Really Rocket Science

Chinese rocket launches Bolivia’s first telecommunications satellite, with the president of Bolivia, who traveled to China for the launch, declaring it a success.
[7 News – 12/21/2013]

SpaceX had edge in competition to lease NASA pad in Florida because of its firm backlog.
[Space News – 12/20/2013]

Alcatel-Lucent to sell U.S. satellite unit LGS for $200 million.
[Bloomberg Business Week – 12/20/2013]

XTAR wins $5.6 million renewal of U.S. Army satellite telecom contract.
[Space News -12/20/2013]

Turksat and Eutelsat announce an agreement whereby Eutelsat will redeploy its EUTELSAT 33A satellite in May 2014 from 33 degrees East to 31 degrees East, where it will be operated by Turksat under its satellite network filings.
[SatNews – 12/20/2013]

Europe launches star-surveying satellite Gaia, in mission to map 1 billion stars.
[R&D Magazine – 12/19/2013]

ViaSat demonstrates full mesh MF-TDMA DAMA multi spot beam networking over the WGS satellite network for the U.S. Army.
[Via Satellite – 12/19/2013]

SSL celebrates 50th satellite built for Intelsat, and CEO discusses future satellite opportunities for the company.
[Via Satellite – 12/19/2013]

Inmarsat signs Astrium services as Global Xpress distributor.
[Space News – 12/19/2013]

Gilat to connect remote areas near the Amazon river in Peru to enable Internet and telephone services for 70 communities in the Loreto region.
[Via Satellite – 12/19/2013]

Aeromexico to install Gogo Vision on at least 75 aircraft.
[Via Satellite – 12/19/2013]

Top 10 quotes from January issue of Via Satellite, as the magazine celebrates the winners of the first edition of the Via SAtellite Excellence Awards.
[Via Satellite – 12/18/2013]

SES, SpeedCast and AsiaSat donate satellite capacity and ground infrastructure services to Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan.
[Wall Street Journal – 12/18/2013]

Surrey Satellite Technology to develop interplanetary communications system between Mars and Earth for Mars One.
[getSurrey – 12/18/2013]

Military communication improved as 6th Boeing-built Wideband Satellite enters service.
[Space Daily – 12/18/2013]

Geoforce GT1 satellite GPS tracker becomes world’s first to receive IECEx/ATEX Zone 0 certification, the highest satellite tracking device safety rating.
[Via Satellite – 12/18/2013]

Comtech EF Data demonstrates 10% roll off functionality for DM240XR video broadcast modulator.
[Via Satellite – 12/18/2013]

Brazil and China to launch new joint environmental monitoring satellite in 2014. [Phys.org – 12/17/2013]

Arianespace orders two Vega launchers for unidentified commercial customer for launches in 2017 and 2018.
[Space News – 12/17/2013]

45th Space Wing provided vast network of radar, telemetry, optical and communications instrumentation to support successful launch by Space X of the SES-8 satellite.
[Aurora Sentinel – 12/17/2013]

Inmarsat acquires U.S. maritime service provider Globe Wireless in bid to transform its 6,000 ship customer base into future Inmarsat Global Xpress broadband users.
[Space News – 12/17/2013]

New Zealand plans to enhance naval communications capabilities, procuring ground infrastructure to operate on the WGS satellite network.
[IHS Jane’s 360 – 12/17/2013]

ISS Astronauts undertake massive repair job that could stretch to Christmas day, with series of spacewalks.
[R&D Magazine – 102/17/2013]

Kymeta successfully tests flat panel Ka-band antenna on Anik F2 and moves toward product development.
[Via Satellite – 12/17/2013]

ViaSat Exede Evolution is first satellite internet plan to offer unlimited, full-speed access for web pages and email.
[Yahoo Finance – 12/17/2013]

Exelis to use ENVI software for Skybox imaging data analysis, supporting data analysis of images from SkySat 1, the first in a planned constellation of 24 satellites from Skybox Imaging.
[Via Satellite – 12/17/2013]

Astrium and GeoNorth sign multi-satellite receiving station agreement, working together to build the first multi-mission Direct Receiving Station (DRS).
[Via Satellite – 12/17/2013]

Astrium signs agreement to provide 18 additional Ariane 5 ECA launchers to Arianespace.
[Via Satellite – 12/16/2013]

SSL is selected to build new replacement satellite for AsiaSat, AsiaSat 9.
[Via Satellite – 12/16/2013]

U.S. Air Force awards Lockheed Martin more than $200 million in contract options to complete production of its fifth and sixth next-generation Global Positioning System satellites, known as GPS 3.
[Via Satellite – 12/16/2013]

Avanti Communications takes over ownership of the ARTEMIS satellite.
[IFA Magazine – 12/16/2013]

Arianespace to launch SGDC satellite for Brazil in 2016.
[Via Satellite – 12/06/2013]

GATR terminals among first high-bandwidth satellite communications terminals deployed in key areas of Phillipines after typhoon.
[SatNews – 12/16/2013]

Boats and aircraft passing through Andaman Sea region warned to watch out for falling parts of India’s GSLV-D5-II satellite launch vehicle.
[Asia One – 12/14/2013]

Research and Markets adds “Global Satellite Communication Market in the Oil and Gas Industry 2014 – 2018″ to their offering; number of UDW rigs expected to reach 220 – 230 units by 2018.
[Satellite Spotlight – 12/13/2013]

Sea Launch plans to focus on the heavy lift launch market, focusing on its strength to stay afloat as SpaceX enters its waters with a successful launch of SES-8.
[Via Satellite – 12/13/2013]

Lockheed Martin to re-enter the commercial satellite business, building and launching satellites.
[Via Satellite magazine January 2014]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

NASA negotiating pad lease with SpaceX after GAO rejects Blue Origin protest.
[Space News – 12/13/2013]

Brazil selects Thales to play a key role in its space development plans as it establishes SGDC Government Communications Satellite System.
[Defense World – 12/13/2013]

Arianespace and Visiona Tecnologia Espacial S.A. sign launch contract for the next Brazilian government satellite, the Geostationary Defense and Strategic Communications Satellite (SGDC).
[SatNews – 12/13/2013]

Mexican government to award licenses for two orbital slots in Ku- and extended C-band frequencies at two orbital positions it has long held.
[Space News – 12/13/2013]

The sixth WGS satellite, funded by Australia, enters service.
[Via Satellite – 12/13/2013]

China’s first lunar rover to land on moon December 14.
[Space Daily – 12/13/2013]

Comtech reports increased commercial orders and expects downward revenue spiral following loss of Army contract and U.S..budget freeze to end this year.
[Space News – 12/13/2013]

EchoStar Corp. and Vivendi end talks on a joint venture to develop a pay-television service in Brazil using EchoStar’s orbital slot at 45 degrees west longitude.
[Space News – 12/13/2013]

New, low-cost cubesat mission led by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory will demonstrate technology needed to measure the absolute imbalance in the Earth’s radiation budget for the first time.
[Space Daily – 12/13/2013]

Federal budget crunch leads U.S. Air Force to decommission an experimental missile warning sensor hosted aboard a commercial satellite after 27 months on orbit.
[Space News – 12/12/2013]

Russian official plays down concerns on the future of Proton launches from Baikonur, saying that during a recent meeting with Kazakhstan’s president “we came to a mutual understanding about resuming Proton launches from Baikonur.”
[Space Travel – 12/12/2013]

Northrup Grumman re-purposes satellite communications system normally used in space as high-functioning low cost system for aircraft in one year.
[msn money – 12/12/2013]

Mitsubishi Electric Corp. (Melco) to build Japan’s GOSAT-2 environmental satellite.
[Space News – 12/12/2013]

Research and Markets announces addition of “2013 Report on the US Machine-to-Machine Communications Market – Includes Forecasts to 2018″ report to their offering.
[Satellite Spotlight – 12/12/2013]

Team of researchers, mainly Valencian, win contract with ESA to conduct research on use of new materials for reduction of the Multipactor effect in effort to improve space communications systems in ESA’s satellites.
[Product Design and Development – 12/12/2013]

British government deepens ties to China’s space sector with bilateral agreements on future joint projects and a fund to promote British industry’s search for a foothold in China.
[Space News – 12/12/2013]

