Twenty years ago, the first direct-broadcast satellite system was sold in Jackson, Mississippi, at Cowboy Malone’s Electric City. They probably sell quite a few today, too.
The business has transformed itself into a competitive alternative to cable and currently counts more than 34 million subscribers (DirecTV & Dish combined). You could, however, argue there was a TVRO service for years, and PrimeStar goes back to 1991.
Falcon 9 after successful test firing – Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com – Universe Today
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket rolled out to Cape Canaveral launch pad in preparation for 6:08 P.M. EDT scheduled launch of six advanced OG2 satellites for ORBCOMM.
[Universe Today – 06/20/20014]
A Russian-Ukrainian Dnepr silo-launched rocket on June 19 successfully deployed 33 satellites ranging in size from several hundred kilograms to less than 5 kilograms each into low Earth orbit.
[Space News – 06/20/2014]
Airbus and Safran propose new Ariane 6 design and reorganization of Europe’s rocket industry.
[Space News – 06/20/2014]
Viasat asks court to halt SSL work on at least one satellite.
[Space News – 06/20/2014]
British satellite communications firm Inmarsat eyes disaster-response as a new market as it launches three satellites in the next nine months.
[Business Mirror – 06/20/2014]
Gerald Herbert/AP File Photo – Nextgov
FCC slams Chinese GPS jammer vendor with $34.9 million fine.
[Nextgov – 06/19/2014]
One of the ships searching for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Photograph: David Le-May/BBC/David Le-May – The Guardian
New revised search zone for Flight 370, based on an intensive study of satellite communications from the jet and other data, expected to be hundreds of miles south of the previous search zone.
[The Guardian – 06/19/2014]
Eutelsat plans a new triple-payload satellite designated Eutelsat 172B, to launch in 2017 at 172 degrees east to boost capacity and expand coverage across the Asia-Pacific.
[Via Satellite – 06/19/2014]
Belarusian satellite to be managed through Azerbaijan’s ground control center.
[TMCnet – 06/19/2014]
The Russian military will test its new mobile satellite communications system during the Vostok-2014 strategic exercise in Russia’s Eastern Military District.
[SatNews – 06/19/2014]
Dream Chaser – Credit: Sierra Nevada Corp. – Space News
Sierra Nevada Corp. to acquire ORBITEC.
[Space News – 06/19/2014]
Newtec M6100 modulators installed on Thaicom 6 platform, enabling TV Broadcasting services in both C-band and Ku-band in Thailand.
[realwire – 06/19/2014]
Harris publishes a patent application online titled “Portable Satellite Communication System.”
[4-traders – 06/19/2014]
Panasonic to bring satellite connectivity to Pacific aircraft routes in partnership with Eutelsat.
[Aviation Today – 06/19/2014]
Emerging Markets Communications adds 13 new field support centers in strategic remote areas worldwide in 2014.
[Satellite Spotlight – 06/19/2014]
Addvalue Innovation to preview Wideye iSavi for Smart Device Satellite Connectivity at this year’s CommunicAsia trade show in Singapore.
[CBS8.com – 06/19/2014]
Avanti launches “Avanti Mobile Assist” app for Android phones to assist satellite installation engineers with Ka-band satellite field installations.
[Satellite Spotlight – 06/19/2014]
IPSTAR Japan, a Thaicom subsidiary, reports that Tokyo-based shipping company Ocean Trans Co. has selected its end-to-end broadband service to provide its crew with Internet access.
[Digital Ship – 06/19/2014]
Obama administration opposes appropriations bill provision: $220 million to start development of a large rocket engine to replace the Russian-built RD-180.
[Space News – 06/18/2014]
Proton Rocket Launch – PHSY-ORG
A Russian startup says it will launch several satellites in the coming weeks, the country’s first private satellite constellation, to offer maritime monitoring services.
[PHYS-ORG – 06/18/2014]
Kymeta, commercializing innovative metamaterials-based flat-panel antennas for satellite communications, named by CNBC among world’s top 50 disruptors second year in a row.
[PCB007 – 06/18/2014]
SpeedCast of Australia acquires Oceanic Broadband, a leading integrator and solutions provider in the Oceania region.
[Bloomberg Businessweek – 06/18/2014]
ATCi tailors its Simulsat RF transport solution, a complete integrated RF ingest and distribution system, for the Asian market.
[Digital Journal – 06/18/2014]
SES CEO emphasizes the satellite industry’s “right to play” in the overall communications industry during address at CASBAA Satellite Industry Forum 2014.
[Via Satellite – 06/17/2014]
Global uptake of ultra HD via DTH to reach nearly 300 channels by 2023.
[NSR Press Release – 06/17/2014]
C-band spectrum essential to Asia Pacific Region according to new study released at CASBAA Satellite Industry Forum.
[Satellite Markets & Research – 06/17/2014]
Artist’s concept of GPS III satellite – Lockheed Martin/AP File Photo – Nextgov
Delays in delivery of GPS III satellites by Lockheed Martin prompt U.S. Air Force to ask other vendors for proposals to develop and build up to 22 satellites.
[Nexgov – 06/17/2014]
Laser Light Communications (LLC) enters into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) relating to LLC’s Global Hybrid Satellite-Terrestrial All Optical Network technology.
[4-traders – 06/17/2014]
India’s Telecom Commission has given the approval for introducing satellite-based mobile services in the country.
[The Hindu Business Line – 06/17/2014]
Indian Telecom panel gives nod to reduced licence fee for VSAT operators in the country.
[Business Standard – 06/17/2014]
C-COM Satellite Systems is listed amongst Canada’s fastest growing companies.
[Market Watch – 06/17/2014]
Gilat Satcom launches satellite phone service to provide connectivity in African underground mines.
[Mining.com – 06/17/2014]
Vislink and ND SatCom have announced a cooperation agreement to offer a wider product range to their broadcast and surveillance customers.
[RAPIDTV News – 09/17/2014]
Gilat announces a breakthrough in LTE backhauling using its Capricorn TDMA VSAT, following completion of tests of its 200Mbps terminal on Thaicom’s IPSTAR satellite.
[Market Watch – 06/17/2014]
Global mobile satellite communications company Inmarsat will launch its personal connectivity device IsatHub globally in August 2014..
[Satellite Evolution Group – 06/17/2014]
Parade marking 100th anniversary of Kim Il Sung’s birthday Pyongyang, North Korea. // DigitalGlobe/AP File Photo – Nextgov
Independent nonproliferation experts can now get images offering much greater detail about Iran’s and North Korea’s above-ground nuclear facilities.
[Nextgov – 06/16/2014]
Connecting to the internet via satellite. Flickr/Michael Josh Villanueva, CC BY-NC – The Conversation
News that Google representatives are in talks with Virgin Galactic seen as further evidence it is looking to set up a series of low-orbit satellites to help connect more people to the internet.
[The Conversation – 06/16/2014]
Crystal Solutions launches its Carrier ID Detection System, which allows users to quickly distinguish a satellite carrier.
[Via Satellite – 06/16/2014]
Nine Network Australia deploys several of Newtec’s solutions in order to boost efficiency in its satellite network, allowing 64% more data rate throughput.
[Newtec Press Release – 06/16/2014]
Eutelsat Communications, in partnership with ST Teleport, is set to introduce its 4K Ultra HD channel on the Eutelsat 70B satellite reaching Southeast Asia and Australia.
[Via Satellite – 06/16/2014]
INTEGRASYS has released their Satmotion Pocket Remote Commissioning Solution for Google Glass, at CommunicAsia2014 tradeshow.
