Postponed Launch of WorldView-4 Set for Fall

The postponed launch of WorldView-4 is back on, and scheduled for the September-October time frame, DigitalGlobe said in an FCC International Bureau filing Friday. It said the FCC approved the earth imaging satellite as part of the non-geostationary exploration earth satellite services constellation in 2012, but that launch was postponed after GeoEye's 2013 takeover by DigitalGlobe. The firm asked for modification of the orbit altitude, inclination and orbit period authorized for WorldView-4, with the orbit to be in the 496-770 kilometer range. DigitalGlobe also asked for an extension of the "launch and begin operations" milestone deadline by seven months, to Nov. 10, instead of the current requirement it be launched by April 10. Construction of the satellite was complete in May 2013, the company said.