Spacecom mulls over possible sale or merger.
[Globes – 12/12/2013]

Telespazio recently linked-up with Eutelsat to market broadband services using its Ka-Sat satellite and hopes satellite broadband can make a big impact in Italy, as well as other countries in Europe.
[Via Satellite – 12/12/2013]

ATK and Hughes successfully demonstrate LEO-based weather sensing technology to US Air Force.
[Via Satellite – 12/12/2013]

Avanti secures deal to connect libraries in South Africa.
[Via Satellite – 12/11/2013]

Contribution & Occasional Use TV Markets to Require over 700 Transponders and 1.4 Gbps of HTS Capacity by 2022.
{NSR – 12/11/2013]

NSR’s new report “Land Mobile and Handheld Satellite Markets” points out that traditional growth in this part of the satellite communications market accounted for 97% of global revenues in 2012; is expected to drop to 82% by 2022; growth in the consumer market is making significant impact.
[Via Satellite – 12/11/2013]

KVH is chosen by BW, a worldwide leader in maritime energy transportation, as the satellite communications solution for its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) fleet.
[Wall Street Journal – 12/11/20103]

NIGCOMSAT decries annual capital flight due to unchecked penchant of Nigerian organisations to purchase bandwidth from abroad.
[National Mirror – 12/11/2013]

Chinese-Brazilian satellite launched by China Monday failed to reach planned orbit and likely fell back to Earth.
[msn news – 12/10/2013]

Obama administration reviews Russian proposals for satellite monitoring stations on U.S. soil.
[Nextgov – 12/10/2013]

Lt. Gen Ellen Pawlikowski says USAF needs innovative approaches to procuring satellite capacity; tells interviewer “A different strategy would be for us to go out and leverage the bargain basement aspects of the (commercial) satcom business.”
[National Defense – 12/10/2013]

6-year-old donates life savings and starts on-line petition to save NASA.
[Nextgov – 12/10/2013]

Russian DTH provider Tricolor discusses satellite capacity demands.
[Via Satellite – 12/10/2013]

Private Mars One venture engages Lockheed Martin and Surrey Satellite Technology to work on hardware concepts for robotic Mars mission.
[nbc news – 12/10/2013]

200,000 people apply to live on Mars.
[CNN – 12/10/2013]

SkyWave and Garmin solution enables integrated vehicle tracking, navigation, driver communication and dispatch capabilities regardless of cellular service availability.
[Satellite Spotlight – 12/10/2013]

Honeywell and Inmarsat advance global wireless in-flight connectivity program.
[Via Satellite – 12/10/2013]

Globecast, Measat and Mezzo partner to bring new HD channel to Asia-Pacific region.
[Via Satellite – 12/10/2013]

NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite arrives at Kennedy Space Center.
[Yahoo News – 12/09/2013]

SSL delivers ABS-2 satellite to launch base in Kourou.
[Yahoo Finance – 12/09/2013]

Spacecom has kept all five of its satellites working at close to full capacity from DTH operators, TV channels, and North American agencies, and ultimately hopes to use its brand of Amos satellites to become a global operator.
[Via Satellite – 12/10/2013]

Recent Gooch & Housego acquisition Constelex Technology Enablers announced its participation in new European Union R&D projects and European Space Agency (ESA) space photonics contracts.
[LaserFocusWorld – 12/09/2013]

First Global Xpress®Satellite Launch and 7th ILS Proton Launch of 2013, Inmarsat-5 goes into orbit.
[Hispanic Business – 12/08/2013]

[MarketResearchReports.biz announces addition of new report “Global Satellite Communication Market in the Oil and Gas Industry 204 – 2018” to its database.
[WatchList News – 12/08/2013]

December 2013 issue of the Satellite Executive Briefing Features: Europe Gets Universal Broadband Coverage by Elisabeth Tweedie DTH Services Boost the Asia-Pacific Market by Peter Galace The Importance of Latency in the Mobile Market by Virgil Labrador Enterprise-Class HTS Servicees by Martin Jarrold
[Satellite Markets & Research – December 2013]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Arianespace commercial launch consortium agrees to spend 36.5 million euros to build fueling facility at Europe’s South American spaceport to reduce time needed between Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega launches.
[Space News – 12/06/2013]

Constelex Technology, recently acquired by Gooch & Housego, to participate in new European Union R&D projects and European Space Agency Space Photonics contracts.
[StockMarketWire – 12/06/2013]

FAA rules that NASA astronauts will fly as “space flight participants” aboard commercial spaceships being developed to taxi crews to and from the International Space Station.
[Space News – 12/06/2013]

U.S. House approves one-year launch indemnity extension for U.S. commercial launch companies.
[Space News – 12/06/2013]

Satellite industry officials say the same terrestrial wireless broadband interests that covet C-band spectrum now occupied by satellite systems are eyeing Ka-band for next-generation cellular networks.
[Space News – 12/05/2013]

WTA publishes top teleport operators for 2013.
[Satellite Markets & Research – 12/05/2013]

NASA cubesat weighing just 1 kilogram, measuring 10 centimeters on one side, PhoneSat 2.4 gets in touch with Earth from its low-Earth orbit.
[Softpedia – 12/05/2013]

ESA’s billion-star surveyor, Gaia, is set to embark on a five-year mission to map the stars with unprecedented precision, scheduled for December 19 launch from French Guiana.
{Satellite Evolution Group – 12/05/2013]

Scientists and engineers at the Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center (ATC) have developed the lightest satellite cryocooler (cooling system) ever built.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 12/05/2013]

Land O’Lakes acquires Geosys, a global technology firm that provides satellite imaging and insights to agribusiness.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 12/05/2013]

Recently released 3-D map of the Great Barrier Reef created by German company EOMAP in conjunction with James Cook University in Australia covers approximately 350,000 square kilometers at 30 meter horizontal resolution.
[Via Satellite – 12/05/2013]

Society of Satellite Professionals International announces the launch of global campaign to change global discussion about the satellite industry, focusing on striking contributions to human welfare, safety and prosperity around the world.
[Satellite Markets & Research – 12/04/2013]

NSR predicts net gains in satellite industry revenue over the next 10 years due to the advent of HTS, in spite of some migration from C and Ku-band capacity to Ka-band.
|NSR – 12/04/2013]

Satellite Interference Reduction Group (IRG) launches campaign to achieve Carrier Identification (CID) implementation on all video carriers for the Football World Cup in 2014.
[SatNews – 12/04/2013]

NASA’s next laser communication mission passes Preliminary Design Review (PDR) on the way to a scheduled 2017 launch.
[Space Fellowship – 12/04/2013]

Australian satellite operator NewSat gets teleport customer contract to support the U.S. government’s Custom Satcom Solutions (SC2).
[SatNews – 12/04/2013]

Technitel selects Avanti Communications to provide satellite connectivity across the Polish utilities sector.
[Business Wire – 12/04/2013]

Wyless and Iridium join the International M2M Council (IMC), a global organisation that promotes the benefits of machine-to-machine communications.
[IT Business Net – 12/04/2013]

Third time IS the charm, as SpaceX Falcon 9 successfully launches SES-8, its first commercial payload.
[Forbes – 12/03/2013]

Ball Aerospace completes primary structure for first Joint Polar Satellite System spacecraft, JPSS-1, on schedule for 2017 launch.
[Market Watch – 12/03/2013]

Teal Group space analysts identify 3,164 space payloads proposed to be built and launched to earth or deep space orbits between 2013 and 2032.
[Aerospace Manufacturing and Design – 12/03/2013]

Researchers in Switzerland manage to combine antennas and solar cells to work together with unprecedented efficiency in the near future, promising more compact and lightweight satellites.
[R&D Magazine – 12/03/2013]

Harris CapRock gets $46 million FAA contract to support the Alaskan Satellite Telecommunications Infrastructure.
[Satellite Spotlight – 12/03/2013]

Intelsat provides update on satellite capacity and other critical connectivities being used in restoration initiatives in Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan.
[Yahoo Finance – 12/03/2013]

3rd Space Operations Squadron at Schriever AFB celebrates the Defense Satellite Communications System B10 satellite’s 20th anniversary on orbit.
[Global Security – 12/03/2013]

