Really Rocket Science

U.S. government 20-year program to combine all government and military acquisitions of commercial satellite services, the Future Comsatcom Services Acquisition, may be worth up to $700m a year.
[Aviation Week – 12/31/2009]

Intelsat-704 replacement satellite, Intelsat-17, will be built by Space Systems/Loral.
[SatNews – 12/31/2009]

U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency awards three indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts for Commercial Satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (COMSAR) imagery, data products, and direct downlink services.
[Satellite Today – 12/31/2009]

Telesat reportedly will purchase a new direct broadcast satellite, Nimiq 6, from Space Systems/Loral.
[TMCnet – 12/31/2009]

SES bids successfully for Protostar 2 at U.S.$185m; satellite will be integrated into its fleet to provide incremental capacity over Asia.
[SatNews – 12/30/2009]

Congress extends government indemnification of U.S. commercial launches for another three years.
[Satellite Today – 12/30/2009]

Broadcasters in the United States and Britain say the Iranian government has been jamming international satellite transmissions into the country.
[VOA News – 12/30/2009]

Majority of satellite companies responding to Satellite Today Quick Poll claim their businesses broke even in 2009, compared to 2008.
[Satellite Today – 12/30/2009]

Second attempt to launch French military satellite Helios 2B on Ariane 5 after 24 hour delay is successful.
{SatNews – 12/30/2009]

DirecTV 12 satellite built by Boeing, launched December 28, delivers its first signals from space.
[SpaceMart – 12/30/2009]

Russian scientists to meet in secret to work on plan to save Earth from collision with giant asteroid in 26 years.
[PHYSORG – 12/30/2009]

TLC, the winner of a U.S. GSA contract, will sell the SatMAX line of satellite communications extenders to U.S. government agencies and departments.
[TMCnet – 12/30/2009]

Bolivia, in cooperative project with China, expects to launch its first telecommunications satellite, Tupac Katari, in March 2010.
[Satellite Today – 12/29/2009]

Iran plans to unveil its second homemade satellite, national satellite Toloo, in February.
[Satellite Today – 12/29/2009]

ViaSat CEO Mark Dankberg interview lays out the ViaSat plan to become a satellite broadband provider with ViaSat 1 and the Wild Blue acquisition.
[San Diego Union-Tribune – 12/28/2009]

ORBCOMM settles insurance claims related to failures of a Coast Guard Demonstration satellite and three of five quick launch satellites which were all launched in June,2008; two quick launch satellites are still operating.
[TMCnet – 12/28/2009]

Orbital Sciences receives contract to build second high throughput satellite, HYLAS 2, for Avfanti.
[Manufacturing & Technology – 12/27/2009]

WBMSAT PS – Satellite Communications Consulting Services

Orbital Sciences Corporation and Thales Alenia Space share prime contractor status on contract for new geosynchronous satellite with regenerative system for broadband serving mobile terminals, to be built for OverHorizon, with offices in the U.S., Sweden, and Cyprus.
[Space Ref – 12/23/2009]

International Launch Services prepares DIRECTV 12 for launch on December 29.
[SatNews – 12/23/2009]

GOES-R gets thumbs up for go-ahead under Lockheed Martin’s contract with NASA.
[SatNews – 12/23/2009]

Space debris cause a lot of problems in launching new satellites.
[Space Mart – 12/23/2009]
Related – NASA and DARPA sponsor first ever international conference on orbital debris removal, seen as a new business area – the big question, who will pay?
[Space Mart – 12/14/2009]

Avanti Communications Group of London orders up HYLAS-2 satellite from Orbital Sciences, to be based on Orbital’s STAR 2.4 satellite platform.
[SatNews – 12/23/2009]

HYLAS 2 satellite to be launched by Arianespace in 2012.
[Space Travel – 12/22/2009]

Arinc and Vizada rollout voice services over Inmarsat I-4 network.
[Satellite Today – 12/22/2009]

Chrisar Software Technoligies contracts with Applied Satellite Engineering to develop satellite data solution for whale watchers using Iridium satellites.
[Satellite Today – 12/22/2009]

The European Space Agency awards a contract to Ariane 5 rocket manufacturer for early development of new upper stage to increase the launcher’s capacity.
[Spaceflight Now – 12/21/2009]

China to launch civil HD survey satellite in 2011.
[Space Daily – 12/21/2009]

KVH’s mini-VSAT broadband service is granted permanent "Earth Station onboard – Vessel" or ESV license authority after operating since September 2007 under an FCC Special Temporary Authority (STA).
[PR Newswire – 12/21/2009

GOES-P satellite arrives at Kennedy Space Center for prelaunch testing.
[Space Mart – 12/21/2009]

Lockheed Martin completes site acceptance testing over the Inmarsat-4 satellite network and delivers the Global Satellite Phone Service gateway in Subic Bay to Inmarsat.
[SatNews – 12/20/2009]

Russia plans research into nuclear engines for spaceships beginning in 2010.
[SatNews – 12/20/2009]

Russian, U.S., and Japanese astronauts blast off for Christmas stay on board the International Space Station.
[SatNews – 12/20/2009]

North America DBS subscriber disconnects investigated by NSR – steady stream of subscribers switch from one to the other provider as "free" period expires – cumulative subscriber disconnects increased by 9% over past three years.
[NSR Report – December 2009]

