Satellite News

Arianespace and Eutelsat Communications confirmed that the upcoming launch of the Ariane 5 ECA will orbit Eutelsat’s Hotbird 9 and W2M satellites, as rumoured over the past few weeks in Internet fora. It would be the first Ariane 5 dual launch for a single commercial satellite operator.

State-owned Indonesian telecommunication company PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Tbk will be ordering a new satellite, Telkom 3, in the near future. The satellite is expected to be launched in 2010 or 2011.

IBEX — the first NASA spacecraft to image and map the dynamic interactions taking place where the hot solar wind slams into the cold expanse of space — is ready for launch on 19 October.

NASA’s MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft completed its second Mercury flyby. Initial indications from radio signals indicate that the spacecraft continues to operate nominally.

Less than two months after the launch of its AMC-21 satellite, SES Americom announced that the Ku-band spacecraft is operational at 125 degrees West, delivering content and connectivity for leading broadcasters and mobile broadband service providers.