Boeing unveils new range of smaller, cheaper satellites

Multinational aerospace and defense company Boeing announced that it has launched a new series of small satellites via its research arm, Boeing Phantom Works. Weighing up to 1,000 kilos, the Phantom Phoenix satellite fleet can be used for short-term experiments or operational missions lasting seven or more years.

Boeing called the new small satellites a multi-billion dollar one in the next couple of years, mostly within the U.S Department of Defense and intelligence agencies, as well as from commercial ventures. Hence, three prototypes are currently being developed by Phantom Works to exhibit what these can do.

These three include: the Phantom Phoenix,a 500 to 1,000 kg mid-class designed for single and dual launch; the Phantom Phoenix ESPA, a 180 kg ESPA-class that connects to a common interstage adapter allowing for more than one satellite launch at a time; and the Phantom Phoenix Nano, a 4 to 10 kg nanosatellite that provides opportunities for missions involving science and weather.

The company expects the new satellites to pave the way for new possibilities of applications that have not been considered before. It compares the small satellites to the all-electric 702SP satellite platform launched by Boeing Satellite Systems recently. The platform allows missions that would traditionally need bigger and heavier spacecraft. The key for this new platform is the common avionics and software package that is compatible with various configurations.

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Mexsat Bicentenario Satellite Deploys First Signals from Space

The satellite of Mexsat Bicentenario sent its first signals from space on December 20, Thursday, as one of the first of three Mexsat satellites for the Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes (SCT) of Mexico to help improve the communications of the country for civil, domestic, humanitarian and military needs.

Built by Orbital Sciences under contract to Boeing, Mexsat Bicentenario was made as a hybrid-band and Ku-band communications satellite based on the flight-proven GEOStar-2 platform of Orbital. Boeing will serve as the principal contractor of Mexsat and will be in charge of creating the remaining two 702HP geomobile satellites for its scheduled launches in 2013 and 2014. Additionally, Boeing will incorporate the Mexsat network, while Orbital is in charge of supplying the command and control ground equipment and software for the Bicentenario, as well as the operational documentation and associated training.

In a statement, Boeing Satellite Systems International CEO and Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems Vice President and General Manager Craig Cooning said: “Today's successful launch brings us closer to the establishment of the MEXSAT system, which will enhance Mexico’s disaster-relief and emergency services, and provide satellite broadcasting capabilities in telemedicine and tele-education.”