Posts Tagged ‘via satellite’

WBMSAT News Bits 08/15/2014

Monday, August 18th, 2014

Industry Reports

New TDG report finds 4K TV forecast overly optimistic, predicting that it will be a niche market for at least another five years, finally seeing widespread viewing in 2019 and growing quickly beyond.
[Satellite Markets & Research – 08/14/2014]

New Euroconsult report finds modest revenue growth for commercial FSS operators in 2013.
[Satellite Markets & Research – 08/13/2014]

High Throughput Satellites definitely have a role to play in consumer broadband, enterprise applications, and mobility – but will they face a zero-sum game in the energy market?
[Northern Sky Research – 08/13/2014]

New UK Satellite Telecommunications activities Market report finds rising demand for mobile internet access is encouraging expansion, with 5-year compound growth through 2014 of 5.8%, to £1.7 billion.
[Live-PR – 08/12/2014]

Industry Groups, Trade Shows

Leading industry experts to meet at MilSatCom Latin America in Rio de Janeiro August 27, 28.
[Brazil Business – 08/14/2014]

The Satellite Interference Reduction Group (IRG) has announced that its next workshop will be hosted by Inmarsat at its London Headquarters from 21st – 22nd October.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 08/13/2014]

Satellite Launches

Galileo satellite – GPS Daily file image

First operational Galileo GPS satellites integrated for Soyuz launch.
[GPS Daily – 08/15/2014]

Optus 10 – Space Daily file image

Return of Optus 10 to French Guiana sets stage for Sept launch of Optus 10 and co-passenger MEASAT-3b.
[Space Travel – 08/15/2014]

ULA Atlas V successully launches DigitalGlobe WorldView-3 satellite out of Vandenberg AFB.
[NASA Spaceflight – 08/13/2014]

Satellite Construction

Orbital selected by Avanti Communications to build HYLAS 4 High-Throughput commercial Satellite.
[TMCnet – 08/14/2014]

Artist’s concept of Solar Probe Plus – NASA photo

Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory awards contact to Northrop Grumman for Scalable Space Inertial Reference Unit for NASA’s Solar Probe Plus satellite.
[Via Satellite – 08/14/2014]

Satellite Technology

RapidEye PCM combines BlackBridge’s RapidEye satellite imagery with MDA’s PCM technology to accelerate the comparison of images from different times and identifying lasting changes.
[Via Satellite – 08/14/2014]

6 kilowatt Hall-effect thruster – Credit: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory photo – Space News

NASA is exploring a wide range of propulsion technologies to enable cubesats to maneuver.
[Space News – 08/11/2014]

Ground Systems Technology

MaxLinear’s new low-cost USB tuner-demodulator brings digital broadcast high-definition TV to consumers throughout Latin America.
[Satellite Spotlight – 08/14/2014]

Luso Microwave announces a new family of modular C–band to KA-band antennas in a range of reflector sizes from 1.2m to 4.2m.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 08/12/2014]

NovelSat conducts successful trial of its “free bandwidth” product, NovelSat Freeband, at the Redo Novo Tempo de Comunicação broadcast center in Brazil.
[Via Satellite – 08/12/2014]

Government, Military & Defense

Russian Federal Space Agency image

Russia is considering creating a new satellite system for transmitting secret military communications as it continues to beef up its defense capacities in a bid to re-emerge as a global military power.
[The Moscow Times – 08/14/2014]

Next generation satellite communications system to see testing aboard Coast Guard Cutter Healy during Arctic Shield 2014.
[dvids – 08/14/2014]

SSL and NanoRacks partnership for Hosted Payloads Solutions program one of most unique approaches to Air Force’s recently announced IDIQ contract.
[Via Satellite – 08/14/2014]

Newly confirmed U.S. Space Command Chief makes forceful case for adopting a new space architecture.
[Space News – 08/13/2014]

Schriever Air Force Base 3 SOPS bids farewell to oldest DSCS satellite, shutting down the final components on July 30.
[Air Force Space Command – 08/13/2014]

General Dynamics successfully demonstrates the promise of the MUOS satellite communications system using PRC-155 Manpack radios in Phoenix, Arizona and Taunton, Massachussets.
[MarineLink – 08/13/2014]

Kratos Defense & Security gets $$38.7 million SPAWARS contract to provide satellite communications, radio frequency and navigation systems support services.
[Yahoo Finance – 08/12/2014]

DoD signs situational awareness agreement with Space Data Association.
[Via Satellite – 08/12/2014]

Airbus Defense and Space awarded contract to provide services related to hosting U.S.A.F. communications systems onboard commercially operated satellites.
[Satellite Spotlight – 08/11/2014]

Government Regulation

Inmarsat gets approval to sell IsatPhones in Colombia.
[Via Satellite – 08/13/2014]

Cobham’s AVIATOR 200 SwiftBroadband solution has received Administración Nacional de Avianción Civil (ANAC) Brazil Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval for installation by King Air operators.
[Satnews – 08/12/2014]

Aeronautical

Inmarsat announces first successful installation and ongoing trials of its ACARS1-capable SwiftBroadband Safety equipment on an Airbus A319.
[HispanicBusiness – 08/15/2014]

Consumer Broadband

ViaSat Inc. to offer Exede(R) high-speed satellite internet plans that provide households in select locations across the country with virtually unlimited broadband data usage.
[The Wall Street Journal – 08/12/2014]

Maritime

Interior of world’s largest passenger ship, Allure – (LEHTIKUVA, REUTERS / October 28, 2010)

Royal Caribbean cruise ships Allure of Seas and Quantum of the Seas to get high-speed Internet powered by O3b Networks.
[Sun Sentinel – 08/13/2014]

Oil & Gas

North Sea oil rig – Wikepedia photo

RigNet upgrades VSAT bandwidth of global offshore drilling customer in the Barents Sea to 8 Mbps.
[Via Satellite – 08/14/2014]

Space

Astronauts aboard ISS release Cygnus supply ship, now full of trash for disposal, after month-long space station visit.
[R&D Magazine – 08/15/2014]

XCOR LYNX – Space Travel file image

XCOR Lynx spacecraft full scale model “Space Corvette” lands at Monterey Jet Center.
[Space Travel – 08/15/2014]

Purdue Univ. student team designs, builds and tests critical part of new rocket engine as part of a NASA project to develop spacecraft technologies needed for cosmic venues.
[R&D Magazine – 08/13/2014]

Credit: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory artist’s concept – Space News

NASA’s OCO-2 satellite reaches operational orbit.
[Space News – 08/13/2014]

Legal

Loral wins reversal of $283 million damages award – new trial on damages set for November – ViaSat seeks court order barring further patent infringement.
[Via Satellite – 08/11/2014]

Capacity Agreements

Kacific signs multimillion-dollar agreement with Solomon Telekom Company for broadband services on the upcoming HTS Kacific 1.
[Via Satellite – 08/13/2014]

Azercosmos signs first TV channel, Afghan Paiwestoon Media Communication’s free-to-air Batur TV, for Azerspace 1 satellite.
[Via Satellite – 08/11/2014]

Services Contracts

Optus will provide ITC Global with expanded satellite capacity, equipment hosting, up-linking and downloading services via its major satellite facility in Perth, Australia.
[SatNews 08/15/2014]

