Really Rocket Science

Satellite Industry News Bits November 5, 2010

Loral Space and Communications may divest Space Systems/Loral satellite-manufacturing subsidiary if partially-owned Telesat pursues stock offering.
[Space News – 11/05/2010]

Azerbaijan signs deal with Arianespace to launch its first national satellite.
[Space Travel – 11/05/2010]

ITU deploys thirty broadband satellite terminals to Haiti as the country prepares for hurricane Tomas.
[TMCnet – 11/05/2010]

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. Wins $1.0 Million in Orders for On-Demand Emergency Restoral Networks.
[Sat PR News – 11/05/2010]

All systems go for launch from Vandenberg of the Delta II COSMO-SkyMed 4 (Constellation of four SAR radar satellites for global Earth Observation for the Italian Space Agency, the Minister of Defence and the Ministry of Research.
[SatNews – 11/05/2010]

Another gas leak causes another delay of space shuttle Discovery’s final launch.
[SatNews – 11/05/2010]

WiMax and Ka-band video are hottest topics at Offshore Communications 2010 show.
[Satellite Today – 11/04/2010]

SES WORLD SKIES announces renewal by Clear Channel of capacity deals for 144 MHz on four satellites to deliver connectivity and content to subscribers and audiences nationwide.
[SatNews – 11/04/2010]

Azerbaijani Communication Ministry defines company to launch first national satellite.
[TMCnet – 1/04/2010]

XTAR, LLC, first U.S. commercial provider of X-band satellite services, is awarded a bandwidth contract from Intelsat General Corporation to support military manpacks before field deployment.
[SatNews – 11/04/2010]

All systems nominal on BSAT-3b broadcasting satellite launched Oct. 28, designed and built by Lockheed Martin for Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) of Japan.
[SatNews – 11/04/2010]

Hughes Network Systems successfully demonstrates 16 Mbps of TCP throughput and over 20 Mbps of UDP streaming throughput to a single HN9400 Ka-/Ku-band broadband satellite terminal.
[SatNews – 11/04/2010]

Orbit Communication Systems receives $6.25 million order to provide multiple telemetry and communications systems to an unnamed customer.
[Satellite Today – 11/04/2010]

ORBCOMM Inc.commissions South African Gateway Earth Station (GES) into operation.
[SatNews – 11/04/2010]

NASA’s FASTSAT to be launched with three other satellites aboard the Air Force Space Test Program’s STP-S26 mission from Kodiak Island Alaska November 19.
[SatNews – 11/04/2010]

Hughes Communications reports continued success of its U.S. consumer broadband business; projects 67% increase in subscribers by 2015.
[Space News – 11/04/2010]

South Africa requires all ships (including yachts) in its waters to carry an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon that relays location information by satellite when ship is in distress.
[SatNews – 11/04/2010]

SES World Skies Selects ScheduAll Booking Management Solution for Worldwide booking of occasional services on its more than 25 satellites.
[Satellite today – 11/04/2010]

Intelsat S.A. and NewWave Broadband Ltd. sign a multi-transponder, multi-year contract for Ku-band capacity on two future Intelsat satellites, Intelsat 19 and Intelsat 22.
[SatNews – 11/04/2010]

Comtech EF Data acquires FX-series WAN optimization, application and platforms developer Stampede Technologies.
[Satellite Today – 11/04/2010]

In wake of the loss of its new W3B satellite shortly after launch, Eutelsat is cheered by rise in revenue.
[Broadband TV News – 11/03/2010]

Worldwide interference geolocation services contract awarded to Integral Systems by U.S. Strategic Command.
[Market Watch – 11/03/2010]

Astrium celebrates 20 years of Eurostar satellite production and accumulation of 370 years of in-orbit operation by 45 satellites that have been launched.
[Web Wire – 11/03/2010]

MTN Satellite Communications (MTN) equips Burger Boat with communication suite including onboard medical treatment facility with 24/7 video conferencing capability.
[Satellite Today – 11/03/2010]

RigNet Wins VSAT Contract from SandRidge Energy for fully-managed remote communications to more than 20 land-drilling rigs in U.S.
[Satellite Today – 11/03/2010]

Vizada releases Universal Card solution for prepaid calling on Inmarsat’s IsatPhone Pro.
[Satellite Today – 11/03/2010]

Russian military communications satellite launched on a Soyuz rocket from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia.
[Spaceflight Now – 11/02/2010]

Delta II’s final scheduled commercial launch is struggling to get off the ground, after scrubbing for the third time in a row on Tuesday night.
[NASA Spaceflight – 11/02/2010]

