Satellite News

Sky Perfect JSAT Corporation has concluded a contract for a launch service for its JCSAT-16 communications satellite with Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX).

The Arianespace heavy-lift Ariane 5 mission with telecommunications satellites for two leading Asia-Pacific operators received the “green light” for its lift-off from the Spaceport in French Guiana on 11 September. The rocket will carry Malaysian-based Measat’s Measat-3b in the upper position under Ariane 5’s fairing and Optus 10 for Australia’s Optus as the lower passenger.

Orbital Sciences Corporation announced that Al Yah Satellite Communications company PrJSC (Yahsat) has awarded the company a firm contract to build the Al Yah 3 Ka-band communications satellite.

Boeing has received its first commercial order for the 502 Phoenix small satellite from HySpecIQ of Washington, D.C. The satellites will carry the commercial remote sensing industry’s first high-resolution hyperspectral payload, capable of providing spectral imaging fidelity that far exceeds what is currently available.

The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) has awarded Airbus Defence and Space a EUR45 million contract to deliver important subsystems and equipment for the two GEO-KOMPSAT-2 (GK2, Geostationary Earth Orbit Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite) platforms.

The “Astrix 1090″ fibre-optic gyro (FOG) inertial reference unit has been certified as “space-qualified” in an internal review by the Electronics Business Line of Airbus Defence and Space.

Arianespace has been chosen to orbit the Al Yah 3 telecommunications satellite, built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, for the operator Al Yah Satellite Communications company PrJSC (Yahsat).

The fifth development model (M5) of the Vinci rocket engine designed by Snecma (Safran), has successfully completed its ground firing tests. Vinci is a new-generation cryogenic rocket engine – fuelled by liquid hydrogen and oxygen – intended for the upper stages of the upcoming Ariane 5 ME and Ariane 6 launch vehicles.