Really Rocket Science

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

 

 It was bound to happen: using an "app phone" in a combat zone. We've seen the DishPointer app in use in Aghanistan, and it probably won't be long before a "tough" unit is out for warfighters in the field. Sure, there must be some proprietary software to keep it secure, but does it have to be so complicated?

Now the U.S. Army is throwing its considerable weight behind it with their "Apps for the Army" program:

Ever since we launched Apps for Democracy for DC’s Office of the CTO back in September 2008 the world has been a-buzz with “Apps for” contests. We recently released a guide for how to create your ownin order to make this kind of innovation method more accessible to people around the world. There are now about a dozen of these innovation contests being run by cities, national governments and various non-profits.

Today I’m happy to announce a new Apps initiative – one which iStrategyLabs has been contracted to create with the Army’s CIO/G6. A special thank you goes out to Tim O’Reilly – who envisioned this program and served as an advisor/connector to make it happen. Below you’ll find full details from the Army’s official media advisory (download as .DOC), and a summary is as follows:

1. A media and bloggers’ roundtable will take place March 3 at 1:30 pm in the Pentagon, Room  1E462.  Lieutenant General Jeffery Sorenson (Army CIO) will discuss Apps for the Army and take questions. To attend the roundtable in person, or if you plan to call in, please contact: Ms. Ashley McCall-Washington at 703-614-1649 or ashley.mccall1@us.army.mil
2. The competition runs from March 1st to May 15st 2010
3. There are 40 employee cash awards totaling $30,000 for mobile and web apps
4. Only 100 initial teams can participate
5. Awards will be announced in June, with public demonstrations at LandWarNet
6. Registration forms and other details can be found on AKO: http://www.army.mil/ciog6/armyapps
7. Forge.mil will serve as a collaborative software repository
8. RACE – a cloud based development sandbox will be provided. Participants can access a Windows server, Linux server and mobile app emulation software for Android and Blackberry. iPhone apps will need to be developed outside of RACE.
9. MilBook’s Apps for the Army group will serve as the core collaboration space for all participants
10. If you’re on twitter, use the hashtag #apps4army to follow the conversation

Video summary...

 

Cool approach by reaching to developers with real cash prizes.

For more on what's happening out there, it's always a good idea to keep up with Wired's Danger Room:

In the military’s vision of future, the real trick will be getting information down to the individual soldier on the battlefield. Now the Army plans to test a smartphone for soldiers that will have mobile applications that could — in theory — access everything from technical manuals and maintenance records to maps and cultural intelligence.

In a discussion yesterday with reporters, Maj. Gen. Keith Walker, director of the Army’s Future Force Integration Directorate at Fort Bliss, Texas, said that around 200 soldiers would receive an “iPhone-like device” with digital apps installed.

Walker said the devices would have “various apps for system maintenance, instruction manuals — that we can all remotely upgrade. Also, we’re working to allow soldiers to have a distributed way of getting feedback to us on the equipment, where they can do Wikipedia-style upgrades to tactics, techniques and procedures, and comments on performance of hardware and software.”

Further down the road, Walker said he could envision tactical applications, like an app with GPS capability that could pinpoint the user’s location, or a digital tool that would allow troops to analyze terrain.

“This initiative we are moving out on,” Walker said. “We will see this happen this year.”

It’s part of a larger project called Connecting Soldiers to Digital Applications. While there is not yet a definite plan to procure and field a combat iPhone, troops at Fort Bliss will experiment with the handset to test ways that some of these new technologies might actually be integrated into the force.

It’s not the only experiment underway at Fort Bliss. Soldiers of the service’s 5th Brigade, 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss are testing and evaluating pieces of the Army Brigade Combat Team Modernization plan — a more streamlined successor to the service’s now-defunct Future Combat Systems program. Other items being tested include a common controller, a Nintendo-style control that can be used to maneuver both the Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle robot and the Class I Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (affectionately known as the “flying beer keg”).

 Need some imagination? Check out these gadgets and robots...

 

 

 

 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!

