Really Rocket Science - Space Business

WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 03/05/2010

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:10:36 -0800

Orbital Sciences reaches agreement to acquire spacecraft development and manufacturing business of General Dynamic's subsidiary GD Advanced Information Systems.
[SatNews - 03/05/2010]

Air Force accepts WGS-3 from Boeing.
[UPI - 03/05/2010]

RRsat Global Communications Network signs agreement with ISG Media of India to provide fiber connectivity, playout and distribution for satellite broadcast in Europe and North America.
[SatNews - 03/05/2010]

SatMAX and TLC Engineering offer SatMAX repeaters to aid Chile.
[CNN Money - 03/05/2010]

GlobecCast's new Content Acquisition and Distribution division signs agreement with Chinese content provider ZN Animation to deliver content to Video on Demand viewers throughout Europe.
[SatNews - 03/05/2010]

GOES-P satellite, NASA and NOAA's environmental satellite completing the N -O series, is successfully launched from Cape Canaveral.
[NASA web site - 03/04/2010]

OmniGlobe Networks EMEA signs Letter of Intent to acquire entire issued share capital and assets of privately-held Sat-Comm Ltd.
[SatNews - 03/04/2010]

Telesat expresses support for Canadian government's commitment to remove foreign ownership restrictions on Canadian satellite operators.
[SatNews - 03/04/2010]

Iridium provides satellite voice and data communications for 2010 Iditarod sled dog race.
[Market Watch - 03/04/2010]

European Satellite Operators Association representative takes part in Commercial Satellite Critical Infrastructure Protection workshop with experts working on critical national security and emergency programmes from the European Commission, the US Department of State, and Department of Defense and others.
[SatNews - 03/04/2010]

TiVo wins court ruling against Dish Network and EchoStar for patent infringement with Digital Video Recorder software.
[Business Week - 03/04/2010]

Global VSAT Forum called upon to expand reach of the GVF VSAT Installation & Maintenance Training Programme.
[SatNews - 03/04/2010]

Texas senator proposes bill to extend space shuttle program.
[Space.com - 03/04/2010]

U.S. Air Force investigates electrical mini-thrusters for possible use in satellite propulsion.
[PHYSORG - 03/03/2010]

Secretary of State Clinton delivers satellite phones in Chile following earthquake and tsumani.
[Kaiser Family Foundation - 03/03/2010]

Gilat is chosen by Satcom Systems to deliver SkyEdge II network for broadband internet connectivity in Africa.
[Market Watch - 03/03/2010]

iDirect announces launch of Talia Home by Talia Limited, providing consumer-focused internet and telephone communications service in MENA, using iDirect Evolution technology.
[SatNews - 03/03/2010]

Tachyon Networks announces availability of new end-to-en d fixed and mobile broadband satellit solutions for Southwest Asia using ultra-small aperture terminals.
[SatNews - 03/03/2010].

Earth's day is shortened by earthquake in Chile.
[Time - 03/02/2010]

UN and Iridium rush satellite phones to Chili to help restore vital communications links.
[PC World - 03/02/2010]

MTN supplies satellite communications system for Oasis Of The Seas, the world's largest cruise ship.
[Space Daily - 03/02/2010]

Upstar Comunicacoes selects Eutelsat to broadcast ZAP, the new satellite TV bouquet of Angola.
[PR Newswire - 03/02/2010]

New satellite mobile broadband service OverHorizon, based in Arlington, VA, selects Arianespace to launch its first satellite.
[Space News Examiner - 03/01/2010]

Millions of tons of water ice found at North Pole of Moon.
[Space.com - 03/01/2010]

Russia launches 3 navigation satellites.
[Space Daily - 03/01/2010]

NASA announces plans to launch small cube-shaped satellites for educational and not-for-profit organizations.
[Space Daily - 03/01/2010]

SES WORLD SKIES announces plans to join leading broadcaster, programmers, TV makers, and technology providers in series of extensive tests aimed at accelerating delivery of 3DTV.
[SatNews - 03/01/2010]

Soldiers provide communications support in Haiti, working with a variety of networks and satellite links.
[DVIDS - 03/01/2010]

SatMAX receives 2nd U.S. Navy order for its satellite communications repeater system.
[CNN Money - 03/01/2010]

EchoStar to purchase SatMex.
[Multichannel News - 02/28/2010]

TRA grants Al Yah Satellite Communications Company a Satellite Services License.
[WAM - 02/28/2010]

Antarctic satellite broadband project wins funding under Australian Space Research Program.
[Computer World - 03/01/2010]

WBMSAT PS - Satellite Communications Consulting Services

Mexican Slots for Charlie

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:39:53 -0800

"Saludar a mi pequeño amigo!"

That's right: say hello to my little friend. EchoStar is buying Satmex in a joint venture with MVS Comunicaciones:

Under the deal, EchoStar and MVS Comunicaciones, one of the largest media and telecommunications companies in Mexico and EchoStar's partner in the Mexican direct-to-home TV service Dish Mexico, will take ownership of Satmex, that nation's leading satellite operator that delivers video, audio and data services, through a joint venture.

According to the parties, EchoStar and MVS Comunicaciones will acquire all of the outstanding stock of Satmex for approximately $267 million in cash, plus up to $107 million in cash on the Mexican satellite operator's balance sheet at closing.

As such, there will be up to $374 million for distribution to Satmex's stakeholders. The transaction is expected to close early in the third quarter 2010.

In connection with the sale, Satmex said it intends to offer to purchase all of its outstanding senior secured notes for cash upon the closing of the sale of the Satmex shares.

Established in the mid-1980s as part of a government operation before becoming a commercial organization, Satmex, which has some 200 employees, owns and operates three satellites and two satellite uplink facilities, all of which are expected to be included as part of the transaction.

"We are pleased to make this announcement with EchoStar, a major provider of satellite services in the United States with a significant and growing presence in Mexico," said Satmex CEO Patricio Northland in a statement. "Our companies have common goals in delivering satellite communications services across the Americas, and EchoStar has the dedication and expertise for continued growth."

"The Satmex acquisition provides us with a footprint over Mexico and South America and presents us the opportunity to serve a growing global demand for satellite services," noted Dean Olmstead, president of EchoStar Satellite Services L.L.C. "We look forward to leveraging our satellite operations and uplink expertise in North America to expand our fixed satellite services throughout the Americas, including the delivery of satellite Internet to rural communities."

EchoStar set up the business a couple of years ago, a few years after they signed up with SES in the formation of QuetzSat S.R.L. de C.V. in the successful bid for the 77° West orbital location. The QuetzSat-1 satellite is expected to come into service in 2011.

Great move my EchoStar. Although Satmex 5 is a sickly HS-601, it still has several choice orbital locations and a decent business model. Satmex-6 is in much better shape (Loral FS-1300). This will definitely have a positive effect on DISH Network's plans for Mexico, as well as Central and South America.

Way to go, Dean O!

