Satellite News

The first four satellites in the O3b medium Earth orbit (MEO) constellation, operated by O3b Networks, are ready to be shipped to the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana.

Space Systems/Loral has been selected to study the feasibility of accommodating next-generation U.S. military weather systems on commercial polar orbiting satellites. SSL will examine options for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center to lower its cost to replace the legacy Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, through the use of alternative architectures such as equipping commercial satellites with advanced meteorological sensors.

Thirty years ago the premier launch of the Advanced TIROS-N satellite series carried the first Search and Rescue (SAR) payload on a U.S. satellite. The satellite, NOAA-E, was designed and built at the Lockheed Martin (then RCA Astrospace Division) facility in East Windsor, New Jersey.

Prof. U. R. Rao, former Chairman, ISRO and Secretary, Department of Space, was inducted into the Satellite Hall of Fame by the Society of Satellite Professionals International.

International Launch Services (ILS) announced that it has successfully carried the Satmex 8 satellite into orbit on an ILS Proton launch vehicle for Satelites Mexicanos S.A. de C.V.

South African telecommunications company Telkom has made an 18 metre C-Band antenna available tracking of Russia’s Spektr-R radioastronomy satellite.

GlobeCast and Eutelsat Communications announced that they have signed a multi-year agreement with NOS, the Dutch broadcasting network, for dedicated capacity on the Eutelsat 12 West A satellite to meet NOS’s growing requirements for satellite news gathering (SNG).

Rocket: Proton M/Briz M; Payload: Satmex 8; Date: 26 March 2013, 1906 UTC; Launch site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Spacecraft separation is scheduled for 0419 UTC [too late for this issue].