Staff Writer

Jim Benson announced Sept. 28 that he has stepped down as chairman and chief technology officer of Spacedev, a company he founded nearly a decade ago, to start a commercial […]

The European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (Eumetsat) has confirmed the ground station for its ocean observing satellite, Jason-2, which is scheduled to be launched within two years. […]

An arbitrator denied XM Satellite Radio’s request to recover 20 percent of the value of two Boeing-built satellites, XM announced in a Sept. 27 filing with the U.S. Securities and […]

Echostar Communications Corp. announced Sept. 28 plans to raise about $500 million through a debt offering by subsidiary Echostar DBS Corp. The net proceeds of the debt securities offering are […]

A Federal District Court issued a Sept. 27 order dismissing Darlene Investments LLC’s fraud action against DirecTV, and holding Darlene liable for breach of contract, DirecTV announced. The dispute, argued […]

“The $20 Billion Question: Can Satellite and Terrestrial Wireless Co-exist in C-Band?” is the topic of the Global V-Sat Forum’s Sept. 29 Satellite Summit at the University Club, 1135 16th […]

International Communications Group (ICG) introduced its Aerocom 1100 cabin telecommunications unit, which provides an automated integrated package of telephone, fax and data services for small- to medium-sized business jets. The […]

Sirius Satellite Radio announced Sept. 26 the availability of its Stiletto 100, the company’s first portable live radio. Available for a suggested $349.99, the Stiletto 100 lets users listen to […]

Boeing Co. completed thermal vacuum testing for the first of the Wideband Gapfiller Satellites. The tests, conducted throughout a two-month period, evaluated the spacecraft’s ability to withstand the extreme temperatures […]

Iridium Satellite reported that the number of ships using its maritime crew calling ship-to-shore service increased by 54 percent during the first six months of 2006. Using prepaid scratch cards, […]

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. announced Sept. 27 that York Capital Management has exercised its option to convert all of its $70.4 million loan, plus accrued interest of about $1 million, […]

SES Astra signed a transponder contract with British commercial TV broadcaster Five, SES Astra announced Sept. 26. The broadcaster will initially take half of a transponder at the orbital position […]

Khrunichev will manufacture the Kazsat-2 satellite for the government of Kazakhstan, according to a Sept. 26 report from RIA Novosti. Khrunichev will work with the Russian Institute of Space Device […]

BSkyB announced a key contract as it looks to ramp up its triple-play operations in the United Kingdom. Easynet, which BSkyB acquired in 2005, awarded a multi-million dollar contract to […]

The MetOp-A satellite has been mated to the Fregat upper stage in preparation for a scheduled Oct. 7 launch aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket, the European Space Agency announced Sept. […]

Raytheon Co.’s Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) completed risk reduction activities for the U.S. Air Force Space Fence S-band Radar program, the company announced Sept. 26. The Space Fence program will […]

Motient Corp. and Skyterra Communications Inc. completed transactions designed to simplify the ownership and control of a pair of companies developing systems to provide Mobile Satellite Services, the companies announced […]

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the Solar-B scientific satellite aboard MV Launch Vehicle No.7 Sept. 23, the agency announced. The satellite is designed to analyze and possibly predict […]

SES Astra Techcom, a subsidiary of SES Astra, has been chosen to participate in Vietnam’s first public satellite project, Vinasat-1, SES Astra announced. SES Astra Techcom will deliver a pair […]

Raytheon Co. will provide equipment designed to improve voice and data communications for the U.S. Army, the company announced Sept. 25. Raytheon will deliver 15 multiplexer integration and digital communication […]

A modernized GPS Block 2R satellite built by Lockheed Martin was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., the company announced Sept. 25. The satellite, designated GPS 2R-15(M), is […]

Arianespace received a contract to launch the Helios 2B military reconnaissance satellite in the first half of 2009, Arianespace announced Sept. 25. Helios 2B is part of a second-generation defense […]

The 1,713th flight of a Soyuz launch vehicle was performed Sept. 18 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 10:08 a.m. Baikonur time (6:08 a.m., in Paris). It carried two […]

A new asset to study solar phenomena was launched Saturday from Japan. Built by Lockheed Martin Corp. [LMT], the Focal Plane Package (FPP) on the Solar-B satellite was lofted from […]

The Air Force has a shortage of midgrade and senior officers who play vital management and oversight roles in space acquisition, the Government Accountability Office reported. The report, prepared for […]

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) gave General Dynamics Corp. [GD] a $48 million information technology contract, the company announced. General Dynamics Information Technology will provide comprehensive professional information technology (IT) […]

NASA should abandon the space shuttles and International Space Station (ISS) programs, and put the money instead into developing manned missions to the moon, Mars and beyond, according to The […]

A target missile failure marred a planned Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile interceptor test, the second time in more than six years that a target missile has malfunctioned, […]

The Air Force gave Science Applications International Corp., [SAIC], of San Diego a $23.2 million, 31-mnoths cost-plus-award fee contract SAILC will investigate and demonstrate, via hardware test and evaluation, the […]