Technorati Tags: echostar mvs dish+network dish+mexico satmex ses quetzsat

Satellite Industry News Bits February 26, 2010

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:32:36 -0800

SkyTerra considers acquisition by a new corporation formed and indirectly owned by Harbinger Capital Partners.
[Business Wire - 02/26/2010]

KVH announces distribution agreement with Japan Radio.
[Trading Markets - 02/26/2010]

The Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) teams up with Romantis to offer satellite solutions in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
[Space Daily - 02/26/2010]

GAO denies SpaceX protest of launch contract with Orbital Sciences for scientific satellite for NASA in 2012.
[Satellite Today - 02/26/2010]

Orbital Sciences and Aerojet initiate engine tests of Aj26 liquid-fuel rocket for Orbital's Taurus 2 medium-class launch vehicle.
[Satellite Today - 02/26/2010]

Thales Alenia signs with French Space Agency to build the Jason-3 oceanographic satellite.
[Space Daily - 02/25/2010]

Globecomm Systems wins 3-year maritime managed services contract for Singapore based FACC Ship Managers Pte Ltd.
[Trak.in - 02/25/2010]

Thales Alenia Space delivers YahSat 1A communication module to EADS Astrium for integration on their platform.
[WebWire - 02/25/2010]

Among a series of satellites launched by NASA over the last decade to monitor the health of our planet, ICESat has provided a consistent big picture look at polar icecaps.
[Space Daily - 02/25/2010]

Both payloads for the first launch of the year by Ariane 5 are in Kourou, French Guiana undergoing initial checkout for a March 24 liftoff.
[Space Travel - 02/25/2010]

South Africa's second satellite, Sumbandila, delivers its first live images.
ITWeb - 02/24/2010]

Boeing gets NASA approval to build new TDRS satellites series K and L..
[Satellite Today - 02/24/2010]

Government Space Programs spend $68 billion in 2009.
[Satellite Today - 02/24/2010]

UPC Broadband consolidates its European DTH businesses to create a new company, UPC DTH.
[Satellite Today - 02/24/2010]

The Arab States Broadcasting Union, Arabsat, and Newtec will provide expanded services to additional customers on their TV/Radio contribution and exchange network.
[SatNews - 02/24/2010]

NDS selected by On Digital Media as technology provider and prime integrator to support the launch of its DTH platform in South Africa.
[SatNews - 02/24/2010]

Space junk mess gets messier as head-on collision between the European Space Agency's Envisat Earth remote-sensing spacecraft and upper stage of a Chinese rocket is averted.
[Space - 02/23/2010]

U.S. broadband stimulus funds of $100 million set aside for satellite projects in U.S. Rural Utilities Services and National Telecommunications and Information Administration notice falls short of expectations.
[Satellite Today - 02/23/2010]

SatMAX announces joint marketing plan with TLC Engineering for efficient disaster recovery.
[CNN Money - 02/23/2010]

Expand Networks help optimize Global Satellite Services with Inmarsat.
[EON - 02/23/2010]

NASA, NOAA GOES-P meteorological satellite is lifted into the mobile service tower at Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 37 for March 2 launch.
(Physorg - 02/23/2010]

India plans to send two astronauts into space in 6 or 7 years.
[Space Travel - 02/23/2010]

SpaceX's Falcon 9 two-stage rocket hoisted into vertical launch position at Cape Canaveral in preparation for maiden flight later this year.
[Space - 02/23/2010]

TerreStar announces successful testing of Ground Based Beam Forming (GBBF); the system provides the flexibility to deploy over 500 spot beams and manage power and capacity; Terrestar to launch commercial service in first half of this year.
[Space Daily - 02/23/2010]

Space Systems Loral ships communications satellite built for Dish Network to Baikonur Space Center for launch later this year.
[SatNews - 02/22/2010]

Cobham SATCOM's USAT 24 60 cm (24 in) Marine Stabilized Antenna for the Sea Tel range of Ultra Small Aperture Terminals receives full accreditation FCC license as ESV.
[SatNews - 02/22/2010]

DISA and DoD award two contracts to Marshall Communications Corp for maintenance and support at Landstuhl, Germany, and Skyline, Falls Church DVB-RS hubs.
[SatNews - 02/22/2010]

Hughes announces availability of SCADA IP satellite terminal.
[PR Newswire - 02/22/2010]

WBMSAT PS - Satellite Communications Consulting Services

Technorati Tags: satellite+week satnews satcom satellite+today via+satellite satellite+news

Tsunami Buoys via Satellite

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:00:23 -0800

Leave it to the folks at SAIC to commercialize a system for tsunami warnings developed by NOAA. They just announced a big sale to the Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services:

The SAIC Tsunami Buoy systems will be deployed at locations in the Bay of Bengal and off the northwest coast of India near the Makran subduction zone. These systems represent a part of a larger network of tsunami buoy systems that will provide the entire region with critical data to assess the magnitude of tsunamis generated in the Indian Ocean. The eastern Bay of Bengal, one of the most seismically active regions in the world, is near the origin of the Boxing Day mega-tsunami that claimed over 220,000 lives in 2004.

"The deployment of these STBs will provide the Indian regional tsunami forecast center with a foundation of reliable and technologically sound deep-water tsunami assessment systems," said Tom Baybrook, SAIC senior vice president and business unit general manager. "SAIC looks forward to a long term relationship with INCOIS supporting their extensive tsunami assessment network."

The STB system consists of three subsystems: a surface communications buoy, a buoy mooring, and a bottom pressure recorder. The bottom pressure recorder includes a highly accurate sea floor pressure sensor which can detect earthquakes and sea level changes. Acoustic communications transmits the pressure data to the surface buoy which then relays the data by satellite communications to oceanographic forecast centers for analysis. Once processed, the data can provide real-time assessments of the characteristics of the tsunami in deep water. This data is then used with forecast models to predict the height of the wave and inundation when it arrives at a particular coastal location.

How does it work? Check out NOAA's DART specs.

Satcom saves lives. More power to them!

Technorati Tags: tsunami saic noaa dart incois

Satellite Industry Headlines Week Ending 02/19/2010

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:22:18 -0800

Launcher concern causes delay of the European Space Agency's Cryosat-2 mission.
[Space News - 02/19/2010]

Spain will provide technology expertise for a communications satellite to be built for the Norwegian army.
[SatNews - 02/19/2010]

European Space Agency panel puts off decision whether to participate in Japanese-let infrared space telescope pending further discussion regarding Japan's commitment to the project.
[Space News - 02/19/2010]

GSA and DISA initiate 10 year $5 billion dollar government wide procurement that will cover purchases of commercial satellite services and hardware by the military and government agencies.
[SatNews - 02/19/2010]

Thales Space reports 3% decline in space-based revenue, but a sharp increase in new orders.
[Space News - 02/19/2010]

BusinessCom, a global satellite telecommunications service provider, launches Advantage IP VSAT service, based on Ku-band IO satellites, covering more than 18 countries in the Middle East and parts of Asia including Iraq and Afghanistan.
[SatNews - February 19, 2010]

Crew aboard International Space Station relocate cupola from Tranquility's forward port to new location facing the Earth, resulting in a "phenomenal view."
[Spaceflight Now - 02/19/2010]

Thales Alenia Space ships second ComSatBw satellite to the Kourou spaceport for a launch on March 24 by an Ariane 5 ECA.
[ASD News - 02/18/2010]

Eutelsat switches planned launch this year of its W3B satellite from a Chinese Long March vehicle to a European Ariane 5 rocket amid concerns about insufficient supply of non-U.S. components to allow export of the satellite to China.
[Space News - 02/18/2010]

Settlement apparently reached in dispute between SES and Boeing over claim that Boeing violated violated a contract to rebuild a large SES-owned satellite destroyed during a 2007 launch failure.
[Space News - 02/18/2010]

Spot LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globalstar Inc., begins shipping the new SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger to its customers and retail partners.
[SatNews - 02/18/2010]

exactEarth Ltd., the data services subsidiary of COM DEV International Ltd., signs $1.4 million contract with Canadian Space Agency to provide data collected by its AIS nanosatellite.
[SatNews - 02/18/2010]

AXIO-NET, a subsidiary of Astrium Services, will provide satellite positioning data to be used in construction of a motorway and rail link between Germany and Denmark.
[Space Daily - 02/18/2010]

Members of the Air Force Joint Functional Component Command for Space at Vandenberg AFB provide satellite communications and navigation services in support of relief efforts in Haiti.
[SatNews - 02/18/2010]

Space Micro to develop space communications hardware compatible with wide variety of existing communications systems, and is not susceptible to damaging effects of radiation.
[SatNews - 02/18/2010]

Steve Wozniak, a co-founder of Apple, to deliver opening keynote address at MILCOM 2010.
[SatNews - 02/18/2010]

