The Israeli satellite operator Spacecom has tapped a Falcon 9 rocket to deliver its next geostationary communications satellite to orbit in 2019 using approximately $50 million in credits the company paid SpaceX for a mission last year that ended in an explosion on the launch pad.
In a Hebrew-language statement released last week, Spacecom said it has selected SpaceX to launch the Amos 17 satellite in the second quarter of 2019. A Falcon 9 rocket, likely with a previously-flown first stage booster, will loft the digital communications craft toward a perch in geostationary orbit 22,300 miles (35,800 kilometers) over the equator, Spacecom said.
The commercial Israeli-based operator said after the explosion that it would attempt to recoup $50 million the company already paid to SpaceX for the Amos 6 mission, or seek another launch at no additional charge. As is the case with most commercial launch contracts, the final payment from Spacecom to SpaceX was scheduled after the launch.
Spacecom selected Boeing last year to build the Amos 17 satellite in a $161 million contract. Based on the Boeing 702 satellite design, Amos 17 will carry an all-digital payload processing system and provide telecom services in Ka-band, Ku-band and C-band over Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
SpaceX successfully launched 60 more Starlink Internet satellites into orbit from Cape Canaveral at 10:05 a.m. EST (1505 GMT) Monday aboard a Falcon 9 rocket powered by a thrice-flown first stage booster.
PALO ALTO, CA and TEL AVIV, Israel, March 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Spacecom (TASE: SCC), operator of the AMOS satellite fleet, today announced it has chosen SSL, a Maxar Technologies company (formerly MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.), (NYSE: MAXR; TSX: MAXR) to build its AMOS-8 advanced communications satellite. The satellite will deliver state-of-the-art broadcast, broadband and data services from Spacecom's 4degrees West 'hot spot' to Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The AMOS-8 geostationary communications satellite will be co-located with AMOS-3. A contract option has been signed between Spacecom and SpaceX for AMOS-8's scheduled launch in the second half of 2020.
"AMOS-8 will bring additional high-quality capacity to expand our offerings and provide our partners with the abilities to add new and exciting services," said David Pollack, CEO and president of Spacecom. "Spacecom is dedicated to delivering reliable and cost-effective services that are enjoyed and relied upon by millions of people and businesses. We are eager to work together with SSL to develop this new satellite."
With the additions of AMOS-17 to 17E in 2019 and AMOS-8 to the 4W orbital position in 2020, Spacecom will further expand its reach reinforcing its position as a leading multi-regional satellite operator. For more information, please visit: -spacecom.com/
About SSL
SSL, based in Palo Alto, California, is a leading provider of advanced spacecraft systems, with broad expertise to support commercial and government satellite operators and innovative space missions. The company designs and manufactures spacecraft for services such as direct-to-home television, video content distribution, broadband internet, mobile communications, in-orbit servicing, space exploration, and Earth observation. As a Silicon Valley innovator for 60 years, SSL's advanced product line includes state-of-the-art small satellites, and sophisticated robotics and autonomous solutions for remote operations. SSL is a Maxar Technologies company (NYSE: MAXR; TSX: MAXR). For more information, visit www.sslmda.com.
About Maxar Technologies
Maxar Technologies (formerly MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.) is a leading global provider of advanced space technology solutions for commercial and government markets including satellites, Earth imagery, geospatial data and analytics, is at the nexus of the new space economy, developing and sustaining its infrastructure and delivering products, services, systems and solutions that make it possible. As a trusted partner, Maxar Technologies provides unmatched end-to-end advanced systems capabilities and integrated solutions expertise to help our customers anticipate and address their most complex mission critical challenges with confidence. With more than 6,500 employees in 21 locations, the Maxar Technologies portfolio of commercial space brands includes: SSL, MDA, DigitalGlobe, and Radiant Solutions. Every day millions of people rely on Maxar Technologies to communicate, share information and data, and deliver insights that build a better world. Maxar trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange as MAXR. For more information visit maxar.com.
RBC Signals, a pioneering provider of satellite data communication solutions with a vast ground station network, is partnering with IQ spacecom, a product branch of the German IQ Technologies for Earth and Space GmbH, known for its more than 15 years of experience in broadband data communication for small satellites. Together, the companies have launched Go.BIC, a highly flexible service set to support inter-satellite connections for LEO satellites.
