WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 08/24/2012

Iran’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology denies department’s involvement in satellite jamming; head of health committee rejects denial and claims jamming is dangerous to public health.
[Radio Free Europe Persian Letters – 08/24/2012]

RUAG Space selected by Orbital Sciences to provide two space-hardened GPS receivers for NASA’s ICESat-2 Earth observation mission.
[SatNews – 08/24/2012]

Gottlieb International Group announces first webinar, entitled “The Battle for the Broadband Maritime Customer – Global Xpress vs. EpicNG, the KVH V11, O3b” September 13.
[SatNews – 08/24/2012]

NASA twin space probes set to explore Earth’s Van Allen Belts, radiation belts that can jeopardize satellites and disrupt communications when deflected by solar flares.
[msnbc – 08/23/2012]

Euroconsult’s latest research report, “Satellite Communications & Broadcasting Markets Survey, Forecasts to 2021″ reveals a good year for FSS operators in 2011.
[SatNews – 08/23/2012]

Canadian Defense Department plans new $1 billion Arctic surveillance satellite network. [Satellite Today – 08/23/2012]

AsiaSat increases profits after abandoning unsuccessful joint venture with Dish Network.
[Satellite Today – 08/23/2012]

Cruise ship lines seek to offer land-quality communications at sea; MTN and Wireless Maritime Services partner to create new smart phone app designed to make at-sea communications less painful.
[Cruise Critic – 08/23/2012]

Inmarsat expects demand for mobile satellite communications in Malaysia to continue to grow, especially in the shipping industry.
[Bernama.com – 08/23/2012]

South Africa to launch nanosatellite weighing 1.2 kilograms and running on same amount of power as 5W light bulb in November to collect information about space weather.
[SatNews – 08/23/2012]

XCOR Aerospace to establish East Coast U.S. operational base in Florida, and if market develops, build a manufacturing and assembly center for XCOR Lynx Mark II suborbital reusable launch vehicles.
[SatNews – 08/23/2012]

Indian Space Research Organization plans 100th launch, carrying two foreign satellites into orbit in September.
[Satellite Today – 08/23/2012]

RIA Novosti planning a space satellite manufacturing plant in Shchyolkovo, just outside the Russian capital.
[SatNews – 08/23/2012]

Atlas V launch of National Reconnaissance Office NROL-36 payload rescheduled for September 13.
[SatNews – 08/22/2012]

Japan’s Marubeni Aerospace to help Myanmar launch small Earth observation satellite.
[Satellite Today – 08/22/2012]

Inmarsat to launch U.S. based global pre-paid satellite voice and data service.
[Satellite Today – 08/22/2012]

Terrorism trial at Gitmo delayed when Internet service at U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, serviced by satellite downlinks in Maine and Maryland, was interrupted because of fiber-optic lines cut during train derailment.
[Security Blogs – 08/22/2012]

Hughes Communications India receives Prasad Film Laboratories contract to implement broadband satellite network to distribute digital cinema content to 1000 sites.
[Telecom Tiger – 08/22/2012]

Kongsberg Satellite Services gets contract to provide ground station services for the next generation of NAS weather satellites.
[SatNews – 08/22/2012]

IPSTAR partners with iDirect to expand broadband satellite solution portfolio for Asia Pacific.
[Broadcast Newsroom – 08/22/2012]

Global Data Broadcast, developed by Celestech Inc., enables delivery of data to users everywhere on Earth via new satellite-based wireless broadcast capability using small low-power mobile terminals, high-power transmissions, and pole-to-pole coverage.
[SatNews – 08/22/2012]

Invisibility cloak technology research develops metamaterials which are being used in the design of cheaper and easier-to-use satellite communications equipment.
[Cnet – 08/21/2012]

SatLink Communications has partnership with Telesat to deliver TV programming to Latin America on new Ku-band MCPC DVB-S2 platform using Telesat’s Telstar 12 satellite.
[SatNews – 08/21/2012]

New Satellite Hot Spot product launched by Maxwell Technology set to empower South African township and rural entrepreneurs – World Bank research shows direct correlation between broadband penetration and gross domestic product (GDP).
[Biz Community – 08/21/2012]

NASA’s Landsat time lapse photos show catastrophic destruction caused by Mt. St. Helens eruption in 1980, and remarkable recovery in the 30 years since.
[SatNews – 08/21/2012]

Mississippi low level during 2012 drought contrasted with high level during 2011 flooding in satellite photos.
[SatNews – 08/21/2012]

“Tackling Satellite Interference,” a Microwave Journal special report with detailed discussion of sources of satellite interference and methods to combat it, including Carrier ID and Geolocation services.
[Microwave Journal Special Report – 08/20/2012]

NASA awards California Institute of Technology 5 year $8.5 billion contract to manage the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
[R&D Magazine – 08/20/2012]

Intelsat 21 launched successfully from a mobile launch platform in the Pacific Ocean; Intelsat 21 will replace Intelsat 9 at 302° East and is expected to have a useful life of more than 18 years.
[Space.com – 08/19/2012]
View the launch replay

Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association announces commitment to promote hiring of 4,000 qualified veterans and military spouses into consumer satellite industry by 2014.
[SatNews – 08/19/2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services