President Obama tells astronauts aboard the International Space Station that he is committed to space, in spite of having scrapped the Constellation program to return to the moon.
[Space Travel - 02/18/2010]

EchoStar subsidiary Sling Media announces that Bell TV will license SlingGuide to deliver advanced TV search, remote scheduling, and recording services to its customers.
[SatNews - 02/17/2010]

Tremendous expense of all aspects of the satellite industry to be addressed at Satellite Finance Forum sponsored by Futron Corporation and Access Intelligence March 15.
[SatNews - 02/17/2010]

Latitude Technologies Corp. announces IONode 100 onboard system integration product and Air Tanker Information System software to provide system monitoring and data distribution when connected to Iridium-based SkyNode product.
SatNews - 02/17/2010]

Motorola files with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, claiming that GHL Acquisition of Iridium last year constitutes "change of control" and demands $24.7 million in cash from Iridium or it will deny Iridium technology required to build replacement satellites.
[Space News - 02/16/2010]

Solaris Mobile, Dublin-based operator of new pan-European hybrid satellite and terrestrial wireless networks, announces development of mobile gateway device allowing reception of S-band services on smart phones.
[SatNews - 02/16/2010]

MapMart introduces free downloadable MapMart On-Demand Toolbar for ESRI ArcMap which allows ArcMap users to highight any area within their GIS project and instantly search MapMart database for matching geospatial data sets.
SatNews - 02/16/2010[

GMV successfully tests satellite ground segment of World Space Observatory Ultraviolet mission, an international project led by Russian Space Agency ROSCOSMOS.
[SatNews - 02/16/2010]

GlobeCast teams in Vancouver, BC, provide services including playout, live positions, and HD/SD delivery of Olympic Winter Games content to clients from around the world.
[SatNews - 02/16/2010

Nagravision announces that their conditional access system was selected by SkyLife, the only DTH pay TV service provider in Korea.
[SatNews - 02/16/2010]

SkyTrac is selected by Aerospace Consortium FZE of Dubai to supply SATCOM/flight following solutions for Aerospace's diverse fleet of airplanes and helicopters.
[Shepard -- 02/16/2010]

Orbit Technology Group receives order from Lockheed Martin for advanced tracking antenna solution for flight tests.
[SatNews - 02/16/2010]

SES S.A. reports 25% growth in earnings per share for period ending December 31, 2009.
[SatNews - 02/16/2010]

Boeing ships the first Global Positioning System IIF satellite from El Segundo, CA to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard C-17 Globemaster III airlifter.
[SatNews - 02/16/2010]

Groupo Televisa of Mexico agrees to purchase 30% share of Mexican telecommunications unit of NII Holdings for $1.55 billion in cash.
[SatNews - 02/16/2010]

25 U.S. companies to participate in International Trade Administration's first trade mission to Algeria and Libya include AAE Systems, Inc., a satellite equipment manufacturer and turnkey communications solutions provider.
[SatNews - 02/16/2010]

SES, seeking to refocus the satellite industry's approach to managing and preventing RF Interference by engaging with 15 other satellite operators on a series of initiatives, adopts GVF's Installation Training Program in order to help prevent RF interference.
[SatNews - 02/16/2010]

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin proposes introducing the Glonass navigation system throughout the country's regions to be used on trains, aircraft, water and public transportation.
[SatNews - 02/16/2010]

Newtec shows broadband potential of Sat3Play at Neureus workshop, attended by representatives of the European Commission, who agreed that satellite Internet should play a vital role in an integrated approach to reaching full broadband access across all of Europe.
[SatNews -- 02/16/2010]

The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association will hold its first Regional Chapter Meeting of Satellite Professionals on March 4th in Wilmington Delaware.
[SatNews - 02/16/2010]

Small Scottish company Selex Galileo wins funding to complete development of an orientation system for satellites.
[SatNews - 02/16/2010]

Iran reveals development of new Simorgh space booster and three new satellites, including an imaging satellite which may provide Iran with rudimentary space reconnaissnce capability.
[SatNews - 02/16/2010]

Israel Defense Force plans to equip all infantry and armored brigades with ground based satellite antennas developed by Gilat Satellite Networks which can relay information during operations behind enemy lines.
[SatNews - 02/16/2010]

U.S. Air Force's second geosynchronous Space Based Infrared Systems satellite completes successful first BaseLine Integrated System Testing at Lockheed Martin Space Systems facility in Sunnyvale, CA.
[SatNews - 02/16/2010]

Legislation to renew the satellite television law governing transmission of broadcast signals by U.S. DTH providers dies in U.S. Senate as cuts are made to make underlying jobs legislation more targeted.
[SatNews - 02/16/2010]

SES, in middle of largest satellite-buying spree in its history (15 new satellites to be launched between 2010 and 2014), says the new capacity will continue to earn about $1.5 million per year in transponder lease revenue, and that SES will slow down capital spending next year.
[Space News - 02/12/2010]

WBMSAT PS - Satellite Communications Consulting Services

Technorati Tags: satellite+news via+satellite satellite+today satcom satnews satellite+week

NSS-8 Now a Nice Chunk of Money

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:51:58 -0800

Feels like somebody's watching you!

Peter de Selding gets the story, as always, in Space News...

Boeing appears to have paid satellite fleet operator SES of Luxembourg about $23 million to settle a claim that Boeing violated a contract to rebuild a large SES-owned telecommunications satellite that was destroyed in a 2007 launch failure, according to financial statements from the two companies.

Neither SES nor Chicago-based Boeing has commented directly on the matter. Boeing said the settlement is confidential. SES spokesman Yves Feltes on Feb. 18 confirmed that “a mutually satisfactory agreement” had been reached with Boeing but declined further comment.

But in their 2009 year-end financial reports and investor conference calls earlier this year, both companies point in the direction of a settlement, for approximately that amount, of an issue that Boeing long dismissed.

The dispute began following the January 2007 on-pad launch failure of a Sea Launch rocket carrying the Boeing-built NSS-8 telecommunications satellite, which was owned by SES. SES subsequently said the NSS-8 manufacturing contract included an option under which SES could order Boeing to build a carbon copy of NSS-8 under essentially the same contract terms.

SES officials said that when they notified Boeing of their intent to exercise the option, Boeing resisted. Satellite prices had increased substantially from the time of the initial NSS-8 contract in March 2001. Boeing had long since lowered its profile in the commercial satellite market, saying prevailing prices could not justify a major Boeing presence.

Boeing offered a different version of events, as described in a July 2009 submission to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): “New Skies [the former name of the SES division now called SES World Skies] did not exercise the option. Instead, New Skies purported to cancel the contract on April 27, 2007, maintaining that discussions between the parties regarding the never-exercised option amounted to a repudiation by BSSI [Boeing Satellite Systems International]. We vigorously disputed that characterization.”

Boeing said SES in May 2009 filed a dispute-resolution request with the International Chamber of Commerce in London, but never spelled out how much money SES was seeking in reparations. “We believe that SES New Skies’ claims lack merit and intend to vigorously defend against them,” Boeing said in the July 2009 SEC filing.

In a Jan. 27 conference call with investors, Boeing Chief Financial Officer James A. Bell said Boeing late in 2009 booked a one-time charge in its Network and Space Systems division relating to a “legal settlement associated with a contract” that, when combined with a write-down in the value of Boeing Delta 2 rocket hardware, totaled about $50 million.

In Boeing’s Feb. 8 filing with the SEC, the company refers to a “Dec. 23 confidential settlement agreement with respect to all claims” by SES relating to the NSS-8 replacement dispute.

In its Feb. 12 announcement detailing its financial results and a conference call with investors the same day, SES makes reference to a one-time charge and a one-time revenue gain in late 2009, with roughly a $4 million difference between the two. The company refers to a write-off, valued at 19 million euros ($27.2 million at year-end exchange rates), relating to payments made to Long Beach, Calif.-based Sea Launch Co., which since mid-2009 has been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization.