ITU installs 100 satellite terminals to get links to flood-ravaged regions of Pakistan.
[eWeekEurope – 11/02/2010]

Globecomm Systems receives contract from a major media & entertainment company valued at $3.8 million.
[TMCnet – 11/02/2010]

ViaSat demonstrates full mesh HD video between mobile satellite terminals on Optus C1 satellite using Ausatralian-designed antenna.
[TWire – 11/02/2010]

Viasat completes operational testing of airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) satcom system with 4Mbps return link from plane.
[TMCnet – 11/02/2010]

Xinhua reports that China has launched a new metorological satellite, Fengyun-3, from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China.
[SatNews – 11/01/2010]

Hughes Network Systems’ HX wideband global SATCOM solution undergoes certification by U.S. Strategic Command SATCOM Systems Expert.
[PRNewswire – 11/01/2010]

Amid criticism, Egypt orders reissuing of TV satellite uplink licenses ahead of November vote.
[Washington Examiner – 11/01/2010]

The government and military market remains sustainable and continues to exhibit growth despite changes in policy from the United States and allied governments, particularly in Iraq.
[NSR Report – November 2010]

WBMSAT PS satellite communications systems services

Why would anybody promote VoIP over satellite? Sure, low-earth orbit systems such as Iridium and Globalstar are OK, if you’ve got nothing else available (remember, they both went bust a while back). Geosynchronous satellites are a different story. It’s the physics, stupid!

I know people who use satellite Internet and they knew before they bought that Skype conversations will resemble a walkie-talkie style: "How are you? Over!" To which the other party would respond, "Fine, thank you. And you? Over!" At the speed of light, the best-case scenario is a half-second round trip to geo orbit. With processing, muxing and gateways, figure something closer to a full second (that’s "one-Mississippi," Bubba). Hey, if it’s free and you have no other Internet options, go for it.

But if you’ve got a geo spacecraft whose top priority is mobile satcom for voice services, you might want to give it up. Although we’ve advocated TerreStar’s prospects in the past, they filed for bankruptcy protection recently. In the satcom business, spectrum is king. You can’t do anything without that: no build, no launch, no services. What if you thought it over and decided you’d be better off offering one-way video services to "app phones" such as the iPhone, Android, Palm, BlackBerry, WP7 or WTF Nokia up to. People would pay extra just to have their videos stream without pausing or buffering. Well, at least some would. Add the option of doing two-way for data and you’ve got people out in the boonies ready to pay up. I know I would.

Looks like Charlie agrees. "Charlie," in this case, represents the smart thinkers over at EchoStar. They bought in to the Terrestar business and they’re ready to fight for the spectrum. Bankers: y’all better step back. The "massing of the troops" report, via International Business Times…

A battle between EchoStar, Harbinger Capital Partners and holders of TerreStar Corporation’s common stock could be brewing over the value of the TerreStar’s spectrum and whether all of the company’s affiliates should be in bankruptcy at all, according to several people familiar with the case.

Attorneys for the holders of the series B convertible preferred stock filed a motion to dismiss the bankruptcy case against seven of the affiliates of TerreStar Networks, which filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month.

If the motion is granted it could force a change in the restructuring support agreement Terrestar Networks has with EchoStar, which has an investment of $464 million of the comany’s debt.

Under the plan put forward by Echostar, which also owns a stake in TerreStar Corp., TerreStar Networks would get $75 million in financing. The company’s $944 million of senior debt would become 97% of the equity of a new Terrestar Networks. The rest of the equity would be shared between the exchangeable notes, which adds up to $179 million, and the other unsecured creditors.

TerreStar Networks, a subsidiary of TerreStar Corp., had planned to operate a combined satellite-terrestrial communications network. But the company eventually found itself unable to operate under a $1.2 billion debt load.

The company has a complex structure involving a dozen affiliates and various cross-holdings. That has created a situation where a bankruptcy is no longer as straightforward as it might otherwise be. The licenses to the radio spectrum, for example, are owned by two different entities: TerreStar Corporation owns the 1.4 GHz spectrum while TerreStar Networks owns the 2GHz spectrum license.

In the motion to dismiss the holders of the convertible preferred stock say that the "above the line" entities — those 100% owned by the parent company, TerreStar Corp. — should not be included in the bankruptcy proceedings, as those entities weren’t in any financial trouble. But removing them from the chapter 11 proceedings would also remove the 1.4 GHz spectrum, which is one of the assets listed in the current restructuring agreement.

