August 2010 Space News

ATK and NASA Successfully Test the Second Five-Segment Ares Development Motor (DM-2) ATK 31 Aug 2010 -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) and NASA conducted a successful ground test earlier today of the second Ares five-segment Development Motor (DM-2). The successful test is an important milestone in the development of America's next generation of launch vehicles.
Lockheed Martin Advancing On Next-Generation Commercial Remote Sensing Satellite System For GeoEye Lockheed Martin 31 Aug 2010 -- The Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] team developing GeoEye's next-generation, high-resolution commercial Earth-imaging satellite system known as GeoEye-2, has successfully completed on-schedule a System Requirements Review (SRR), an important program milestone that precedes the Preliminary Design Review.
Russian space freighter undocks from ISS RIA Novosti 31 Aug 2010 -- Russia's Progress M-06 cargo spacecraft undocked from the ISS to begin a seven-day independent scientific mission.
Decatur, Benfold Practice BMD Exercise Navy NewsStand 30 Aug 2010 -- USS Decatur and USS Benfold, along with USS Stout, participated in a ballistic missile defense exercise.
1st Boeing-built GPS IIF Satellite Enters Service with US Air Force Boeing 30 Aug 2010 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced that the first of 12 Global Positioning System (GPS) IIF satellites the company is building for the U.S. Air Force has entered service. GPS IIF-1 is the newest member of the active 31-satellite GPS constellation, which provides accurate navigation, positioning and timing information to more than 1 billion military and civilian users around the world.
James Webb Space Telescope's First Primary Mirror Segment Undergoes Final Coating, Completes Manufacturing Milestone Northrop Grumman 30 Aug 2010 -- A primary mirror segment of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has completed the final step in the manufacturing process. It is the first of the telescope's primary mirror segments to achieve this milestone. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is leading the telescope's design and development effort for the space agency's Goddard Space Flight Center.
NASA Awards Raytheon $120 Million Contract Raytheon 30 Aug 2010 -- Raytheon Technical Services Company LLC (RTSC), a subsidiary of Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), has received a contract valued up to $120 million to support facilities and operations for astronaut training at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) and Sonny Carter Training Facility in Houston.
India confirms payloads for Chandrayaan-2 lunar mission RIA Novosti 30 Aug 2010 -- India has finalized the list of payloads for its Chandrayaan-2 Lunar Mission.
Satellites detect 131 possible wildfire hotspots in Russia RIA Novosti 30 Aug 2010 -- The number of hotspots, visible in infrared light and possibly indicating wildfires, grew from 121 to 131.
Putin stresses importance of new Far East space center RIA Novosti 28 Aug 2010 -- Prime Minister Vladimir Putin underlined on Saturday the significance of a planned new space center in Russia’s Far East.
All Russia’s manned space flights to use new facility by 2018 RIA Novosti 28 Aug 2010 -- All Russian manned space fights will be launched from the Vostochny Space Center in the country’s Far East from 2018, Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Saturday.
Air Force officials announce changes to Headquarters Air Force space management and organization AFNS 26 Aug 2010 -- Air Force officials announced the realignment of some Headquarters Air Force space functions Aug. 26, following the recent completion of a review of Headquarters Air Force space management and responsibilities, which was directed by Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley in December 2009.
Air Force Announces Changes to Headquarters Air Force Space Management and Organization DoD 26 Aug 2010 -- The Air Force today announced the realignment of some Headquarters Air Force space functions, following the recent completion of a review of Headquarters Air Force space management and responsibilities, which was directed by Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley in December 2009.
General Dynamics’ Warrior Antenna Terminals Certified to Operate on Wideband Global SATCOM Network General Dynamics 26 Aug 2010 -- Two General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies’ Warrior antenna terminals are now certified by the U.S. Army to use the Ka-band frequency to access the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) network, enabling warfighters to transmit and receive video, multimedia imagery and data faster and more securely.