Partly offsetting this write-off, SES Chief Financial Officer Mark Rigolle said, was revenue resulting from “a settlement with one of our partners” that was valued at about $4 million less than the Sea Launch charge. Rigolle declined to disclose the partner’s identity, but added that “it’s a nice chunk of money that we are quite happy to have received.”

We won't soon forget what happened to NSS-8.

Technorati Tags: boeing ses new+skies ses+global

WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits for February 12, 2010

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:24:02 -0800

Solar Dynamics Observatory and its Atlas V rocket blast off from Cape Canaveral launch pad in blustery weather.
[Spaceflight Now - 02/11/2010]

Russia launches Intelsat 16 satellite built by Orbital Sciences aboard Proton rocket from Baikonur cosmodrome.
[TMCNET - 02/11/2010]

Thales Alenia to build civil, military satellite for French and Italian space agencies CNES and ASI.
[Satellite Today - 02/11/2010]

MTN Satellite Communications introduces new flexible, cost-effective satellite communications service for megayachts with varying bandwidth requirements.
[SatNews - 02/11/2010]

Bolivia creates space agency for Chinese satellite.
[CRI English (Xinhua) - 02/11/2010]

Spaceport Systems International, a partnership between ITT Corporation and California Commercial Spaceport, Inc., contracts to provide spaceport launch services for U.S. Air Force.
[SatNews - 02/11/2010]

ESPN expects 3-D HD live event broadcasts will be important for company's future.
[Satellite today - 02/11/2010]

SpaceX announces that all flight hardware for the debut launch of the Falcon 9 vehicle has arrived at the SpaceX launch site in Cape Canaveral.
[SatNews - 02/11/2010]

NASA Landsat 7 images of Winter Olympic Games site in Vancouver, British Columbia shared with SatNews.
[SatNews - 02/11/2010]

SES WORLD SKIES reaches agreement with the Andean Community of Nations regarding long term use of the 67 degrees West orbital position.
[SatNews - 02/11/2010]

Satellite Users Interference Reduction Group receives 2010 Industry Innovator Award from the Society of Satellite Professionals International.
[SatNews - 02/11/2010]

ASTRA 3B arrives in French Guiana, the first of two satellite payloads for Arianspace's initial Araiane 5 mission of 2010.
[SatNews - 02/11/2010]

Arianespace is selected to launch the French-Italian Athena-Fidus dual use satellite.
[SatNews - 02/11/2010]

Hubble Space Telescope captures image of Saturn with its rings edge-on, taking advantage of a rare opportunity.
[SatNews - 02/11/2010]

SES and International Launch Services announce ILS Proton launch of SES-3 satellite with the Kazsat-2 satellite during 2010.
[SatNews - 02/11/2010]

PolarSat Inc successfully completes system acceptance testing and 6 months of live operation of a disaster relief VSATPlus 3 VSAT network.
[SatNews - 02/11/2010]

Globalstar undertakes construction of satellite tracking station in Botswana, in Southern Africa.
[SatNews - 02/10/2010]

Satellite TV company FreeHD Canada wins limited approval from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to operate in Canada.
[Satellite Today - 02/10/2010]

GeoSpatial Experts announces the U.S. government has approved four of its pphoto-mapping product bundles for direct purchase by federal agencies.
[SatNews - 02/10/2010]

Are we in a new space race with China? - Opinion - Paul Spudus
[SpaceRef - 02/09/2010]

Russia wants to charge for for rides on its Soyuz rocket.
[Space Daily - 02/09/2010]

India to launch an intelligence satellite designed to pick up conversations and detect espionage activities.
[The Hindu - 02/09/2010]

Costa Rica's National Telco to deploy a Gilat SkyEdge II satellite network to provide broadband communications to corporations nationwide.
[CNN Money - 02/09/2010]

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) preparing a request for proposals related to satellite broadband and may allocate $100M or more in stimulus money.
[TMCnet - 02/09/2010]

GSA, DISA ready $5B satellite opportunity.
[Washington Techonology - 02/08/2010]

Telespazio renews contract with Eutelsat.
[TMCnet - 02/08/2010]

TS2 Satellite Technologies company introduces new broadband services on Eutelsat EB4 & W6 satellites for the Afghan market.
[SatNews - 02/08/2010]

Sirius brings satellite radio to the BlackBerry.
[Satellite Today - 02/08/2010]

Spacecom announces additional clients since announcing operational status of AMOS-5i on January 28th.
[SatNews - 02/08/2010]

Iridium Communications selects Hughes Network Systems to develop Access Network Controller in its gateway ground radio control network.
[TMCnet - 02/08/2010]

Globalstar and Arion form joint venture to offer mobile satellite services in Korea.
[Trading Markets - 02/08/2010]

Dish Network and Rentrak sign TV audience agreement
[CED Magazine - 02/08/2010]

China International TV Corporation, a division of Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, contracts with Castalia Communications to deliver TV content to Latin America.
[WorldScreen - 02/08/2010]

Commercial Satellites: The Pillars of Government and Military Satcom?
[NSR Free Webinar - February 17, 2010]

WBMSAT PS - Satellite Communications Consulting Services

Technorati Tags: satellite+today via+satellite satellite+week satnews

WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits for February 5, 2010

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:55:29 -0800

The Army’s planned satellite frequency changeover from Ku- to Ka-band may seem insignificant; however, this small change represents a multibillion dollar transition.
[Satellite PR News - 02/05/2010]

Astrium has been awarded a follow-on contract for the delivery of a second set of subsystems to the Turkish Navy’s Milgem satellite communications program...
[Satellite Today - 02/05/2010]

Solaris Mobile signed a corporate partnership with European car rental company Europcar
[Satellite Today - 02/05/2010]

EADS North America has received a five-year contract to provide commercial radar satellite data to the U.S. government’s National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) for use in intelligence, military and homeland security applications.
[SatNews - 02/04/2010]

International Launch Services gets ready to launch the Intelsat-16 satellite aboard a Proton M/Breeze M rocket on February 11th at 7:30 p.m., EST.
[SatNewa - 02/04/2010]

Harris, prime contractor and systems integrator for the 10 year $736M Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite - Series R Ground Segment, expands its Washington DC presence with new 24,000 sqaure foot facility for the contract.
[SatNews - 02/04/2010]

White House plans to dismantle the National Polar-Orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) program and split it between separate projects.
[Satellite Today - 02/04/2010]

Space X's Dragon Program completes testing, demonstration.
[Satellite Today - 02/04/2010]

Eutelsat firmly denies Georgian Public Broadcaster's claims that its offer of W2A capacity instead of W7 capacity will inconvenience GPB's Russian customers, since Russian customers would have to purchase linear antennas for either spacecraft.
[PR Newswire - 02/04/2010]

ViaSat receives additional orders for its LinkWayS2 satellite modem systems to support U.S. government networks.
[SatNews - 02/04/2010]

Northrop Grumman Corporation selected by ITT Corporation to provide flight cryocoolers for the sensor payloads for two international weather satellites to reduce thermal noise in the space-based sensors.
[SatNews - 02/04/2010]

Technical problems on the W2A satellite have been a major setback for Solaris Mobile.
[Satellite Today - 02/04/2010]

SIRIUS XM Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) has announced the availability of a free application for BlackBerry(R) smartphones,
[SatNews - 02/04/2010]

Orbital Sciences Corporation announces strong support for the Obama Administration’s new direction for the country’s civil space programs.
SatNews - 02/03/2010]

TechniSat, known in Germany for digital receivers and a provider of IDTVs, is expanding into the French market and has set up TechniSat Digital France E.U.R.L. in the French capital, Paris.
[SatNews - 02/03/2010]