TerreStar Networks, by contrast, is 89.3% owned by TerreStar Corp., and is the company that filed for chapter 11. It is TerreStar Networks that issued $1.2 billion in debt, which eventually proved too heavy a load.

The EchoStar plan could also be blocked by Harbinger Capital Partners, which bought millions in 6.5% exchangeable notes this week.

Meanwhile, one of the holders of TerreStar Corp.’s common stock, Marathon Asset Management, plans to weigh in on the restructuring. Marathon has not filed a brief with respect to the plan, however.

 Looks like AT&T might lose this phone, too. I say make the TerreStar mobile chipset available and subsidize the cost with premium video services. Just because Qualcomm decided that Flo is no mo’ doesn’t mean we should all surrender to broadband bull from the terrestrial carriers.

 Simply amazed at how quickly KVH has expanded coverage of their service across the globe.

Now, with ViaSat’s ArcLight platform, their broadband services is really something else, with a 100% increase in bandwidth efficiency in Europe. Tell em, Brent:

“The addition of a new satellite and the rollout of a powerful new high-density waveform, dramatically enhances the ability of our mini-VSAT Broadband network to support existing and future subscribers,” explained Brent C. Bruun, KVH’s vice president of satellite sales and business development. “Designed to offer service and performance superior to traditional maritime VSAT services, the network is built upon a robust, flexible architecture and ViaSat’s ArcLight® spread spectrum technology, permitting us to quickly and easily expand the service. Most importantly, commercial, leisure, and government mariners who rely on mini-VSAT Broadband for their Internet and voice connections will enjoy the benefit from these enhancements via their existing, compact TracPhone® V7 hardware.”

 Bubba, if I had a boat I’d get it.

Administration’s plan to reallocate spectrum weather satellites use to commercial cellular carriers in support of national broadband plan is opposed globally.
[nextgov – 10/22/2010]

Goodrich successfully integrates sensor payload with OSR-1 satellite bus, paving way for delivery later this year.
[Bradenton – 10/22/2010]

Huntsville, Ala.-based Marshall may partner with industry and academia to field a low Earth orbiting debris tracking satellite as soon as 2014,
[Space News – 10/22/2010]

In a consent decree agreed to with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Globalstar has agreed to pay $275,000 to the U.S. Treasury by mid-November and to forgo any court challenge of the FCC’s spectrum decision.
[Space News – 10/22/2010]

Major cable operator will deploy ATCi’s 5B retrofit for its legacy Simulsat 5 antennas, improving antenna surface tolerances and performance.
[PR Newswire – 10/22/2010]

Iridium selects Blue Sky Network as service partner in Brazil.
[Trading Markets – 10/22/2010]

Gilat upgrades Regis UK communication network to allow broadband access to more than 400 of its salons in the U.K.
[Sat PR News – 10/22/2010]

SPOT Announces Availability of Intrinsically-Safe (IS) SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger for sending one-way location-based messages even from remote areas beyond cell phone range.
[Market Watch – 10/22/2010]

International Communications Group to install Iridium services on Embraer commercial aircraft.
[Satellite Today – 10/22/2010]

Telecommunications Systems receives another $1.6M from U.S. Army for world-wide satellite systems equipment.
[Market Watch – 10/21/2010]

KVH and Viasat boost Nexgen satellite communications in Europe by increasing the mini-VSAT broadband network’s capacity in the region by 100%.
[SatNews – 10/21/2010]

China out to get big chunk of global satellite market by 2015.
[The Economic Times – 10/21/2010]

RRsat works with Sm2 Sports Media Solutions and their teleport partner, TV2GO, to deliver live HD sporting events worldwide in MPEG-4.
[SatNews – 10/21/2010]

Aircell satellite connectivity added to Gulfstream’s factory product line.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/21/2010]

Red Crescent Authority of Saudi Arabia Equips Helicopter Fleet with Blue Sky Network’s Portable GPS Tracking and Communication Device using Iridium satellite system.