Air Astana has selected SITA to assure its general and operational communications needs, including communications with partners and advanced datalinks for air traffic control.
[The Astana Times – 08/15/2014]

GenCom, the communications arm of Genco Energy Services (GES) signed an additional contract with SCS Networks to use iDirect technology for a private satellite network.
[Via Satellite – 08/12/2014]

Operator Market Strategy & Revenues

ViaSat asks investors to focus on revenue and gross profit, and not raw subscriber numbers.
[Space News – 08/13/2014]

Globalstar hopes half of its subscriber base will be made of non-North American customers by 2017.
[Via Sateilite – 08/12/2014]

TCS selected to join O3b’s exclusive partner program.
[PCB007 – 08/11/2014]

History

On this day in history – August 12, 1960 – NASA’s 1st successful communications satellite, Echo 1A, is launched from Cape Canaveral.
[EDN – 08/12/2014]

Human Interest

Inmarsat-supported aid agency Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) has been required to leave an Iraqi camp as civil war develops.
[Via Satellite – 08/12/2014]


WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 03/21/2014

Sunday, March 23rd, 2014

High winds delay launch of Astra 5B and Amazonas 4A.
[Broadband TV News – 03/21/2014]

Satellites pick up two significant objects in the southern Indian Ocean southwest of Australia, one estimated at 78 feet long, and ships are steaming quickly toward both.
[Hot Air – 03/20/2014]

Malaysia Airlines Jet – NDTV file photo

Missing flight MH370 puts spotlight on satellite technologies that could ensure tracking and communicating with aircraft over water and uninhabited areas.
[NDTV Gadgets – 03/20/2014]

Congress acknowledges need for new acquisition models for DOD to obtain needed satellite bandwidth – recorded Federal News Radio panel discussion with SES GS CEO and
government officials and consultants.
[Federal News Radio – 03/20/2014]

NewSpace Global releases 2014 SmallSat report examining global industry leaders, major investors, and sources of revenue in this sometimes obscure market.
[SatNews – 03/20/2014]

KazSat-3 at the testing and assembling division of Baikonur cosmodrome. ©RIA Novosti

KazSat-3 being readied for shipment to Baikonur.
[Tengri News – 03/20/2014]

Orbital drops antitrust lawsuit against United Launch Alliance.
[Space News – 03/20/2014]

Es/HailSat solicits bids for second satellite.
[Space News – 03/20/2014]

RRsat plans expansion in US market, opening a new office in the United States.
[Via Satellite – 03/20/2014]

Exelis installs its satellite communications on-the-move technology into the U.S. Army Stryker vehicle during the Army Expeditionary Warfighting Experiment at Fort Benning, GA.
[Executive Biz – 03/20/2014]

M7 group selects EUTELSAT 9A to launch its new pay-TV platform in Hungary.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 03/20/2014]

Speedcast strengthens it leadership position in the Asian maritime market with new facilities in Singapore.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 03/20/2014]

SES reaches 291 million TV homes around the world, with 151 million in Europe; sees room for growth in Latin America.
[Via Satellite – 03/19/2014]

DMSP-19 encapsulation within the Atlas V launch vehicle payload fairing represents an important milestone for the DMSP-19 launch campaign.
[Los Angeles AFB – 03/19/2014]

Arianespace launch – Satellite Evolution Group file photo

Arianespace calls for opening of U.S. government market to international launch services competition.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 03/19/2014]

Head of Germany’s space agency urges ESA to scrap the favored Ariane 6 plans.
[Space News – 03/19/2014]

Gogo receives supplemental type certificate from FAA to install Ku-band satellite connectivity service on Airbus A330 aircraft.
[Yahoo Finance – 03/19/2014]

Inmarsat signs contract with Hughes Network Systems to manufacture the new Low Profile BGAN terminal.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 03/19/2014]

Globecomm Maritime forms a strategic relationship with Future Care, Inc, to create Future Care Live, a video-enabled telemedicine solution.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 03/19/2014]

Gilat introduces StealthRay 300X-M Low-Profile Ultra-Compact X-Band Satellite-on-the-Move Antenna.
[ThomasNet News – 03/19/2014]

RSCC and Thales Alenia Space successfully launch two new Russian communications and broadcasting satellites, Express At1 and At2.
[Via Satellite – 03/18/2014]

Former Arianespace chief says SpaceX has advantage on cost in testimony to French Senate.
[Space News – 03/18/2014]

GeoStar 3 platform – Space Daily file photo

Orbital introduces the GEOStar-3 commercial communications satellite platform.
[Space Mart – 03/18/2014]

Pentagon weaning itself from controversial bandwidth lease with Hong Kong firm.
[Space News – 03/18/2014]

Ball Aerospace powers on bus of the first Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS-1) satellite for the first time.
[Yahoo Finance – 03/18/2014]

File photo CCL3 – MarineLink.com

An alliance between France’s Orolia, and Transas Group aims to integrate Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and Search and Rescue (SAR) functionality into enhanced marine communication solutions.
[MarineLink – 03/18/2014]

Harris Broadcast splits into two separate companies: Imagine Communications and Gates Air.
[Via Satellite – 03/18/2014]

Gogo’s business group Aircell unveils its ST 4300, a new in-flight communications system for business aircraft.
[Via Satellite – 03/18/2014]

Elektrobit completes a multi-year study with European Space Agency (ESA), analyzing the benefits of using multiple antennas (MIMO) in satellite communications.
[CIOL – 03/18/2014]

Airbus Defense and Space launch new high throughput satcom services featuring Ku-, X-, and Ka-bands without need to change antenna systems.
[Space Daily – 03/18/2014]

Gilat SkyEdge II-c Capricorn IP Router offers throughput exceeding 200 Mbps.
[Thomas Net – 03/18/2014]

Moscow accuses Ukraine of electronic attack on satellite.
[Free Beacon – 03/17/2014]

M2M satellite communication market to grow at a CAGR of 9.8% to 2019 according to RnRsMarketResearch report.
[Satellite Spotlight – 03/17/2014]

Global Satellite Communication market in the Oil and Gas industry is to grow at a CAGR of 5.74 percent over the period 2013-2018.
[Live – PR – 03/17/2014]

Arab satellite pay-TV market expected to grow at steady pace from 2014 to 2017, with room for more entrants into the market.
[Via Satellite – 03/17/2014]

Azerbaijan and Argentina to cooperate in outer space.
[azernews – 03/17/2014]

kangshutters/shutterstock.com – CGN

GSA renews satellite-based training network contract with Hughes Network Systems.
[GCN – 03/17/2014]

Orange Business Services joins European Union to assist in development of cloud-based ship management platform.
[Via Satellite – 03/17/2014]

Satellite signals can confirm plane’s identity.
[KETV – 03/17/2014]

PlanetLabs small satellite – New York Times

Start-up Planet Labs aims to conquer space market, launching dozens of small satellites to provide near constant observation of Earth.
[New York Times – 03/16/2014]

Arabsat issues an RFP for four new satellites, to be designated HS3, HS4, AR6E and AR6A.
[Broadband TV News – 03/16/2014]

Gilat Satellite Networks chosen by Inmarsat as Gobal Xpress services partner for new fixed land VSAT opportunities.
[Space Ref – 03/16/2014]

TECOM antenna – Avionics Intelligence

Ka-band tail-mounted satellite communications antenna for in-flight Internet connectivity introduced by TECOM.
[Avionics Intelligence – 03/16/2014]

