Satellite News

Space Systems/Loral announced it was awarded a contract from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to study on-orbit robotic assembly of geostationary communications satellites. Called Dragonfly, the programme is designed to enable larger and more powerful satellites that cannot be launched fully assembled, to be packaged in pieces within a standard launch vehicle fairing.

Northrop Grumman Corporation delivered on schedule the telescope structure for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, on 24 August. This paves the way for the integration of the 18 hexagonal mirrors that will help scientists observe the formation of the first stars and galaxies over 13.5 billion years ago.

Two Russian space companies and Iranian firm Bonyan Danesh Shargh have signed an agreement on joint development of an Earth remote-sensing satellite system for Iran, Russia’s Federal Space Agency Roskosmos said.