Satellite News

An advanced antenna reflector designed and built by Harris Corporation (HRS) has been successfully deployed in space onboard the Sirius FM-6 satellite which was designed and built by Space Systems/Loral (SSL) for SiriusXM.

The team operating NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission last month successfully completed the initial post-launch power-on and checkout of the spacecraft’s Electra Ultra High Frequency Transceiver. This wraps up the initial checkouts of all payloads on the MAVEN spacecraft, with everything performing as expected.

RUAG Space has been awarded a framework contract by French satellite manufacturer Airbus Defence and Space in Toulouse to supply positioning mechanisms for the electric propulsion systems of telecommunications satellites built on the EUROSTAR 3000 platform. The first two mechanisms are due to be delivered shortly, with further deliveries currently scheduled up to 2016.

Satmex (owned by Eutelsat Communications), Boeing and Raytheon announced that the all-electric propulsion Satmex-9 satellite being built by Boeing will carry a hosted payload enabling the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to enhance aviation safety. The FAA payload is the first in a series of WAAS commercial space missions.

Four of the six instruments that will fly on the first Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R-Series (GOES-R) were delivered to Lockheed Martin in Denver for integration onto the spacecraft bus this month. This marks the beginning of a new phase in the development of the GOES-R satellite scheduled for launch in early 2016.

Airbus Defence and Space will deliver the radar antenna and electronics for the Republic of Korea’s new Earth observation satellite, Kompsat-6. The contract was signed with LIG Nex1 Co. Ltd, which is accountable to the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) for handling all aspects of the radar sensor.

Thales Alenia Space has won the contract awarded by French defence procurement agency DGA to provide operational support for the Syracuse 3, Athena-Fidus and Sicral 2 space systems.

A prototype radar that will help Europe to develop capabilities in space-debris surveillance is performing above expectations, and is showing its capability to detect objects in low orbits, ESA said.