SES-4 launch delayed again “for technical reasons.”
[SAT PR – 01/27/2012]

Vessel carrying Atlas booster and Centaur upper stage for Air Force’s AEHF-2 mission contacts bridge over Tennessee River, causing part of the bridge to collapse – no damage to the rocket.
[SatNews – 01/27/2012]

Namibia’s national electricity utility slashes costs of dealing with temporary outages by using GSM and satellite communications to link remote recloses with its head office.
[IT Web – 01/27/2012]

Harris CapRock gets 3 year contract from Siem Offshore to deliver turnkey VSAT communications to five of its supply vessels located offshore in Brazil.
[Scandinavian Oil & Gas Magazine – 01/27/2012]

SkyCasters partners with Ka You Communications on turnkey satellite communications solution called IPReady for EAS CAP (Emergency Alert System/Common Alerting Protocol) compliance.
[SatNews – 01/27/2012]

AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems and ViaSat sign strategic agreement to develop capabilities for beyond-line-of-sight satellite communications in new AAI unmanned aircraft systems aircraft.
[Azo Robotics – 01/27/2012]

SkyBitz expands footprint with new Iridium-based global solution.
[SAT PR – 01/27/2012]

SBCA accepting grant requests from members and consumer satellite industry professionals until February 1, with grants to be awarded to deserving non-profits or individuals involved in worthy community efforts.
[SatNews – 01/27/2012]

South African communications regulator refuses permission for satellite television network TopTV to broadcast sexually explicit channels.
[Reuters – 01/27/2012]

2012 World Radiocommunications Conference to review and modify global spectrum regulations to ensure the resource is “used effectively to benefit all players.”
[TV Technology – 01/27/2012]

Russian Soyuz-U is launched toward International Space Station carrying the Progress M-14M cargo spacecraft.
[SatNews – 01/26/2012]

Trichet joins board of EADS amid shakeup, with Enders slated to become new CEO.
[Reuters – 01/26/2012]

Delta Airlines announce exclusive marketing agreement with OnAsset Intelligence, enabling Delta Cargo customers to view GPS location information on deltacargo.com.
[SatNews – 01/26/2012]

Space Systems/Loral selected to provide high power communications satellite.
[Space Ref – 01/26/2012]

Sea Launch manifest for 2012 includes Intelsat 19 in the spring and Intelsat 21 in the fall.
[Spaceflight Now – 01/25/2012]

Russia’s Chibis (Peewit) microsatellite, which studies gamma-radiation generated by lightning in the atmosphere, is placed into orbit from the International Space Station.
[SatNews – 01/25/2012]

Space storm predicted by NOAA hits satellites, airlines, but most communication systems not affected.
[Computer World – 01/25/2012]

AMOS 5 begins commercial operation.
[SAT PR – 01/25/2012]

Frontline, leading international seaborne oil transporter, commits to Inmarsat XpressLink for more than 100 vessels.
[Market Watch – 01/25/2012]

U.S. Electrodynamics expands on-net coverage with Zayo ethernet services.
[Market Watch – 01/25/2012]

All Cirrus Aircraft can now be equipped with Perspective Global Connect, integrating worldwide weather, satellite phone, and text messaging features.
[Market Watch – 01/25/2012]

Technion of Israel is developing 3 tiny, unique satellites which could be used for locating missing persons and people in distress.
[The Jerusalem Post – 01/24/2012]

Calian Technologies signs two new contracts for satellite ground systems with combined value of $7.6 million, including installation of Inmarsat BGAN RF ground system in China for Thrane & Thrane.
[Market Watch – 01/24/2012]

LightSquared fights results of USAF interference testing, even as it faces accusations of bribery.
[Daily Tech – 01/24/2012]

Novelsat’s 3G-Sat modulation solution NS3(TM) is first to make satellite data broadcasting possible at fibre level costs, successfully demonstrated in tests by SES and Satellite Mediaport Services.
[Market Watch – 01/24/2012]

