Really Rocket Science

So the next big thing in amplifiers probably won’t find their way into the trunk of your tuned Plymouth, but they may be able to help scientists — serious scientists — develop new quantum computers.

Byeong Ho Eom, Peter K. Day, Henry G. LeDuc & Jonas Zmuidzinas at CalTech have developed a parametric amplifier that will allow measurements heretofore unattainable. That awesome.

Here’s the abstract:

An ideal amplifier has very low noise, operates over a broad frequency range, and has large dynamic range. Unfortunately, it is difficult to obtain all of these characteristics simultaneously. For example, modern transistor amplifiers offer multi-octave bandwidths and excellent dynamic range, but their noise remains far above the limit set by the uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics. Parametric amplifiers can reach the quantum-mechanical limit, but generally are narrow band and have very limited dynamic range. Here we describe a parametric amplifier that overcomes these limitations through the use of a travelling-wave geometry and the nonlinear kinetic inductance of a superconducting transmission line. We measure gain extending over 2 GHz on either side of an 11.56 GHz pump tone and place an upper limit on the added noise of 3.4 photons at 9.4 GHz. The dynamic range is very large, and the concept can be applied from gigahertz frequencies to ~ 1 THz.

Some they can now use this instrument to find signals between the radio and infrared spectra, and then there’s so much more. I especially like this part of the press release:

Because the instrument is so sensitive and introduces minimal noise, it can also be used to explore the quantum world. For example, Keith Schwab, a professor of applied physics at Caltech, is planning to use the amplifier to measure the behavior of tiny mechanical devices that operate at the boundary between classical physics and the strange world of quantum mechanics. The amplifier could also be used in the development quantum computers—which are still beyond our technological reach but should be able to solve some of science’s hardest problems much more quickly than any regular computer.

In advanced science, there’s always something to look forward to!

U.K Space Agency launches ‘Civil Space Strategy,’ setting out direction for the U.K. space sector over the next four years. [SatNews – 07/13/2012]

Euroconsult announces findings of its most recent study of fixed satellite services in the 5th edition of its ‘Company Profiles, Analysis of FSS Operators.’
SatNews – 07/13/2012]

50th anniversary of satellite Telstar is celebrated.
[CNN – 07/13/2012]

L-3 Communications will provide U.S. Special Operations Command very small aperture terminal satellite systems.
[Avionics Intelligence – 07/13/2012]

NATO steps up purchase of commercial Ka- and Ku-band satellite capacity under two separate agreements with Avanti Communications of London and SES of Luxembourg.
[Space News – 07/13/2012]

EADS Corporate Technical Office and Russian researcher collaborate on evaluation of new, innovative and efficient propulsion technology for development of new Continuous Detonation Wave Engines for future applications.
[SatNews – 07/12/2012]

SpaceX Dragon crewed version design review is completed.
[SatNews – 07/12/2012]

ARINC and Lemko demonstrate seamless 4G LTE transmission via satellite connection.
[Market Watch – 07/12/2012]

ESA wants to team with industrial partner to launch third data-relay satellite in geostationary orbit over Asia and Americas.
[Space News – 07/12/2012]

ViaSat wins AU$280m contract from NBN to provide ground equipment for NBN’s satellite service to be launched in 2015.
[ZDNet – 07/12/2012]

SES announces that SAT-IP converter by Inverto Digital Labs of Luxembourg that converts satellite-delivered programs into Internet Protocol in the consumer’s home has been tested and certified.
SatNews – 07/12/2012]

DigitalGlobe completes series of upgrades to ground systems, more closely aligning its security capabilities with those used by the U.S. government.
[SatNews – 07/12/2012]

PortVision’s desktop Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking service available in mobile platform optimized for smartphones including BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android devices.
[SatNews – 07/12/2012]

Chinese sailor will attempt to set new record circumnavigating the globe single-handed, making use of satellite communications provided by Inmarsat.
[SatNews – 07/12/2012]

Jordanian biker completes another leg of 60,000 kilometer “goodwill Journey” on his motorbike, raising funds for Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund Pediatric Cancer Center, relying on communications equipment by Thuraya.
[SatNews – 07/12/2012]

Virgin Galactic announces a commercial launch service for small satellites with an air-launched rocket named LauncherOne; four companies have placed deposits as future customers.
[Spaceflight Now – 07/11/2012]

Surrey Satellite Technology signs with OHB for construction of second batch of eight Full Operational Capability Satellites for ESA GALILEO constellation.
[SatNews – 07/11/2012]

