Really Rocket Science

 

 

 

 

The Lockheed-built Advanced Extremely High Frequency military communications satellite is successfully launched aboard an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral.

[Trading Markets – 08/14/2010]

 

U.S. Army is under pressure to bring the same kind of high bandwidth networking (from 46 Mbps to about 10 Gbps) now available within its U.S. Central Command networks to its smallest units on the battlefield.

[National Defense Magazine – September 2010]

 

Market seen for personal tracking devices using satellites, such as the matchbook-sized transceiver and half-dollar size antenna that can be incorporated in personal devices, developed by Iridium.

[National Defense Magazine – September 2010]

 

Optimization of satellite networks using WAN compression and acceleration algorithms lets Expand Networks upgrade its clients remote site networking capabilities without requiring additional expensive satellite bandwidth.

[TMCnet – 08/13/2010]

 

NASA’s TERRA satellite portrays extent of Pakistan flooding that has caused the death of more than 1,600 people and has affected over 14 million in some way.

[Satnews – 08/12/2010]

 

While satellite TV companies DirecTV and Dish Network like to compare themselves to cable companies in a favorable light, customer complaints lead Better Business Bureaus to give low ratings.

[msnbc – 08/12/2010]

 

Thuraya launches its first satellite aeronautical service, AviationComms, already aboard over 200 helicopters and business jets.

[Bernama – 08/12/2010]

 

Swedish Space Corp satellites Mango and Tango, launche June 14th as part of the PRISMA project to test formation and rendezvous technology in space, are successfully separated from one another.

[SatNews – 08/11/2010]

 

Comtech receives $1.8M order for satellite modems from U.S. government.

[Trading Markets – 08/11/2010]

 

NASA’s WISE wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer satellite loses one detector as outer coolant tank empties; other detectors supported by inner tank continue to perform well.

[SatNews – 08/11/2010]

 

MTN Satellite Communications is selected by Beluga Shipping to install broadband VSAT system on the Beluga Shanghai, one of its new P-class series of super heavy-lift vessels.

[SatNews – 08/11/2010]

 

SES WORLD SKIES gets long-term renewal from iN DEMAND for capacity on AMC-1 and AMC-10.

[SatNews – 08/11/2010]

 

United Arab Emirates Telecommunications Regulatory Authority awards satellite licenses to Al Yah Advanced Satellite Comunications Services and Star Satellite Communications Company.

[TeleGeography – 08/11/2010]

 

NASA’s firs microsatellite, FASTSAT, arrives at Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska for final checkout before launch.

[SatNews  – 08/11/2010]

 

Iridium reports strong growth in second quarter 2010.

[Satellite Spotlight – 08/11/2010]

 

Newtec receives multi-million dollar award from U.S. government prime contractor for FlexACM technology for IP trunking satellite links.

[SatNews – 08/10/2010]

 

SEAKR to provide communications processor for the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation.

[PR Newswire – 08/10/2010]

 

Intelsat S.A. signs multi-year agreement with Sony Pictures Television for capacity on Intelsat 17, enhancing Intelsat’s media neighborhoods in the Indian Ocean region.

[SatNews – 08/10/2010]

 

Satellite data communications company Orgcomm agrees to sell assets of Stellar Satellite Communications to M2M based satellite and terrestrial communications manufacturer Quake Global.

[CBR Telecoms Communications – 08/10/2010]

 

China launches remote sensing satellite, YaoGan Weixing-10, aboard a CZ-4C Chang Zheng-4C (Long March) vehicle, for sixth launch this year in what is expected to be a launch surge for second half of 2010.

[SatNews – 08/10/2010]

 

Caprock announces new VSAT service for North American energy market.

[Market Watch – 08/10/2010]

 

Champion Technology Services deploys Encore’s BANDIT line of IP+Legacy industrially hardened routers for satellite VPN solutions throughout Southwestern U.S.

[SatNews – 08/10/2010]

 

Students from Colorado Space Grant Consortium team with Lockheed Martin to develop miniature satellite ALL-STAR (for Agile Low-Cost Laboratory for Space Technology Acceleration and Research).

[SatNews – 08/10/2010]

 

SatMAX delivers satellite repeater system to Science Applications International Corporation.

[Market Watch – 08/09/2010]

 

Dish Network stock price drops as investors learn of loss of subscribers for second quarter in a row.

[The Street – 08/09/2010]

 

Inmarsat to invest $2.1B in Boeing-built next-generation Ka-band satellites.

[Trading Markets – 08/09/2010]

 

NSR report details dizzying activity in the last 12 months in the mobile satellite services (MSS) sector, with companies going public, hedge funds increasing their positions in the industry, satellites being launched, and new products being developed and put into service.

[NSR – August 2010]

 

WBMSAT PS satellite communications consulting services

 

 

How do they do it? How does the Pentagon make absolutely sure their space missions go as planned?

Well, they pay for it. Take, for example, the good people at Aerospace Corp. in El Segundo, CA. They’re part of every major mission and they make sure it goes.

Nice piece by W.J. Hennigan of the LA Times on the company…

 Aerospace also helps the Air Force monitor rocket launches. Engineers pore over data and the fine print to make sure everything is in its right place. A misplaced decimal point can turn billions of dollars’ worth of intricate hardware into blazing debris in just a fraction of a second.

The company’s 41-acre campus sits across the street from Los Angeles Air Force Base, which oversees military rocket development. The two complexes are linked by a 135-foot bridge over El Segundo Boulevard.

Aerospace recently built a $66 million building with a space launch center in the basement. Resembling NASA’s mission control center in Houston, the facility allows Aerospace engineers to keep real-time tabs on rocket launches at Cape Canaveral, Fla., or California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base. They monitor incoming data looking for anomalies and can order the launch to be scrubbed if there are any.

Since Aerospace has kept a close watch, the Pentagon has had a string of 65 consecutive successful launches stretching back to 1999.

"That kind of reliability is unprecedented," said Gary Payton, who retired in July as deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for space programs.