 

 

 

 

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

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]

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]

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

Eutelsat confirms full restoration of services from W2 satellite on capacity on three satellites at 16 degrees East including EUROBIRD(TM) 16 and SESAT 1, as W2 is placed in secure standby mode for investigation of anomaly.
[Street Insider - 01/29/2010]

Arianespace and European Space Agency executives sign contract defining Arianespace's support services for the qualification campaign and testing of the Vega light launcher.
[SatNews - 01/29/2010]

Israeli satellite fleet operator Spacecom leases Amos 5i, formerly Asiasat 2, and signs with SpaceX to launch a satellite, probably Amos 4.
[Space News - 01/29/2010]

Newtec FlexACM is used by Gateway Communications' Aftrica-wide Internet backbone service to double satellite link capacity.
[SatNews - 01/29/2010]

Telesat sells Telstar 18 broadband capacity over Mongolia.
[Satellite Today - 01/29/2010]

Sirius XM to broadcast Super Bowl in 10 languages, with 14 different live broadcasts plus live talk programming from South Florida throughout Super Bowl Week.
[SatNews - 01/29/2010]

U.S. Air Force is concerned about vulnerability of satellites, especially GPS satellites, to threats like the capability it believes China is developing, to attack American military satellites.  It is proposing to use high flying aircraft, UAVs, or blimps to take over communications duties.
[Strategypage.com - 01/28/2010]

Eutelsat confirms that its W2 satellite suffered a technical anomaly on January 27, and is proposing alternative capacity to all customers affected by the anomaly.
[PRNewswire - 01/28/2010]

Intelsat General is awarded five-year contract to provide C-, Ku, and X-band capacity, earth stations, terrestrial backhaul, and bandwidth management services to U.S. Space and Naval Warfare System Command division.
[Satellite Today - 01/28/2010]

Globecomm Systems announces that rural Pennsylvania and Nebraska wireless operator Indigo Wireless is latest carrier to use Globecomm's 3G switch platform.
[SatNews - 01/28/2010]

Hughes Network Systems announces successful demonstration of SPACWAY 3 broadband capabilities during Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration, including successful demonstration of HD video teleconferencing.
[SatNews - 01/28/2010]

SES WORLD SKIES reaches new DVB service deal wiith Microspace to deliver global retailer's digital signage campaign to clothing stores throughout Europe.
[SatNews - 01/28/2010]

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) receives several proposals from the international community for payloads to be carried on its Chandrayaan-II moon mission.
[Moon Daily - 01/28/2010]

America's first commercial spaceport, Spaceport America, starts to take shape in New Mexico's desert.
[Space.com - 01/28/2010]

University of Colorado at Boulder is selected along with Montana State University and Kentucky Space as universities to have research satellites launched in November as part of NASA's space-education initiative.
[Denver Post - 01/28/2010]

RRSat launches new platform for Iberian market on Hispasat satellite.
[PRNewswire - 01/28/2010]

Program support for first ever International Conference on Orbital Debris Removal, co-sponsored by DARPA and NASA, bringing together 300 scientists and researchers from around the world, is provided by Agilex.
[SatNews - 01/27/2010]

India plans manned space mission in 2016.
[Space Travel - 01/27/2010]

Proton carries Russian defense ministry satellite aloft; satellite will relay communications between troops and military commanders.
[Spaceflight Now - 01/27/2010]

NASA's plans to return astronauts to the moon, along with rockets designed to take them there; may be dead if Obama gets his way.
[Orlando Sentinel - 01/27/2010]

Anianespace to launch first ten Galileo satellites.
[Space Travel - 01/27/2010]

SES ASTRA signs with Italian public broadcaster Rai to provide satellite capacity for the broadcast of Rai's new theme-based channel throughout Europe.
[SatNews - 01/27/2010]

Russia working on new booster rocket; said it should be completed by August.
[Space Travel - 01/27/2010]

Russia set to launch manned spacecraft in 2017; will start building its new space center, Vostochny, in the country's Far East in 2011 for completion by 2018.
Space Travel - 01/27/2010]

Iridium offers satellite data links for management and recovery with remote communication network sites.
[Globe Newswire - 01/26/2010]

Telecomes San Frontiers, supported by the European's Commission Humanitarian Aid Department, provides high speed connections and services to over 200 humanitarian organizations in Haiti.
[SatNews - 01/26/2010]

Looming China challenge to America includes capability to disable American military satellites.
[NY Post - 01/26/2010]

Thales Alenia Space is awarded contract to provide ESA Galileo system support services from 2010 through 2016.
[SatNews - 01/26/2010]

Satellite Industry Association finds that during the Iraq invasion over 80% of all military satellite communication was over commercial satellites; U.S. Navy plans to deploy 200 high capacity terminals designed to communicate over commercial satellites.
[Defense Industry Daily - 01/26/2010]

India's new cryogenic rocket engine develops problems, delaying the debut of India's most powerful rocket for launching geosynchronous satellites.
[Spaceflight Now - 01/26/2010]

Inmarsat global phone, the new IsatPhone, successfully makes its first call.
[GEARlog - 01/26/2010]

RapidEye announces completion of baseline image campaign covering Helmand river basin in Afghanistan to assist U.N. and U.S. efforts to suppress production of opium.
[SatNews - 01/26/2010]