VSAT Auto-commissioning systems enable accurate VSAT pointing, crosspol, and power adjustment, providing feedback to the installer from a carrier monitoring system over the VSAT link.
[SatMagazine – March issue]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services


WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 03/02/2012

Saturday, March 3rd, 2012

UK Scientists to help satellites dodge sun storms, by giving enough advance warning to allow operators to move, reconfigure, or shut down satellites in harm’s way.
[Reuters – 03/02/2012]

Military strives to increase bandwidth and link satellite and terminal design while turning to commercial suppliers for hosted payloads, as bandwidth demand is not reduced by two wars winding down.
[Defense Systems – 03/02/2012]

The launch of the first Mobile User Objective System satellite in February signals a new era of comms-on-the-move in the Defense Department.
[Defense Systems – 03/02/2012]

Pasta-shaped radio waves beamed across Venice, demonstrating an apparent solution to radio congestion using the twisted radio waves to transmit separate channels on each, at the same frequency.
[R&D Magazine – 03/02/2012]

Loral Space and Communications suspends preparations to spin off the company’s satellite manufacturing division to focus on strategic transaction with unnamed buyer or group of buyers.
[Space News – 03/02/2012]

Syria blocks Red Cross from Homs neighborhood, cutting off communications and jamming satellite signals as it is accused of overrunning district, performing execution style killings and a scorched-earth campaign.
[The Republic – 03/02/2011]

DigitalGlobe’s images of Baba Amr district of Homs, Syria show damage caused by recent fighting between the Syrian army and rebels.
[SatNews – 03/01/2012]

Avanti Communications chief executive says the launch of a third broadband satellite, HYLAS 3, will give the company the ability to “cherry-pick” customers in Africa.
[4-traders – 03/01/2012]

SES drops ASTRA name, renaming ASTRA Broadband Services as SES Broadband Services, and ASTRA2Connect as SES Broadband.
[SatNews – 03/01/2012]

Lockheed Martin announces success of in-orbit testing of the first Advance Extremely High Frequency satellite.
[UPI – 03/01/2012]

Datum Systems as new multi-function data interface for PSM-500 series modems that supports optional Advanced Ethernet IP or Dual G.703 interface.
[SatNews – 03/01/2012]

International Datacasting is awarded new contract to provide the Canadian Forces Radio and Television broadcast services for up to an additional five years. [SatNews – 03/01/2012]

Al Jazeera platform of 10 channels uses new footprint of Eutelsat’s EUTELSAT 7 West A to reach viewers from Morocco to Nigeria.
[Sacramento Bee – 03/01/2012]

Telemar to launch SeaMore, a new, joint full-service communications solution with Vizada for the maritime community.
[SatNews – 03/01/2012]

European Union’s TV information services move to the EUTELSAT 9A satellite.
[Sacramento Bee – 03/01/2012]

Canada’s MDA awaits decision on contract bid to U.S. DARPA before deciding whether to shelve its work on a space vehicle to service satellites and perform other chores in orbit.
[Space News – 03/01/2012]

Hughes Network Systems completes installation of its latest technology, HN NOCXT, for Pagaso Banda Ancha at its new teleport in Toluca, Mexico.
[SatNews – 03/01/2012]

BepiColombo, an ESA mission to the planet Mercury in collaboration with the Japanese space agency is now planned for launch in August 2015.
[SatNews – 03/01/2012]

YAHSAT launches new VSAT service on opening day of CABSAT show.
[Khaleej Times – 02/29/2012]

Laptop stolen a year ago from NASA contained formulas used to control the International Space Station.
[Nextgov – 02/29/2012]

LightSquared CEO Sanjiv Ahuja resigns after failing to get government clearance for the company’s planned LTE network; Philip Falcone takes seat on the board.
[Wireless Week – 02/28/2012]

New research program at Rensselaer Polytechnic seeks to define next generation of low-orbit satellites that are cheaper to launch, longer lived, more maneuverable, and easier to hide; research could also define means to guide dead satellites and debris to Earth.
[R&D Magazine – 02/28/2012]

Raytheon’s U.S. Air Force satellite terminal system achieves two critical milestones and is its first Advanced Extremely High Frequency terminal for the Air Force to enter production.
[Space Daily – 02/28/2012]

SES announces that Saudi-based communications service provider ICCES will use Ku capacity on SES-4 to help customers extend their VSAT-delivered services across Saudi Arabia, North Africa, Libya, Tunisia, and other key countries.
[SatNews – 02/28/2012]

C-COM completes successful testing of Ka-band mobile antenna with Avanti Communications.
[Market Watch – 02/28/2012]

SES signs new long-term multiple transponder contract with GlobeCast.
[SatNews – 02/28/2012]

Comtech EF Data partners with O3b as provider of modems, advanced VSAT solutions, and RF products.
[SatNews – 02/28/2012]

U.S. Air Force undersecretary unveils familiar military space budget strategy.
[Satellite Today – 02/27/2012]

Second Ariane 5 launch in 2012, scheduled for May to orbit Japan’s JCSAT-13 and Vietnam’s VINASAT-2, completes its initial assembly at spaceport in French Guiana. [SatNews – 02/27/2012]

Comtech Telecommunications Corp receives $2.0 million order to support global maritime fleet upgrade.
[Market Watch – 02/27/2012]

Etisalat signs with Intelsat for multi-year capacity on Intelsat 22, scheduled to launch in late March 2012.
[SatNews – 02/27/2012]

SeaSpace becomes first commercial company to provide an NPP solution to customers, as it releases its first NPP image to be broadcast over California since Direct Broadcast was turned on earlier that day by NASA.
[SatNews- 02/27/2012]

Boeing Defence Australia pursues renewal of operations contract at Pine Gap satellite intelligence facility near Alice Springs that it lost to Raytheon in 2005 after holding the contract for 30 years.
[SatNews – 02/27/2012]

ITU considers application of Azerbaijan for new orbital position.
[TMCnet – 02/26/2012]

WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 02/11/2012

Sunday, February 12th, 2012

Australia’s National Broadband Network Company orders two expensive broadband satellites from Space Systems/Loral; some politicians attack as not needed and too expensive.
[Delimiter – 02/11/2012]

Satellite Internet company Skycasters launches a 1.8m Satellite Internet trailer said to be “fast, tough, and smart.”
[Market Watch – 02/09/2012]

Remember the old days? Jamesburg Earth Station in California is for sale – again – after millionaire’s plan to turn it into an Internet business proved not feasible and he instead turned it into a home.
[NPR – 02/11/2012]

U.S. threatens action against Thales Alenia Space, suspecting that it illegally used U.S. know-how or parts in spacecraft launched by Chinese rockets.
[Baltimore Sun – 02/10/2012]

NASA seeks proposals for flight demonstrations of small satellite technologies with goal of increasing technical capabilities of these spacecraft.
[SpaceRef – 02/10/2012]

First MUOS satellite set to launch February 16, but waveform for manpack systems that would allow warfighters Coms On The Move like cell phone capabilities still not ready.
[Space News – 02/10/2012]

Raytheon is tripling the satellite capacity for all AN/ARC-231 airborne radio terminals at no cost to the end user.
[SatNews – 02/10/2012]

