Satellite News

Sharp Corporation has achieved the world’s highest solar cell conversion efficiency of 44.4%, using a concentrator triple-junction compound solar cell. These solar cells are used in a lens-based concentrator system that focuses sunlight on the cells to generate electricity.

Saft has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract from Boeing to build Li-ion batteries for the new SES-9 satellite. Separately, Saft has been awarded a US$1.2-million dollar contract from Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., to supply the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery for a LEO (low Earth orbit) satellite programme.

The 2nd Space Operations Squadron accepted satellite control authority of its fourth GPS Block IIF satellite.

Northrop Grumman Corp recently delivered the first of approximately 20 electronics units for the fourth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite payload, allowing the integration and test phase of production to get under way.

Assembly of the backbone of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the primary mirror backplane support structure, is a step closer to completion with the recent addition of the backplane support frame, a fixture that will be used to connect all the pieces of the telescope together.

ESA’s Proba-V has become the first satellite to pick up aircraft tracking signals, allowing aircraft across the globe to be followed in flight from space.

COM DEV International Ltd. has completed delivery of a fourth flight set of hardware for the U.S. Air Force’s Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) protected military satellite communications programme.

SSL was selected to provide a communications satellite to Sky Perfect JSAT. The satellite, JCSAT-14, will replace JCSAT-2A at 154 degrees East and expands on its capacity to meet the growing demand for telecommunications infrastructure in the Asia Pacific region.