Satellite News

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. has signed contracts totalling approximately C$3.5 million dollars with Collecte Localisation Satellites (CLS), France.

Sentinel-1A, the European Space Agency (ESA) satellite designed and built by Thales Alenia Space, has arrived at the Guiana Space Center, the launch site in Kourou, French Guiana.

All five instruments that will fly on NOAA’s next-generation Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) JPSS-1 satellite are now in the “environmental testing” phase, bringing it closer to its planned launch in early 2017.

China’s lunar rover Yutu entered its third planned dormancy on 22 February, with the mechanical control issues that might cripple the vehicle still unresolved.

ESA said it is forging ahead with the Neosat next-generation satcom platform, planning the first flights within five years. The goal is for European satellite builders to capture at least half of the world’s satcom market in 2018-30 through innovation and efficiency, generating EUR25 billion in sales.

SES S.A. has selected Airbus Defence and Space (formerly known as Astrium) to build its latest communications satellite, SES-10. The satellite will significantly grow SES’ capacity to serve Latin America. Financial details are not being disclosed.

COM DEV International Ltd. has successfully completed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) milestone of the Medium Earth Orbit Search and Rescue (MEOSAR) Project.

Orbital Science’s commercial spacecraft Cygnus-1 left the International Space Station today after spending around a month in space.