Satellite News

Irvin Aerospace was selected by Jacobs Sverdrup for NASA to develop parachutes for NASA’s Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV).

The World Teleport Association (WTA) has published its 2006 Top Operators, the world’s only yearly rankings of teleport operating companies by revenue and growth rate.

Iridium Satellite said it was providing critical satellite data communications for a rapidly expanding atmospheric data reporting programme that uses commercial aircraft to gather and transmit meteorological data automatically to AirDat’s data centre.

Globalstar, Inc. said it has successfully completed negotiations with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and has been awarded a Federal Supply Schedule Contract for the purchase of Globalstar satellite voice and data products.

Kinesix Software said it has sold several new licenses for its Sammi graphical-interface software to the Aerospace Corporation – which is already using the software as an integral component of its STARS programme.

SatCom Group Holdings plc, a reseller of mobile satellite communications, said that its wholly owned subsidiary Net Africa Arabia Ltd, a distribution partner for the Inmarsat R-BGAN service, has achieved full status as a BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) Distribution Partner.

Alliance Spacesystems, LLC, which has already built three robotic arms for Mars spacecraft, has been awarded the engineering contract for yet another – the robotic arm for NASA’s next major Mars rover mission, the Mars Science Laboratory, targeted for a 2009 launch.

NASA has selected Boeing to support the design and development of a lunar direct return-capable heat shield for the Orion crew exploration vehicle.