TerreStar Networks Files for Chapter 11 to Re-organize.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/21/2010]

New book "Satellite Systems for Personal Applications: Concepts and Technology" explores role of satellites systems in the modern personal technology context.
[Business Wire – 10/21/2010]

Canadian company Com Dev gets contract for more than C$6M to provide electronic components for communications satellite.
[Reuters – 10/20/2010]

Pakistan and China to launch joint communications satellite in 2011.
[Economic Times – 10/20/2010]

Russian Orthodox Soyuz TV channel starts broadcasting in Europe, Middle East, North Africa, and North America on HotBird 6 and Galaxy 19.
[SatNews – 10/20/2010]

Segovia, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Inmarsat, announces that it is one of first companies awarded a contract under GSA Schedule 70 to provide commercial satellite communications services.
[PR Newswire – 10/20/2010]

The 350th launch in the Delta program history will take place October 29 when a United Launch Alliance Delta II carries the COMSO-4 satellite into space.
[SatNews – 10/20/2010]

Globalstar announces successful launch of six of its next-generation satellites in a Russian launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
[Market Watch – 10/20/2010]

Astrium’s HYLAS-1 satellite arrives at launch pad ahead of schedule.
[SatNews – 10/19/2010]

GE Satcom partners with United Arab emirates’ integrated telecom service provider Du to deliver satellite network solutions throughout the Middle East and Africa.
[Satellite Today – 10/19/2010]

Ericsson provides new switching technology for Iridium satellite network.
[Market Watch – 10/19/2010]

EchoStar Releases U.S. News Gateway Service.
[Satellite Today – 10/19/2010]

Viasat acquires the SKYLink airborne broadband service from ARINC Inc. and adds those business jet customers to the ViaSat Yonder(r) high-speed Internet access network.
[SatNews – 11/19/2010]

Boeing ships LightSquared’s SkyTerra 1 mobile communications satellite to launch site.
[Logistics Week – 10/19/2010]

Navy orders Raytheon Co.’s NMT satellite terminals capable of providing military-band satellite communications up to five times the bandwidth of units they replace, in smaller package.
[UPI – 10/19/2010]

FCC provides rules for Sirius XM Radio to select minority programmers.
[Bloomberg – 10/19/2010]

Digi International introduces an embedded module that enables products with GSM/GPRS, global positioning system (GPS) and ORBCOMM satellite connectivity in a single solution.
[Electric Light & Power – 10/19/2010]

Norsat International announces new lightweight and compact Ku-Band block up-converters.
[Market Watch – 10/19/2010]

Globalstar receives FCC approval for temporary operation of upgraded satellite gateway stations in Sebring FL and Clifton TX.
[Market Watch – 10/18/2010]

Global Gateway partners with Century TV Today to enhance programming, lower production costs, and increase viewership.
[PR Newswire – 10/18/2010]

Dean Olmstead, well-known in the satellite industry, and with Echostar since January 2008, loses his battle with cancer and passes away.
[Market Watch – 10/18/2010]

Satcom Direct, provider of satellite voice, fax, datalink, and internet solutions, launches web portal giving customers access to manage and personalize their service.
[TMCnet – 10/18/2010]

Inmarsat launches IsatPhone Pro in the Middle East.
[Zawya – 10/18/2010]

I was saddened to hear of Dean’s passing the other day. He accomplished much for the satellite business in the U.S. and he did alot for me as a marketing person.

Too bad SES only acknowledges his contribution anonymously  via their "timeline" Flash…

SES reaches two major milestones that are hugely significant for the long-term growth and success of SES. SES AMERICOM signs a multi-year agreement, leasing long-term satellite capacity to EchoStar’s DISH Network, creating a strategic partnership that links North America’s largest satellite operator with the U.S.’s largets DTH network. EchoStar would eventually lease up to three entire satellites in the AMERICOM fleet.

He did the deal to buy Americom from GE Capital, becoming its CEO. I met him as the deal was announced in Washington and found him to be articulate, technologically-brilliant and well-grounded.

He hired some really good people, raising Americom’s performance to a level that, some would argue, embarrased senior managers in Luxembourg. Here’s what started it all…

Dean Olmstead, President and CEO of SES AMERICOM, speaking today at the Satellite Entertainment 2002 conference in Monterey, California, said: "These television services will be provided via a new satellite that we intend to launch into the 105.5° West Longitude orbital slot. Another new SES AMERICOM satellite, at the adjacent 105° W.L. slot, will enable us to provide high-speed broadband connections to U.S. residences. All of these services — TV and broadband — will be available to U.S. consumers who purchase a single, small satellite dish and related equipment, into which the latest twoway digital technologies will have been incorporated."