Helios 2B finally makes it into orbit on December 18, aboard the seventh Ariane 5 launch of 2009.
[Space War – 12/19/2009]

WBMSAT PS – Satellite Communications Consulting Services

 Arianespace began 30 year history of launches with first European Space Agency launch from Kourou December 24, 1979 and never looked back.
[Space Travel – 12/18/2009]

SES wins auction, gets Protostar 2 satellite for U.S. $185 million; satellite will provide incremental capacity over Asia for SES.
[SatNews – 12/18/2009]

GeoEye-1 satellite shut down after antenna malfunction.
[Satellite Today – 12/18/2009]

GOES-14 enters full service; will be used to predict storms and monitor weather over 60% of the planet.
[SatNews – 12/18/2009]

Arianespace postpones the launch of French satellite Helios 2B a second time due to an anomaly.
[Satellite Today – 12/18/2009]

ViaSat finalizes acquisition of WildBlue Communications.
[Trading Markets – 12/18/2009]

Etisalat UAE signs multi-year contract for capacity on Intelsat’s recently launched Intelsat 15 satellite.
[SatNews – 12/18/2009]

DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-2 high-resolution satellite expected to achieve full operational capacity on January 4, 2010.
[SatNews – 12/18/2009]

Orbital Sciences is awarded a Phase 2 contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for "Future Fast, Flexible, Fractionated, Free-Flying" (System F6) spacecraft.
[SatNews – 12/18/2009]

FCC unveils a list of proposals to meet national broadband plan – FCC raises idea of forcing cable and satellite operators to provide low-cost set-top devices to integrate broadband and video services.
[Washington Post – 12/17/2009]

Eutelsat wins broadband capacity, distribution deals in Albania.
[Satellite Today – 12/17/2009]

Satellite users may see more sporting events as federal investigators seek to close a loophole that allows cable TV operators to withhold sporting events and programming they own from rival providers.
[Tennessean – 12/17/2009]

Inmarsat hits 5,000 FleetBroadband terminal activations.
[Satellite Today – 12/17/2009]

RT Logic develops software-defined modem for feeder link terminals for Iridium which will be deployed by Iridium at its ground stations.
[TMCnet – 12/17/2009]

Satellite TV may be only option for thousands of Hawkeye fans to see their team in the Orange Bowl, as a dispute between Mediacom Communications Corp. and Sinclair Broadcasting Group could leave cable subscribers without local channels.
[Forbes – 12/17/2009]

China launches first public-welfare mini satellite from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province.
[Space Daily – 12/16/2009]

Telenor Satellite Broadcasting’s Thor 6 satellite completes in-orbit testing.
[Satellite Today – 12/16/2019]

MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates announces $254 million U.S. contract win to build and launch a communications satellite for the Ukrainian space agency.
[Vancouver Sun – 12/15/2009]

Russia orbits three new Glonass navigation satellites.
[GPS Daily – 12/15/2009]

Vizada connects satellite service to submarine fiber cable along the East Coast of Africa.
[Satellite Today – 12/15/2009]

Iridium OpenPort provides fishing vessels operating in high northern latitudes continuous coverage including 3 phone lines and a data line up to 128 kbps simultaneously.
[SatNews – 12/15/2009]

NASA’s Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer blasted off from Vandenberg AFB on a mission to find hidden asteroids, comets, and other objects never before seen in space.
[R&D – 12/14/2009]

IoStar International Ltd. of Hong Kong is using more than a full Ku band transponder on Telesat’s Telstar 18 satellite to serve the communications needs of NATO troops.
[Satellite Today – 12/14/2009]

Orbital Sciences wins contract to build Intelsat 23 for Intelsat SA.
[Washington Business Journal – 12/14/2009]

Dish Network passes 14 million customer milestone.
[SatNews – 12/13/2009]

Small satellites grow in prominence and take on a growing number of operational roles alongside their full-size counterparts – a conference next year in Greece will discuss their evolution.
[R&D Magazine – 12/11/2009]

China launches remote-sensing satellite, "Yaogan VII", from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu Province.
[Space Mart – 12/11/2009]

While the satellite industry in general has been trumpeting its successes during the economic downturn, there are signs of weakness in a few key markets in North America.
[NSR Report – Global Assessment of Satellite Supply & Demand, 6th Edition]

Changes in programs, flux in budget, movements in personnel, and delays in decisions, while more bandwidth is required, characterize the government and military satcom market.
[NSR Report – Government and Military Satellite Communications, 6th Edition]

WBMSAT PS – Satellite Communications Consulting Service

NASA’s scheduled Friday launch of Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer is rescheduled for December 14 because of problems discovered in a rocket booster steering engine.
[Chicago Sun Times – 12/11/2009]

Gilat Satellite Networks is chosen by STL Ghana to provide a SkyEdge II broadband satellite network to service its customers throughout West Africa.
[Space Mart – 12/10/2009]

UK to have dedicated space agency to direct its space policy and represent it in all dealings with international partners.
[BBC News – 12/10/2009]

Mysterious light display leaves Norwegians and astronomers puzzled; best guesses are a Russian missile test or a meteor.
[POPSCI – 12/10/2009]

Orbital Sciences’ Taurus II CASTOR 30 rocket motor successfully test fired.
[SatNews – 12/10/2009]