Harris deploys two mesh antenna reflectors on Lockheed’s MUOS satellite.
[Satellite Spotlight – 12/03/2013]

Hughes receives “Hazardous Locations Accreditation” for 9502 integrated antenna BGAN M2M terminal.
[The Wall Street Journal – 12/03/2013]

BringCom awarded GSA Schedule 70 additions, to provide transponded services including leasing of short and long-term satellite bandwidth.
[Hispanic Business – 12/03/2013]

Geostationary satellite to be provided by Visiona Technologia Espacial S.A. and Telebras to Brazilian Defense and Strategic Communications Geostationary Satellite (SGDC) system, to ensure security of Brazilian communications.
[Satellite Spotlight – 12/02/2013]

SkyWave and MCN expand satellite communications applications for land and sea, as the alliance makes IsatData Pro available in China for Maritime, SCADA and Vehicle Management System applications.
[Yahoo Finance – 12/02/2013]

Harris Corporation Falcon III(R) manpack radio successfully communicates with MUOS satellite constellation.
[Market Watch – 12/02/2013]

NovelSat signs 100th customer, offering increase in spectral efficiency above that of DVB-S2 of 30 to 60 percent, and transmission speeds from 100kbps to 730 Mbps.
[SatNews – 12/02/2013]

PPC of Nigeria selects EUTELSAT 10A satellite to boost C-band resources for Oil and Gas sector.
[The Wall Street Journal – 12/02/2013]

Global Gas Detection Equipment Market 2014-2018 and Global Satellite Communication Market in the Oil and Gas Industry 2014-2018 are new market research reports available at ReportsnReports.com store.
[PR Web – 12/01/2013]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

SpaceX’s second attempt to launch SES-8 satellite, on Thanksgiving day, is shut down at last second as the rocket’s nine first-stage Merlin engines automatically shut down at ignition as increase in pressure in first stage oxygen tank was slower than expected.
[Space News – 11/29/2013]

SSL Partners with NASA to place laser communications relay demonstration on a commercial satellite.
[Azooptics – 11/28/2013]

Signalhorn is awarded funding from the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a gateway that will allow its customers to monitor all aspects of their services with the company, under ESA’s ARTES program.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 11/28/2013]

Brazil’s communications ministry (MinCom) approves two projects to deploy terrestrial satellite control stations by state-run telco Telebras under a tax exemption program
[BN Americas – 11/28/2013]

European Space Agency announces that next two large science missions will study the hot and energetic universe and search for elusive gravitational waves.
[Space Daily – 11/28/2013]

Brazilian telecom provider Telebras and Embraer sign contract to supply the Defense and Strategic Communications Geostationary Satellite (SGDC) system following outcry over U.S. spying..
[Space Daily – 11/285/2013]

Why the world’s 2nd largest fleet operator (SES) agreed to be SpaceX’s 1st customer for a launch to GEO.
[Space News – 11/27/2013]

Small satellite delivered to International Space Station is launched into space to demonstrate advanced deorbiting technique using exo-brake parachute..
[Phys Org – 11/27/2013]

Recent launch of Minotaur 1 rocket marked first flight test of new on-board safety system aimed at preventing errant rockets from causing damage or bodily harm on the ground.
[Space News – 11/27/2013]

Nitrogen tanks explode at SpaceX’s Texas rocket test facility.
[Space News – 11/27/2013]

Analyst speculates that Dish could spend up to $10.7B on LightSquared, H Block, AWS-3 and 600 MHz spectrum over the next year.
[Fierce Wireless – 11/27/2013]

DigitalGlobe and AstriumGEO strategies look like classic Niche vs. Mass Market opposition.
[NSR – 11/27/2013]

Boeing targets manned and unmanned ISR platforms for Inmarsat’s GX government sales tactic.
[Via Satellite – 11/27/2013]

Comtech Systems receives $2.4 million contract for new Troposcatter communications system.
[Via Satellite – 11/27/2013]

SpaceX has to postpone launch of SES-8 after three stoppages in the countdown.
[Via Satellite – 11/26/2013]

Reportstack announces new market report on Global Satellite Communication Market in the Oil and Gas Industry which forecasts the market to grow at a CAGR of 5.74 percent over the period 2013-2018.
[PR Carbon – 11/26/2013]

exactEarth launches advanced AIS satellite that will extend its exactAIS constellation and increase the capacity of its global vessel monitoring service.
[SatNews – 11/26/2013]

CEA-Leti’s next-generation magnetometer technology was launched into space on board the European Space Agency’s three Swarm satellites to collect unprecedented detail about the Earth’s magnetic field.
[SatNews – 11/26/2013]

NASA weather satellite with Ball Aerospace’s GMI instrument arrives in Japan where it will launch aboard NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission.
[Via Satellite – 11/26/2013]

Telespazio and Eutelsat sign multi-year agreement to market KA-SAT services in Italy.
[msn Money – 11/26/2013]

Orbcomm strengthens cellular footprint through agreement with Telefonica.
[Via Satellite – 11/26/2013]

Caribsat teams up with Newtec and Eutelsat for West Indies broadband play.
[Via Satellite – 11/26/2013]

SpaceQuest CEO looks to enter M2M market.
[Via Satellite – 11/26/2013]

Huawei helps APT construct cloud data centers, integrating cloud computing data services with satellite communications services.
[Yahoo Finance – 11/26/2013]

Team Tobyhanna uses pioneering approach to install the Army’s next generation SATCOM ground terminals using a plan that exceeds the depot’s annual Value Engineering Proposal cost avoidance goal by more than 276 percent.
[www.army.mil – 11/26/2013]

ASC Signal Corporation secures major contract with Sheri Tai International Company of China for HF antennas for coastal communications systems.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 11/26/2013]

Creonic of Germany announces two new IP cores for satellite communication – a DVB-S2 demodulator and a DVB-CID (Carrier ID) modulator.
[SatNews – 11/26/2013]

Rogers Communications and NHL announce 12-year national broadcast and multimedia agreement.
[Yahoo Finance. – 11/26/2013]

Inmarsat appoints ESL as global government distribution partner.
[The Wall Street Transcript]

Teal Group analysts identify 3,164 space payloads proposed for launch To 2032 with an estimated value of more than $235 billion.
[PR Newswire – 11/25/2013]

NSR’s latest market size estimate in the Global Assessment of Satellite Supply & Demand 10th Edition study projects that global HTS demand will hit 451 Gbps in 2018 on a supply of 1.6 Tbps
[NSR – 11/25/2013]

Euroconsult expects 33 High Throughput Satellite (HTS) systems to be launched between 2014 and 2016, as HTS expand into new markets.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 11/25/2013]

Boeing’s Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals (FAB-T) development program has completed the functional qualification testing phase for the protected wideband satellite communications system.
[Satellite Spotlight – 11/25/2013]

Eutelsat selects Newtec’s Sat3Play VSAT Broadband Platform to extend its IP Easy service offering over the French West Indies and French Guiana.
[Satellite Markets & Research – .11/25/2013]

Lockheed wins $105 million Air Force contract to help operate two satellite communications systems.
[Washington Business Journal – 11/25/2013]

Globalstar announces that the Spanish Ministry of Defence is now using SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger™ and SPOT Connect™ devices for in-field communications for personnel who are operating in remote locations with no cellular coverage.
[SatNews – 11/25/2013]

O3b Networks opens satellite ground station in Peru.
[Via Satellite – 11/25/2013]

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. receives $1.1 million in additional orders for satellite equipment spares from Brazilian military.
[The Wall Street Journal – 11/25/2013]

Sat Space Africa to expand African market reach through AfricaSat 1a.
[Via Satellite – 11/25/2013]

ViaSat and Harris Corp are boosted by key breakthrough in the European milsatcom market, as BAE Systems U.K. selects the KOR 24 Small Tactical Terminal co-developed by the companies for installation on the Falcon 20.
[Via Satellite – 11/25/2013]

FLYHT introduces the Dragon, a revolutionary, lightweight, portable satellite communications device that blends existing FLYHT technology with that of the iPad.
[Wall Street Journal – 11/25/2013]

Snowden leaks reveal that Singapore and South Korea are helping the U.S. and Australia tap undersea telecommunications links across Asia.
[The Sydney Morning Herald – 11/24/2013]

