Really Rocket Science

That’s right, rocket scientists, weather spacecraft have seen the erupting Grímsvötn volcano in Iceland and it’s pretty cool. This one’s from Meteosat-9:

The animation shows Meteosat-9 observations from the High Resolution Visible (HRV) channel, providing measurements with a resolution of 1 km at the sub-satellite point, representing roughly a 3-5 km resolution over Iceland. At around 19:15 UTC, a very rapid eruption of the Grímsvötn volcano occurred, which is visible from the animation below. The eruption is transporting a large amount of water vapour and ash significantly higher than the cloud deck heights over Iceland.

Meteosat-9 is located on the Greenwich Meridian, while the GOES-13 spacecraft, also a weather observation satellite, is located at 75º West. So here we have a different angle…

In addition to Cornell’s cracker-sized satellite, another part of STS-134‘s payload is WISPERS or Canary — a plasma spectrometer designed and built by the Applied Physics Lab at Johns Hopkins University in Laurel, Maryland.

Canary, a plasma spectrometer, will investigate the interaction of approaching spacecraft with the background plasma environment around the ISS and disturbances in the ionosphere caused by space vehicles. The device will also provide a better understanding of the origin and impact of plasma irregularities in the Earth’s ionosphere, and demonstrate low-cost techniques for monitoring those conditions. Canary is the second Wafer Integrated Plasma Spectrometers (WISPERS) device created by APL; engineers used innovative MicroElectroMechanical (MEMS) technology when designing WISPERS to reduce size and energy consumption while increasing sensitivity. The first WISPERS device was launched last year aboard FalconSat-5. “Canary and WISPERS will provide on-orbit data for understanding how spacecraft operations affect the natural environment,” says Robert Osiander, principal investigator for WISPERS at APL.
Canary gathers particles of plasma (an electrically-charged gas) through a hole smaller than the diameter of a human hair; the particles are then sorted according to energy and type by a titanium electrostatic analyzer less than a tenth of an inch thick. By measuring the type and energy levels of plasma around it, Canary can provide warnings of potentially hazardous operating conditions.

“Canary will add an important new tool to those we use to understand the near-Earth space environment,” says Larry Paxton, a space scientist at APL and member of the Canary team. “Canary will also demonstrate a new, cost-effective approach to supporting our nation’s operations in space.”
Canary was built by APL in coordination with the Space Physics and Atmospheric Research Center (SPARC) at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and was funded in part by the Naval Research Laboratory‘s Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) program. Canary is part of the STP-H3 payload, which is integrated and flown under the direction of the Department of Defense’s Space Test Program. Canary is scheduled to be installed on the ISS on flight day 3.

A couple of years ago, the Americom name went away. That’s when owner SES S.A., having bought out GE’s stake via a creative asset & cash transaction, decided to combine Americom’s Princeton-based operation with the New Skies organization in Den Haag. All got mashed up into a thing called SES WorldSkies.  A dozen employees were let go, including yours truly. All of them in the U.S.

Recently, just prior to the Satellite 2011 show in Washington, a call went out from Betzder Schlass, headquarters for SES S.A., that the companies are slated for a re-org and “right sizing.” Yeah, heads were going to roll. Officially, it was not about “headcount,” only a justification of expenses. The networking among long-time U.S. employees immediately preceding this news was darkly startling: never have I seen more activity from former Americom colleagues on LinkedIn.com.

Ironically, the corporate rattling started just as the Society of Satellite Professionals International announced their 12th induction into the SSPI Hall of Fame. Three of the seven inductees were past CEOs of SES Americom: Dean Olmstead, Ed Horowitz and Rob Bednarek.

To many “old pros,” this wasn’t really news. They’ve seen the writing on the wall and concluded there would be less and less people running the business in the U.S., with the possibility of shutting down the Princeton office once the lease expired in 2014.  Earlier this month, a couple of dozen people lost their jobs, the lion’s share in New Jersey. Some were happy to “get a package” and move on, others not so much.

