The executive succession at SES S.A. has begun, with the anointment of Dr. Karim Sabbagh and CEO-designate, replacing Romain Bausch in April of 2014. Holding dual citizenship in Canada and Lebanon, he’s been in Dubai for years and apparently knows his Arabic Internet trends.
What I’m most excited about is his background with Leo Burnett MENA (lame Flash site), where he may have learned how important it is for a company to have a sense of personality. SES, which used to stand for Société Européenne des Satellites, clearly needs to find it’s global brand and tell people what it stands for besides being “your satellite company.”
Rocket scientists who care about marketing space-based businesses will be watching this closely.
The Greek government shut down state broadcaster ERT for austerity budgeting reasons, letting go a few thousand employees. So they took it upon themselves to go pirate and broadcast via the EBU last week. Via HuffPo…
Journalists from axed Greek state broadcaster ERT returned to the airwaves Thursday amid an escalating crisis that saw the country rocked by a general strike, a sharp rebuke from Europe’s top human rights official and widening divisions in the fragile coalition government.
Officials at the Geneva-based European Broadcasting Union on Thursday said they had successfully relayed a live pirate broadcast from the sacked journalists to Greece, Europe, Asia and Oceania. The move is in defiance of the country’s conservative-led government, which shut down state TV and radio Tuesday as part of the its austerity measures.
“We have just had our signal broadcast on satellite. We thank everyone who helped us,” ERT newsreader and union representative Chrysa Roumlelioti said on the broadcast.
Very interesting piece by Liz Fuller-Wright in the CSM last week on the discovery of variably-pulsating stars. Intially referred to as LGM-1 by the astronomers at the European Southern Observatory’s La Silla Observatory in Chile, including graduate student Jocelyn Bell. The “LGM” stood for “little green men.”
For seven years, the research team observed more than 3,000 young stars in the star cluster NGC 3766 for a few weeks each year. They found variable stars – 163 of them – including 36 that seem to break all the rules of pulsars. In fact, they held off on labeling the stars “pulsars,” choosing the less controversial label of “periodic variable stars,” though they said that they expect the scientific community to confirm that they are, in fact, pulsars.
As with many astronomic discoveries, it takes quite a while to confirm “discoveries.” This one in particular may rewrite the book on pulsar formation.
That’s pretty awesome. Maybe we’ll see pulsars in BigBangPrints soon.
Proposed ITAR reform removes may of glaringly perverse effects on space commerce but does nothing to make it easier for industry to work with U.S. Defense Department on hosted payloads. [Space News - 06/14/2013]
Draft NASA authorization bill bars funding for asteroid rendezvous mission. [Space News - 06/14/2013]
FCC probes satellite fleet management practices for abuse including holding on to orbital slots without making maximum use of them. [Space News - 06/14/2013]
Iridium NEXT is promoted as the world’s largest ongoing commercial space venture, designed to drive innovation, create opportunities, and change the way people and organizations communicate – everywhere on the planet. [MarineLink.com - 06/14/2013]
Boatracs completes fleet-wide implementation for Fleet Operators, Inc. of Boatracs Narrowband satellite solution for communications beyond cellular range for vessel tracking and electronic logs. [SatNews - 06/14/2013]
SES’s ASTRA 2E satellite begins trip to Baikonur where it will be integrated for a Proton launch. [SatNews - 06/14/2013]
Europe’s Proba-V satellite successfully demonstrates that it can capture data on aircraft speed, position, and altitude. [Space News - 06/13/2013]
Satellite Interference Reduction Group to host series of interference-related breakfast sessions at CommunicAsia2013. [SatNews - 06/13/2013]
Space Systems Loral executive expects additional orders this year for High Throughput Satellites (HTS). [Satellite Today - 06/13/2013]
FTC opens antitrust probe of Lockheed-Boeing joint venture that launches U.S. government satellites. [Space News - 06/13/2013]
U.S. Army begins fielding smaller, lighter SNAP satellite terminals following network integration evaluations. [Satellite Spotlight - 06/13/2013]
Astrium renews partnership contract with Telecoms Sans Frontieres, pledging to continue satellite communications support for their many disaster and emergency relief missions across the world. [SatNews - 06/13/2013]
Northrop Grumman keeps nonrecurring engineering costs and other first time expenses down for U.S. Air Force’s Enhance Polar System satellites, using hardware and software designs developed for the AEHF satellites. [SatNews - 06/13/2013]
Internal audit puts heat on NASA for giving Orbital Sciences Corp. more than $600 million to build hardware for six space station resupply missions before the company has fully demonstrated that its Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo tug are up to the task. [Space News - 06/13/2013]
