WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 11/22/2013
Two of the Swarm satellites will operate 150 meters distant from each other from an orbit of 460 kilometers, while the third will be raised to operate from 530 kilometers during the mission’s four-year duration. Credit: ESA artist’s concept – Space News
Europe’s three identical Swarm satellites designed to study Earth’s magnetic field from low Earth orbit successfully launched after a wait of nearly two years.
[Space News – 11/22/2013]
– SatNews
Skybox Imaging, only the fifth organization licensed to provide high-resolution space-based imagery of Earth, launches its first satellite, SkySat-1.
[SatNews – 11/22/2013]
(Skybox seeks to shake up the earth imaging market by ringing the earth with constellations of low earth orbit high resolution imaging satellites that are dramatically cheaper to build and maintain.)
[Wired.com – 06/18/2013]
Volunteers from AMSAT-UK confirm signals were successfully received from FUNcube-1, one of several cubesats aboard the Russian Dnepr launch in Yasny on Thursday.
[SatNews – 11/22/2013]
The goal of Phoenix is to develop a maneuverable spacecraft equipped with a dexterous robotic arm to salvage useful components from retired communications satellites in geostationary orbit. Credit: DARPA artist’s concept – Space News
Honeybee Robotics of New York wins contract from U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DAARPA) for work on experimental satellite servicing and salvaging project known as Phoenix.
[Space News – 11/22/2013]
SpaceX confirms failure of Falcon 9 v1.1 engine to re-ignite September 29 was caused when the igniter fluid lines froze following exposure to oxygen – easy fix reassures insurers and customers including SES on eve of SES-8 launch.
[Space News – 11/22/23013]
Senate bill would require Pentagon to study feasibility of U.S. alternative to the Russian RD-180 engine that powers one of its workhorse rockets.
[Space News – 11/22/2013]
U.S. House Intelligence Committee proposes reduced funding for spy satellites.
[Space News – 11/22/2013]
Boeing to sell commercial Global Xpress bandwidth to government users.
[Space News – 11/22/2013]
Workaround at Army’s Regional Hub Node in Guam boosts Teleport satellite access for U.S. forces in the Asia-Pacific region.
[Defense Systems – 11/22/2013]
STPSAT-3 satellite from the Air Force’s Operationally Responsive Space Office and Space Test Program is successfully launched from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s Wallops Flight Facility along with 28 other payloads.
[Hispanic Business – 11/21/2013]
Satellite Industry Association (SIA) testifies on the satellite industry’s leading role in commercialization of space at hearing held by House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Space Subcommittee.
[SatNews – 11/21/2013]
The Dnepr launch vehicle – RiaNovosti
Dnepr launch from Yasny air force base in southern Russia carries 33 international satellites into orbit, including DubaiSat 2 Earth imaging satellite, STSAT-3 infrared astronomy satellite, SkySat-1 earth imaging satellite, Aprizesat 7/8 asset tracking data satellite, UniSat biomedical experiment satellite, and several cubesats.
[RiaNovosti – 11/21/2013]
Argentine state satellite company Arsat and its Italian counterpart Telespazio have signed a MoU that calls for collaboration in the space sector, including launch support, space operations, and satcom services.
[telecompaper – 11/21/2013]
Arianespace orders ten new Vega launchers from Italian manufacturer European Launch Vehicle (ELV).
[Satellite Evolution Group – 11/21/2013]
Mars image Credit: European Space Agency image – Space News
Mars 2020 rover to include test device to tap planet’s atmosphere for oxygen.
[Space News – 11/21/2013]
Surrey Satellite Technology Limited’s space-based S-band radar system, NovaSAR, wins innovation award from The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
[Satellite Evolution Group – 11/21/2013]
Credit: Inspiration Mars artist’s concept – Space News
Private manned U.S. Mars mission will not get off the ground as planned in January 2018 unless it secures support of the U.S. government within the next few months.
[Space News – 11/21/2013]
KVH sponsors International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network event in London. [Satellite Evolution Group – 11/21/2013]
Successful launch of Air Force experimental satellite lets scientists breathe easier, after NASA’s Glory climate-monitoring spacecraft was lost due to a March 2011 launch failure.