The office in Den Haag will likely be shut down, with most of the jobs moving to Luxembourg. Princeton jobs will likely be moved to Washington. Remaining will be token offices to satisfy licensing requirements.

What does this say about the state of the satellite business in the U.S.? Are EchoStar and DirecTV the only true American commercial satellite operators? Both SES and Intelsat are based in Luxembourg, Telesat’s based in Ottawa, Canada, and Eutelsat’s in Paris. And they’ve all benefited from the U.S. government’s need for satellite bandwidth in the Middle East and Central Asia (Iraq & Afghanistan). How much of the profits from U.S. sources, commercial and government, are used toward economic benefit in the U.S.? Perhaps a few satellite builds with Space Systems/Loral and Orbital Sciences.

Makes for an interesting argument. Bring it.

We love this stuff. NASA’s just given us more love, thanks to Gravity Probe-B.

Einstein was right again. There is a space-time vortex around Earth, and its shape precisely matches the predictions of Einstein’s theory of gravity.

Researchers confirmed these points at a press conference today at NASA headquarters where they announced the long-awaited results of Gravity Probe B (GP-B).

“The space-time around Earth appears to be distorted just as general relativity predicts,” says Stanford University physicist Francis Everitt, principal investigator of the Gravity Probe B mission.

“This is an epic result,” adds Clifford Will of Washington University in St. Louis. An expert in Einstein’s theories, Will chairs an independent panel of the National Research Council set up by NASA in 1998 to monitor and review the results of Gravity Probe B. “One day,” he predicts, “this will be written up in textbooks as one of the classic experiments in the history of physics.”

Time and space, according to Einstein’s theories of relativity, are woven together, forming a four-dimensional fabric called “space-time.” The mass of Earth dimples this fabric, much like a heavy person sitting in the middle of a trampoline. Gravity, says Einstein, is simply the motion of objects following the curvaceous lines of the dimple.

If Earth were stationary, that would be the end of the story. But Earth is not stationary. Our planet spins, and the spin should twist the dimple, slightly, pulling it around into a 4-dimensional swirl. This is what GP-B went to space in 2004 to check.

Read on, rocket scientists.

Up all night with NASA…

Would you like to see a piece of Halley’s Comet? Now’s your chance! Each spring as Earth passes through the debris trail from Halley’s Comet (1P/Halley), the cosmic bits burn up in our atmosphere and result in the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower. In 2011 the peak will occur on the night of May 5 and into the morning of May 6. A dark new moon on May 3 will help darken the night skies for a good viewing experience, with meteor rates of about 40-60 meteors per hour under ideal conditions. Ideal viewing conditions are a dark, clear sky away from city lights, especially just before dawn.

On May 5, you can join NASA experts for a live Web chat to observe this year’s Eta Aquarid meteor shower. Make plans to stay “up all night” with NASA experts from 11 p.m. EDT (May 5) until 5 a.m. EDT (May 6). For this overnight Web chat, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center will attempt to establish a Ustream view of the skies over Huntsville, Ala. So get ready to help NASA watch the skies!

Joining the chat is easy. Simply return to this page a few minutes before the chat begins. The chat module will appear at the bottom of this page. After you log in, wait for the chat module to be activated, then ask your questions!

From the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, we read about two white dwarf stars that will combine to form a helium-burning star — in roughly 37,000,000 years. Get a load of this abstract…