General Dynamics Awarded $80 Million To Upgrade and Deliver New Antennas for NOAA’s GOES-R Satellite Program General Dynamics 25 Aug 2010 -- General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies received an $80 million contract from Harris Corporation to design, manufacture and install six new 16-meter antennas and upgrade four 9-meter satellite communications antennas. Supporting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) new GOES-R program, the antennas will enable critical command, control, telemetry and sensor data communications between satellites and ground stations.
Lockheed Martin Completes Second Live Tracking Exercise for Ballistic Missile Defense Lockheed Martin 25 Aug 2010 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] successfully identified and tracked four live targets during a test of its Multi-Mission Signal Processor (MMSP) being fielded as part of the Aegis next-generation Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) capability.
Space Logistics Group passes compliance inspection AFNS 25 Aug 2010 -- The Space Logistics Group, a subordinate unit of the Space and Missile Systems Center, received an overall grade of "in compliance with comments" on a compliance inspection conducted Aug. 16 through 23. This was the first time the group had undergone a CI.
First Successful Corona Remote Sensing Satellite Built By Lockheed Martin Marks 50 Year Anniversary Lockheed Martin 25 Aug 2010 -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] today congratulated the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) on the 50-year anniversary of the first Corona photo reconnaissance satellite image from space, which ushered in new space-based capabilities for the nation.
BrahMos missile maker happy with Russian Glonass receivers RIA Novosti 25 Aug 2010 -- BrahMos Aerospace Ltd., a Russian-Indian joint venture manufacturing supersonic cruise missiles, is successfully using Russian-built Glonass receivers for aiming and target acquisition, CEO Sivathanu Pillai said on Wednesday.
Boeing to Build Additional Military Hosted Payload for Intelsat Satellite Series Boeing 24 Aug 2010 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced it has received a contract from Intelsat S.A. to provide a second ultra-high frequency (UHF) hosted payload on another of the four commercial communications satellites that Intelsat ordered from Boeing last year. Financial details were not disclosed.
Boeing Awarded Follow-on Contract for US Air Force Wideband Global SATCOM Program Boeing 23 Aug 2010 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] announced today that the U.S. Air Force has authorized $182 million for Boeing to begin work on the seventh Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) satellite, which is being procured under the new WGS Block II follow-on contract. The contract will ultimately include options for production of up to six WGS satellites, which are the highest-capacity communications satellites in the U.S. Department of Defense’s arsenal.
Pentagon again postpones test of missile-destroying laser RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2010 -- A test of a powerful missile-intercepting laser, scheduled for Sunday morning, was postponed for the fourth time due to technical problems, Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency said on its website.
NASA satellites detect 178 wildfire hotspots in Russia RIA Novosti 23 Aug 2010 -- Two NASA satellites registered a total of 178 potential wildfires on the Russian territory on Sunday, up 59 from Saturday, the ScanEx website that receives information from the satellites said.
U.S. Air Force/Lockheed Martin Team Complete GPS III Design Phase Ahead Of Schedule Boeing 20 Aug 2010 -- The Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] team developing the U.S. Air Force’s next generation Global Positioning System, known as GPS III, has successfully completed the program’s Critical Design Review (CDR) phase two months ahead of the baseline schedule. CDR completion, the program’s most significant milestone to-date, validates the detailed GPS III design to ensure it meets warfighter and civil requirements, and allows the program to begin the production phase.
Russia's Mission Control readjusts ISS orbit RIA Novosti 19 Aug 2010 -- Russia's Mission Control has readjusted the orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) by raising it by 2.2 kilometers (1.4 miles), a Mission Control spokesman said.
Defense Missile Agency Seeks to Cut Costs AFPS 18 Aug 2010 -- In an effort to cut costs and boost efficiency, the Defense Missile Agency is assessing the feasibility of competing $37 billion in contracts, the agency’s director said.
Northrop Grumman, Missile Defense Agency Complete End-to-End Ballistic Missile Defense System Simulation Northrop Grumman 18 Aug 2010 -- The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) have finalized verification and validation of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) Performance Assessment 2009 (PA09). PA09 is an end-to-end system-level simulation conducted to analyze how the BMDS integrated radars, communication networks and interceptors perform during scenarios.