Globalstar expands distribution of SPOT satellite GPS Messenger to Argentina, Chile, and Paraguay.
[CNN Money – 12/10/2009]

Eutelsat signs contact with Italian telecoms operator Brennercom to deploy Eutelsat’s Tooway broadband satellite service in the Tyrol region.
[Satellite Today – 12/10/2009]

Chinese rocket launches with top secret spy satellite believed to be a military reconnaissance satellite.
[Spaceflight Now – 12/09/2009]

Launch of French military satellite from Kourou delayed at least a couple of days due to an anomaly in the launcher subsystem.
[Newsvine – 12/09/2009]

Signals acquired by Boeing from the third of six Wideband Global SATCOM satellites indicate that the spacecraft is healthy and ready to begin orbital maneuvers and operational testing.
[Space War – 12/09/2009]

Hughes and Sky Perfect JSAT provide capacity to expand satellite broadband services over Afghanistan.
[Satellite Today – 12/09/2009]

Vizada donates BGAN terminals to Humaninet, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating humanitarian organizations about the tremendous benefits of using satellite communications to support relief and development efforts.
[SatNews – 12/09/2009]

Virgin Galactic unveils space tourism’s new carrier, FSS Enterprise – cost for a 2 1/2 hour flight with five minutes of weightlessness: $200,000.
[R&D Magazine – 12/09/2009]

NASA still has not received approval for replacement of the failed Carbon-Observing Satellite which could provide baseline data for monitoring compliance with a new climate treaty being negotiated in Copenhagen.
[Spaceflight Now – 12/08/2009]

NASA announces competition for engineering students to develop ideas on how future explorers might live  on the moon.
[Space Travel – 12/08/2009]

NASA partners with Dynetics and the Von Braun Center for Science and Innovation to successfully complete environmental testing of the Fast, Affordable Science and Technology Satellite.
[SatNews – 12/08/2009]

Space elevator entrepreneurs pursue their improbable-sounding goal vigorously, claiming it could reshape the global economy.
[CNN Money – 12/08/2009]

SatLink Communications and SES WORLD SKIES launch a DS3 fiber link connecting their teleport facilities.
[SatNews – 12/08/2009]

International Datacasting Corp. completes acquisition of select terrestrial, satellite, and IP product lines and related technology from Logic Innovations.
[Satellite Today – 12/08/2009]

Avanti signs contract with Spanish service provider Satconxion to provide additional broadband capacity on the Hylas 1 satellite.
[Satellite Today – 12/08/2009]

325 ft. tall Ares I-X test rocket launched using attitude control system from decommissioned PeaceKeeper missiles.  Ares I rocket is to be used in the Constellation space program.
[Space Travel – 12/07/2009]

Over a hundred senior managers and experts from the European space industry, national agencies, and ESA attend conference in Geneva to learn about commercial opportunities offered by ESA’s planned data relay satellite system.
[Space Mart – 12/07/2009]

India hopes to join cryogenic rocket engine club with the launch of its heaviest rocket, the Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle, in January 2010.
[Space Travel – 12/07/2009]

P&L International announces state of the art phase array satellite communications system for cruise ships, super yachts, and airlines.
[PR Newswire – 12/07/2009]

Ariancespace marks 30th anniversary of Ariane’s first flight with celebration in Washington D.C.
[Space Travel – 12/07/2009]

Ideas on implementing an orbital debris removal capability were submitted in response to a Request for Information released in September; this week DARPA/NASA sponsored an International Conference on Orbital Debris Removal in Chantilly Virginia.
[SpaceMart – 12/07/2009] 

DTH in Central and Eastern Europe and Russia – more platforms, channels, and subscribers, but inevitable consolidation is seen in NSR report.
[NSR Global Direct to Home Markets, 2nd Edition – December 2009]

WBMSAT PS – Satellite Communications Consulting Services

House passes updated version of the bill reauthorizing the satellite compulsory license for carriage of distant network affiliate TV station signals.
[TWICE – 12/04/2009]

Congressional testimony form Government Accountability Office director Gerald Dillingham blames lack of a comprehensive U.S. national space launch strategy and unified oversight council for obstructing the domestic commercial launch industry’s ability to grow and compete.
[Satellite Today – 12/04/2009]

SatMAX gains acceptance into corporate arena within its first year in the satellite ground equipment industry, providing Iridium satellite communications repeater systems to Fortune 500 companies like ITT corporation.
[CNN Money – 12/04/2009]

TeleCommunications Systems Inc. agrees to acquire Networks In Motion, Inc., a privately held provider of wireless navigation solution for GPS-enabled mobile phones.
[SatNews – 12/04/2009]

Thales Alenia Space completes platform integration testing on the European Space Agency’s Galileo satellites.
[Satellite Today – 12/04/2009]

Sea Launch receives final approval on motion to secure debtor-in-possession financing from Space Launch Services and outlines reorganization plan.
[Satellite Today – 12/04/2009]

Austrian public broadcaster ORF purchases HD capacity from SES Astra.
[Satellite Today – 12/04/2009]

Comcast agreement to acquire majority stake in NBC Universal from GE fundamentally changes how it works with rival telecommunications and satellite TV providers, raising concern that rising programming fees may accelerate further under Comcast.
[Wall Street Journal – 12/03/2009]

Air Force’s Delta 4 Wideband Global SATCOM 3 launch from Cape Canaveral is targeted for December 5, after delay due to a ground system glitch.
[Spaceflight Now – 12/03/2009]