It may cost $20 million to $30 million more in launch costs for the type of "mission assurance" that Aerospace provides, but it’s well worth it, he said. "I would like to save money on a launch. But if the launch vehicle fails, I splash a $2 billion satellite."

On the commercial side, where customers may not be ready to pay for this kind of help, you may not see such a high mission success rate.
 

Thales Alenia Space delivers Globalstar next-gen satellite to Arianspace.

[Satellite Today – 08/09/2010]

 

Arianespace wins contracts to launch the Intelsat 20 satellite and the Indian GSat-10 satellite.

[Satellite Today – 08/09/2010]

 

Boeing gets contract worth about $600M to build satellites for Inmarsat.

[L.A. Times – 08/07/2010]

 

SES WORLD SKIES SES-2 satellite will host U.S. Air Force Infrared Payload sensor.

[Market Watch – 08/05/2010]

 

O3b chooses Europe Media Port in Greece to be first provider of Gateway Teleport services for O3b’s global network.

[SatNews – 08/05/2010]

 

Egypt launches its third satellite, Nilesat-201, expected to intensify media battle for Middle Easterners.

[UPI – 08/05/2010]

 

Eumetsat images reveal widespread smoke over Russia from recent wildfires.

[Satnews – 08/05/2010]

 

Ukraine postpones delivery of Taurus-II launch vehicle’s first stage to U.S.for "technical reasons."

[Space Daily – 08/05/2010]

 

Indian Space Research Organization selects Arianespace to launch its GSAT 10 communications satellite in 2012.

[SatNews – 08/05/2010]

 

 

 

TerreSAR-X images acquired over the Gulf of Mexico 9 July 2010 showing the oil spill from the Deep Horizon catastrophe resemble an artist’s work.

[Space Daily – 08/04/2010]

 

Qwest buyer, CenturyLink, switches from Dish Network to DirecTV for its voice, video, and internet bundles.

[Business Journals – 08/03/2010]

 

Galaxy 15 continues its threatening journey, expected to pass near Galaxy 18 August 11th through 14th, possibly interfering with service provided to Alaska customers by GCI.

[the Dutch Harbor Fisherman – 08/03/2010]

 

China launches its fifth satellite, GPS satellite BeiDou-2, on a chang Zheng-3A (Long March) vehicle.

[International Business Times – 08/01/2010]

 

WBMSAT PS satellite communications consulting services

 

Courtesy of Bill McDonald…

Arianespace postpones launch of ArabSat-5A and the follow-on Coms satellite as an anomaly occurs in the Ariane 5’s launcher subsystem during final countdown.
[Satellite today – 06/28/2010]

U.S. Air Force announces that U.S. Strategic Command has operationally accepted command and control of its third Wideband Global SATCOM satellite, WGS-3.
[SatNews – 06/25/2010]

Satellite firm Intellectual Ventures, having bought many patents of satellite technology from Motorola and Teledesic, sells some to Thales Alenia Space on the heels of the Thales deal with Iridium to build the next generation of its satellites.
[Wall Street Journal – 06/25/2010]

Harris wins five year $140m contract to redesign satellite ground system for NASA.
[Zacks – 06/25/2010]

Thales Alenia wins contract to build W6A satellite for Eutelsat.
[marisys – 06/25/2010]

NASA has selected Orbital Sciences to launch the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) mission in February 2013 aboard a Taurus XL 3110 rocket from Vandenberg’s U.S. Air Force Base, California.
[Satellite Today – 06/24/2010]

Boaters can now watch the the 2010 FIFA World Cup soccer games in 3D while on the water, thanks to the TracVision(r) HD7 from KVH.
[SatNews – 06/24/2010]

Anticipation of the peak of the solar 11 year cycle coming in 2013 sparks predictions of serious consequences to electronics and communications systems, including satellite communications.
[msnbc – 06/24/2010]

CapRock Communications signs three-year contract with BW to deploy its SeaAccess service onboard its fleet of approximately 100 vessels that include Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Carriers (LPGCs).
[SatNews – 06/24/2010]

Astrium is awarded a contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop key technologies for new re-ignitable upper stages for new launchers.
[SatNews – 06/24/2010]

FCC takes steps to free spectrum from within S band currently available only for mobile satellite companies to build mobile applications to complement their satellite services, so it can be used by mobile broadband companies.
[BroadbandBreakfast – 06/24/2010]

Vietnam Telecom International picks Gilat’s Skyedge II for broadband satellite network.
[Sat PR News – 06/24.2010]

CASBAA concludes 10th annual forum in Singapore, as attendees attest to a vibrant Asian satellite industry.
[Market Watch – 06/24/2010]

First attempt to launch South Korea’s first weather satellite is delayed as pressure problems develop in the launch vehicle.
[Korea Times – 06/24/2010]

June 19, During the International Economical Forum in St. Petersburg, Roscosmos and Arianespace signed a contract which cover 10 additional missions of Russian Soyuz-ST rocket from Guiana Space Center (CSG).
[SatNews – 06/23/2010]

Spacenet introduces new emergency communications service by satellite with pay as you use service options.
[Market Watch – 06/23/2010]

OmniAccess S.L., a leading communications provider to super- and mega-yacht owners, has completed the launch of its Balearic Teleport and successfully upgraded its maritime broadband satellite network to iDirect’s Evolution platform.
[SatNews – 06/23/2010]

Israel launches spy satellite Ofek 9.
[Al Jazeera – 06/23/2010]

CapRock Government Solutions announces the award of four multimillion dollar contracts to provide managed network services and more than 400MHz of commercial satellite capacity to four separate U.S. Government agencies.
[SatNews – 06/23/2010]

Annual Ham Field Day on weekend of June 26-27 gives public chance to meet and talk with ham radio enthusiasts showing off the newest digital and satellite capabilities and voice communications, as well as historic Morse code.
[The Press News – 06/23/2010]

