Satellite News

The Algerian Space Agency (ASAL) and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) have signed a contract to build the Alsat-1B Earth Observation satellite in combination with a comprehensive training and development programme.

Control of the six small satellites launched aboard a Soyuz-2.1b was turned over to the customers, the Roskosmos press service was quoted as saying. The primary payload was Russia’s Meteor-M2 weather satellite.

Boeing announced it will build the Intelsat 35e Epic Next Generation satellite for Intelsat. This also marks Intelsat’s ninth order for a satellite based on Boeing’s 702MP (medium power) platform.

Airbus Defence and Space has just completed the production of the two heat shields for the first European ExoMars mission in 2016. These shields will protect the Schiaparelli capsule when it descends through the Martian atmosphere. They will be delivered shortly to Thales Alenia Space (TAS), the prime contractor on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA).

Northrop Grumman Corporation and teammate ATK have completed static testing of the primary mirror backplane support structure (PMBSS), moving NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope one step closer to its 2018 launch.

Space Systems/Loral (SSL) announced that it was selected to provide a multi-mission communications satellite to Spanish satellite operator Hispasat Group. The satellite, Hispasat 1F will be used for a broad range of services in Europe and the Americas.

Orbital Sciences Corporation announced it is in final preparations for the launch of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellite.

NASA said its aerospace industry partners are taking their designs and operational plans for the agency’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP) through a series of comprehensive tests, evaluations and review boards this summer as they move through important milestones – all with an eye on launching people into orbit from U.S. soil by 2017.