Satellite News

Clyde Space announced a partnership with Teledyne e2v to deliver a world-first in satellite technology. With a high-tech solution provided by Clyde Space, the project team led by Teledyne e2v working with research partner the University of Birmingham, is using quantum technology to provide a technical solution capable of creating ultra-sensitive ‘cold atoms’ in space.

Space propulsion firm Busek Co. Inc. said its ‘BIT-3’ ion thruster system completed two separate Critical Design Reviews (CDR) for upcoming CubeSat spaceflight programmes. The iodine fuelled solar electric propulsion systems are the first of their kind which enable a new range of small spacecraft missions.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. announced that the Arab Satellite Communications Organisation (Arabsat) has selected Compass, Kratos’ end-to-end network management product, to support its expanding satellite fleet ground operations.

General Dynamics Mission Systems received a contract from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to ‘fly’ the current Landsat 8 mission from the existing Landsat mission operations centre at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Seabrook, Maryland.

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. announced that it has received an Authorisation to Proceed on a multi-million dollar contract from Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC).

NASA is postponing the launch of its Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-M) after an antenna on the vehicle was somehow damaged during mission preparations over a week ago.

The Norwegian Space Centre has announced successful deployment of critical antennas and probes on the NORsat-1 and NORsat-2 microsatellites built by Canada’s Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) and launched on 14 July from Kazakhstan. Most notable was deployment of a large Yagi antenna from NORsat-2 that will provide first-of-its-kind VHF Data Exchange (VDE) from space.

After 16 months of science measurements an international team deactivated the LISA Pathfinder satellite on the evening of 18 July 2017. The gravitational-wave laboratory in space powered down after receiving the last commands in the evening and circles the Sun on a safe parking orbit.