[SatNews – 06/16/2014]
Gilat announces that Wireless Nation, a leading New Zealand ISP, will be deploying Gilat’s SkyEdge II VSATs powered by Optus’s wholesale satellite services.
[Globe Newswire – 06/16/2014]
ST Teleport and Eutelsat seal partnership to offer enhances connectivity solutions in Asia.
[Satellite Spotlight – 06/16/2014]
Hughes broadband satellite technology selected by Thaicom for in-flight connectivity services.
[Yahoo Finance – 06/16/2014]
TelOne of Zimbabwe says it expects its fledgling satellite broadband service, delivered in partnership with Avanti, to be contributing at least USD5 million to revenue annually within a year.
[4-traders – 06/16/2014]
Vislink & ND SatComm enter into agreement giving the companies access to each other’s product portfolios.
[IPTV News – 06/16/2014]
Scientist rescued after fall in Nepal in May will embark on a Peruvian expedition carrying the DeLorme inReach satellite communicator that saved him.
[Reuters – 06/16/2014]
As more MSS constellations and more powerful FSS and HTS satellites launch, the satellite mobility market is on the cusp of major change.
{NSR report – June 2014]
Soyuz-2.1b modernized rocket – Space Daily
Soyuz rocket puts Russian GLONASS-M navigation satellite into orbit.
[GPS Daily – 06/16/2014]
Reportlinker.com announces new market research report analyzing worldwide markets for satellite transponders in number of 36 MHz Transponder Equivalents (TPE) by application area.
[MarketWatch – 06/15/2014]
Proposed AT&T and DirecTV merger heading to streamlined Senate hearings, with little observable opposition.
[eWeek – 06/14/2014]
ReportsnReports.com offers “In-depth Research and Development Forecast of Satellite Application Industry in China, 2014″ report in its store. [Satellite Spotlight – 06/13/2014]
Avanti raises $ 157.5 million in bond market, to be used to begin HYLAS 4 satellite project.
[Hispanic Business – 06/13/2014]
Spacecom is planning new satellites to reach 80 percent of the world by 2020.
[Via Satellite – 06/13/2014]
Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 capsule (interior shown above), Credit: Boeing artist’s concept – Space News
Two companies vying to build space taxis to fly NASA astronauts to the international space station plan to offer unmanned versions of their vehicles in competition for cargo resupply services.
[Space News – 06/13/2014]
Eutelsat taps Siemens to improve satellite monitoring in Latin America.
[RAPIDTV News – 06/13/2014]
Months before awarding sole source contract to United Launch Alliance, the USAF rejected an unsolicited offer from SpaceX to launch GPS 3 satellites for $80 million each.
[Space News – 06/13/2014]
Eutelsat to introduce its 4k Ultra HD TV channel in Asia on the Eutelsat 70B satellite, in partnership with ST Teleport, one of Asia’s leading full-service communications service providers.
[SatNews – 06/13/2014]
European Space Agency modifies frequencies used by some radar Earth observation satellites to reduce the interference from ground-based wireless communications systems often operating illegally.
[Space News – 06/13/2014]
Though DigitalGlobe wins approval to sell its highest-resolution imagery to all customers, regulators reserve the right to impose some restrictions on commercial sales of data from the company’s newest, most capable satellite to be launched in August.
[Space News – 06/13/2014]
More than 300 Chinese space enthusiasts have booked tickets costing nearly $100,000 for a five minute trip to outer space.
[Space Travel – 06/13/2014]
TelOne announces new broadband through satellite product in the United Kingdom.
[TMC News – 06/13/2014]
New report from Markets and Markets defines and segments the global Nano and Microsatellites market, which it projects to be worth $1.887 billion by 2019.
[Satellite Sppotlight – 06/12/2014]
SMi presents the 16th annual Global MilSatCom conference and exhibition – Europe’s leading Military Satellite Communications event.
[University Chronicle – 06/12/2014]
The UK officially joins the US, Canada and the Netherlands in using the Lockheed Martin-produced Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) protected communications satellite system.
[Airforce Technology – 06/12/2014]
Google is in talks with Virgin Galactic about a deal that will hand it crucial access to satellite-launch technology and an equity stake in its space tourism venture.
[Space News – 06/12/2014]
Eutelsat’s KA-SAT during electromagnetic testing. Photo courtesy of Airbus Defence & Space. – SatNews
Eutelsat’s KA-SAT satellite has been selected by Wireless Innovation as part of an emergency mobile communications solution to help protect EDF Energy’s critical infrastructure in the UK.
[SatNews – 06/12/2014]
Eutelsat completes carrier ID implementation for its American coverage satellites in advance of the World Cup.
[The Wall Street Journal – 06/12/2014]
Intelsat and Speedcast join forces to bring market leading broadband and mobility solutions to the Maritime, Oil & Gas and Enterprise sectors.
[University Chronicle – 06/12/2014]
Gilat’s low-profile maritime terminals deployed on naval vessels of an unnamed Asian country.
[Yahoo Finance – 06/12/2014]
McMurdo Group integrates Iridium GO! into its fleet management software.
[Digital Ship – 06/12/2014]
NASA first demonstrated laser communications in space in October 2013. (Artist’s illustration} – Defense Systems
DISA mulls laser system for satellite communications.
[Defense Systems – 06/11/2014]
Google buying satellite maker Skybox for $500 million to improve quality and immediacy of satellite imagery used in its digital maps.
[Top Tech News – 06/11/2014]
The U.S. military’s Africa Command supervises project to improve communications for allies in North Africa and Sahel; awards $8.2 million contract to SES Government Solutions for transponders to support satellite communications from Africom.
[World Tribune – 06/11/2014]
Inmarsat names Satcom Direct Communications a “value added reseller” for Global Xpress.
[ExecutiveGov – 06/11/2014]
Intelsat aims for close cooperation with Azerbaijan`s “Azercosmos” OJSC satellite operator, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Communications and High Technologies reported.
[TMC News – 06/11/2014]
ViaSat focuses on creating a more economically favorable M2M system designed to provide higher speeds, greater security, and faster response to small fixed and mobile terminals.
[Market Watch – 06/11/20104]
Comtech Telecommunications Corp. receives $5.3 million order for Ka-band satellite power amplifiers from an existing customer, to be used in the HTS market.
[Satellite Spotlight – 06/11/2014]
New NovelSat solution for DSNG allows units to deploy multiple cameras through a single satellite modem without requiring additional bandwidth for each camera.
[Via Satellite – 06/11/2014]
WORK Microwave DVB-S2 equipment now features Carrier ID technology.
[Broadcast Newsroom – 06/11/2014]
MultiChoice to expand its leading Direct-to-Home services in sub-Sharan Africa via new Intelsat satellite, Intelsat 36.
[The Wall Street Journal – 06/11/2014]
Globecomm gets orders for WGS certified tri-band satellite terminals.
[BusinessWire – 06/11/2014]
Morelos 3. Photo: Boeing – Via Satellite
Boeing completes second Mexsat 702HP satellite.
[Via Satellite – 06/10/2014]
The High Throughput Satellite Roundtable, which is being organized for the second consecutive year, will feature dynamic new program content developed jointly by GVF and EMP.
[SatNews – 06/10/2014]
Will Google be the new Big “G” in the satellite industry? NSR professes cautious optimism in its analysis of Google’s plans to enter the satellite business.
