Satellite News

TerreStar Corporation said it has been informed by Space Systems/Loral, the manufacturer of the planned TerreStar 1 satellite, that the spacecraft’s completion may be delayed again.

Avanti Communications said it had teamed up with Inmarsat, which will control Avanti’s planned HYLAS satellite.

Gazkom will launch two new Yamal-300 satellites in the first half of 2009, the telecommunications arm of Russia’s energy giant Gazprom said.

An ILS Proton M/Briz M rocket is to launch Thor 5 (a.k.a. Thor IIR) for Telenor Satellite Broadcasting on 10 February, 1133 UTC. The mission design is rather unusual for the launch of a commercial telecom satellite.

Israel’s new TecSAR radar spy satellite has transmitted its first images on 30 January, its manufacturer Israel Aerospace Industries said.

Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) in the UK has been awarded a contract from Canadian company MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) to deliver a satellite platform as part of the Sapphire space object surveillance programme.

The Iranian parliament, the Majlis, has approved the general outlines of a bill to allocate US$250 million for state broadcaster Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) to purchase a telecommunications satellite.

Swedish Space Corporation’s subsidiary NanoSpace has been contracted by ESA to develop a propellant gauging system for satellites. The contract is worth EUR500,000 (US$739,000).