Really Rocket Science

European satellite operators underline the crucial role that satellite plays in the roll-out of future digital infrastructures
[Space Daily – 07/11/2014]

Display of the launch area of the proposed SpaceX facility in Brownsville, Texas. Credit: Draft from FAA, April 2013 – Space News

FAA ruling clears path for SpaceX launch site in Texas.
[Space News – 07/11/2014]

Algerian Space Agency (ASAL) and Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) have signed a contract to build the Alsat-1B Earth Observation satellite.
[Space Daily – 07/11/2014]

Soyuz rocket launches second batch of O3b satellites from French Guiana.
[Space News – 07/10/2014]

The next MUOS satellite to launch (foreground) – Photo: Lockheed Martin – Via Satellite

Lockheed Martin MUOS satellite completes testing on schedule.
[Via Satellite – 07/10/2014]

Eumetsat and the European Commission on July 8 said they expected to reach agreement on financing a long-delayed U.S-French ocean-altimetry satellite by October.
[Space News – 07/10/2014]

SES puts spotlight on hybrid networks to meet future video demand, expected to be driven in large part by proliferation of Ultra HD.
[Via Satellite – 07/10/2014]

General Dynamics to supply tri-band communications radome to Boeing for inflight passenger satellite broadband services.
[AsiaTravelTips – 07/10/2014]

Globecomm begins offering Mobile Virtual Network Operator services worldwide.
[Via Satellite – 07/10/2014]

Emerging Markets Communications subsidiary EMC Satcom Technologies is selected by Bank Rakyat Indonesia to provide satellite connectivity for its banking applications.
[SatNews – 07/10/2014]

NSSLGlobal opened its Southbury Conn. Teleport to new and existing customers.
[Via Satellite – 07/10/2014]

Government funding for space on the road to recovery – Euroconsult report.
[Satellite Markets & Research – 07/09/2014]

Russian Soyuz-2.1b rocket carried Russia’s Meteor M2 weather satellite along with six small satellites for domestic and international customers into orbit July 8.
[Via Satellite – 07/09/2014]

European launch industry adapting to market – in mid-June, first, Airbus and Safran agreed to merge their launch vehicle operations into a 50-50 joint-venture; second, they proposed a new design for Ariane-6.
[NSR – 07/09/2014]

A Japan Airlines (JAL) flight. Photo: Aero Icarus (Flickr) – Via Satellite

In-flight connectivity (IFC) has become a top market opportunity for the satellite industry but despite this Euroconsult believes it will not be a profitable market until 2023.
[Via Satellite – 07/09/2014]

Credit: ISEE-3 Reboot Project artist’s concept – Space News

NASA’s International Earth/Sun Explorer (ISEE)-3 will not be resuming its original mission after all, as propulsion system fails.
[Space News – 07/09/2014]

Avascent acquires the satellite, space, and telecommunications businesses of Futron Corporation.
[Market Watch – 07/09/2014]

Hughes and Tampa Microwave partner on manpack satellite terminals.
[Via Satellite – 07/09/2014]

ASC Signal releases new 2.5m carbon fiber antenna capable of operating in L-, X-, C-, Ku-, Ka-, Q- and V- bands, winds military contract.
[Via Satellite – 07/09/2014]

Failed Russian Yamal-201 satellite tumbling uncontrollably in space is threatening to damage operating spacecraft in geostationary orbit.
[inagist –  07/08/2014]

The ISEE-3 (ICE) spacecraft. // NASA – Nextgov

Quest to save NASA’s long-lost ISEE-3 probe by amateur scientists and engineers has outside chance of succeeding.
[Nextgov – 07/08/2014]

Intelsat has continued to show confidence in Boeing’s 702MP (Medium Power) platform, placing its ninth order with the company to build the Intelsat 35e Epic Next Generation satellite.
[Via Satellite – 07/08/2014]

The US and Australia will jointly expand an Australian spy base in Western Australia that would allow real-time satellite communication for US and Australian military operations.
[itnews – 07/08/2014]

Thuraya Telecommunications Company now has a partnership with Satellite Communication SA, a provider of data communications and voice services in Europe.
[SatNews – 07/08/2014]

Thuraya steps up efforts to commission next set of satellites, with RFI to be issued in next couple of months.
[Via Satellite – 07/08/2014]

Dauria Aerospace, a Russian startup company, has encouraged radio enthusiasts to locate and track its newest satellite, DX 1, launched aboard a Soyuz rocket on July 8, 2014.
[Via Satellite – 07/08/2014]

