Satellite News

SpaceX completed the first key flight test of its Crew Dragon spacecraft, a vehicle designed to carry astronauts to and from space. The successful Pad Abort Test was the first flight test of SpaceX’s launch abort system.

An Ariane 5 was moved from the Launcher Integration Building – where it underwent the basic build-up process by industrial prime contractor Airbus Defence and Space – to the Final Assembly Building at Kourou. This step marks the transfer of responsibility to Arianespace for the payload integration, final validations and launch.

A proposal for building GSAT-17 and GSAT-18 communication satellites supporting telecommunication, television services and in-orbit back-up was approved by the Indian government.

Recently, the U.S. Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center announced the successful completion of the Capability Integration (CI) phase and transition into the Capability Evaluation (CE) phase for its new Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) ground system, which is currently in development.

Debris from the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F13 satellite, which recently exploded in orbit, could pose a threat to other spacecraft and missions according to new research from the University of Southampton.

Inmarsat has provided unaudited financial information for the three months ending 31 March 2015.