Really Rocket Science

Intelsat announces new high performance satellite platform, EpicNG, with a complementary overlay that will be fully integrated with Intelsat’s existing fleet.
[Market Watch – 06/07/2012]

Orbital Sciences Pegasus rocket carrying NASA’s NuStar satellite arrives at Kwajalein Atoll launch site.
[Reuters – 06/07/2012]

Inmarsat announces 30,000 FleetBroadband terminals now in service.
[Market Watch – 06/07/2012]

KVH appoints Athens-based KB Impuls Hellas as new commercial marine distributor in Greece for TracPhone, TracVision, and mini-VSAT products.
[Market Watch – 06/07/2012]

Astrium opens GeoStore portal as gateway to its unique stock of satellite imagery.
[SatNews – 06/07/2012]

KVH wins $35.6 million Sudi Arabian contract for TACNAV TLS and TACNAV Light navigation systems, installation, and training, to modernize the country’s military vehicles.
[SatNews – 06/07/2012]

First Space Based Infrared System satellite launched May 7, 2012 demonstrating outstanding performance exceeding specifications during in-orbit testing. [SatNews – 06/06/2012]

Two next generation satellites being built by Space Systems/Loral for Australia’s NBN will double the speed of the National Broadband Network for people living in rural Australia.
[SMARTHOUSE – 06/06/2012]

Harris Corporation successfully completes Critical Design Review and is approved to begin implementation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s GOES-R Ground Segment.
[Market Watch – 06/06/2012]

Boeing leading team including Raytheon and Harris, seeking Air Force GPS Control Segment Sustainment contract.
[SatNews – 06/06/2012]

Major shipping company Reederei Werner Bockstiegel upgrades to Iridium Pilot and se@COMM broadband data package.
[Market Watch – 06/06/2012]

Nigeria’s survivability, and education of its youth, seen as highly dependent upon proper implementation of satellite communications throughout the country.
[Vanguard – 06/06/2012]

French Open and London 2012 Olympic Games to be broadcast in 3D via ASTRA satellite system.
[SatNews – 06/06/2012]

Gilat offering free webinar on how to ensure communications to deepwater oil & gas platforms.
[SatNews – 06/06/2012]

Adjusting focus in HTS mobility – FSS operators looking at mobility market, as Intelsat launches EPIC and other operators take different approach.
[NSR – 06/06/2012]

Launches of three European Space Agency Earth observation Swarm satellites delayed due to technical issues at three separate launch sites.
[Satellite TRoday – 06/05/2012]

Cellphones killed Iridium once, but in its second coming the satellite phone maker and fleet operator is looking to cell phones to secure its future.
[Reuters – 06/05/2012

Space Systems/Loral is evaluating delayed South solar array deployment on recently launched Intelsat satellite, and reviews other satellites based on the same platform. [Space Ref – 06/05/2012]

With satellite fleet launch to begin in less than a year, O3b launches backhaul services for wireless carriers.
[Cable360Net – 06/05/2012]

Blocking Arabian satellite channels new form of censorship.
[AL-Monitor – 06/05/2012]

Indian armed forces to get first-ever dedicated military satellite, scheduled launch next month.
[Online International News Network – 06/05/2012]

Beam Communications announces new Inmarsat-based satellite piracy solution for secure communication on board a vessel.
[VIRTUAL-STRATEGY – 06/05/2012]

KVH app0oints MVS Group as service provider for mini-VSAT product.
[Market Watch – 06/05/2012]

Republic of Congo tests femtocell and satellite network.
[Wall Street Journal – 06/05/2012]

Selling low to win high-end customers – Harris CapRock signs five-year 34-ship contract with Royal Caribbean Cruises, marking increasing competition for MTM in cruise ship business.
[NSR – 06/05/2012]

Sierra Nevada Corporation initiates Dream Chaser Space System’s flight test program with successful captive carry of full scale Dream Chaser Flight Vehicle, designed for carrying supplies and crew to the International Space Station.
[SatNews – 06/04/2012]

NBN of Australia faces spectrum constraints, inaccurate address data, and complaints about towers while rolling out wireless and satellite broadband.
[ZDNet – 06/04/2012]