Americom Government Services works with MTN to provide additional satellite capacity to U.S. Navy to improve communications into Haiti within hours after earthquake.
[Wireless Design Online – 01/25/2010]

Satellite communications providers experience dramatic increase in demand from agencies and organizations deploying to Haiti.
[Urgent Communications - 01/25/2010]

GATR Technologies sets up internet cafe in Port au Prince, Haiti.
[Huntsville Times - 01/25/2010]

Harris selects Telesat's new Telstar 11N to provide Atlantic Ocean region coverage for Harris Maritime Communications Services maritime broadband product using iDirect platform.
[SatNews - 01/25/2010]

SES building three new satellites, to be named SES-1, SES-2, and SES-3, and will rename other satellites in the SES fleet using the same convention.
[SatNews - 01/25/2010]

Rockwell Collins, through its recent acquisition of DataPath, wins three-year $9.2M contract to provide maintenance and field service for Air Force's Ramstein Air Force Base teleport.
[Military & Aerospace Electronics - 01/23/2010]

NASA extends the World Wide Web into space, as astronauts gain direct personal access to the Web via the ultimate wireless connection; astronauts make first direct space twitter.
[NASA.gov - 01/22/2010]

NASA plans to boost speed of deep space communications by fusing together three old networks into a single, much faster, more efficient data network 50 times faster.
[Space.com - 01/22/2010]

European Space Agency expects to finalize plans for proposed data relay satellite system and get it funded in 2010.
[Spaceflight Now - 01/22/2010]

Iridium unveils smaller, lower-cost data transceiver, a full-duplex short-burst Data (SBD) transceiver for growing asset tracking and monitoring market.
[Space Mart – 01/21/2010]

KVH makes an iPhone app available to boat owners to interface with the TracVision Antenna Control Unit for status of their KVH TracVision DirecTV HD downlink system.
[SatNews - 01/18/2009]

WBMSAT PS - Satellite Communications Consulting Services

 

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...

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

ViaSat is awarded limited order valued at $14.4M for 41 MIDS JTRS terminals for F/A-18E/F and E-8C Joint STARS aircraft and spares.
[SatNews - 01/22/2010]

 

Gilat is awarded a one-year contract extension from the Columbian Ministry of Communications to support certain rural communications projects in the country.
[Satellite Today - 01/22/2010]

Broadcast Facilities, Inc., a media services company, acquires the Satellite Services Division of Crawford Communications. Inc.
[SatNews - 01/22/2010]

 

Blue Sky Network receives GPS tracking contract from Peruvian oil company Pluspetrol.
[Satellite Today - 01/22/2010]

Comtech EF Data introduces CDM-750 high-speed trunking modem combining DVB-S2, Adaptive Coding and Modulation (ACM), and DoubleTalk carrier-in-carrier technology.
.[Satellite Today - 01/22/2010]

 

Israel Defense Forces team in Haiti sets up $2M satellite-based communications system.
[JTA - 01/21/2010]

SpaceX and Orbital Sciences Corp. do not meet required safety standards to transport NASA personnel for the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (SOTS) program according to the U.S. Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel.
[Satellite Today - 01/21/2010]

Cisco successfully tests IP router in orbit, part of the DoD's Internet Routing in Space (IRIS)
program to route IP traffic between satellites instead of relaying it through ground stations (double hopping).
[engadget - 01/21/2010]

FCC order gives telephone and satellite companies a victory in the pay television market, preventing cable operators from blocking access to some sports programming.
[Reuters - 01/21/2010]

Group is formed in attempt to save NASA's Australian satellite antenna which was used to communicate with astronauts on the moon during the Apollo program.
[Echos of Apollo Space News - 01/21/2010]

COMSYS announces release of eleventh edition of The COMSYS VSAT Report, a product or 12 months of research and site visits with companies from the world over.
[SatNews - 01/21/2010]

Vizada Networks and SES World Skies donate satellite and service capacity to allow the World Health Organization's VSAT site in Port au Prince to cover for increased communications needs in Haiti.
[SatNews - 01/20/2010]

Mission Aviation Fellowship (MFA) missionaries set up GATR VSAT satellite communications system donated by GATR Technologies in Haiti to provide high-bandwidth communications to workers from over 16 international aid groups.
[7th Space Interactive - 01/20/2010]

SES World Skies announces that NSS-12, at 57 degrees East has entered into commercial service.
[Satellite Today - 01/20/2010]

Norsat's GlobeTrekker and NewsLink satellite communications terminals deployed in Haiti to offer immediate communications solutions on the ground.
[Trading Markets - 01/20/2010]

China may be ready to launch Tiangong-1, its first space laboratory, in less than a year, yet little is known about the program.
[Space Daily - 01/20/2010]

