Satellite News

Orbital Sciences Corporation has been selected by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Space Vehicles Directorate for a US$29.5 million contract to support the execution of the Autonomous Nanosatellite Guardian for Evaluating Local Space satellite programme.

The mission operations of European flagship x-ray and gamma-ray observatories, XMM-Newton and Integral, have been extended until 31 December 2012.

ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft successfully swung by Earth at 2057 UTC on 13 November. The spacecraft will now be catapulted towards the outer Solar System with its newly-gained energy before coming back to Earth for another boost.

The Sirius 4 communications satellite, designed and built by Lockheed Martin for SES Sirius, is ready for launch on 18 November from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard a Proton M/Briz M launch vehicle provided by International Launch Services.

Northrop Grumman Corporation successfully hot-fire tested a new type of rocket engine specifically designed to use oxygen and methane propellants that range from all-gas to all-liquid at the inlet to the thruster.