SES AMERICOM intends to offer the new platform, named AMERICOM2Home®, using a license granted to its affiliate by the Government of Gibraltar, relating to an orbital location over the United States at 105.5¼ W.L. This slot falls directly between orbital positions used by DirecTV and EchoStar at 101¼ and 110¼, respectively. Both AMERICOM2Home® and the existing satellites use frequencies in the 12.2-12.7 GHz range, which is set aside internationally for direct broadcasting to the home. SES AMERICOM also holds FCC licenses for both Ku-band and Ka-band satellites at the 105¼ W.L. location. Olmstead explained that the new AMERICOM2Home® system will be different from the current satellite television services offered by EchoStar and DirecTV. Unlike these providers, SES AMERICOM itself will not offer any retail services to consumers. Instead, Olmstead explained, "We will create a best-in-class DBS satellite platform, on which we expect a wide variety of content providers — large and small, established and start-up, mass market and niche, advertisingsupported and pay-per-view – will lease capacity in order to offer their programs and interactive entertainment directly to American consumers."

It was one of Americon’s "master plans," to build spacecraft and fully lease them to DTH operators using new spectrum filed via the ITU over the U.S. How did Dean sell it? He ran into Charlie Ergen in the hallway at a Sky Forum event at The Grand Hyatt in New York. "Hey Charlie: we gotta talk," said Dean. To which Charlie replied "yeah, we do." That exchange really got the ball rolling — and I eventually got to meet Charlie when he visited New Jersey.

Thanks, to Dean, we developed and executed the Americom2Home, WorldSat, and HD-PRIME branding campaigns, most of which resulted in major long-term contracts.

I was looking forward to seeing EchoStar’s FSS business succeed against SES, ironically using their leased capacity for occasional use, IPTV, et. al.

Good-bye, Dean. We’ll miss you.

Sirius XM-5 satellite successfully placed into transfer orbit aboard Russian Proton-M rocket.

[ITAR-TASS – 10/15/2010] 

Cyprus-based Intership selects broadband VSAT services by MTN for its 177,000 deadweight ton ships being built in China.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/15/2010]

Newcom expands worldwide reach with value added services including VideoMeetings, Internet Protocol TV (IPTV (News – Alert)) Services, and SatFAX.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/15/2010] 

Launcher integration enters final phase as Arianespace prepares for Soyuz 2 launch of 6 Globalstar satellites next week.
[SatNews – 10/14/2010] 

SatMAX presents at SATCON on wirelessly using satellite phones and modems in command centers, airplane hangars, and indoor installations.
[Market Watch – 10/14/2010] 

WTA publishes its annual Inside the Top Operators research report.
[SatNews – 10/14/2010] 

Comtech EF Data wins $3.2M order from unnamed U.S. Government Agency for satellite communications equipment to upgrade fielded terminals.
[Satellite Today – 10/14/2010] 

Stratos Global is provides world’s largest media organizations with Inmarsat BGAN] mobile broadband satellite service to broadcast coverage of the Chilean Mine Rescue.
[SatNews – 10/14/2010]

GlobalTop Technology announces GlobalTop Gms-u1LP, an all-in-one, high sensitivity, low power consumption, small SMD form factor (16 x 16 x 6 mm) GPS antenna module.
[SatNews – 10/14/2010] 

Northrup tests new computers and satellite communications hardware on B2 bomber.
[UPI-10/14/2010] 

Applied Satellite Engineering (ASE) has unveiled their SatChat Program for Windows(tm) as a powerful enhancement for the Iridium 9555 satellite phone.
[SatNews – 10/14/2010] 

LightSquared assembles rapid response team to deploy its technologies (basically a box of satellite-capable phones) quickly at disaster locations.
[The Register – 10/14/2010] 

Sirius co-founder Robert Briskman to be inducted into hall of fame at his alma mater, the University of Maryland’s Clark School of Engineering.
[PR Newswire – 10/14/2010] 

Canada’s Telesat sells out its Anik G1 X-band satellite capacity entirely to Paradigm Services two years before it is to be launched.
[Ottowa Business Journal – 10/13/2010] 

TSI Wins $5.5 Million NASA Emergency Ground Station Upgrade Contract.
[Satellite Today – 10/13/2010] 

Asia Broadcast Satellite signs Space Systems/Loral to build its ABS-2, with 12 KW of payload power and upt to 87 C-band, Ku-band, and Ka band transponders over 10 different beams.
[Market Watch – 10/13/2010] 

The Nigerian FederaL government announces plans to launch pico satellite to monitor its space assets, hoping to avoid another loss of a satellite.
[SatNews – 10/13/2010] 

Israel-based Gilat to buy Wavestream for $130M in cash.
[Bloomberg – 10/13/2010] 

SES signs agreement with South African information and communications technology provider SkyeVine to deliver its satellite broadband service in Africa.
[SatNews – 10/13/2010] 

