Tag: Northrop Grumman
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Photos: Servicing spacecraft approaches Intelsat satellite high above Earth
Northrop Grumman’s first Mission Extension Vehicle captured spectacular views of the commercial Intelsat 901 communications satellite as it approached for docking this week, providing the first-ever up-close public views of a spacecraft flying near geosynchronous orbit more than 22,000 miles above Earth. Flying on autopilot, the MEV 1 spacecraft docked with the Intelsat 901 satellite…
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It’s a first: One commercial satellite docks with another to demonstrate orbital servicing
An image captured by Northrop Grumman’s MEV-1 satellite shows the Intelsat 901 satellite at a distance of about 80 meters, with Earth in the background. (Northrop Grumman / SpaceLogistics Photo) For the first time, one commercial satellite has docked with another satellite in geosynchronous orbit, demonstrating a technology that will be crucial for on-orbit servicing…
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Two commercial satellites link up in space for first time
The Intelsat 901 satellite, backdropped by planet Earth, is seen by Northrop Grumman’s first Mission Extension Vehicle more than 22,000 miles over the Pacific Ocean. Credit: Northrop Grumman A Northrop Grumman robotic servicing spacecraft has hooked up with an aging Intelsat communications satellite more than 22,000 miles over the Pacific Ocean, accomplishing the first link-up…
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Northrop Grumman makes history, Mission Extension Vehicle docks to target satellite
Four and a half months after its launch on a Proton-M rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Northrop Grumman’s Mission Extension Vehicle has made history, successfully docking with its target satellite above Geostationary Orbit to extend that satellite’s lifetime well beyond the original plan. The successful maneuver marked a groundbreaking change in how satellites…
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Third time’s the charm: Cygnus cargo ship finally gets launched to the space station
Northrop Grumman’s robotic Cygnus cargo spacecraft is on its way to the International Space Station after two launch postponements. The Cygnus lifted from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 3:21 p.m. ET (12:21 p.m. PT) today atop Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket. The launch was delayed twice: The first attempt was scrubbed six days ago…
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Rocket Lab’s Virginia launch pad opens for business, with Air Force as first customer
With Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck at center, dignitaries gather at Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Virginia’s Wallops Island. (NASA Wallops Photo) Rocket Lab today celebrated the opening of a launch complex on the Virginia coast, half a world away from its first launch pad in New Zealand. The California-based company’s…
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Cygnus cargo ship heads to space station with satellite built by students in Seattle
Northrop Grumman’s Antares rocket rises from its Virginia launch pad, sending a Cygnus cargo craft to the International Space Station. (NASA Photo / Bill Ingalls) Northrop Grumman launched a robotic Cygnus cargo capsule to the International Space Station today, marking one giant leap for a small satellite built by students at the University of Washington…
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Eutelsat investigating solar array ‘incident’ on new communications satellite
EDITOR’S NOTE: Updated Oct. 25 with MEV-1 update. Artist’s concept of the Eutelsat 5 West B satellite orbit. Credit: Northrop Grumman A Eutelsat communications satellite launched Oct. 9 has suffered an “incident” with one of its two solar arrays, the Paris-based operator announced Thursday. Built by Northrop Grumman, the Eutelsat 5 West B satellite is designed…
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Jeff Bezos announces an all-star team for Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lunar lander
Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos discusses his space ambitions during a fireside chat at the International Astronautical Congress in Washington, D.C. (GeekWire Photo / Alan Boyle) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos says his Blue Origin space venture is heading up a team of top space companies — including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and…
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Stratolaunch under new ownership
Stratolaunch’s aircraft flew on its first — and so far only — test flight April 13 from Mojave, California. Credit: Stratolaunch Stratolaunch said Friday that the company has “transitioned ownership” a year after the death of Paul Allen, the company’s billionaire founder who funded the construction of the world’s largest airplane for an airborne satellite…