SpaceX plans to launch on May 4 its updated Falcon 9 rocket from a launch pad at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to bring into orbit a Thales Alenia Space-built communications satellite for Bangladesh, Spaceflight Now reported Tuesday. The rocket’s Block 5 configuration will take off to send into space the Bangabandhu 1 satellite designed […] More

A joint venture of Thales and Leonardo has received three contracts to produce technologies that can help NASA accomplish human space exploration missions and address commercialization objectives of the agency’s industry partners. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Orbital ATK will collaborate with Thales Alenia Space under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-2 initiative as part of efforts to expand architectures designed […] More

Thales has inked an agreement with ArianeGroup to help design, develop, qualify and produce a telemetry transmitter for a European Space Agency-approved launcher. Thales said Tuesday the Ariane 6 telemetry transmitter will relay launcher-generated data to servers on the ground throughout the entire launch mission. “This contract shows our company’s ability to adapt to a […] More

Imarsat has selected France-based company Arianespace to help launch a fifth Global Xpress communications satellite from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. Arianespace said Friday it aims to send Global Express-5 satellite for Inmarsat into orbit with the  Ariane 5 heavy-lift launcher platform within the second half of 2019. Thales Alenia Space will build GX-5 based on the modernized […] More

Thales Alenia Space has inked a contract with the European Space Agency to help design the payload module for a joint science mission between ESA and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The module for the Solar Wind Magnetospheric Ionospheric Link Explorer (SMILE) will host customer furnished science instruments from China, Canada and the U.K., Thales said Monday. […] More

Iridium Communications’ second batch of 10 Iridium NEXT satellites lifted off Sunday aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to join the initial batch of satellites that took off in January. The launch brings the total number of Iridium NEXT satellites in space to 20 and marks the second of […] More

An initial batch of 10 Iridium Communications satellites launched into space and transmitted signals to ground controllers Saturday in the start of the McLean, Va.-based company’s program to form its 81-strong, second-generation NEXT constellation for government and commercial customers around the world. Saturday’s launch is the first of seven for Elon Musk’s SpaceX outfit to carry out through early 2018 for Iridium in support […] More

Iridium Communications remains on schedule to launch the first 10 satellites of the Iridium NEXT constellation in July aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, Space News reported Friday. Peter de Selding writes the initial launch date may change by a few weeks based on SpaceX’s availability and will be followed by six sets of 10 satellites that are expected to […] More

A team led by a joint venture of Thales Group and Finmeccanica has received approximately $19.2 million in funds from the French government to conduct research and development work over two years on an autonomous airship. Thales Alenia Space will collaborate with French companies CNIM, Solutions F, Airstar Aerospace and Tronico-Alcen on the structure, electric propulsion system […] More

Thales Alenia Space has been selected to produce an additional eight satellites for O3b Networks’ medium Earth orbit constellation. The satellites will add to the existing twelve operational satellites in orbit used by O3b Networks to supply trunking and mobile backhaul connectivity to telecommunication firms, Thales said Thursday. The new satellites are set for launch […] More

A joint venture of Thales Group and Finmeccanica has delivered the test model of the Orion spacecraft’s European Service Module to NASA’s testing facility in Ohio for further structural design tests. Thales Alenia Space performed initial tests on the structural test model of ESM at its facility in Turin, Italy, prior to the shipment, Thales […] More

A joint venture of Thales Group and Finmeccanica has secured a potential $103 million contract from Airbus to build thermomechanical platforms for the Orion spacecraft’s European Service Module. Thales Alenia Space will supply thermal control, consumable storage components, micrometeoroid and structure protection systems for the space capsule’s ESM, Thales Group said Thursday. ESM will work to provide thermal control, […] More