GlobeCast Australia has announces that GlobeCam — a specialist provider of live, miniature camera technology in the world today — has conducted successful trials of 3D coverage for V8 Supercars Television.
[Satnews – 06/23/2010]

Telecommunications experts from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) are establishing emergency communications centers equipped with satellite-based phone, internet and radio lines along borders of Kyrgyzstan.
[UN Dispatch – 06/23/2010]

New iPhone application developed by Skobbler, teaming up with Apple and OpenStreetMap, will ensure that satellite navigation will become cost effective and easily used by most iPhone users.
[SatNews – 06/22/2010]

Integral Systems Europe (ISE) has been awarded a satellite ground station contract from British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) for Harlequin 1, Sky’s state-of-the-art broadcast facility.
[Satellite Today – 06/22/2010]

Iridium expands reach with South African license.
[Market Watch – 06/22/2010]

EchoStar launches DishHD, a premier satellite pay-TV service, in Taiwan.
[Satellite Today – 06/22/2010]

Polaris Wireless and Globecomm Systems partnership will allow U.S. wireless operators to quickly, easily and cost-effectively meet Federal Communications Commission E911 Phase II requirements.
[TMCnet – 06/22/2010]

SES WORLD SKIES announces its SES-1 satellite has entered commercial service at the orbital location of 101 degrees West.
[SatNews – 06/21/2010]

WBMSAT PS satellite communications systems services

Courtesy of Bill McDonald…

 

 

TSF deploys emergency telecoms team to Kyrgyzstan to provide emergency communications services to humanitarian community in support of relief operations.
[SatNews – 06/18/2010]

FCC announces it will focus on using satellite services to spread mobile wireless access to more Americans.
[Washington Post – 06/18/2010]

BSkyB announces that Sky Sports News will be removed from free to view service FreeView to become a pay TV only channel.
[TechWatch – 06/18/2010]

SatCom Global launches Horizon, incorporating state of the are compression technology and designed to optimize voice and data management, dramatically cutting cost of satellite communications for users in maritime, oil and gas, construction, government, emergency, and first responder markets.
[SatNews – 06/18/2010]

BT and RRsat enter 5 year strategic network alliance to combine RRsat’s content management and global distribution services over satellite, fiber, and IP with BT’s global media network.
[Satellite Today – 06/18/2010]

Wavestream introduces rugged, outdoor 600W C-band solid state amplifier 757C-o for broadcast satellite communications systems.
[SatNews – 06/18/2010]

Following successful debut flight of Falcon 9 launcher, SpaceX wins hotly contested contract to put next-generation Iridium communications satellites into orbit.
[Aviation Week – 06/17/2010]

Sky Sports gets rights for Euro 2010.
[TechWatch – 06/17/2010]

SES ASTRA satellite Astra B, launched May 21, is now operational.
[TechWatch – 06/17/2010]

Satworx, a provider of satellite phone communications, offers a new lightweight IsatPhone Pro at a reduced price.
[TMCnet Satellite Spotlight – 06/17/2010]

NASA chooses General Dynamics C4 Systems to upgrade TDRSS satellite communications ground system and network.
[Military Aerospace – 06/17/2010]

SkyWave, a global provider of M2M satellite solutions for trucking, rail, and maritime markets,
introduces jamming detection and other new security features including detection of antenna cut.
[Wireless Developer Network – 06/17/2010]

 

 

 

New KVH TracVision HD7 employed by boaters to receive DirecTV HD signals for 2010 boating season.
[MarketWatch – 06/17/2010]

Arabsat announces that launch of 5A by Arianespace will take place on June 23, Arabsat’s second launch this month.
[SatNews – 06/16/2010]

Integral Systems subsidiary SAT Corporation receives contract to upgrade CHINA SATCOM’s satellite signal monitoring and interference detection system.
[Market Watch – 06/16/2010]

Murdoch’s News Corp makes move on UK satellite broadcaster BSkyB.
[Tech Watch – 06/16/2010]

BBC World signs deal with intelsat renewing satellite and teleport services throughout Asia and the Americas.
[TechWatch – 06/16/2010]

iDirect launches ReadyCONNECT, a portable emergency response satellite communications system developed by global satellite equipment leader Cobham Satcom and partner Australian Satellite Communications.
[SatNews – 06/16/2010]

Space Data’s test of high altitude balloons with radio communications for border patrol, more cost-effective than satellite technology, receives rave reviews but then – no contract to show for it.
[Fox News – 06/16/2020]

iDirect Government Technologies releases new line of software packages for its SatManage network management system.
[SatNews – 06/16/2010]

Battle lines being drawn between Virgin Media and BSKYB over 3D TV.
[TechWatch – 06/15/2010]

DirecTV teams with NCC Media, the ad-sales company owned by Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Cox Communications, to bring the satellite operator to the spot-advertising market and provide ability to expand an ad’s coverage in 25 select markets.
[Multichannel News – 06/15/2010]

Microsoft working on 3D technology using special lens on TV screen that would not require users to wear glasses.
[TechWatch – 06/15/2010]

Hughes Network Systems receives contract from state of Oregon to provide broadband satellite internet services to state agencies, local governments, and school districts.
[Business Week – 06/14/2020]

 

 

 

U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin complete testing of first satellite for next generation of tactical
communications, under the Mobile User Objective System program.
[UPI – 06/15/2010]

Arianespace announces agreement with Lockheed Martin to launch VINASAT-2 satellite for Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group in 2012.
[SatNews – 06/15/2010]

SpeedCast signs multi-year agreement for capacity on North and Central American beams of Telesat’s Telstar 11N satellite.
[SatNews – 06/14/2010]

Swedish Space Corporation indicates that the Swedish Prisma satellites have been successfully launched aboard a Dnepr launcher from Yasny,Russia.
[SatNews – 06/15/2010]

Aerojet announces an agreement with NEC corporation to jointly supply HAYABUSA-derived ion propulsion systems for the U.S. and Japanese aerospace markets.
[SatNews – 06-15-2010]

SpaceX to launch Taiwanese earth observation satellite in 2013.
[Satellite Today]

