Satellite News

Astronauts Richard Linnehan and Garrett Reisman will press ahead with a near full-duration spacewalk this evening to prepare a Japanese logistics module for attachment to the space station and to begin assembly of a Canadian robot known as Dextre. Canadian robotics experts, meanwhile, are working on a software patch that might resolve a problem preventing engineers from routing power to the robot’s components.

The inaugural launch of an Atlas 5 rocket from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base occurred as scheduled this morning, thundering skyward at 3:02 a.m. local time (6:02 a.m. EDT) carrying a classified national security satellite.

A high-tech Canadian robot, launched disassembled on large pallet, was moved from the Endeavour to a work site on the station early today. An initial attempt to route power to the pallet was not successful, but power is not required for the robot’s initial assembly and the astronauts were told to press ahead with preparations for a spacewalk Thursday night.

SES Astra said it had further increased the number of digital satellite TV homes reached by the Astra satellite system in Germany by 1.72 million to 9.75 million households (+ 21.5 percent).

Advantech AMT Inc., a provider of satellite and microwave products and solutions, said it carried out one of the world’s first successful transmissions of 155.52 Mbps carrier over satellite using 64QAM and 32APSK.

Asia Satellite Telecommunications Holdings Limited announced its 2007 annual results for the year to 31 December 2007.

Jules Verne ATV successfully performed two boosts today, bringing the spacecraft to an altitude of 303 km – half-way between the insertion orbit reached after last Sunday’s launch and the orbit of the International Space Station.

Complete minute-by-minute coverage of space shuttle Endeavour’s final approach and docking with the International Space Station.