Arianespace prepares for final Ariane 5 launch of 2009, which will carry France’s Helios 2B military observation satellite into orbit next week.
[Space Travel – 12/03/2009]

Comtech wins $1.6m order for high-power amplifiers for Ku band satellite terminals, underscoring increasing military demand for Ku-band flyaway terminals.
[CNN Money 12/03/2009]

SpaceX conducts its first Dragon spacecraft operations training for NASA astronauts and personnel, focusing on how the crew will interface with Dragon while approaching and docking with the International Space Station.
[SatNews – 12/03/2009]

NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer ready for launch December 9 from Vandenberg AFB.
[Space Travel – 12/03/2009]

Globecomm Systems Inc. introduces operational commercial X band service offering to U.S. Military and Coalition Forces operating in Southwest Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
[SatNews – 12/03/2009]

TacSat-4 satellite construction completed; ready for launch which was moved to August 2010 because of changing DoD mission priorities.
[Space War – 12/03/2009]

Northrop Grumman is awarded $500K contract to help U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory design a spacecraft "bus" with plug-and-play capability to reduce cost and schedule in developing future space systems.
[SatNews – 12/03/2009]

USAF and Lockheed Martin announce successful completion of thermal vacuum testing of the first Space Based Infrared System geosynchronous satellite.
[Space War – 12/03/2009]

SkyWave Mobile Communications makes available GLONASS navigation capability in its DMR-800L satellite data communication terminal.
[SatNews – 12/03/2009]

As the United Arab Emirates pushes into new era of space development, highlighted by recent launch of Dubai-Sat 1 and YAHSAT’s capability of buying and servicing satellites, young Arabs can be the next generation of space engineers.
[Space Mart – 12/03/2009]

SES, Intelsat, and Inmarsat establish Space Data Association in the Isle of Man, dedicated to sharing critical operational data in support of satellite operations, improving flight safety, and preserving the space environment.
[Satellite Today – 12/02/2009]

New Zealand rocket Atea-1, after landing in ocean, loses connection with its tracking satellite when GPS battery dies, stymieing recovery efforts.
[SatNews – 12/02/2009]

NASA spends $570m of the $1b stimulus money authorized by Congress on the embattled Constellation Moon program.
[Space News – 12/02/2009]

Boeing ships High-Def broadcasting satellite DIRECTV 12 to Baikonur Cosmodrome launch facility in Kazakhstan.
[Space Travel – 12/02/2009]

Hughes Network Systems ships over 2.1 million VSAT satellite terminals as of Q3 2009.
[SatNews – 12/02/2009]

The World Teleport Association launches a new "Green Teleport" campaign to help its members improve energy efficiency, slash energy costs, and make their energy-dependent businesses more sustainable.
[SatNews – 12/02/2009]

Iridium announces that ITT has received a contract from U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center to supply 1,450 Iridium-based handheld tactical satellite communication devices for use by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.
[SatNews – 12/02/2009]

NOAA deactivates the GOES-10 satellite after 12 years of service.
[SatNews – 12/02/2009]

Lockheed Martin gets $57.3m sole-source contract to provide operations and sustainment support for Milstar and Defense Satellite Communications System for next5 8 months.
[Defense Industry Daily – 12/01/2009]

Intelsat 15 satellite is launched from Kazakhstan by Russia following 24 hour delay for unspecified technical reasons.
[Space Daily – 12/01/2009]

Spot LLC, wholly-owned subsidiary of Globalstar Inc., announces availability of SPOT Assist Maritime, a boat towing service summoned via satellite using hand-held SPOT Satellite Messenger device.
[CNN Money – 12/01/2009]

India’s ISRO space agency has eight foreign satellites in its pipeline for launch over the next two-three years, and is looking for foreign satellites to purchase.
[Space Travel – 12/01/2009]

GOES-14 geostationary environmental satellite is placed in on-orbit storage awaiting call to duty, with tests showing all systems functioning well.
[Space Mart – 12/01/2009]

NASA says a piece of space debris being tracked will not threaten the International Space Station.
[CNN – 12/01/2009]

Iran continues to insist it will launch a new communications satellite on its own after Italy and Russia refused to launch what Israel claims is a surveillance craft designed to spy on the Jewish state and target ballistic missiles.
[Space Daily – 12/01/2009]

SPOT expands satellite messenger service coverage in Africa with new operating gateway in Nigeria.
[CNN Money – 11/30/2009]

WBMSAT PS – Satellite Communications Consulting Services

John Malone says DirecTV is not for sale, though he says the company would at least listen to offers.