C-Com Satellite Systems receives $1M worth of new orders for its iNetVu mobile antenna systems from China.
[SatNews – 06/15/2010]

Space Systems/Loral contracts to build DirecTV 14.
[Satellite Today – 06/14/2010]

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. announces orders received aggregating $12 million, including Ka-band amplifiers for satellite broadband services, DTH services and strategic airborne communications.
[Market Watch – 06/14/2020]

Thaicom Pcl shares jump after Thailand’s government announces plans to buy Temasek Holdings Pte’s stake in the satellite monopoly for national security reasons following anti-government protests.
[Business Week – 06/14/2010]

Microspace introduces Velocity Microburst, allowing Velocity satellite data users to acquire occasional "bursts" of additional bandwidth for short term needs.
[PRWeb – 06/14/2010]

ATCi designs and delivers low-cost complete Fly Away Broadcast System designed for broadcasting sporting events to smaller communities in Latin America and Africa.
[SatNews – 06/14/2010]

Vizada is selected by ARINC to help fulfill Department of Defense contract for international broadband services.
[SatNews – 06/14/2010]

PolarSat completes VSATPlus3 network testing for Chinese gas market.
[Satellite Today – 06/14/2010]

Orbit Technologies receives additional orders from large satellite communications companies in Brazil for its OrSat satellite communications systems to be installed on offshore Oil and Gas platforms.
[SatNews – 06/14/2010]

GlobeCast Australia wins major delivery deal with Event Cinemas that offers 3D HD coverage of more than a dozen sporting events over the next month, in a first for Australian cinema audiences.
[SatNews – 06/14/2010]

Ottawa may lift telecom restrictions relating to foreign ownership of companies in the Canadian telecom industry, including satellite communications companies.
[Montreal Gazette – 06/12/2010]

 

California teenager rescued from crippled sailboat by French fishing vessel describes her three days adrift after the mast was broken during a storm, knocking out her satellite communications.
[Fox News – 06/12/2010]

 

WBMSAT PS satellite communications systems services

 

Courtesy of Bill McDonald…

Korean navy recovers what is believed to be debris from the Korea Space Launch Vehicle 1 that exploded shortly after liftoff Thursday, the country’s second major space setback in less than a year.
[Korea Times – 06/11/2010]

Thales Alenia Space gets contract from Eutelsat for satellite with forty Ku-band transponders to be launched during third quarter of 2012.
[Tech Watch – 06/11/2010]

 

 

Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) ships Dish Network’s EchoStar 15 communications satellite to the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan where it will be launched by International Launch Services.
[Satellite Today – 06/10/2010]

NASA has selected Orbital Sciences to launch the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) spacecraft in December 2012 aboard a Pegasus XL rocket from Vandenberg U.S. Air Force Base.
[Satellite Today – 06/10/2010]

As sun emerges from one of its quietest periods ever during its 11 year cycle, it may spell trouble for a world increasingly reliant upon communications satellites and power grids.
[Houston Chronicle – 06/10/2010]

German satellite service provider Atrexx launches trio of C-band services for the Africa and Middle East markets.
[Satellite today – 06/10/2010]

Two PRISMA satellites to be launched next week feature Thales Alenia Space’s technology that determines the two satellites’ relative positions to within 1 centimeter, and relative attitudes to within 1 degree.
[SatNews – 06/10/2010]

Hughes Network Systems unveils broadband Internet satellite services for government and enterprise emergency networking solution.
[Satellite Today – 06/10/2010]

BBC World News signs renewal and expansion contract for satellite and teleport services with Intelsat S.A. to distribute programming to Asia-Pacific and Americas audiences.
[SatNews – 06/10/2010]

Azerbaijan government has contracted with Orbital Sciences to build the country’s first satellite, but questions are being asked about the country’s ability to pay, as unnamed source states that the finance ministry is delaying funding of the project.
[Eurasianet – 06/10/2010]

Telespazio’s orders for Orbit Technologies Ltd.’s high performance stabilized marine satellite communications systems to be installed on oil and gas industry platforms worldwide reach $1.1M.
[SatNews – 06/10/2010]

ND SatCom receives Global Telecoms Business Innovation Award 2010 in the Business Service Innovation category for its XWARP(r) solution, which provides IP applications / Cloud Computing over satellite.
[SatNews – 06/10/2010]

BSkyB gains $460.3M settlement in its lawsuit with system integrator Electronic Data Systems, a subsidiary of Hewlett Packard.
[Satellite Today – 06/10/2010]

Globecast is selected to deliver four major Latin American channels to cable headends throughout the United States via the AMC-1 satellite.
[SatNews – 06/10/2010]

Avanti signs long-term Hylas 1 capacity contract with unnamed triple-play consumer telecom service in the U.K. and Ireland.
[Satellite Today – 06/10/2010]

Barrett Xplore Inc. of Canada will lease Loral Space & Communications Inc. owned payload which will be hosted on the Viasat 1 broadband satellite that Loral is building for Viasat.
[TMCnet – 06/09/2010]

Iridium introduces new features for its Next generation of satellites, making laptop connections easier and providing extended SMS messaging for the Iridium 9555 satellite phones.
[Market Watch – 06/09/2010]

Orbit Alchut Technologies Ltd. and Telespazio SpA to supply satellite communications systems for marine oil and gas platforms using C-band capacity and 4m antennas to provide high reliability even during stormy weather.
[Globes Online – 06/09/2010]

Satellite Industry Association (SIA) releases 2010 State of the Satellite Industry Report, showing 11% growth from 2008 to 2009 in overall world satellite industry revenues.
[SatNews – 06/08/2010]

Andreas Georghiou, CEO of Spacenet, accepts a Circle of Excellence award from Washington SmartCEO in recognition of the company’s product innovation.
[SatNews – 06/08/2010]

Eutelsat makes four satellites available for broadcasts from South Africa of the World Cup football tournament.
[Tech Watch – 06/08/2010]

