Satellite News

After six months of intensive testing, the first Sentinel-2 satellite developed and built by Airbus Defence and Space for the European Space Agency (ESA) is getting ready for its mission in space.

Telenor Satellite Broadcasting (TSBc) announced that its Thor 7 satellite has arrived safely at the Guiana Spaceport in Kourou. Thor 7 is now set to start its final preparations before its launch by Arianespace, scheduled for mid-April 2015.

An official in the United Arab Emirates says the Gulf federation has reached a deal valued at just over US$1 billion to buy two satellites and ground control stations from European manufacturers Airbus and Thales.

Following the initial selection in 2013 for Biomass to become ESA’s seventh Earth Explorer mission and the completion of preparatory activities, ESA Member States gave the green light for its full implementation for launch in 2020.

OHB Sweden, Stockholm, and AAC Microtec, Uppsala, have been appointed by the Swedish National Space Board (SNSB) to deliver a highly capable small satellite platform, named InnoSat, and to accomplish the advanced scientific mission named MATS (Mesospheric Airglow/Aerosol Tomography and Spectroscopy).

The QuickBird satellite designed and built by Ball Aerospace for DigitalGlobe de-orbited successfully last month after making 70,000 trips around the Earth during its more than 13 years on orbit.

The Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), one of five instruments that will fly on-board NOAA’s Joint Polar Satellite System-1 (JPSS-1) satellite, has completed its pre-shipment review.

Intelsat S.A. and Azercosmos OJSCo., the national satellite operator of Azerbaijan, announced that the two companies have signed a strategic agreement at the 45 degrees East orbital position.