Military satellite communications market expected to be worth $9 billion by 2018. [Zawya – 01/23/2012]

Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, accuses backers of LightSquared’s proposed LTE network of trying to pressure him into giving up investigation.
[NextGov – 01/23/2012]

China aims to launch 21 rockets and 30 satellites as part of its 2012 space program.
[Satellite Today – 01/23/2012]

NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a watch for the strongest solar radiation storm since 2005.
[R&D Magazine – 01/23/2012]

International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran urges World Radiocommunication Conference in Geneva to take decisive steps to end Iranian government’s illegal jamming of satellite signals.
[International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran – 01/22/2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

U.S. Air Force launches the fourth Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) military communications satellite.
[Aviation Week – 01/20/2012]

Greece’s main telecommunications operator OTE to sell its communications satellite HellasSat to face cash crunch brought on by euro-zone debt crisis.
[Total Telecom – 01/20/2012]

Unnamed Pentagon official says it will propose cancelling a Northrop Grumman satellite, an Army missile, and a light attack aircraft for the U.S.A.F.
[SatNews – 01/20/2012]

Russian Space Agency Roscosmos in talks with European and U.S. partners on creation of manned research bases on the Moon.
[SatNews – 01/20/2012]

United Nations telecom meeting approves next generation IMT-Advanced mobile technology that will make devices 500 times faster than 3G and is expected to show up on consumer’s smart phones in two years.
[R&D Magazine – 01/19/2012]

MilSpace 2012 to be held in Vienna, Austria on March 27th and 28th, bringing together internationally-recognized Military Space experts from across Europe and the U.S. to discuss crucial topics, global issues, and partnering between the military and private sector in space ventures.
[SatNews – 01/19/2012]

Eutelsat suspends presence of Roj TV on its satellites following verdict of Court of Copenhagen that Roj TV is an instrument of the Kurdistan Workers Party with respect to their financial, structural and operational ties.
[Market Watch – 01/19/2012]

Emergency.lu, a rapid communications solution for global disaster relief and humanitarian missions, is deployed for the first time in South Sudan by SES partners SES TechCom, Hitec, and Luxembourg Air Rescue.
[SatNews – 01/19/2012]

Hughes Communications gets license to offer National Long Distance (NLD) services in India, allowing it to provide satellite backhaul services to Telecom service providers of Cellular, Media & FM, and Broadband fixed and Wireless.
[Telecom Tiger – 01/19/2012]

SkyBitz makes available satellite asset tracking solution that works anywhere on the planet using a modem jointly developed by SkyBitz and Iridium, and using the iridium network.
[SatNews – 01/19/2012]

TCS will showcase mission-critical wireless data solutions at AFCEA West 2012.
[Market Watch – 01/19/2012]

NewSat Limited signs $7.5 million of new contracts in first half of fiscal 2012 to provide satellite communication services across Australasia and the Middle East.
[SatNews – 01/19/2012]

Carl Icahn buying up LightSquared debt, as the company fights the GPS industry for FCC approval for its network, which had received approval from a GPS industry group in 2004 as being able to co-exist with GPS when operated under proposed limits.
[Forbes – 01/19/2012]

Recognizing serious risk from space debris, U.S. will work with Europe towards an international space code of conduct that does not restrict U.S. national security interests in space – Secretary of State Clinton’s press release.
[Global Post – 01/18/2012]

U.S. Air Force authorizes production of a ninth WGS communications satellite pursuant to an agreement between the Air Force and Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and New Zealand.
[Daily Breeze – 01/18/2012]

Nine national security spacecraft ranging from spy platforms to navigation birds, communication satellites, and weather observatories to be launched on Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rockets following a U.S. Air Force $1.5 billion booster purchase. [Spaceflight Now – 01/18/2012]

Solar array problem on Telstar 14R/Estrela do Sul-2 satellite results in $132.7 million insurance payment to Telesat.
[Space News – 01/18/2012]