We identify SDSS J010657.39-100003.3 (hereafter J0106-1000) as the shortest period detached binary white dwarf (WD) system currently known. We targeted J0106-1000 as part of our radial velocity program to search for companions around known extremely low-mass (ELM, ~ 0.2 Msol) WDs using the 6.5m MMT. We detect peak-to-peak radial velocity variations of 740 km/s with an orbital period of 39.1 min. The mass function and optical photometry rule out a main-sequence star companion. Follow-up high-speed photometric observations obtained at the McDonald 2.1m telescope reveal ellipsoidal variations from the distorted primary but no eclipses. This is the first example of a tidally distorted WD. Modeling the lightcurve, we constrain the inclination angle of the system to be 67 +- 13 deg. J0106-1000 contains a pair of WDs (0.17 Msol primary + 0.43 Msol invisible secondary) at a separation of 0.32 Rsol. The two WDs will merge in 37 Myr and most likely form a core He-burning single subdwarf star. J0106-1000 is the shortest timescale merger system currently known. The gravitational wave strain from J0106-1000 is at the detection limit of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). However, accurate ephemeris and orbital period measurements may enable LISA to detect J0106-1000 above the Galactic background noise.

For a translation, let’s turn to the Smithsonian’s Christine Pulliam…

Out of the 100 billion stars in the Milky Way, only a handful of merging white dwarf systems are known to exist. Most were found by Kilic and his colleagues. The latest discovery will be the first of the group to merge and be reborn.

The newly identified binary star (designated SDSS J010657.39 – 100003.3) is located about 7,800 light-years away in the constellation Cetus. It consists of two white dwarfs, a visible star and an unseen companion whose presence is betrayed by the visible star’s motion around it. The visible white dwarf weighs about 17 percent as much as the Sun, while the second white dwarf weighs 43 per cent as much. Astronomers believe that both are made of helium.

The two white dwarfs orbit each other at a distance of 140,000 miles – less than the distance from the Earth to the Moon. They whirl around at speeds of 270 miles per second (1 million miles per hour), completing one orbit in only 39 minutes.

The fate of these stars is already sealed. Because they wheel around so close to each other, the white dwarfs stir the space-time continuum, creating expanding ripples known as gravitational waves. Those waves carry away orbital energy, causing the stars to spiral closer and closer together. In about 37 million years, they will collide and merge.

When some white dwarfs collide, they explode as a supernova. However, to explode the two combined have to weigh 40 percent more than our Sun. This white dwarf pair isn’t heavy enough to go supernova. Instead, they will experience a second life. The merged remnant will begin fusing helium and shine like a normal star once more.

This binary white dwarf was discovered as part of a survey program being conducted with the MMT Observatory on Mount Hopkins, Ariz. The survey has uncovered a dozen previously unknown white dwarf pairs. Half of those are merging and might explode as supernovae in the astronomically near future.

Yeah, there’s a video…

Credit: NASA / JHUAPL / Carnegie Institution of Washington

Via The Planetary Society Blog…

This is MESSENGER’s very first photo from Mercury orbit, a wide-angle view that reaches right to Mercury’s south pole, exposing a very tiny sliver of territory not previously seen by spacecraft. It was taken at 09:20 UTC today, March 29, 2011, the first in a set of 363 that formed MESSENGER’s first downlink of orbital images, the first downlink of very many. This particular image is not necessarily any more important than any other image; its importance lies in the fact that it was taken and downlinked right on schedule, indicating the spacecraft is performing exactly as planned.

Today’s Astronomy Picture of the Day from NASA is actually a video…

Time-Lapse Auroras Over Norway
Credit & Copyright: Terje Sørgjerd; Music: Gladiator Soundtrack: Now we are Free

Explanation: Sometimes, after your eyes adapt to the dark, a spectacular sky appears. Such was the case earlier this month when one of the largest auroral displays in recent years appeared over northern locations like the border between Norway and Russia. Pictured in the above time-lapse movie, auroras flow over snow covered landscapes, trees, clouds, mountains and lakes found near Kirkenes, Norway. Many times the auroras are green, as high energy particles strike the Earth’s atmosphere, causing the air to glow as electrons recombine with their oxygen hosts. Other colors are occasionally noticeable as atmospheric nitrogen also becomes affected. In later sequences the Moon and rising stars are also visible. With the Sun expected to become ever more active over the next few years, there may be many opportunities to see similarly spectacular auroraspersonally, even from areas much closer to the equator.