[SatNews – 06/09/2014]
Financial district in Shanghai – PHYS.ORG
A Chinese military unit has run a hacking campaign that includes sending bogus email in a bid to intercept Western satellite communications and aerospace secrets, a US security firm said.
[PHYS.ORG – 06/10/2014]
Comtech Telecommunications Corp. gets $4.2 million order for DoubleTalk Carrier-in-Carrier satellite modems on behalf of the U.S. Army.
[Yahoo Finance – 06/09/2014]
New report at ReportsnReports.com provides forecasts and analysis of the nanosatellite and microsatellite market 2014 – 2019.
[University Chronicle – 06/06/2014]
Senate defense bill urges expansion of launch competition.
[Space News – 06/06/2014]
Eutelsat CEO says “The proliferation of national telecommunications satellites in Africa, Asia and Latin America is a waste of resources that will introduce unhealthy pressure on the global satellite industry.”
[Space News – 06/06/2014]
Source: Eutelsat – Spacenews Graphic
Eutelsat points finger at Ethiopia as incidents of jamming triple in 2013.
[Space News – 06/06/2014]
Canadian satellite component builder Com Dev sees shrinking U.S. losses – is searching for a U.S. acquisition target.
[Space News – 06/06/2014]
Managing EDRS. Credit: ESA artist’s concept – Space News
Airbus seeks new terms on data-relay contract with ESA.
[Space News – 06/06/2014]
Will Google be the new big “G” in the satellite industry? – NSR cautiously optimistic.
[NSR – 06/06/2014]
Asia to dominate satellite backhaul market with 27% of global revenue per NSR report.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 06/05/2014]
Measat 3B launch rescheduled from June 6 to September 2014.
[Via Satellite – 06/05/2014]
The search for the doomed Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has been moved to another area of the Indian Ocean dubbed “the 7th arc” following new analysis of satellite communications data.
[USA Today – 06/05/2014]
Arianespace scheduled to launch four more satellites for the O3b constellation on July 10, 2014.
[SatNews – 06/05/2014]
China bids to build Bolivia’s second satellite, an exploration satellite.
[Global Post – 06/05/2014]
EuropaSat/Hellas-sat 3 satellite – Credit: Thales Alenia Space – Space News
Arabsat, Inmarsat order dual-purpose satellite from Thales Alenia – Ku-band satellite TV payload for Arabsat, and S-band mobile payload for Inmarsat.
[Space News – 06/05/2014]
Mexico to auction two orbital slots.
[telecompaper – 06/05/2014]
ESA chief says ties with Roscosmos remain strong.
[Space News – 06/05/20104]
New T2C2 Lite suitcase-sized satcom terminal adds Ka and X bands to L-band capability, boosting performance to megabits per second and allowing soldiers to use advanced applications.
[Defense Systems – 06/05/20104]
Photograph by: Justin Tallis/AfP/Getty Images, Postmedia News – canada.com
British Airways to be first airline to offer in-flight internet in Europe.
[Canada.com – 06/05/2014]
Inmarsat to launch pan-European in-flight broadband, with British Airways in talks to become launch partner.
[The Wall Street Journal – 06/05/2014]
Global fixed satellite service market forecast for 5.4% CAGR growth between 2012 – 2016 by new market research report on companiesandmarkets.com.
[LIVE-PR – 06/04/2014]
Mobile Internet usage to increase at twice the global rate in 5 years in sub-Saharan Africa.
[Satellite Markets & Research – 06/04/2014]
OTT and multiscreen TV drive spending on broadcast and streaming video equipment.
[Satellite Markets & Research – 06/04/2014]
Intelsat hopes its Boeing-built Epic satellites, each with up to 3 times the capacity of a WGS satellite, and changes in defense acquisition approach, will supply the U.S. military with enormous on-call bandwidth.
[Breaking Defense – 06/04/2014]
KazSat-3 reaches its orbital position.
[TMC News – 06/04/2014]
SpaceX aims to increase rocket production to two per month by year-end 2014.
[Space News – 06/04/2014]
Raytheon wins when U.S. Air Force switches contractors with $298 million award for FAB-T satellite terminals.
[Defense Systems – 06/04/2014]
Airbus Defence and Space BYOD solution enables a vessel’s crew to use their own devices on board for voice and data communication, seamlessly with Pharostar VSAT, FleetBroadband or Iridium OpenPort.
[SatNews – 06/04/2014]
New high-speed satellite broadband service from Broadband Everywhere, using Astra Connect, will help bridge Scotand’s digital divide.
[University Chronicle – 06/04/2014]
Marlink to roll out its customised Ku-band VSAT service, Sealink, on 27 Stena line ferries operating in Scandinavia, the Irish Sea and the North Sea.
[Digital Ship – 06/04/2014]
Northrop Grumman introduces high power GaN amplifiers for Ka-band satellite communication terminals.
[Satellite Spotlight – 06/04/2014]
API Technologies unveils new line of radiation-hardened products.
[Via Satellite – 06/04/2014]
‘Analysis of the US Government and Military Commercial Satellite Market’ report – new satellite initiatives for Ku- and Ka-band technology in the Middle East drive adoption.
[LIVE-PR – 06/03/2014]
As announced by Russian Deputy Prime Minister in May, 2014, IGS GPS tracking stations co-sponsored by U.S. interests have stopped making their data available to scientists and others.
[Space News – 06/03/2014]
ABS ramps up for more launches after it’s sixth satellite launch in February 2014 expanded its coverage to 80% of the world’s population.
[SatNews – 06/03/0214]
Avanti Communications gets significant sale of service using Artemis capacity and considers further use of U.S. bond market to finance new satellite build.
[4-traders – 06/03/2014]
C-COM Ka-band flyaway antenna gets type approval from Eutelsat. [Market Wired – 06/03./2014]
Comtech Telecommunications is awarded $1 million order for infrastructure equipment to support satellite mobile backhaul network in Africa.
[Yahoo Finance – 06/03/20154]
TriQuint’s high performance GaN Ka-band solutions showcased at IEEE IMS/MTT.
[Satellite Spotlight – 06/03/2014]
Spanish infrastructure firm Abertis has sells its 5.01% stake in Eutelsat Communications.
[Broadband TV News – 06/03/2014]
Chinese satellite service companies are planning to form an alliance to expand their share of an increasingly competitive global market.
[TMC News – 06/02/2014]
Greg Wyler goes from O3b to Google to head up 180 satellite project.
[CED Magazine – 06/02/2014]
Globalsat Group and MultiSAT Mexico form a strategic alliance for the continental provision of satellite services and the development of advanced solutions.
[Market Watch – 06/02/2014]
RSCC’s Express AT2 satellite enters service, and Express AM6 is delivered to its launch base.
[Via Satellite – 06/02/2014]
Intersputnik negotiating joint ventures for unused orbital slots.
[Space News – 06/02/2014]
KVH plans to offer affordable delivery of AWT’s Global Weather Data to subscribing vessels Over the mini-VSAT Broadband(SM) Network.
[Wall Street Journal – 06/02/2014
ViaSat prepares to launch new M2M satellite services worldwide.
[Via Satellite – 06/02/2014]
Integrasys image – SatNews
Monitoring High Throughput Satellites presents a challenge – Integrasys addresses it with an upgrade of its ControlSat Carrier Monitoring System.
