Satellite Industry Intelligence Since 1983
An MQ-9 Reaper dropped a 500-pound bomb against an anti-Iraqi target Aug. 16 in one of the first weapons engagements for the unmanned aircraft system. The Reaper began flying combat sorties in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom July 18th and joined the MQ-1 Predator as another UAS (unmanned aircraft system) patrolling the sky to protect coalition forces.
Read MoreAeroVironment, Inc. (AV) (NASDAQ: AVAV) announces the receipt of $4.6 million in funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop a small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) capable of performing “hover/perch and stare” missions. The Stealthy, Persistent, Perch and Stare (SP2S) UAS is based on AV’s small Wasp UAS, a one-pound, 29-inch wingspan battery-powered air vehicle that is being procured and deployed by the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Marine Corps.
Read MoreThe U.S. Navy is moving closer to conducting Technical Evaluation with its Northrop Grumman Corporation-developed (NYSE:NOC) MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Takeoff and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (VTUAV). The Fire Scout recently completed its first flight with the BRITE Star II(r) electro-optical/infrared payload using a Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL).
Read MoreComing to NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia is a first — the Tactical Satellite-3 mission is scheduled to demonstrate rapid data collection and transmission to the combatant commander in the theater of interest. During this upcoming flight a new capability will be demonstrated and tested; that of employing a hyperspectral imager with a space-based, onboard processor to obtain and send images within minutes to the warfighter on the ground.
Read MoreQuite an accomplishment, and it does its job quietly. The MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft system surpassed 400,000 flight hours during a mission in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility on August 18.
Read MoreThe fifth German SAR-Lupe reconnaissance satellite was successfully launched from the Russian space center Plesetsk south of Archangelsk during the morning hours of July 22nd.
Read MoreThales Alenia Space welcomed the successful launch of the fourth SAR-Lupe satellite, which occurred at 18:15 hours from Plesetsk on March 27th.
Read MoreTwo years ago, the <b>Future Imagery Architecture</b> system was cancelled, and ever since then, the United States has been researching and mulling over various project plans to develop the nexgen of spysats.
Read MoreThe third SAR-Lupe satellite was boosted into orbit today from the Plesetsk Space Center by a Russian Cosmos-3M rocket. The lift-off occurred at 1:51 a.m., CET. The satellite will provide high-res images to the German Ministry of Defense.
Read MoreELISA (Electronic Intelligence by Satellite) satellites are going to map the entire globe using radar transmitters. ELISA is the first step toward the future ROEM (Renseignement d’Origine ElectroMagnetique) (Elint) electromagnetic reconnaissance program (language spell checker, don’t fail me now….). This is a demo project sponsored by the French defence procurements agency (DGA).
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