Telecommunication Industry Association and Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions announce gathering of top ICT industry groups to launch major global organization focused on advancement and standardization of machine-to-machine (M2M) communications.
[SatNews – 07/11/2012]

Inmarsat to deploy SwiftBroadband service as satellite backbone for in-flight Internet services on two airlines in Asia Pacific region.
[Sattellite Today – 07/11/2012]

TSF communications equipment provided to NGO teams in Sahel region essential for communications of vital food data on situation of people affected by drought.
[SatNews – 07/11/2012]

Raytheon existing AEHF terminals already meet 80% of requirements for FAB-T alternate terminal program, for which it submitted a proposal in June.
[Market Watch – 07/11/2012]

ViaSat antennas and modems selected by Selex for NATO communications.
[Market Watch – 07/11/2012]

Arabsat announces that Dubai Media will launch six free Sport Channels on Arabsat satellite to broadcast games and activities of Olympic Games in London, live.
[SatNews – 07/11/2012]

SES-5 telecommunications satellite equipped with European government navigation terminal as piggyback payload is launched by ILS aboard a Proton rocket from Russia.
[msnbc – 07/10/2012]

Eutelsat and Ariancespace sign launch contract for Eutelsat’s 28th satellite launch.
[Sacramento Bee – 07/10/2012]

MDA signs contract to provide Ka-band communications payload for HYLAS 3 satellite.
[Sacramento Bee – 07/10/2012]

Harris CapRock and Astrium Services sign multi-year multi-channel agreement to offer end-to-end UHF Tactical Satellite solutions to international and U.S. government users.
[SatNews – 07/10/2012]

European Communication Services partners with OH TV to offer joint broadcast and IPTV service to African broadcast market and various regions around the world.
[Satellite Today – 07/10/2012]

Spacecom selection of Israel Aerospace Industries to produce Amos 6 communications satellite saves Israel’s domestic satellite industry.
[Jerusalem Post – 07/09/2012]

NIGCOMSAT invests in iDirect Universal Satellite hub to aid deployment of Evolution-based service to capture growing broadband market in Nigeria.
[Business Day – 07/09/2012]

Russian designers and engineers in the closed Siberian city Zheleznogorsk are creating some of the world’s most advanced satellite systems.
[Telegraph- 07/09/2012]

Russian space agency to create communications satellite for Armenia. [NEWS.am – 07/09/2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

New date of July 10 set for launch of SES-5 from Baikonur by International Launch Services.
[SatNews – 06/08/2012]

In orbit testing of Yahsat Y1B successfully concluded, and hand-off to Yahsat in readiness for commercial operations takes place.
[SatNews – 07/08/2012]

Surrey Satellite Technology announces planned launch of exactView-1, the highest detection performance Automatic Identification System satellite ever built, on July 22nd by Soyuz launch vehicle from Baikonur.
[SatNews – 07/08/2012]

Avanti announces that HYLAS 2, with almost 3 times the bandwidth capacity of HYLAS 1, will launch August 2, 2012.
[SatNews – 07/08/2012]

Kratos subsidiary Integral Systems Europe Limited is selected by MEASAT to deliver RF system for MEASAT’s Cyberjaya Teleport and Broadcast Centre near Kuala Lumpur.
[SatNews – 07/08/2012]

NASA’s solar satellite monitors strongest solar flare yet of the current season, which will miss the Earth.
[SatNews – 07/08/2012]

KVH Industries’ TracPhone V7 and mini-VSAT products to be provided by partner SKY Perfect JSAT under OceanBB brand name to Tokyo-based Nippon Yusen Kaisha line and installed on its container ships.
[SatNews – 07/08/2012]

EchoStar XVII and Meteosat MSG3 satellites launched together aboard Ariane 5 rocket July 5 are in good shape.
[Spaceflight Now – 07/08/2012]

EchoStar XVII 4G Ka-band satellite, designed by Space Systems/Loral to provide more than 100 Gigabits per second of capacity to HughesNet customers and compete with Viasat 1, is successfully launched from French Guiana along with MSG-3 satellite.
[Multichannel News – 07/06/2012]

Canadian rural broadband provider Xplornet hopes to reach 2 million customers using its purchase of 100% of Canadian capacity of EchoStar XVII, a 4G high capacity broadband satellite launched July 5.
[Total Telecom – 07/06/2012]