[SatMagazine – June 2014]
The June issue of Satellite Executive Briefing Magazine includes ‘Asia-Pacific Satellite Lead in All Indicatiors’ by Virgil Labrador, ‘Technical Tutorial on Ground Communications Segment’ by Bruce Elber, ‘Back and Forth on Antennas and Terminals’ by Lou Zacharilla and ‘The Oil and Gas Bandwidth Optimization Imperative’ by Martin Jarrold.
[Satellite Executive Briefing magazine – June 2014]
Free NSR webinar June 16 – ‘Wireless backhaul via satellite: the battleground between FSS and HTS.’
[NSR – June 2014]
[WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services
Inmarsat refutes Malaysia’s claim that it does not have the raw data from Inmarsat used in the MH370 search, insisting it surrendered all information to investigators early on.
[The Malay Mail online – 05/16/2014]
New NSR report examines the potentials of the utility market for satellite communications.
[SatNews – 05/16/2014]
Azerbaijan’s next moves in satellite communications depend upon cooperation with France.
[TMCnet – 05/16/2014]
SpaceX launch of Canadian government space-weather satellite. Credit: SpaceX photo – Space News
Aerospace Corp., hired by U.S. Air Force to evaluate the Falcon 9 rocket for national security launches, says it won’t cut corners on SpaceX certification.
[Space News – 05/16/2014]
RapidEye+ will be a constellation of five satellites with an imaging capacity that will far exceed the current RapidEye constellation’s capacity of 5 million km2 per day.
[SatNews – 05/16/2014]
O3b signs agreement with FSM Telecommunications Corporation to provide its O3bTrunk service to Chuuk in Micronesia.
[SatNews – 05/16/2014]
KNS launches satellite antenna Z18MK3, Ku- and C-Band, to provide advanced communications for ships requiring broadband speeds at sea with exception reliability and durability.
[SatNews – 05/16/2014]
Dubai sunset – ThreatPost file photo
The emerging threat to satellite communications – satellite communications systems and devices subject to security risks.
[Threat Post – 05/15/2014]
Russian Proton-M rocket crashes while attempting to launch Express-AM4R satellite intended to provide affordable internet access to people in remote parts of Russia.
[NBC News – 05/15/2014]
Launch of GPS IIF-6 delayed because of poor weather.
[NASA Spaceflight – 05/15/2014]
Inmarsat 5 F2 – Boeing artist’s concept – Space News
State Department issues shipping licenses for two Russia-bound satellites.
[Space News – 05/15/2014]
Russian space program gets $52 billion boost as sanctions war vaporizes U.S.-Russian space cooperation.
[Space News – 05/15/2014]
Physicists and engineers research technique to ‘sweep’ Low Earth Orbit (LEO) debris from space using an Active Debris Removal (ADR) system of deployed micron-scale dust.
[SatNews – 05/15/2014]
COMSYS report confirms Hughes as the leading provider in VSAT. [Satellite Evolution Group – 05/15/2014]
ARKA file photo
Armenia’s government makes decision to create a satellite communication department in the national center for telecommunications.
[ARKA Telecom – 05/15/2014]
Airbus Defence and Space delivers full X-band operational capabilities to four UK Royal Navy Mine Counter Measure Vessels in Arabian Gulf ahead of equipping additional vessels.
[GISuser – 05/15/2014]
U.S. Air Force is discussing the possibility of building at least two more Wideband Global Satcom communications satellites with funding from potential international partners, according to Boeing.
[Space News – 05/15/2014]
Via Sat Brasil books full high throughput payload on EUTELSAT 3B for broadband services across Brazil.
[Market Watch – 05/15/2014]
SES launches new video distribution neighborhood for Latin America and new antenna seeding program for the NSS-806 satellite.
[SatNews – 05/15/2014]
MTN releases new connectivity solution for yachts.
[Via Satellite – 05/15/2014]
KVH receives $5.2 million international military order for its TACNAV tactical navigation system.
[SatNews – 05/15/2014]
Valleypoint Telecoms of Africa contracts with Avanti Communications to extend broadband coverage across Western Kenya.
[SatNews – 05/15/2014]
New report by Euroconsult provides comprehensive analysis of the how and why of the military’s usage of satellite communications, which saw tremendous growth over past 15 years.
[Space Daily – 05/14/2014]
U.S. officials complete final draft of regulations that will remove some satellite hardware and technology from the U.S. Munitions List.
[Space News – 05/14/2014]
Kennedy Space Center director says that without NASA’s planned heavy-lift Space Launch System rocket and Orion deep-space capsule, the center has no reason to exist.
[Space News – 05/14/2014]
Malaysia PM calls for real-time tracking of planes.
[abc News – 05/14/2014]
Rivals say Inmarsat’s offer of free tracking service for airlines is misleading, since outfitting a jet with the system could cost more than $100,000.
[Reuters – 05/14/2014]
Satellite Today file photo
Inmarsat states that its equipment is onboard almost 11,000 aircraft already and free global aircraft tracking can be done “almost instantaneously.”
[Via Satellite – 05/14/2014]
Via Satellite Asia covers various aspects of the satellite market in Asia, which “remains a showcase for satellite.”
[Via Satellite – 05/14/2014]
High Throughput Satellites are a growing opportunity in Asia.
[Via Satellite – 05/14/2014]
Abducted school girls – Leadership file photo
Delegate to Nigerian National Conference claims foreign intervention over rescue of abducted girls resulted because of NigComSat’s inability to locate the girls by satellite.
[Leadership – 05/14/2014]
India’s Telecom regulator TRAI recommends that BSNL be allowed to set up a new gateway for providing satellite phone services to address an urgent requirement by security forces.
[BGR – 05/14/2014]
[KVH introduces IP-MobileCast content delivery service, an industry first that will enable seafarers to receive daily digital newspapers, television news, sports updates, music, movies, and more.
[SatNews – 05/14/2014]
The International Media Associates (TIMA) signs three-year contract with Eutelsat for Eutelsat 10A capacity to serve the growing market for satellite news gathering (SNG) across Europe,
[Broadband News – 05/14/2014]
Xplornet and Hughes sign agreement for all Echostar XIX High Throughput Satellite broadband capacity over Canada.
[MarketWatch – 05/14/2014]
Mitsubishi to provide launch services for Sky Perfect JSAT for the first time, in 2016 from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan.
[Via Satellite – 05/14/2014]
Hispasat signs an agreement with Intelsat to co-locate its Amazonas 1 satellite at the same position as Intelsat’s Galaxy 11, at 55.5 degrees west.
[Via Satellite – 05/14/2014]
Skycasters unveils new portable, easy-to-assemble antenna system for installers who need to establish satellite Internet connections in remote areas at Governor’s Hurricane Conference.
[News9 – 05/14/2014]
Advantech Wireless announces release of new 2300-G series 60W to 125W Ku-Band SSPA/BUC designed to withstand extreme temperatures.
[University Chronicle – 05/14/2014]
South-Korean antenna manufacturer Intellian has officially opened its newly expanded Innovation Centre in Seoul, saying that the extra space will allow it to increase production.
[The Digital Ship – 05/14/2014]
Federal court lifts ban on RD-180 engines, but Russian cooperation is uncertain.
[Via Satellite – 05/13/2014]
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin calls for ban on U.S. military use of RD-180 engine, and says that Russia does not intend to continue cooperation with the U.S. on the international space program beyond 2020.
[Space News – 05/13/2014]
AT&T in talks to buy satellite TV provider DirecTV for $50 Billion as telecoms megadeal war looms.
[MailOnline – 05/13/2014]
Teachers and pupils in a GEC program classroom. Photo: Department for International Development – Via Satellite
Avanti Communications has partnered with the British Department for International Development (DFID) to deliver education programs to 60,000 students in Kenya.