ATTENDING SATELLITE 2011?  Send me an email if you’d like to meet.  Bill

NASA climate satellite fails to reach orbit as nose cone fails to separate on time, dooming the $424m Glory mission.
[Space on msnbc – 03/04/2011]

Air Force’s second launch of secret X-37B space plane set for today; likely to test spy satellite technology.
[Fox News – 03/04/2011]

EGNOS Safety-of-Life signal formally declared available to aviation; for first time space-based navigation signals officially usable for critical task of vertically guiding aircraft during landing approaches.
[SatNews – 03/04/2011]

EADS signs Memorandum of Understanding with Skolkovo Foundation on research collaboration, formalizing EADS intention to establish research center in Skolkovo Innovation Centre in Moscow.
[SatNews – 03/04/2011]

General Dynamics C4 Systems gets NASA contract to implement additional flexibility, replace aging equipment, and bring new capabilities to the ground segment of the TDRS Satcom system.
[SatNews – 03/04/2011]

ViaSat restructures YahSat deal to extend its Ku-band international mobility coverage to include Ka-band.
[Satellite Today – 03/04/2011]

Shuttle booster-mounted camera provides never before seen view of shuttle launch – NASA video.
[R&D Magazine – 03/04/2011]

NewCom Unveils Internet-Based Rural Education Package via Satellite for Latin America, Africa.
[PR Web – 03/04/2011]

Yahsat schedules launch of its first satellite, Y1A, for March 30.
[Trade Arabia – 03/04/2011]

Russia’s upper house of parliament ratifies new agreement with Ukraine for protection of rocket and space technology.
[SatNews – 03/04/2011]

AsiaSat launches DVB-S2 DTH platform on AsiaSat 4 for Australian and New Zealand audiences; SES WORLD SKIES renews service of three NSS-11 transponders to provide pay TV services in Hong Kong.
[SatNews – 03/04/2011]

Iridium provides satellite communications for 2011 Iditarod sled dog race safety.
[Globe Newswire – 03/04/2011]

SST Online provides new apps for iPad and iPhone allowing users including fishermen to interact with navigational charts and GPS positioning.
[SatNews – 03/04/2011]

Vroon selects KVH TracPhone V7 and Mini-VSAT broadband service for 125+ vessels.
[Globe Newswire – 03/04/2011]

Latitude announces two new control and displahy units to support their SkyNode line of satellite data and telephone systems.
[SatNews – 03/04/2011]

India’s space program becoming increasingly militarized, with interest in developing anti-satellite weapons.
[SatNews – 03/03/2011]

China to develop GPS system by 2020.
[Satellite Today – 03/03/2011]

WTA to announce Teleport Awards for Excellence March 15 at Satellite 2011.
[SatNews – 03/03/2011]

Former commercial DC-8 in service for NASA for over 25 years deployed as airborne science laboratory to observe launch of Glory satellite from Vandenberg.
[Washington DC Examiner – 03/03/2011]

Spaceflight activity in New Mexico gains momentum as the governor appoints retired Air Force official to head up the Spaceport Authority and Virgin Galactic’s first customer signs on.
[SatNews – 03/03/2011]

Harris Corp is awarded contract from Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems to build antennas for three Inmarsat-5 satellites.
[Biz Journals – 03/03/2011]

Telesat announces agreement with Loral Space & Communications to acquire the Canadian payload of the ViaSat-1 satellite.
[SatNews – 03/03/2011]

France’s International Space University will hold 25th annual Space Studies Program in Florida, USA from June through August 2011.
[SatNews – 03/03/2011]

DirecTV professes that, while it has begun to resell broadband service from its partners AT&T and Verizon, it has no plans to acquire additional spectrum like Echostar and compete with Telcos.
[Connected Planet – 03/03/2011]

Harbinger Capital Partners, backer of LightSquared, bids on bankrupt satellite company DBSD together with Solus Alternative Asset Management.
[Wireless Week – 03/03/2011]

Hughes, which recently agreed to be acquired by Echostar, sees profits for latest quarter rise.
[Washington Business Journal – 03/03/2011]