U.S. officials consider developing standards for GPS spectrum to allow companies developing broadband networks to use mobile satellite frequencies without interfering with GPS devices.
[Space News – 02/10/2012]

Twitter announces partnership with Iridium and Thuraya that will allow emergency tweets, or tweets from people who have no other broadband access, “available to every person on the planet.”
[vatornews – 02/10/2012]

AsiaSat 6 and AsiaSat 8 scheduled to be launched in 2014 by SpaceX.
[The Register – 02/09/2012]

Russians may spend 346.5 billion rubles (almost US$12 billion) on its Glonass navigation satellite system between 2012 and 2020.
[SatNews – 02/09/2012]

GE-Satcom, also known as Satlynx, is acquired by Trustcomm International.
[SatNews – 02/09/2012]

DVB is investigating expansion of current DVB-S2 standard for satellite contribution and high speed links as Newtec launches Clean Channel Technology(TM) and calls for the DVB expansion.
[MENAFM – 02/09/2012]

Iridium launches second-generation maritime broadband platform, Iridium Pilot(TM), offering fully global maritime broadband with data rates up to 134 kbps.
[Market Watch – 02/09/2012]

ILS sets new launch date of February 15 for SES-4.
[Satellite Today – 02/08/2012]

Researchers in Germany claim to have broken voice encryption of satellite phones on the Thuraya network, exposing dangers and insufficiencies of current encryption algorithms.
[Network World – 02/08/2012]

Reconn, an 8 lb. SATCOM tool introduced by the Harris Corp. and Coolfire Solutions, connects a smartphone to system hardware including a spectrum analyzer, power meter, LNB tester, and multi-meter, and will help users set up, activate, monitor, and troubleshoot satellite systems.
[UPI – 02/08/2012]

Satellite industry set for 10-year growth spurt.
[Communications Technology – 02/07/2012]

Avanti raises funds to build third broadband satellite, HYLAS 3.
[Broadband Choice – 02/07/2012]

ViaSat files lawsuit against Space Systems/Loral, alleging that SS/L used ViaSat technologies in other customers’ satellites.
[SatNews – 02/07/2012]

NASA says Russian space launch glitches no worry – Soyuz is still the most reliable launcher in the world.
[R&D Magazine – 02/07/2012]

Canada approves DISH Network’s request to transfer Canadian spectrum licenses held by TerreStar to DISH.
[SatNews – 02/07/2012]

Marlink upgrades maritime VSAT service with iDirect Evolution technology.
[Market Watch – 02/06/2012]


WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 02/03/2012

Saturday, February 4th, 2012

Global Industry Analysts releases report calling for satellites related products and services to reach J.S. $219.6 billion by 2015.
[San Francisco Chronicle – 02/03/2012]

Iran launches its third satellite.
[TG Daily – 02/03/2012]

NewSat signs a 15-year $US180 million contract with MEASAT to supply capacity on its Jabiru-1 satellite; is close to funding new satellites.
[Sydney Morning Herald – 02/03/2012]

Vislink to launch its new Advent Mantis “MSAT” Man Portable Data Terminal, a highly portable tri-band satellite antenna system specifically designed for rapid deployment in hostile environments, at CABSAT 2012.
[SatNews – 02/03/2012]

NASA is seeking proposals for flight demonstrations of small satellite technologies with the goal of increasing the technical capabilities and range of uses for this emerging category of spacecraft.
[Sacramento Bee – 02/02/2012]

SpaceX successfully test fires SuperDraco rocket engine – these engines “will power a revolutionary launch escape system that will make Dragon the safest spacecraft in history and enable it to land propulsively on Earth or another planet with pinpoint accuracy.”
[SatNews – 02/02/2012]

Telesat proposes $40 million investment in Artic Infrastructure to expand broadband services in the North.
[Broadcaster Magazine – 02/02/2012]

XTAR joins as new member of the Satellite Industry Association.
[Space Ref – 02/02/2012]

The European Commission issues contract worth some 255m euros (£210m; $330m) to a German-UK consortium to provide eight more spacecraft for its Galileo satellite-navigation network.
[BBC – 02/02/2012]

Viasat collaborated with Radisys to develop an entirely new ATCA-based Satellite Modem Termination System to support communications with ViaSat 1 and keep up with advancements in satellite technology.
[Market Watch – 02/02/2012]

SES and French Internet provider France-Telecom-Orange announce expansion of SES’ ASTRA2Connect with higher speeds of up to 10 Mbps.
[SatNews – 02/02/2012]

Inmarsat selects Metaswitch to expand and enrich FleetBroadband maritime communications service, allowing simultaneous calls.
[SatNews – 02/02/2012]

Mercury Computer Systems to deliver integrated ATCA(R)-based signal processing subsystem to support next generation mobile satellite system.
[Market Watch – 02/02/2012]

UniTek awarded contract by ViaSat to support the rollout of ViaSat’s Exede satellite broadband service.
[Market Watch – 02/02/2012]

European Commission selects OHB AG of Germany over Astrium to build eight more Galileo positioning, navigation, and timing satellites.
[Space News – 02/01/2012]

Eutelsat’s Tooway(TM) satellite service set to boost broadband in France for SFR affiliate, NomoTech.
[Market Watch – 02/01/2012]

KVH announces major upgrade to its mini-VSAT maritime broadband network, overlaying global C-band satellite coverage atop its Ku-band footprint for first of its kind dual-band maritime satellite network covering 95% of the earth’s surface.
[Market Watch – 02/01/2012]

SatLink launches platforms on Amos 5 Pan-African C-band, and Sub-Saharan Ku-band.
[Broadband TV News – 02/01/2012]

Blue Sky Network selected as Premium Portal Provider for iridium Extreme(TM) satellite phone.
[Market Watch – 02/01/2012]

Satworx teams up with Yukon Quest to provide the 1,000 mile Alaskan dog race event with a communication solution.
[Market Watch – 02/01/2012]

Globalstar customer experience improved mobile voice and data performance as recently launched second-generation satellites come on line.
[Market Watch – 02/01/2012]

Roscosmos identifies cause of the crash of Russian “Meridian” satellite in December as failure of one of the rocket engines.
[CRI English – 03/31/2012]

SES is relocating SES-3 from its location over North America to provide coverage of the Middle East and South Asia regions.
[Business Wire – 01/31/2012]

According to ambitious Turkish government road map for the country’s multiple satellite programs through 2020, a total of 17 Turkish satellites will come into orbit from 2012 to 2020.
[SatNews – 01/30/2012]

Eutelsat’s satellites break the barrier of 4,000 TV channels.
[Market Watch – 01/30/20012]

FCC opens up LightSquared’s embattled wireless plans for public comment.
WireLess Industry News – 01/30/2012

LightSquared asks FCC to exempt GPS receivers from protection.
[NextGov – 01/30/2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

 


WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 01/27/2012

Saturday, January 28th, 2012

SES-4 launch delayed again “for technical reasons.”
[SAT PR – 01/27/2012]

Vessel carrying Atlas booster and Centaur upper stage for Air Force’s AEHF-2 mission contacts bridge over Tennessee River, causing part of the bridge to collapse – no damage to the rocket.
[SatNews – 01/27/2012]

Namibia’s national electricity utility slashes costs of dealing with temporary outages by using GSM and satellite communications to link remote recloses with its head office.
[IT Web – 01/27/2012]

