Satellite News

Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) said it successfully conducted a full mission duration firing of its new Merlin Vacuum engine on 7 March at SpaceX’s Test Facility in McGregor, Texas, USA.
Other Posts:

U.S. spy satellite to crash back to Earth within weeks
ILS Announces Separate Deals For Satellite Launches
WildBlue upgrades network, increases capacity by over 31 percent
Second Wind Orders Globalstar Modems
SES Astra Moves Forward in Germany
SatCom Networks Africa chooses Gilat’s SkyEdge
Arianespace ‘once again’ breaks even
Red Spots Brush Past Each Other

Other Posts:OSC Chooses Thor 2-R Flight Dynamics SystemLockheed Martin delivers first block of SBIRS GEO flight softwareNASA finishes listening for Phoenix Mars landerJuniper Networks Joins Lockheed Martin-Northrop Grumman TSAT TeamChina to launch two telecommunications satellites this yearCBERS-2 completes five years in orbitAurora to study balloon launches from the surface of MarsBskyB Unable To Slow Churn Rate

SES Astra announced that it will be moving the Astra 2C satellite from its current orbital position at 28.2 degrees East to 31.5 degrees East to take over the mission of Astra 5A which is no longer in service.
Other Posts:

Update: Astra 5A declared total loss after anomaly
Australia Network renews contract with Intelsat
Hiwire, SES Americom Stock Lineup For Mobile TV Trial
Ericsson Completes Offer For Tandberg TV
NOAA-N Prime pre-launch details
Roskosmos gives overview of satellite plans for FSP 2006-2015
DMC Orders Imagery Satellite
Empost Installs Communications System In United Arab Emirates

Other Posts:Comet chaser completes second Earth swing-byLM/NG team completes TSAT router testsTacSat-2 pre launch detailsRussian return satellite launched aboard Soyuz-UAll key components in place for next Proton launchWorldView-1 images commercially availableNigeriasat-2 to be launched in 2008Hotbird 10, NSS-9, SPIRALE pre-launch details

NASA managers completed a review of space shuttle Discovery’s readiness for flight and selected the official launch date for the STS-119 mission. Commander Lee Archambault and his six crewmates are now scheduled to lift off to the International Space Station at 0120 UTC on 12 March (11 March local time).
Other Posts:

SSTL earns ESA award for its role in Galileo
Preparations for launch of Skynet 5C and Turksat 3A
Orbcomm Inc. results Q2 2008
GMV products to control new Nilesat satellite
Viasat Broadcasting Sees Slow Subscriber Growth
ViaSat Earns Awards For WWSS Equipment
Northrop Grumman Corporation (Aerospace) results 2006
Thales Agrees To Sell GPS Unit

Other Posts:Globecomm Wins Contract For Satellite Communication TerminalsFirst international satellite order for Japan’s MelcoIrvin to develop CEV parachutesIranian satellite sends telemtry, text messageSwales completes TacSat-3 design reviewComtech Nets Mobile Satellite Terminal ContractNASA awards turbine pump assembly contract for Ares IStudy: Expendable Launch Vehicle Industry Primed for Comsat Rebound

NASA has moved up one day to 12 March the launch of its space shuttle Discovery on its 16-day mission to the orbiting International Space Station (ISS).
Other Posts:Tele Columbus launches digital TV platform on Eurobird 9Kopin awarded NASA solar cell development contractBoeing demonstrates FAB-T interoperability with Milstar satelliteDirecTV orders Radyne, Xicom productsAlcatel Alenia Space To Build Globalstar ConstellationArianespace needs more powerful rocket, says ex-CEOTerreStar to operate satellites from BermudaBritish consultancy to oversee construction of Yahsat ground stations

Rocket: Proton K/Block DM-2; Payload: Raduga 1(M?)-?; Date: 28 February 2009, 0410 UTC; Site: Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The rocket deployed the military communications satellite into geostationary transfer orbit with an inclination of about 49 degrees.
Other Posts:NASA successfully completes first series of Ares engine testsHarris Receives NPOESS ContractRadarsat-2 Passes NRC Aerospace TestGlobalstar Revenue, Profits Fall In Second QuarterIntelsat, Ltd. results Q2 2006Avanti books Falcon 9 launch for HYLASChina to launch two navigation satellites early 2007Proton M lifts off with latest Astra satellite (Part II)

Chang’e-1, China’s first lunar probe, impacted the moon at 0813 UTC on 1 March, according to sources with the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense quoted by Xinhua.
Other Posts:Ondas Expands Senior Management TeamTelesat Files Preliminary Prospectus And Registration Statement For IPOINSAT-4CR orbit raised after ‘dramatic’ launchSurprising change of Ariane 5 launch manifestEuro1080 Strikes STB DealND SatCom Wins Polish DealSmall GEO satellite under development to become Hispasat AG1Virgin Media Open To Bidding

China’s new geostationary meteorological satellite, Fengyun-2E, finished in-orbit testing at the end of February, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said.
Other Posts:Industry Canada Grants Transfer Of Authorization From TMI To TerreStar CanadaSpaceDev to provide components to SS/LNorthrop Grumman Delivers SBIRS GEO-1 PayloadNASA examines handle bar addition for JWSTLast M-V puts Solar-B in orbitNASA To Make Data Available Through GoogleETS VIII arrives in geostationary orbitOptus orders additional Gilat VSATs

ESA has announced three candidate Earth Explorer mission concepts to progress to the next phase of consolidation. This selection is part of the user-driven process that will lead to the launch of the agency’s seventh Earth Explorer satellite in the 2016 time frame.
Other Posts:THEOS launch once more delayed by drop zone issueLaunch of Genesis II further delayedNASA extends contract with RoskosmosKhrunichev says lessons learnt from Yakhta failuresLaunch of MetOp-A Postponed IndefinitelySpacehab to support pre-launch preparations for Russia’s MRM1Sea Launch Receives Hardware For Next LaunchesMSV Appoints Vice President For Federal Sales