Stratos Global Corporation is supplying Inmarsat BGAN mobile satellite communications service to University of California San Diego (UCSD) researchers to support their ambitious archaeological survey in remote Mongolia.
[SatNews - 02/03/2010]

Orbital Sciences Corporation announces strong support for the Obama Administration’s new direction for the country’s civil space programs.
[SatNews - 02/03/2010]

Reportlinker.com has a new market research report available in its catalogue — Satellite Transponders - International Technology & Market Trends.
[SatNews - 02/03/2010]

Iran successfully launches a home-produced satellite on the Kavoshgar 3 (Explorer) satellite launcher.
[SatNews - 02/03/2010]

ViaSat on new trajectory following deal to create satellite-based high speed internet.
[Xconomy - San Diego - 02/03/2010]

Iran unveils three new satellites and satellite carrier.
[Al Bawaba - 02/03/2010]

It's not going to be business as usual — that is perhaps the only definitive thing the Space Foundation can say about President Obama's FY 2011 NASA proposal, released on February 1st.
[SatNews - 02/02/2010]

Dan Losada, Senior Director of the Defense & Intelligence Systems Division at Hughes, will discuss ]ow shipboard satellite communications are critical to maintaining net-centric operations during missions at the SIA SATCOM User's Workshop.
[SatNews - 02/02/2010]

NASA streams video from International Space Station.
[Information Week - 02/02/2010]

KVH opens Singapore office to support growing Asia region and commercial sales.
[PR Newswire - 02/03/2010]

In an effort to recover and reinvest in our nation's businesses, NASA has awarded $50 million through funded agreements to further the commercial sector's capability to support transport of crew to and from low Earth orbit.
[SatNews - 02/02/2010]

Mega Hertz, Inc. joins the ViP-TV™ Reseller Program of EchoStar Satellite Services L.L.C.
[SatNews - 02/02/2010]

International Datacasting Corporation receives a $2.8 million CDN contract from the Canadian Department of National Defence, (DND) for the continued operation of Canadian Forces Radio and Television, (CFRT).
[SatNews - 02/02/2010]

EchoStar Satellite Services L.L.C.to deliver its ViP-TV(TM) video transport service to BTC Broadband, a provider of whole home telecommunications services in Oklahoma.
[SatNews - 02/02/2010]

atrexx offers to restore the services of Intelsat-4 customers after the satellite experienced an anomaly resulting in the switching off of the communication payload to conserve battery power.
[SatNews - 02/02/2010]

Russia is preparing to launch a Progress cargo spaceship on a resupply mission to the International Space Station.
[Space Travel - 02/02/2010]

Intense public debate on how rapidly Himalayan glaciers are shrinking highlights importance of satellites in monitoring glaciers worldwide.
[Space Mart - 02/02/2010]

India is building a spacecraft for mobile applications that will enable satellite phone use without depending on foreign companies.
[Space Mart - 02/02/2010]N

Gilat Satellite Networks, Ltd.'s Bandwidth Optimizer (BWO) solution has been successfully deployed at hub sites in Asia.
[Satnews - 02/01/2010]

White House proposed budget cuts NPOESS program in half; directs NOAA and Air Force to continue developing their own weather observatories.
[Spaceflight Now - 02/01/2010]

Rascomstar-Qaf will launch a new satellite in May, two years after launching their Rascomstar-QAF1 that is expected to cease functioning by the close of 2010.
[SatNews - 02/01/2010]

Intelsat 4 experiences anomaly; Intelsat and Boeing work together to identify cause; Intelsat works with customers to identify restoration capacity.
[Business Wire - 02/01/2010]

Obama budget extends U.S. involvement in the International Space Station to 2020 or beyond.
[Space Travel - 02/01/2010]

Shuttle Endeavour to deliver a new technological module, Tranquility, to the International Space Station for its U.S. segment.
[Space Travel - 02/01/2010]

Next generation weather environmental satellite marks significant milestone with delivery and beginning of integration for a key science instrument.
[Space Mart - 02/01/2010]

Strong bipartisan congressional rebuke against Obama plan to kill NASA's moon-bound Constellation program.
[Space.com - 02/01/2010]

Obama kills moon program; endorses NASA support for the commercial space program.
[NASA - 01/31/2010]

ORBCOMM AIS data used to help rescue two yachters in distress, and in detecting low power search and rescue transponders from space.
[TMCnet - 02/01/2010]

Thuraya helps rural communities to improve communications, often facilitating access to satellite services in areas usually not penetrated by traditional terrestrial networks.
[AME Info - 01/31/2010]

Pentagon's recent announcement that it will buy 50 more extended range UAVs sends signal that more Communications-on-the-Move (COTM) for UAVs will be needed in the coming years.
[NSR Report - February 2010]

U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) awards two of three contracts for radar data to foreign companies; data for all three awards came from foreign satellites.
[NSR Report - February, 2010]

Supporting the Warfighter: Adapting to the Changing Paradigm of the Defense Market This article discusses how businesses will need to change the way they do business with the military under the mounting budget pressures on the military.
[Microwave Journal - January 2010]

WBMSAT PS - Satellite Communications Consulting Services

Technorati Tags: satnews satcom satellite+today via+satellite satellite+news satellite+week

Mongolian Hip-Hop Satcom

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:19:17 -0800

Think Mongolia is technologically challenged? Think again, rocket scientists. They're jumping all over the Internet and the authorized Apple reseller in Mongolia, MCS Electronics, also happens to be one of its hip ISPs. They'll be selling iPads in no time via their IT Zone shops.

What do they use to hook up their customers across the vast Asian steppe? Satellite, of course. They've got their own teleport and they've just signed up with Canada's Telesat for a chunk of space on Telstar 18.

Telesat, the world's fourth largest fixed satellite services operator, announced today that Orbitnet LLC of Mongolia (ORBITNET) has signed a multi-year agreement for Ku-band capacity on Telesat's Telstar 18 satellite. ORBITNET is a leading provider of advanced Internet solutions in Asia and is using Telstar 18 to bring broadband connectivity to business, government, and cellular operators in the region.

"Broadband satellite services combine the reliability, high speed and cost effectiveness that make them an ideal solution to meet the growing needs of developing Asian countries like Kazakhstan and Mongolia," said Sukhbaatar Pagvajav, Technical Director of ORBITNET. "Our company began using Telstar 18 in 2008 and our customers are very impressed with the quality of service we have been able to deliver. ORBITNET's business in Mongolia is going well. We have expanded into Bhutan and Kazakhstan and look forward to bringing broadband satellite services to more countries in 2010."

"The coverage and capabilities of Telstar 18 are ideal for meeting the needs of Asian broadband providers like ORBITNET," said Nigel Gibson, Vice President, International Sales for Telesat. "Telstar 18 is one of the most versatile satellites in the region with C-band that connects Asia to the Americas and Ku-band to serve video broadcasters and broadband networks. We see good opportunities for continued growth in Asia with Telstar 18."

Typical customer quote, followed with a happy quote from the guy who gets the commission.

Why do we consider MCS Electronics "hip?" Check out their TV spots and you might agree...

Technorati Tags: mongolia telstar satcom telesat mcs+electronics yurt

Good Deal for Crawford

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 06:50:09 -0800

Good day at the office for Crawford last week, selling their satellite division to BFI for $100 million:

Broadcast Facilities Incorporated, a media services company owned by the private equity firm Wasserstein & Company, said on Thursday that it had purchased Crawford Communications‘ satellite services division, bolstering its presence on the East Coast.

The terms of the deal, which was the first by Wasserstein & Company since the death last fall of Bruce Wasserstein, founding partner, were not disclosed. But a source close to the transaction told DealBook that the sale was valued at more than $100 million.

Buying the Crawford division, which provides services like television origination, and production and satellite uplink equipment, will build upon B.F.I.’s existing Andrita Media Center, a big television and online media production facility on the West Coast.