[Via Satellite – 05/13/2014]
Speedcast announces buyout of Satcomms Australia.
[University Chronicle – 05/13/2014]
A North Sea oil rig. Photo: Snapper (Flickr) – Via Satellite
ITC Global confident that oil and gas sector is on a long-term upswing for satellite connectivity; the sector counted for roughly half of its first quarter 2014 business.
[Via Satellite – 04/13/2014]
Image taken from the DubaiSat 2 satellite of the Emirates palace in Abu Dhabi on December 1, 2013. Photo: EIAST – Via Satellite
Emirates Institution for Advance Science and Technology unveils results from its Super Resolution Tool which improved resolution of satellite imagery by 2.5 feet, including images from DubaiSat 2.
[Via Satellite – 05/13/20104]
Marlink announces that it has been contracted to provide its new WaveCall Plus bundle to MSC Cargo Italy’s entire fleet of 124 vessels.
[Digital Ship – 05/13/2014]
Satellite operators to proceed with launches from Russia.
[Spaceflight Now – 05/12/2014]
Thales Alenia Space signs a contract with the Korean satellite service operator KT Sat to build two telecommunications satellites, Koreasat-7 and Koreasat-5A.
[SatNews – 05/12/2014]
U.N. agency gathers in Canada to discuss better flight-tracking solutions after Malaysia jet loss.
[Reuters – 05/12/2014]
Satellite operator Inmarsat is to offer a free, basic tracking service for almost all of the world’s passenger jets after the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.
[NBC News – 05/12/2014]
SMU Research file photo – PHYS ORG
Satellite view of volcanoes finds the link between ground deformation and eruption.
[PHYS ORG – 05/12/2014]
Inmarsat Maritime to provide communications services to small vessels.
[Via Satellite – 05/12/2014]
NSR’s regional-centric analysis of DTH platforms points to a significant divergence in market trends not just between “developing” and “developed” markets, but also within the markets of the “developing world”.
[NSR – 05/12/2014]
Satcom Direct is expanding outside its traditional aeronautical market through a partnership with Thuraya.
[Via Satellite – 05/12/2014]
Tigo Star, owned by Millicom International Cellular, launches DTH service in Bolivia.
[Via Satellite – 05/12/2014]
Afghanistan’s first satellite begins formal operations.
[KHAAMA PRESS – 05/10/2014]
MarketBrief report examines the current trends and opportunities in the Canadian Fixed Satellite Services in the light of recent regulatory changes and industry developments.
[Satellite Markets – May 2014
Joint Polar Satellite System – Credit: Ball Aerospace artist’s concept – Space News
House Appropriations Committee approves full funding for NOAA next-generation polar-orbiting and geostationary weather satellites, but not climate sensor plans.
[Space News – 05/09/2014]
SpaceX challenge to ULA block buy of Russian-made engines appears to hinge on the question of whether the plaintiff met the deadline for filing its protest.
[Space News – 05/09/2014]
NSR’s Global Direct-to-Home (DTH) Markets, 7th Edition, provides industry-leading analysis on the Satellite Television markets worldwide.
[NSR – 05/09/2014]
ASTRA 2G – Credit: SES Artist’s Concept – Space News
SES says Astra 2G has been cleared for shipment to Russia for launch.
[Space News – 05/09/2014]
Evolution of Milsatcom in India – a discussion of the space technologies deployed for defence and security of India.
[Pakistan Defence – 05/09/2014]
Jupiter 1/EchoStar 17 – Credit: SSL Artist’s Concept – Space News
Echostar warns investors that use of its EchoStar 19 Ka-band satellite now in development may be affected by the patent litigation between ViaSat and Space Systems/Loral.
[Space News – 05/09/2014]
Recovering mobile satellite services operator Globalstar reports double-digit growth in handset saels and subscriber revenue for its key two-way voice service.
[Space News – 04/09/2014]
Global Satellite Engineering now integrates SkyWave’s IsatData Pro, Automatic Vehicle Location, and Garmin-based dispatch within its fleet management solution.
[SatNews – 05/09/2014]
Euroconsult releases report providing insight into Milsatcom industry.
[Via Satellite – 05/08/2014]
United States remains the leader in space competitiveness, but is the only nation to decline for seven straight years, according to Futron 2014 Space Competitiveness Index..
[Satellite Markets & Research – 05/08/2014]
Oilfield communications market expected to reach $3.18 billion by 2019 – new report by MarketsandMarkets.
[TMCnet – 05/08/2014]
Research and Markets announces the addition of the “Analysis of the Global Satellite Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) Market” report, analyzing the VSAT market 2012-2019, to their offering.
[Satellite Spotlight – 05/08/2014]
Navy’s Ice Camp Nautilus on floating ice – (PHOTO COURTESY LOCKHEED MARTIN) – NUNATSIAQ Online
Navy’s floating Ice Camp Nautilus north of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, uses the MUOS secure satellite system to transmit large data files and voice transmissions during March exercises.
[NUNATSIUAQ ONLINE – 05/08/2014]
Euroconsult and Hughes to share information about how latest satellite backhaul solutions are opening opportunities to expand cellular addressable markets beyond the current paradigm in a webinar.
[SatNews – 05/08/2014]
Judge lifts temporary band on purchase of Russian RD-180 engines by United Launch Alliance.
[Space News – 05/09/2014]
RSCC plans to implement Center for Geolocation and Space Monitoring in Dubna, Russia.
[Via Satellite – 05/08/2014]
The House Armed Services Committee calls on U.S. national security officials to report back on the threat posed by Russian satellite monitoring stations.
[SatNews – 05/08/2014]
A map showing satellite communications company Inmarsat’s global subscriptions. (Reuters) – The Atlantic
Outside satellite experts say investigators could be looking in the wrong ocean for MH370 because the Inmarsat analysis doesn’t hold up.
[The Atlantic – 05/08/2014]
Inmarsat and Sea Launch say Russia sanctions won’t disrupt upcoming launches.
[SatNews – 05/08/2014]
Spaceflight Inc.’s first Sherpa hosted payload flight almost fully booked with smallsats.
[Via Satellite – 05/08/2014]
Bandwidth crunch will force Australian broadband project to ration capacity.
[Space News – 05/08/2014]
HISPASAT and Eskaltel sign agreement to provide broadband internet access throughout Spain.
[SatNews – 05/08/2014]
The International Media Associates (TIIMA) acquires capacity on the EUTELSAT 10A satellite in hopes of serving international news teams covering high-profile events such as Oscar Pistorius trial.
[Screen Africa – 05/08/2014]
Fishing Boats in NS Harbour – Marinelink file photo
Inmarsat says it now connects leisure and fishing vessels with a specially designed broadband service.
[Marine Link – 05/08/2014]
ORBCOMM will offer its portfolio of M2M solutions to government customers under Corp Ten’s General Services Administration schedule.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 05/08/2014]
ViaSat launches Exede Business internet service for small and medium-sized businesses.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 05/08/2014]
Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana Stadium. Credit: Image courtesy of Brazil’s government – Space News
Brazil awards satellite positions to Eutelsat, Hispasat, and SES affiliates.
[Space News – 05/07/2014]
Utility market full of satcom potential.
[NSR – 05/07/2014]
IPTV is set to overtake DTH in western Europe, according to a new report from Digital TV Research.