Hubble-type telescopes donated to NASA by National Reconnaissance Office may find new life investigating dark matter in the universe.
[New York Times – 06/04/2012]

Tesacom will offer KVH mini-VSAT broadband service in South America.
[Market Watch – 06/04/2012]

NSR report “Wireless Backhaul Via Satellite, 6th Edition” quantifies market opportunity for Land-based Towers and Mobility Platforms and outlines key programs and technology developments that will impact market long term.
[NSR – July 2012]

NOTABLE:  HOSTED PAYLOADS Air Force may spend up to 1 billion over next decade on hosted payloads.
[Washington Post – 04/22/2012] Hosted payload summit to be held in September in Washington DC.
[Hosted Payload Summit}

The Early Space Age – an article published in Fortune Magazine in 1959.
[Fortune Magazine – 06/03/2012]

India’s Navy creates post of assistant chief of naval staff charged with harnessing space-based capabilities.
[The Times of India – 06/03/2012]

Billionaire John Malone’s push to take over Sirius XM Radio creates potential for clash with Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin.
[San Francisco Chronicle – 06/03/2012]

Intelsat 19 fails to deploy one of its two solar arrays.
[Space News – 06/02/2012]

SpaceX’s Dragon splashes down in Pacific after successful re-supply trip to International Space Station.
[SatNews – 06/02/2012]

Dish submits reply comments to FCC on proposed wireless rules.
[EXEC Digital – 06/02/2012]

Al Yah Satellite Communications Company announces successful completion of trials of U.S. DoD compatible Ka-band-capable terminals over the Y1A satellite.
[SatNews – 06/02/2012]

Telesat is awarded contract by Shared Services Canada to facilitate provisioning of X-ban d satellite communications and associated services around the world to SSC partner and client departments.
[SatNews – 06/02/2012]

Inmarsat Government launches new website reflecting image and identity of the business unit that provides global, secure, end-to-end solutions to U.S. government customers.
[SatNews – 06/02/2012]

Capacity on five Eutelsat satellites has been booked for coverage of the UEFA Euro 2012 championship in Poland and the Ukraine.
[Sacramento Bee – 06/01/2012]

Ukrainian Zenit-2SL rocket launches U.S. communications satellite, Intelsat 19, from sea-based launch pad in the Pacific Ocean.
[News Track India – 06/01/2012]

Lockheed Martin is awarded $68 million contract from U.S. Air Force to provide mission readiness, launch, early orbit checkout, and on-orbit operations engineering support for first two GPS-3 satellites.
[Satellite Today – 06/01/2012]

Artemis telecommunications satellite continues to provide services to its users following completion of its official mission, providing communications between ATV shuttle to ISS and the ATV control center,  after almost 11 years in orbit.
[Phys Org – 06/01/2012]

ViaSat pushes to include Loral, parent company of Space Systems Loral (SS/L), into it’s patent lawsuit against SSL, saying the parent company “guides SS/L’s every move.”
[Space News – 06/01/2012]

TCS’ OS-IRIS managed satellite services offering is added to FCSA contract program.
[Market Watch – 05/31/2012]

SpaceX announces first commercial contract for its heavy-lift rocket, still in development, from Intelsat for a future Intelsat satellite launch.
[ABC News – 05/31/2012]

U.S. Air Force and Boeing come to terms on replacing a cost-plus contract for next-generation satellite communications terminals with a fixed-price contract.
[Aviation Week – 05/31/2012]

Liberty Media asks federal regulators to allow it to take over control of Sirius XM Radio.
[Investors.com – 05/31/2012]

NSR’s webinar “The Case for Hosted Payloads” presentation and session recording available for download at NSR website.
[NSR – The Case for Hosted Payloads – 05/30/2012]

CPI International will acquire Codan Satcom.
[Sacramento Bee – 05/30/2012]

Iridium Pilot selected by IMOCA 60′ as satellite communications platform for International Europa and Vendee Globe sailboat race.
[Market Watch – 05/30/2012]

MerlinCryption introduces powerful M2M cryptosystem to overcome security challenges for satellite companiesx and space operators.
[Seattle PI – 05/30/2012]

Kazakhstan reportedly blocks upcoming Russian satellite launches from Baikonur due to dispute over drop zone for rocket debris, but there may be more to this story . . .
[SatNews – 05/29/2012]

