Iridium Communications CEO Matt Desch has said the company expects the remaining three Iridium NEXT satellite launches to conclude by the third quarter of 2018, SpaceNews reported Monday. “All of the satellites are going to be in place within probably about 30 days of our final launch,” he told reporters Monday in a conference call Monday. Desch […] More

Matt Desch, CEO of Iridium Communications, has said he observed new low-Earth orbit satellites work to support broadband services that the company already offers along with very small aperture terminals, SpaceNews reported Thursday. Desch told investors in an earnings call held Thursday he believes LEO constellation operators do not pose a significant threat to Iridium’s business. “This is […] More

General Atomics‘ electromagnetic systems business has concluded pre-flight and full system tests of a satellite built to host multiple technology payloads for on-orbit demonstration. The company said Monday its Orbital Test Bed will launch onboard the SpaceX-built Falcon Heavy rocket as part of the U.S. Air Force‘s Space Technology Program. OTB will carry a deep-space atomic clock that was produced […] More

Orbital ATK has proposed its Next Generation Launch system to the U.S. Air Force in a bid to win one of the Launch Services Agreements the service branch plans to award by summer, Spaceflight Now reported Thursday. The agreement will implement a cost-sharing structure for rocket development efforts and intends to provide the military with U.S.-built propulsion systems […] More

General Atomics has announced its electromagnetic systems business will showcase a new spacecraft model designed to host technology payloads for demonstration. The company said Wednesday GA-EMS will exhibit the Orbital Test Bed along with other satellite and space system offerings at the 34th Space Symposium scheduled to take place in Colorado Springs, Colorado, from April 15 to 19. “Our […] More

Iridium Communications plans to launch on May 19 the Iridium-6 rideshare mission aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Falcon 9 will send into orbit five Iridium NEXT satellites and two satellites as part of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On mission of NASA and GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences, Iridium said Monday. […] More

NASA has modified its contract with Boeing for the transportation of astronauts to and from the International Space Station in a move that could potentially extend crewed flight test to up to six months and add a third crew member to the test flight. The agency said Friday the revised Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract […] More

Iridium Communications‘ fifth set of NEXT satellites that launched Friday includes Aireon-built global air traffic surveillance technology payloads. Aireon said Friday its Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system is designed to provide aircraft tracking coverage with a 15-minute update interval and help airlines test aircraft tracking systems via space-based ADS-B. The International Civil Aviation Organization and European Aviation Safety […] More

A fifth batch of 10 Iridium Communications satellites entered testing and validation phase shortly after the latest set in the company’s NEXT constellation launched into space. Friday’s launch increased the number of NEXT satellites in orbit to 50 and marked the second use of SpaceX‘s Falcon 9 first-stage booster, Iridium said Tuesday. “I’m beyond proud of our team at the Satellite […] More

A $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill for fiscal 2018 would allocate approximately $600 million in funds to support the development of two new Wideband Global Satcom satellites for the Defense Department, Bloomberg Government reported Tuesday. The budget allocation for the WGS program will be a boon to Boeing, which has secured approximately $4 billion in […] More

Satellite operating firm Spacecom has selected Maxar Technologies‘ SSL subsidiary to construct a new communications satellite that will add to the former’s AMOS COMSAT fleet. SSL will build the AMOS-8 that will be designed to provide broadcast and broadband coverage for locations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, SSL said Monday. The satellite is expected to operate for at […] More

Iridium Communications has announced the arrival of the fifth batch of 10 Iridium NEXT satellites at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California in preparation for the launch aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket that is set to take off on March 29. Iridium said Monday each satellite will go through encapsulation, fueling and other pre-launch processing […] More