U.S. Missile Defense Agency Awards Northrop Grumman $90 Million Task Order for Enhanced Command, Control, Battle Management and Communications Northrop Grumman 18 Aug 2010 -- The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) a $90 million, 30-month task order to further develop and evaluate Enhanced Command, Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) capabilities. These capabilities will enable the implementation of the MDA's Phased Adaptive Approach (PAA) for more timely, affordable and responsive missile defenses to protect against ballistic missiles of all ranges and increasing raid sizes.
Pre-launch preparation of Russian Rokot carrier rocket near completion RIA Novosti 18 Aug 2010 -- The Plesetsk space center in northern Russia is about to complete pre-launch preparations of the Rokot carrier rocket, scheduled to blast off in early September, a defense ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.
US Moves for MD under Fire KCNA 18 Aug 2010 -- The U.S. recent negotiations on setting up an X band radar system in Bulgaria and other countries are pushed forward at a final phase and this system is expected to go operational from next year, according to press reports.
Lockheed Martin Announces Additional Partners for GMD Development and Sustainment Contract Lockheed Martin 17 Aug 2010 -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) announced today that additional companies have joined its team to pursue the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Development and Sustainment Contract, in addition to strategic partner Raytheon Missile Systems and partners Alaska Aerospace and NANA Development Corporation.
Agency to Test Airborne Laser AFPS 17 Aug 2010 -- The airborne laser test platform – a high-powered chemical laser aboard a modified 747 -- will undergo its second test late tonight off the coast of California, the director of the Missile Defense Agency announced today.
General Calls Layers Key to Missile Defense Strategy AFPS 17 Aug 2010 -- The key to a successful missile defense strategy is layers, the director of the Missile Defense Agency said today.
Northrop Grumman Delivers First Battery Engagement Operations Center for Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System Northrop Grumman 17 Aug 2010 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has delivered the first battery engagement operations center for the Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) to the U.S. Army. The milestone was celebrated during a ceremony on Aug. 11 at the company's Madison facility on Wall Triana Highway.
China completes Tiangong-1 spacecraft assembly RIA Novosti 17 Aug 2010 -- China has completed assembling its Tiangong-1 space module, the Chinese Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
NASA astronauts install pump module during third spacewalk RIA Novosti 17 Aug 2010 -- NASA astronauts installed a spare cooling pump module on the International Space Station (ISS) during their third contingency spacewalk which lasted more than seven hours, NASA said on its website.
China Finishes Construction of Space Station Module VOA 17 Aug 2010 -- China says it has finished construction on the first module of a permanent space station, and is testing its systems before launching it next year.
Air Force team launches first advanced satellite AFNS 16 Aug 2010 -- A team from the 45th Space Wing successfully launched the first Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite onboard an Atlas V launch vehicle from Launch Pad 41 here Aug. 14 at 7:07 a.m.
Raytheon Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle Plays Key Role in Latest Missile Defense Test Raytheon 16 Aug 2010 -- A Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) demonstrated successful two-stage flyout on June 6, 2010 during the latest test of the Missile Defense Agency's Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system.
ISS could last another decade - Roscosmos RIA Novosti 16 Aug 2010 -- The International Space Station (ISS), which has been in orbit for 10 years, could continue work for another decade, the head of the Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) said on Monday.
First Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite Built By Lockheed Martin Launched Successfully Lockheed Martin 14 Aug 2010 -- The first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] for the U.S. Air Force, was successfully launched today from Cape Canaveral aboard an Atlas V rocket provided by the United Launch Alliance. The satellite is the most technologically advanced military communications satellite ever developed and will provide significantly improved global, survivable, highly secure, protected, communications for warfighters operating on ground, sea and air platforms.
Report: Israel Aims to Boost Space Presence VOA 13 Aug 2010 -- Israel's government is set to approve a plan that aims to turn the country into a space superpower.
U.S. Air Force Ready to Launch First Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite Built by Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin 12 Aug 2010 -- The U.S. Air Force’s first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) military communications satellite, designed and built by a Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] team, is ready to launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on Saturday, August 14. The launch window is 7:07 to 9:06 a.m. EDT.