GVF VSAT certification training program transitioning to new online learning system using new lesson player software developed by SatProf.
[SatNews – 05/29/2012]

South Korea to launch world’s first satellite for monitoring climate change over Korean Peninsula in 2018.
[SatNews – 05/29/2012]

Chinese Long March 3B rocket successfully delivers Chinese communications satellite to space.
[Spaceflight Now – 05/27/2012]

Affordable satellite bandwidth could change rural access, benefitting, for example, farms and safari lodges.
[BIZ Community – 05/25/2012]

Right behind SpaceX in the commercial race to space are Orbital Sciences, Alliant Techsystems, Boeing, Sierra Nevada Corp., and Blue Origin.
[R&D Magazine – 05/24/2012]

U.S. Navy will deploy 4G LTE on board combat ships to augment existing satellite systems and enhance non-essential communications for sailors.
[IntoMobile – 05/24/2012]

SpaceX makes history as the first company to send a commercial supply ship toward the International Space Station as the Falcon 9 rocket successfully carries the Dragon capsule into orbit.
[R&D Magazine – 05/22/2012]

Space Systems/Loral delivers powerful multi-mission SES-5 satellite to Baikonur Space Center.
[Market Watch – 05/21/2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

International Launch Service successfully launches Nimiq 6 satellite aboard Proton for Telesat.
[SatNews – 05/19/2012]

Sea Launch conducts Hardware Acceptance Review of Zenit-2S launch vehicle to be used in support of Intelsat 21 launch.
[SatNews – 05/19/2012]

Russia successfully launches Soyuz surveillance satellite to photograph military installations, troop movements, and other sites of interest worldwide.
[SatNews – 05/19/2012]

Japanese SHIZUKI (Water) rocket successfully launches South Korean satellite and three Japanese satellites.
[SatNews – 05/19/2012]

MMA Design LLC delivers novel CubeSat Solar Array Drive Assembly that is capable of delivering up to 100W of power, increasing orbit average power by more than 300%, and enabling new high performance applications.
[SatNews – 05/19/2012

Viasat enters new agreement with DIRECTV initiating plans to add Exede High-speed internet service to selection of video and broadband bundles for the home.
[SatNews – 05/19/2012]

Space X launch aborted – possible rocket engine valve problem; will be replaced before next attempt.
[msnbc – 05/19/2012]

Arianespace racks up 100th and 101st satellites to be launched as JCSAT-13 and VINASAT-1 are successfully lifted into transfer orbit.
[Space Travel – 05/18/2012]

steroid discovered by Spanish observatory earlier this year will pass inside geosynchronous orbit in February, 2013, possibly disrupting some satellites or even hitting one.
[digital Journal – 05/18/2012]

Dish Network presents case to government seeking approval to repurpose 2GHz satellite spectrum for terrestrial wireless, while requesting relaxation in FCC’s desired rollout schedule.
[Twice – 05/18/2012]

Thuraya partners with GTNT to launch its mobile satellite services across Russia.
[Space Daily – 05/18/2012]

SAIC will help maintain space-based infrared systems and military satellite communications for U.S. Air Force, as well as provide logistics management support for ground-based command and control systems for national defense weapons.
[Executivebiz – 05/18/2012]

German satellite and rocket manufacturer OHB Systems reported dramatic increase in profits and revenue for first quarter, and is in line for 12% increase in full year 2012.
[Satellite Today – 05/18/2012]

European Oil & Gas exploration to move North as warmer winters reduce artic sea ice; how far and how quickly will have affect on satellite communications requirements.
[NSR Report – May 17, 2012]

Gogo, a leader of in-flight connectivity and wireless in-flight solutions, will partner with satellite equipment provider AeroSat to bring Ku-band satellite solution to commercial airlines.
[Market Watch 05/18/2012]

Second AEHF satellite successfully fires main engine three times, maneuvering toward intended operational orbit and avoiding predicament of its predecessor.
[Spaceflight Now – 05/16/2012]

Y1B satellite successfully deployed in-orbit, and begins in-orbit testing.
[ameinfo – 05/16/2012]

Arqiva contracts for additional satellite capacity on EUTELSAT7A to meet growing demand for professional video services across Europe and the Middle East.
[Sacramento Bee – 05/16/2012]