Applied Satellite Engineering debuts Osprey TMC Iridium Short Burst Data (SBD) modem terminal that can provide GPS tracking, analog and digital monitoring and control, and over-the-air configuration and programming of assets anywhere in the world. [SatNews - 06/13/2013]
Clearwire urges shareholders to accept takeover offer from satellite communications giant Dish Network instead of the Sprint offer backed by Japan’s SoftBank. [Yahoo News - 06/13/2013]
NSSL Global and Telemar Scandinavia announce free-of-charge upgrade doubling return speed on their Standard and Premium packages. [Satellite Evolution Group - 06/13/2013]
Content delivery’s astronomical costs avoided by partnership between Latele Novela Network (LNN) and Spanish channel 8Madrid using Newcom International’s services and LNN’s innovative cloud-based video transport solution. [SatNews - 06/13/2013]
Foreign commercial satellite services bill advances through House committee; would prohibit Secretary of Defense from procuring satellite services from foreign entity under certain circumstances. [Satellite Today - 06/12/2013]
Another space storm like 1859 Carrington event could wreak havoc on global economy. [NextGov - 06/12/2013]
Emiratis advised by UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs not to enter India carrying any satellite communication devices, such as Thuraya or Iridium, citing Indian Government banning use of such devices on its soil. [Emirates 24/7 - 06/12/2013]
SES supports satellite communication links with a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System using SES Ku-band capacity to establish command and control, Air Traffic Control and Mission data transfer. [Satellite Spotlight - 06/12/2013]
Singtel offers to help Myanmar design and build its own telecommunications satellite. [Space News - 06/12/2013]
Chinese plan to launch “Chinese Quantum Science Satellite” in 2016, making China the first space-faring nation with quantum communication capability. [Mashable - 06/11/2013]
Space Systems/Loral selected to provide communications satellite to SKY Perfect JSAT of Japan. [Yahoo Finance - 06/11/2013]
Astrium is awarded the payload module contract for the European Space Agency’s future astronomy mission Euclid. [Satellite Today - 06/11/2013]
Satellite manufacturing and launch services industries face increased competition in the near future due to increasing supply, new entrants, and lower demand – diversification is difficult but necessary. [NSR - 06/11/2013]
Gilat is awarded $6.75 million contract extension to continues providing Internet connectivity services to Colombian schools. [boston.com - 06/11/2013]
Australian satellite company TC Communications signs another contract to provide service and support to the Australian Defence Force in their project to deploy integrated Wideband Global Satellite communication capability. [ARN - 06/11/2013]
Australian satellite communications company NewSat expresses interest in Singapore Telecommunications Ltd’s $2 billion sale of its Australian unit, Optus Satellite. [Yahoo News - 06/11/2013]
Indian oil marketing companies moving to satellite internet connections for around 10,000 petrol pumps facilities like credit card machines seen as trouble for Tata Tele and Reliance Communications. [The Economic Times - 06/11/2013]
Cartrack selects ORBCOMM for satellite data communication services to extend its current range of GSM logistics and telematics solutions. [Satellite Spotlight - 06/11/2013]
SES utilizes Newtec MDM6000 satellite modems with S2 extensions capable of 37% efficiency gains over existing DVB-S2 to boost satellite performance on its African SES-5 payload. [Yahoo Finance - 06/10/2013]
Satellite communications will lead the way for broadcast, broadband and cellular backhaul within Asia, according to ETL regional sales executive. [SatNews - 06/10/2013]
Eutelsat and OneAccess Networks win Global Telecoms Business Innovation Award for transforming the landscape for satellite-based enterprise communications across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. [Satellite Spotlight - 06/10/2013]
Arianespace signs more comprehensive MOU with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as both companies look to increase their work together in the launch services market. [Satellite Today - 06/10/2013]
Satellite Executive Briefing magazine June issue includes: “Pay TV Boom Fueling Demand in Asia-Pacific,” Peter Galace; “The Renaissance of Small Satellite,” Dr. Joseph Pelton; “Update on Papua New Guinea,” Chris Frith; “The Satellite-Eye View of the Broadcast Booth,” Robert Bell; and “Networking Towards a High Throughput Maritime Space,” Martin Jarrold.
[Satellite Executive Briefing Magazine - June 2012]
NSR report addresses fundamental questions about wireless backhaul satcom services. [NSR - June 2013]
There was a shot floating around the internet last week of a bridal party being chased by a dinosaur. It’s funny, admittedly. So here’ s our take on the idea…mostly because Leslie (and us) are huge Star Wars nerds! We couldn’t resist their bridal party getting chased by a squad of Imperial AT-AT Walkers! lol. So for all you Star Wars fans, this ones for you.