Integral Systems gets contract from a leading satellite service provider integrating an additional geostationary satellite into their existing Epoch Integrated Product Suite satellite management system.
[Market Watch – 06/08/2010]

 

 

German ship manager Phoenix Reederei reports drop in monthly satellite expenses of more than EURO1,000 since installing Iridium OpenPort satellite terminals on five of its vessels.
[Market Watch – 06/08/2010]

Inmarsat wins 41st annual royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award, Britain’s biggest prize for engineering innovation.
[PR Newswire – 06/08/2010]

 

 

European Space Agency reports successful completion of thermal-vacuum checks in India on the HYLAS 1 advanced broadband satellite being constructed for Avanti.
[Top 10 – 06/08/2010]

Industry experts advise relief agencies and governments to learn from the Haiti experience, where earthquake damage would have made emergency response nearly impossible without satellite communications.
[PR Newswire – 06/08/2010]

Skycasters submits proposal to the USDA RUS Broadband Initiatives Program in Washington, D.C. requesting a $5.1M grant to improve public safety and prompt economic recovery for 37M Americans.
[SatNews – 06/08/2010]

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden professes increased confidence that a resupply vehicle will be available after the Space Shuttle fleet is retired, on the heels of the successful launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 on June 4.
[Satellite Today – 06/08/2010]

Satcom Direct adds graphical weather to its existing FlightDeck Freedom satellite service for aircraft.
[SatNews – 06/08/2010]

NASA successfully completes comprehensive pre-shipment review of the Fast, Affordable, Science and Technology Satellite, of FASTSAT, a microsatellite class spacecraft that will carry 6 experiment payloads to low-Earth orbit.
[SatNews – 06/08/2010]

German Earth observation satellite TanDEM-X, part of project to "map the Earth in 3D" is readied for launch at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
[SatNews – 06/08/2010]

Australian Satellite Communications (ASC) and Cobham announce launch of ReadyCONNECT, a portable, quick-deploy emergency response satellite communications solution.
[SatNews – 06/08/2010]

Arqiva provides Sky with 36MHz of W7 satellite capacity for duratioin of football World Cup in South Africa.
[SatNews – 06/08/2010]

NOORSAT selected by Al Jazeera network to provide satellite capacity to backup the FIFA world Cup 2010 coverage, including the use of the NOORSAT Bahrain teleport as an alternative transmission facility.
[SatNews – 06/08/2010]

SES ASTRA enters into distribution agreement with Polish data network operator NASK to offer its satellite-based broadband service to business customer in the Polish market.
[SatNews – 06/07/2010]

BSkyB pays Virgin Media £160m for its TV channels in deal where Virgin Media gets to offer its subscribers the premium BSkyB HD channels.
[Tech Watch – 06/07/2010]

WBMSAT PS satellite communications systems services

Courtesy of Bill McDonald…

Indian security agencies tell the Indian Department of Telecom that foreign satellite communication service providers should be asked to set up an earth station in India if they want to offer services there.
[the Hindu Business Line – 06/05/2010]

 

The Falcon 9 rocket fired up its nine first stage engines and took off on its first test flight from Cape Canaveral at 2:45 p.m. EDT June 4.
[Space Travel – 06/04/2010]

Intelsat CTO Thierry Guillemin describes details of its behind-the-scenes cooperative effort with customers and AMC-11 operator SES to mitigate interference threats posed by Galaxy 15.
[Satellite Today – 06/04/2010]

 

A Russian Proton M rocket launches a European-made telecommunications satellite, Arabsat-5B (Badr 5), for the ARABSAT satellite communications operator.
[Bernama – 06/04/2010]

HBO Asia signs long-term transponder lease agreement with APT for capacity on Apstar 2R and its replacement satellite, Apstar 7, to be launched in early 2010.
[Satellite Today – 06/04/2010]

Stratos Global Corporation becomes a distributor for SkyWave Mobile Communications products and services for the global SCADA market.
[Machine to Machine – 06/04/1020]

Thales Alenia beats out Lockheed, winning contract worth some $2.1B to build 81 satellites for Iridium’s next generation satellite fleet.
[BBC – 06/03/2010]

RapidEye (who owns and operates its own constellation of five EO satellites) has signed on Panaxx Corporation to be its distributor in Japan.
[SatNews – 06/03/2010]

The Indian Space Research organization (ISRO) replaces the director of its liquid propulsion systems center following a series of launch mishaps.
[Satellite Today – 06/03/2010]

Rockot Launches Japanese SERVIS-2 Satellite from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Northern Russia.
[Space Travel – 06/03/2010]

SkyWave Introduces Flex Messaging to IsatM2M Satellite Service, allowing up to 7 times more data than traditional IsatM2M messages.
[GIS User – 06/03/2010]

Zodiac Maritime installs Iridium OpenPort(R) across entire fleet of 156 ships.
[MarketWatch – 06/03/1010]

Airmen from the 2nd and 19th Space Operations Squadrons take control of the Air Force’s newest GPS satellite following its launch into orbit May 28 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
[Space Daily – 06/03/2010]

China to launch fourth orbiter into space as a part of indigenous satellite navigation and positioning network known as Beidou, or Compass system.
[Space Daily – 06/02/2020]

Gilat to provide satellite communications equipment for SchoolNet project expansion in Ethiopia.
[MarketWatch – 06/02/2010]

SPOT Launches Outdoor Safety Initiative at Teva Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado.
[MarketWatch – 06/02/2010]

Inmarsat to launch its first global handheld IsatPhone Pro at CommunicAsia 2010 in Singapore.
[SatNews – 06/02/2010]

Stratos’ AmosConnect 8 enhances broadband connectivity at sea
[TMCnet – 06/02/2010]

Due to popular demand, Newtec to repeat FREE webinar: "IP is Forcing its Way into the Contribution, DSNG and Distribution Workflows over Satellite. Are you Ready?"
[SatNews – 06/02/2010]