SpaceX delays NASA Falcon 9, Dragon test flight scheduled for February 7.
[Satellite Today – 01/18/2012]

SES and MagtiCom, the Georgian mobile and telecommunication company, launch MagtiSat, Georgia’s first domestic DTH satellite platform.
[SatNews – 01/18/2012]

Major African satellite communications provider Intersat Africa signs new partnership with major teleport services provider Belgium Satellite Services to expand operations and service delivery in the African and Middle East markets.
[Developing Telecoms – 01/18/2012]

Globecomm gets contract to install its crew Wi-Fi service on 40 ships in the Schulte fleet of German shipowner Reederei Thomas Schulte.
[SatNews – 01/18/2012]

LightSquared claims that GPS interference tests were “rigged,” using selected outdated GPS devices certain to fail.
[Wireless Week – 01/18/2012]

NSA certifies second-generation ViaSat IPS-250 encryption software.
[Satellite Today – 01/18/2012]

DARPA’s Galileo program seeks to connect ground-based telescopes and astronomical communities with precise fiber optic controls which could enable identification of retired satellites from which antennas or arrays might be harvested and repurposed for new satellites.
[SatNews – 01/17/2012]

U.S. adds Canada and four other countries as partners who will contribute $620 million toward $1 billion price of a ninth WGS satellite.
[Chicago Tribune – 01/17/2012]

Dish Network, having recently added spectrum with acquisitions of DBSD and TerreStar, could be a target of AT&T now that merger with T-Mobile has fallen through.
[Business Week – 01/17/2012]

O3b enters partnerships with series of industry leading vendors including General Dynamics, SATCOM Technologies, Comtech EF Data, Gilat, and previously announced partner ViaSat, to provide comprehensive range of customer access systems delivering throughputs from 1Mbps to 1 Gbps.
[SatNews – 01/17/2012]

After a year in service, German Earth observation satellite TanDEM-X along with its twin TerraSAR-X have completely mapped the entire land surface of Earth for the first time; data is being used to create world’s first single-source, high-precision, 3D digital elevation model of Earth.
[SatNews – 01/17/2012]

Azerbaijan is committed to launching three satellites in the next three years. [Trend – 01/17/2012]

O3b, backed by Google, to launch its revolutionary new satellite-broadband service in 2013.
[gigaom – 12/17/2012]

Kratos to complete development and fielding of RAIDRS system for Air Force Space Command and Missile Systems Center.
[Market Watch – 01/17/2012]

SES-4, which will be largest and most powerful in the SES fleet, arrives at Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan.
[SatNews – 01/16/2012]

Top government officials say there are “no practical solutions” to GPS interference problems caused by LightSquared’s planned mobile broadband network.
[Wireless Week – 01/16/2012]

SIS LIVE, operator of largest satellite uplink fleet in Europe, signs contracts for additional capacity on two Eutelsat satellites.
[Market Watch – 01/16/2012]

Abertis Infraestructuras, after selling 16% stake in Eutelsat, and having at present 33% of Hispasat, wants to take control of Hispasat.
[Bloomberg – 01/14/2012]

Mobile satellite communications growth surge precipitated by need for greater throughput and need to communicate anywhere, anytime – Ka band provides much higher throughput, but provides challenges in antenna tracking.
[Milsat Magazine – January 2012 issue]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Ericsson appointed to install end-to-end systems integration and deployment of mobile and satellite communications throughout shipping company Maersk’s vessel fleet.
[Engineering News – 01/13/2012]

China’s Ziyuan III satellite sends back first set of hi-res visual data.
[CRI English – 01/12/2012]

Russian Mars probe falling to Earth this weekend reinforces perception that the sky is falling, as portrayed in an IMAX movie that debuts this weekend as well.
[msnbc – 01/12/2011]

FCC reviewing decades-old TV rules preventing cable and satellite companies from airing NFL games and other sporting events that are blacked out on local broadcast TV.
[USA Today – 01/12/2012]

