Satellite News

SpaceDev, Inc. has been awarded a contract by the International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) of Hawaii to conduct requirements definition and preliminary design of the ILO spacecraft’s astrophysics and communications payload.

The European Space Agency has published a list of events with ESA participation in 2008.

NASA will try to launch the space shuttle Atlantis no earlier than 24 January.

The Odyssey Launch Platform and the Sea Launch Commander have departed Sea Launch Home Port, for the rescheduled Thuraya-3 mission.

Globalstar, Inc. has signed an agreement with Loral Space & Communications Inc. and various affiliated entities to purchase the Brazilian Globalstar independent gateway operator, which owns and operates three satellite gateway ground stations in Brazil.

WorldSpace Satellite Radio said it has secured a financing facility for up to US$40 million of subordinated financing effective immediately, from Yenura Pte. Ltd., a company controlled by Noah Samara, chairman and CEO of WorldSpace–but financed by somebody else.

The launch of a Dnepr rocket with the Thai remote sensing satellite THEOS [Thailand Earth Observation System] from Dombarovsky (a.k.a. Yasny) has been postponed indefinitely, reports Interfax news agency.

EchoStar Communications Corp said that the distribution of shares of a new publicly traded entity that will hold its set-top box business and certain technology and satellite assets, EchoStar Holding Corp, will be effective on 1 January 2008.