New Northern Sky Research study confirms earlier Euroconsult report that KVH is most widely used Maritime VSAT service.
[Market Watch – 05/16/2012]

Researchers to launch 20 satellites containing world class instruments from University of Oslo to forecast space weather and northern lights activity.
[Space Daily – 05/16/2012]

Streambox announces release of software encoder ideal for HD mobile newsgathering over public internet, 3G/4G LTE, BGAN, and WiFi connections, optimizing transmission using combinations of all paths simultaneously.
[SatNews – 05/16/2012]

Global Telesat is awarded new contract to supply U.S. Navy with mobile satellite equipment.
[Market Watch – 05/15/2012]

Free NSR Webinar in two weeks to offer in-depth discussion of the case for hosted payloads.
[NSR – 05/16/2012]

National Space Society calls on U.S. Congress to ease export control regulations on spacecraft and related items, as urged by U.S. Departments of Defense and State in recent joint report.
[Satellite Today – 05/15/2012]

Newtec’s IP traffic enhancement and shaping technology is implemented in the EURO HAWK Unmanned Areal System joint venture of EADS company Casidian and Northrop Grumman.
[Telecom Lead – 05/15/2012]

NSR report – Global Satellite Manufacturing and Launch Markets – presents complete analysis of satellite manufacturing and launch industry for next 10 – 15 years.
[NSR – 05/14/2012]

LightSquared files bankruptcy after failing to reach agreement with creditors, giving “breathing room to continue working through the regulatory process . . .”
[Bloomberg – 05/14/2012]

Russian Satellite Communications Company and Hughes Network Sytstems sign momorandum of understanding to explore innovative multi-media satellite networks and services in Russia.
[Market Watch – 05/14/2012]

Optimus selects Eutelsat-s KA-SAT to be commercialised under the “Net Sat ON” brand to deliver reliable and competively-price broadband solution to enterprises in Portugal.
[Market Watch – 05/14/2012]

Iridium is authorized to deliver its products and services in Russia.
[Market Watch – 05/14/2012

KVH names Boatracs first Value Added Service Provider for its mini-VSAT broadband service, bringing the broadband maritime service and Boatrac’s market leading software applications to vessels in a single package.
[Market Watch – 05/14/2012]

Yahsat launches broadband service in Nigeria.
[All Africa – 05/14/2012]

NigeriaSat-1 soon to be decommissioned, as NigeriaSat-2 begins operation.
[SatNews – 05/14/2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

MEASAT takes Intelsat to court over alleged breach of contract in respect to the Land Launch and Program Management Services for the MEASAT 1R satellite.
[SatNews – 05/14/2012]

Arianespace to launch Vietnam’s second satellite along with Sky Perfect’s JSAT-13 on May 16.
[Satellite Today – 05/14/2012]

SES announces that its German HD+ platform reached more than 2.6 million households at the end of first quarter 2012.
[SatNews – 05/12/2012]

ViviSat, backed by ATK and U.S. Space, shows new video explaining how its Mission Extension Vehicle can extend the life of retiring geosynchronous communications satellites.
[SatNews – 05/12/2012]

ATK has developed Liberty into complete commercial crew transportation system, including spacecraft, abort system, launch vehicle, and ground and mission operations, designed to meet NASA’s human-rating requirements.
[SatNews – 05/12/2012]

While negotiating with Boeing to convert its current contract for new advance satellite terminals from cost plus to fixed price, the Air Force opens up the bidding to other companies.
[Chicago Tribune – 05/11/2012]

Dish launches DVR feature allowing customers to completely avoid commercials, threatening billions of dollars in broadcast-television advertising.
[Wall Street Journal – 05/11/2012]

Eutelsat cuts forecast for full-year revenue, and its stock falls the most since it began trading in Paris in December 2005.
[Bloomberg – 05/11/2012]

Vietnam says it will send its second satellite into orbit on May 16.
[People Daily – 05/11/2012]

Nigeria says it will deploy satellites to trace movement of suspected terrorists and their locations in the country.
[Daily Trust – 05/11/2012]

Iridium unveils worlld’s smallest commercial two-way satellite data transceiver.
[Sat PR News – 05/11/2012]