Iridium and KVH team to provide first seamless global broadband maritime satellite communications service.
[Sat PR News – 01/12/2012]

Lockheed Martin Space Systems gets $283.5 million contact to begin building third and fourth satellites for next generation of the Global Positioning System.
[Philadelphia Business Journal – 01/12/2012]

British satellite manufacturer Surrey Satellite Technology celebrates sixth year of operation of GIOVE-A satellite, initiating Europe’s ambitious satellite navigation program, though the satellite only had design life of 27 months.
[SatNews – 01/12/2012]

Sea Tel, GVF, and SatProf collaborate to provide online training with interactive 3D models in a program to ensure high-quality marine VSAT terminal deployments.
[SatNews – 01/12/2012]

LightSquared seeks probe of federal official involved in deciding whether the company can deploy its hybrid satellite-LTE network, saying he simultaneously serves on the board of a GPS company opposing the network.
[PC World – 01/12/2012]

Comtech receives $1 million order for SATCOM equipment to support mobile backhaul for a Latin American mobile operator.
[Market Watch – 01/12/2012]

United Launch Services gets $1.516 billion contract to support launch of nine government satellites.
[SatNews – 01/12/2012]

Diversity and routing, inherent in the Hughes Spaceway satellite, allow the satellite to act more like a mesh network than the traditional satellite, representing a possible “game changer” for communications.
[Emergency Management – 01/12/2012]

Director of Florida’s Cape Canaveral rocket range cites busy 2012 launch schedule as proof there is life after NASA’s shuttle program.
[Florida Today – 01/11/2012]

Eritrea accuses Ethiopia of blocking satellite transmissions.
[Bloomberg – 01/11/2012]

RRsat offering capacity at attractive prices on HOTBIRD satellite video neighborhood, which hosts 13 premium platforms, over 600 pay-TFV channels, 500 fee-to-air channels, and over 100 HDTV channels.
[SatNews – 01/11/2012]

Blue Sky Network announces that the Caribbean’s newest low fare airline, REDjet, will use its satellite tracking, fleet management, and automated flight following solutions hardware.
[SatNews – 01/12/2012]

Russia space chief says some of nation’s satellites may have been sabotaged by foreign forces.
{Washington Post – 01/10/2012]

ORBCOMM launches VesselSat2 satellite. [MENA FN – 01/10/2012]

Fourth WGS satellite set to launch January 19 from Cape Canaveral.
[Sat PR News – 01/10/2012]

Frequency Electronics announces follow-on contracts to provide timing and microwave frequency sources for the next two WGS satellites.
[Market Watch – 01/10/2012]

ViaSat offering 12 Mbps/ 3 Mbps residential home broadband service it calls Exede, using its new ViaSat 1 satellite.
[theverge – 01/10/2012]

Belgium Satellite Services and Intersat partner to expand operations and service delivery in the Middle East and African markets.
[Business Wire – 01/10/2012]

AsiaSat leases AsiaSat 5 C-band capacity to India’s Raj Television.
[Satellite Today – 01/10/2012]

DirecTV to offer ‘boxless’ content to Samsung smart TVs, with no external set-top box required.
[Home Media Magazine – 01/10/2012]

LightSquared owner meets with FCC staffers in appeal for approval of commercial service over the company’s network.
[Nextgov – 01/10/2012]

New National Space Academy is launched, supported by Inmarsat, to create network of outstanding teachers and space scientists to support space science.
[SatNews – 01/09/2012]\

SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft to be first commercial American space transport vehicle to use solar arrays for powering sensors, heating and cooling systems, and communications with Space Station and SpaceX’s Mission Control Center.
[SatNews – 01/09/2012]

Vietnam to launch its second satellite, Vinasat-2, in April.
[SatNews – 01/09/2012]

Chinese ambassador announces that China will launch Bolivia’s first telecommunications satellite, Tupac Katari, in December 2013.
[Satellite Today – 01/09/2012]

