Satellite News

Lockheed Martin announced the successful on-orbit handover of the first Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO-1) payload and ground system to the U.S. Air Force in preparation for the start of certified operations later this year.

Boeing announced the completion of a US$10 million, 1,900 m^2 satellite Mission Control Center (MCC) in El Segundo, California/USA. The MCC can manage up to four commercial or government satellite missions at the same time.

The Center for Space Standards & Innovation said its SOCRATES-GEO service reached a milestone recently when the 100th GEO satellite was added to its system.

Heading toward its first target-asteroid, (2867) Steins, ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft has started using its cameras to visually track the asteroid and eventually determine its orbit with more accuracy.

Mechanical tests on the Herschel flight model spacecraft were successfully completed on 3 July 2008.

THEOS, the THailand Earth Observation Satellite developed by Astrium for the Thai Space Agency GISTDA (Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency) is expected to be launched on 6 August 2008 on board a Dnepr rocket from the Yasny launch site in Russia.

Iridium Satellite LLC announced it has selected two companies to participate in the final phase of its procurement process for the company’s next-generation satellite constellation, “Iridium NEXT.”

The United States Air Force’s Defense Support Program (DSP) Flight 19 satellite, built by TRW (which later became part of Northrop Grumman Corporation), was decommissioned today following nine years of service.