Among the clients of the newly combined company are ABC, NBC Universal, ESPN, MGM and government agencies like the Defense Department.

“We are very pleased to bring these two market leaders together to create a company that is ideally positioned to take advantage of current market dynamics, including the proliferation of channels, the transition to HD and the desire of broadcasters to outsource facilities to reduce fixed costs,” Ellis Jones, B.F.I.’s chairman and the chief executive of Wasserstein & Company, said in a statement.

Can you still make money as a teleport? We'll see about that.

Technorati Tags: bfi andrita crawford satellite uplink teleport

Branding: Not Rocket Science

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:52:55 -0800

SES unveiled a brave new branding scheme yesterday for naming its future space assets. As one would expect, the Luxembourgeoise countryside was typically excited beyond imagination.

Take a deep breath, sit down and read on...

Consistent with its role within SES as the provider of global and American satellite capacity, SES WORLD SKIES, a division of SES S.A. (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG), today unveiled its updated strategic satellite fleet development plan, as well as a new naming convention for future additions to the fleet that will leverage SES’ global reach and powerful brand.

Three new advanced satellites in various stages of development and construction by Orbital Sciences Corporation are intended to replenish and expand SES WORLD SKIES’ North American fleet and will be named SES-1, SES-2 and SES-3.

SES-1 is set for launch in the spring of 2010 and will replace AMC-2 and AMC-4 at the 101° West orbital slot. Further information on launch dates and slots for SES-2 and SES-3 will be published shortly.

NSS-14, currently under construction with Space Systems/Loral and scheduled for launch in Q1 2011, has been renamed SES-4. It will replace NSS-7 and provide incremental capacity over the Atlantic Ocean with comprehensive coverage of the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. NSS-7 will then move to replace NSS-5 at 340° East.

The C-band payload of the SIRIUS 5 spacecraft, also under construction with Space Systems/Loral and scheduled for launch in Q4 2011, will be named SES-5 and reside together with the Ku-band payload of SIRIUS 5 at 5° East.

The NSS-806 replacement satellite, under negotiation with vendors, will be named SES-6.

Finally, upon closing of the Protostar-2 acquisition announced late last year, the satellite will be fully integrated into SES WORLD SKIES global fleet and renamed following the same “SES” satellite naming nomenclature.

SES-2 and SES-3 will likely be replacements for AMC-5 and AMC-1, respectively. But why, you ask? Must be a simple explanation. Aha! Allow the CEO to expand on this...

Our fleet strategy is focused purely on meeting our customers’ growing demand for telecom, television and government services delivery with the most reliable and advanced satellites that carry the most trusted and financially secure name in the industry. SES WORLD SKIES is embarking on one of the most ambitious satellite deployment initiatives in the industry to meet the strong need for ubiquitous connectivity in virtually every corner of the world.

Got that, rocket scientist?

So take AMC-1 at 103 degrees West. It was originally called Satcom H-1, with H being "hybrid," as all the previous Satcoms were either C- or Ku-band. When Americom was a part of GE, Jack Welch asked "why not call it GE-1?" So they named all future birds "GE-something." Along comes Société Européenne des Satellites, buys the Americom division from GE Capital, and renames them all as "AMC-something." I was not the only one who advocated branding all as "Satcom" again (the name dates back to 1976, but never registered as a trademark). Would have been much cleaner then -- and today.

Really, SES stands for Société Européenne des Satellites. There's your branding.

Technorati Tags: Société+Européenne+des+Satellites ses americom world+skies ge general+electric rca satcom

Télécoms Sans Frontières

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 06:59:23 -0800

"Telecommunications Without Borders" -- the NGO that's typically first to arrive at disasters with emergency communications technology -- deployed its teams in Haiti within a couple of days of the devastating earthquake. Using Inmarsat's BGAN terminals, they were part of many "satellites to the rescue" stories in the aftermath.

The British Journal of Healthcare Computing and Information gave this report:

Telecommunications experts from Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have been setting up communications networks in Haiti for the government, aid agencies and survivors of the 12 January earthquake.

TSF is funded by the UN Foundation and Vodafone Foundation and is working in co-ordination with UNICEF and the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination teams (UNDAC). The first TSF team arrived on Wednesday 13 January and a second team flew into Port-au-Prince from Santo Domingo with a UN rescue aircraft on Friday 15 January.

TSF has set up a satellite link, mostly dedicated to UNDAC teams and to emergency responders, and multiple broadband access points for phone and Internet use in the co-ordinating and logistics centres near the airport.

TSF teams are also providing IT support to the nustah (United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti). This complex, located close to the airport, gathers all United Nations agencies and NGOs.

By Saturday January 16, TSF had set up three 'humanitarian' phone call operations around Port au Prince, allowing local people to phone relatives — 100% were international calls, mostly to the U.S.

Obviously, the dominant satellite operators made satellite capacity available quickly, with dueling press releases from Intelsat and SES World Skies. But Eutelsat, the only geo satellite operator affiliated with TSF, was first on the scene.

A six-man team from TSF (Telecoms Sans Frontières) has already deployed a D-STAR terminal at the On Site Operations Coordination Center (OSOCC) of the United Nations Mission to Haiti near the airport in Port-au-Prince. It is at the disposal of OCHA, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and also the EC (ECHO). The satellite link is provided by ATLANTIC BIRD™ 1 and the Skypark teleport in Turin which is patching the terminal into the Internet backbone to provide DOIP and VOIP services.

Satellite capacity is beneficial, but getting the links up and running -- and communicating via the Internet -- is critical. They ought to consider shipping modems and antennas. SES has a SurfBeam platform on AMC-9, but the coverage of Haiti is weak, so shipping these low-cost DOCSIS-based modems may not be the best idea. AMC-6, with an iDirect platform, does offer better coverage -- but the TDMA-based modems cost much more.

So what? Send them out -- with pre-configured link budgets, including look angles/pointing instructions for a selection of locations in Haiti. Look, you got the good P.R. already. Make it better with more telecom donations. I'm just sayin.

Hey, you could do worse. Look at Royal Caribbean.

Technorati Tags: haiti red+cross haitian+relief haiti+earthquake earthquake Télécoms+Sans+Frontières tsf un

WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits for January 15, 2010

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:26:56 -0800

London based IPp news team is using a satellite link to report on Haiti disaster, as are most news teams.
[IPf - 01/16/2010]

China orbits a navigation satellite via a Chang Zheng-3C (CZ-3C) launch vehicle from the Xi Chang Satellite Launch Center to open their 2010 launch campaign.
[NASA Space Flight - 01/16/2010]

Inmarsat and Sky Terra collaborate to ensure that relieve and recovery efforts in Haiti have access to essential satellite communications.
[Earth Times - 01/15/2010]

Google and Skype offer free Haiti calls but United Nations Foundation worker says communications systems in Haiti unusable; only staff with satellite phones were able to communicate with outside world.
[ReadWriteWeb - 01/15/2010]

IT companies in Haiti rush to re-build - Satellite phones are most needed technology.
[Computer World - 01/15/2010]

Quake in Haiti knocks out submarine cable system, leaving it to rely largely on satellite communications and damaged mobile networks for international communications.
[GiGa om - 01/15/2010]

Chinese satellite broadcaster forms acquisition partnership with ITV Studios of the U.K.
[Satellite Today - 01/05/2010]

Globecomm Systems receives $9.1M contract extension from NATO to extend communication services and onsite support for Globecomm's previously deployed GPS-Base Force Tracking System.
[TMCnet - 01/15/2010]

ITU works on roadmap for implementing 3D TV.
[SatNews - 01/15/2010]

ViaSat receives $4.8M order from the U.S. Department of Defense for Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS-LTV) terminals.
[Satellite Today - 01/14/2010]