IBM introduces new cloud services platform making it easier for communications service providers including satellite companies to use cloud computing.
[Venture Beat – 10/13/2010] 

Telenor Satellite Broadcasting,  a regional satellite operator delivering services throughout Europe and the Middle East, has launched a nexgen satellite network based on the iDirect’s Evolution platform.
[SatNews – 10/13/2010] 

Globecom Systems announces contracts with various U.S. Government Agencies valued at $8.8M.
[Market Watch – 10/12/2010]

LightSquared to provide free satellite phones and services to serve needs of American Indians and Alaskan Natives.
[Urgent Communications – 10/12/2010] 

Phoenix Releases Iridium Satellite-based Asset Tracking, Monitoring Gateway.
[Satellite Today – 10/12/2010] 

NATO orders 3 UHF control stations from satellite communications equipment provider Viasat, for use in Afghanistan, the Balkans, and other theaters.
[Space News – 10/12/2010] 

CapRock gets long term contract renewal from Diamond Offshore for Gulf of Mexico fleet.
[Kansas City.com – 10/12/2010] 

Intelsat General and iDirect Government Technologies partner to implement SatManage system for major maritime network for military vessels.
[PR Newswire – 10/12/2010] 

YTL, declaring that Malaysian consumers are dissatisfied with TV services and costs, warns incumbent Astro that it is going after the digital TV market currently served by Astro.
[The Edge – 10/12/2010] 

SES Astra brings Astra2Connect to U.K. business customers.
[Satellite Today – 10/11/2010] 

Thuraya signs service provider agreement in Taiwan with Chunghwa Telecom to provide mobile satellite services focusing on disaster prevention and restoration, maritime, and global travelers.
[TMCnet – 10/11/2010] 

03b signs multi-year deal with Netcom Africa to deliver high capacity broadband connectivity to offshore platforms and ships.
[Satellite Today – 10/11/2010] 

NSR Report – is mobile banking in the developing world the next "killer app" for satellite backhaul?
[NSR – October 2010] 

Microwave Journal MilSatCom webcast October 26 to discuss military satellite communications market trends through 2020, and new opportunities for advanced electronic components.
[Microwave Journal – October 2010]

WBMSAT PS satellite communications systems services

KVH mini-VSAT with TracPhone V7 tops Inmarsat product and VHF radio to win Marine Electronics Industry Award for best marine communications product.
[Market Watch – 10/08/2010]

Wellington District Court jury finds trio in New Zealand not guilty on charges of burglary and wilful damage of the Wahopai satellite communications interception station in 2008 – the Crown seeks recompense of $1,229,289 in damages including beer, pies.
[NZ Herald – 10/08/2010]

TeleCommunication Systems is awarded  new order with ceiling value of $9.3M to provide satellite terminal spare parts to the U.S. Army.
[Market Watch – 10/08/2010]

Justice Department and FCC may require Comcast Corp to accept arbitration in disputes over programming sales as condition of merger with NBC Universal, to ensure that rivals including satellite broadcasters have access to content.
[Bloomberg – 10/08/2010]

International Datacasting Corporation and Arqiva partnership in which IDC will support and supply Arqiva with digital cinema-specific content distribution applications.
[TMCnet – 10/08/2010]

03B Networks signs deal with Netcom, Nigeria to provide fast and reliable connectivity to ships and offshore platforms.
[Financial Post – 10/08/2010]

Payload integration for Arianespace’s upcoming Soyuz mission is nearly complete, as dispenser with six Globalstar satellites has been installed on the launcher’s Fregat upper stage.
[SatNews – 10/08/2010]

EADS Astrium selects MDA to provide three advanced technology solutions for SES-6 satellite.
[Satellite Today – 10/08/2010]

Preparations for ILS launch of Sirius XM-5 proceeding on schedule for target of October 14/15.
[SatNews – 10/08/2010]

LightSquared announces that Qualcomm will develop chipsets to enable 1.6 GHz terrestrial LTE and satellite access; two partners will buy wholesale capacity on LightSquared’s ATC network.
[Urgent Communications – 10/07/2010]

Harris wins 21-month $25M contract to upgrade ground-based space control systems for U.S. Space and Missile Systems Center’s Space Superiority Systems Wing at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California.
[SatNews – 10/07/2010]

Automated Transfer Vehicle Kepler to be launched on Ariane’s milestone 200th flight targeted for February 15, 2011.
[SatNews – 101/07/2010]

