Industry News

Lockheed Martin has designed a ground-based system that aims to collect images of objects near geosynchronous orbit by using three 1-meter telescopes, Defense News reported Tuesday. Aaron Mehta writes that the Space Object Tracking platform is designed with a Lockheed-made software, which is meant to operate through remote control and can capture space objects as […] More

General Dynamics‘ UK arm has awarded two five-year subcontracts to Exelis for engineering and logistics work on very high frequency, ultra high frequency and tactical radios for the British defense ministry. Exelis has worked on the General Dynamics-led Bowman program in the UK for more than a decade and will also replace and repair radios […] More

Jim McNerney, CEO of Boeing, told shareholders Wednesday that the company wants to adopt an incremental strategy to build passenger airplanes instead of taking a once-a-generation development approach, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. “Our mind-set will be to avoid the moon shot,” McNerney said at the company’s annual investor meeting held Wednesday in Seattle. […] More

A team of NASA and Lockheed Martin engineers has begun integrating a thermal protection system onto the crew module of the agency’s Orion deep-space exploration vehicle. NASA plans to conduct a maiden test flight for the Orion spacecraft by Dec. 4, Lockheed said Wednesday. The test’s goal is to evaluate if the heat shield will […] More

Exelis has received a multimillion-dollar contract to help Japan’s national aerospace exploration agency develop a satellite payload for global atmospheric monitoring. The company will build a thermal and near infrared sensor for installation on the agency’s Greenhouse Gas Observing Satellite-2, Exelis said Tuesday. GOSAT is scheduled for a 2018 launch and will work to measure […] More

Executives from Boeing, Intelsat and SpaceX and SSL Federal gathered Tuesday at the National Space Symposium to discuss government innovation and industry consolidation trends in light of the current fiscal environment, Defense News reported Monday. Aaron Mehta writes that Kay Sears, president of Intelsat General, told the forum audience that spending cuts have actually resulted […] More

Air Force Gen. William Shelton has said the branch continues to move forward with efforts to certify SpaceX as a contractor to compete for satellite launch work, Reuters reported Wednesday. Andrea Shalal write that Shelton, chief of the Air Force Space Command, sees the process concluding by either the year’s end or in early 2015 and […] More

Lockheed Martin Corp.’s space systems division plans to open hundreds of new satellite design and manufacturing jobs at its Denver, Colo.-based headquarters in June, the Denver Business Journal reported Monday. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. recently moved some of its employees to the new campus in Jefferson County and an additional 350 workers are set […] More

IBM has acquired artificial intelligence firm Cognea with the goal of integrating Cognea’s AI technology into the Watson computing system, TechCrunch reported Monday. Leena Rao writes that Cognea offers a virtual assistant software that is designed to make computers generate human-like conversational behavior. “We believe this focus on creating depth of personality, when combined with […] More

Aerojet Rocketdyne and aerospace engineering firm Dynetics have expanded their partnership to develop rocket propulsion and booster systems for government and commercial aerospace customers. The companies have worked together under NASA‘s Space Launch System program with the goal of minimizing risks for launch vehicle thrusters, Aerojet Rocketdyne said Monday. NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne and Dynetics also […] More

Lockheed Martin has invested in 3D printing technology as it aims to decrease the time it takes to build and manufacture commercial satellites, Defense News reported Monday. Aaron Mehta writes that Lockheed executives discussed how the company is using 3D printing methods and nanotechnology to help improve its technology development activities at a recent National […] More

Unmanned aerial system builders have been developing smaller drones for non-military fields such as emergency response, agriculture and energy sector inspection, Military Aerospace & Electronics reported Monday. John Keller reports in a video blog from an Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International event last week that there is a growing trend toward smaller UAV technology […] More