Satellite News

NSR’s Satellite Operator Financial Analysis (SOFA), 3rd Edition found total revenues among all satellite operators increased by 2.2% in U.S. dollar terms from 2011 to 2012, with the combined revenues of all reporting operators boosted to US$11.39 billion in 2012.

The launch of a Proton launch vehicle with the Sirius FM-6 satellite was postponed today for at least 24 hours due to issues with the satellite ground station network required for the launch and early orbital operations of the Sirius FM-6 spacecraft.

The launch of the GPS IIF-5 mission on a ULA Delta IV launch vehicle, previously scheduled for 23 October, has been delayed.

India’s Mars Orbiter Mission, which was slated to be launched on 28 October, has been postponed by a week due to bad weather that prevented a tracking ship to reach its destination in time.

Astrium has been awarded a EUR230 million contract as prime contractor for next-generation Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI-NG) instruments by the French Space Agency (CNES).

SES Government Solutions (SES-GS) has been awarded a two-year contract extension with U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. The contract allows the Air Force to continue its research and development mission through the use of the Commercially Hosted Infrared Payload (CHIRP) aboard the SES-2 satellite.

SES TechCom S.A. has signed a long term agreement with DLR and Thales Alenia Space Germany for the joint development of the first European space-based Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) constellation to monitor and optimise air traffic control.

LuxSpace announced that it has won one of the ESA IOD studies aiming at developing concepts for in-orbit demonstrations. Out of 50 proposals made by European industry, six were selected.