Viasat builds on success of global mobile satellite networking business at Ku-band by expanding into Ka band in key markets, including airborne.
[PR Newswire – 03/03/2011]

Starmax HD selects GlobeCast end-to-end services for Spanish distribution.
[Satellite Today – 03/02/2011]

AT&T claims to be America’s fastest-growing TV provider, beating growth of Satellite, Cable, and other providers.
[vision2mobile – 03/03/82011]

Thales Alenia creates separately owned German Subsidiary, Thales Alenia Space Deutschland GmbH in Stuttgart area in order to play a growing role in Germany.
[SatNews – 03/02/2011]

SES successfully places E650m 10-year Euro bond.
[Business Wire – 03/02/2011]

Loral Space & Communications gets $1.5m contract from US Air Force to study technology the military might use to communicate during future wars.
[Forbes – 03/02/2011]

US Army satellite control facilities move from Camp Roberts in California to the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii.
[SatNews – 03/02/2011]

The Federal Communications Commission is expected to review rules governing fees that satellite and cable companies pay TV stations to retransmit their signals.
[Washington Post – 03/02/2011]

Plans for combining satellite and cellular Access in new mobile phones, like the LightSquared LTE network being built, worry those in the GPS industry.
[Kansas City The Star blog – 03/02/2011]

Libya accused of jamming satellite signals of Thuraya and Al Jazeera.
[Mother Nature Network – 03/02/2011]

American contractor jailed in Cuba on charges of brining in illegal satellite communications equipment and setting up internet access in violation of Cuban law.
[Reuters – 03/02/2011]

Dispute between LIN Media and Dish Network regarding retransmission fees may be added ammunition for reform advocates four days before FCC review of rules begins.
[Ad Week – 03/02/2011]

NAB asks Congress to investigate alleged spectrum hoarding by Dish Network and Time Warner Cable.
[Wireless Week – 03/01/2011]

LightSquared and the United States Global Positioning System Industry Council file joint report as required by FCC, outlining analyses they plan to conduct together.
[SatNews – 03/01/2011]

TSF deploys humanitarian calling operations at entrance to transit camp between Tunisia and Libya in collaboration with Tunisian Red Crescent and International Red Cross.
[SatNews – 03/01/2011]

Ericsson releases MPEG-4 Voyager 2 Satellite Newsgathering product.
[Satellite Today – 03/01/2011]

Retransmission fees fight in Canada heads to Supreme Court on appeal by Rogers Communications.
[Winnipeg Free Press – 03/01/2011]

Harbinger restructures LightSquared holding to make direct investments easier.
[Reuters – 03/01/2011]

Noteholders of DBSD North America file reorganization plan for bankrupt satellite communications company in case proposed acquisition by Echostar fails to
occur.
[Denver Post – 03/01/2011]

Segovia Executives to open and close panel sessions at Satellite 2011, speaking about new technologies, innovations in MSS, and satellite industry
challenges in the year ahead.
[PR Newswire – 03/01/2011]

MTN Executives to speak at Satellite 2011 on introduction of Ka-band to the Maritime industry and Disaster Relief Coordination.
[PR Newswire – 03/01/2011]

UniSat provides end-to-end managed VSAT network service to US Army in Afghanistan.
[Business Wire – 03/01/2011]

NSR Report projects oil & gas via satellite market will reach nearly $1B by 2020.
[NSR Press Release – 03/01/2011]

Vizada Networks implements iDirect-based VSAT infrastructure in Europe for large Civil Defense agency.
[PR Newswire – 02/28/2011]

Newtec signs deal with NPO SvyazProekt of Russia, certifying it as Newtec’s first authorised repair centre in Eastern Europe.
[realwire – 02/28/2011]

Libyan authorities jam RT’s Arabic channel Rusiya al-Yaum, broadcast in Libya via the Nilesat (AB4) satellite.
[PR Newswire – 02/28/2011]

