Satellite News

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) announced that it has confirmed that the first orbital flight of its Dream Chaser Space System will occur on 1 November 2016. Dream Chaser will be brought to orbit on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket that will launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Virgin Galactic announced that it has reached a significant milestone in the testing of a new family of liquid rocket engines for LauncherOne, the company’s small satellite launch vehicle.

Space Systems (formerly Astrium) of Airbus Defence and Space has been selected by the French armament procurement agency DGA to build the user ground segment (UGS) of the MUSIS (MUltinational Space-based Imaging System for surveillance, reconnaissance and observation) observation satellite programme. This new deal includes providing through-life support for the user ground segment for 12 years.

Since October 2012, U.S. Air Force Space Command’s Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) has been analysing, characterising, testing and implementing modified battery charge control rates across the GPS IIR/IIR-M fleet. As of 15 November 2013, the USAF’s 2nd Space Operations Squadron (2SOPS) completed the modification, which will extend the life of these satellites’ operational capability.

Lockheed Martin Corporation reported financial results for the fourth quarter and the year 2013.

The U.S. Navy has accepted three General Dynamics C4 Systems-built ground stations for the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS).

Inmarsat Government announced that it has finalised its official agreement to be a Value Added Reseller (VAR) for Inmarsat Global Xpress, serving the U.S. government market. On behalf of Inmarsat and its government-market partners, Inmarsat Government will also build and maintain the secure Global Xpress offering to provide assured access supported 24/7.