Satellite News

The launch of KazEOSat-1 aboard a Vage rocket has been postponed 24 hours.

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. announced that it has received two contracts from the Canadian Space Agency to define critical technologies and assess potential contributions that Canada could make to future space exploration missions beyond low-Earth orbit.

Orbital Sciences Corporation announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), which will combine Orbital and ATK’s Aerospace and Defense (A&D) Groups to create a US$4.5 billion (combined calendar year 2013 annual revenue), 13,000-person space, defence and aviation systems developer and manufacturer.

Rocket: Proton M/Briz M; Payload: KazSat 3, Luch 5V (or Loutch 5V); Date: 25 April 2014, 0425 UTC; Launch site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Both the lift-off and the ascent events proceeded nominally.

Space Systems/Loral (SSL) announced that it was selected to provide a satellite to PT. Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (BRI). The SSL-built satellite will make BRI the first bank in the world to launch a communications satellite, and will provide a dedicated platform for banking connection services for the people of Indonesia.

Millennium Space Systems announced that its Disaggregated Weather Satellite Pathfinder (DWSP) spacecraft, under design contract to the USAF Space & Missiles Center’s Defense Weather Systems Directorate, has passed an important milestone design review.

Iridium Communications Inc. announced the completion of an extensive upgrade to its ground station infrastructure in advance of the launch of its next generation constellation, Iridium NEXT, which is scheduled to begin in 2015.

SpaceX announced that they are filing a legal challenge to the U.S. Air Force’s latest Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) contract with United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.