Comtech receives order in excess of $2.5M for state-of-the-art 500W Ka-band high power amplifiers supporting emerging high-throughput satellite market.
[Market Watch – 10/07/2010]

Russian Satellite Communications Company and Russian Fish Company conclude contract on providing satellite communications services.
[SatNews – 10/07/2010]

Pactel announces successful implementation of DVB-S2 platform to provide internet radiocast service to Cook Island’s leading bilingual radio station Matariki FM.
[SatNews – 10/07/2010]

Servsat Communications develops Flyaway system for transmission of High Definition TV signal.
[PR.com – 10/07/2010]

European Space Agency launches behind-the-scenes campaign to shut down illicit radio and TV transmissions interfering with a major climate satellite.
[Spaceflight Now – 10/07/2010]

KVH inertial navigation system from KVH critical to breakthrough in real-time video tracking technology developed by Churchill Navigation and Paravion Technology that allows airborne law enforcement teams to overlay street maps and other data on live video.
[SatNews – 10/06/2010]

TeleCommunications Systems wins Marine Corp contract worth up to $269M to provide a wireless communication and data system for secure transmission of voice, video, and data.
[Market Watch – 10/06/2010}

Stellar Satellite Communications locates its world headquarters and customer base for rail, trailer, oil and gas and container industries near the Dulles International Airport.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/06/2010]

Horizon Satellite Services based in Dubai signs new agreements with Eutelsat extending its capacity on the W5 satellite to 15 transponders.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/06/2010]

Hughes executives to address broadband satellite solutions for government and military at SATCON conference and Expo.
[PR Newswire – 10/06/2010]

FCC grants Tennis Channel a hearing in complaint against Comcast to determine if rules holding that cable and satellite TV providers cannot discriminate against networks in which they have no ownership have been violated.
[Television Broadcast – 10/06/2010]

Harbinger sells half of its 28% stake in Inmarsat.
[Wall Street Journal – 10/05/2010]

International Launch Services and Asia Satellite Telecommunications have contract for launch of AsiaSat 7 satellite on an ILS Proton.
[SatNews – 10/05/2010]

Norsat International wins $4.2M in government contracts for satellite terminals.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/05/2010]

GlobeCast expands facilities in Asia with addition of new multi-channel HD playout facility and new staff fore post-production and playout services.
[SatNews – 10/05/2010]

Russian satellite due to launch in December suffers damage to its container in transit.
[SatNews 10/05/2010]

Al Jazeera TV resolves major interference issue during FIFA World Cup using Integral Systems’ Integrated Satellite Interference Monitoring, Detection and Geolocation System.
[Market Watch – 10/05/2010]\

Global VSAT Forum Maritime Satcom Forum holds first meeting, identifying education, outreach, and regulatory issues among top priorities.
[PR Newswire – 10/05/2010]

Wavestream receives $19M purchase order from General Dynamics SATCOM technologies for high power 50W Ka-band solid state amplifiers to support U.S. Army and Marine Corp satellite communications systems.
[SatNews – 10/05/2010]

Broadcom announces single-chip solution for mobile devices supporting the new Quasi-Zenith Satellite System launched by Japan.
[PR Newswire – 10/05/2010]

Iridium settles with Motorola on $24.7M lawsuit filed by the latter.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/04/2010]

Globecomm Systems receives $2.5M increase in total value of four-year contract from major U.S. Government prime contractor.
[SatNews – 10/04/2010]

Integral Systems expands satellite command and control system for the VINASAT satellite fleet.
[Market Watch – 10/04/2010]

Eiutelsat W3B satellite on track for October 28 Ariane launch.
[Space Ref – 10/04/2010]

Expand Networks to demonstrate WAN optimization capabilities across satellite environments at SatCon 2010 in New York.
[TMCnet – 10/04/2010]

RRSAT will provide uplink, playout, and connectivity services for Fashion TV Paris HD on Intelsat 805 for distribution over North, Central, and South America.
[SatNews – 10/04/2010]

Japanese satellite receiving station inaugurated in Lalitpur, Nepal, is first of a series being set up in South Asia.
[SatNews – 10/04/2010]

China’s second unmanned lunar probe is maneuvered to correct its trajectory on the earth-moon transfer orbit.
[SatNews – 10/04/2010]

WBMSAT PS satellite communications systems services

Courtesy of Bill McDonald…

Microspace Communications to offer shared hub services using X-Digital Systems platform.
[PRWeb – 10/02/2010]

Orange picks Gilat for broadband satellite communications solutions.
[TMCnet – 10/01/2010]