For you Photoshop-loving rocket scientists who are getting married soon, start thinking! Via Mashable.
The hawks in Washington were screeching when they heard the DoD was leasing bandwidth on APT Satellite’s Apstar 7 spacecraft, through Harris CapRock — a value-added reseller. “That’s a Chinese bird! How dare you put our military at risk by using a Chinese satellite?!” Blah, blah, blah. Did they fail to mention the spacecraft itself was built in France and launched by a Chang Zheng rocket from China in March of 2012?
The coverage area of one of the spacecraft’s Ku-band beams is just right and there are no alternatives in this part of Asia. With data encryption at either end of the circuit, there really isn’t much to worry about. And if it’s broadcast video, who cares? Forget that: the contract was renewed for another year.
Now the House Armed Services Committee is proposing to exclude foreign commercial satellite companies from contracting with the DoD in the bill for National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (H.R.1960). Will this bill also prevent other foreign-controlled or non-U.S.-based operators from contracting with the DoD? Or just the Chinese ones?
In reality, Intelsat and SES are both based in Luxembourg — but only SES is proud of it. Intelsat just likes the tax advantages, just as they liked Bermuda’s not too long ago. Both companies have substantial headcount in the U.S., but don’t expect that to last much longer. Headcount at SES in the U.S. has been steadily and regularly declining since they bought Americom from G.E. in 2001. And who could forget the bloodbath when Intelsat acquired PanAmSat? Another big operator with Central Asian coverage, Eutelsat, is based in France, and they do quite a bit of DoD business, too.
“We have to remain vigilant in protecting our communications data and in understanding any vulnerability in relying on any outside party. I am concerned about this, and I am equally concerned about the long-term national security implications of failing to cultivate the domestic capacity to respond to our defense needs,” said Congressman John Garamendi, a member of the House Armed Services Committee’s Strategic Forces Subcommittee in a statement to SatelliteTODAY.com. “In addition, I believe our Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets need to be better integrated to meet our national security goals.”
Does this mean foreign-controlled operators are about to lose U.S. government business? Probably not. However, allowing foreign investors to own critical defense communications infrastructure is something that could have been prevented — and preserved America’s continued leadership in space. Support your U.S.-based rocket scientists!
Three NASA “phonesats” spend 6 days in orbit sending back complex data and photos of earth before burning up upon re-entry. [Orlando Sentinel - 06/08/2013]
Indian home ministry dismisses telecom department proposal to provide satellite-based communications to beef up surveillance in India’s Maoist hotbeds. [The Economic Times - 06/08/2013]
Despite criticism from former ESA and European industry launch-vehicle experts, ESA intends to stay on the course on Ariane 6. [Space News - 06/07/2013]
FCC to probe Intelsat practices following CapRock complaint that satellite operators inhibit competition by failing to upgrade their equipment or replace aging satellites on a timely basis. [Bloomberg - 06/07/2013]
Two years after launch, the first Space Based Infrared System Geo-1 missile warning satellite is quietly declared operational. [Space News - 06/07/2013]
Russian satellite launched last year to map the Arctic stops functioning. [SatNews - 06/07/2013]
Sierra Nevada Corporation successfully begins latest phase of hybrid rocket motor qualification testing for the Dream Chase flight vehicle. [SatNews - 06/07/2013]
Inmarsat makes compelling argument for sending M2M over a satellite network instead of a terrestrial variation at CTIA. [Wireless Week - 06/07/2013]
Telespazio Brazil CEO expects growth to come from three market segments – oil and gas, backhaul, and corporate networks, but most especially oil and gas. [Satellite Today - 06/06/2013]
Coastal states brace for another hurricane season with satellite networks. [CivSource - 06/06/2013]
KVH details four-part plan to bring variety of economical and convenient content services to mariners for the first time via its mini-VSAT product. [SatNews - 06/06/2013]
Northrop Grumman develops new GaN packaged power amplifier for military and commercial Ka-band applications. [Satellite Today - 06/06/2013]
GIT Satellite Communications X-Track(TM) asset management system meets requirements to become an Iridium LBS Premium Portal Provider in connection with the Iridium Extreme(R) satellite phone. [Yahoo Finance - 06/06/2013]
Stratolaunch, the company created by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen to develop a low-cost satellite launching system, gives Orbital Sciences contract to build world’s largest air-launched space rocket. [Space News - 06/05/2013]
CommunicAsia2013 Summit features eight dedicated tracks and two interactive workshops to cater to the growing demands of the satellite industry – to be held in Singapore, June 18 – 21. [SatNews - 06/05/2013]
Yahsat wins “Most Innovative Product and Service for Africa” for second consecutive year. [StarAfrica - 06/05/2013]
Eutelsat and OneAccess win “Business Service Innovation” award for provision of advanced enterprise services on KA-SAT satellite. [Yahoo Finance - 06/05/2013]
Skyware Global launches spin off company focused on electronics engineering and tactical ground systems. [Satellite Today - 06/05/2013]
Comtech Xicom gets four U.S. Navy contracts totaling $2.5 million for high-power dual-band traveling wave tube amplifiers.
