Satellite News

An instrument that will explore the surface of a primitive asteroid (Bennu) in search of water and organic materials has arrived at Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver for installation onto NASA’s Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx).

Information Satellite Systems – Reshetnev Company said it has completed testing of a model of a primary mirror intended for the space observatory Millimetron.

Saft has signed a contract worth over one million euros from Airbus Defence and Space Ltd (UK) to develop, qualify and test a specific lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery system to power the ExoMars Rover vehicle. In related news, MDA’s Information Systems group announced that Antwerp Space NV has contracted with MDA to provide a communication antenna subsystem for the ExoMars programme.

Optus has signed an extension to the Optus C1 satellite services contract with the Australian Department of Defence, extending its current relationship in delivering managed professional satellite services to the Department until 2020.

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. has been awarded three contracts with the Malaysian Remote Sensing Agency (MRSA), an agency under the purview of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia (MOSTI).

Orbital ATK, Inc. has signed a US$98 million agreement with Lockheed Martin to provide the launch abort motor for the Orion human spaceflight capsule’s Launch Abort System (LAS). The Orion spacecraft will launch aboard NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS).

A new development centre will advance satellite sensing and communication technologies, broadly known as Radio Frequency (RF) payloads, at the Lockheed Martin facility in Denver, the company said.

Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, last week approved in the third and final reading the law on the establishment of the Roskosmos Space Corporation.