Articles by Microwave Journal Staff

e2v has been awarded a major contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the development of an analogue to digital converter for next-generation broadband satellite payloads. The contract covers the development of a high performance, low power, 10-bits 1.5 Gsps ADC that will meet the future needs of...

NASA has a new spacecraft operating on the surface of Mars. The Phoenix Mars Lander, built by Lockheed Martin, navigated a dramatic descent through the planet’s atmosphere, positioning Phoenix to dig down and touch the planet’s subsurface ice. Onboard commands fired six separation nuts and jettisoned the cruise stage...

Raytheon Co. has been awarded a US Air Force contract to continue evolving a system for sharing of near real-time, actionable intelligence information among warfighters. Known as the Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) Integration Backbone (DIB), the next generation DIB—DIB1.3—will address standard compliance, baseline convergence, enterprise interoperability and unique...

Harris Corp., an international communications and information technology company, has been awarded a potential five-year, $85 M indefinite delivery/ indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract from the US Navy for multiband satellite communications terminals that will provide advanced communications for aircraft carriers and other large deck ships. Under the IDIQ contract,...

The US Air Force announced that a team led by Lockheed Martin has won the competition to build the next generation Global Positioning System (GPS) Space System Program, known as GPS III. This program will improve position, navigation and timing services for the warfighter and civilian users worldwide, and...

REMEC Defense and Space (a subsidiary of Cobham Defense Electronic Systems) has received notice by ATK of another successful milestone test of the Advanced Anti Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM) at China Lake, CA. The missile was launched off-axis from low altitude from an F/A-18C hornet aircraft and was able...

Lockheed Martin announced that it has achieved a major integrated test milestone on the first Space-based Infrared System (SBIRS) geosynchronous orbit (GEO-1) spacecraft that enables the start of environmental testing in preparation for launch in 2009. The GEO-1 satellite, designed to provide new missile detection and surveillance capabilities for...

Raytheon Co. is developing transmit-receive modules based on the advanced semiconductor gallium nitride (GaN) for use in future radar upgrades. “This transmit-receive module demonstration and parallel reliability testing show that GaN will soon be ready to take over where increased power and advanced capabilities are needed,” said Mark Russell,...

Scientists and engineers from around the world recently met in Australia to begin the preparatory phase for the biggest project ever undertaken in radio astronomy. The international Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be 50 times more sensitive than any existing facility and will probe some of the biggest questions...

The European Space Agency and Astrium have signed a €195 M contract to provide the first Sentinel-2 earth observation satellite, devoted to monitoring the land environment, as part of the European Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) programme. As prime contractor, Astrium is responsible for the design, development...