Destruction in Haiti causes array of communications difficulties; water is scarce, cellular and satellite capability spotty at best.
[Broadcasting and Cable - 01/14/2010]

Satellite imagery helps rescuers pinpoint where need is the greatest in Haiti.
[cosmiclog.msnbc - 01/14/2010]

Satellite images show destruction in Haiti earthquake.
[Spaceflight Now - 01/14/2010]

Some of first personnel deployed to Haiti included communications specialists from the 1st Special Operations Communications Squadron who included satellite link as part of communications systems set up.
[NextGov.com - 01/14/2010]

Intelsat S.A. announces that within hours of first customer request for assistance after earthquake, Intelsat established two communications networks - one C-band and one Ku-band - to provide critical communications links.
[Enhanced Online News - 01/14/2010]

Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA) is granted a license by the U.S. FAA to operate a commercial, horizontal launch spaceport at Cecil Field, FL.
[Satellite Today - 01/14/2010]

Sanswire Corp official describes how lighter-than-air UAV STS-111 could hover over stricken region carrying payload to operate as a relay for cell and satellite phones and provide internet service to relief agencies.
[CNN - 01/14/2010]

Dangerous asteroid safely bypasses Earth by distance of 80,796 miles.
[Space Daily - 01/14/2010]

Russian modules on the International Space Station will realize uninterrupted communications with the ground by 2013.
[Space Travel - 01/14/2010]

Russian spacewalkers start up new docking port on roof in International Space Station lab.
[space.com - 01/14/2010]

China's Lunar Probe Project features early guiding satellite, Change-2, whose camera resolution can reach 1 meter as it closes in on the moon.
[SpaceMart - 01/14/2010]

Gilat SkyEdge II VST receives latest DVB-RCS compliance certification; first vendor to receive version 1.3 certification which includes DVB-S2 in forward link and Quality of Service for voice, video, and data.
[CNN Money - 01/14/2010]

MEASAT announces commencement of service across Africa, Southern Europe, and the Middle East on AFRICASAT-2, in inclined orbit.
[SatNews - 01/14/2010]

Hybrid cellular companies could enhance AT&T with satellite service this year, as Terrestar gets FCC clearance to integrate its 20 MHz "S" band spectrum with cellular networks.
[Beta News - 01/14/2010]

SkyTrac selected by United Arab Emirates based Aquiline International Corporation to supply SATCOM/flights following solutions for its fleet of ANTONOV-24, ANTONOV-26, and ILUSHIN-76 aircraft.
[SatNews - 01/14/2010]

atrexx, a satellite service provider based in Germany, is offering African end-users access to satellite communications via iDirect iNFINITI service after their iDirect5 iNFINITI service on Intelsat-14 was discontinued.
[SatNews - 01/14/2010]

TS2 Satellite Technologies introduces new broadband services on Eutelsat EB4 and W6 satellites to soldiers in Afghanistan.
[SatNews - 01/14/2010]

Euroconsult announces that growth in the satellite pay-TV market remained strong in 2009 is spite of the economic downturn.
[SatNews - 01/14/2010]

Inmarsat announces that its mobile satellite communications services are being deployed to support emergency relief efforts in Haiti.
[TMCnews - 01/13/2010]

Globecomm Systems installs 3G core switch to expand its managed wireless business to offer affordable, 3G hosted mobile services to under-serviced areas worldwide.
[SatNews - 01/13/2010]

NewCom teams with Hispamar to deploy one-hop in-satellite hub services to Latin American on Hispamar's Amazonas 2 satellite with on-board intelligent processor.
[PR Web - 01/13/2010]

Space Systems/Loral announces that the GOES-10 satellite, originally planned for a 5-year mission tracking storms, hurricanes, and cyclones, has been retired after 12 years.
[SatNews - 01/13/2010]

SES Astra 5B, to be launched in 2013, will host a second SES hosted navigation payload for Europe's Egnos service; the first will be on the SES Sirius 5 satellite to launch in 2011.
[Space News - 01/13/2010]

Data Technology Solutions launches low-cost, integrated satellite broadband offering for the maritime market built on iDirect's Evolution DVB-S2 platform using 24 inch Ku-band antenna.
[SatNews - 01/13/2010]

U.S. defense official questions China's space intentions.
[Space Daily - 01/13/2010]

Russia activates 1 of 3 new Glonass navigation satellites.
[GPS Daily - 01/13/2010]

India's first manned space flight planned for 2013, with two Indian astronauts riding into space aboard a Russian spaceship.
[Space Travel - 01/13/2010]

Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) reserves site in Amur Province for 7 years for construction of Vostochny spaceport to begin in 2011.
[Space Travel - 01/13/2010]

Southwest Airlines bringing WiFi hot spots to its 737 aircraft powered by Hughes Communications satellite broadband and Row 44 equipment.
[Barron's - 01/13/2010]

Unusual space object resembling something man-made, perhaps a rocket booster, will fly by earth at distance of at least 80,000 miles.
[Space Daily - 01/13/2010]

Landsat 5, 26 years old, cheats death once again as a radio declared dead 23 years ago is revived to take over for a radio lost last December; a replacement satellite is at least 3 years away.
[Spaceflight Now - 01/13/2010]

Team predicts TESS satellite could locate hundreds of Earth-size planets.
[Physorg - 01/12/2010]

SIRIUS Canada reaches 1 million subscriber mark.
[SatNews - 01/11/2010]

C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. delivers iNetVu Mobile antenna systems to New Zealand for government agency emergency communications.
[Market Wire - 01/12/2010]

Surrey Satellite Technology scientists are awarded part of contract to build new global satellite navigation system.
[get Surrey - 01/12/2010]

ISRO of India plans special third launch pad at its Satish Dhawan Space Center capable of accommodating the proposed Re-useable Launch Vehicle an all future programs of ISRO including manned space flight.
[Space Travel - 01/11/2010]

Russia explores nuclear-propelled spacecraft to maintain a competitive edge in the global space race.
[Space Travel - 01/11/2010]

India is developing anti-satellite spacecraft employing laser guidance system for kill vehicle.
[Space.com - 01/11/2010]

China to build and launch a communications satellite for Bolivia.
[Space Daily - 01/11/2009]

KVH names Harris Electric of Seattle its 2009 Commercial Fishing Dealer of the Year. for exceptional performance in bringing mini-VSAT satellite service to commercial fishing vessels in the Northwest.
[PR Newswire - 01/11/2010]

Spacenet selected to provide managed network services by satellite to over 7,000 Regis Corporations locations.
[Business Wire - 01/11/2010]

Dish Network, EchoStar, and NagraStar secure another anti-piracy victory as Florida federal court issues a $51M dollar judgment against Robert Ward for posting software on the internet allowing individuals to illegally receive Dish programming.
[CED Magazine - 01/11/2010]

DirecTV, Samsung, DreamWorks, and Technicolor teaming to deliver 3D HD movies by satellite to DirecTV customers.
[SatNews - 01/11/2010]

V2GO, an international satellite transmission and video production company, unveils its 31-foot uplink mobile truck featuring the FOR-A HVS-300HS compact HD/SD switcher and the MV-410HS HD/SD hiigh-resolution quad multi-viewer.
[SatNews - 01/11/2010]

ISRO reviews sophisticated cryogenic engine planned for use in test launch of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-D3 later this year.
[Space Travel - 01/08/2010]

NSR Industry Briefing - Is Growing Government Capacity Demand Driving Down Commercial Leases?
[NSR Report - Government and Military Satellite Communications, 6th Edition]

While HDTV no enjoys wide acceptance among watchers, with 24 million DTH subscribers moving to premium packages to get HD, the coming move to 3D is unlikely to materialize soon for several reasons.
[NSR Report - Global Direct to Home (DTH) Markets, 2nd Edition]

WBMSAT PS - Satellite Communications Consulting Services

Technorati Tags: satellite+news via+satellite satellite+today satcom satnews satellite+week

2 Minutes for Interference?

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 08:08:22 -0800

Canadian upstart Ciel Satellite Group is in a battle with DirecTV over the 103° West orbital slot, via the Ottawa Citizen:

In a war of words at the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, the two companies are accusing each other of threatening effective operation of broadcast satellites and undermining global industry rules. But behind the rhetoric is the deadly serious business of building investor confidence to finance satellites that cost $300 million each to construct, insure and launch.