KVH Industries announces that Fleetwood RV, Inc., has selected KVH’s TracVision SlimLine series along with TracVision R6 ST and R6 TX to be the exclusive satellite TV option offered on its 2011 motor homes.
[SatNews – 06/02/2010]

Orbital selected for Azerspace/Africasat-1a satellite by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
[MarketWatch – 06/01/2010]

Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) is selected to provide a satellite, Anik G1, to Telesat of Canada.
[SatNews – 06/01/2010]

Russian Space Systems corporation and the U.S. Trimble Navigation Group sign an agreement to create a joint satellite navigation venture in Russia
[Space Daily – 06/01/2010]

International Launch Services (ILS) has contract for ILS Proton launch of two commercial satellites, YAMAL 401 and YAMAL 402, for Russian satellite operator, Gazprom Space Systems.
[SatNews – 06/01/2010]

SES Astra enters partnership with Italian public broadcaster RAI to bring more content to its 3-D demo channel.
[Satellite Today – 06/01/2010]

Serbian government indicts former Serbia-Montenegro defense minister over deal to rent Israeli spy satellite from ImageSat.
[Satellite Today – 06/01/2010]

Australia’s NBN Co is weeks away from issuing a request for tenders to satellite network operators hoping to get a slice of the $43 billion national broadband network project.
[The Australian – 06/01/2010]

The Highly Adaptable Satellite (HYLAS) 1 being developed by Astrium for the satellite broadband operator Avanti Communications, successfully completes month-long test designed to expose the satellite to the rigors of space.
[SatNews – 06/01/2010]

BSkyB releases Sky Mobile TV app for the Applie iPad in the United Kingdom.
[Satellite today – 06/01/2010]

CapRock Communications selects Alpheus Communications’ complete suite of terrestrial connectivity services to provide reliable circuit access and supporting services to its clients.
[Business Wire – 05/31/2010]

WBMSAT PS satellite communications systems services

Courtesy of Bill McDonald…

Bryan McGuirk, senior vice president of media services at SES World Skies, will be leaving the company at the end of May to form a new venture in the media and entertainment sector.
[Satellite Today – 05/21/2010]

 

Arianespace’s delayed opening launch of 2010, with the Astra 3B and COMSATBw 2 satellites, has launched from the European Spaceport in French Guiana  via the Ariane 5 ECA.
[NASASpaceFlight – 05/21/2010]

Harris agrees to acquire satellite-communications provider CapRock for about $525M in move to expand international presence and customer base.
[Wall Street Journal – 05/21/2010]

FCC frees up 25 megahertz of spectrum in the Wireless Communications Services band by allowing satellite radio operators to use digital repeaters.
[RCR Wireless – 05/21/2010]

Ohio cable company executive echoes concern of many that rogue satellite Galaxy 15 may cause interference to AMC-11 "Despite these best efforts" of SES WorldSkies and Intelsat.
[Columbus Dispatch – 05/21/2010]

DBSD North America, a telecommunications satellite operator owned by ICO Global Communications, asks judge to preserve its bankruptcy restructuring plan pending approval by the FCC.
[Business Week – 05/21/2010]

At the SES World Skies’ site you can view an amazing CGI rendering created by AGI that reveals the AMC-11 orbital maneuvers to hopefully avoid having their cable broadcasts interrupted by Intelsat’s Galaxy 15, aka Zombie satellite.
[SatNews – 05/20/2010]

Intelsat relocates IS-709 for World Cup Broadcasting.
[Satellite Today – 05/20/2010]

International Datacasting receives series of new orders for its 3D Live solution, prompted by the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.
[SatNews – 05/20/2010]

Israel’s Yes satellite TV provider launches video-on-demand and broadband services by satellite.
[Satellite Today – 05/20/2010]

MEASAT Satellite Systems signs agreement with GlobeCast Asia to provide transponder capacity for the FIFA World Cup 2010.
[SatNews – 05/20/2010]

Google and DISH Network L.L.C. launched Google TV, an open platform that seamlessly integrates multichannel television with rich web media content.

Indian Navy will receive naval communication and surveillance satellite by year-end.
[SatNews – 05/20/2010]

Boeing completes on-orbit handover of DirecTV 12 satellite to DirecTV.
[Satellite Today – 05/20/2010]

Global MilSatCom 2010, a gathering of satellite communication professionals, will be held at the Millennium Conference Centre, London, United Kingdom this November 8-10.
[SatNews – 05/20/2010]

MTN reports a positive reception in international cruise industry, with seven cruise lines already signed up for the at-sea telecasts.
[SatNews – 05/20/2010]

Iridium’s OpenPort terminal provides reliable, high-quality voice and data links throughout voyage of sailboat Ocean Watch on its Around the Americas  expedition.
[SatNews – 05/20/2010]

Rapideye confirms partnership of several years with S2Bvisio in development and distribution of expert agricultural services based on RapidEye imagery.
[SatNews – 05/20/2010]

Cambridge Conltans achieve breakthrough in collaboration with Iridium Communications to develop new transceiver 70% smaller than previous model.
[SatNews – 05/20/2010]

Glowlink has releases GEO4, the manufacturer’s next-generation Model 8000 interference detection solution.
[Satellite Today – 05/20/2010]

World’s largest airship, as long as a 23-floor skyscraper is tall, is intended to serve as a stratospheric satellite, or "stratellite," according to its developers.
[Space.com – 05/20/2010]

Lockheed Martin realigns structure of commercial space systems division.
[PR Newswire – 05/20/2010]

New commercial space rocket Falcon 9 to make first test launch as early as May 28.
[Space.com – 05/20/2010]

Iridium Communications enters Russian market.
[Benzinga – 05/20/2010]

Globalstar receives regulatory approval for mobile satellite service in Korea.
Market Watch – 05/20/2010]

Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute develop new nanotechnology-based “microlens” using gold, which could lead to a new generation of ultra-powerful satellite cameras.
[R&D Magazine – 05/19/2010]

Arianspace announces signing of contract with Astrium to launch Skynet 5D satellite in first half of 2013.
[SatNews – 05/19/2010]

