Satellite News

Space Exploration Technologies’ Falcon 1 small launch vehicle failed to reach orbit owing to a problem during the separation of the first and second stage. This appears to be the hugest setback for SpaceX so far as the failure occurred on the Falcon 1’s first operational flight.

SES Astra announced that, via its Nordic affiliate SES Sirius, it has contracted four transponders on its new orbital position at 31.5 degrees East to the Lithuanian satellite services provider SatGate.

The United States Air Force’s Defense Support Program (DSP) Flight 19 satellite, built by TRW (which later became part of Northrop Grumman Corporation), was decommissioned today following nine years of service.

NASA will fly two nanosatellites as secondary payloads aboard the SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket planned for launch in August or September.

Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) announced that it delivered a satellite for Intelsat to Sea Launch Home Port in Long Beach, California/USA on 30 July.

Madrid-based satellite radio company ONDAS Media S.A. announced it has issued integration contracts to its technology partners Delphi, The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Institute (FHG) in Germany and Certicom to begin integration activities of its satellite radio system in Nissan vehicles in addition to two further high-volume car manufacturers in Europe.

RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd. announced its financial results for the three months ending 30 June 2008.

Eutelsat Communications reported results for the full fiscal year ending 30 June 2008.