NASA satellites track derecho, a powerful summertime storm, that moved from Illinois to the Mid-Atlantic states on June 29, expanding and bringing destruction with it.
[R&D Magazine – 07/06/2012]

Israel’s Spacecom Satellite Communications plans to replace Amos-2 commercial communications satellite with 5-ton Amos-6, to be built by Israel Aerospace Industries.
[UPI – 07/06/2012]

“Telstar 50th Anniversary” symposium to be presented at Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum July 12 in cooperation with the Embassy of France.
[Space Daily – 07/06/2012]

Boeing awarded $111 million to upgrade two U.S. Air Force communications satellites, installing upgraded digital channelizers aboard the eighth and ninth Wideband Global Satcom satellites to boost their capacity.
[Space News – 07/06/2012]

Lockheed Martin-built VINASAT-2 begins service for Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group.
[Market Watch – 07/05/2012]

Eutelsat sets new benchmark for satellite broadband, launching service with higher user speeds, increased volume allowance, equipment rental programme and new entry level package on KA-SAT.
[Sacramento Bee – 07/05/2012]

Beam Communications of Australia receives initial order for $170K from a China based satellite communications company for a major trial of Inmarsat Oceana terminals on Chinese fishing vessels.
[Market Watch – 07/05/2012]

New report from Pike Research forecasts revenue from satellite services and equipment for smart grid applications will reach $368 million by 2020.
[Smart Meters – 07/05/2012]

Mistsubishi Electric Corporation reimburses 26 million yen to national treasury of Japan in relation to overcharged expenses on research and development of polarization division multiplexing technology for satellite communications.
[Business Wire – 07/04/2012]

TeleCommunication Systems ranks 96th on Washington Technology’s top 100 government contractors list. [Market Watch – 07/03/2012]

Japan’s Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry to introduce a system for transmitting data from 15 wave gauges equipped with GPS off Japan’s shores to ground stations via satellite to help monitor for tsunamis.
[Oceanspa@ce – 07/04/2012]

Ball Aerospace to build privately funded asteroid-tracking satellite.
[Satellite Today – 07/02/2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

United Launch Alliance Delta IV lifts off carrying National Reconnaissance Office payload.
[SatNews – 06/29/2012]

ATI Systems develops web based version of its MassAlert software that can control system components with a cloud based application accessible through a web browser using satellite communications.
[Virtual Strategy – 06/29/2012]

Hughes Network Systems successfully demo’s wireless 4G/Long Term Evolution (LTE) transmissions over satellite backhaul at download speeds of more than 10 Mbps and upload speeds of 786 Kbps.
[SatNews – 06/29/2012]

MDA is selected to provide communications payload for Israeli AMOS 6 satellite to be launched in 2014.
[Military Aerospace – 06/28/2012]

GeoEye receives $111 million cost-share payment from National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency after successfully passing major milestone in development of GeoEye-2 satellite.
[SatNews – 06/28/2012]

Europe’s MSG-3 meteorological satellite now installed on Ariane 5 launcher in French Guiana, with EchoStar XVII to be mounted next, for scheduled July 5 launch. [SatNews – 06/28/2012]

Orbital Sciences successfully completes negotiations with NASA to included its Antares launch vehicle in the NASA Launch Services-II program.
[SatNews – 06/28/2012]

Reportlinker.com announces new report, “Satellite Communications for Smart Grid Applications.”
[Energy Digital – 06/28/2012]

Eutelsat’s Skylogic affiliate signs Serbia Broadband to distribute the Tooway satellite broadband service in six Balkan countries.
[SatNews – 06/28/2012]

Comtech receives $1.3 million modem and frequency converter contract to support network expansion in Asia.
[Market Watch – 06/28/2012]

U.S. Forest Service purchases 6,000 SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger devices for the purpose of employee safety in remote sites.
[SatNews – 06/28/2012]

DeLorme offers inReach satellite communicator for smartphones, allowing text messages to be sent by satellite when out of cell phone range.
[boston.com – 06/28/2012]

Boeing agrees to pay ICO Global Communications $10 million and waive appellate legal costs, to avert protracted battle to win review of ongoing case by California Supreme Court.
[SatNews – 06/28/2012]

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) acquires Space Systems Loral for $875 million.
[Canada.com – 06/27/2012]

Final weld completed by NASA team on first space-bound Orion capsule, to be shipped to Kennedy Space Center for final assembly and checkout operations.
[SatNews – 06/27/2012]