Swing Transport, a privately owned logistics company, has chosen Orbcomm’s GT1100 asset tracking solution for its fleet of more than 1,000 dry van trailers.
[Via Satellite – 07/08/2014]

Indonesian turbulence: two satellite owners, both claiming government backing, order competing satellites for the same orbital slot.
[Space News – 07/07/2014]

Thales Alenia Space has initiated a project with the European Union and a consortium of companies called HIPPO: High-Power Photonics for Satellite Laser Communications and On-Board Optical Processing.
[Via Satellite – 07/07/2014]

Laser Light Communications, a company focused on becoming the first Optical Satellite Service (OSS) provider, is close to opening a major facility called the High Articulation Laser Optics (HALO) Center.
[Via Satellite – 07/07/2014]

Space Systems/Loral (SSL) announces it was selected to provide a multi-mission communications satellite to Spanish satellite operator HISPASAT.
[SatNews – 07/07/2014]

Deep Blue, a Technip vessel – Digital Ship

MTN Communications announces it has won a contract that more than doubles the number of Technip vessels it supplies with broadband connectivity.
[Digital Ship – 07/07/2014]

Iridium’s application to provide global maritime distress and safety system services receives support from International Maritime Organization subcommittee.
[MarineLink – 07/07/2014]

Iridium Communications Inc. and SpaceX announce the successful completion of dispenser qualification testing for the Iridium NEXT constellation.
[SatNews – 07/07/2014]

Defence departments and now civil government customers can rapidly convert existing radios to access the Inmarsat L-TAC network through the simple addition of a small converter and antenna.
[SatNews – 07/07/2014]

iGT offers advancements in satcom connectivity to meet DoD and Intelligence requirements for increased bandwidth and throughput.
[Marketwatch – 07/07/2014]

EUTELSAT 3B satellite fully fired up at 3 degrees East.
[MarketWatch – 07/06/2014]

NSR’s Nano and Microsatellite Markets provides unique insight into the emerging market for nano and microsatellites across all key applications.
[NSR reports – July 2014]

FREE WEBINAR July 30 – ENERGY MARKETS VIA SATELLITE: IS THERE A MARKET BEYOND DEEP-WATER?
[NSR – July 30]

[WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Interesting to read of the Angara project’s history, via Russian Space Web…

The collapse of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991 had profound effects on the Russian space program. The nation’s main space launch site in Baikonur ended up in the newly independent Kazakhstan, while several major suppliers of rocket components along with key tracking facilities were now in Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry had the most reasons to worry about losing its capability to launch strategically important military satellites, in case of a conflict between former Soviet republics.

On Aug. 3, 1992, less than a year after the failed coup to overthrow Mikhail Gorbachev had instead triggered the final convulsion of the Soviet state, Russia’s Military Space Forces approved a new assessment on the state and prospects of the nation’s launch systems. (355) The document set the course toward the development of a new launch vehicle, whose design and launch facilities would not rely on contractors outside Russia. A month and a half later, on September 15, the Russian government issued an official decree giving the rocket industry the task to conceptualize the best architecture for a heavy space launch vehicle, which would be dubbed Angara after a great Siberian river.

The future rocket was required to carry up to 24 tons to low Earth orbit and up to 3.5 tons to geostationary orbit. The new launch vehicle was expected to replace Proton after 2005. Similar studies aimed to eventually built the Neva light-weight launch vehicle capable of delivering four tons of payload to the low Earth orbit and thus replacing the Ukrainian-built Tsyklon and for the medium-class Yenisey launcher designed to replace Zenit. (264)

The new heavy rocket would be first based at Russia’s northern space port in Plesetsk, however, in 1994, plans were also made to deploy it at a future new launch site in Svobodny with a much better geographical location in the Russian Far East.

The launch complex, or cosmodrome, is less than 100 miles from the Chinese border and the Russian Federation is comprised of many ethnic groups.

What if the R.F. breaks apart even further? Putin will surely go down in history as the biggest Russian asshole ever.

High power photonics for satellite communications and on-board optical signal processing — that spells HIPPO. Considering their objectives, this is the future of space-based communications and some day will replace the RF technology used by today’s satcom spacecraft.

NASA recently proved lasers work well and the increase in throughput will be a revolutionary game-changer.