[Satellite Markets & Research – 05/07/2014]
Airbus Defence and Space launches a new Global Field-Service Alliance (GFSA) initiative to ensure quality installation and maintenance of VSAT equipment in major ports.
[Digital Ship – 05/07/2014]
Globalstar subsidiary SPOT LLC announces that its products have been used to initiate 3000 rescues around the world since 2007.
[Market Watch – 05/07/2014]
Intellian launches its new x60 terminal, designed to deliver efficient high-speed broadband on Inmarsat’s Global Xpress service, coming into service later this year.
[BYM News – 05/07/2014]
Research and Markets adds the “Global Satellite Transponder Market” report to their offering.
[Satellite Spotlight – 05/06/2014]
Pentagon funding for space programs is projected to fall 37 percent over the next four years when compared to last year’s projected spending over the same time period.
[Defense News – 05/06/2014]
Coming soon, NSR’s 4th edition of Satellite Manufacturing & Launch Services report combines thorough and invaluable market analysis with extensive and in-depth forecasts.
[NSR – 05/06/2014]
KVH doubles mini-VSAT broadband network capacity in Africa to support offshore oil and gas industry.
[MENA FN – 05/06/2014]
Sprite picosat developers hoping Kicksat, launched by Falcon 9 April 18, will deploy the 104 microsatellites it holds on May 16, before falling back into atmosphere.
[Space News – 05/06/2014]
ITC Global closes more than $30M in new service contracts and deploys 27 high-end satellite networks in first quarter 2014.
[Yahoo Finance – 05/06/2014]
NSA and British counterpart GCHQ seek ways of monitoring airplane passenger communication: Greenwald.
[Daily News – 05/06/2014]
Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited (NigComSat) urges National Conference to facilitate government policy to direct all security agencies to key into its National Public Security.
[Leadership – 05/06/2014]
U.S. sanctions against Russia’s space industry affect Europeans.
[Space Daily – 05/05/2014]
Avonline Broadband signs multi-million dollar contract extension with Avanti Communications, in order to provide a series of tailored broadband solutions to SME customers across Europe.
[SatNews – 05/05/2014]
Globecomm receives service contract extension for mission-critical distribution systems from global media and information firm in New York.
[Business Wire – 05/05/2014]
Thaicom selects Orbital Sciences Corp. and SpaceX to build and launch another television broadcasting satellite.
[Spaceflight Now – 05/04/2014]
WiFi on airlines: users will find it’s worth the trouble.
[eweek – 05/04/2014]
Nigeria Internet Group chief urges Nigerian government to sell NigComSat to private investors.
[The Nation Online – 05/04/2014]
SatNews file photo
Today’s SatHealth vehicles help save lives, time, and money. [SatMagazine – May 2014 issue]
The trends are pointing in favor of the cord-cutters.
Even BSkyB, the pay-tv service that put Astra on the map, is itself moving away from using satellite technology.
The Telegraph published an excellent report, which could be the slow de-orbiting of the satellite business…
BSkyB is preparing a major overhaul of its set-top box technology to address the threat to its subscription business from internet-based television services from American giants such as Amazon, Apple and Google.
A special unit has been set up within the company under the name “Project Ethan” to develop an entirely new system that will aim to make it easier for customers to access programmes on any device, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.
For instance, Project Ethan is understood to include plans for television recorded using the Sky+ service to be stored in a central data centre rather than on set-top box hard disks. The recordings in “the cloud” will be accessible via smartphones and tablets, or on internet-connected televisions outside the living room.
For both recorded and on-demand video, the new software will make it possible for viewers pause on their main television and then pick up where they left off on another device, and vice-versa. Sources said BSkyB, which formerly referred to the investment as “Project 2016,” could roll out the system to millions of customers as soon as two years from now.
The multi-screen technology would also allow BSkyB to extend the reach and sophistication of its recently-launched targeted advertising service. In one possible scenario, retailers could target viewers in a given postcode on their sofa then follow up with a special offer delivered to their smartphone via the Sky app.
Almost sounds like the IP-PRIME service that SES killed back in 2009.
FightSquared is about to be resolved.
After “lawyering up” for the last few years, here comes the judge. She suggested everybody coffee-up for Thursday’s hearing.
Don’t call him “Nixon,” as Charlie seldom ever loses a hand in this game.
Here’s the latest tit-for-tat, via The Deal Pipeline…
“Mr. Ergen’s testimony cannot be believed,” said debtor counsel Andrew Leblanc of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP.
Dish Network Corp. chairman Ergen, who holds more than $1 billion in secured claims including interest, is the sole objector to the reorganization of Philip Falcone-backed LightSquared.
Leblanc told the court that Ergen impeached himself 27 times during testimony earlier in 2014 by disagreeing with his deposition before the trial.
LightSquared and supporting creditors are trying to convince Judge Shelley Chapman of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District in New York that the debtor should be able to give Ergen different compensation for his secured claims than other creditors holding secured debt. The plan supporters also want Chapman to designate, or disqualify, Ergen’s vote.
The debtor plans to repay Ergen’s first-lien debt with a third-lien note that would not pay cash for seven years, unless it were refinanced. Other secured creditors would receive cash payments in full shortly after confirmation of the plan.
Ergen’s counsel, Rachel Strickland of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, called the plan “totally unjust and in violation of the [Bankruptcy] Code,” in court Monday.
LightSquared sought Chapter 11 protection two years ago. The debtor was unable to fund its business when the Federal Communications Commission withdrew support for a proposal that would allow LightSquared to use is spectrum — which is licensed for hybrid satellite-terrestrial service — for wholesale wireless broadband service.
The confirmation hearing has focused as much on Ergen’s alleged misdeeds as it has on the plan supported by Fortress Investment Group, Melody Capital Advisors LLC, Philip Falcone’s Harbinger Capital Partners LLC and JPMorgan Chase & Co.
LightSquared argues that the plan, which incorporates $2.65 billion in new financing, compensates all creditors fully and fairly.
Ergen’s lawyers told Chapman that the debtors are buying the votes of junior classes by giving them better treatment than the Dish chairman. “They are patting themselves on the back for get a fully consensual plan?” Strickland asked the court. “They are trying to work around the [Bankruptcy] Code.”
Strickland called the effort to divide the secured debt into two classes a “completely unprecedented maneuver.”
LightSquared and creditors argue that Ergen violated a credit agreement by purchasing the claims, because terms of the loan blocked competitors such as Dish from purchasing the debt.
The debtor also accuses Ergen of disrupting its reorganization, and notes that another judge in the Southern District of New York designated Dish’s vote in the reorganization of DBSD North America Inc. Dish wound up buying the satellite communications company.
Dish offered $2.22 billion to purchase LightSquared’s most attractive portfolio of wireless licenses last year. LightSquared said the offer undervalued the debtor, though a group of secured creditors proposed a reorganization of a unit of the company built around Ergen’s offer.
Dish withdrew the bid in January, after termination dates for the deal passed. Chapman ruled that the company had the legal right to terminate.
LightSquared has negligible operations. The value of the debtor’s estates lies in its spectrum, and will swing widely depending on the FCC’s ruling on licensing.
Leblanc told Chapman that Ergen plays “the long game,” and would attempt to buy the company on the cheap if he could disrupt the reorganization plan. The lawyer noted that Dish’s purchase of DBSD played out over a long period, and predicted that the satellite TV company still has an interest in LightSquared and its wireless spectrum.
Know when to hold em, know when to fold em.