Hughes SPACEWAY Crypto Kernel receives Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 Security Level 1 validation from the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST).
[SatNews – 06/27/2012]

Data from new generation of instruments aboard Suomi NPP satellite are being used in NOAA’s global numerical weather forecast system only seven months after launch, a record.
[SatNews – 06/27/2012]

Inmarsat wins Safety at Sea magazine’s Systems Award for its Inmarsat Voice Distress service on commercial and leisure vessels.
[SatNews – 06/27/2012]

Pratt and Whitney successfully completes series of tests on thruster designed for Boeing’s Commercial Space Transportation spacecraft, designate CST-100.
[SatNews – 06/27/2012]

Forecast International projects that commercial communications satellite market will be worth $52.7 billion from 2012 – 2021.
[Market Watch – 06/26/2012]

Solar array on Intelsat 19 deploys and satellite is successfully transferred to geostationary orbit.
[Market Watch – 06/26/2012]

President Obama signs waiver allowing EX/IM bank to move forward with financing for Vietnam communications satellite to be build by Lockheed Martin.
[Market Watch – 06/26/2012]

Commercial communications satellites built by Lockheed Martin surpass 1,000 cumulative years in orbit.
[Market Watch – 06/26/2012]

U.S. Chamber of Commerce asks FCC to expedite release of rules allowing more flexible use of satellite spectrum.
[Multichannel – 06/26/2012]

Russian Satellite Communications Company expands agreement with Earthly Orbit to include capacity on prospective Express-AM8 satellite.
[SatNews – 06/25/2012]

Seven Pacific nations partner in Pacific ComNet satellite program to reduce dependence on Internet and IDD calls currently provided by other nations.
[People Daily – 06/25/2012]

HISPASAT signs Orbital Sciences to build two new satellites, Amazonas 4A and Amazonas 4B.
[SatNews – 06/25/2012]

Avanti to launch Africa-dedicated satellite.
[Aerospace & Defence – 06/25/2012]

Spacecom Satellite Communications to contract with Israel Aerospace Industries to build and buy Amos 6 satellite.
[Globes – 06/24/2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

ILS postpones launch of SES-5 due to technical issues with Proton launch vehicle.
[Satellite Spotlight – 06/22/2012]

China Investment Corp buys 7 percent stake in satellite company Eutelsat from Spain’s Abertis Infraestructuras.
[Bloomberg – 06/22/2012]

Point Topic report says Ka-band broadband subscriber base is set for strong growth.
[Satellite Today – 06/22/2012]

SAIC gets $36 million contract to provide consolidate logistics management support for the Air Force Space Command.
[Satellite Today – 06/22/2012]

NASA selects team including Southwest Research Institute to develop Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System utilizing a constellation of eight nanosatellites.
[R&D Magazine – 06/21/2012]

Iridium to begin launching new satellites in 2015 which will include tracking devices enabling Iridium to keep tabs on airplanes everywhere in the world.
[Discovery News- 06/21/2012]

Air traffic services provider Nav Canada teams up with American satellite company Iridium Communications in joint venture Aireon to allow air traffic authorities to track airplanes beyond radar range.
[Vancouver Sun – 06/21/2012]

Bentley Walker purchases iDirect Ka-band hub for Middle East services.
[Satellite Today – 06/21/2012]

United Launch Alliance successfully launches 50th commercially developed Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle, following deployment of National Reconnaissance Office’s NROL-38 mission.
[SatNews – 06/21/2012]

Astrium building DZZ-HR high-resolution observation satellite for Kazakhstan, which will be launched by Arianespace in 2014.
[SatNews – 06/21/2012]

Uganda to host 35th Assembly of Parties of the International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation July 3 to 6.
[All Africa – 06/21/2012]

L-3 is awarded indefinite-delivery-indefinite-quantity contract (minimum value $7.6 million – potential value up to $500 million over 5 years) to supply portable satellite-communications gear to the U.S. Special Operations Command.
[Zacks – 06/21/2012]

“Iridium’s unveiling of the Aireon service could be the boost that the hosted payload ecosystem needed.”
[NSR – 06/20/2012]

Harris receives order to supply 81 Automatic Dependant Surveillance-Broadcast receiver payloads to Aireon LLC (joint venture between NAV Canada and Iridium) for next generation Iridium satellites, for aircraft tracking.
[Zacks – 06/20/2012]

Boeing successfully demonstrates end-to-end communication using terminal from Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals (FAB-T) and the Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite.
[Defense Professionals – 06/20/2012]