Cable mergers might rekindle the consideration of a merger between DirecTV and Dish Network.
[Yahoo Finance – 11/23/2013]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Europe’s three identical Swarm satellites designed to study Earth’s magnetic field from low Earth orbit successfully launched after a wait of nearly two years.
[Space News – 11/22/2013]

Skybox Imaging, only the fifth organization licensed to provide high-resolution space-based imagery of Earth, launches its first satellite, SkySat-1.
[SatNews – 11/22/2013]

(Skybox seeks to shake up the earth imaging market by ringing the earth with constellations of low earth orbit high resolution imaging satellites that are dramatically cheaper to build and maintain.)
[Wired.com – 06/18/2013]

Volunteers from AMSAT-UK confirm signals were successfully received from FUNcube-1, one of several cubesats aboard the Russian Dnepr launch in Yasny on Thursday.
[SatNews – 11/22/2013]

Honeybee Robotics of New York wins contract from U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DAARPA) for work on experimental satellite servicing and salvaging project known as Phoenix.
[Space News – 11/22/2013]

SpaceX confirms failure of Falcon 9 v1.1 engine to re-ignite September 29 was caused when the igniter fluid lines froze following exposure to oxygen – easy fix reassures insurers and customers including SES on eve of SES-8 launch.
[Space News – 11/22/23013]

Senate bill would require Pentagon to study feasibility of U.S. alternative to the Russian RD-180 engine that powers one of its workhorse rockets.
[Space News – 11/22/2013]

U.S. House Intelligence Committee proposes reduced funding for spy satellites.
[Space News – 11/22/2013]

Boeing to sell commercial Global Xpress bandwidth to government users.
[Space News – 11/22/2013]

Workaround at Army’s Regional Hub Node in Guam boosts Teleport satellite access for U.S. forces in the Asia-Pacific region.
[Defense Systems – 11/22/2013]

STPSAT-3 satellite from the Air Force’s Operationally Responsive Space Office and Space Test Program is successfully launched from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s Wallops Flight Facility along with 28 other payloads.
[Hispanic Business – 11/21/2013]

Satellite Industry Association (SIA) testifies on the satellite industry’s leading role in commercialization of space at hearing held by House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology’s Space Subcommittee.
[SatNews – 11/21/2013]

Dnepr launch from Yasny air force base in southern Russia carries 33 international satellites into orbit, including DubaiSat 2 Earth imaging satellite, STSAT-3 infrared astronomy satellite, SkySat-1 earth imaging satellite, Aprizesat 7/8 asset tracking data satellite, UniSat biomedical experiment satellite, and several cubesats.
[RiaNovosti – 11/21/2013]

Argentine state satellite company Arsat and its Italian counterpart Telespazio have signed a MoU that calls for collaboration in the space sector, including launch support, space operations, and satcom services.
[telecompaper – 11/21/2013]

Arianespace orders ten new Vega launchers from Italian manufacturer European Launch Vehicle (ELV).
[Satellite Evolution Group – 11/21/2013]

Mars 2020 rover to include test device to tap planet’s atmosphere for oxygen.
[Space News – 11/21/2013]

Surrey Satellite Technology Limited’s space-based S-band radar system, NovaSAR, wins innovation award from The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).
[Satellite Evolution Group – 11/21/2013]

Private manned U.S. Mars mission will not get off the ground as planned in January 2018 unless it secures support of the U.S. government within the next few months.
[Space News – 11/21/2013]

KVH sponsors International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network event in London. [Satellite Evolution Group – 11/21/2013]

Successful launch of Air Force experimental satellite lets scientists breathe easier, after NASA’s Glory climate-monitoring spacecraft was lost due to a March 2011 launch failure.
[Space News – 11/20/2013]

Alphasat reaches operational in-orbit position, successfully completing all in-orbit tests.
[SatNews – 11/20/2013]

World Technology Network names ViaSat as 2013 award winner for creation of transformational high-capacity satellite system.
[Yahoo Finance – 11/20/2013]

Air Force Space Command looks at ways to drive down cost of terminals and unveils new strategy for acquiring satellite capacity.
[National Defense – 11/20/2013]

NSR’s Land Mobile & Handheld Satellite Markets (LM&H) report offers the industry’s most comprehensive analysis of this vital and evolving satellite communications market.
[SatNews – 11/20/2013]

Liberalised regulatory regimes have opened up markets in Africa that previously posed significant challenges for operators and service providers, and the African market… is open for business.
[humanipo – 11/20/2013]

RRsat is appointed as Inmarsat distribution partner for Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) services.
[Yahoo Finance – 11/20/2013]

ITU plays key role in bringing communications to some of worst hit areas of the Phllippines.
[Via Satellite – 11/20/2013]

SMART Communications and Thuraya deploy mobile satellite handsets to establish critical connectivity in the Phillipines.
[Hispanic Business – 11/20/2013]

Post Italiane selects Eutelsat’s Tooway satellite broadband service to take true broadband across Italy.
[The Wall Street Journal – 11/20/2013]

Astrium announces new SKYWAN 5G satellite platform that fulfills all roles in the network at AfricaCom.
[Thomasnet – 11/20/2013]

The 3rd Space Operations Squadron will celebrate the Defense Satellite Communications System B10 satellite’s 20th anniversary on orbit Nov. 28 – the satellite was designed to operate for only 10 years.
[Schriever Air Force Base – 11/19/2013]

Musings from a trip to SatComRus 2013 held in Dubna, about three hours north of Moscow, where Russia’s top satellite executives meet to discuss the industry in one of the world’s major satellite communications markets.
[Via Satellite – 11/19/2013]

Radio manufacturers announced that they have achieved important milestones in the fielding of terminals that will connect to the Navy’s long-delayed Mobile User Objective System communications satellites.
[National Defense – 11/19/2013]

Alcatel-Lucent to provide Japanese cable operator Tonami Satellite Communications Television with ultra-broadband access solution, increasing speed to customers by up to 20 times.
[Satellite Spotlight – 11/19/2013]

Yahsat enters into agreement with Astrium and Boeing for Ka-band capabilities for maritime patrol aircraft.
[Hispanic Business – 11/19/2013]

SIS Live selects Ateme codecs to equip new fleet of satellite news gathering vehicles.
[Via Satellite – 11/19/2013]

Hunter Communications is approved by Industry Canada to compete in the Canadian market, and begins selling space segment.
[Via Satellite – 11/19/2013]

NASA successfully transmits digital image of Mona Lisa to satellite orbiting the moon and back using lasers.
[CNN – 11/18/2013]

Via Satellite dedicates edition for the Middle East & Africa region, both vibrant regions with strong demands for capacity, with Africa possibly the next big hotspot for satellite.
[Via Satellite – 11/18/2013]

Harris Corporation unfurlable mesh antenna reflectors on MUOS satellite launched in July successfully deploy in space.
[Business Wire – 11/18/2013]

Australian government is considering its options after iiNet announced it would no longer sign up any new customers to the National Broadband Network (NBN) interim satellite service as it reaches its limit.
[zdnet – 11/18/2013]

Incredible Connection partners with Maxwell Technology to bring high-speed satellite broadband to South Africa, especially suited for the agricultural and hospitality industries.
[ITweb – 11/18/2013]

Canadian government issues request for proposals for mobile satellite communication terminals for Canadian Army vehicles.
[Ottawa Citizen – 11/16/2013]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

 

Russian rocket carries Sochi Olympic torch and three astronauts to the International Space Station.
[R&D Magazine – 11/08/2013]

Even in a tough fiscal environment, the satellite industry gathered in record numbers at Global Milsatcom 2013 in London to present their latest solutions for military users.
[NSR – 11/08/2013]

U.S. allies’ access to MUOS debated after a MUOS satellite in geostationary orbit successfully maintained telephone links with an aircraft flying over the North Pole.
[Space News – 11/08/2013]

SES-8 satellite, which provides SES both replacement capacity and additional transponders for new business, is now scheduled for launch Nov. 22 aboard a Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) Falcon 9 rocket.
[Space News – 11/08/2013]

Orbcomm feels its strategic partnership with Inmarsat to develop satellite M2M could help standardization efforts in the industry.
[Space News – 11/08/2013]