Ciel is working with an undisclosed manufacturer on the Ciel 6 satellite, scheduled for launch in 2012.

DirecTV got FCC approval in July to launch the RB-2A satellite. Now called DirecTV-12, it was shipped earlier this month to Kazakhstan for launch in the near future.

Combined with two other DirecTV satellites, it will deliver 200 high-definition channels. The FCC said the new satellite "will stimulate competition in the United States and provide consumers more alternatives in choosing communication services." The FCC must consider major issues in the dispute.

In theory, the two satellites can co-exist in the same orbit path. But that would involve technology compromises to avoid signal interference. The changes could limit the markets each seeks to tap.

With consumers and business demanding more bandwidth-hungry high-definition television, video and Internet services, the battle for spectrum and satellites to support the market is growing.

DirecTV is the biggest U.S. satellite direct-to-home service company with 18 million subscribers, plus another six million in Latin America.

It said recently that two-thirds of new subscribers signed up for high-definition TV and related hardware services in the September quarter, the highest level in company history.

DirecTV generated $5.47 billion U.S. in revenues in the September quarter, 10 per cent more than a year earlier.

Ciel has only one satellite in service but it has some powerful allies. Its investors include Borealis, an arm of the giant Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS), and SES Americom, one of the world's biggest satellite operators.

It won its first Canadian licence in 2004 and launched its first satellite last year to serve an orbital slot off the coast of B.C. It is developing business plans for six more slots awarded by the federal government last year.

It also has a big customer in DISH Network, which is a direct competitor to Direct TV. Calian Technologies manages the Ciel satellite under a long-term contract.

I'm relatively certain Telesat is in this fight, too. EchoStar is on the bench, ready to jump over the boards if required.

As they say in hockey, it's part of the game.

Technorati Tags: directv ciel+satellite dbs dish+network dish+tv satellite satellite+tv bell rogers echostar

WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits for January 8, 2010

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 20:50:40 -0800

Spot LLC, a Globalstar Inc. subsidiary, and DeLorme unveil first handheld GPS with satellite communicator for custom messaging and emergency notification.
[CNN Money - 01/07/2010]

Loral and Barrett Xplore to deliver high thoughput satellite Ka-bans capacity for broadband services in Canada.
[SatNews - 01/07/2010]

Australia set to launch new satellite to help deliver digital TV to remote blackspots.
[Computer World - 01/07/2010]

SSTL has been selected by ESA to supply 14 navigation payloads for the deployment phase of the Galileo satellite navigation system.
[SpaceRef - 01/07/2010]

DIRECTV and Panasonic partner to bring 3D TV to the largest audience nationwide for the first time.
[SatNews - 01/07/2010]

Newtec set to supply Ka-band ready Sat3Play terminals and hub equipment.
[SatNews - 01/07/2010]

Landsat 5 unable to send image data to the ground since December 18; anomaly under investigation by U.S. Geological Survey Landsat Operations Team.
[SatNews - 01/07/2010]

DISH network and NewLion partner to distribute certain DISH Network international channels using NewLion's IPTV service.
[SatNews - 01/07/2010]

Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA's Terra satellite captures image of Snow covering most of England.
[SatNews - 01/07/2010]

ESPN plans launch of 3D channel on June 11; channel to broadcast minimum of 85 live sporting events, the first to be the 2010 FIFA World Cup match in South Africa.
[KWTX - 01/07/2010]

OmniGlobe Networks intends to procure, launch, and operate a Ka-band Fixed Satellite Service satellite (CANUK-1) over Canada in 2013.
[SatNews - 01/06/2010]

Tob Cuban official says U.S. contractor detained last month in Cuba for distributing satellite communications equipment to dissidents worked for American "secret services."
[Reuters - 01/06/2010]

Indian test flight of a geo-synchronous satellite launch vehicle with a cryogenic engine rocket engine is put on hold to undergo final evaluation,
[Space Travel - 01/06/2010]

NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer captures first look at starry sky that it will sonn begin surveying in infrared light.
[SatNews - 01/06/2010]

Dish Network unveils TV Everywhere suite, which gives customers access to all of their live and recorded programming on a laptop, mobile device, or anywhere in the home wirelessly, at CES.
[CED Magazine - 01/06/2010]

SpaceX completes successful full duration orbit insertion test firing of the Falcon 9 second stage at Texas test site.
[SatNews - 01/05/2010]

While EchoStar and affiliate Sling Media are serving as the backbone of Dish Network's TV Everywhere suite of services, they're also offering four products for use by other video service providers.
[CED Magazine - 01/06/2010]

MTN Satellite Communications expands its maritime VSAT business, opening sales and engineering support offices in Hamburg, Germany.
[SatNews - 01/06/2010]

SatMAX, a leading global provider of wireless, non-line-of-sight equipment to extend satellite links, restructures debt in anticipation of expanding globally.
[CNN Money - 01/05/2010]

Globecomm Systems receives $9m contract extension from NATO for communications services and on-site support for the previously deployed BPS-based Blue Force Tracking System.
[Defense Industry Daily - 01/05/2010]

The United Launch Alliance receives a contract modification from U.S. Air Force for launch services for the WGS-4 satellite expected to launch between December 2011 and February 2012..
[UPI - 01/05/2010]

Discover, Sony, and IMAX to partner to create a 24-hour 3D television network in the U.S.
[Broadcasting Cable - 01/05/2010]

GulfMark Offshore selects CapRock's always-on VSAT communications with 24/7 global support to deploy its broadband maritime service in the North Sea.
[Business Wire - 01/05/2010]

20 people on board sinking vessel 1200 nautical miles west of Chilean coast rescued with help of Falmouth, UK Coastguard, Chilean Coastguard, and U.S. Coastguard using satellite to relay distress signal.
[Falmouth Packet - 01/05/2009]

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung of Viet Nam okays second communications satellite for the country.
[Vietnam News - 01/05/2010]

DigitalGlobe announces full operational status of WorldView-2 satellite, with imagery now available to global resellers, partners, and customers.
[SatNews - 01/04/2010]

U.S. Air Force will pay to place its Space Based Space Surveillance satellite built by Orbital Sciences in storage because of continued technical difficulties with the Monotaur 5 rocket that was to have launched the satellite in October 2009,
[Space News - 01/04/2010]

Sri Lanka invites two top Malaysian telco operators, Maxis Communications Berhad, and Telekom Malaysia, to invest in Sri Lanka's first satellite project.
[The Star - 01/04/2010]

iDirect acquires UK-based Parallel Limited, the developer of award-winning SatManage network management software suite.
[SatNews - 01/04/2010]

AsiaSat signes a capacity deal with Vietnam Multimedia Corp. (VTC) for multiple Ku-band transponders on AsiaSat 5.
[Satellite Today - 01/04/2010]

India initiates development of lasers and exoatmospheric kill vehicle that could be combined to produce weapon capable of destroying enemy satellites in orbit.
[SatNews - 01/04/2010]

O3b has a good year in spite of the economy7, with SES investing a total of $75m in the company, but the road ahead is not smooth.
[NSR report - January 2010]

More and more, developing countries turn to Earth Observation satellites to solve problems, meet new missions, and reach goals (example: success of NigeriaSat-1 and plans for NigeriaSat-2) though not all developing nations have the desire or political will to do it.
[NSR Report - January 2010]

WBMSAT PS - Satellite Communications Consulting Services

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