Satellite News

Egyptian satellite operator Nilesat and SpaceX have signed a contract for the launch of Nilesat-301 geostationary communications satellite due in 2022.

Europe’s Galileo satellite constellation will reply to messages received by the satellites’ COSPAS-SARSAT payloads, assuring people in danger that help is on the way.

AT&T Inc.’s DirecTV unit said there is “a significant risk” that battery cells aboard its Spaceway-1 satellite could burst. DirecTV received permission to conduct an emergency operation to reduce risks of an accidental explosion.

The second satellite in the European Data Relay System has reached its intended orbit at 31.2 degrees East and completed its in-orbit tests.

Astroscale Holdings Inc. announced it has been awarded a grant of up to US$4.5 million from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s “Innovation Tokyo Project” to build a roadmap for commercialising active debris removal (ADR) services.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has agreed to collaborate with Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) on data utilisation of Earth observation satellites.

Russian rocket engine manufacturer NPO Energomash plans to ship six RD-180 rocket engines to the United States this year, government procurement website data shows.

GHGSat announced a new service for visualising greenhouse gas emissions. The interactive, online resource will be freely available and will be formally launched during COP26 in November 2020.