[financial news - 06/05/2013]
Eutelsat Germany expands KabelKiosk service with TV product for local and regional IP and cable network operators in Germany. [Satellite Today - 06/05/2013]
SES-6 satellite is successfully launched on board an ILS Proton Breeze M booster from Baikonur, Kazakhstan; SES announces a significant long-term capacity anchor customer for SES-6 is Brazilian group Oi. [Yahoo Finance - 06/04/2013]
CASBAA satellite industry forum to be held in Singapore June 17, will examine An Industry in Transition. [Yahoo Finance - 06/04/2013]
Don’t forget the kbps in the energy markets – amidst the bandwidth revolution there remains an entire class of in-service low-bandwidth units serving the Oil and Gas and Utilities industries. [Northern Sky Research - 06/04/2013]
As Intelsat continues to struggle with only “modest near-term growth prospects” and “elevated government demand risk,” the company’s fiscal future remains bright. [Satellite Today - 06/04/2013]
Gilat’s SkyEdge II hub and VSATs to deliver education to around 2500 schools in Southeast Asia. [Financial Content - 06/04/2013]
My-HD and Arabsat celebrate success of partnership by launching full bouquet of 39 channels of which 31 are High Definition. [Satellite Evolution Group - 06/04/2013]
SkyVision launches new corporate voice, data and video services over satellite in Africa. [Satellite Today - 06/04/2013]
NASA develops interplanetary GPS, building test bed at Goddard and planning to send an instrument equipped with X-ray navigation technology to the International Space Station to test the system. [Satellite Today - 06/04/2013]
Arianespace’s CEO calls for fast-track modification of Ariane 5 rocket that will enable it to launch larger electric-propelled satellites into orbit. [Satellite Today - 06/04/2013]
India is forced to delay launch of its first navigation satellite due to malfunction in control actuator in second stage of the rocket. [Satellite Today - 06/03/2013]
Export-Import Bank of the United States adds to record-level support for the American satellite industry, authorizing $343.3 million loan financing AsiaSat’s purchase of communications satellites and launch services. [PR Newswire - 06/03/2013]
Global growth private equity firm TA Associates partners with its portfolio company SpeedCast Ltd to complete acquisition of Australian satellite communications service provider Pactel International. [Yahoo Finance - 06/03/2013]
Hughes Network Systems announces new emergency service package as the 2013 hurricane season gets underway. [Satellite Today - 06/03/2013]
Agilent Technologies announces system design tools for Satellite Communications and Navigation. [The Motley Fool - 06/03/2013]
Azerbaijan’s second telecommunications satellite to be launched in 2018. [TMC.net - 06/03/2013]
Nice daytime launch of a Proton-M (Протон-М) with SES-6 as the the payload. It’s a big boy: weighing in at 6,100 kg, with lots of transponders: 43 C-band and 48 Ku-band. It’s replacing the 806 spacecraft, one of the few remaining “brick” birds (LM/AS-7000). That’s a good thing to do because you never know when these might go on ya.
Besides filling it partially with what’s on 806, what are you going to do with all that capacity? You could probably wait until the 2014 World Cup to help fill it with 6 weeks of occasional business. Then what? Hey, how about a DTH business? And the players are:
Net/Embratel with 8,638,984 subscribers
Sky (DirecTV) = 5,144,946
Oi = 792,107
Telefónica/Vivo = 586,152
GVT = 451,605
Oi waits for launch, then signs the contract. Anchor customer, probably. Large? Good enough.