Hughes IP BGAN M2M 9502 terminal requires less than 1W of power when idle, enabling satellite M2M communications for those off the grid and in other vulnerable locations.
[SatNews – 01/09/2012]

Dish to bet big on whole-home DVR with three tuners, one set to record up to 8 days of Prime-time programs from 4 major networks, and capability to connect to up to 4 TVs in the house.
[gigaom.com – 01/09/2012]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services
WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

United Cargo begins accepting OnAsset SENTRY 400 FlightSafe asset tracking device for transport on its entire mainline jet fleet of more than 700 aircraft.
[SatNews – 01/06/2012]

France 24 selects Arqiva for five-year News Channel distribution deal.
[Satellite Today – 01/06/2012]

Remarkable rescue of U.S. military satellite – the Advanced Extremely High Frequency 1 satellite is successfully undergoing in orbit testing after 14 months and nearly 500 maneuvers boosted it into orbit after the Liquid Apogee Engine failure in August 2010.
[Space – 01/05/2012]

China sees its ambitious space program, with 5-year plan including moon landing, and a satellite observation and global positioning system rivaling that of the United States, as means to increase its role as a world power.
[AFP – 01/05/2012]

Nigeria sees Sat Comm as the way to go for broadband connectivity, coupling satellite capacity with new generation mobile technology for last-mile connectivity, and leveraging the recently launched NigComSat-1R technology.
[The Nation – 01/05/2012]

Arianespace preparing for busiest year of flight activity ever in 2012, benefitting from availability of three launch vehicles – Ariane 5, Soyuz, and Vega – side by side in French Guiana.
[SatNews – 01/05/2012]

ViaSat enters into new five-year deal with National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative that will bring 12 Mbps next-generation satellite broadband service (Viasat 1) to market within weeks.
[Sacramento Bee – 01/05/2012]

Hughes to launch fourth-generation Internet service in mid-2012.
[Satellite Today – 01/05/2012]

Dish Network to launch broadband satellite service and multiroom DVR in 2012.
[Multichannel News – 01/05/2012]

Comtech Telecommunications gets $1.1 million SATCOM equipment order from European integrator for ground equipment to upgrade European Ministry of Defense satellite earth stations.
[Market Watch – 01/05/2012]

Department of Defense wants to create new satellite and robotic system to repurpose and reuse retired satellites sitting in geostationary orbit over the earth. [Information Week – 01/04/2012]

Industry team led by Intelsat General conducts successful tests verifying interoperability of hosted UHF payload on Intelsat 22 (to be launched in a few months) with legacy UHF radios.
[SatNews – 01/04/2012]

Just as crippled Russian satellite, Phobos-Grunt, threatens to fall from the sky, a new film “Space Junk 3D” will open in IMAX and other giant screen theaters, exploring the exponentially expanding ring of manmade debris that threatens orbits around the earth.
[Sacramento Bee – 01/04/2012]

ITT Exelis gets $121 million contract to support Army wideband satellite communications centers.
[UPI – 01/04/2012]

GeoEye works with Russian partner, ScanEx Research and Development Center, to provide millions of square kilometers of high-resolution satellite imagery to the Russian Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre, and Cartography.
[SatNews – 01/04/2012]

Hackers plan a satellite network to keep Internet going in case of disaster that affects its availability.
[Information Week – 01/04/2012]

DeLorne’s inReach is personal communication device offering consumer-affordable two-way satellite communication, message delivery confirmation, remote tracking, and SOS emergency capability anywhere in the world.
[Sacramento Bee – 01/04/2012]

Russian satellite Phobos-Grunt, which was stranded in Earth orbit on the way to Mars, is expected to fall back to Earth next week.
[SatNews – 01/03/2012]

Inmarsat reorganizes to focus on core markets.
[gCaptain – 01/03/2012]

Comtech Telecommunications gets $16.6 million of orders to support U.S> Army’s movement tracking system and Blue-Force Tracking-1 programs.
[Market Watch – 01/03/2012]

