Satellite News

An experimental tracking campaign using European facilities is helping determine how well existing telescopes and radars can work together to observe objects in Earth orbit. The results will be used to help design ESA’s future Space Situational Awareness system.

Anaren, Inc. has been selected to receive a contract valued in excess of US$20 million from Thales-Alenia-Space (France).

The Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has, for the first time in the world, established a technological foundation to flexibly design and manufacture logic ICs with very high radiation tolerance at a low cost, the agency said.

EADS Astrium has won an order worth EUR795 million (US$1.05 billion) for two French military observation satellites that will succeed the current HELIOS 2 reconnaissance satellites.

Delegations of Intersputnik signatories met in Moscow on 1 December 2010 to attend the 12th meeting of the Operations Committee. The delegates were informed of the further development of Intersputnik’s satellite telecommunications system using Intersputnik’s own space segment.

Australian satellite services provider NewSat plans to take Ku-band capacity on an unspecified future satellite and market it under the name Jabiru 2.

A five-year project led by the Georgia Institute of Technology has developed a novel approach to space electronics that could change how space vehicles and instruments are designed. The new capabilities are based on silicon-germanium (SiGe) technology, which can produce electronics that are highly resistant to both wide temperature variations and space radiation.

HYLAS 1 (Highly Adaptable Satellite 1), which was launched successfully on 27 November by an Ariane 5, has reached geostationary orbit.