Satellite News

Swedish Space Corporation and the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) has signed a contract regarding SSC’s involvement the Chinese Feng Yun 3 meteorological satellite project.

SpaceDev has been awarded a US$100,000 firm fixed price contract by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory for the development of a new radiator technology for satellite thermal control.

NASA has postponed a spacewalk to fix the torn solar panel aboard the International Space Station until 2 November at the earliest.

The Academician Reshetnev Research and Production Association of Applied Mechanics (better known as NPO PM) said the recently launched three Uragan-M navigation satellites are operating as planned.

China’s Chang’e-I moon probe has began its five-day journey towards its planned lunar orbit.

Raytheon Company, Northrop Grumman Corp. and the U.S. National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Integrated Program Office (IPO) successfully completed the transition of the NPOESS command, control and communications segment (C3S) to the operations and support team.

At least one panel on a solar antenna on the International Space Station was damaged as it was unfolded after a repositioning during the STS-120 mission, forcing NASA to halt the operation and throwing expansion plans into doubt.

Lockheed Martin has completed a major test of the first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite, demonstrating its readiness to enter the critical environmental test phase in preparation for launch in late 2008, the company said.