Tag: Northrop Grumman
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Intelsat satellite resumes operations after docking of robotic servicer
The MEV 1 satellite captured this image of Intelsat 901 in February as it approached the aging communications satellite more than 22,000 miles above Earth. Credit: Northrop Grumman An Intelsat communications spacecraft running low on fuel has resumed commercial operations more than 22,000 miles (nearly 36,000 kilometers) over the Atlantic Ocean after getting an assist…
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Northrop Grumman making good progress toward OmegA’s first launch
At various centers in the United States, Northrop Grumman is marching toward the OmegA rocket’s debut flight. The company has finalized the investigation of the nozzle anomaly on the C600 booster static fire test last year, and completed a successful C300 booster static test in February Meanwhile, work continues at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in…
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NASA confirms work stoppage on James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope is seen during a sunshield deployment test in 2019 at Northrop Grumman’s facility in Redondo Beach, California. Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn NASA and Northrop Grumman are “suspending integration and testing operations” on the James Webb Space Telescope in response to the coronavirus pandemic, a decision that officials said is likely to…
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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…