Speaking in South Korea as satellite images show North Korea may be preparing for another nuclear test, Obama warns of stiffer sanctions. [Yahoo News – 04/25/2014]
U.S. Sanctions putting the brakes on Russia-bound satellite shipments. [Space News – 04/25/2014]
Falcon 9’s first stage – Credit: SpaceX photo – Space News
SpaceX’s latest cargo flight delivers a step toward rocket reusability, as first stage fired back up and successfully performed a test “soft landing” in the Atlantic. [Space News – 04/25/2014]
SpaceX files formal protest in U.S. Court of Federal Claims over multibillion-dollar U.S. Air Force contract to its incumbent launch provider, United Launch Alliance. [Space News – 04/25/2014]
Increasing shift towards satellite TV drives demand for satellite transponders according to new Global Industry Analysts report. [Digital Journal – 04/25/2014]
Government of Canada decides not to proceed with scheduled June, 2014 launch of M3M satellite constructed by COM DEV – launch to be rescheduled.. [Space Ref business – 04/25/2014]
Glonass satellite collage – Space Daily file image
Russia plans to build 50 stations for the global navigation satellite system Glonass in 36 countries, a senior official said. [GPS Daily – 04/25/2014]
Russia’s GLONASS has resumed normal operations after suffering an outage earlier this month caused by a malfunctioning satellite. [GPS Daily – 04/25/2014]
High resolution satellite proposed for Peru –
Credit: Airbus Defence and Space artist’s concept – Space News
Airbus beats a crowded field for the right to build a reconnaissance satellite for Peru. [Space News – 04/25/2014]
Russian startup Yaliny hopes crowdfunding will launch its business — and its 135 satellites. [cnet – 04/25/2014]
M2M specialist Ovinto’s monitoring solution is certified for use with Globalstar Simplex satellite technology, and the company is a Globalstar Value Added Manufacturer. [SatNews – 04/25/2014]
Loral and SSL plan to appeal jury decision in ViaSat lawsuit. [MarketWatch – 04/24/2014]
Thuraya sets its sights on maritime sector, aiming for 10% market share in 2 years. [Business Times – 04/24/2014]
Hispasat is bidding for a majority stake in Israeli satellite operator Space Communication to boost its international exposure. [Reuters – 04/24/2014]
International Maritime Organization to consider Iridium applications to be a global maritime distress and safety system service provider. [CNBC – 04/24/2014]
Globalstar is unlocking the value of its $1 billion investment in the world’s newest, most modern satellite network and challenging customers to experience the best in voice quality, data speeds and affordability. [money.msn.com – 04/24/2014]
AsiaSat of Hong Kong terminates its cooperation agreement with GeoMetWatch to place a hyperspectral meteorological sensor on the AsiaSat 9 telecommunications satellite. [Space News – 04/24/2014]
Sea Launch in Pacific Ocean –
Credit: Sea Launch photo – Space News
Boeing’s petition to a Swedish court to rulke on its attempt to collect $356 million in back bills from its former Russian and Ukranian partners in Sea Launch is rejected. [Space News – 04/24/2014]
Gondwana selects Avanti to power multiple broadband and VOIP services to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and South Africa via HYLAS 2. [MarketWatch – 04/24/2014]
United States Department of Defense awards Orbcomm partner Savi Technology with a five-year contract as the sole provider to the $204 million RFID-IV program. [Via Satellite – 04/24/2014]
General Services Administration’s Federal Acquisition Service issues combined synopsis/solicitation notice for acquisition of Worldwide Satellite Communication Services (WSCS II). [TMCnet – 04/23/2014]
U.S. Navy awards Harris Corporation potential $133 million broadband satellite communication terminal contract. [Satellite Spotlight – 04/23/2014]
Artist’s rendition of Eutelsat 65 west A. –
Photo: SSL – Via Satellite
All Eutelsat 65 West A Ka-band capacity is scarfed up by Hughes Network Systems do Brazil. [Via Satellite – 04/23/2014]
Critical military satellite systems are vulnerable to hacking. [Defense Sysems – 04/23/2014]
Silversea Cruises renews and extends its relationship with MTN for its eight-ship fleet, substantially increasing broadband connectivity and optimizing WiFi. [SatNews – 04/23/2014]
Effnet licenses its header compression technology to a leading broadband satellite communications companyu. [Globe Newswire – 04/23/2014]
New NSR report finds demand for traditional satellite capacity will remain strong, especially in the energy sector. [Reuters – 04/22/2014]
Third Kazakhstani communications satellite to be launched from Baikonur cosmodrome on April 28. [TMCnet – 04/22/2014]
Express-AT1 was launched jointly with Express-AT2 from
the Baikonur space center by a Russian Proton-M rocket
© ITAR-TASS/Oleg Urusov
[Russia puts into operation 2 new telecoms satellites. [ITAR-TASS – 04/22/20104]
General Dynamics opens new radio testing laboratory for MUOS satellite-ground station communications. [Reuters – 04/22/2014]
SkyWave launches dual satellite-cellular HSPA device. [M2M World News – 04/22/2014]
Comtech EF Data Corp., has received a USD3.1m order for SLM-5650A satellite modems from a government systems integrator. [Financial News – 04/22/2014]
US Finance Inc. commits to lend $24 million to Laser Light Global Limited, UK to build the HALO Center, a laser communications test and evaluation facility. [SatNews – 04/22/2014]
Thuraya Telecommunications Company announces a partnership with Satcom Direct, a US-based provider of voice and data communication services. [TMC News – 04/22/2014]
The satellite industry is at a critical inflection point, poised to expand beyond niche status and play a broader, more vital role in global communications. [Via Satellite – 04/21/2014]
Azerbaijan is finishing a tender procedure for the launch of the first national low-orbit satellite. [ABC.AZ – 04/21/2014]
Intelsat sees African over-capacity situation as temporary. [Via Satellite – 04/21/2014]
Astronauts get Easter treat courtesy of Space X Dragon 9. [R&D Magazine – 04/20/2014]
Handout picture released by the Peruvian Geological
Institute INGEMMET – NDTV
Satellite imagery can be used to predict which volcanoes are most likely to erupt, scientists have found. [NDTV – 04/20/2014]
Challenger Communications acquires assets of former Patriot Antenna Systems. [Press release – 03/19/2014]
WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services
Isro successfully launches navigation satellite IRNSS-1B.
[The Times of India – 04/04/2014]
Sentinel-1 – Credit: ESA/ATG medialab – RedOrbit
Sentinal-1A satellite, successfully launched on Thursday, is expected to provide regular access to key environmental data for European citizens, policymakers and service providers.
[RedOrbit – 04/04/2014]
RD180 engine in Atlas 5 rocket – Credit: NASA photo by Jack Pfaller – Space News
U.S. lawmakers press defense officials on use of Russian-made rocket engine.
[Space News – 04/04/2014]
With much more than the ISS at stake, Europe stays the course on Russian space partnerships.
[Space News – 04/04/2014]
Confrontation between SES and European Commission over a June launch slot on Arianespace seems to have been avoided by delay in delivery of Europe’s next Galileo GPS spacecraft.
[Space News – 04/04/2014]
Avanti and Quortus achieve world first in delivery of 4G over satellite.
[Satellite Spotlight – 04/04/2014]
Metop – Credit: ESA artist’s concept – Space News
Airbus is selected over Thales Alenia-OHB for billion-dollar ESA weather satellite contract.
[Space News – 04/04/2014]
Intelsat, BT, Ericsson, Newtec and Sony demonstrate next steps to make 4K UHDTV a commercial reality.