AT&T and SiriusXM file spectrum interference proposal dealing with longstanding concerns over interference between AT&T’s unused spectrum in 2.3 GHz band and Sirius’s satellite radio service.
[Satellite Today – 06/20/2012]

RRsat to launch new Ku-band platforms on AMOS-5 satellite over Africa.
[Sacramento Bee – 06/20/2012]

SkyWave Mobile Communications announces introduction of IP SCADA service, to allow IP-based point-to-point satellite communication between small remote sites and SCADA systems where terrestrial communications are not reliable.
[Market Watch – 06/20/2012]

According to SES media briefing at CommunicAsia2012, the company leads the market in Asia-Pacific in meeting DTH demand, delivering approximately 700 DTH channels and serving 20 million payTV homes.
[SatNews – 06/20/2012]

Eutelsat, in bid to expand footprint to high-growth Asia-Pacific markets, buys GE-23 satellite, to be renamed EUTELSAT 172A.
[SatNews – 06/19/2012]

ESA helps improve Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband system through its ARTES telecommunications programme, to allow the same terminal to offer up to nine simultaneous telephone calls instead of one.
[ESA News – 06/19/2012]

Europe’s MSG-3 meteorological satellite is being fueled at Spaceport in French Guiana.
[SatNews – 06/19/2012]

Gilat Satellite Networks SkyEdge IIc Aries Ka-band VSAT, designed by TRIM Industrial Design, wins Bronze A’ Design Award; will initially be used to support SES Broadband satellite-based Internet service.
[MENA FN – 06/19/2012]

Beam Communications has new satellite piracy solution for Iridium-based secure communications aboard vessels.
[SatNews – 06/19/2012]

Newtec breaks 500 Mbps bandwidth barrier on a 72 MHz transponder during a test on a Eutelsat satellite performed at Eutelsat’s Rambouillet teleport.
[SatNews – 06/18/2012]

Lockheed wins $4.6 billion 7-year (if all options exercised) Global Defense Network contract, beating out SAIC.
[Business Week – 06/18/2012]

Lockheed successfully completes thermal vacuum testing on Navy’s second Mobile User Objective System satellite, MUOS-2.
[Market Watch – 06/18/2012]

Avanti to install Newtec Sat3Play Hubs in its earth stations to extend its IP broadband service on its satellites HYLAS 1 and HYLAS 2.
[Telecom Lead – 06/18/2012]

O3b launches O3bMaritime, first-of-its-kind broadband solution capable of providing cruise ship guests and crew with more than 100 times the average internet access rates at sea, delivering over 500 mbps in aggregate to a single vessel [SatNews – 06/18/2012]

O3b announces multi-year, multi-million dollar agreement with AMRTUR Corporation of Brunei, to provide private high-speed satellite-delivered internet to various industries, including reaching 200 oil rigs on a single beam. [SatNews – 06/18/2012]

Lockheed Martin is awarded a $10.7 million firm-fixed-price/cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to operate, maintain, and sustain Camp Parks Communication Annex site equipment to support WGS satellite in orbit testing.
[SIGNALSCAPE – 06/18/2012]

Intelsat signs multiple Asia-Pacific capacity agreements.
[SatNews – 06/18/2012]

Air Force asks satellite industry for ideas on developing the next generation oif military weather satellites and satellite sensor payloads.
[Satellite Today – 06/18/2012]

Kratos selected by AsiaSat to enhance its Tai Po satellite communications ground station.
[Sat PR News – 06/18/2012]

Optimal Satcom selected by O3b to provide enterprise capacity management systems to O3b and its customers; O3b to launch first 8 of its medium-earth orbit (MEO) high capacity Ka-band satellites in 2013 and another 4 in 2014.
[SatNews – 06/17/2012]

Australian enterprise NewSat gets $280 million worth of U.S. ImportExport bank backing for its planned satellite Jabiru-1, to be built by Lockheed Martin.
[SatNews – 06/17/2012]

RRsat’s Station711, a distribution partner for Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband, announces that Ofer Ship Holding has adopted the new FleetBroadband Multi-voice capability just days after it became commercially available.
[SatNews – 06/17/2012]

Telesat announces it has initiated commercial service on its new Nimiq 6 satellite, whose complete capacity has been leased for 15 years to Canada’s largest DTV provider, Bell TV.
[SatNews – 06/17/2012]

Free NSR webinar July 31 – The Key to Maritime Satcom Growth: Capacity or Customers?
[NSR Web Site}

NSR Report, “Global Assessment of Satellite Supply and Demand, 9th Edition” now available.
[NSR Web Site]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Back in 2007, SES and GE worked out a deal that included GE getting back into the satellite operator business. Well, not really an operator — just an owner of an orbiting spacecraft. They called it “GE Satellite” and continued to employ a bunch of people who were selling it. To make that deal work, GE had to have title of the asset (the GE-23 spacecraft) for five years.

