Thales Alenia Space will build an Earth observation constellation with radar and optical sensors for the Indonesian Ministry of Defence (MoD), under a deal announced Thursday. State-owned technology company PT Len awarded Thales the contract and will operate the Defense Satellite System for MoD sovereignty requirements.  The satellites will be built on the existing Thales…

Viasat and Airbus equipped two Irish Defence Forces C295 MSA aircraft with a Viasat terminal for managed satcom service, the companies announced this week. Airbus delivered the C295 MSA multirole surveillance aircraft earlier this year.  The aircraft were delivered to the Irish Air Corps (IAC), a division of the Irish Defence Forces focused on the…

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) said on Dec. 5 that it has awarded Airbus‘ U.S. space and defense division, Albedo Space, Hydrosat, Muon Space, and Turion Space Strategic Commercial Enhancements (SCE) contracts “to assess and leverage commercial electro-optical (EO) capabilities.” In May, NRO released a draft solicitation on commercial EO and related phenomenologies to include infrared and non-Earth imagery. In April, NRO…

The UK Space Agency (UKSA) has allocated 820,000 pounds ($1.03 million) to support the development of a new Space Technology Test Centre (STTC) in Wales. The Snowdonia Space Centre secured this funding under the Agencies Space Clusters Infrastructure Fund. The Snowdonia Space Centre will develop the STTC, in partnership with Newton Launch Systems at the…