Harris CapRock gets 3 year contract from Siem Offshore to deliver turnkey VSAT communications to five of its supply vessels located offshore in Brazil.
[Scandinavian Oil & Gas Magazine – 01/27/2012]

SkyCasters partners with Ka You Communications on turnkey satellite communications solution called IPReady for EAS CAP (Emergency Alert System/Common Alerting Protocol) compliance.
[SatNews – 01/27/2012]

AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems and ViaSat sign strategic agreement to develop capabilities for beyond-line-of-sight satellite communications in new AAI unmanned aircraft systems aircraft.
[Azo Robotics – 01/27/2012]

SkyBitz expands footprint with new Iridium-based global solution.
[SAT PR – 01/27/2012]

SBCA accepting grant requests from members and consumer satellite industry professionals until February 1, with grants to be awarded to deserving non-profits or individuals involved in worthy community efforts.
[SatNews – 01/27/2012]

South African communications regulator refuses permission for satellite television network TopTV to broadcast sexually explicit channels.
[Reuters – 01/27/2012]

2012 World Radiocommunications Conference to review and modify global spectrum regulations to ensure the resource is “used effectively to benefit all players.”
[TV Technology – 01/27/2012]

Russian Soyuz-U is launched toward International Space Station carrying the Progress M-14M cargo spacecraft.
[SatNews – 01/26/2012]

Trichet joins board of EADS amid shakeup, with Enders slated to become new CEO.
[Reuters – 01/26/2012]

Delta Airlines announce exclusive marketing agreement with OnAsset Intelligence, enabling Delta Cargo customers to view GPS location information on deltacargo.com.
[SatNews – 01/26/2012]

Space Systems/Loral selected to provide high power communications satellite.
[Space Ref – 01/26/2012]

Sea Launch manifest for 2012 includes Intelsat 19 in the spring and Intelsat 21 in the fall.
[Spaceflight Now – 01/25/2012]

Russia’s Chibis (Peewit) microsatellite, which studies gamma-radiation generated by lightning in the atmosphere, is placed into orbit from the International Space Station.
[SatNews – 01/25/2012]

Space storm predicted by NOAA hits satellites, airlines, but most communication systems not affected.
[Computer World – 01/25/2012]

AMOS 5 begins commercial operation.
[SAT PR – 01/25/2012]

Frontline, leading international seaborne oil transporter, commits to Inmarsat XpressLink for more than 100 vessels.
[Market Watch – 01/25/2012]

U.S. Electrodynamics expands on-net coverage with Zayo ethernet services.
[Market Watch – 01/25/2012]

All Cirrus Aircraft can now be equipped with Perspective Global Connect, integrating worldwide weather, satellite phone, and text messaging features.
[Market Watch – 01/25/2012]

Technion of Israel is developing 3 tiny, unique satellites which could be used for locating missing persons and people in distress.
[The Jerusalem Post – 01/24/2012]

Calian Technologies signs two new contracts for satellite ground systems with combined value of $7.6 million, including installation of Inmarsat BGAN RF ground system in China for Thrane & Thrane.
[Market Watch – 01/24/2012]

LightSquared fights results of USAF interference testing, even as it faces accusations of bribery.
[Daily Tech – 01/24/2012]

Novelsat’s 3G-Sat modulation solution NS3(TM) is first to make satellite data broadcasting possible at fibre level costs, successfully demonstrated in tests by SES and Satellite Mediaport Services.
[Market Watch – 01/24/2012]

Military satellite communications market expected to be worth $9 billion by 2018. [Zawya – 01/23/2012]

Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, accuses backers of LightSquared’s proposed LTE network of trying to pressure him into giving up investigation.
[NextGov – 01/23/2012]

China aims to launch 21 rockets and 30 satellites as part of its 2012 space program.
[Satellite Today – 01/23/2012]

NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a watch for the strongest solar radiation storm since 2005.
[R&D Magazine – 01/23/2012]

International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran urges World Radiocommunication Conference in Geneva to take decisive steps to end Iranian government’s illegal jamming of satellite signals.
[International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran – 01/22/2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 12/23/2011

Friday, December 23rd, 2011

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Russian space industry suffers another black eye as Meridian communications satellite fell to the ground soon after it was launched, although earlier Soyuz launch with three astronauts for the International Space Station was successful.
[Daily Mail – 12/23/2011]

USAF hosted payload on SES satellite, Commercially Hosted Infrared Payload (CHIRP), completes initial on orbit tests and begins demonstration period.
[Space Daily – 12/23/2011]

SES partners with Rustyice of the UK for distribution of SES’ satellite-based broadband service ASTRA2Connect throughout the UK.
[Space Daily – 12/23/2011]

China successfully launches Ziyuan I-02C remote sensing satellite.
[SatNews – 12/22/2011]

Globecomm Systems gets $3.1 million add-on to $32 million contract to provide state of the art satellite communication system for a Multinational organization.
[SatNews – 12/22/2011]

Arianespace readies the first Ariane 5 for launch in 2012 to receive the Automated Transfer Vehicle cargo resupply vessel as its payload.
[Satellite-Evolution – 12/22/2011]

GlobeCast signs deal with Fashion One TV to bring its TV channel to millions of new homes across sub-Sharan Africa via capacity on Astra 4A satellite.
[SatNews – 12/22/2011]

U.S. Air Force orders eighth Wideband Global SATCOM program communications satellite from Boeing.
[Spaceflight Now – 12/21/2011]

Launch of the SES-4 satellite, to be the largest in the SES fleet, is scheduled for December 27 aboard a Proton M/Breeze M launch vehicle from Baikonur.
[SatNews – 12/21/2011]

TCS agrees to second extension to its U.S. Army World-Wide Satellite Systems Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract, now to run through July 27, 2013.
[Market Watch – 12/21/2011]

Astrium to acquire 66.78 percent of Space Engineering.
[SatNews – 12/21/2011]

Intelsat General describes how they helped the Navy manage the coordination and control of its vast Commercial Broadband Satellite Program network.
[SatNews – 12/21/2011]

Astrium purchases Norwegian satellite communications company Vizada for $876 million.
[UPI – 12/21/2011]

LightSquared seeks to turn the tables on GPS device makers by filing petition with FCC seeking “declaratory ruling” confirming its right to use its licensed spectrum, claiming device makers purposefully designed equipment to look into LightSquared’s spectrum.
[Financial Times Technology – 12/21/2011]

Senator Grassley of Iowa holds up two nominees for FCC board on concerns of constituent Deere & Co. that LightSquared’s planned network may impact GPS network used by farmers – example of political mess LightSquared has landed in.
[Forbes – 12/21/2011]

China is prepared to launch 5 satellites for foreign customers next year.
[China Daily – 12/21/2011]

Gateway Communications is selected by Kawuleza of South Africa as partner to provide high speed bandwidth by satellite to major South African cities.
[Tech Zone – 12/21/2011]

Colombia contracts Gilat VSAT to connect more than 1,600 schools.
[Satellite Today – 12/21/2011]

China launches NigComSat-1R, replacement for satellite that failed in 2008, for Nigeria.
[AFP – 12/20/2011]

Arianespace Soyuz successfully orbits the Pleiades 1A, SSOT, and four ELISA satellites from European spaceport in French Guiana.
[Satellite Today – 12/20/2011]