LiveTV and Iridium Communications Inc. enter into agreement to develop aviation antenna based on the Iridium OpenPort(r) high-speed communications service.
[SatNews – 05/19/2010]

Schlumberger launches SeaConnect(tm) VSAT service, providing high-performance VSAT services using an innovative portable marine 60-cm C-band antenna and related technologies, for the offshore industry.
[SatNews – 05/19/2010]

Marlink announces an extension to its VSAT Ku-band service which will now cover sea routes around Australia for the first time.
[SatNews – 05/19/2010]

Iridium Communications Inc. receives orders for more than 100 Iridium OpenPort broadband satellite terminals for installation on Spanish commercial fishing vessels.
[SatNews – 05/19/2010]

MTN Satellite Communications and its Spanish joint-venture partner, ERZIA, are selected to provide VSAT products and services for Empressa Naviera Elcano.
[SatNews – 05/19/2010]

FCC taps satellite communications company ICO executive to manage review of proposed joint venture between cable companies Comcast and
NBC Universal.
[Reuters – 05/19/2010]

Caprock wins $50m GSA 70 contract to provide complete solution of technical design, field services, and program support to FBI for emergency restoration communications network.
[Satellite Today – 05/19/2010]

Experiments conducted by Sandia National Laboratories at the International Space Station preliminarily indicate that orbiting more complex computer chips to pre-reduce large data streams could facilitate transfer of greater amounts of information from space.
[R&D Magazine – 05/19/2010]

French Polynesian Office of Post and Telecommunications (OPT) has launched a high-speed satellite broadband network based on iDirect’s Evolution platform.
[Satellite Today – 05/19/2010]

SES WORLD SKIES signs an agreement with Astrium for the procurement of a new satellite to be named SES-6.
[SatNews – 05/18/2010]

Intelsat selects Arianespace to launch Intelsat 17 satellite at end of 2010.
[Satellite Today – 05/18/2010]

Hughes Network Systems forms Hughes Network Systems Australia Pty. Ltd. to serve the Ka-band satellite technology and services market in Australia.
[Satellite Today – 05/18/2010]

Globalstar receives regulatory approval for new mobile satellite service in Korea.
[MarketWatch – 05/18/2010]

SES World Skies plans to maneuver AMC-11 to match the eastward drift of zombie satellite Galaxy to avoid interference, bringing in AMC-1 on opposite side of orbital "box."
[Space.com – 05/17/2010]

Russian Satellite Communications Company reports it is no longer possible to maintain the orbital incline of the Express-AM1 satellite.
[SatNews – 05/17/2010]

WBMSAT PS services

 

 

We’ve got three launches coming up in the next few days.

From Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, an Ariane 5 will launch a dual-payload: ASTRA 3B and COMSATBw-2.

Ariane-V194 Launch window…

From 7:01 p.m. to 7:44 p.m., local time in Kourou, French Guiana
From 6:01 p.m. to 6:44 p.m. in Washington, D.C.
From 10:01 p.m. to 10:44 p.m. UTC, on May 21.
From 12:01 a.m. to 12:44 a.m. in Paris, on May 22. 

Watch it live here.

 

 

On 20 May 2010 21:58:22 UTC, JAXA’s H-IIA rocket will launch (H-IIA F17) AKATSUKI to explore Venus and the IKAROS solar sail. You can watch that one live, too. That will be from the Tanegashima Space Center in Japan.

 

 

 

Friday night, live from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, a Delta IV will launch GPS 2-F1 for the U.S. Air Force. Launch window: 11:25 – 11:43 p.m. EDT (22 May 2010 03:25 UTC). Noteworthy…

The GPS IIF system brings next-generation performance to the constellation. The GPS IIF vehicle is critical to U.S. national security and sustaining GPS constellation availability for global civil, commercial and defense applications. Besides sustaining the GPS constellation, IIF features increased capability and improved mission performance and longevity.

This is a mission of several important firsts. Not only is it the first IIF to be launched, this will be the first GPS satellite to ride on the Delta IV launch vehicle. 

Watch it live on the ULA site, or downlink the C-band broadcast…

 

SATELLITE – Galaxy 19
TRANSPONDER – G19C-08
BAND – C-band Analog
ORBITAL POSITION – 97 degrees
CARRIER – INTELSAT
BANDWIDTH – 36 MHz
DOWNLINK FREQ – 3860 MHz Horizontal
BARS AND TONE: 10:30 p.m.
BROADCAST START: 11:04 p.m.

 

  Go Ariane! Go H-IIA! Go Delta IV!

 Courtesy of Bill McDonald…

 

Picture perfect last launch for Space Shuttle Atlantis.
[SatNews – 05/14/2010]

Solaris Mobile Ltd, the Dublin based operator of new hybrid satellite and terrestrial wireless networks, Is Licensed For Mobile Satellite Services In Europe.
[SatNews – 05/14/2010]

The European Space Agency (ESA) and Interoute have signed an agreement with the latter to provide a new IP Wide Area Network (WAN) connecting the Earth Observation (EO) Payload Data Systems sites across Europe and Canada.
[SatNews – 05/14/2010]

Comtech Mobile Datacom Corporation receives a $140.5 million ceiling increase to its existing Blue Force Tracking ("BFT") program contract with the U.S. Army.
[SatNews – 05/14/2010]

While ESA’s Proba-2 keeps its main instruments trained on the Sun, it is also looking back to its homeworld.
[SatNews – 05/14/2010]

Severe floods struck Kentucky on May 1–2, 2010, causing statewide damage estimated at more than $30 million, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.
[SatNews – 05/14/2010]

 

 

 

ESPN to use Globecast for live Cricket broadcasts.
[Satellite Today – 05/14/2010]

Drifting satellite threatens U.S. cable programming as Intelsat’s Galaxy 15 continues to receive and transmit signals as it drifts toward SES WORLDSKIES’ AMC-11 satellite.
[CED Magazine – 05/13/2010]