[Satellite Today – 11/26/2009]

Eutelsat’s W7 satellite is carried into orbit aboard a Proton Breeze M rocket, marking 4th successful satellite launch for Eutelsat in 2009.
[TransWorldNews – 11/25/2009]

U.S. Air Force plans to launch the third Wideband Global SATCOM satellite on December 2.
[Patrick Air Force Base news – 11/25/2009]

Gilat is chosen by Telefonica del Peru for broadband satellite communications project covering more than 3,500 sites.
[CNN Money – 11/25/2009]

Eutelsat announces that French telecoms operator SFR has selected Eutelsat’s Tooway satellite broadband service to meet demand from its customers beyond ADSL coverage.
[Trading Markets – 11/25/2009]

Spacecom wins Amos 5i contract in Africa worth estimated $6.3m from unnamed customer.
[Satellite Today – 11/25/2009]

Spinning wind sensor antenna on NASA’s QuikSCAT satellite fails after more than a decade of operations, leaving weather forecasters without a critical tool to measure winds inside distant hurricanes and fueling controversy about replacement.
[Spaceflight Now – 11/24/2009]

Preparations move forward at Baikonur Space Center for fourth Land Launch mission, a planned launch on November 29th of the Intelsat 15 satellite, the first Intelsat launch for Land Launch.
[SatNews – 11/24/2009]

MacDonald, Dettwiller and Associates sign $187m contract with Russian Radio Research and Development Institute to provide technology solutions for Russian Express AM5 and AM6 satellites.
[Satellite Today – 11/24/2009]

Serbia becomes EUMETSAT’s latest cooperating state following ratification process.
[SatNews – 11/24/2009]

iDirect announces that Belgium Satellite Services has installed iDirect Universal Satellite Hub to strengthen capabilities and reach of its IP satellite broadband offerings in Middle East and Africa.
[SatNews – 11/24/2009]

NASA’s Aqua satellite sees Nida explode into a category 5 super typhoon.
[PHYSORG – 11/25/2009]

Russia launches Cosmos-series military satellite aboard a Soyuz rocket.
[Space War – 11/23/2009]

Intelsat 14 is successfully carried into orbit aboard Atlas 5 rocket.
[Spaceflight Now – 11/23/2009]

AsiaSat 3S capacity will be used for live television coverage of the Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games December 5-12.
[SatNews – 11/23/2009]

Chinese state inquiry determines that a burn-through of its Long March rocket engine’s upper-stage gas generator was the primary cause of failure to place Indonesia’s Palapa-D satellite into proper orbit.
[Satellite Today – 11/23/2009]

Newpoint Technologies and SAT Corporation partner with Clearbox Systems to provide satellite ground station and network management system to BAE Systems of Australia, to support forces accessing Wideband Global SATCOM system.
[CNN Money – 11/23/2009]

Inmarsat completes acquisition of Segovia Inc.
[Wall Street Journal – 11/23/2009]

WBMSAT PS – Satellite Communications Consulting Services

Iran plans to launch its own satellite by 2011, since no one seems willing to help; Iran claims it is a communications satellite – Israel says it is a spy satellite.
[Fox News – 11/20/2009]

The MIRAS instrument on the European Space Agency’s SMOS satellite launched earlier this month, has been switched on and is operating normally – it will map soil moisture and ocean salinity.
[Space Mart – 11/20/2009]

Russia may delay maiden launch of the new Angara carrier rocket, designed to put heavy payloads into orbit, for at least one year due to shortage of funds from the Defense Ministry.
[Space Travel – 11/20/2009]

DirecTV announces completion of merger with Liberty Entertainment following Liberty Media stockholders’ OK for split of Liberty Entertainment; acquisition by AT&T or Verizon is a possibility.
[iStockAnalyst – 11/19/2009]   –   [Wall Street Journal blog – 11/20/2009]

NSR industry briefing sees the satellite-based earth observation market entering a phase of impressive growth, expected to generate $6.2B in satellite manufacturing, commercial data, and value added services in 2018.
[NSR – 11/19/2009]

President Obama and Chinese president Hu Jintao agree to expand and formalize U.S.-Chinese discussions on new cooperative space efforts at Beijing summit.
[Spaceflight Now – 11/18/2009]

Quick-thinking Chinese ground controllers able to maneuver high-value Chinese spacecraft out of path of space debris, marking first such save by China, and emphasizing the mounting orbital debris hazards faced by space-faring nations.
[Spaceflight Now – 11/18/2009]

DirecTV chooses Michael white, former vice chairman of PepsiCo, as new CEO; Echostar elevates Michael Dugan to CEO as Charley Ergen vacates the post.
[CED Magazine – 11/18/2009]

Iridium teams with three new partners to expand satellite services offering in Mexico.
[CNN Money – 11/18/2009]

Shuttle Atlantis successfully docks with International Space Station.
[Spaceflight Now – 11/18/2009]

ViaSat offers new Ethernet Service Expansion Module for its Enhance Bandwidth Efficient Modem that promotes Frequency Division Multiple Access across Department of Defense satellite networks.
[SatNews – 11/18/2009]

Sri Lanka signs agreement with Surrey Satellite Technology Limited of the UK to obtain an Earth Observation satellite, representing Sri Lanka’s first communications satellite.
[Space Mart – 11/18/2009]

NASA chief is ready to work with China on space exploration, as Beijing aims to send a manned mission to the moon by around 2020.
[Space Daily – 11/17/2009]

SES invests $75M in O3b to become a key shareholder, aiming to support development of the O3b high-speed satellite internet network.
[Satellite Today – 11/17/2009]

Gilat reports third quarter revenue decline, and announces hiring of former Intelsat General president Susan Miller as SIGS CEO.
[Satellite Today – 11/17/2009]

Spot LLC responds to budget conscious holiday shoppers by offering a $50 Holiday Rebate for the SPOT Satellite Personal Tracker, the award-winning personal and portable satellite-based communications messenger.
[CNN Money – 11/17/2009]