Airbus Defense and Space and Azercosmos launch low orbit satellite, SPOT-7.
[Azernews – 07/03/2014]

Galileo satellite – Credit: OHB artist’s concept – Space News

Sudden power loss leaves a Galileo satellite in safe mode.
[Space News – 07/03/2014]

Northrop and Boeing respond to U.S. Air Force GPS 3 solicitation.
[Space News – 07/03/2014]

Orbit Communication Systems and Inmarsat sign MOA on manufacturing of aviation terminals for Global Xpress serving the government market.
[Bernam – 07/03/2014]

All-volunteer team manages to activate propulsion system on NASA’s International Sun-Earth Explorer (ISEE) -3 at 11th hour; will attempt to return the satellite to Lagrange Point 1.
[Space News – 07/03/2014]

Tour de France chooses satellite phones from Globalstar to stay in touch.
[Sourcewire – 07/03/2014]

OCO 2 launch. Photo: ULA – Via Satellite

ULA launches NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 satellite from Vandenberg AFB.
[Via Satellite – 07/02/2014]

Inmarsat chooses SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket for upcoming joint-satellite launch, and two additional launch missions.
[Via Satellite – 07/02/2014]

Hawaiian governor signs two bills totaling $750,000 for groundbreaking PISCES initiatives in partnership with NASA.
[Big Island Video News – 07/02/2014]

Inmarsat issues notice of default to LightSquared, having not received payment due under cooperation agreement between the two companies.
[London South East – 07/02/2014]

Hispasat chooses SSL to build multi-mission Hispasat 1F.
[The Wall Street Journal – 07/01/2014]

Satellogic’s final prototype satellite, BugSat 1. Photo: Satellogic – Via Satellite

Argentinian startup Satellogic gears up for large scale imaging constellation.
[Via Satellite – 07/01/2014]

ViaSat and Eutelsat agreement allows service access on roaming on each other’s HTS Ka-band broadband satellites.
[socal tech – 07/01/2014]

DoD awards blanket purchase agreement to Airbus Defense and Space for L-band satellite communications including Inmarsat BGAN, Fleetbroadband and Swiftbroadband airtime.
[Via Satellite – 07/01/2014]

First images acquired from JAXA’s DAICHI 2 earth surface monitoring satellite.
[Via Satellite – 07/01/2014]

This past June, while at the CASBAA & CommunicAsia events, the new CEO of SES S.A. sat down with CNBC Asia for a little interview. At approximately the 1:05 mark, he’s asked about “social media” and its impact on satellite services. I don’t know who’s less prepared here — the interviewer or his guest — but taking 7 seconds to come up with an answer should give you a clue…

Meanwhile, Deepak Mathur nails it on Bloomberg…

Great analysis by Buzzfeed, portraying Putin as a real-world Dr. Evil, watching the inaugural Angara rocket launch from swank video suite, alone.

It was postponed by 24 hours on Friday, which then got postponed by at least a month — now “indefinitely.”

Given the importance of the Angara program, Putin is not happy.

Today marks ten years since the Cassini spacecraft arrived at Saturn. The image above is one of my personal favorites (similar images also available via BigBangPrints.com).

The team of scientists at Cassini have selected their own “top 10” list of images. More importantly, their list of the top ten discoveries is far more impressive…

1. The Huygens probe makes first landing on a moon in the outer solar system (Titan)
2. Discovery of active, icy plumes on the Saturnian moon Enceladus
3. Saturn’s rings revealed as active and dynamic — a laboratory for how planets form
4. Titan revealed as Earth-like world with rain, rivers, lakes and seas
5. Studies of the great northern storm of 2010-2011
6. Radio-wave patterns shown not to be tied to Saturn’s interior rotation as previously thought
7. Vertical structures in the rings imaged for the first time
8. Study of prebiotic chemistry on Titan
9. Mystery of the dual bright-dark surface of Iapetus solved
10. First complete view of the north polar hexagon and discovery of giant hurricanes at both of Saturn’s poles

I love the preview of what we can expect in the coming years…

Euroconsult’s newly released report, Prospects for In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity, expects the global in-flight connectivity market to reach $2.1 billion by 2023.
[SatNews – 06/27/2014]

SpaceX president says launch of six Orbcomm satellites unlikely to occur before July 14.
[Space News – 06/27/2014]

SES leans on Europe to meet SpaceX launch prices, and to develop a commercial electric-satellite product, to compete with Boeing and other U.S. providers.
[Space News – 06/27/2014]