Problems with the Exelis-built navigation payload on the U.S. Air Force’s next generation of positioning, navigation and timing satellites appear to be solved.
[Space News – 11/08/2013]

Lockheed Martin Space Systems has concluded that disaggregation of space assets to render them less vulnerable to attack is not all it’s cracked up to be.
[Space News – 11/08/2013]

Pentagon could reduce its reliance on foreign-owned satellites like the Apstar-7 by increasing its supply of bandwidth or decreasing its seemingly limitless demand.
[US News Opinion – 11/07/2013]

Canada revamps satellite regulations to make industry more competitive, reducing fees, easing coverage restrictions for satellite licensees, and going to bat for them seeking orbital slots outside the Canadian arc.
[Space News – 11/07/2013]

Later than planned launch of its new GX satellite to hit profits of Inmarsat.
[Yahoo Finance – 11/07/2013]

Russian military satellite to blast off atop Proton-M carrier rocket November 12, with no details on the purpose or specifications of the satellite.
[SatNews – 11/07/2013]

Northrop Grumman gets $18.5 million contract to build SATCOM capability for E-6B strategic airborne command post.
[Military Aerospace – 11/07/2013]

MTN Communications renews critical capacity agreement with SES as cruise ships, yachts and exploration vessels worldwide demand more connectivity.
[Satellite Spotlight – 11/07/2013]

SpeedCast extends global maritime VST network across Indian and South Atlantic oceans.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 11/07/2013]

ORBIT Communication Systems to show OceanTRx stabilized VSAT product line for maritime oil and gas communications at OilComm 2013.
[Offshore Technology International – 11/07/2013]

Why satellite TV has an edge over cable.
[Yahoo Homes – 11/07/2013]

Kinross Gold signs three-year deal with BT to provide communications network connecting sites in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Chile and Spain.
[Satellite Spotlight – 11/07/2013]

Integrated marketing and communications agency Sage Communications acquires satellite and space marketing and public relations firm Longbottom.
[Yahoo Finance – 11/07/2013]

Research and Markets report projects the mobile satellite service market to grow at a CAGR of 10.1 % over the period 2011 – 2015.
[Yahoo Finance – 11/06/2013]

DARPA looks for 10 retired satellites to raid for parts in on-orbit salvaging demo.
[Space News – 11/06/2013]

Canada blocks MDA from Russian radar satellite competetion.
[Space News – 11/06/2013]

FEMA wants to extend contract for satellite connectivity with On Call Communications for extra three months at additional $450,000 cost.
[Government Security News – 11/06/2013]

Com Dev and MDA jockey for position on Canadian Arctic satellite project.
[Space News – 11/06/2013]

Australian company EM Solutions gets follow-on order from Japanese government for additional quantity of its on-the-move satellite broadband terminals.
[Australian Defence Magazine – 11/06/2013]

Azam Medial chooses Eutelst capacity, services, and DTH experience to support its new pan-African pay-TV platform.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 11/06/2013]

Navman Wireless USA announces a new satellite communications option for its OnlineAVL2 fleet tracking platform enabling continuous visibility of both heavy equipment and on-road vehicles even when out of cellular range.
[Yahoo Finance – 11/06/2013]

NASA working hard to develop laser-based space communications systems said to be key to ensuring rapid and accurate transmission of information from spacecraft around the solar system.
[Yahoo News – 11/05/2013]

Reportlinker announces new market research report in its catalogue: “Global Fixed Satellite Service Market 2012 – 2016.”
[Yahoo Finance – 11/05/2013]

Euroconsult – Government and industry to combine for 1,150 satellites over next ten years.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 11/05/2013]

Spacecom’s Amos 4 satellite Ku-band capacity bought entirely by a Southeast Asian data services provider.
[Via Satellite – 11/05/2013]

ITC Global announces it has launched the world’s first production service for oil & gas and mining clients utilizing the new iDirect X7 remote modem, offering remote location performance of 20 Mbps or better.
[Yahoo Finance – 11/05/2013]

Thuraya partners with Vocality to provide Vocality network router solutions through its global network of service partners serving commercial and defense mobile satellite communications markets.
[Satellite Spotlight – 11/05/2013]

India’s attempt to become just the fourth nation to successfully send a mission to Mars makes good start with successful blast off of the Mangalyaan orbiter.
[Independent – 11/05/2013]

New satellite communications building opening at Goonhilly will provide super fast broadband from Avanti to rural areas of Cornwall that would otherwise be out of reach.
[itv – 11/05/2013]

Kazakhstan provided Kyrgyzstan joint use of KazSat to offer satellite communications and broadcasting in the interests of the telecommunications sector in Kyrgyzstan.
[Hispanic Business – 11/05/2013]

Globalstar proposal to use satellite spectrum for terrestrial Wi-Fi has potential for success, unlike the fiasco that was LightSquared.
[CNN Money – 11/04/2013]

Thuraya and TrustComm introduce Starlight, and enhanced mobile satellite service.
[Yahoo Finance – 11/04/2013]

Euronics of Germany teams up with Eutelsat to take satellite broadband to German consumers still beyond range of a quality broadband experience.
[Yahoo Finance – 11/04/2013]

Hughes to provide satellite back-up solution for the US National Weather Service OPsnet (Operational Systems Network).
[HIspanic Business – 11/04/2013]

ESA’s ground station on Tenerife island receives laser signals over a distance of 400,000 km from NASA’s latest moon orbiter, the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE).
[SatNews – 11/03/2013]

Fourth edition of NSR’s SCADA/M2M via Satellite report offers the industry’s most complete analysis of this vital satellite communications market.
[NSR – November 2013]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Comms-on-the-move Ka-band mobile satellite terminal developed by EM Solutions of Australia, enabling high speed data transfer while driving in locations lacking other communications, finds emergency applications.
[The Australian – 11/02/2013]

FAA loosens rules for electronic devices during flights.
[USA Today – 11/01/2013]

Spacecom announces a manufacturer’s workaround for Amos 5 power-supply anomaly that should enable the satellite to operate for its full 15-year service life.
[Space News – 11/01/2013]

Delayed O3b satellites should be repaired and ready for launch in March 2014.
[Space News – 11/01/2013]

The number of commercial aircraft providing either Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity will reach 4,048 by the end of 2013, representing 21% of the global fleet, according the recent research published by IHS Inc.
[SatNews – 11/01/2013]

China’s homegrown Beidou Navigation Satellite System will be put into its first oversea operation in Thailand early next year.
[GPS Daily – 11/01/2013]\

GCI extends capacity agreements with Intelsat to support broadband services to Alaskan schools and medical clinics, as well as telemedicine applications for hospitals in underserved areas.
[SatNews – 11/01/2013]\

Analysts forecast the Global Fixed Satellite Service market to grow at a CAGR of 5.44 percent over the period 2013-2016.
[SBWire – 10/31/2013]

Latest Ericsson Mobility Report presents key statistics and future forecasts which should provide satellite technology, especially High Throughput Satellites (HTS) , with highly promising short term opportuniteis.
[NSR – 10/31/2013]

Telesat considers expansion after one of its new satellites helps increase revenues in third quarter.
[Ottowa Business Journal – 10/31/2013]

NASA will rely on hosted payload to continue some of the long-running Earth-system observations the agency took over from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in April.
[Space News – 10/31/2013]

Astrium enters into partnership agreement with IHS to deliver satellite imagery and services for intelligence analysis and reporting.
[Via Satellite – 10/31/2013]

MTN Communications experiences a surge in demand, claiming customers increased demand for additional bandwidth on its network by 61% since 2013.
[Via Satellite – 10/31/2013]

Astrium Services is expanding its global VSAT coverage following the signing of new separate Ku-band capacity agreements with SES and Eutelsat.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 10/31/2013]

UltiSat signs multi-year contract with Eutelsat for capacity on EUTELSAT 5 West A to provide C-band service to nongovernmental organizations (NGO) in Africa.
[The Wall Street Journal – 10/31/2013]

Having recently signed a new deal with MTN Communications to enhance its onboard suite of connectivity options for passengers and crew, cruise ship operator Pullmantur executive explains the need for satellite.
[Via Satellite – 10/31/2013]

Signalhorn is selected for ht operation and management of a pan-African network for one of the world’s leading providers of offshore service vessels in the global energy industry.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 10/30/2013]