Following approval of Belgium, all of member states of EUMETSAT are now firmly commited to Meteosat Third Generation program.
[SatNews – 02/28/2011]

GLONASS system begins operation on Vladivostok’s municipal transport system.
[ITAR-TASS – 02/28/2011]

ORBIT awarded IDIQ contract by US Army for Airborne voice altitude warning systems for combat deployed Blackhawk helicopters.
[The Street – 02/28/2011]

Sea Ray, manufacturer of pleasure boats and yachts, names KVH Industries (TracVision antennas and miniVSAT broadband) its exclusive satellite partner for the next three years.
[SatNews – 02/28/2011]

SkyTrac Systems to launch SkyWeb Mobile for iPho0ne, Blackberry, and Android which will display curent position and flight data for aircraft equipped with
SkyTrac’s hardware solutions.
[SatNews – 02/28/2011]

AT&T to launch "Geo-fencing" using Placecast technology and GPS data to target marketing to consumers based on their location.
[Satellite Spotlight – 02/28/2011]

Satellite operators pursue mobile backhaul market – besides current operators, Hylas 1 will also look at backhaul, O3b is planning launches, and Microsat Systems Canada intends to build a LEO constellation of 84 Ka-band satellites for commercial backhaul services.
[Satellite Markets – March 2011]

WBMSAT PS satellite communications systems services

ATTENDING SATELLITE 2011?  Send me an email if you’d like to meet.  Bill

Discovery chases International Space Station after lifting off on its final mission.
[R&D Magazine – 02/25/2011]

Astrium ATV-2 executes perfect automatic docking maneuver with International Space Station and is on target to accomplish ISS supply and orbit-raising mission.
[SatNews – 02/25/2011]

Libya blocks satellite phone signals.
[UK International Business Times – 02/25/2011]

Russia and Israel set up joint group to focus on development of communications satellites.
[TMCnet – 02/25/2011]

Worldwide communication networks growing exponentially on consumer demand and commercial requirements, relying on infrastructure including satellite communications.
[PR Newswire – 02/25/2011]

New Paradise Datacom 80W X-band high power amplifier delivers 56W of WGS linear power in small package with Gallium Nitride transistor technology.
[SatNews – 02/25/2011]

Canadian company Advantech Wireless receives significan orders for new 900 Watt and 1600 Watt Ku-band outdoor solid state amplifier systems.
[SatNews – 02/25/2011]

Miteq introduces ultra compact HPA designed for airborne operation in 6-18 GHz range with 100W out at flange.
[SatNews – 02/25/2010]

Dish Network chairman and CEO Charlie Ergen professes no current plans for wireless spectrum it has been trying to amass for past few months, though it has value as investment and strategic play.
[Multichannel News – 02/24/2011]

Hughes Communications to increase its satellite coverage in India.
[India Times / Economic Times – 02/24/2011]

NASA’s Glory satellite launch delayed for at least a week as crews still troubleshoot problem that caused launch to be scrubbed at last minute.
[Santa Maria Times – 02/24/2011]

Russian Glonass-K navigation satellite launch delayed.
[SatNews – 02/24/2011]

New Army Wideband Satellite Communications Operations Center at Wahiawa Annex of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii dedicated.
[Star Advertiser – 02/24/2011]

Dish Network’s fourth quarter earnings rise 41% in spite of losing subscribers for third straight quarter.
[Wall Street Journal – 02/24/2011]

4G LTE won’t destroy GPS; will LightSquared?  (No – both GPS and LTE have to work).
[PC Magazine – 02/24/2011]

Lou Altman, CEO of BWCS, specialist consultancy focused on TMT sector and GlobaFone, to Speak at Train Communications Systems 2011.
[Benzinga – 02/24/2011]

Vizada launches Pharostar, a proprietary VSAT fixed satellite communications service added to its maritime broadband portfolio.
[SatNews – 02/24/2011]

Inmarsat to launch new Dynamic Telemetry Service via FleetBroadband later this year.
[SatNews – 02/24/2011]

