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

A joint venture of Thales Group and Finmeccanica has secured a contract to design and develop a satellite platform that will work to deliver mobile and broadcasting services across multiple spectrum networks. Thales Alenia Space will build a dual-mission telecommunications satellite for Inmarsat and Greek satcom operator Hellas-Sat, Thales Group said Thursday. Under the agreement, […] More

Thales Alenia Space has developed simulation systems that will be used by Space Exploration Technologies Corp. in the testing phase of communications satellites for Iridium Communications‘ next-generation constellation. SpaceX was chosen to help launch Iridium NEXT satellites into space with a Falcon9 rocket under a $453.1 million contract between both companies, Iridium said Tuesday. “With […] More

Thales’ Alenia Space Belgium subsidiary has been selected to develop the electronic control power system for the European Space Agency’s launch vehicle. Astrium, prime contractor for the Ariane 5 Midlife Evolution launch system, awarded the contract to Thales Alenia Space Belgium for the upgrade of the upper-stage Vinci engine steering system, Thales Group said Monday. […] More

Exolaunch has agreed to manage and launch two Omnispace-made satellites designed to provide mobile communications. Omnispace said Tuesday its satellites will fly alongside Thales Alenia Space spacecraft in rideshare missions led by SpaceX.

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Executives from Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Thales Alenia Space and other satellite manufacturers said software-defined or “flexible” satellites that can redesign capacity and beams have now become a requirement for operators, SpaceNews reported Wednesday.

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Boeing’s Spectrolab subsidiary will provide 3,360 NeXt Triple Junction solar cells for a NASA spacecraft that will be used for the agency’s Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission. NASA’s SWOT initiative is expected to launch this month to investigate the ocean’s surface topography and cycle in order to gain insights that could help communities prepare for […] More

SpaceX will use its Falcon 9 rocket to launch up to five of the six ground spare satellites of Iridium Communications in mid-2023 as part of the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation. The Iridium-9 mission will take off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and will serve as the company’s second rideshare with SpaceX, Iridium […] More

Microsoft Azure has announced several partnerships made to support the platform’s use for artificial intelligence and connectivity applications in space. Tom Keane, corporate vice president for mission engineering at Microsoft Azure, wrote in a blog post published Monday that the company partnered with NASA and Hewlett Packard Enterprise to test how AI can support astronaut […] More

Amazon Web Services is offering AWS Ground Station, a new service that gives customers expanded access to satellite data through a network of ground stations around the world.

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Iridium Communications on Wednesday declared the completion of the $3B Iridium NEXT satellite constellation at a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. "The completion of the Iridium NEXT program signifies a new chapter in the Iridium story, one that sees us transforming from a big cash spender to a big cash generator," Iridium CEO Matt Desch said in a statement published Wednesday.
 

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Iridium Communications’ final and eighth batch of 10 Iridium NEXT satellites launched Friday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California aboard SpaceX’s previously flown Falcon 9 rocket. Iridium said Friday the satellites, which were fielded to orbital plane three, established communications with its satellite network operations facility after launch and are set to enter the first on-orbit testing phase.

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