A rendering of an SBRIS GEO spacecraft. Photo: Lockheed Martin. – Via Satellite

U.S. Air Force awards Lockheed Martin GEO 5 and GEO 6 contract for SBIRS geosynchronous earth orbit satellites.
[Via Satellite – 06/26/2014]

The Satellite Broadcasting & Communications Association (SBCA) awarded the organization’s Arthur C. Clarke Award to Joseph P. Clayton, President and CEO of DISH.
[SatNews – 06/27/2104]

Dauria Aerospace successfully launched two Perseus M spacecraft into Low Earth Orbit (LEO) on June 19, 2014 aboard a Kosmotras Dnepr rocket.
[Via Satellite – 06/26/2014]

NewSat Limited has secured a US$13.6 million teleport customer contract with an Asian telecommunications company.
[proactiveinvestors Australia – 06.26/2014]

Australian startup satellite operator NewSat Ltd. has purchased capacity on the Russian Satellite Communications Co.’s Express-AM3 satellite.
[Space News – 06/26/2014]

Newsat is on the shortlist for Satellite Operator of the Year award in the ACOMMS 2014.
[SatNews – 06/26/2014]

Satellite Internet of Britain puts forward its solution, partnering with SES, for homes and businesses which cannot benefit from a Fiber-to-the-Cabinet deployment due to their remote locations.
[SatNews – 06/26/2014]

Spot 5 satellite image of Lake Winnipeg in Canada. Photo: Airbus Defence and Space – Via Satellite

Airbus inaugurates its first multi-satellite Direct Receiving Station for Alaskan client GeoNorth, for receiving high-resolution earth imaging data from Spot 5, 6, and soon 7 satellites.
[Via Satellite – 06/26/2014]

Millicom, owner of the Tigo brand, has set its sights on Latin America as a top growth market for satellite pay-TV.
[Via Satellite – 06/26/2014]

ASC Signal Corporation was selected by government and commercial customers to deliver 115 Ka-band gateways and large antennas systems over the course of the past six months.
[Via Satellite – 06/26/2014]

Hughes Network Systems has announced the availability of Hughes Emergency Solutions to help businesses and government offices prepare for the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season.
[SatNews – 06/26/2014]

IDC partners with Sony and Vue Entertainment to deliver world first live 4K streamings of FIFA World CupTM matches to cinemas.
[IDC – 06/26/2014]

Predator drone crashes in New Mexico desert near Holloman Air Force base after losing its satellite communications link.
[The Washington Post – 06/26/2014]

Worldview balloon – Satellite Evolution Group file image

World View successfully completed scaled test flight of its high-altitude balloon spaceflight system, breaking the world record for highest parafoil flight in the process.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 06/26/2014]

Air Force orders 2 more antimissile satellites from Lockheed Martin for $1.9 Billion.
[Nextgov – 06/25/2014]

Falcon 9 back in hangar. Credit: SpaceX – Space News

Latest SpaceX delay costing Orbcomm money.
[Space News – 06/25/2014]

Arianespace says lower prices offered for smaller satellites launched on its heavy-lift Ariane rockets in response to SpaceX pricing have already resulted in several new launch contracts.
[Space News – 06/25/2014]

AT&T and DirecTV officials face Congress to defend their proposed merger.
[Via Satellite – 06/25/2014]

UAE Aerospace industry takes giant step forward with plans to launch Yahsat’s third satellite, Al Yah 3, in 2016.
[MIddle East Events – 06/25/2014]

Scanning of new area in search for Flight 370 has begun by a commercial vessel under contract from the Australian government, but the search has been complicated by a lack of satellite images.
[Houston Chronicle – 06/25/2014]

General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies to build and install a 100-ton, 12-meter radio telescope antenna for the new Large Latin American Millimeter Array (LLAMA) observatory.
[Market Watch – 06/25/2014]

Aerojet Rocketdyne successfully performed a series of hot-fire tests on a Bantam demonstration engine made entirely through additive manufacturing.
[Via Satellite – 06/25/2014]

Brazilian Air Force personnel have completed training in France on operating the South American country’s future military communications satellite.
[UPI – 06/25/2014]

UK based Cobbett Hill Earth Station Boosts Maritime Broadband Services With Upgrade To iDirect Evolution.
[The Maritime Executive – 06/25/2014]

New Thuraya Top-Up App is the first of its kind and allows users from all over the globe to purchase 20, 50 and 160 unit Thuraya Prepaid airtime vouchers easily and securely.
[SatNews – 06/25/2014]