Dish Network announces upgrade for its entire ad insertion systems supplied by Seachange, along with migrating to new conditional access technology by Nagravision.
[CED Magazine - 01/20/2010]

 

EchoStar announces agreement to provide 49 HDTV channels to IPTV headend of BTC Broadband in Oklahoma.
[CNN Money - 01/20/2010]

Iran's Minister of Communications and Information Technology says three new home-built satellites will be launched by Iran on February 3.
[Washington TV - 01/20/2010]

Iridium unveils its nexgen Iridium 9609 satellite data transceiver with built-in GPS input/output ports to interface with external GPS receiver; unit is smaller and less costly.
[SatNews - 01/20/2010]

Russia to orbit Intelsat 16, European Space Agency's CryoSat-2, and a freighter to the International Space Station with three different rockets next month from Baikonur.
[Space Travel - 01/19/2010]

Globecomm Systems supports disaster relief in Haiti
[Satellite PR News - 01/19/2010]

Federal Emergency Management Agency is tapped to provide tactical communications for U.S. Embassy and U.S. Agency for International Development in Haiti; Joint Communication Support Element of Joint Forces Command moves satellite-based system to the embassy.
[nextgov - 01/19/2010]

EchoStar donates satellite services to Haiti relief agencies.
[Broadcasting & Cable - 01/19/2010]

KVH expands mini-VSAT broadband satellite coverage for Internet and voice to Africa.
[PR Newswire - 01/19/2010]

ATCi and Solana HK accounce joint agreement to offer affordable industry broadband satellite and fiber services to underserved markets throughout Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
[SatNews - 01/19/2010]

India will soon become self-reliant in cryogenic propulsion technology
[Satellite PR News - 01/19/2010]

OmniGlobe Networks announces subsidiary RAMTelecom has been awarded three-year contract by the government of Canada to provide, operate, and maintain comprehensive Iridium satellite services and equipment.
[SatNews - 01/19/2010]

International Datacasting Corporation is awarded $5.3M contract to update and refurbish the Public Radio Satellite System.
[SatNews - 01/19/2010]

 

Garmin to offer DigitalGlobe satellite imagery with its service, allowing users of select handheld Garmin GPS navigators to load highly-detailed photo-based maps.
[SatNews - 01/19/2010]

Europe's new Vega small satellite launcher may not have its launch debut until 2011 because of potential delays in development of ground systems in South America.
[Spaceflight Now - 01/18/2010]

Eutelsat expands presence in Russia
[Satellite PR News - 01/18/2010]

China successfully launches its third orbiter for its independent global navigation network.
[GPS Daily - 01/18/2010]

Globalstar prepares for launch of second generation satellites
[Satellite PR News - 01/18/2010]

 

MTN Satellite opens office in Houston, Texas area to service customers operating in Gulf of Mexico.
[Houston Business Journal - 01/18/2010]

Intersputnik signs long-term contract to lease 16 transponders from Eutelsat on Eutelsat W7 for its entire in-orbit life.
[SatNews - 01/15/2010]

iDirect's December announcement that SpaceCom International deployed a GSM cellular backhaul based on iDirect's satellite communications platform in Afghanistan is examined in NSR Report.
[NSR - Wireless Backhaul via Satellite, 3rd Edition - January 2010]

WBMSAT PS - Satellite Communications Consulting Services

Us rocket scientists and satnuts know that to get a signal from an orbiting spacecraft, the satellite antenna must be pointed directly at the satellite, without obstructions between the two. This means no trees and no buildings. Generally, you ought to take into consideration future tree growth, house remodeling or additions and new construction.The satellite signal will not pass through leaves or branches -- or houses and buildings.

DirecTV's self-installation guide (PDF) starts with these pointers:

The satellite is always located south of Texas. That means if you live in Miami, you must have a clear line of sight to the southwest; if you live in San Francisco, you must have a clear line to the southeast. How High Up in the Sky is the Satellite? Depending on where you live, the satellite will be at an elevationangle between 30 and 60 degrees. Southern states point more toward 60 degrees; northern states point more toward 30 degrees.

Elsewhere, the guide suggests you use a map. In Europe, ASTRA's installation assistant does a decent job of taking you through the process. For most, taking the free installation (see DISH Network) is a good idea.

Before you go out and buy a $500 BirDOG gadget, better make sure you can see the satellites. The Flash animation on ASTRA's site can help you when you're in the field, unless you calculate your look angle ahead of time.

On-site and need help with your site survey? There's an App for that (both for iPhone and Android).

 

I've got one location where the trees grew since installation, so this has ongoing practical use. DigitalTrends selected it as one of the best augmented reality apps.

If guys in Afghanistan can use it, so can you.