Maxar Technologies
From Canada to America and back, MDA returns home
Maxar Technologies sold MDA for $729 million to a consortium of investors led by Northern Private Capital of Toronto, placing MDA right where it started: Canada. SpaceNews spoke to Mike Greenley about what’s next for MDA.
Maxar studies Legion spacecraft for NOAA weather mission
Under a new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration six-month study contract, Maxar Technologies will explore the application of its WorldView Legion constellation to weather observation from low Earth orbit.
WorldView Legion remains on track for 2021 launch
Maxar Technologies is on track to begin integrating Earth-imaging sensors built by Raytheon Intelligence & Space with WorldView Legion satellites this summer in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic.
NOAA awards first contracts for future satellite constellation
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded eight contracts with a combined total of nearly $4.5 million to companies developing mission concepts, spacecraft and instruments for the agency’s future Earth observation constellation.
Four fears satellite manufacturers can’t shake
Satellite manufacturers expressed optimism about market demand, but also listed challenges they face amid market and technological changes.
Maxar to sell Canadian unit for $765 million
Maxar Technologies announced Dec. 30 it would sell its Canadian subsidiary to private equity firms, turning it into a standalone company while providing Maxar with much-needed debt relief.
Telesat LEO manufacturing decision bumped to 2020
Telesat Canada will likely choose the winner of a now three-way race to build its low Earth orbit broadband constellation in the first few months of 2020 instead of this year, CEO Dan Goldberg said Nov. 5.
Maxar-Thales Alenia Space team breaks up, now competing separately for Telesat LEO
Maxar Technologies and Thales Alenia Space abandoned plans to jointly compete to build Telesat’s low-Earth-orbit broadband constellation, setting up a now three-way race for a multibillion-dollar contract expected to be awarded soon.
Maxar weaving components into new business ventures
Since Jan. 1, Maxar Technologies has revamped operations, installed new leadership and incorporated in the United States. Now, the company is exploring the intersections of its legacy business units as it looks for ways to expand its government and commercial product lines.
To do business, reprogrammable satellites now the requirement for manufacturers
Manufacturers say software-defined satellites that can redesign beams and capacity have shifted from a wish-list feature to a requirement for operators.
Maxar oceanographic data fuels SiriusXM Fish Mapper
Maxar Technologies will provide the oceanographic data and saltwater fishing recommendations for SiriusXM’s new Fish Mapping service announced Sept. 9 and available on Garmin International’s GXM 54 satellite weather receiver.
U.S. military is eager to take advantage of smallsats at scale if price is right
The U.S. military is eager to take advantage of small satellite constellations if the technology proves it can fulfill military requirements and the price is right.
Satellites for Intelsat, European lasercomm launch on Arianespace rocket
The Ariane 5 took off at 3:30 p.m. Eastern from Europe’s Guiana Space Center in South America, carrying the Intelsat-39 communications satellite and the EDRS-C laser relay satellite to geostationary transfer orbits.
Space insurer Swiss Re leaves market
Jan Schmidt, the head of Swiss Re’s space underwriting division, said in an email obtained by SpaceNews that the decision to “cease Space underwriting with immediate effect” was driven by “bad results of recent years and unsustainable premium rates.”
Maxar to install NASA pollution sensor on commercial satellite
Maxar Technologies plans to install a NASA sensor to monitor air pollution over North America on a commercial communications satellite scheduled for launch to geostationary orbit in 2022.
Satellites to the rescue after natural disasters
Since 2000, international space agencies have shared data free of charge through the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters. Increasingly, private companies also publicly release disaster-related imagery and data.