[Space News – 11/20/2013]
Alphasat reaches operational in-orbit position, successfully completing all in-orbit tests.
[SatNews – 11/20/2013]
World Technology Network names ViaSat as 2013 award winner for creation of transformational high-capacity satellite system.
[Yahoo Finance – 11/20/2013]
Air Force Space Command looks at ways to drive down cost of terminals and unveils new strategy for acquiring satellite capacity.
[National Defense – 11/20/2013]
NSR’s Land Mobile & Handheld Satellite Markets (LM&H) report offers the industry’s most comprehensive analysis of this vital and evolving satellite communications market.
[SatNews – 11/20/2013]
Liberalised regulatory regimes have opened up markets in Africa that previously posed significant challenges for operators and service providers, and the African market… is open for business.
[humanipo – 11/20/2013]
RRsat is appointed as Inmarsat distribution partner for Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) services.
[Yahoo Finance – 11/20/2013]
ITU plays key role in bringing communications to some of worst hit areas of the Phllippines.
[Via Satellite – 11/20/2013]
SMART Communications and Thuraya deploy mobile satellite handsets to establish critical connectivity in the Phillipines.
[Hispanic Business – 11/20/2013]
Post Italiane selects Eutelsat’s Tooway satellite broadband service to take true broadband across Italy.
[The Wall Street Journal – 11/20/2013]
Astrium announces new SKYWAN 5G satellite platform that fulfills all roles in the network at AfricaCom.
[Thomasnet – 11/20/2013]
(Courtesy graphic) – Schriever Air Force Base
The 3rd Space Operations Squadron will celebrate the Defense Satellite Communications System B10 satellite’s 20th anniversary on orbit Nov. 28 – the satellite was designed to operate for only 10 years.
[Schriever Air Force Base – 11/19/2013]
Musings from a trip to SatComRus 2013 held in Dubna, about three hours north of Moscow, where Russia’s top satellite executives meet to discuss the industry in one of the world’s major satellite communications markets.
[Via Satellite – 11/19/2013]
Artist’s depiction of MUOS – Lockheed – National Defense Magazine
Radio manufacturers announced that they have achieved important milestones in the fielding of terminals that will connect to the Navy’s long-delayed Mobile User Objective System communications satellites.
[National Defense – 11/19/2013]
Alcatel-Lucent to provide Japanese cable operator Tonami Satellite Communications Television with ultra-broadband access solution, increasing speed to customers by up to 20 times.
[Satellite Spotlight – 11/19/2013]
Yahsat enters into agreement with Astrium and Boeing for Ka-band capabilities for maritime patrol aircraft.
[Hispanic Business – 11/19/2013]
SIS Live selects Ateme codecs to equip new fleet of satellite news gathering vehicles.
[Via Satellite – 11/19/2013]
Hunter Communications is approved by Industry Canada to compete in the Canadian market, and begins selling space segment.
[Via Satellite – 11/19/2013]
Mona Lisa – CNN file image
NASA successfully transmits digital image of Mona Lisa to satellite orbiting the moon and back using lasers.
[CNN – 11/18/2013]
Via Satellite dedicates edition for the Middle East & Africa region, both vibrant regions with strong demands for capacity, with Africa possibly the next big hotspot for satellite.
[Via Satellite – 11/18/2013]
Harris Corporation unfurlable mesh antenna reflectors on MUOS satellite launched in July successfully deploy in space.
[Business Wire – 11/18/2013]
Australian government is considering its options after iiNet announced it would no longer sign up any new customers to the National Broadband Network (NBN) interim satellite service as it reaches its limit.
[zdnet – 11/18/2013]
Incredible Connection partners with Maxwell Technology to bring high-speed satellite broadband to South Africa, especially suited for the agricultural and hospitality industries.
[ITweb – 11/18/2013]
Canadian government issues request for proposals for mobile satellite communication terminals for Canadian Army vehicles.
[Ottawa Citizen – 11/16/2013]
WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services
Tags: sat-nd, satellite news, satellite news digest, satellite week, satnews, space news
