Satellite News

Sea Launch said that the failed launch of Intelsat 27 likely is related to a problem with the thrust-vector control of the first stage engine. The first meeting of the Failure Review Oversight Board is planned for the end of February or early March.

Rocket: Soyuz/Fregat; Payload: six Globalstar satellites; Date: 6 February 2013, 1604 UTC; Launch site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Arianespace, Starsem and their Russian partners confirmed that the Fregat orbital stage accurately injected the six Globalstar-2 satellites into their targeted orbit.

Arianespace’s year-opening Ariane 5 mission has been given the “go” for lift-off on 7 February following a launch readiness review for this dual-passenger, heavy-lift flight from the Spaceport in French Guiana. The lift-off is scheduled as soon as possible within the 2136 – 2220 UTC launch window.

The Lockheed Martin team developing the U.S. Air Force’s Global Position System III satellites has completed a key flight software milestone validating the software’s ability to provide reliable and effective command and control for the GPS III satellites planned for launch into orbit.

Astrium Services and Intelsat S.A. have signed a multi-year renewal agreement for C-band capacity to be used by Astrium Services’ maritime customers in the Mediterranean, Atlantic Ocean, North Sea and Gulf of Mexico.

The Space Foundation will present its 2013 Space Achievement Award to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Weather Service for its use of space-based systems in making life-saving predictions and issuing early warnings of calamitous weather conditions.