WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 12/23/2011
Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Russian space industry suffers another black eye as Meridian communications satellite fell to the ground soon after it was launched, although earlier Soyuz launch with three astronauts for the International Space Station was successful.
[Daily Mail – 12/23/2011]
USAF hosted payload on SES satellite, Commercially Hosted Infrared Payload (CHIRP), completes initial on orbit tests and begins demonstration period.
[Space Daily – 12/23/2011]
SES partners with Rustyice of the UK for distribution of SES’ satellite-based broadband service ASTRA2Connect throughout the UK.
[Space Daily – 12/23/2011]
China successfully launches Ziyuan I-02C remote sensing satellite.
[SatNews – 12/22/2011]
Globecomm Systems gets $3.1 million add-on to $32 million contract to provide state of the art satellite communication system for a Multinational organization.
[SatNews – 12/22/2011]
Arianespace readies the first Ariane 5 for launch in 2012 to receive the Automated Transfer Vehicle cargo resupply vessel as its payload.
[Satellite-Evolution – 12/22/2011]
GlobeCast signs deal with Fashion One TV to bring its TV channel to millions of new homes across sub-Sharan Africa via capacity on Astra 4A satellite.
[SatNews – 12/22/2011]
U.S. Air Force orders eighth Wideband Global SATCOM program communications satellite from Boeing.
[Spaceflight Now – 12/21/2011]
Launch of the SES-4 satellite, to be the largest in the SES fleet, is scheduled for December 27 aboard a Proton M/Breeze M launch vehicle from Baikonur.
[SatNews – 12/21/2011]
TCS agrees to second extension to its U.S. Army World-Wide Satellite Systems Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract, now to run through July 27, 2013.
[Market Watch – 12/21/2011]
Astrium to acquire 66.78 percent of Space Engineering.
[SatNews – 12/21/2011]
Intelsat General describes how they helped the Navy manage the coordination and control of its vast Commercial Broadband Satellite Program network.
[SatNews – 12/21/2011]
Astrium purchases Norwegian satellite communications company Vizada for $876 million.
[UPI – 12/21/2011]
LightSquared seeks to turn the tables on GPS device makers by filing petition with FCC seeking “declaratory ruling” confirming its right to use its licensed spectrum, claiming device makers purposefully designed equipment to look into LightSquared’s spectrum.
[Financial Times Technology – 12/21/2011]
Senator Grassley of Iowa holds up two nominees for FCC board on concerns of constituent Deere & Co. that LightSquared’s planned network may impact GPS network used by farmers – example of political mess LightSquared has landed in.
[Forbes – 12/21/2011]
China is prepared to launch 5 satellites for foreign customers next year.
[China Daily – 12/21/2011]
Gateway Communications is selected by Kawuleza of South Africa as partner to provide high speed bandwidth by satellite to major South African cities.
[Tech Zone – 12/21/2011]
Colombia contracts Gilat VSAT to connect more than 1,600 schools.
[Satellite Today – 12/21/2011]
China launches NigComSat-1R, replacement for satellite that failed in 2008, for Nigeria.
[AFP – 12/20/2011]
Arianespace Soyuz successfully orbits the Pleiades 1A, SSOT, and four ELISA satellites from European spaceport in French Guiana.
[Satellite Today – 12/20/2011]
Dish Network in center of wireless universe as AT&T walks away from acquisition of T-Mobile, a deal opposed by Justice Department.
[Wall Street Journal – 12/20/2011]
SES announces that the speed of its satellite-based broadband service ASTRA2Connect is now available with download speed up to 10 Mbps.
[SatNews – 12/20/2011]
Comtech announces $4.1 million contract for SATCOM equipment to support mobile backhaul.
[Market Watch – 12/20/2011]
Globecomm Systems receives contract extension from NATO CIS valued at $8.8 million to extend communication services and onsite support for its GPS-based Force Tracking System.
[SatNews – 12/20/2011]
Raytheon’s Navy Multiband Terminal successfully tests with on-orbit AEHF satellite.
[Sacramento Bee – 12/20/2011]
Glowlink gets major competitive contract from US Air Force for satellite carrier monitoring and interference geolocation capabilities.
[SatNews – 12/20/2011]
Russia and India announce intent to cooperate on satellite navigation services.
[Satellite Today – 12/19/2011]
U.S. Navy’s first MUOS satellite is undergoing post-shipment testing at Cape Canaveral in preparation for February launch following delivery by Lockheed Martin.
[UPI – 12/19/2011]
Next cluster of six second-generation Globalstar satellites ready for launch next week from Baikonur.
[SatNews – 12/19/2011]
Fourth WGS satellite moves closer to launch as it is encapsulated in teh Delta IV Launch vehicle payload fairing.
[Space Ref – 12/19/2011]
Comtech Xicom Technology receives orders totaling $3.2 million for Ka-band high-power amplifiers for commercial satellite DTH services and emerging high throughput satellite market.
[Market Watch – 12/19/2011]
Plans underway for ESA’s Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle to be launched on Europe’s new Vega rocket in 2014.
[SatNews – 12/19/2011]
Tags: satcom, satellite news, satellite today, satellite week, satnews, via satellite
