground segment of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite – Series R (GOES-R) programme.

NASA’s Dawn spacecraft has arrived at Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, Florida/USA. Dawn, which is to employ ion propulsion to explore asteroid Vesta and the dwarf planet Ceres, is at the facility for final processing and launch operations. Dawn’s launch period opens 30 June.

The observation data relay from the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) Daichi to the Data Relay Satellite (DRS) Kodama was interrupted on 5 April, 0526 UTC for unknown reasons.

SpaceDev, Inc. has finalised a Memorandum of Understanding with United Launch Alliance to pursue the potential of launching its SpaceDev Dream Chaser space vehicle carrying passengers and cargo on an Atlas V launch vehicle.

Upgraded Uragan navigation satellites for Russia’s GLONASS navigation system will be launched from the Plesetsk cosmodrome, a Space Troops official said.

NASA has signed a US$719 million modification to the current International Space Station contract with Russia’s Federal Space Agency in Moscow for crew and cargo services through 2011.

Rocket: Proton M/Briz M; Payload: Anik F3; Date: 9 April 2007, 2254 UTC; Launch Site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The satellite, built for Telesat Canada by EADS Astrium, separated from the Briz M today at 0805 UTC.