SatMax completes installation of Iridium satellite communications repeater systems for ITT Corporation; the Defense Department plans to use SatMAX systems indoors to provide non-line-of-site access to Iridium satellites.
[CNN Money – 11/17/2009]

Stratos Global is recognized by the World Teleport Association as the world’s largest independent teleport operator again in 2009.
[PR Newswire – 11/17/2009]

SpaceX protests U.S. Air Force contract award to Orbital Sciences Corp. for missile hardware.
[Satellite Today – 11/17/2009]

KVH TracPhone V7 and mini-VSAT Broadband service will be deployed by the United States Coast Guard on its 110 ft. and 225 ft. cutters.
[SatNews – 11/17/2009]

Spot Image Corporation and the U.S. Geological Survey have begun to distribute, over the internet, SPOT satellite data collected over North America between 1986 and 1998.
[SatNews – 11/17/2009]

Eutelsat and Asia Broadcast Satellite strike strategic agreement for cooperation at 75 Degrees East position in satellite orbital arc.
[PR Newswire – 11/16/2009]

Stratos Global expands its line of Stratos MobileLink fixed-to-mobile calling services, enabling fast, affordable connectivity from fixed locations to Iridium and Inmarsat mobile satellite terminals, to help customer avoid high tariffs charged by local telephone companies.
[SatNews – 11/16/2009]

Newtec’s Sat3Play and ASTRA2Connect internet connection rated EXCELLENT by leading independent German consumer organization group.
[SatNews – 11/16/2009]

TCS acquires substantially all of the assets of Sidereal Solutions, Inc., a satellite communications technology engineering, operations, and maintenance support services company.
[SatNews – 11/16/2009]

Atlas launch of Intelsat 14 is halted due to power interruption to Ordnance Remote Control Assembly; launch will be rescheduled following the space shuttle Atlantis launch.
[Universe Today – 11/15/2009]

NSR report – Global Satellite-Base Earth Observation – the industry has taken rapid strides in the last decade, reinventing itself by expanding application base from military and weather to industries including infrastructure, energy, and insurance.
[NSR Report – November 2009]

NSR Report – Global Assessment of Satellite Supply & Demand, 6th Edition – was Intelat’s purchase of ProtoStar-1 for $210M a good deal or not?
[NSR Report – November 2009]

FCC claims that cable and satellite set-top-boxes may be impeding the growth of broadband internet connectivity into homes.
[Washington Post blog Post Tech – November 2009]

WBMSAT PS – Satellite Communications Consulting Services

Dutch Space signs contract with Orbital Sciences for development of solar arrays for NASA’s new cargo missions to the International Space Station to be carried out under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Service project.
[SatNews – 11/13/2009]

Iridium reports increased EBITDA of 28.4% for third quarter, and decrease of 11.2% in net income due to acquisition related expenses – net income would otherwise have increased 36%.
[SatNews – 11/13/2009]

GlobeCast opens fibre POP in Moscow, expanding its nexgen global fibre network.
[SatNews – 11/13/2009]

General Dynamics is awarded $22.2M contract from the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command to support the Naval Integrated Tactical Environmental System Next Generation program.
[SatNews – 11/12/2009]

GeoEye revenue surges 123%, while profits drop due to loss of tax break.
[Satellite Today – 11/12/2009]

Fastwave Communications receives contract from Chevron Australia Pty Ltd to supply water quality monitoring system for Gorgon offshore gas project using Iridium satellite data links.
[SatNews – 11/12/2009]

Intelsat signs multi-year agreement with Corporate Satellite Communications for Intelsat’s Network Broadband Global Maritime service.
[SatNews – 11/12/2009]

Stratos Global deploys the Inmarsat FleetBroadband mobile broadband satellite service for MPC Steamship, a fast-growing commercial shipping company.
[SatNews – 11/12/2009]

MYtv contracts with Intelsat for capacity it owns on Telenor Satellite Broadcasting’s Thor 6 satellite to deliver DTH content to Ukrainian audiences.
[SatNews – 11/12/2009]

International Launch Services and SIRIUS XM contract for launch of XM-5 satellite on the ILS Proton in 2010.
[SatNews – 11/12/2009]

Sea Launch seeks financing following approval from U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and plans for launch of Intelsat 15 from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan later this month.
[SatNews – 11/12/2009]

Lockheed readies Intelsat 14 for launch on Saturday, November 14.
[CNN Money – 11/11/2009]

Italian company Carlo Gavazzi Space denies Iranian government’s claim that it would use Italy to launch a satellite partially built by the company.
[Google Hosted Associated Press – 11/11/2009]

Gilat issues statement labeling lawsuit against it by Israeli shareholders over failure of March 2008 planned merger outlandish and without merit.
[CNN Money – 11/12/2009]

Broadband stimulus program to be streamlined by USDA’s Rural Utilities Service and National Telecommunications and Information Administration to allocate remaining funding of about $3.2B of loans and grants in just one round.
[CED Magazine – 11/11/2009]

Norway will invest $214M in Spanish satellite in plan to improve communications with Norwegian defense forces deployed in Afghanistan and Chad as well as naval units on international missions.
[Satellite Today – 11/11/2009]

Globecomm Systems is awarded $17.7M contract from U.S. Government Agency to provide global SATCOM On-The-Move communications program management and services, integrating Soldier Node Extension Prophet Satellite Terminals in a hub-spoke and mesh architecture.
[RFP Connect – 11/11/2009]