SpaceX Chairman optimistic that partially reusable rocket will accelerate reduction in launch costs that have already followed the Falcon 9 entrance into the market. [Space News - 05/31/2013]
SES subsidiary SES Techcom supports satellite communication links with a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System using SES Ku-band capacity. [Sat PR - 05/31/2013]
Cartrack uses ORBCOMM to provide satellite data communication services to extend its range of GSM logistics and telematics solution in Africa. [financial news - 05/31/2013]
Today’s attempts at multi-nation initiative for human exploration beyond low earth orbit face same barriers that doomed the Euro-Russian collaboration on manned space vehicles. [Space News - 05/31/2013]
SES 6 to be launched June 3, 2013 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan by International Launch Services (ILS). [Satellite Today - 05/30/2013]
Sri Lanka paying China Great Wall $215 million to build and launch SupremeSAT-2. [Space News - 05/30/2013]
NASA hands over operational control of the Landsat 8 to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Earth Resources Observation and Science Center. [SatNews - 05/30/2013]
Norwegian Space Centre and SINTEF company MARINTEK look at how to get broadband services into the Artic regions. [Phys Org - 05/30/2013]
North America expected to lose its status as top region for in-flight entertainment to the Asia-Pacific region within 5 years. [Satellite Today - 05/30/2013]
Gilat to present free Webinar June 1th entitled ‘News and Entertainment Anywhere with Satellite Communications on the Move.’ [SatNews - 05/30/2013]
Galaxy Broadband Communications of Canada selects Hughes HX gateway and HX90 and HX200 satellite terminals to provide IP networks for Resource, Government, and Enterprise markets in North America. [SatNews - 05/30/2013]
Spidersat wins contract to provide VSAT network design and provisioning to ArcelorMittal in Liberia. [Sat PR - 05/30/2013]
China to provide Sri Lanka’s first communication satellite. [UPI - 05/29/2013]
Task of monitoring global air traffic to be greatly aided since successful launch of ESA’s Proba-V satellite May 6 with the first space-based automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) system. [Satellite Today - 05/29/2013]
Advantech Wireless selected by SAVIS Tegnologia to provide geographically redundant military satellite communication network for SISFRON, the largest border security program in Latin America. [Satellite Today - 05/29/2013]
MDA signs contract with Canada’s Department of National Defense to support a space-based surveillance solution being developed by MDA. [Satellite Today - 05/29/2013]
SingTel looks at selling the satellite communications arm of its wholly-owned Australian subsidiary Optus to a private equity firm. [smart company - 05/29/2013]
UAE and Belarus discuss ways to resolve interference between the satellite networks of the two countries in their Frequency Coordination Meeting. [WAM -05/29/2013]
Gilat plans increased performance in the SkyEdge II-c product, with 66 Msps forward channel bandwidth. [financial news - 05/29/2013]
Pay-TV households across the globe expected to reach more than one billion before the end of 2013 according to senior analyst with Multimedia Research Group. [Satelllite Today - 05/28/2013]
British company SATcase offers emergency satellite communication on smartphones via a smartphone case with a satellite receiver. [Out and About Live - 05/28/2013]
Singapore-based Swire Pacific Offshore upgrades to Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband Unlimited on 65 of its vessels. [Sacramento Bee - 05/28/2013]
Fifth WGS satellite rockets into space aboard Delta 4 rocket from Cape Canaveral. [iol scitech - 05/27/2013]
Cost of modernized GPS ground control system soars $3.4 billion above original $1.4 billion price; development delays launch of satellites. [Nextgov - 05/26/2013]
The Silk Pavilion explores the relationship between digital and biological fabrication on product and architectural scales.The primary structure was created of 26 polygonal panels made of silk threads laid down by a CNC (Computer-Numerically Controlled) machine. Inspired by the silkworm’s ability to generate a 3D cocoon out of a single multi-property silk thread (1km in length), the overall geometry of the pavilion was created using an algorithm that assigns a single continuous thread across patches providing various degrees of density. Overall density variation was informed by the silkworm itself deployed as a biological printer in the creation of a secondary structure. A swarm of 6,500 silkworms was positioned at the bottom rim of the scaffold spinning flat non-woven silk patches as they locally reinforced the gaps across CNC-deposited silk fibers. Following their pupation stage the silkworms were removed. Resulting moths can produce 1.5 million eggs with the potential of constructing up to 250 additional pavilions. Affected by spatial and environmental conditions including geometrical density as well as variation in natural light and heat, the silkworms were found to migrate to darker and denser areas. Desired light effects informed variations in material organization across the surface area of the structure. A season-specific sun path diagram mapping solar trajectories in space dictated the location, size and density of apertures within the structure in order to lock-in rays of natural light entering the pavilion from South and East elevations. The central oculus is located against the East elevation and may be used as a sun-clock. Parallel basic research explored the use of silkworms as entities that can “compute” material organization based on external performance criteria. Specifically, we explored the formation of non-woven fiber structures generated by the silkworms as a computational schema for determining shape and material optimization of fiber-based surface structures.
Perspective view of the completed Silk Pavilion and the Basic Research exhibit focusing on fiber density distribution studies (far right). Image: Steven Keating.