LightSquared gets additional 30 days from Sprint to get FCC clearance to operate its network.
[Wall Street Journal – 01/03/2012]

Globalstar Europe Satellite Services signs distribution agreement with TS2 Satellite Technologies, who will act as National Distributor for mobile satellite voice and duplex data products to defense, government, and private sectors in Poland.
[Sacramento Bee – 01/03/2012]

Gilat wins $16 million extension to contract with Colombia to provide rural communications satellite services.
[Globes – 01/03/2012]

Inmarsat in talks with Bharat Sanchar Nigam of India to form partnership to provide satellite broadband services in remote areas of India, and to the Indian Defence forces.
[The Hindo Business Line – 01/02/2012]

ATCi is selected by U.S. Defense Department to supply Ka-band networks designed for high throughput Ka-band satellite communication systems worldwide.
[SatNews – 01/02/2012]

YahLive signs partnership agreement with Etisalat to collaborate on satellite broadcasting services, allowing UAE based companies to broadcast in HD format for the first time.
[SatNews – 01/02/2012]

Orbcomm to purchase subsidiary of PAR Technology in order to expand its share of the market for tracking clients’ assets and cargo.
[northjersey.com – 01/01/2012]

Over The Top (OTT) (Video over the Internet) services are coming to DTH markets around the world – Super Bowl to be available in near HD in 2012 – will 2012 be the year of convergence?
[NSR Report – January 2012]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Chinese government reveals five year space plan, including more space laboratories and human space flight.
[Forbes – 12/30/2011]

ORBCOMM to acquire PAR hospitality technology and services company, increasing its customer base in its asset and cargo monitoring business.
[NASDAQ – 12/30/2011]

Skycasters is awarded General Services Administration contract to provide Internet services to GSA government agencies.
[Satellite Today – 12/30/2011]

Hughes seeks access to United States market from its Jupiter Ka-band satellite licensed in the U.K and located at the 97.1 degrees west orbital slot.
[Satellite Today – 12/29/2011]

Russian Soyuz rocket successfully launches six Globalstar mobile-communications satellites.
Space News – 12/29/2011]

Russia’s most recent Soyuz launch failure, sending what should have been the fifth Meridian satellite placed in orbit instead crashing back to Earth, may have serious impact on Russian military communications.
[Strategy Page – 12/29/2011]

Global Marine Networks announces distribution agreement with Vobal Technologies, making VoIP services available to its maritime customers.
[PR Web – 12/29/2011]

Starmax HD shuts down service via Hispasat, saying the shutdown will be temporary and it will return soon.
[Satellite Today – 12/29/2011]

Sudan and Ukraine to cooperate in the launch of a Sudanese satellite.
[Sudan Vision – 12/29/2011]

ORBCOMM and SpaceX improve launch plans for OG2 satellites, planning launch of first prototype on the first Cargo Re-supply Services mission in mid 2012.
[MarketWatch – 12/28/2011]

Japanese satellite launch business faces cloudy future, with tough competition from Russia’s Proton and Europe’s Ariane.
[Japan Times – 12/28/2011]

ATCi and ACORDE selected by U.S. Defense Department to supply Ka-band networks designed for high-throughput Ka-band satellite communication systems worldwide.
[Market Watch – 12/28/2011]

Arabsat transfers Arabsat-2B telecom network to new Arabsat-5C satellite.
[Satellite Today – 12/28/2011]

ORBCOMM prepares for launch of second AIS satellite, VesselSat2, with target date of January 10, 2012.
[Market Watch – 12/27/2011]

Iran steps up its jamming of Western Persian-language television broadcasts, even as it has satellite access to dozens of countries for its state-run TV channels.
[Newser – 12/27/2011]

SES-4 launch delayed 25 days due to Proton upper state technical issues, following loss of Russian Meridian military satellite.
[Satellite Today – 12/27/2011]

Russian and wife narrowly escape being crushed by fragment of Russian Meridian satellite following launch failure.
[Daily Mail – 12/26/2011]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

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]