hosted payload
NASA Earth science hosted payload mission passes key review
A NASA Earth science hosted payload mission to study the planet’s carbon cycle has been confirmed for development, although exactly when and how it will fly have yet to be determined.
Senator seeks change in hosted payload launch policy
A Florida senator is asking the White House to revise existing policy regarding the launch of government hosted payloads on commercial satellites, a move some in the industry fear could further restrict the use of such payloads.
What happened to the promise of hosted payloads? It’s complicated.
When the U.S. Air Force selected 14 companies in July 2014 to help the government launch military payloads on commercial satellites, observers expected a wave of contracts to follow.
NOAA seeks to “kick the tires” on new instruments, mission concepts
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration plans to conduct technology demonstrations and pathfinder projects as it prepares to update its Earth observation constellations.
Rocket Lab announces order for 10 Electron launches from new Dubai company
Rocket Lab announced an agreement Aug. 7 with a new Dubai-based smallsat company for 10 launches of its Electron small rocket.
GAO backs use of commercial satellites to host military payloads
GAO: The military can save money and get capabilities on-orbit faster by hitching rides on commercial satellites.
Satellite operators want to carry more military payloads and are looking to Congress for help
Todd Harrison, CSIS senior fellow: “With hosted payloads, there are a lot of great opportunities to increase resiliency and capacity.”
Aireon partner invests $69 million in space-based aircraft tracking system
Aireon raised $69 million from a British partner, enabling the aircraft-tracking startup to begin making hosting payments to Iridium Communications.
Iridium raising new debt to cover late Aireon payments
A company that fleet operator Iridium formed to help finance its second-generation satellite constellation is taking longer than expected to pay Iridium back for carrying its sensor network to orbit.
NOAA’s future constellation: large and small satellites in variety of orbits
NOAA's future constellation could include a mix of large government-owned and government-operated satellites, imaging instruments hosted on commercial satellites, small satellites in low Earth orbit and data purchased from commercial firms.
NASA science hosted payload ready for launch
A NASA instrument to study the interaction of the Earth’s upper atmosphere with space weather is ready for launch later this month as a payload on a commercial communications satellite.
Air Force exploring ways to protect satellite networks from cyberattacks
The military is confident that its own spacecraft are tightly encrypted and unlikely to be taken down by hackers. It worries, however, about the vulnerability of commercial satellites that host military payloads.
British companies plan small satellite hosted payload mission
A British small satellite manufacturer and a startup company are partnering on a mission to fly a series of smallsats carrying hosted payloads of varying sizes.
Harris pivots from hosted payloads to small satellite
The company that played a leading role in promoting hosted payloads and sold excess space on Iridium Communications satellites, is turning its attention to small satellites “because that’s where the market is."
Arianespace Soyuz orbits SES-15 carrying FAA hosted payload
Arianespace launched a Soyuz rocket May 18 from Europe’s space center in French Guiana, carrying the electrically propelled SES-15 satellite to geostationary transfer orbit.
Industry frustrated with slow adoption of hosted payloads
Despite the schedule and cost savings promised by flying government hosted payloads on commercial satellites, industry and former government officials expressed frustration, directed largely at government agencies, with the difficulties they’ve encountered in trying to fly such payloads.
Kacific Aims To Start Ka-band Payload Production This Year
A company that has secured customer commitments from South Pacific island nations for a Ka-band satellite broadband delivery project expects to use those preorders to complete a third round of financing and start production of two Ka-band payloads this year.
CHIRP Reactivation Idea Is Getting Attention
A U.S. Air Force official said it is “questionable” whether an idled experimental missile-warning sensor hosted aboard a commercial telecommunications satellite could be reactivated for civilian use, as has been proposed.
SES Satellite Chosen To Host NASA Solar Science Payload
SES said it would fly a U.S. solar-science mission, called GOLD, as a hosted payload on the company’s SES-14 satellite to launch in 2017 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Iridium Next Seen as Likely Host For MDA’s Kill Assessment Sensors
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has been careful not to identify the satellites that would host its planned network of experimental kill assessment sensors, but industry sources say the likeliest candidate is the Iridium Next constellation of mobile communications satellites.