SSTL-built earth observation satellite KazEOSat 2, for Kazakhstan, was successfully launched aboard a Kosmotras Dnepr rocket from Russian launch pad in Yasny on June 19, 2014.
[Via Satellite – 06/24/2014]

Research to shrink GPS electronics could enable hosted GPS satellite transceiver payloads on other satellites, and small, ubiquitous, even wearable GPS navigation devices.
[Military & Aerospace – 06/24/2014]

AEHF-3 Protected Communications Payload, Built by Northrop Grumman, Completes On Orbit Testing Ahead of Schedule.
[The Wall Street Journal – 06/24/2014]

ViaSat’s Exede service tops FCC Measuring Broadband report for second year.
[Via Satellite – 06/24/2014]

Early bird offer to attend Global MilSatCom in November expires next week, with places for this event extremely limited.
[Satellite Spotlight – 06/24/2014]

Singapore offers incentives to entice space companies – Eutelsat announces expansion plans in Singapore.
[Business Wire India – 06/24/2014]

Intermatica partners with Avanti Communications to extend its European satellite broadband coverage.
[Yahoo Finance – 06/24/2014]

NorthernAxcess prepares for Iridium GO! release with its own style of branding, and marketing that’s leading the industry.
[PR.com – 06/24/2014]

KVH introduces inertial navigation system for battlefield vehicles.
[Via Satellite – 06/24/2014]

Globalstar’s newest satellite hotspot, Sat-Fi, is now available.
[Via Satellite – 06/24/2014]

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions subsidiary SAT Corporation has provided a global satellite operator with Carrier Identification (CID) technology to help identify and mitigate RF interference.
[Market Watch – 06/23/2014]

A satellite promotion in Cochabamba, Bolivia, that reads, “Space is Ours”. Credit: Gustav Cappaert/IPS

Bolivia’s dream – put rural areas on the grid with its own satellite.
[Inter Press Service – 06/23/2014]

Hispasat will support communications and broadcasting for Ruta Quetzal 2014, a project which will enable a group of international young adventurers to discover Peru and the pre-Hispanic cultures.
[RAPID TV News – 06/23/2014]

KazSat-2 to be using its capacities to the full in 2016.
[Tengri News – 06/23/2014]

KazSat-3 commissioning to reduce import of telecommunications services by $21.8mln a year.
[TMCnet – 06/23/2014]

India’s Department of Space urges Antrix Corp to quickly seek out additional transponder capacity for Bharat Sanchar Nigam from global operators to ensure better communications services in strategically located Andaman, Nicobar, and Lakshadweep islands.
[Economic Times – 06/23/2014]

Gilat utilizes Intelsat satellite services to deliver broadband connectivity to schools and communities in rural Colombia.
[Business Wire – 06/23/2014]

The site was decommissioned in 2006 and has since been used for commercial purposes – BBC

A decommissioned former Nato “golf ball” style communications facility at Balado, near Kinross, is for sale.
[BBC – 06/22/2014]

SpaceX delays launch of six spacecraft for Orbcomm again, to early July, after engineers spot pressure fluctuations in Falcon 9′s second stage booster.
[The Register- 06/21/2014]

Inmarsat endorses GVF certification of satcom operators and installers in support of Global Xpress deployments.
[Inmarsat Press Release – 06/18/2014]

NSR’s Global Satellite Capacity Supply and Demand, 11th Edition (GSCSD11) is a comprehensive analysis of the commercial satellite capacity market.
[NSR – July 2014]

NSR’s Commercial Mobility via Satellite, 10th Edition (CMS10) offers a completely updated assessment for all satellite mobility markets around the globe.
[NSR – July 2014]

This is pretty awesome: pizza delivered by drone in Russia. Dodo Pizza got together with Copter Express and the results are impressive.

Although it may not deliver directly to your home or concrete Soviet-style apartment, taking it out to where a sales agent is taking orders is the next best thing.

Opinions vary, yet I think this is brilliant!

The video is excellent, too. However, I doubt you can use your Visa card due to international sanctions imposed on a couple of Russian banks. One of the interesting pizza combos includes bacon, red onion, fresh Bulgarian pepper, ham and corn.

Corn.

Putin had nothing to do with this. He’s an idiot.

NASA spacecraft show an improvement in air quality. That’s a good thing!

Jersey and Long Island didn’t change much, however.

This video is good for kids, too.