Iridium is awarded $9.7M contract from U.S. Department of Defense to supply tactical communications radio-only devices to U.S. military.
[Satellite Today – 11/11/2009]

Gilat Satcom signs multiple renewal, expansion agreements with Intelsat in Africa to increase and enhance domestic networks and broadband services there.
[Satellite Today – 11/11/2009]

Soyuz rocket blasts off from Kazakhstan with Poisk module, a docking port and astronaut airlock for International Space Station.
[Spaceflight Now – 11/10/2009]

Satellite operators Qualcomm and Skyterra lobby FCC for more spectrum to support mobile data services utilizing ancillary terrestrial component (ATC).
[Business Week – 11/10/2009]

Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications data showing that Verizon added 81,000 FIOS subscribers in that state last year demonstrates how it takes share from cable and satellite providers, according to a senior analyst at Bernstein Research.
[Telephony OnLine – 11/10/2009]

Asian government defense agency selects Gilat Satellite Networks  to deliver turnkey broadband communications solution.
[TMCnet  – 11/10/2009]

Comtech receives $1.2M order for satellite modems to support cellular backhaul in Africa.
[CNN Money – 11/10/2009]

Intelsat reports net loss of $94.3M for three months ended September 30, 2009.
[SatNews – 11/10/2009]

Loral Space & Communications announces third quarter Adjusted EBITDA more than double that of a year ago.
[SatNews – 11/10/2009]

NASA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Project offers real-time HDTV movies of the Atlantic and Pacific "hurricane alley" regions.
[Eurekalert – 11/09/2009]

Satlynx and Arabsat team up to deliver fully redundant satellite network for Central Bank of Iraq.
[SatNews – 11/09/2009]

Space War With China; Northrop to Sell TASC; Iran to Launch Spy Satellite.
[got geoint? – 11/09/2009]

Harris completes milestone review for GOES-R satellite ground segment contract in a NOAA program that will process 40 times more data than possible today, and serve 10,000 direct users.
[CNN Money – 11/09/2009]

Inmarsat 3Q net profit is up 34%.
[Wall Street Journal – 11/09/2009]

Vimicro International Corporation, a leading multimedia semiconductor and solution provider, announces strategic development partnership with China Satellite Mobile Broadcasting Corporation to develop new technology for mobile TV.
[CNN Money – 11/09/2009]

The US and European space agencies have signed the "letter of intent" that ties together their Mars programmes.
[BBC – 11/08/2009]

China will launch a French-made communications satellite, APSTAR-7, for the Hong Kong-based APT Satellite Holding Limited in the first half of 2012.
[China Daily – 11/08/2009]

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. sells its subsidiary Mabuhay Satellite Corp to Asia Broadcast Holdings Litd, a Bermuda company engaged in the satellite business.
[Business Mirror – 11/08/2009]

A pan-European student built mission to the Moon will be managed by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. following its selection by the European Space Agency.
[Space Ref – 11/07/2009]

South Korea will launch its first weather-communications satellite in March 2010.
[The Korea Times – 11/07/2009]

German service provider atrexx offers solution to customers locked into long term capacity leases and customers who are unable to find satellite capacity.
[PRLog – 11/06/2009]

WBMSAT PS – Satellite Communications Consulting Services

 

GlobeCast will provide its Content Exchange solution to the French multihull yacht Crepes Whaou for the 9th annnual Transat Jacques Vabre transatlantic sailing competition.
[SatNews – 11/06/2009]

Microsoft Corp. selects partners Akamai Technologies and iStreamPlanet work with Microsoft to provide integrated end-to-end solution to deliver live and on-demand video of Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.
[SatNews – 11/06/2009]

Avanti’s HYLAS arrives at ISRO facility in India where it will be integrated into the platform and prepared for launch, on schedule for 2Q launch in 2010.
SatNews – 11/05/2009]

Globalstar opens new gateway expanding coverage into oil rich Nigeria and Western Africa.
[CNNMoney – 11/05/2009]

ViaSat announces new contract awards of $225.7M in second quarter, and discusses plans to utilize compelling capacity on upcoming ViaSat-1 satellite for recently acquired WildBlue’s resources and distribution.
[SatNews – 11/05/2009]

DirecTV’s third-quarter profit up slightly, although customer cancellation rate may signal a coming end to the insulation from the competitive fray DirecTV has enjoyed the past several quarters.
[Wall Street Journal – 11/05/2009]

RapidEye announces frame contract with European Space Agency to provide satellite imagery for monitoring and change detection in areas prone to natural disasters.
[SatNews – 11/05/2009]

Eutelsat reports record revenue growth of 11.6% in first quarter 2009-2010.
[Reuters – 11/05/2009]

Sirius XM announces positive adjusted income for fourth quarter in a row, with increased subscribers and reduced satellite costs.
[Reuters – 11/05/2009]

Harris Corp will build satellite broadband system for U.S. Navy.
[Orlando Business Journal – 11/04/2009]

SES WORLD SKIES announces agreement with Solomon Telekom for satellite capacity on NSS-9 to provide satellite broadband across the Solomon Islands.
[SatNews – 11/04/2009]

Cypress state-of-the-art CMOS image sensors specially designed for high accuracy star tracking used on European Space Agency’s Proba-2 satellite launched on November 2.
[Reuters – 11/04/2009]