Go.BIC will use dynamic, on-demand capacity from Viasat's global L-band network of geostationary (GEO) satellites. This first of a kind service ensures real-time allocation of L-band capacity on a global scale, specifically tailored to meet the needs of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) operators.
The service complements existing ground station networks to extend coverage to previously unconnected regions like remote oceans, bridging communication gaps for satellite operators worldwide and making their satellites reachable at any point of time. This enhances operational efficiency and offers cost-effective telemetry and telecommand options, empowering LEO satellite operators with improved flexibility and control over their missions.
Designed to cater to time-sensitive space applications, Go.BIC facilitates on-demand communication with LEO satellites without waiting for ground station passes. Serving scientific missions, university projects, satellite manufacturers and operators, Go.BIC can facilitate a variety of use cases including satellite tasking (TM/TC), scheduled data transmission, natural disaster monitoring, real-time satellite maneuvering, and backup communications.
IQ Technologies for Earth and Space GmbH (former IQ wireless GmbH), headquartered in Berlin, Germany, is a well-established business for more than 20 years with two main innovative business units: IQ FireWatch and IQ spacecom. IQ FireWatch provides a terrestrial early detection system of fires in forests, outdoor industrial facilities, and wildland-urban interfaces.
IQ spacecom comprises high-performance radio communication solutions providing flexible and highly efficient broadband data communication for small satellites, such as CubeSats. The equipment has been qualified for several years of operation in low earth orbit (LEO) and is used for scientific missions, Earth observation, remote sensing and communication solutions. Outstanding hardware and software platforms enable a fast, flexible and reliable adaptation to customer-specific requirements. More than 50 employees are constantly developing the products and optimizing them to meet the needs of the customers, in order to be able to provide solutions for complex requirements of the future. The technical innovations of IQ Technologies for Earth and Space GmbH are researched, developed, manufactured, and tested at the headquarters in Berlin.
Showcasing progress in clinical development at the ASCO Annual Meeting for six consecutive years, Ascentage Pharma had clinical results from four clinical studies of four of the company's lead drug candidates selected for presentations in 2023. Among these results, the updated clinical data of APG-2449 showed the potential as a new treatment option that can effectively overcome drug resistance through the targeted inhibition of FAK. These data indicated efficacy and safety of APG-2449 in patients with NSCLC, with 8 partial responses (PRs) in the 28 patients who had failed treatment with the second-generation ALK TKIs.
"APG-2449 is an effective multi-targeted inhibitor targeting FAK/ALK/ROS1. Compared to data released at the ASCO Annual Meeting last year, the updated results reported this year continuously indicated favourable safety and promising antitumor activity in patients with NSCLC, and the preliminary efficacy observed in patients who were resistant to second-generation ALK inhibitors was particularly encouraging," said Prof. Li Zhang, the Principal Investigator of this study from Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center. "We believe that FAK inhibition could be a new treatment strategy for patients with NSCLC resistant to second-generation ALK inhibitors."
"We are excited by the results presented at this year's ASCO Annual Meeting as they demonstrated APG-2449's therapeutic option in advanced NSCLC and the drug's potential in offering a safe and effective novel therapy to this underserved patient population," said Dr. Yifan Zhai, Chief Medical Officer of Ascentage Pharma. "Moving forward, we will expedite this clinical development program, which hopefully can yield a safe and effective new treatment option to patients, fulfilling our mission of addressing unmet clinical needs in China and around the world."
Ascentage Pharma (6855.HK) is a globally focused biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing novel therapies for cancers, chronic hepatitis B, and age-related diseases. On October 28, 2019, Ascentage Pharma was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited with the stock code 6855.HK.
Ascentage Pharma focuses on developing therapeutics that inhibit protein-protein interactions to restore apoptosis, or programmed cell death. The company has built a pipeline of 9 clinical drug candidates, including novel, highly potent Bcl-2, and dual Bcl-2/Bcl-xL inhibitors, as well as candidates aimed at IAP and MDM2-p53 pathways, and next-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Ascentage Pharma is also the only company in the world with active clinical programs targeting all three known classes of key apoptosis regulators. The company is conducting more than 40 Phase I/II clinical trials in the US, Australia, Europe, and China. Ascentage Pharma has been designated for multiple Major National R&D Projects, including five Major New Drug Projects, one New Drug Incubator status, four Innovative Drug Programs, and one Major Project for the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases.
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