NASA astronauts complete 2nd spacewalk to replace ISS coolant pump RIA Novosti 12 Aug 2010 -- NASA astronauts have completed the second of three spacewalks to fix a failed cooling pump on the International Space Station (ISS), NASA said on its website.
Astronauts Successfully Remove Failed Pump on International Space Station VOA 11 Aug 2010 -- NASA astronauts successfully completed the second of at least three planned spacewalks in an effort to replace a faulty ammonia pump module on the International Space Station's truss. Wednesday's spacewalk clocked in at nearly 7.5 hours, about 40 minutes shorter than the mission's troublesome first spacewalk Saturday.
Lockheed Martin First Advanced EHF Satellite Encapsulated Lockheed Martin 10 Aug 2010 -- The first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) military communications satellite was encapsulated into the fairing in preparation for a mid-August liftoff aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Colorado Space Grant Consortium, Lockheed Martin To Develop CubeSat Lockheed Martin 10 Aug 2010 -- Students from the Colorado Space Grant Consortium (COSGC) have teamed with Lockheed Martin [NYSE:LMT] to develop a miniature satellite, known as ALL-STAR, which stands for Agile Low-cost Laboratory for Space Technology Acceleration and Research.
US, Russia Still at Odds on Missile Defense VOA 10 Aug 2010 -- The question of missile defense is not addressed in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, signed by the United States and Russia.
China orbits new remote-sensing satellite RIA Novosti 10 Aug 2010 -- China put into orbit on Tuesday another remote sensing satellite.
ESA extends ExoMars mission contract with Thales Alenia Space Thales 09 Aug 2010 -- The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded a Contract Change Notice to Thales Alenia Space worth 98 million euros for the ExoMars mission to Mars. This latest contract covers the second extension of the mission’s Phase B2 (B2X2) and the second major segment of the program’s development to prepare the production phase (advanced C/D).
Lockheed Martin-Built GPS Satellite Surpasses 10 Years On-Orbit Lockheed Martin 09 Aug 2010 -- The fifth Global Positioning System Block IIR (GPS IIR-5) satellite, designed and built by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] to provide critical navigation capabilities for military and civilian users worldwide, has reached 10 years of successful on-orbit operations.
Next spacewalk no earlier than Wednesday Army News 09 Aug 2010 -- Next spacewalk to complete removal of ISS pump module and installation and activation of a new module will take place no earlier than Wednesday.
Wildfire threatens Russian anti-missile alert center RIA Novosti 07 Aug 2010 -- Wildfire is threatening to engulf the military command of the Russian anti-missile alert center in the Moscow region.
NASA astronauts complete record spacewalk RIA Novosti 07 Aug 2010 -- NASA astronauts completed the first of two planned spacewalks to fix a failed cooling pump on the ISS.
NASA prohibits their specialists to visit Russia over acrid smog RIA Novosti 07 Aug 2010 -- NASA will not send their specialists to Russia for ISS mission program until the acrid smog in Moscow dissolves.
Thales Alenia Space delivers first three second-generation satellites to Globalstar Thales 06 Aug 2010 -- The first three satellites in the Globalstar second-generation constellation are ready to be shipped from Thales Alenia Space facilities to the launch site. They will be orbited by Arianespace on a Soyuz launcher in October from Baikonour, along with three other satellites in the first launch batch, to be delivered by the end of August.
Spacewalk Saturday to Fix Broken ISS Cooling System VOA 06 Aug 2010 -- Astronauts aboard the ISS are readying for a spacewalk Saturday to replace a failed cooling pump.
Boeing Receives 3-Satellite Contract from Inmarsat Boeing 06 Aug 2010 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced that it has received a contract from Inmarsat to build three Ka-band satellites to add to Inmarsat's current mobile satellite services fleet. Financial details were not disclosed.
Successful launch for Rascom-QAF1R and Nilesat 201 Thales 05 Aug 2010 -- Rascom-QAF1R and Nilesat 201 telecommunications satellites, designed and built by Thales Alenia Space, dedicated respectively to RascomStar-QAF and NILESAT satellites operators, have been successfully launched from Kourou in French Guiana by an Ariane 5 ECA rocket. These two satellite will develop communication services over Africa.
