Space

NASA selects J.P. Donovan Construction in Florida to modify mobile launcher

WASHINGTON, 15 May 2013. J.P. Donovan Construction Inc. of Rockledge, Fla., won a NASA contract to modify the mobile launcher designed to enable the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket to send humans to an asteroid, Mars and other new destinations in the solar system.

NASA extends electrical systems engineering services contract with MEI Technologies

WASHINGTON, 15 May 2013. NASA officials extended its interim contract with MEI Technologies Inc. of Houston for electrical systems engineering services.

HEICO to enhance business interests in commercial aviation, composites, and missile defense with Reinhold buy

HOLLYWOOD, Fla., 7 May 2013. Executives of HEICO Corp. in Hollywood, Fla., are boosting their company's expertise in missile defense and commercial aviation with their acquisition of Reinhold Industries Inc. in Santa Fe Springs, Calif.

NASA seeks innovative materials for future spacecraft, spacesuits

WASHINGTON, 27 April 2013. NASA, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. State Department, and Nike have issued a challenge to identify 10 game-changing innovations related to fabric systems.

ILS Proton launches Anik G1 for Telesat

BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan, 18 April 2013. International Launch Services (ILS), a provider of mission integration and launch services to the global commercial satellite industry, delivered Telesat’s Anik G1 satellite into orbit on an ILS Proton.

Lockheed Martin GPS satellites to aid U.S. Air Force Space Command in testing modernized civil navigation message capability

PETERSON AFB, Colo., 17 April 2013. Lockheed Martin-developed GPS satellites already in orbit will participate in testing a new modernized civilian navigation message (CNAV) capability designed to enhance GPS navigation service.

Coalition for Space Exploration supports budget request, expresses concern over further sequestration constraints

HOUSTON, 11 April 2013. The Coalition for Space Exploration, which supports the President’s request of $17.7 billion for NASA in 2014, is concerned it is contingent upon Congressional approval of an alternative sequestration proposed by the President, which if not adopted would reduce the proposed budget by nearly one billion dollars.

NASA Administrator Bolden calls NASA FY 2014 budget request a $17.7 billion investment in future technologies, capabilities, partnerships

WASHINGTON, 10 April 2013. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden unveiled President Obama's Fiscal Year 2014 budget request for NASA, calling it “a $17.7 billion investment in our nation's future.”

Boeing completes preliminary design review for connection between CST-100 spacecraft and rocket

HOUSTON, 9 April 2013. Aerospace organizations brought humans another step closer to a return to space with the preliminary design review of the structure designed, by United Launch Alliance (ULA), to join the Boeing (NYSE:BA) Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 spacecraft to an Atlas V rocket, also from ULA.

Wanted: U.S. colleges and universities to work on small spacecraft with NASA researchers

WASHINGTON, 3 April 2013. NASA officials seek small spacecraft technology project proposals from U.S. colleges and universities open to collaborating with agency researchers.

Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, United Launch Alliance, and Air Force Space Command launch infrared surveillance satellite

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla., 26 March 2013. The U.S. Air Force’s second Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO-2) spacecraft, built by Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT), was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

Lockheed Martin team encapsulates U.S. Air Force SBIRS GEO-2 satellite in launch vehicle payload fairing

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla., 14 March 2013. Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO-2) spacecraft, built by Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) engineers, has been encapsulated into its payload fairing in preparation for a 19 March 2013 liftoff aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

MDA to provide ground station solution for DigitalGlobe satellite program

RICHMOND, BC, 14 March 2013. MacDonald, Dettwiler, and Associates Ltd. (MDA; TSX:MDA), a global communications and information company, won a contract from DigitalGlobe Inc. to deliver a ground station solution that will enable access to information from WorldView satellites.

Air Force and NASA to define next-generation radhard space microprocessor for the spacecraft of 2020-2030

KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M., 5 March 2013. U.S. Air Force and NASA radiation-hardened microprocessor experts are kicking off a program to define a next-generation rad-hard microprocessor for space applications based on anticipated space computer needs from 2020 to 2030.

General Dynamics modernizes ground system terminals for NASA’s next-generation satellites

LAS CRUCES, N.M., 1 March 2013. General Dynamics C4 Systems engineers have upgraded the ground control system supporting NASA's three, next-generation Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS).

Lockheed Martin begins work on next GPS III satellites under U.S. Air Force fixed-price contracts

DENVER, 26 Feb. 2013. Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) won two U.S. Air Force fixed-price contracts totaling $120 million to procure long lead parts for the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth next-generation Global Positioning System satellites, known as GPS III.

NASA chooses space digital processor avionics from SEAKR for optical communications between satellites and Earth

GREENBELT, Md., 13 Feb. 2013. Spacecraft designers at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., needed a radiation-hardened space digital processor to demonstrate laser communications relay technology to establish optical communications between geosynchronous satellites and Earth. They found their solution from SEAKR Engineering Inc. in Centennial, Colo.

DigitalGlobe to complete GeoEye-2 satellite this year for use as spare or replacement

LONGMONT, Colo., 7 Feb. 2013. DigitalGlobe, having combined with GeoEye last month, intends to complete the construction of GeoEye-2 in 2013 and to preserve it as a ground spare to meet customer demand or as a replacement for other on-orbit satellites. GeoEye management previously had expected to launch GeoEye-2 in 2013.

DigitalGlobe plans 2014 launch of WorldView-3 satellite

LONGMONT, Colo., 7 Feb. 2013. DigitalGlobe, having combined with GeoEye last month, also intends to complete the construction of GeoEye-2 in 2013 and to preserve it as a ground spare to meet customer demand or as a replacement for other on-orbit satellites. GeoEye management previously had expected to launch GeoEye-2 in 2013.