Did you do the math? It’s been five years all right. Earlier today, news came out that Eutelsat was buying the asset from GE Capital, which never bothered to list it as part of their many businesses since they knew it was only a matter of time before it went away.

Good day at the office for GE Capital (again) in getting a bunch of cash and good for Eutelsat for getting an asset and an orbital slot over the Pacific Ocean Region (POR). One of the key customers is the U.S. government and Connexion by Boeing, which is still around to provide satcom services to airliners such as Air Force One. Other than that, there’s not much on that bird.

The 20 channels available in the Ku-band is divided among five beams, which was good for the Boeing service, but not really all that workable for standard satellite customers. It was not an easy sell — except for GE Capital.

Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) is first instrument of four that will fly aboard NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to be delivered to NASA.
[SatNews – 06/15/2012]

Vox Telecom receives signals from South Africa’s first Ka-band satellite, Y1B.
[Satellite Today – 06/15/2012]

ESA reserves space on Arianespace for Sentinel-1 radar satellite launch in 2013.
[Satellite Today – 06/15/2012]

NASA’s high energy X-ray NuSTAR satellite, designed to hunt for objects in space, is launched from Kwajalein Atoll aboard Pegasus rocket.
[Space Travel – 06/14/2012]

Arianespace preparation complete for July 5 launch of EchoStar XVII high-throughput relay platform and the MSG-3 meteorological spacecraft for EUMETSAT.
[SatNews – 06/14/2012]

Boeing states that secure satellite communications between ships, aircraft, and ground forces is on the horizons, following in-flight demonstration conducted by Boeing and the U.S. Navy using an EA-18G Growler equipped with a SATCOM antenna.
[UPI – 06/14/2012]

Boeing completes Critical Design Review of the MEXSAT Geomobile Satellite Communications System with customer Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes of the government of Mexico.
[SatNews – 06/14/2012]

Satellite Interference Reduction Group to be involved with a number of discussions and meetings on resolution of satellite interference at CommunicAsia2012.
[SatNews – 06/14/2012]

South Asian reseller agrees to pay NewSat of Australia $30 million for satellite communications coverage in Afghanistan.
[The Bull – 06/14/2012]

MEASAT Satellite Systems has a capacity deal with MEASAT Broadcast Network Systems (ASTRO) to carry UEFA European Football Championship 2012 (“Euro 2012”) live for Brunei via the MEASAT-3 satellite.
[SatNews – 06/14/2012]

Ofer Ship Holding deploys Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband Multi-voice service with RRSat’s Station711 mobile satellite services.
[Market Watch – 06/14/2012]

Telesat announces signing of Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) to a long term contract for capacity on Telesat’s Telstar 11N satellite.
[SatNews – 06/14/2012]

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated subsidiary, Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc., in Huntsville, Alabama, is awarded Cooperative Agreement by NASA to foster the commercial use of the International Space Station
[SatNews – 06/14/2012]

Advantech Wireless develops new VSAT product line-up including smallest, most fully features, lowest-cost hub in the world, the Discovery 100, the midrange Discovery 200 supporting up to 1,500 terminals, and Discovery 300 providing full capacity and support for thousands of terminals.
[SatNews – 06/14/2012]

NSR releases a number of reports projecting a dynamic revolution in government spending, commercial activities, and a high-throughput revolution in satellite communications. [SatNews – 06/14/2012
http://www.satnews.com/cgi-bin/story.cgi?number=1722807156

Next ILS launch, scheduled for June 20, to carry SES 5 aloft aboard Proton M launch vehicle.
[SatNews – 06/13/2012]0

Raytheon receives $19 million contract to modify Navy Multiband Terminal to link it with Air Force’s Enhance Polar Satellite, to allow U.S. Navy and Air Force warfighters to overcome communications gaps in remote polar region.
[SatNews – 06/13/2012]

Qualcomm to meld satellite communications into its Snapdragon S4 application processors for Dish Network, so the chips can link to both satellite and ground-based mobile networks.
[UT News San Diego – 06/13/2012]