Ahmadinejad vows to launch Iran's first manned spacecraft in 2017 RIA Novosti 05 Aug 2010 -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his country would launch its first manned spacecraft in 2017 instead of in 2019.
Iran's first astronaut in space in 7 years - President IRNA 05 Aug 2010 -- Iran will send its first astronaut to space in 2017, President Ahmadinejad said Thursday in this western provincial capital city.
Ariane 5 delivers two communication satellites into orbit RIA Novosti 05 Aug 2010 -- The Ariane 5 carrier rocket launched from the Kourou space center delivered its dual-satellite payload into orbit.
Russia to provide South Africa access to surface sensing satellites RIA Novosti 05 Aug 2010 -- Moscow will provide Johannesburg with access to information from its surface sensing satellites.
Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Partner for GMD Development and Sustainment Contract Lockheed Martin 05 Aug 2010 -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) announced today that they are partnering to pursue the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Development and Sustainment Contract.
Churchill Said to have Covered Up UFO Encounter to Avoid Panic VOA 05 Aug 2010 -- Newly-declassified files allege that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered a 50-year ban on the release of suspected UFO information.
Acoustic tests on new Glonass-K satellite completed RIA Novosti 04 Aug 2010 -- Acoustic tests on a new generation Glonass-K navigation satellite have been completed at a plant in southern Russia.
U.S. Air Force Sensor Delivered for Hosting on SES Satellite Orbital Sciences Corp. 04 Aug 2010 -- SES WORLD SKIES, U.S. Government Solutions today announced the delivery of the Commercially Hosted Infrared Payload (CHIRP) sensor assembly to Dulles, VA-based satellite manufacturer, Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB). The sensor will be installed on SES-2, an SES WORLD SKIES communications satellite currently in production.
Air Force/Lockheed Martin Team Transitions Operations of Milstar Constellation to New Advanced Extremely High Frequency Ground Control Lockheed Martin 03 Aug 2010 -- A joint U.S. Air Force/Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] team has successfully transitioned the Milstar satellite constellation ground control system to the new Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) Mission Control Segment (MCS). The AEHF MCS is now performing day-to-day operations of the Milstar satellite constellation and is poised to support deployment of the AEHF satellite constellation with first launch scheduled for August 2010.
Russia to launch moon probe in 2012 RIA Novosti 03 Aug 2010 -- Russia's Federal Space Agency Roscosmos will launch a probe bearing a neutron generator to study the moon's surface in 2012, a leading space researcher said on Tuesday.
Rascom-QAF1R and Nilesat 201 ready for launch Thales 02 Aug 2010 -- Rascom-QAF1R and Nilesat 201 telecommunications satellites, designed and built by Thales Alenia Space, are now ready for launch. Both satellites dedicated respectively to RascomStar-QAF and NILESAT satellites operators will be launched by an Ariane 5 ECA rocket on August 4th from Kourou in French Guiana.
3rd Boeing-built WGS Satellite Enters Service with US Air Force Boeing 02 Aug 2010 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] announced today that the third Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) military communications satellite has entered service for the U.S. Air Force. It is now part of a constellation that is delivering significantly improved broadband communications to U.S. military forces and their allies in every theater of operation around the world.
NASA plans 2 spacewalks to repair cooling system on orbital station RIA Novosti 02 Aug 2010 -- At least two spacewalks will be necessary to ensure proper replacement of a failed cooling pump on the International Space Station (ISS), NASA said.
U.S. may soon put 'missile umbrella' over south Europe - media RIA Novosti 02 Aug 2010 -- The U.S. Defense Department is close to reaching an agreement with a country in southern Europe on the deployment of a missile early-warning radar to counter potential missile strikes from Iran, The Washington Post reported.
One of ISS cooling systems goes wrong due to pump failure RIA Novosti 01 Aug 2010 -- One of the two International Space Station's (ISS) cooling systems went wrong on Sunday after a pump failure, the NASA website said.
China orbits fifth navigation satellite RIA Novosti 01 Aug 2010 -- China has successfully launched its fifth navigation satellite into orbit as part of a project to develop its own global satellite navigation system, official news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday.

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