SimbaNET uses iDirect’s Evolution platform to advance Nigeria-based satellite network.
[Via Satellite – 10/31/2013]

Sierra Nevada Corp.’s Dream Chaser space plane skids off runway in test flight landing as landing gear collapses.
[R&D Magazine – 10/30/2013]

Arianespace reschedules SES, Hispasat and ESA’s launch dates, with consent of its customers.
[Via Satellite – 10/30/2013]

Raytheon is awarded $11.9 million contract for sustainment services supporting the Military Satellite Communications System (MILSATCOM) Global Broadcast System (GBS). [Signal online – 10/30/20103]

High speed satellite broadband provider ViaSat defies the naysayers who have stigmatized satellite communications as impractical, flawed, and slow.
[Chicago Tribune – 10/30/2013]

Comtech Telecommunications Corp is awarded $1.4 million for communications jamming high-power amplifier systems.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/30/2013]

Dish and Southwest start in-flight iPad lending program for on-demand entertainment on Wi-Fi enabled Southwest flights..
[Via Satellite – 10/30/2013]

Maxwell Technology, in partnership with Cable Wise, expands satellite internet to Northern KwaZulu-Natal.
[Human IPO – 10/30/2013]

Global Maritime VSAT market expected to grow at CAGR of 7.71 percent between 2012 and 2016 according to new Research and Markets report.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/29/2013]

Data product differentiation beginning to become important again in the Earth Observation market.
[NSR – 10/29/2013]

Eutelsat and Es’hailSat announce that their jointly owned EUTELSAT 25B/Es’hail 1 satellite launched August 29, went into commercial service October 29.
[The Wall Street Journal – 10/29/2013]

Astrium to build new satellite for DIRECTV.
[Space Daily – 10/29/2013]

Hundreds of space professionals from developing economies receive space training in China, including Pakistan, Nigeria, and Bolivia.
[Asia One – 10/29/2013]

Ball Aerospace & Technologies’ Green Propellant Infusion Mission is selected to test advance form of thermal insulation that could become standard on future satellites and cryogenic subsystems.
[Via Satellite – 10/29/2013]

NASA’s Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration makes history, successfully transmitting data from lunar orbit to Earth at a rate of 622 Mbps.
[R&D Magazine – 10/28/2013]

ESA approves sale of Artemis telecom satellite to Avanti.
[Spaceflight Now – 10/28/2013]

Measat CEO says company is open to partnerships.
[Via Satellite – 10/28/2013]

ILS Proton successfully launches the Sirius FM 6 satellite.
[Via Satellite – 10/28/2013]

Gogo signs deal with Japan Airlines to deliver in-flight connectivity.
[Via Satellite – 10/28/2013]

Oil and Gas companies – will High Throughput Satellites change the equation?
[Via Satellite Webinar November 14, 2013]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

 

X1.7 solar event with potential to disrupt satellite communications and harm astronauts sparks temporary radio blackout.
[MailOnline – 10/26/2013]

Proton-M launches with Sirius FM-6 satellite.
[NASA Spaceflight – 10/25/2013]

Northrup Grumman’s production of fifth and sixth Advanced EHF communication satellite payloads off to a strong start thanks to delivery of customized integrated circuits.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/25/2013]

Ground radars count 1,369 objects in geostationary orbit of which nearly half of are in an uncontrolled drift orbit, and another 178 dead satellites have converged at one of two libration points on opposite sides of the earth.
[Space News – 10/25/2013]

Globecomm Systems chooses Amino set top boxes as parts of deployment of managed communications solution to over 1,000 locations across the U.S. for a national retailer.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/25/2013]

Minot Air Force Base B-52 bomber crews to get upgraded communication system that can send and receive information via satellite links.
[Minot Daily News – 10/25/2013]

Business aviation forecast spells good news for satellite communications market.
[Via Satellite – 10/24/2013]

Emerging Markets Communications becomes first global VSAT and terrestrial connectivity provider to obtain a Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) license to provide services directly to oil and gas companies in Nigeria.
[WatchList News – 10/24/2013]

Orbital Science’s Cygnus space capsule concludes its first ISS cargo run, breaking up during re-entry and burning up over the Pacific Ocean.
[Space News – 10/23/2013]

ViaSat CEO Mark Dankberg gets Clarke Foundation’s Innovator Award.
[Yahoo Finance – 10/23/2013]

Astrium is awarded contract by DirecTV Latin American to build the latest addition to its fleet, based on the E3000 platform, to be launched in early 20176.
[SatNews – 10/24/2013]

Avanti will buy Artemis data-relay satellite along with all rights to its orbital slot from the European Space Agency.
[Space News – 10/24/2013]

Harris-CapRock win of Carnival Cruise Line digital communications contract against MTN Satellite Communications means hit to MTN bottom line, but MTN still has key ingredients to remain relevant in maritime market.
[NSR – 10/24/2013]

Media Networks and Conekta to provide Ku-band satellite internet for rural towns in the Amazon.
[Via Satellite – 10/24/2013]

Blue Sky introduces HawkEye 7200 portable satellite tracking unit that operates on the U.S. GPS, Russian Glonass and European Galileo systems and also supports Iridium satellite communications for mobile devices.
[AIN online – 10/24/2013]

Aircell, a subsidiary of Gogo, signs with Honeywell Aerospace to become distributor for Inmarsat’s Ka-band GX Aviation Services.
[Hispanic Business – 10/24/2013]

Honeywell is enhancing its satellite communication product lines with a supplier agreement to bring to market the Aspire 300, a new FANS over Iridium product that improves safety and operational efficiency.
[SatNews – 10/24/2013]

Hispasat’s Amazonas 4A near completion, getting ready for launch in December.
[Via Satellite – 10/23/2013]

SES is now designing its satellites with dedicated beams for mobile markets, including the maritime market.
[Space NMews – 10/23/2013]

NASA awards Astrotech Space Operations a contract to provide facilities and pre-launch processing services for the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) mission to launch in late 2014 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
[Via Satellite – 10/23/2013]

SES renews contract with Sony Entertainment Television Asia.
[Via Satellite – 10/23/2013]

XIPLINK and Hughes to offer broadband connectivity to public schools in Mexico.
[Hispanic Business – 10/23/2013]

Signalhorn to connect thousands of locations across Europe for one of the world’s leading oil producers and gas retailers, using its Xtend solution fully integrating terrestrial, 3G cellular, and satellite technologies.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 10/23/2013]

Australian satellite firm NewSat gets $2.4 million deal to supports U.S. Department of Defense in the PACOM region.
[CRN – 10/23/2013]

Winegard deploys mobile antenna solution designed for IP Access International Isis network, guaranteeing access to the network when there is a regional disruption. [Satellite Evolution Group – 10/23/2013]

RSCC (Russian Satellite Communications Company) ready to commission three new satellites.
[Via Satellite – 10/22/2013]

Spacecom reports Amos 5 satellite fault that will shorten the satellite’s lifespan by eleven months.
[Globes – 10/22/2013]

Spacecom’s Amos 5 wins $3.6 million broadcast contract in East Africa.
[Via Satellite – 10/22/2013]

Raytheon supports U.S. Army’s Aviation units with additional satellite radio equipment.
[Providence Journal – 10/22/2013]

TeleCommunication Systems gets $14 million contract to supply satellite equipment and support to the U.S. Army.
[Wall Street Journal – 10/22/2013]

Inmarsat and Honeywell announce that Satcom1 will be a distribution partner to deliver GX Aviuation to VIP, government and business aircraft across the globe.
[SatNews – 10/22/2013]

Global Telesat Communications will provide satellite tracking solution for yachts participating in the Atlantic Odyssey rallies.
[Digital Journal – 10/22/2013]

Comtech Telecommunications receives $1.1 million of orders for satellite equipment spares from Brazilian military.
[Market Watch – 10/22/2013]

PBS announces request for information process for industry input into definition of the Public Television Interconnection System – Version 6 (PTISv6), to succeed present system in 2016 – DEADLINE November 1, 2013.
[PBS Press Release- 10/21/2013]

ESA declares end of mission for the GOCE satellite as its fuel is depleted.
[Via Satellite – 10/21/2013]

