WASHINGTON — The third time may be a charm, but even if it is not SpaceX's founder says he is committed to the launch business and now regrets having said two years ago that he probably would have only three chances to launch his Falcon 1 rocket successfully.

WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin bested rival Boeing for a U.S. Air Force contract potentially valued at $3.58 billion to build up to a dozen next-generation GPS 3 navigation satellites, the Pentagon announced May 15.

PARIS — Satellite-fleet operator Intelsat said May 15 that demand for satellite capacity continues to grow in most places around the world except the Asia-Pacific region. The company reported that revenue for the three months ending March 31 grew by 11 percent over the same period last year, to $572.7 million, and 13 percent if its declining point-to-point telecom-trunking business is excluded.

PARIS — Satellite-fleet operator Eutelsat recorded an 8.9 percent increase in revenue for the three months ending March 31 compared to the same period a year ago, with growth particularly strong in the satellite-television markets in Russia, Africa, Turkey and the Middle East, the company reported May 15.

PARIS — Telecommunications satellite operator Nilesat Co. of Egypt has selected Thales Alenia Space of France and Italy to build the Nilesat 201, which is scheduled to be launched in late 2010 aboard a European Ariane 5 rocket, industry officials said.

PARIS — Korea Telecom has selected Thales Alenia Space to build the Koreasat 6 telecommunications satellite for launch in late 2010, the Franco-Italian manufacturer announced May 14.

PARIS — The Astrium space division of Europe's EADS aerospace giant tripled its pretax profit in the three months ending March 31 and posted a 19 percent increase in revenue on the strength of its satellite telecommunications services contract with the British Defence Ministry, EADS reported May 14.

PARIS — EchoStar Corp. is suspending construction of a satellite that was to have been launched this year to provide video programming to mobile handsets in China pending further assessment of whether the satellite's performance specifications can be met, EchoStar said May 13. The company said it may take a charge of up to $100 million as a result.

PARIS — Canada's MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) is optimistic it will be able to sell its space division to a U.S. company in the coming months despite the Canadian government's rejection of the $1.33 billion sale to Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK), MDA Chief Executive Dan Friedman said May 12. The key, he said, will be whether the Canadian govenment succeeds in winning British- and Australian-level exemptions to U.S. laws on extra-territorial rights regarding U.S. companies operating abroad.

PARIS — GeoEye Inc. Chief Executive Matthew O'Connell absorbed sharp blows from an unexpected quarter May 9 as a self-described major shareholder in the satellite imagery products provider accused management of doing "an absolutely horrific job" of managing relations with Wall Street.

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