Dish Network in center of wireless universe as AT&T walks away from acquisition of T-Mobile, a deal opposed by Justice Department.
[Wall Street Journal – 12/20/2011]

SES announces that the speed of its satellite-based broadband service ASTRA2Connect is now available with download speed up to 10 Mbps.
[SatNews – 12/20/2011]

Comtech announces $4.1 million contract for SATCOM equipment to support mobile backhaul.
[Market Watch – 12/20/2011]

Globecomm Systems receives contract extension from NATO CIS valued at $8.8 million to extend communication services and onsite support for its GPS-based Force Tracking System.
[SatNews – 12/20/2011]

Raytheon’s Navy Multiband Terminal successfully tests with on-orbit AEHF satellite.
[Sacramento Bee – 12/20/2011]

Glowlink gets major competitive contract from US Air Force for satellite carrier monitoring and interference geolocation capabilities.
[SatNews – 12/20/2011]

Russia and India announce intent to cooperate on satellite navigation services.
[Satellite Today – 12/19/2011]

U.S. Navy’s first MUOS satellite is undergoing post-shipment testing at Cape Canaveral in preparation for February launch following delivery by Lockheed Martin.
[UPI – 12/19/2011]

Next cluster of six second-generation Globalstar satellites ready for launch next week from Baikonur.
[SatNews – 12/19/2011]

Fourth WGS satellite moves closer to launch as it is encapsulated in teh Delta IV Launch vehicle payload fairing.
[Space Ref – 12/19/2011]

Comtech Xicom Technology receives orders totaling $3.2 million for Ka-band high-power amplifiers for commercial satellite DTH services and emerging high throughput satellite market.
[Market Watch – 12/19/2011]

Plans underway for ESA’s Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle to be launched on Europe’s new Vega rocket in 2014.
[SatNews – 12/19/2011]

WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 12/16/2011

Friday, December 16th, 2011

SpaceX Dragon to attempt first commercial cargo run to the International  Space Station on February 7.
[Satellite Today – 12/16/2011]

NSR report – military satellite revenues will double for cost-conscious  providers.
[Satellite Today – 12/16/2011]

NovelSat, developers of 3G-Sat modulation technology, announce new satellite  data rate world record of 357Mbps on 72 MHz transponder.
[SatNews –  12/16/2011]

Artel contracts Cable & Wireless to connect 30 satellite earth stations  around the globe with MPLS data network.
[Satellite Today – 12/16/2011]

Indian Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology states  that foreign tourists are illegally using satellite phones and could pose a  national security threat.
[Press Information  Bureau, Government of India – 12/16/2011]

Second Soyuz mission is scheduled to launch from French Guyana the morning of  December 175h, carrying the French Earth observation satellite Pleiades-1, four  French ELISA micro-satellites, and Chile’s SSOT Earth Observation Platform..
[SatNews –  12/15/2011]

Replacement for NIGCOMSAT 1, deorbited in 2008, NIGCOMSAT 1R is scheduled to  be launched from China on December 19.
[Daily Times – 12/15/2011]

New generation of weather and environmental satellites, GOES-15, officially  becomes operational as GOES-West as of December 13.
[SatNews –  12/15/2011]

Lockheed Martin delivers U.S. Navy’s first Mobile User Objective System  satellite to Cape Canaveral for scheduled February 16th launch.
[Market Watch – 12/15/2011]

National Space Society hails announcement of Stratolaunch Systems, a Paul  Allen Project to reduce cost of space travel, carrying launch rockets to high  altitude aboard largest aircraft ever built, with six 747 engines.
[SatNews –  12/15/2011]

AsiaSat and THAICOM announce signing of cooperative agreement to provide  satellite services from orbital location of 120 degrees East.
[SatNews –  12/15/2011]

U.S. Air Force’s first Advanced Extremely High Frequency military  communications satellite is successfully progressing through initial on-orbit  tests.
[SatNews  – 12/15/2011]

Republic of Estonia signs accession agreement to become full Member State of  EUMETSAT by 2012.
[SatNews –  12/15/2011]

FCC passes rules requiring broadcast, satellite, and cable companies to quiet  down loud ads.
[Washington Post – 12/15/2011]

Physicists in Low Temperature Laboratory of Aalto University show how a  nanomechanical oscillator can be used for detection and amplification of feeble  radio waves or microwaves with almost no noise.
[R&D Magazine – 12/15/2011]

NXP Semiconductors announce SiGe:C Low Noise Amplifiers that improve  linearity, noise figure, and reception of GPS signals, delivering 10 dB  improvement under -40 to -20 dBm jamming conditions.
[SatNews –  12/15/2011]

Government committee says that LightSquared’s network affects a “majority” of  general-purpose GPS receivers and technology used to land planes.
[Wireless Week – 12/15/2011]

PacStar is awarded $12.2 million contract by U.S. Dept. of Defense to deliver  tactical communications solution to U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
[Market Watch – 12/15/2011]

Satellite industry warns governments of the world of their concerns over  proposed piece of international legislation called the Unidroit Space Assets  Protocol which risks complicating and damaging what is currently in place.
[SatNews –  12/14/2011]

Enhanced compression technology and digitization is improving the efficiency  of satellite transponders – by 2017 global demand for C- and Ku-band  transponders is forecast to total 7,840.36 MHz TPEs (transponder equivalents)..
[Official Wire – 12/14/2011]

Avanti Communications shares are lifted by satellite bandwidth contract win  from Bentley Walker for U.S. $1.1 million.
[Proactive Investors – 12/14/2011]

European Space Agency updates application for iPhone and iPad, allowing users  to see ESA’s latest satellite imagery from Envisat in near-real time.
[SatNews –  12/14/2011]

Gilat is selected by JSC NC Kazsatnet’ of Kazakhstan for high speed data  connectivity among over 200 VSATS in multi-star topology with NetEdge Gateway  solution.
[Market Watch – 12/14/2011]

Arianespace signs contract with MEASAT for launch of MEASAT-3b in 2013.
[SatNews –  12/14/2011]

SES announces four global sales regions with dedicated management to  consolidate positions in the Americas and Europe, and further focus on emerging  and growth markets.
[SatNews –  12/14/2011]

XTAR joins Operation First Response to support wounded U.S. soldiers.
[Satellite Today – 12/14/2011]

Globecomm Systems gets 1-year $6 million service contract from U.S.  Government agency to provide IT support services relating to Internet  connectivity via its teleport.
[SatNews –  12/14/2011]

CalAmp begins volume shipments of new product designed to facilitate whole  home networking and communications of set top boxes to its Direct Broadcast  Satellite (DBS) customer.
[Market Watch – 12/14/2011]

Astrium imagery from two TerrSAR-X StripMap acquisitions show large crack in  Pine Island glacier in Antartica; ice shelf ready to break off is larger than  New York City.
[SatNews –  12/14/2011]

Dish Network indicates desire to form strategic partnership with T-Mobile USA  if AT&T’s bid for acquisition of T-Mobile fails.
[Telegeography – 12/14/2011]

Arianespace signs for launch of two satellites in the European Union’s  Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 families on the first launch of Europe’s new light  launcher Vega from French Guiana in 2014-2016.
[SatNews –  12/14/2011]

O3b exercises additional launch option on Arianespace contract.
[Satellite Today – 12/13/2011]

Since SPOT Satellite Messenger products were introduced in 2007 over 1,500  emergency rescues have been initiated worldwide.
[Market Watch – 12/14/2011]