 Intelligent Communication Enterprise Corporation (ICE) to acquire satellite communication terminals and systems developer THISS Technologioes Ltd.
[TMCnet – 05/13/2010]

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. to launch toe NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X satellites for Nigerian National Space Research and Development Agency on October 29.
[Satellite Today – 05/13/2010]

Germany to test new SHarp Edge Flight EXperiment (Shefex) spacecraft, launching from Australia in early 2011.
[Space Travel – 05/13/2010]

DirecTV wins 7th Circuit Appellate court decision against defendants David Barczewski and Jonathan Wisler, who were accused of decrypting and stealing DirecTV signals.
[Leagle – 05/13/2010]

Congress renews satellite TV authorization to extend through Dec. 31, 2014 compulsory license programs that satellite providers use to carry broadcast TV signals without having to negotiate with individual providers.
[CQ Politics – 05/12/2010]

Intelsat gets favorable GAO decision as it dismisses protests of Artel, CapRock, and Segovia over U.S. Navy’s Commercial Broadband Satellite Program award to Intelsat earlier this year.
[Satellite Today – 05/12/2010]

Hughes Network Systems announces sale of its HX System to Rostelecom, Russia’s largest international and long-distance operator, to provide satellite broadband services in Russia.
[PR News wire – 05/12/2010]

 

 

 

Qatar set to launch first satellite at the end of 2012 to provide superior coverage across Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia, in deal with Eutelsat.
[SatNews – 05/12/2010]

Thrane & Thrane ships 10,000th SAILOR FleetBroadband terminal to Certified Partner Telemar.
[SatNews – 05/12/2010]

Iridium announces important advancement in quest to reach regulatory compliance in Russia.
[SatNews – 05/12/2010]

EMS Aviation technology on stage with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger May 3 as he watched real-time demonstration of the state’s new aircraft tracking system technology.
[SatNews – 05/12/2010]

Sea Launch files plan of reorganization.
[SatNews – 05/12/2010]

Microwave Filter Company announces model 17140 C-band interference filter with 80% better rejection of unwanted signals without compromising the C-band passband.
[SatNews – 05/12/2010]

PolarSat announces receipt of multiple orders for major expansion of an existing Air Traffric Network.
[SatNews – 05/12/2010]

Dish Network’s CEO Charlie Ergen warns that the company may shut down millions of digital video recorders if a court sides with TiVo in a patent dispute.
[CED Magazine – 05/11/2010]

Lockheed to sell second telecommunications satellite to Vietnam in contract worth $215m.
[Reuters – 05/11/2010]

Loral hires investment banks to manage initial public stock offering of up to 19.9% of its satellite manufacturing division.
[Space News – 05/11/2010]

Eutelsat may raise dividend as sales climb in emerging markets.
[Bloomberg Businessweek – 05/11/2010]

Hughes Communications India recognized as best VSAT operator in India.
[TMCnet – 05/11/2010]

Organa releasing "Hidden Sky," an application that lets iPhone users track any of the thousands of satellites that orbit the Earth, as well as the planets and other objects in the sky.
[SatNews – 05/11/2010]

"Johannes Kepler", the second European spacecraft for the International Space Station (ISS), is on its way to the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
[SatNews – 05/11/2010]

SIS LIVE provided 70 satellite uplink vehicles to main UK broadcasters for coverage of UK general election.
[SatNews – 05/11/2010]

Marlink launches @SEAdirect, a new entry-level maritime VSAT service with internet, email, and voice capability.
[SatNews – 05/11/2010]

Initial launch of Soyuz to take place during 4th quarter of 2010.
[SatNews – 05/11/2010]

India asks satellite service providers to seek OK for buying equipment.
[Wall Street Journal – 05/10/2010]

Ericcson is commissioned by Indosat to modernize network and launch Asia’s fastest mobile network, capable of up to 42Mbps.
[SatNews – 05/10/2010]

Space Systems/Loral is selected to provide Satmex 8 for Satelites Mexicanos, a high-power C- and Ku-band satellite replacing Satmex 5, with North and South American FSS coverage.
[SatNews – 05/10/2010]

Insurance company Aon to launch new policy for space investors which aims to enhance satellite operator’s initial credit rating by reducing the financial risk of commercial launches.
[Satellite Today – 05/10/2010]

GlobalPartnersUnited and Global VSAT Form join to promote state-of-the-art telepractice solutions for education and health services.
[SatNews – 05/10/2010]

Satellite Today poll reveals most readers believe the MSS market is not big enough for the amount of companies.
[Satellite Today – 05/10/2010]

Eutelsat signs 3-D content deal with Euro1080 for additional content for Eutelsat’s 3-D channel on the Eurobird 9A satellite.
[Satellite Today – 05/10/2010]

Telespazio, Thales win $375m contract from Italian Ministry of Defense and French Defense Procurement Agency for development of Sicral 2 satellite and ground segment for military communications.
[Satellite Today – 05/10/2010]

VIASAT completes around the world coverage with addition of service over the Indian Ocean, Guam, and waters north of Australia for its Yonder(r) mobile broadband network.
[SatNews – 05/10/2010]

Comtech Telecommunications to buy Communications & Power Industries Inc. (CPI) for $427m.
[San Francisco Business Times – 05/10/2010]

Dish Network’s net income dropped 26% in first quarter due to stepped-up promotions to attract customers; net subscribers increased by 237,000.
[CED Magazine – 05/10/2010]

International Datacasting contracts with large pan-European content distribution company to expand customer’s network to deliver 3D live content and digital cinema content.
[SatNews – 05/10/2010]

TeleCommunication Systems gets $1.8m contract to provide managed satellite bandwidth services for U.S. Government.
[TMCnet – 05/08/2010]

NSR examines SES ‘low risk approach to European Satellite Broadband Access – will the position that the broadband market does not justify the expense of building Ka-band satellites turn out to be right or wrong?
[NSR Industry Briefing – May 2010]

WBMSAT PS services