EU commissioner welcomes milestone achievement of satellite broadband connectivity now being available to all 28 countries in the European Union.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/21/2013]

U.S. Department of Defense awards Iridium, a $400 million, five-year contract for Iridium(R) airtime services.
[Yahoo Finance – 10/21/2013]

Harris delivers first satellite terminals for the U.S. Army’s Modernization of Enterprise Terminals program.
[4-traders – 10/21/2013]

Successful operational test of Phasor Solution’s flat, electronically steered antenna array puts the company on fast track to deliver the world’s first commercially available, highly affordable Ku-band phased array antenna in 2014.
[Yahoo Finance – 10/21/2013]

L-3 GCS receives first military band type approval for GX terminals from Inmarsat.
[Via Satellite – 10/21/2013]

Cobham Satcom’s two-box Aviator S family of satellite communications systems is more powerful than larger three-box systems.
[AIN online – 10/21/2013]

Fort Worth, Texas company Elbit Systems of America delivers hundreds of lightweight satellite communications amplifiers to the Army, Air Force and Navy each year for rotary wing aircraft.
[UPI – 10/21/2013]

Just as U.S. Air Force is finally revamping approach to attracting more companies to the military satellite business, cuts in defense spending threaten to undermine the progress.
[Reuters – 10/20/2013]

NSR’s Satellite Operator Financial Analysis report provides comprehensive picture of the satellite telecom industry from a financial standpoint.
[NSR – October 2013]

The new SATCOM standard (DVB-S2 extensions) explained – is the standard relevant for the MILSATCOM market?
[MilsatMagazine – October 2013 edition]

Incorporating satellite into Continuity of Operations plans for severed weather or disaster events.
[MilsatMagazine – October 2013 edition]

“The Changing Face of MILSATCOM.”
[MilsatMagazine – October 2013 edition]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Spending bill passed by Congress provides NOAA funding flexibility for maintaining launch schedules for two weather satellite programs.
[Space News – 10/18/2013]

Companies interested in taking part in a revolution in the way Europe develops and builds rockets have submitted more than 150 proposals for overturning the current launch vehicle industrial base to build the next-generation Ariane 6 within the cost objectives.
[Space News – 10/18/2013]

ESA delays the contract award for next-generation polar-orbiting MetOp satellite system to assure the spacecraft are built to disintegrate over the Pacific Ocean on retirement.
[Space News – 10/18/2013]

Orbital Sciences pursues commercial launch opportunities for its Antares rocket following two successful NASA funded test flights.
[Space News – 10/18/2013]

Sirius FM-6 to launch October 20 on Proton M/Breeze M; – Via Satellite webcast starts October 20th at 1:45pm EDT.
[ILS Launch – current] [Webcast at imgondemand – ongoing]

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory expects to download 700 terabytes of data per day from NASA missions; its engineers are busy developing creative tools to better store the data.
[R&D Magazine – 10/18/2013]

U.S. Air Force awards two-year contract extension to SES for hosted payload.
[Via Satellite – 10/18/2013]

NSSLGlobal announces further expansion of their VSAT Ku-Band network to include an additional two satellite beams covering the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean region.
[CiOL – 10/18/2013]

$4.1 billion of Department of Defense contracts awarded prior to the U.S. Government shutdown is a tree hiding a forest of not-so-good news that gives the impression the bottom of the milsatcom wave is yet to come for the satellite industry.
[NSR – 10/17/2013]

Raytheon leverages its position as the only provider of AEHF satellite terminals to three branches of the military to show that it can provide an affordable protected tactical solution using an unclassified secure waveform.
Azosensors – 10/17/2013

SATCON 2013 will shine spotlight on intersection of satellite communications and future media capabilities.
[Yahoo Finance – 10/17/2013]

Reportlinker adds new report to its catalogue: Global Markets for Satellite Technology — Focus on the EMEA Market.
[Yahoo Finance – 10/17/2013]

IRG Challenge industry to implement Carrrier ID 100 percent by June 2014, the date of the 2014 Football World Cup.
[Via Satellite – 10/17/2013]

ESA awards Astrium three new contracts for Ariane 6 and Ariane 5 ME.
[Via Satellite – 10/17/2013]

HISPASAT and Astrium present Europe’s first reconfigurable Ku-band satellite antenna, boasting four simultaneous beams, which will be installed in the Hispasat AG1 satellite.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 10/17/2013]

Nippon Television Network Corporation chooses SES as its satellite operator of choice to provide live transmissions of three key sporting events in Europe.
[Via Satellite – 10/17/2013]

Media Networks launches satellite Internet wholesale service in Latin America on the nine Ka-Band beams on ISAT-KA.
[Via Satellite – 10/17/2013]

Europe reaches major milestone in drive to bridge the Digital Divide, launching broadband satellite services in the Baltics, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, now reaching all 28 EU countries.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 10/17/2013]

Thales merges the navigation, surveillance, and simulation segment of the Thales air traffic management organization and the former Thales USA Defense and Security organization with 2012 acquisitions Tampa Microwave, Viosionix, and InterSence.
[Military Aerospace – 10/17/2013]

Major U.S. broadcaster selects NovelSt to upgrade the satellite communication technology in their global Digital Satellite News Gathering fleet.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 10/17/2013]

Boatracs Inc. to provide a broadband communications solution to B & J Martin, Inc., outfitting the site clearance trawling division of their fleet with KVH TracPhone V7-IP VSAT terminals and mini-VSAT Broadband service.
[PR Web – 10/17/2013]

The United States Navy built the first satellite communications ship, the U.S.N.S. Kingsport, in 1963.
[Space.com – 10/16/2013]

10 reasons why Global MilSatCom 2013 is set to become SMi’s biggest SatCom event to date.
[Digital Journal – 10/16/2013]

U.S. Air Force delays upcoming GPS 2F-5 launch for unspecified reasons.
[Space News – 10/16/2013]

Iridium Communications Inc. announces successful completion of a Critical Design Review of the complete Iridium NEXT satellite network system, on schedule for first launch in early 2015.
[Wall Street Journal – 10/16/2013]

SES enters public-private partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) for the development of a full-electric propulsion satellite platform.
[Via Satellite – 10/16/2013]

Thales Alenia and Italy’s CGS to build a visible and ultraviolet imaging telescope for Europe’s future Solar Orbiter satellite.
[Space News – 10/16/2013]

SkyVision donates an iDirect-powered satellite network for the Crossover International Academy in Tongor-Attokrokpo, Ghana.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/16/2013]

Inmarsat selects Kratos subsidiary Sat Corporation’s Monics system to provide satellite interference detection for Global Xpress.
[Via Satellite – 10/16/2013]

Thales Alenia Space will build Multi Element Telescope for Italian Space Agency’s Imaging and Spectroscopy instrument.
[Via Satellite – 10/16/2013]

Alcatel-Lucent to provide ground station for monitoring of spectrum in satellite communications for Anatel of Brazil.
[Telecompaper – 10/16/2013]

Morgan Stanley report claiming the FSS sector has entered a “no-growth” cycle and that “HTS will struggle to find a market” misses the mark.
[NSR – 10/15/2013]

Boeing to build fourth satellite for the Inmarsat Global Xpress network.
[UPI – 10/15/2013]

Harris CapRock to provide communications services for more than 100 Carnival Corporation cruise ships worldwide.
[Yahoo Finance – 10/15/2013]

Newtec and SniperHill deploy new satellite technology providing increased throughput and service availability for network serving NATO and U.S. Troops in Afghanistan.
[Government Video – 10/15/2013]

NewSat signs $5 million worth of new teleport business contracts in first quarter of FY 2014 to provide satellite communication services across the Middle East and Austaliasia.
[SatNews – 10/15/2013]

United Airlines launches 100th aircraft with satellite Wi-Fi.
[Via Satellite – 10/15/2013]

Arabsat gets exclusive rights to broadcast Sudan’s football.
[all Africa – 10/15/2013]

The Global VSAT Forum (GVF), and the Satellite Interference Reduction Group (IRG) will be joining Cobham Technical Services and Eutelsat for a pre-conference workshop on satellite interference alongside Global MilSatCom in London. [SatNews – 10/14/2013]

