Satellite News

The launch of a Proton-K booster rocket with three GLONASS satellites from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, has been pushed back one day.

Rocket: Chang Zheng 3A; Payload: Chang’e 1; Date: 24 October 2007, 1005 UTC; Site: Xichang Satellite Launch Centre, China. The country’s first lunar probe was successfully placed in a 205 km x 50,930 km Earth orbit at 1029 UTC and has meanwhile deployed its solar panels.

SES Astra said it has moved its satellite Astra 1E from the orbital position 19.2 degrees East to 23.5 degrees East to replace the satellite Astra 1D which is approaching the end of its design life.

EchoStar Communications Corporation and its subsidiary, EchoStar FSS Corporation (EFSSC), announced the launch of ViP-TV service, through which EFFSC has the ability to transport over 300 channels of secure broadcast quality television programming via satellite.

Eutelsat Communications reported revenue for the first quarter ending 30 September 2007.

Lockheed Martin Corporation reported third quarter 2007 financial results.

The space shuttle Discovery and its seven-member crew lifted off today at 1538 UTC from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to continue construction of the International Space Station.

Hughes Network Systems, LLC announced the signing of an agreement with TerreStar Networks Inc. under which Hughes will design, develop, and supply a satellite chipset platform based on UMTS standards to enable wireless mobile devices to communicate over the satellite portion of TerreStar’s network.