Satellite News

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) said it is considering a flight demonstration to introduce DARPA-developed space robotics capabilities in GEO within the next five years. Because the majority of satellites in GEO are commercially owned, DARPA is particularly interested in establishing a public-private partnership that would make co-operative robotic servicing available to both military and commercial GEO satellite owners on a fee-for-service basis.

n NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity has prompted the rover team to make plans to reformat the rover’s flash memory.

The U.S. Air Force’s fleet of Global Positioning System (GPS) Block IIR and IIR-M satellites, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, have reached 200 collective years of operational life.

The Sentinel-2A satellite has been given its solar wing and started a strenuous six-month test campaign to make sure that it is fit for launch next April.

On 29 August 2014, specialists from RSCC Orbital Constellation Operation Service, Ground Control and Automated Monitoring and Measuring System completed the move of Ekspress-A2 to the 145 degrees East slot.

In the context of the Initial Joint Polar System it shares with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), EUMETSAT has entered into a Space Situational Awareness data-sharing agreement with the U.S. Strategic Command to protect its satellites against collision with space debris.

ISS-Reshetnev Company has finished building the telecommunications satellite Yamal-401.

Iridium Communications Inc. announced the successful upgrade of its System Control Segment (SCS) and completion of its Launch and Early Operations (LEOP) control centre for Iridium NEXT.