Broadband Satellite Services Limited (BSS), an investment company based in the North East of England, completes the acquisition of AND Group & the Satcom Global group of companies.
[MarineLink – 10/14/2013]

iDirect Wins VSAT 2013 Technology Innovation Of The Year Award for high performance X7 remote.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/14/2013]

Cable & Wireless to sell its Algerian satellite communication business Divona SpA to Smart Link Com SpA of Algeria for $1.4 million..
[4-traders – 10/14/2013]

Gilat Satellite Networks continues to make strong progress in Latin America, getting an award for equipment and services from Entel S.A., the largest telecom operator and satellite network operator in Bolivia.
[Via Satellite – 10/14/2013]

Spacecom gets five-year capacity deal from an East African video service provider worth just under $6 million.
[Via Satellite – 10/14/2013]

Earth station constructed by Harris near Arua Town, Uganda in 1976 for Idi Amin is now rotting away.
[Hispanic Business – 10/14/2013]

As part of U.S. Army’s recently announced 4.1 billion communications budget, Lockheed Martin gets IDIQ contract to deliver satellite and terrestrial communications to the Army.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/14/2013]

SatStream Media launches new maritime service, SatstreamNet, a multicast-IP content delivery network developed specifically for the maritime industry.
[Via Satellite – 10/14/2013]

BT and BSkyB sign multi-year agreement for Sky Movies to be made available through BT TV.
[Via Satellite – 10/14/2013]

Via Satellite speaks with Michel de Rosen of Eutelsat about all things Latin America, and how his vision for Eutelsat is shaping up.
[Via Satellite – November issue]

Oil companies see a future in satellite, but want lower prices.
[Via Satellite – November issue]

U.S. government changes its business approach with satcom vendors under Sequestration, but what does this mean?
[Via Satellite – November issue]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

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Systems Integration	Satellite Industry Research

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Global VSAT and terrestrial connectivity provider Emerging Markets Communications (EMC) is sponsoring the annual NetHope Global Member Summit, October 14-18, 2013 in St. Charles, Illinois.
[WatchList News – 10/12/2013]

Chinese BeiDou satellite navigation system will include more than 30 satellites and a ground control operation system by 2020 in order to serve global clients according to mid and long-term okab approved by China’s State Council.
[GPS Daily – 10/11/2013]

Russia may build its own space station with International Space Station (ISS) units after 2020 if the ISS partners choose not to extend the project and there is political will to do so.
[Space Daily – 10/11/2013]

Iranian aerospace official says the country plans to launch three indigenously designed and manufactured satellites into orbit by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2014).
[SatNews – 10/11/2013]

The SENER engineering and technology group has finished installing the deployable sunshield for the GAIA satellite in preparation for the final tests prior to its launch, slated for late November.
[Your Communication News – 10/11/2013]

Startup imagery provider Skybox Imaging executives view the company’s first satellite boxed up for its journey to the Yasny launch site in Russia, where it is scheduled to lift off Nov. 21 on a Russian Dnepr rocket.
[Space News – 10/11/2013]

Russia replaces space agency Roscosmos chief in bid to reform and turn around the program following series of high-profile setbacks.
[Space Daily – 10/10/2013]

SATCON, The Satellite Communication Conference & Expo, runs from November 13-14, 2013, New York, NY; the keynote is “Leadership Dialogue: Present Priorities, Future Vision.”
[SatNews – 10/10/2013]

Orbital Sciences Corp.’s Cygnus capsule set to burn up in atmosphere October 23 following its first supply mission to ISS; NASA to decide upon review of report from Orbital Sciences whether to give go-ahead for 8 additional supply missions for Orbital Sciences.
[Space News – 10/10/2013]

Newtec webinar addresses threat to VSAT service providers presented by the introduction of the first Ka-Band High Throughput Satellites (HTS) a few years ago. [SatNews – 10/10/2013]

Laser Light™ intends to deploy and operate what it believes to be the world’s 1st commercial satellite communications constellation based entirely on optical wave technology.
[SatNews – 10/10/2013]

Novawurks Inc. wins contract worth up to $40 million from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for another round of work on experimental satellite servicing and salvaging project known as Phoenix.
[Space News – 10/10/2013]

Harris Corporation is one of 12 companies selected for $4 billion U.S. Army Communications and Transmission Systems IDIQ contract
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/10/2013]

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. receives a letter of award for equipment and services from Entel S.A., the largest telecom operator and satellite network operator in Bolivia.
[Financial News – 10/10/2013]

YahClick continues to boost connectivity across Kenya helping businesses flourish, offering business users free modem, free YahClick dish and reduced installation charges.
[Sacramento Bee – 10/10/2013]

Turkey’s third satellite, Turksat 5A, to be commissioned in 2016, following launches of 4A and 4B.
[World Bulletin – 10/10/2013]

The U.S. Air Force has gives the Harris Corporation a $65 million contract modification for worldwide satellite data and communications support for the Air Force’s Satellite Control Network and Global Positioning System antenna sites.
[UPI – 10/10/2013]

Gilat Satcom to unveil new services tailored to help SMEs, larger enterprises and Governments in West Africa improve their broadband connectivity and reduce costs at the Niger HTA telecoms conference.
[Satellite Spotlight l- 10/10/2013]

Singapore Technologies Engineering secures approximately $333 million worth of contracts including satcom in Q3 2013 and its Agilis compact Ka-band VSAT transceivers are certified for use with the latest generation of Inmarsat Global Xpress High Throughput Satellites.
[Via Satellite – 10/10/2013]

Harris Broadcast creates global sales organization with four customer-facing regions.
[Via Satellite – 10/09/2013]

Joint venture in Brazilian pay-TV market planned by Vivendi subsidiary GVT and EchoStar Technologies makes sense for both companies,but not expected to challenge market dominance of two main players – DirecTV (Sky) and Americ Movil.
[Via Satellite – 10/09/2013]

Swiss Space Systems and Spaceport Colorado sign Memorandum Of Understanding formalizing a collaborative relationship and advancing the spaceport’s long-term development and licensing plans.
[Via Satellite – 10/09/2013]

Mobile communications improve disaster relief – Haiti disaster highlighted the importance of satellite backup networks, which are not dependent on terrestrial cell towers to broadcast signals.
[USA Today – 10/09/2013]

The U.S. Army has given CACI International Inc. two prime contracts worth a combined total of $237 million to support encrypted and open communications for deployed troops and command centers.
[UPI – 10/09/20132]

Acquisition plans of Comtech Telecommunications stymied by fuzzy U.S. Defense Department spending.
[Space News – 10/09/2013]

 

 

Jihadist group claims responsibility for an attack on a Cairo satellite communications dish it said was an “infidel mouthpiece” of Egypt’s military- installed authorities.
[Yahoo News – 10/08/20132]

A string of attacks killed nine members of Egypt’s security and military forces and hit the country’s main satellite communications station Monday.
[The Vancouver Sun – 10/08/2013]

Accepting satellite control authority of Wideband Global SATCOM-5 at Schriever AFB Oct. 7, the 3rd Space Operations Squadron added increased capability to the constellation.
[Shriever AFB News – 10/08/2013]

ArabSat to invest $700 million in HellasSat expansion, planning to launch three new 6th generation satellites.
[Financial Mirror – 10/08/2013]

Inmarsat triggers option to purchase fourth Inmarsat-5 satellite from Boeing to be delivered in mid-2016.
[Marine Line – 10/07/2013]

Inmarsat Government says its new L-band tactical satellite solution has been tested and acquired by the U.S. government, enhancing military communications capabilities.
[UPI – 10/07/2013]

Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Sensors, and Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, both convinced that space object tracking system programmatic risks have been eliminated, both submit fixed-cost bids for U.S. Air Force’s next generation system.
[Space News – 10/09/2013]

Hughes Communications India Ltd wins orders worth Rs 150 crore in the first half of this fiscal year for providing satellite-based solutions to banks and other institutions in India.
[The Times of India – 10/07/2013]

Telenor Satellite Broadcasting A.S. (TSBc) selects iDirect’s new Velocity® product line as the ground infrastructure solution for its new THOR 7 high throughput satellite (HTS).
[SatNews – 10/07/2013]

SES 8 arrives in Florida ready for next launch of Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than November 1, 2013.
[Spaceflight Now – 10/05/2013]

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