Raytheon has been awarded a $103 million contract from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to develop a more accurate GPS.
Learn MoreIn April 2015, Thales Alenia Space signed a contract with the Korean satellite service operator KTSAT to design and build two telecommunications satellites, the Koreasat-7 and Koreasat-5A. As the program’s prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space is in charge of the design, production, testing and On Ground Delivery (OGD) of the satellites. It will also take charge of the launch campaigns, the launch and early operations phase (LEOP) and in-orbit tests (IOT).
Learn MoreIn April 2015, Northrop Grumman’s X-47B Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle Demonstrator successfully completed an autonomous aerial refueling (AAR) test by plugging into an aerial refueling basket behind an Omega Air KC-707. The Salty Dog 502, one of the two UCAS-D aircraft of the X-47B program, was the aircraft that performed the test off the coast of Maryland. Originally, the aircraft was not going to receive funding for aerial refueling, but the money ended up coming through for what is slated to be the final test of the historic X-47B.
Learn MoreRocket Lab, the Lockheed Martin-funded start up, has revealed their new Rutherford engine. The Rutherford is made up of mostly 3D-printed components, powered by battery and electric turbo pump, and can thrust 4,600 pounds. Powered by a mix of kerosene and liquid oxygen, the engine’s key feature is the use of a battery to power brushless DC motors in the turbo pump. Usually, pressurized gas is used to power a turbine. However, the Rutherford’s innovative electric motor that powers the pump is only the size of a soda can and has approximately 50 horsepower.
Learn MoreIn April 2015, a Boeing-manufactured RC-135U aircraft was intercepted by a Russian SU-27 Flanker fighter jet while flying over the Baltic Sea. The encounter was more than just unsafe. According to US officials at the Pentagon, the Russian pilot’s actions were “unsafe and unprofessional due to the aggressive maneuvers it performed in close proximity to their aircraft and its high rate of speed." Pentagon spokesman Mark Wright said the Pentagon and State Department will "file the appropriate petition through diplomatic channels" with Russia.
Learn MoreThe Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment mission is a joint effort by the United States’ NASA and the European Space Agency to investigate the threat of an asteroid collision with our planet. The first mission, dubbed the Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM), is set for October 2020 in which a spacecraft will enter and observe the Didymos binary asteroid system. Didymos is 800 meters wide and is orbited by a 170 meter wide asteroid, the “Didymoon”. The Didymoon is the selected target for NASA and ESA. Although the exact nature of the space agencies’ experiments is still being decided, ESA may possible make contact with the smaller asteroid using a lander. CubeSats will be used to gather initial data, including optical and thermal maps.
Learn MoreIn April 2015, the Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced the details of its Vulcan platform, a next-generation launch system intended to end US reliance on Russian-built rocket engines. The goal of this new reusable rocket, which is planned to take flight in 2019, is to make future launch services affordable and accessible. Vulcan will have the capabilities to facilitate missions from low-Earth orbit all the way to Pluto.
Learn MoreLockheed Martin announced in April 2015 that they have awarded American aerospace and defense company Orbital ATK a USD$90 million contract to provide the attitude control motor (ACM) for Orion's launch abort system (LAS). With the new LAS, the capsule gets separated from the launch vehicle in the case of an in-flight emergency, allowing the astronaut crew to safely escape. Orbital ATK Defense Systems group president Mike Kahn said in a statement:
Learn MoreFor the fourth year in a row, NASA will be holding the Space App Challenge event in multiple locations across the globe. Part of the NASA incubator innovation program, the Space App Challenge is a three-day coding competition in which over 10,000 participants develop applications, software, hardware, and data visualization platforms which address 35 challenge areas provided by NASA. This year, the competition’s main themes are: outer space, earth, humans, and robotics.
Learn MoreIn April 2015, Raytheon, the 4th-largest American defense contractor by revenue, has been awarded a contract for Patriot air and missile defense system enhancements. Granted by the United States Army Aviation and Missile Command, the USD$212 million contract calls for Raytheon to provide a series of services which include software development, systems analysis, testing and logistics support, and country-specific systems requirements.
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