Satellite News

NASA’s Space Communications Office, which manages satellites and ground stations used for telecommunications and for tracking spacecraft, is both well-managed and highly effective, says a new U.S. National Research Council report. However, NASA should develop a long-term plan for the programme, ensure that future personnel needs are met, and address issues associated with the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS), the report says.

NASA, in coordination with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R (GOES-R) programme, has selected Assurance Technology Corporation for a US$101.7 million dollar contract.

Boeing’s work on 12 GPS IIF navigation satellites is over budget and at least 16 months behind schedule because of management problems, the U.S. Air Force said.

SpaceDev, Inc. has been authorised by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to proceed with Phase III of its Distributed Sensing Experiment programme.

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. announced the on-schedule delivery of the NextSat Commodities Spacecraft (NextSat/CSC) to Boeing’s Orbital Express (OE) programme for the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Orbital Sciences Corporation announced that the company-built Optus D1 geosynchronous (GEO) communications satellite has been delivered to the space launch complex in Kourou, French Guiana, where it is scheduled to be launched aboard an Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket in September along with DirecTV 9S.

The South Korean Ministry of Science and Technology said it will launch its first Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite (COMS) in December 2008.

Six Russian companies have submitted bids to build a replacement for BelKa, Belapan news agency reported.