Satellite News

Northrop Grumman Corporation said it took a satellite communications system normally used in space and transformed it into a high-functioning, low-cost communications system that can be used on aircraft.

ATK announced that it successfully completed the last major technical milestone in its contract from the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center Defense Weather Systems Directorate.

The Ekspress-AT1 and Ekspress-AT2 satellites will be launched on 4 March 2014. According to RSCC plans, Ekspress-AT1 will start operations no later than March 2014. Previously, the satellites were scheduled to be launched in December 2013 (and originally at the end of 2012). Both will fly on a single Proton M rocket.

The launch of the GPS IIF-5 mission on a ULA Delta IV launch vehicle, which has been postponed several times, is being further delayed.

Astrium has finalised its preparation of Gaia in Kourou, French Guiana. Europe’s most advanced space telescope is scheduled for launch on 19 December aboard Soyuz.

The first Trajectory Correction Manoeuvre of India’s maiden mission to Mars was carried out successfully by ISRO scientists today.

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission began its countdown on 10 December at 0043 UTC, with 999 days remaining until the opening of the mission’s launch window in September 2016.

Globecomm Systems Inc. announced that an investor group led by Wasserstein & Co. has successfully completed the acquisition of Globecomm.