Maxar Technologies

Satellite manufacturers remain upbeat about market in spite of challenges presented by pandemic
Satellite manufacturers expressed optimism that overall demand for satellite communications would remain strong.

Maxar eyes September 2021 launch for WorldView Legion satellites
Maxar Technologies plans to launch its first two WorldView Legion satellites as early as September 2021 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

Schedule is king for C-band replacement satellites
Rather than pushing the state-of-the art, Boeing, Maxar Technologies and Northrop Grumman are emphasizing reliability in satellites they are manufacturing to help Intelsat and SES clear C-band spectrum, according to speakers at the Satellite Innovation 2020 conference.

Al Tadros joins Redwire as chief growth officer and executive vice president
Redwire hired Al Tadros, former Maxar Technologies vice president of space infrastructure and civil space, to be its chief growth officer and executive vice president of space infrastructure.

SpaceNet launches new challenge with Planet dataset
Competitors in SpaceNet 7 the Multi-Temporal Urban Development Challenge will have two months starting August 31st to devise change-detection algorithms to track building construction over time.

Arianespace lofts three spacecraft in first Ariane 5 launch since start of pandemic
Arianespace on Aug. 15 launched two communications satellites and a satellite servicer on an Ariane 5 rocket, completing the company’s first launch since the reopening of the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.

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.