L-3 to lay off 34 workers in Mason, Ohio, a plant that makes infrared sensors and systems and satellite electronics.
[Dayton Business Journal – 05/11/2012]

MDA may lay off 150 additional employees if Radarsat Constellation Mission doesn’t continue.
[Vancouver Sun – 05/11/2012]

China launches Remote-Sensing Satellite Number 14.
[SatNews – 05/10/2012]

SpaceX and Bigelow Aerospace agree to jointly market rides on SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft to Bigelow habitats orbiting Earth.
[SatNews – 05/10/2012]

Globecomm Systems gets contract value upgrade and 12 month extension to existing five year contract to provide complete facility and geographic diversity for voice and data restoration services to Agility Recovery Solutions.
[SatNews – 05/10/2012]

Comtech receives $1.5 million order for Ka-band high-power amplifiers serving the emerging High Throughput Satellite communications market.
[Market Watch – 05/10/2012]

NASA announces the retirement of the TDRS-4 communications satellite.
[redOrbit – 05/09/2012]

ESA declares Envisat environmental satellite, which stopped communicating in April, lost. [Spaceflight Now – 05/09/2011]

Netherlands Defence organisation a step closer to satellite communications independence following May 5 launch of communications satellite from Cape Canaveral.
[Defence Professionals – 05/09/2012]

Eutelsat closes distribution deal with RG Networks, making KA-SAT satellite broadband available across Hungary.
[Sacramento Bee – 05/09/2012]

Astrium gets contract to provide airborne SATCOM systems to Star Satellite Communications Company, a subsidiary of Yahsat.
[SatNews – 05/09/2012]

Norsat revenues up 21% for strong 2012 first quarter.
[Market Watch – 05/09/2012]

Telstra orders $5 million in docking stations and Iridium handsets from Beam Communications of Australia.
[Market Watch – 05/09/2012]

Comtech gets $2.5 million contract from Latin American operator for satellite earth station equipment for the company’s network expansion.
[Market Watch – 05/09/2011]

Scientists offer calculation to correct temperature data taken from NOAA-9 in the 1980′s, bringing it in line with other satellite earth temperature data and models that simulate global warming.
[R&D Magazine – 05/08/2012]

Field testing of Army’s mobile WIN-T C-2 satellite network finally under way in New Mexico after a year’s worth of delays.
[Defense News – 05/08/2012]

Intelsat reports first quarter net loss of $24.4 million, and confirms plans for four satellite launches in second and third quarters of 2012.
[Market Watch – 05/08/2012]

Satcom Direct becomes reseller for TriaGnoSys satellite communications systems.
[Seattle PI – 05/08/2012]

SkyWave Mobile Communicatioins introduces IDP-780 series of terminals with dual mode satellite-cellular capability.
[Market Watch – 05/08/2012]

Dish Network reports several technical glitches on its satellites during the first quarter, including solar array anomalies.
[Fierce Cable – 05/07/2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Russian power engineering manufacturer Energomash begins development of new rocket engine to run on novel mixture of acetylene and ammonia and could reduce cost of rocket launches and need for hydrogen
[SatNews – 05/07/2012]

Craftwork launches off-the-shelf software solutions enabling device makers to rapidly develop and launch new SAT>IP devices.
[SatNews – 05/07/2012]

U.S.A.F. launches second AEHF satellite from Cape Canaveral.
[Defence Professionals – 05/06/2012]

DISA says new strategy to build cohesive global network by 2020 could be used to acquire teleport receiving stations and satellite antennas outside the GSA vehicle for acquiring satellite bandwidth.
[NextGov – 05/04/2012]

Inmarsat shareholder protest over executive chairman pay.
[telecompaper – 05/04/2012]

NSR webinar Wednesday May 30, 2012 will offer in=depth discussion of emerging market for Hosted Payloads across all market segments and all regions.
[SatNews – 05/04/2012]

Vizada and Vizada Elite Partner SRH Marine Electronics sign 24 month agreement with Danaos Shipping Co. to equip its fleet of vessels with full broadband communications system using Inmarsat FleetBroadband terminals.
[SatNews – 05/04/2012]

Thrane board accepts sweetened Cobham offer.
[Nicosia Business Review – 05/03/2012]