World Teleport Association releases white paper Best Practices in Satellite Capacity Contracts.
[SatNews – 06/13/2012]

Gulfsat, a leading service provider and satellite specialist in the Middle East and North Africa, signs new agreement for capacity on EUTELSAT 8.
[Market Watch – 06/13/2012]

Multiple firms receive multiple award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts not to exceed $65,750,00 for Inmarsat mobile satellite services for DoD and other government agencies.
[AFCEA SignalScape – 06/13/2012]

Galician Research and Development Center in Advanced Telecommunications gathers key industrial representatives in the field of satellite communications for a June 15 seminar, “The Satellite Role in the Mobile Communications Arena.”
[Cordis Wire – 06/13/2012]

RIA Novosti reports that China will launch Shenzhou-9 manned spacecraft in mid-June to carry out the country’s first manned space docking mission with the orbiting Tiangong-1 space lab module.
[SatNews – 06/12/2012]

UK startup Phasor announces phased array antenna system that allows moving vehicles to communicate with satellites, or antennas that track satellites, with no moving parts, utilizing multiple transceiver ICs manufactured by TowerJazz.
[Market Watch – 06/12/2012]

Globalstar misses June 9 payment to Thales required by arbitrators’ ruling as it considers options to oppose the ruling; Thales files petition in court to affirm the award; negotiations between the companies continue.
[SatNews – 06/12/2012]

Harris Caprock selects amplifiers by Gilat subsidiary Wavestream for VSAT systems onboard its maritime customers’ vessels, including cruise ships.
[Market Watch – 06/12/2012]

ITT Exelis is introducing GNOMAD, a mobile, on-the-move satellite communications (SATCOM) system providing over the horizon satellite communications for data and voice while on the move using a low profile broadband antenna and baseband solution which is modem and radio agnostic.
[Satnews – 06/12/2012]

Canadian broadband provider Galaxy launches new services with Hughes dual-band broadband satellite terminal.
[mediacaster magazine – 06/12/2012]

Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications commission expects to complete draft of licensing framework to issue type-3 communications satellite business by next month, with InTouch’s satellite arm, Thaicom Plc, the only company that can apply for a licence to provide service without having their own network.
[Bangkok Post – 06/12/20012]

Australian telecommunications company PlusComms set to acquire historic Jamesburg Earth Station in California’s Carmel Valley for redevelopment by Oz company as “armageddon-proof” data center.
[The Register – 06/11/2012]

Qatar’s proposed launch of its first satellite, Es’hail 1, in the second quarter of 2013 will support the country’s sophisticated communication needs, according to CEO of Qatar Satellite Company.
[Gulf Times – 06/11/2012]

SatLink Communications expands operations into Asia, opening new office in Singapore.
[Screen Africa – 06/11/2012]

Information Affairs Authority criticizes statement by ARABSAT that it does not have responsibility to interfere with “political and religious discussions” on Iranian satellite channels.
[Bahrain News Agency – 06/10/2012]

Sea Launch officials focus on the company’s Zenit rocket to determine whether it damaged Intelsat 19 satellite during launch, preventing deployment of one of the solar panels.|
[SpaceFlight Now – 06/09/2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Intelsat announces new high performance satellite platform, EpicNG, with a complementary overlay that will be fully integrated with Intelsat’s existing fleet.
[Market Watch – 06/07/2012]

Orbital Sciences Pegasus rocket carrying NASA’s NuStar satellite arrives at Kwajalein Atoll launch site.
[Reuters – 06/07/2012]

Inmarsat announces 30,000 FleetBroadband terminals now in service.
[Market Watch – 06/07/2012]

KVH appoints Athens-based KB Impuls Hellas as new commercial marine distributor in Greece for TracPhone, TracVision, and mini-VSAT products.
[Market Watch – 06/07/2012]

Astrium opens GeoStore portal as gateway to its unique stock of satellite imagery.
[SatNews – 06/07/2012]

KVH wins $35.6 million Sudi Arabian contract for TACNAV TLS and TACNAV Light navigation systems, installation, and training, to modernize the country’s military vehicles.
[SatNews – 06/07/2012]

First Space Based Infrared System satellite launched May 7, 2012 demonstrating outstanding performance exceeding specifications during in-orbit testing. [SatNews – 06/06/2012]

Two next generation satellites being built by Space Systems/Loral for Australia’s NBN will double the speed of the National Broadband Network for people living in rural Australia.
[SMARTHOUSE – 06/06/2012]