Fashion TV HD now delivered to North, Central, and South America by RRsat on Intelsat-805.
[PR Newswire – 10/01/2010]

KVH wins $42m Coast Guard contract to install mini-VSAT on as many as 216 small cutters over next 3 – 5 years.
[Trade Only – 10/01/2010]

NASA awards Raytheon $1.7B contract to create Joint Polar Satellite System to replace older weather-monitoring satellite program.
[Executive Biz – 10/01/2010]

The Society of Satellite Professionals International honors three outstanding young satellite professionals with its 2010 Promise Awards.
[SatNews – 09/30/2010]

Harris Corp and Atlas Telecom  launch joint venture to deliver intelligence solutions and geospatial 3-D visualization for the United Arab Emirates.
[Satellite Today – 09/30/2010]

Cobham SATCOM’s Sea Tel Product and Uplogix announce new levels of automated control and recovery for maritime VSAT IP networking devices.
[SatNews – 09/30/2010]

LightSquared is donating up to 2,000 satellite phones and service to Indian Health Service (IHS), a federal agency that serves the health needs of the country’s American Indian and Alaska Native populations.
[Wireless Week – 09/30/2010]

Hylas-1 to be shipped to French Guiana in preparation for November launch following extensive testing in India.
[SatNews – 09/29/2010]

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency successfully injects MICHIBIKI satellite into quasi-zenith orbit above Japan.
[SatNews – 09/29/2010]

NASA EPOXI exploration satellite successfully performs its 20th trajectory correction maneuver as it speeds toward comet Hartley 2.
[SatNews – 09/29/2010]

LightSquared, building hybrid satellite-terrestrial mobile broadband network, faces significant financing challenges and difficult competitive market.
[Wireless Week – 09/29/2010]

Military terrestrial satcom market projected to peak in 2014 according to recently published Strategy Analytics Advanced Defense Systems forecast.
[Space Daily – 09/29/2010]

China’s satellite navigation system struggles as delayed release of decoding files for access limits early use of the system.
[Market Watch – 09/29/2010]

Two Russian companies plan to build first commercial low-earth-orbit space station.
[Universe Today – 09/29/2010]

Harbinger Capital’s Phil Falcone’s latest bet – bold move by LightSquared and SkyTerra to launch nationwide satellite/terrestrial broadband network.
[Bloomberg – 09/29/2010]

Glowlink rolls out capability to locate satellite interference emitters using a single satellite.
[SatNews – 09/28/2010]

ORBCOM partners with OHB and LuxSpace to build and launch two AIS enabled satellites.
[Business Wire – 09/28/2010]

Integral Systems to expand existing satellite fleet control system to support four Boeing 702 satellites already in orbit.
[Market Watch – 09/28/2010]

New surveillance satellite designed to detect and monitor debris and space objects that could be threat to national security and communications is launched from Vandenberg AFB, California.
[AP – 09/27/2010]

MTN Satellite Communications announces signing of MNESCO Limited as authorized reseller in Korea.
[SatNews – 09/27/2010]

ViaSat gets add-on order worth $5.5M for Multifunctional Information Distribution System – Low Volume Terminals and spares from the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command.
[SatNews – 09/27/2010]

The Russian Satellite Communications Company signes contracts with Information Satellite Systems and Thales Alenia Space for three new satellites.
[Broadband TV News – 09/27/2010]

AT&T now selling satellite-enables smart phone, the TerreStar Genius.
[Online Athens – 09/26/2010]

Globecomm Systems awarded one-year contract worth $4M from a U.S. Government agency for Ku-band space segment and bandwidth management; with four options the contract could reach $20M over 5 years.
[Sat PR News – 09/26/2010]

Direct-to-Home (DTH) growth and consolidation over past year culminates in market with 113 operators at end of 2009, reaching more than 130 million subscribers in over 85 countries.
[NSR Report – September 2010]

WBMSAT PS satellite communications systems services

 Nice work by the United Launch Alliance in getting the NRO‘s payload into orbit the other day. Here’s the AP report:

A rocket carrying classified satellite cargo has been successfully launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on California’s central coast.

A release from the base says the Atlas 5 rocket carrying a national security payload for the National Reconnaissance Office was launched Monday shortly after 9 p.m.

No details about the satellite’s orbit or capabilities were released.

The launch was a project three years in the making by Vandenberg’s 30th Space Wing, the United Launch Alliance and the NRO, which oversees the nation’s constellation of spy satellites.

The video, while a little over-produced, is pretty cool…