Satellite News

Airbus Defence and Space has signed as the leader of the industrial team (including Thales Alenia Space as co-prime contractor), a contract with the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates (UAEAF) for the development, manufacture and launch of Falcon Eye, a high-performance optical Earth-observation satellite system. The contract was officially signed by the United Arab Emirates in August 2014 and is now entering into force.

The latest member of ESA’s Proba mini-satellite family will begin its ambitious mission in about four years’ time, the agency said. Two satellites will be launched together then separate to fly in tandem, going on to experiment with high-precision formation-flying techniques.

Airbus Defence and Space has signed a contract to build three MicroWave Sounder (MWS) instruments for the MetOp Second Generation series of satellites (MetOp-SG).

Northrop Grumman Corporation has been selected by prime contractor Lockheed Martin to provide its space inertial reference system for the U.S. Air Force Space-Based Infrared System’s (SBIRS) fifth Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) satellite.

Thales Alenia Space announced the start of construction of a new building at its site in Cannes to be used for the integration and testing of high-resolution optical observation instruments.

From 2 to 6 December 2014, a Russian Satellite Communication Company delegation was on a visit to the People’s Republic of China, and had a business meeting with China’s Great Wall Industrial Company.

The launch of Yamal-401 aboard a Proton M has reportedly been postponed to 15 December.

Eutelsat Communications announced the software-defined “Eutelsat Quantum” class of satellites, which according to the company will set new standards in terms of coverage, bandwidth, power and frequency configurability for users operating in government, mobility and data markets.