Amos 5 communications satellite launched for Israel’s Spacecom.
[Globes – 12/13/2011]

NewSat signs $67 million contract for Jabiru satellite capacity.
[ARN – 12/13/2011]

Emergency satellite communications platform developed by government of  Luxembourg to be available to international humanitarian community as of 1  January, 2012.
[IEWY  –  12/13/2011]

OnAir WiFi internet connectivity launched across the Emirates A380 fleet.
[SatNews –  12/13/2011]

Opinion – Why is FCC stonewalling Senator Grassley on LightSquared? –  (Grassley put holds on two Barack Obama nominees to FCC).
[Hot Air – 12/13/2011]

LightSquared ‘Outraged’ over Report Leak; Primary Backer Harbinger Faces SEC  Scrutiny.
[Wireless Week – 12/12/2011]

ViaSat subsidiary WildBlue begins offering 5 megabit-per-second satellite  broadband service in Colorado, using recently launched ViaSat-1 satellite.
[Denver Post –  12/12/2011]

Japan launches H-2A rocket carrying a radar satellite.
[SatNews –  12/12/2011]

TCS introduces portfolio of managed mobile communications services called  TotalCom for government agencies and businesses.
[Computer World – 12/12/2011]

Russian data relay satellite and Spacecom’s Amos 5 share a ride into space.
[Spaceflight Now –  12/11/2011]

Echo II:  When satellites were young and shiny (photo).
[CNET – 12/10/2011]

NATO facing fast-approaching deadline for replacing satellite communications  capacity to avoid “satcom blackouts.”
[Space News – 12/09/2011]

“Doing more without more” – Space Command looks to fill communication gaps as  budgets tighten yet requirements for secure communications continue to grow.
[National Defense Magazine – January 2011]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services


WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 11/04/2011

Friday, November 4th, 2011

Recently launched Eutelsat satellites Atlantic Bird 7 and W3C will  provide capacity to support growth in fast developing markets.
[Broadband TV News – 11/04/2011]

Astrium selected by DIRECTV to design and manufacture high power DIRECTV 15, with 30 Ku-, 24 Ka-, and 18 Reverse-band transponders.
[4-traders -11/04/2011]

Launch of NigComSat-1R on December 19 in China may be jeopardised unless  Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited comes up with N1.8 billion by November  5.
[This Day Live – 11/04/2011]

United Continental selects Panasonic Avionics to provide Wi-Fi connectivity  on more than 300 United Airlines and Continental Airlines mainline aircraft  beginning in 2012.
[Market Watch – 11/04/2011]

New House of Representatives legislation to reform U.S. satellite export  controls, removing satellites and related components from U.S. Munitions List,  gets strong endorsement from Satellite Industry Association.
[Satellite Today – 11/03/2011]

Chinese spacecraft successfully dock in orbit, moving China closer to manning  its own space station in about a decade.
[R&D Magazine – 11/03/2011]

ViaSat-1 reaches destined orbit following successful completion of all  maneuvers, to begin in-orbit testing.
SatNews –  11/03/2011]

Inmarsat subsidiaries Stratos Government Services and Segovia are awarded  Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract by DITCO for U.S. Navy Military  Sealift Command’s Next Generation Wideband commercial satellite communications  infrastructure and service.
[Sacramento Bee – 11/03/2011]

SES fleet extension program through 2014 to increase global capacity by 23%  over year-end 2010, with 85% of capacity dedicated to highly dynamic emerging  markets including Asia, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa; SES-7 and SES-8  represent $400 million program for South Asia and Asia-Pacific region.
[SatNews –  11/03/2011]

Spacecom satellite AMOS-5, to be launched December 11, is transported to  Baikonur Spaceport.
[SatNews – 11/03/2011]

Next Soyuz launch from Kourou, set for mid-December, to carry six satellites,  including Astrium Pleiades1 Very High Resolution Earth observation satellite,  Chilean satellite SSOT, and the four satellites of the Elisa constellation.
[SatNews –  11/03/2011]

GMV is awarded Euro 3 million contract to provide control center of new  Spanish satellite Paz, due for launch at end of next year.
[SatNews –  11/03/2011]

JITC certification of Thales Joint Tactical Radio System Enhance Multiband  Inter/Intra Team Radio allows users access to ultra high frequency SATCOM IW on  their fielded radios via software upgrade.
[SatNews –  11/03/2011]

Thuraya and Al Aan TV provide media feeds for starving Somalia.
[SatNews –  11/03/2011]

International Conference on Student Small Satellites CSSS2012 will bring  together young engineers and scientists in telecommunications, electronic  devices and systems for small satellites around the world.
[SatNews –  11/03/2011]

Congressional Budget Office urges U.S. Department of Defense to abandon  current GPS network upgrade plan and focus on upgrading GPS receivers; endorses  Iridium’s satellite constellation as potential alternative.
[Satellite Today – 11/02/2011]

Small Business Committee Republicans ask FCC to withhold LightSquared  approval.
[Nextgov – 10/31/2011]

Cobham announces two six-year contracts for ground antennas worth up to  $72.7M with U.S. Navy and Thales, following acquisition of antenna manufacturer  Trivec-Avant.
[Space News – 11/03/2011]

Though Inmarsat’s overall business has been flat, the company will have  record-breaking year in revenue and profit on cash coming in from LightSquared.
[Space News – 11/03/2011]

Federal government will conduct first nationwide test of Emergency Alert  System Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 1 P.M., interrupting television, radio, cable, and  satellite shows for up to 3 1/2 minutes.
[The Advertiser – 11/03/2011]

NSR report expects satellite capacity leasing revenues will reach US$17.2  billion by 2020, up from US$10 billion in 2010, as satellite operators continue  to buck global economic malaise.
[Market Watch – 11/02/2011]

China may be tinkering with U.S. satellites, and experts say other countries  are likely doing the same – some say that technological Cold War is well  underway.
[Discovery News – 11/01/2011]

Satellite communications evolved from use of C-band to use of Ku-band to  address demand for more bandwidth – Ka-band high throughput satellites are the  next step in the evolution, promising a revolution in satellite services.
[Voice &  Data – 11/01/2011]

Canadian satellite hardware and services provider MDA reports core business  doing well, but puts innovative satellite-servicing project on hold while  waiting for U.S. government contract.
[Space News – 11/01/2011]

Fleet Management Solutions is selected by U.S. Justice Department Federal  Bureau of Prisons to equip fleet vehicles and mobile assets with Fleet Director  Global Iridium-base asset tracking system.
[Sacramento Bee – 11/01/2011]

Boeing to manufacture and test its Crew Space Transportation spacecraft at  Kennedy Space Center’s Orbiter Processing Facility-3, as NASA and Space Florida  partner for exclusive use of the facility, with Space Florida leasing it to  Boeing.
[SatNews – 11/01/2011]

China plans to launch 20 carrier rockets with 25 satellites into space by end  of the year.
[SatNews –  10/31/2011]

Space X’s and Tesla’s Elon Musk recognized as Innovator of the Year in  Technology by Wall Street Journal Magazine.
[SatNews –  10/31/2011]

Arianespace signs for launch of Optus 10 in 2013.
[SatNews –  10/31/2011]

