The IOB, which was comprised of three highly regarded industry experts, worked with a comprehensive team of engineers from both SSL and Sea Launch to conduct an exhaustive investigation of data from the launch vehicle, the spacecraft, and interactions between the two.  Extensive data provided by Sea Launch were instrumental in achieving the findings which led to the investigation’s positive conclusion.

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SS/L workers assemble the ABS-2 satellite at the SS/L manufacturing facility in Palo Alto, Calif. Ex-Im Bank approved $461 million of credit to financing the export of American-made satellites to Hong Kong. (Credit: SS/L)

Washington, D.C. (Ex-Im PR) – In a decision that will support thousands of high-tech jobs in the U.S., the board of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has authorized two transactions aggregating $461 million to underwrite the export of American-made satellites to Hong Kong.

In the first transaction, the Bank authorized a $171.29 million direct loan to ABS to finance the purchase of a FS1300, C/Ka/Ku-band geostationary satellite from Space Systems/Loral Inc. (SS/L) and insurance from Aon. The satellite is scheduled to launch in 2013.

Additionally, the Bank authorized a separate $289.71 million direct loan to ABS to facilitate the purchase of two 702SP C- and Ku-band geostationary satellites from Boeing Satellite Systems International (Boeing), insurance from Aon, technical support, and the launch of both of the satellites with Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) Falcon 9.

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New York/Richmond, BC (SS/L-MDA PR) — MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (TSX: MDA), a provider of essential information solutions, announced today that it has completed and formally closed the previously announced acquisition of Space Systems/Loral, Inc. (SS/L). The combination of MDA and SS/L creates a leading global communications and information company.

At closing, Loral received $968 million in cash plus a bank guaranteed three-year promissory note in the principal amount of $101 million for the purchase of certain real estate used in connection with SS/L’s business.

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Richmond, BC (MDA PR) — MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., a provider of essential information solutions, today announced that MDA has received notice from the Bureau of Competition Premerger Notification Office of the Federal Trade Commission that it has completed its review of the transaction for MDA to acquire Space Systems/Loral, Inc. (SS/L) and that early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, has been granted with respect to the transaction.

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NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 20, 2012 (Loral/MDA PR) — Loral Space & Communications Inc. today announced that Loral and MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) were notified today by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) that CFIUS had concluded its review and investigation of the proposed sale of Space Systems/Loral, Inc. (SS/L) by Loral to a subsidiary of MDA and determined that there are no unresolved national security concerns with respect to the transaction.

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PALO ALTO, CA and BERN, SWITZERLAND (SS/L & Sea Launch PR) — Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) (NASDAQ: LORL) and Sea Launch AG today announced the formation of a three person Independent Oversight Board to oversee the ongoing investigation into the root cause of an anomaly on a recently launched satellite. The Independent Oversight Board will be made up of impartial industry experts, nominated by the two companies.

The Independent Oversight Board will guide the joint SS/L-Sea Launch investigation team, which has been working together for several weeks to collect and analyze data with the objective of determining the root cause of damage to one solar array on an SS/L 1300 satellite that was launched on May 31, 2012 on a Sea Launch Zenit-3SL vehicle.

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Phoenix satellite concept. (Credit: DARPA)

PALO ALTO, CA, Jul 25, 2012 (SS/L PR) — Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), the world’s leading provider of commercial satellites, today announced that it was selected by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to determine how small satellites can be carried to geostationary orbit (GEO) as hosted payloads on commercial satellites. SS/L was awarded a contract to analyze and define key aspects of DARPA’s Phoenix program, which is focused on developing and demonstrating technologies to cooperatively harvest and re-use valuable components from retired, nonworking satellites in GEO.

In order to re-purpose these valuable components, such as antennas, the Phoenix program plan is to attach small satellites, called ‘satlets,’ that will take control of the old components and give them new operational life. SS/L will study how to carry these satlets to orbit by giving them a ride on large commercial GEO satellites.

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Phoenix satellite concept. (Credit: DARPA)

By Douglas Messier
Parabolic Arc Managing Editor

Jonathan Goff’s Altius Space Machines is among five companies and a NASA field center sharing about $36 million in contract awards in DARPA’s Phoenix Technologies program, which aims to harvest components from dead satellites for reuse.

Space News reports that Goff’s Louisville, Colo., company will build an extendable boom for the Phoenix spacecraft. DARPA would not reveal how much Altius will receive under the contract.

Other winners of Phoenix contracts include: Space Systems/Loral; Intelsat; MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates; NovaWurks; and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

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Richmond, B.C. (MDA PR) — MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (TSX: MDA), a provider of essential information solutions, today announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of Space Systems/Loral, Inc. (SS/L) for US$875 million in a transaction that is immediately accretive.

Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, SS/L is the global market leading provider of commercial communications satellites, serving a global customer base. The acquisition transforms MDA into a major player in commercial communications and provides the Company with critical mass in the U.S. market.
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(Credit: PRNewsFoto/Zero Gravity Corporation, Al Powers)

Space Exploration: Not Just for Billionaires Anymore

When
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
6:00pm – 7:00pm – Networking and Refreshments
7:00pm – 8:30pm – Panel Discussion and Q&A

Where
Stanford Graduate School of Business, Cemex Auditorium
655 Knight Way, Stanford, CA 94305-7298
Map: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/mba/contact/GSB_KMC_finalMap.pdf

Event Description:

Advances in payload and transport technology have made it easier than ever for entrepreneurs to launch into space – some for less than even $1M in capital. Entrepreneurs are now exploring opportunities with new rocket launchers, novel uses of affordable small satellites, space tourism, and even space-based power generation and extraterrestrial mining. The space market is already a $280B business.

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