An Astrium-built Russian satellite stranded in a useless orbit by a Proton launch mishap last summer may be salvaged to provide broadband satellite links to scientists working in Antarctica, according to one of the effort’s organizers. A working group of Russian agencies and companies with a stake in the disposition of Express-AM4 will decide later this month what to do with the spacecraft, which has been declared a total loss by its insurance underwriter (Aerospace DAILY, Sept. 12, 2011).

U.S. Air Force planners expect commercial communications satellites to have an ever-larger role in the operation of remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs) as war-on-terror funding dwindles and the U.S. military’s focus shifts to other theaters, including Africa, Latin America and the U.S. border regions.

HOUSTON — Robonaut 2, NASA’s five-year-old collaboration with automaker GM, has generated a prototype Human Grasp Assist device, or Robo-Glove, that shows promise as an aide to manufacturers and their workers by lowering the risk of costly repetitive-stress injuries as well as to spacewalking astronauts by enhancing their grip.

Under pressure from Gulf Coast state politicians, U.S. Air Force leadership confirmed they are reconsidering their plan to move C-130s to Montana from Texas. And the Air Force plans to wrap up its acquisition strategy for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program this spring, in a way that allows for increased competition. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz offered these updates to the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee during a March 14 hearing.

Some astronauts who have spent extended periods in microgravity on the International Space Station (ISS) have developed abnormalities in their eyes and pituitary gland/brain connectors that are similar to a type of intracranial hypertension that occurs on the ground. The finding may help earthbound physicians understand what causes the potentially serious condition, but it already has NASA flight surgeons pondering how they can mitigate it when astronauts travel into deep space.

BARCELONA, Spain — Astrium is trying to drum up European interest in its geostationary Earth-observation (EO) satellite concept, including a recent briefing to the European Defense Agency (EDA) to garner funding support.

Boeing has filled out its 702 satellite group with the launch of the “small platform” family on a joint order for four spacecraft from Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) and Satellites Mexicanos (Satmex). The first two spacecraft, ABS-3A and Satmex 7, are scheduled to be delivered together for tandem launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in the fourth quarter of 2014 or first quarter of 2015. Launch plans and details on the second spacecraft for each buyer have not been announced.

NEW GIG: Michael Lopez-Alegria, retired NASA astronaut and lead for the International Space Station’s multilateral crew operations panel, is becoming president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, effective March 19. Lopez-Algria, a former naval aviator who holds the current record for U.S. spaceflight of 215 days, will serve as the federation’s chief Washington liaison. The seven-year-old organization represents more than 50 commercial spacecraft developers, suppliers and support service providers.