Satellite News

Orbital Sciences Corporation is expanding its workforce in the Southern California area with the opening of a new engineering and technology centre in the autumn of this year, the company announced.

Americom Government Services (AGS) announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire AOS, Inc., engineers of secure telecommunications technologies and global network mobility.

SpaceX said it has received a US$20 million equity investment from Founders Fund, a technology venture capital firm headquartered in San Francisco.

ViaSat, Inc. announced financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2009.

Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) has set up a new subsidiary in the United States to take advantage of the growing international demand for economical, responsive and highly capable spacecraft for a broad range of applications, the company said.

Boeing has been awarded a US$153.5 million U.S. Naval Research Laboratory contract to demonstrate High Integrity Global Positioning System (GPS) technology concepts. The contract is expected to run through 2010.

Lockheed Martin announced the successful on-orbit handover of the first Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO-1) payload and ground system to the U.S. Air Force in preparation for the start of certified operations later this year.

Frederic d’Allest, honorary chairman and ex-CEO of Arianespace, warned in an op-ed article that the Ariane rocket may disappear from the commercial launch market within a few years unless a more powerful version is developed.