Intelsat signs capacity agreements with Turner Broadcasting for Latin  American coverage.
[Satellite Today – 10/31/2011]

United Arab Emirates re-opens negotiations with France regarding acquisition  of military surveillance satellite to monitor Iranian activity.
[SatNews –  10/31/2011]

MBC group picks Eutelsat’s Atlantic Bird 7 to support HDTV roll-out across  Middle East and North Africa.
[Market Watch – 10/31/2011]

NGA selects Harhttp://www.reallyrocketscience.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=2125&action=editris to participate in mentor-protégé program with Spatial Data  Integratoins, designated as women- and minority-owned small business in  geospatial industry.
[SatNews –  10/31/2011]

Soyuz-U rocket with Progress M-13M cargo spacecraft successfully launches  from Baikonur with supplies for International Space Station.
[SatNEws –  10/30/2011]

Satellites built by Utah State University students successfully launched  aboard rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
[HJ News – 10/29/2011]

Turkmenistan to launch satellite to escape Russian dependency.
[Euraisanet – 10/29/2011]

WBMSAT satellite communications systems consulting services


WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 10/21/2011

Friday, October 21st, 2011

Satellite Broadband on Airplanes: A New Era Set To Begin (Part Two).
[A Satellite Today Webinar October 25, 2011]

Arieanespace detects ground-based Soyuz fuel leak; postpones Galileo Launch.
[Satellite Today – 10/21/2011]

DARPA seeks innovators for its satellite servicing technology programs, with  goal of cooperatively harvesting and re-using valuable components from  nonworking retired satellites in geosynchronous orbits.
[SatNews –  10/21/2011]

SES will invest $4.1B in Latin America and Asia expansion efforts.
[Satellite Today – 10/21/2011]

China expects to launch its first Mars probe between November 8th and  November 20th, following a two-year delay.
[SatNews –  10/21/2011]

Boeing delivers 50,000th Combat Survivor Evader Locater combat search and  rescue communications system to U.S. joint services.
[SatNews –  10/21/2011]

Democratic Voice of Burma web site says Burmese government is preparing to  allow licenses for satellite television receivers again following a six-year  ban.
[Advanced Television – 10/21/2011]

TSF (Telecoms Sans Frontieres) faces conflict and insecurity and can only be  on site in daytime as it works to establish communications for humanitarian  organizations in Sirte Libya, Gaddafi’s home town and where he was killed.
[SatNews –  10/20/2011]

ViaSat-1, touted as DSL competitor, is in orbit following International  Launch Services Proton rocket launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
[Space News  – 10/20/2011]

Space Systems/Loral announces that ViaSat-1 is performing post-launch  maneuvers according to plan.
[SatNews –  10/20/2011]

Telesat, owner of nine Canadian beams on ViaSat-1, is delighted with the  successful launch of the satellite; has 15-year agreement with Xplornet  Communications for use of the capacity.
[SatNews –  10/20/2011]

ViaSat-1, launched Wednesday afternoon aboard Proton rocket in Kazakhstan,  will allow Xplornet of Canada to provide broadband service to 1.5 million North  American customers, and download speeds up to 25 Mbps.
[CBC News – 10/20/2011]

NASA pushes back NPOESS weather satellite launch by one day to October 28.
[Satellite Today – 10/20/2011]

Russia’s space program – presently the only way that the United States can  access the International Space Station, also seeks to match or even surpass the  United States in overall space capabilities.
[SatNews –  10/20/2011]

Hermes Datacomms announces that offshore and onshore VSAT services are back  in full operation in Libya.
[SatNews –  10/20/2011]

EUMETSAT’s Metop-A achieves 15 years of service, providing weather and  climate monitoring for Europe.
[SatNews –  10/20/2011]

Euroconsult consulting firm says governments will continue to drive Earth  observation industry over the coming decade through new satellites and growing  demand for data.
[SatNews –  10/20/2011]

KVH opens Asia-Pacific headquarters featuring state-of-the-art demo and  training lab to serve partners and customers.
[MarketWatch – 10/20/2011]

German scientific satellite Rosat may fall to earth this weekend.
[Washington Post – 10/20/2011]

Selex Elsag of Italy to upgrade NATO’s satellite communication systems and  associated infrastructure.
[UPI – 10/20/2011]

Indian media criticizes government for constant delays in the Indian military  satellite program.
[SatNews –  10/20/2011]

NSD reaches 20 million homes (100 million viewers) for its Indian pay-TV  service.
[SatNews –  10/20/2011]

Bently Walker selected by Wayuyu Taya Foundation to provide satellite  Internet to Los Lechosos school in remote area of Venezuela.
[SatNews –  10/20/2011]

Government and Defence markets prepare for significant growth in satellite  data rates, according to leading international satellite market research and  consulting firm NSR.
[SAT PR – 10/19/2011]

Newtec expects significant growth based on the NSR report on Government and  Defence markets, posturing its FlexACM as a solution for maximizing bandwidth  efficiencies.
[SatNews –  10/19/2011]

SkyBlue receives third extension to its Iridium frequency bandwidth approval  for aviation satellite communications in China.
[Satellite Today – 10/19/2011]

Caribbean’s newest low fare airline REDjet chooses Blue Sky Network for new  tracking and communication systems.
[MarketWatch – 10/19/2011]

Farm groups anxious for resolution of issue of interference by proposed  LightSquared wireless network with GPS.
[AgAlert – 10/19/2011]

European Space Agency picks Thales Alenia Space to lead nine-month study on  satellite communications for unmanned aerial systems.
[UPI – 10/18/2011]

Globe Wireless is granted Blanket Wireless Radio Station License by Japanese  Ministry of Information and Communications, allowing it to offer Inmarsat  FleetBroadband mobile satellite services in Japan and on Japanese registered  vessels.
[Marine Link – 10/18/2011]

Sir Richard Branson, children Sam and Holly, and troupe of dancer/acrobats,  scale down, dancing, on walls of new Virgin Galactic Spaceport in New Mexico  during dedication.
[SatNews – 10/18/2011]

NASA books flight on Virgin Galactic, with options for two more, to allow  engineers, technologists, and scientific researchers to conduct experiments in  suborbital space.
[SatNews –  10/17/2011]

Newtec gives support for standardization and adoption of industry-wide  counter-measures to combat interference, with the DVB accepted work topic  Carrier ID as a first step.
[SatNews –  10/17/2011]

NASA and Japan release the most complete digital topographic map of Earth  produced to date.
[SatNews –  101/17/2011]

Small satellites from less-than-500-kilograms to less than 100 grams prompt  big ideas for next 25 years.
[Space.com – 10/17/2011]

Astrium accepts financial backing from European Space Agency to build new  high-speed data relay service for Europe while simultaneously creating a market  for it.
[Aviation Week – 10/17/2011]

Harris Corporation receives $51.5M delivery order for advanced satellite  terminals under U.S. Army’s Modernization of Enterprise Terminals program.
[Business Wire – 10/17/2011]

ViaSat wins U.S. DoD study contract to assess bandwidth cost reduction  methods for commercial communication satellite systems.
[Market Watch – 10/17/2011]

Locus Traxx to use GSM service from Vodafone, and ORBCOMM’s satellite  network, to support dual-mode SmartTraxx shipment monitoring, reporting, and  alerts solution.
[TMCnet – 10/17/2011]

WBMSAT satellite communications systems consulting services