Yahsat partners with Boeing and Astrium to provide secure airborne satellite communications capability.
[Zawya – 02/23/2011]

New Mexico’s bet on space tourism hits snag; governor wants to privatize Spaceport America, saying taxpayers have payed their fair share.
[NY Times – 02/23/2011]

Hapag-Lloyd is first to deploy Stratos’ new FBBPlus Managed Broadband service.
[PR Newswire – 02/23/2011]

KTs signs alliance agreement with SpeedCast to deliver global maritime network services via SpeedCast’s global Ku-band network.
[SatNews – 02/23/2011]

Inmarsat subsidiary Segovia wins NATO’s Communications Information Services Consultant Support Services indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for professional and technical services to International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
[SatNews – 02/23/2011]

RRsat providing 3D delivery of Fashion TV programming on three satellites.
[Street Insider – 02/23/2011]

DirecTV swings to fourth-quarter profit on subscriber growth based on takeaways from cable rivals.
[Wall Street Journal – 02/23/2011]

Abu Dhabi to launch first satellite next month.
[Khaleej Times – 02/23/2011]

Newcom International’s Office Without Borders package provides turnkey mobile office for Oil & Gas sector.
[TechZone – 02/23/2011]

Satellite Spotlight award presented to iDirect’s SatManage network management.
[Satellite Spotlight – 02/23/2011]

Lightsquared closes $586 million in additional debt financing from USB and JP Morgan, bringing debt financing over last 7 months to more than $2 billion.
[Wireless Week – 02/22/2011]

Air Force concerned about Lightsquared interference – general suggests company’s licenses should be pulled.
[DSL Reports – 02/22/2011]

Boeing to begin selling commercial satellite capacity.
[Wall Street Journal – 02/22/2011]

Astrium wins contract to provide AirPatrol airborne satcom terminals to Canadian Department of National Defence.
[Defense World – 02/22/2011]

Yahsat signs contract with Astrium to manage operations, training, and maintenance for ground systems of UAE Armed Forces’ new military satellite communications system.
[AME Info – 02/22/2011]

DVB Steering Board approves DVB-3DTV specification which will be sent to European Telecommunications Standards Institute for formal standardization.
[SatNews – 02/22/2011]

USAF successfully demonstrates over-the-air, low-data-rate communication between orbiting Milstar satellite and the family of Advanced Beyond line-of-sight Terminals.
[SatNews – 02/22/2011]

Space Florida and Bigelow Aerospace agree to work together to pursue and identify foreign and domestic companies that could use Bigelow’s expandable, orbital space complexes.
[SatNews – 02/22/2011]

Swedish students’ rocket takes off on 11 minute flight to 80.6 km altitude with four experiments from students all over Europe.
[SatNews – 02/22/2011]

R&M Energy selects Stratos Global for BGAN-based SCADA network.
[PR Newswire – 02/22/2011]

Yahsat’s first satellite Y1A, built by Astrium and Thales Alenia Space, is shipped from Astrium facilities in Toulouse, France to Kourou, French Guiana launch site.
[SatNews – 02/21/2011]

European Commission urges member states to remove obstacles to introduction of satellite broadband as a matter of "urgency."
[eweek Europe – 02/21/2011]

White House requests $47m to convert politically grounded climate satellite into observatory to monitor space weather and warn of solar storms.
[SpaceFlight Now – 02/21/2011]

First four Globalstar Second Generation satellite have been successfully position, marking start of service for this new constellation.
[SatNews – 02/21/2011]

GeoDecisions picks Orbcomm for global satellite and cellular data communications for its Web-based portal GeoILS.
[Trading Markets – 02/21/2011]

Research and Markets adds report "Satellite Communications – an Essential Wholesale Infrastructure" to their offering.
[Business Wire – 02/21/2011]

NSR Webinar March 31 – The Earth Observation Market:  Good Business or Public Service?
[NSR webinar details]