Harris Corporation successfully completes Critical Design Review and is approved to begin implementation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s GOES-R Ground Segment.
[Market Watch – 06/06/2012]

Boeing leading team including Raytheon and Harris, seeking Air Force GPS Control Segment Sustainment contract.
[SatNews – 06/06/2012]

Major shipping company Reederei Werner Bockstiegel upgrades to Iridium Pilot and se@COMM broadband data package.
[Market Watch – 06/06/2012]

Nigeria’s survivability, and education of its youth, seen as highly dependent upon proper implementation of satellite communications throughout the country.
[Vanguard – 06/06/2012]

French Open and London 2012 Olympic Games to be broadcast in 3D via ASTRA satellite system.
[SatNews – 06/06/2012]

Gilat offering free webinar on how to ensure communications to deepwater oil & gas platforms.
[SatNews – 06/06/2012]

Adjusting focus in HTS mobility – FSS operators looking at mobility market, as Intelsat launches EPIC and other operators take different approach.
[NSR – 06/06/2012]

Launches of three European Space Agency Earth observation Swarm satellites delayed due to technical issues at three separate launch sites.
[Satellite TRoday – 06/05/2012]

Cellphones killed Iridium once, but in its second coming the satellite phone maker and fleet operator is looking to cell phones to secure its future.
[Reuters – 06/05/2012

Space Systems/Loral is evaluating delayed South solar array deployment on recently launched Intelsat satellite, and reviews other satellites based on the same platform. [Space Ref – 06/05/2012]

With satellite fleet launch to begin in less than a year, O3b launches backhaul services for wireless carriers.
[Cable360Net – 06/05/2012]

Blocking Arabian satellite channels new form of censorship.
[AL-Monitor – 06/05/2012]

Indian armed forces to get first-ever dedicated military satellite, scheduled launch next month.
[Online International News Network – 06/05/2012]

Beam Communications announces new Inmarsat-based satellite piracy solution for secure communication on board a vessel.
[VIRTUAL-STRATEGY – 06/05/2012]

KVH app0oints MVS Group as service provider for mini-VSAT product.
[Market Watch – 06/05/2012]

Republic of Congo tests femtocell and satellite network.
[Wall Street Journal – 06/05/2012]

Selling low to win high-end customers – Harris CapRock signs five-year 34-ship contract with Royal Caribbean Cruises, marking increasing competition for MTM in cruise ship business.
[NSR – 06/05/2012]

Sierra Nevada Corporation initiates Dream Chaser Space System’s flight test program with successful captive carry of full scale Dream Chaser Flight Vehicle, designed for carrying supplies and crew to the International Space Station.
[SatNews – 06/04/2012]

NBN of Australia faces spectrum constraints, inaccurate address data, and complaints about towers while rolling out wireless and satellite broadband.
[ZDNet – 06/04/2012]

Hubble-type telescopes donated to NASA by National Reconnaissance Office may find new life investigating dark matter in the universe.
[New York Times – 06/04/2012]

Tesacom will offer KVH mini-VSAT broadband service in South America.
[Market Watch – 06/04/2012]

NSR report “Wireless Backhaul Via Satellite, 6th Edition” quantifies market opportunity for Land-based Towers and Mobility Platforms and outlines key programs and technology developments that will impact market long term.
[NSR – July 2012]

NOTABLE:  HOSTED PAYLOADS Air Force may spend up to 1 billion over next decade on hosted payloads.
[Washington Post – 04/22/2012] Hosted payload summit to be held in September in Washington DC.
[Hosted Payload Summit}

Thanks, NASA.

The Christian Science Monitor provides a realistic guide on the Transit of Venus, a truly once-in-a-lifetime event…

Today’s historic Venus transit is a marathon event lasting nearly seven hours, but skywatchers who don’t have that kind of time can break it down into a handful of key milestones.

NASA’s planetary scientist Lori Glaze discusses the transit of Venus. Venus treks across the sun’s face from Earth’s perspective today (June 5; June 6 in much of the Eastern Hemisphere), marking the last such Venus transit until 2117. Few people alive today will be around to see the next transit, which makes the rare celestial sight a premier event in the astronomical and skywatching communities.

The Venus-sun show will begin around 6 p.m. EDT (2200 GMT) and end at roughly 12:50 a.m. EDT (0450 GMT) Wednesday, with the exact timing varying by a few minutes from point to point around the globe.

There’s plenty of activity surrounding this event, so get out there!