A team of Thales Alenia Space and Orbital ATK has finished construction work on the first batch of communications satellites for Iridium‘s NEXT program, Spaceflight Now reported Wednesday. Stephen Clark writes the satellites are set for delivery to Vandenberg Air Force Base for fueling and mating with a SpaceX-built Falcon 9 rocket prior to the launch of initial  satellites on Sept. 11, […] More

NASA has approved Sierra Nevada Corp.’s full program implementation plan for the company’s Dream Chaser spacecraft that is contracted for at least six cargo delivery services to and from the International Space Station between 2019 and 2024. SNC said Monday that NASA evaluated the company’s design, development, test and evaluation methods in efforts to meet technical performance and […] More

A GPS navigation payload Raytheon built for the Federal Aviation Administration‘s Wide Area Augmentation System was launched aboard a SpaceX-built Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday. Raytheon said Wednesday the WAAS GEO 5 payload is designed to support air navigation of commercial airline and general aviation pilots over a 12-year period. “Extremely accurate navigation technologies make this system a critical resource to […] More

Iridium Communications will launch the first line of its NEXT satellites from Vandenberg Air Force Base on September 12. The company said Tuesday Thales Alenia Space and Orbital ATK have completed assembly, integration and testing of the 81 satellites on the assembly line, which includes 66 operational satellites to replace the current Iridium network. “After more than seven […] More

NASA has partnered with Deployable Space Systems and Space Systems Loral to develop solar cell structures designed to power government space vehicles or commercial communications satellites. Roll Out Solar Array will work to convert the sun’s rays into energy that could drive ion thrusters of solar electric propulsion spacecraft for NASA’s Asteroid Redirect Mission and other deep-space exploration programs, the agency said […] More

Orbital ATK aims to build a rocket technology offering for the U.S. Air Force as part of the company’s push into the national security satellite market, Reuters reported Tuesday. Irene Klotz writes John Steinmeyer, director of business development at Orbital ATK, said at the Space Congress held Tuesday in Florida the company would base its “Next Generation Launcher” on solid-rocket […] More

Doha, Qatar-based satellite operator Es’hailSat has chosen Harris subsidiary Harris CapRock Communications to build a very small-aperture terminal hub to support the Qatari company’s government and corporate clients. Steve Brannan, a senior project manager at Harris CapRock, said Wednesday the business worked with multiple vendors to develop and install an “advanced” VSAT network for Es’hailSat under a tight deadline. Harris CapRock obtained a government license […] More

Orbital ATK has delivered the Thaicom 8 communications satellite that it built for Thaicom to Cape Canaveral, Florida, to prepare for a scheduled May launch. The Dulles, Virginia-headquartered company said Friday Thaicom 8 is based on its GEOStar-2TM platform and is designed to support Thailand’s broadcast industry and deliver broadcast and data services to clients across South Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa. […] 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

NASA will test a Bigelow Aerospace-developed human-rated expandable habitat to collect data for deep space habitat designs after the structure is installed on the International Space Station. The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module will be attached to the space station’s Tranquility node using the Canadarm2 robotic arm on April 16 during an estimated four-hour attachment period, NASA said […] More

NASA has completed a series of environmental and functional tests on software and systems in a Ball Aerospace & Technologies-built spacecraft designed to demonstrate a green propellant alternative to hydrazine. The space agency plans to launch in 2017 the Ball Configurable Platform-100 small satellite in an effort to carry and demonstrate the AF-M315E fuel as part […] More

Iridium Communications has delayed the launch of its 66-satellite Iridium NEXT constellation from April to July after the launch provider notified of delays in obtaining government approvals for the launches, Iridium CEO Matt Desch told investors Thursday. SpaceX will launch 10 Iridium NEXT satellites in December on its Falcon 9 rocket and joint Russian-Ukrainian spaceflight company Kosmotros will subsequently launch two […] More