Satellite News

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. said it has delivered key components to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for a laser ranging system designed to achieve greater accuracy in measuring changes in Earth’s ocean, groundwater and glaciers.

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has powered on the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS-1) satellite for the first time. The JPSS-1 is the United States’ next polar-orbiting, environmental satellite, scheduled to launch in 2017.

The Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. Ralph camera aboard the New Horizons mission will provide the closest images we have ever seen of Pluto when the spacecraft arrives at the dwarf planet on 14 July.

Orbital ATK, Inc. announced that the Sky Mexico-1 (SkyM-1) satellite, built by the company for DirecTV, successfully completed on-orbit testing and checkout of all spacecraft systems. The satellite was handed over to DirecTV for full operational control after several weeks of orbit-raising activities that were conducted after the launch.

The Jason-3 satellite has arrived at California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base, after a journey from France, in preparation for launch on 8 August 2015 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Last night marked the end of Sentinel-2A’s first three days in space, which saw teams on the ground working around the clock to ensure the spacecraft is ready for its ‘colour vision’ mission.

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. announced that it has signed a contract for C$7.4 million with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). MDA will provide In-Service Support to maintain and operate Canada’s national ground station infrastructure at Inuvik, Prince Albert, and Gatineau.

Aerojet Rocketdyne recently was awarded a contract from Lockheed Martin to deliver XR-5 Hall Effect and MR-510 Arcjet electric propulsion subsystems, as well as monopropellant rocket engines for the modernised A2100 satellite.