Hughes Communications reports record subscriber growth for its satellite broadband business, with broadband services revenue up 16% and total revenue up 12%.
[Reuters – 11/04/2009]

Vizada receives award from Inmarsat for highest revenue growth of all Inmarsat mobile satellite distribution partners, with 9% growth since 2008.
[Reuters – 11/04/2009]

Globecomm Systems revenue for first quarter increases 12.6% based on a 52.0% increase in revenues from services, offsetting decreasing revenues from infrastructure solutions.
[Reuters – 11/04/2009]

Orbital super-sensor launched by U.S. Air Force Weather Agency October 18 can analyze molecules and ions over wide slice of upper atmosphere – up to 700 km deep.
[R&D Magazine – 11/04/2009]

Pentagon reports that the U.S. military is now tracking 800 maneuverable satellites for possible collisions and expects to add 500 non-maneuverable satellites by year’s end.
[Reuters – 11/03/2009]

CapRock Government Solutions signs agreement with UK based Paradigm Secure Communications allowing Caprock to offer X-band capacity and network services to U.S. military and intelligence communities.
[SatNews – 11/03/2009]

Comtech receives $1M order for frequency converters from U.S. military.
[Reuters – 11/03/2009]

Telstar 18 to be used by HBO Asia to deliver HDTV to millions of subscribers in Asia under agreement with Telesat.
[SatNews – 11/03/2009]

L-3 contracts with Lockheed Martin to supply command, control, communications, and monitor system used in factory testing for GPS III satellite manufacturing program.
[Test & Measurement World – 11/03/2009]

Eutelsat W7 satellite in Baikonour and on track for Proton launch on November 23.
[Reuters – 11/03/2009]

SES WORLD SKIES announces multi-year agreement with MediaScape for additional capacity on NSS-11 to deliver HDTV in the Phillipines.
[SatNews – 11/03/2009]

Eutelsat reaches 100 HD channels.
[Satellite Today – 11/03/2009]

Integral Systems opens facility in UK to provide turnkey Earth Station System Integration capability.
[Reuters – 11/03/2009]

European Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity satellite launched aboard modified Russian ballistic missile.
[Spaceflight Now – 11/02/2009]

WBMSAT PS – Satellite Communications Consulting Services

Hughes Network Systems sell 10% of Jupiter satellite capacity to Canadian broadband provider Barrett Xplore for $100m.
[Satellite Today -10/30/2009]

Arianespace successfully launches NSS-12 ad THOR 6 satellites aboard single Ariane 5 ECA  rocket from Spaceport in French Guiana.
[SatNews – 10/29/2009]

Kazakhtelecom JSC of Kazakhstan adds Gilat’s cellular backhaul solution to its satellite communications network.
[Reuters – 10/29/2009]

SkyTrac obtains supplemental type certificate for installation of its automated flight following and satellite communications equipment on several helicopters; will exhibit at Aerial Firefighting Conference in Italy.
[SatNews – 10/29/2009]

 Eutelsat’s Tooway satellite broadband service to help deliver Ireland’s national broadband scheme.
[Reuter’s – 10/29/2009]

KVH introduces TracVision HD7 using 24 inch diameter antenna and patent pending technology to simultaneously receive two Ka and one Ku-band satellites, delivering HDTV to boaters exactly as they receive it at home.
[SatNews – 10/29/2007]

On-demand intelligent asset management company Axeda Corporation enters into Alliance Partner Agreement with ORBCOM to integrate ORBCOMM’s satellite network with Axeda’s global two-way M2M data communications capabilities.
[Reuters – 10/29/2009]

Frost &Sullivan’s report "European First Responders C3I Market Assessment" concludes that greater focus on Civil security makes the European C3I market lucrative.
[Reuters- 10/29/2009]

Raymarine introduces 33STV, a 13" satellite dish inside a 14" radome weighing less than 10 pounds, to bring satellite TV reception to powerboats and sailboats under 25 feet in length.
[Reuters  10/29/2009]

AGIS LifeRing, operating simultaneously on cellular, mesh networks, satellite, Military and First Responder radios, successfully passes U.S. Joint Forces Command limited operational assessment of PDA broadband communications.
[Reuters – 10/29/2009]

Stratos provides Government of Canada with first-ever BGAN lease service.
[IT News Online – 10/28/2009]

Lockheed Martin completes preliminary design review for U.S. Navy’s Communications at Speed and Depth program using Iridium satellite and UHF to communicate to underway submarines from surface ships, aircraft, and land-based assets.
[Satellite Today – 10/27/2009]

Attendance results for SATCON 2009 indicate continuing high demand for media and communications technology solutions in spite of economic impact of recession.
[Reuters – 10/27/2009]

KVH mini-SAT marks 2-year anniversary for Maritime service with over 500 TracPhone V7 systems shipped, providing broadband service on the move to maritime, aeronautical, and other mobile customers.
[Reuters – 10/26/2009]

NSR report – Ku-Band in-flight satellite connectivity: are we there yet? – discusses state of commercial airline broadband access market utilizing Ku-band satellite capacity.
[NSR Report October 2009]

NSR Report – Government and Military Satellite Communications, 6th Edition, discusses state of the government and Military satellite communications market.
[NSR Report – November 2009]

WBMSAT PS – Satellite Communications Consulting Services