[Smart Grid – 04/04/2014]
After two-year hiatus following filing of bankruptcy, LightSquared has resumed cash payments to Inmarsat to reactivate an agreement on reorganization of L-band spectrum.
[Space News – 04/04/2014]
Optus signs $19.5 million deal with Australian Department of Defence to continue providing managed satellite services until 2018.
[Delimiter – 04/04/2014]
U.S. Air Force hopes to use Operationally Responsive Space (ORS)-5 mission as space surveillance gap filler and pathfinder for future SBSS satellite technologies.
[Space News – 04/04/2014]
Weather satellite launch, Vandenberg – Fox News
$518 million military weather satellite, Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Flight 19, is successfully launched after 15 year wait.
[Fox News – 04/03/2014]
U.S. Air Force identifies six candidate payloads, half from civilian agencies, that could be matched with commercial host satellites in its soon-to-be -awarded Hosted Payload Solutions contract.
[Space News – 04/03/2014]
Large Iridium shareholder calls for sale of company, saying management has consistently ignored interests of shareholders and cannot estimate cost of second-generation satellite constellation.
[Space News – 04/13/2014]
Avanti Communications is selected by Turkish telecom operator ESEER Telekom to deliver its satellite broadband coverage in the Middle East Region.
[4-traders – 04/03/2014]
Arab States Broadcasting Union picks EUTELSAT 21B as broadcast exchange gateway between North Africa, Middle East and Europe.
[TMCnet – 04/03/2014]
Small eruption of Mount Rinjani in Indonesia. Credit: Oliver Spalt, Wikipedia – PHYS-ORG
Satellite view of volcanoes finds the link between ground deformation and eruption.
[PHYS.ORG – 04/03/2014]
KVH increases its lead in the maritime VSAT market according to latest report from Euroconsult, reaching a 26% share of the industry’s 11,000 activated maritime VSAT terminals.
[SatNews – 04/03/2014]
Comtech Telecommunications receives $3.7 million in orders from an international OEM for High Power Amplifiers to be used for jamming communications.
[Satellite Spotlight – 04/03/2014]
U.S. Air Force requested demonstration by Northrup Grumman shows Global Hawk can used additional satellite link to transfer command and control signals separately from mission data.
[Yahoo Finance – 04/03/2014]
Captain Judy Rice with Think Global Flight students – BlueSky
Inmarsat will provide satcom hardware and airtime to the Think Global Flight mission flying to 25 countries and 31 U.S. states to highlight importance of science, technology, engineering and math education.
[BlueSky Business Aviation News – 04/03/2014]
Australian satellite broadband provider NBN adds capacity for 9000 more users.
[The Sydney Morning Herald – 04/03/2014]
Asianet Satellite Communications expects to grow its broadband subscribers by 50% due to its migration from Docsis 2.0 to Docsis 3.0.
[Television Post – 04/03/2014]
Israel-based NovelSat is offering to provide broadcasters with free bandwidth, per se, through its newest product: FreeBand.
[Via Satellite – 04/03/2014]
GT-SAT deploys MaxLinear MxL862 SoC in its new DLNB, allowing European and Latin American satellite operators to migrate to digital channel stacking.
[Business Wire – 04/03/2014]
Reference design from MaxLinear and STMicroelectronics to speed multi-channel Ultra HD HEVC satellite STB and gateway deployments.
[Financial Content – 04/03/2014]
Example of hyperspectral satellite imaging that STORM will provide. – Via Satellite
Tempus Global Data to use Utah State University-built STORM instrument to provide space-based weather data to commercial and government customers.
[Via Satellite – 04/03/2014]
Azerspace 1 satellite to broadcast Ukrainian TV channels.
[Via Satellite – 04/03/2014]
Skyline Communications announces new office for the Americas in Miami, Florida.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 04/03/2014]
Euroconsult report “Profiles of Government Space Programs” reveals decline in global budgets for space programs for first time in nearly 20 years.
[Via Satellite – 04/02/2014]
Ultra-secure communications payload on third AEHF satellite activated for first time, and user testing begins.
[4-traders – 04/02/2014]
The launch of Ukraine’s first-ever communications satellite has been delayed by the Russian annexation of Crimea.
[Broadband TV News – 04/02/2014]
China delivers communications satellite project to Bolivia.
[Global Times – 04/02/2014]
As U.S. and coalition forces draw down in Afghanistan, a suitcase-sized satellite communications kit will help keep communications disruptions to a minimum.
[ECN – 04/02/2014]
Goldin Associates acquires communications advisory firm Summit Ridge Group.
[Digital Journal – 04/02/2014]
The global M2M satellite communication market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.8% from 2014 to 2019 in new Research and Markets report.
[Satellite Spotlight – 04/01/2014]
Wikipedia photo – Via Satellite
Recent talks between Charlie Ergen of Dish and Mike White of DirecTV reignite discussions on whether a merger is possible – familiar FCC and DOJ objections likely remain in place.
[Via Satellite – 04/01/2014]
Ball Aerospace and Aerojet Rocketdyne green propellant test results surpass expectations.
[Via Satellite – 04/01/2014]
Emerging Markets Communications establishes new location in Aberdeen, Scotland.
[PR Web – 04/01/2014]
RRsat is selected as key delivery partner of DFH Network for North American distribution in $6 million deal.
[Via Satellite – 04/01/2014]
NASA Data Systems partners with Avanti Communications to deploy satellite broadband in Middle East.
[Yahoo Finance – 04/01/2014]
EM Solutions gets grant from Australian government under the Defence Science and Technology Organisation’s Capability and Technology Demonstrator Program.
[SatNews – 04/01/2014]
NSR’s Energy Markets via Satellite, 4th Edition provides the industry-leading, dedicated analysis on the energy markets – from pipeline SCADA applications to semi-submersible drilling platforms.
[NSR – April 2014]
“NAB 2014 to Highlight the New Multiplatform Media Environment” by Virgil Labrador, “Trends in Broadcasting” by Elisabeth Tweedie, “Direct-to-Home Satellite Trends” by Dmitri Buchs, “Back and Forth with Jorge Villareal, Tomaz Lovsin and Eric Greenberg” by Lou Zacharilla, and “The Road to Sprint/T-Mobile Merger Goes through DISH” by Armand Musey.
[Satellite Exeutive Briefing – April 2014]
Sea Launch advises Eutelsat Communications to postpone the scheduled launch of its Eutelsat 3B satellite on April 15 due to installation discrepancy.
[Wall Street Journal – 03/31/2014]
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISROI) scientists believe the failure of imported components for the satellite power supplies may be the cause of INSAT-4B glitches.
[SatNews – 03/31/2014]
Latest leak from Snowden – the NSA and GCHQ hacked into the systems of three German satellite communication providers.
[The Register – 03/31/2014]
Capacity on nine Eutelsat satellites mobilised for worldwide high definition coverage of canonisation of John XXIII and John Paul II.
[The Wall Street Journal – 03/31/2014]
Image: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center – R&D Magazine
Data on photosynthesis activity teased from current satellite data shows high productivity in U.S. corn belt.
[R&D Magazine – 03/31/2014]
Saft satellite battery. Photo: Saft – Via Satellite
Battery technology company Saft looks to discoveries across multiple industries in order to improve pace of development for space-specific batteries.
[Via Satellite – 03/31/2014]
Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announces it has completed in-orbit delivery of TURKSAT-4A to Turksat.
[Financial Content – 03/30/2014]
WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services