North Korea’s jamming of GPS signals has serious affects on U.S. Army’s Rifleman Radio.
[NextGov – 05/03/2012]

VT iDirect and Informa Telecoms & Media release survey and white paper demonstrating market value and potential of satellite backhaul when used in conjunction with small cells.
[SatNews – 05/03/2012]

ESA announces its next large science mission will be an explorer (JUICE) that will be sent to explore Jupiter’s icy moons.
[SatNews = 05/03/2012]

South Korean flights affected by GPS jamming signals coming from communist North Korea.
[ABC News – 05/02/2012]

Goddard Space Flight team works on Fast Plasma Instrument that will collect full sky map of data at 30 times per second for the NASA fleet of four identical spacecraft, the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, to launch in 2014.
[R&D Magazine – 05/01/2012]

Orbit Communication Systems gets contract from Scientific Research Institute of the Precision Instruments, a Roscosmos member, to supply several Earth Observation systems for tracking of LEO satellites.
[Globe Newswire – 04/30/2012]

Hoping to prevent bankruptcy, LightSquared’s lenders ask Philip Falcone to step down from LightSquared board seat he took just two months ago.
[Wireless Week – 04/30/2012]

U.S.A.F. begins negotiations with Lockheed Martin in effort to acquire two AEHF satellites below the $3.1 billion limit set by Congress in 2012 Defense Authorization Act.
[Air Force Times – 04/28/2012]

U.K to build $400 million Solar Orbiter which will come closer to sun than any previous satellite, inside Mercury’s orbit, to study solar winds.
[Vancouver Sun – 04/28/2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

SES, with leading industry partners, introduces SAT-IP, an IP-based satellite reception technology that converts satellite TV signals to IP for distribution throughout user’s homes for display on any IP-enabled device.
[Market Watch – 04/27/2012]

Telesat profit drops by 14% due to reduced prices charge a DTH customer on one of its satellites.
[Winnipeg Free Press – 04/27/2012]

Astrium activates full in-orbit operations on the first two Galileo In-Orbit Validation satellites launched in October 2011.
[Satellite Today – 04/27/2012]

Russian Proton rocket successfully launches Yahsat 1B Ka-band civil/military communications satellite into geostationary transfer orbit.
[Space.com – 04/26/2012]

Indian rocket successfully launches microwave Radar Imaging Satellite (Risat-1) from spaceport in Andhra Pradesh, joining a select group of nations having this technology.
[NY Daily News – 04/26/2012]

UK industry to build Solar Orbiter satellite.
[BBC News – 04/26/2012]

CASBAA members rally to resist India’s proposed retroactive satellite tax laws. [SatNews – 04/26/2012]

U.S.A.F. terminates Defense Weather Satellite System contractual activities with Northrop Grumman in accordance with 2012 National Defense Authorization Act and FY12 Consolidated Appropriations Act.
[SatNews – 04/26/2012]

Space-based technology that serves GPS-equipped motorists will undergo major test of ability to rapidly pinpoint the location and magnitude of strong earthquakes across the western United States.
[SatNews – 04/26/2012]

Research firm Media Partners Asia expects DTH growth to explode in Asia, growing exponentially from 11% market share today to about 30% in the next decade.
[Satellite Today – 04/26/2012]

GMV is awarded a contract with THAICOM Plc to provide satellite control center for Thaicom 6 satellite.
[Space Ref – 04/26/2012]

NASA seeks proposals to develop solar array systems to enable space electric propulsion systems of the future.
[SolarNovus – 04/26/2012]

SpaceX COTS 2 mission set for May 7th, when the comp-any’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle will propel the Dragon toward the International Space Station.
[SatNews – 04/25/2012]

ViaSat is selected to enable Ka-band broadband satellite services for kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
[Market Watch – 04/25/2012]

SES adds two new local German channels on ASTRA.
[Market Watch – 04/25/2012]

Canadian Department of National Defence General wants satellite coverage over far north to aid communications in Canadian Arctic.
[The Globe and Mail – 04/25/2012]

Astrium Services and Spanish government satellite service operator Hisdesat sign agreement to establish constellation approach for radar satellites TerraSAR-X and PAZ for additional flexibility.
[SatNews – 04/24/2012]

Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association announces that WorkMark has joined the association as Industry Partner Member; they will work together to expand certification and qualifications needed in the consumer satellite industry.
[SatNews – 04/24/2012]

Boatracs and KVH announce strategic partnership to provide end-to-end global broadband solution to maritime market.
[chron – 04/24/2012]

EUMETSAT opens high-tech facility in Germany.
[Satellite Today – 04/24/2012]

New $1 billion + anti-jam communications satellite to provide the president and military leaders a secure and survivable communications link in wartime is mounted atop its Atlas 5 rocket at Cape Canaveral.
[Spaceflight Now – 04/23/2012]

DARPA project advocates replacing conventional spacecraft with free-floating orbit clusters that interact wirelessly, promoting easy re-configuration for changing military needs.
[Nextgov – 04/23/2012]

iDirect’s iDX software earns 2011 Satellite Spotlight Product of the Year award for bringing TDMA and SCPC together on a single platform for the first time ever.
[Market Watch – 04/23/2012]

U.S. military may spend $1 billion during next decade to piggyback its communications equipment onto commercial satellites.
[Washington Post – 04/22/2012]

Medical Robotics Experts Help Advance NASA’s Satellite Surgery Project.
[Tech Briefs – 04/01/2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

NASA awards $3 million contract to Space System/Loral to begin process of hosting a space laser communications relay demonstration terminal payload aboard a commercial satellite.
[SatNews – 04/20/2012]

ISRO plans to launch its biggest spacecraft ever, the 5,000-kg GSAT-11, by 2014.
[The Hindu Businessline – 04/20/2012]

New nanosat designed by European Satellite Agency promises new opportunities to test ground-breaking satellite software on an actual mission in space.
[Product Design & Development – 04/20/2012]

Upon receipt of an overdue payment of $56.25 million from LightSquared, Inmarsat agrees to suspend further payments until 2014, giving LightSquared some breathing room.
[Reuters – 04/20/2012]

Next-generation DVB-S2 satellite service offered out of Perth, Australia by SpeedCast in partnership with SatComms Australia, finds its first major customer in Saxon Energy Services.
[SatNews – 04/20/2012]

SES-4, launched on February 15th, the 50th and largest satellite in the fleet, is now fully operational and ready for service at orbital location of 338 degrees East.
[SatNews – 04/19/2012]

Second Advanced Extremely High Frequency communication satellite ready for launch May 3, poised to give war fighters a 10 fold increase in capacity after years of delay in the program and a glitch that almost scuttled the first AEHF satellite.
[National Defense Magazine – 04/19/2012]

Europe’s latest second-generation meteorological spacecraft, MSG-3, arrives in French Guiana to be readied for June 19 dual-payload launch on Ariane 5.
[SatNews – 04/19/2012]

The second satellite of the United Arab Emirates’ space communications program, Y1B, is ready to be launched on a Proton launcher from Baikonur in Kazakhstan on April 23.
[Defense Professionals – 04/19/2012]
Satellite Today Webcast April 23

Space Systems/Loral completes construction of Intelsat 19 ahead of schedule, and the satellite is now at the Sea Launch home port in Long Beach.
[Market Watch – 04/19/2012]

Asia Broadcast Satellite seeks $215 million loan from Export-Import Bank of the U.S. for construction of new satellites.
[Bloomberg – 04/19/2012]

Honeywell agrees to work with satellite communications company Inmarsat on providing in-flight internet connection for airline passengers.
[CBS News – 04/19/2012]

SES and Encompass Media sign capacity deal making NASA TV channels available to satellite TV providers and cable outlets throughout the U.S.
[SatNews – 04/19/2012]

Report from U.S. State and Defense Departments states that China is stealing U.S. military and civilian space technology in effort to disrupt U.S. access to intelligence, navigation and communication satellites.
[Business Week – 04/18/2012]

U.S. Defense and State Departments jointly recommend that Congress ease export controls on satellites that have become less militarily sensitive to allow American companies to better compete in the world market.
[NextGov – 04/18/2012]

FCC sets deadlines for comments on plan for flexible use of 2 GHz satellite band, moving closer to proposal that could allow Dish to launch its LTE network.
[Wireless Week – 04/18/2012]

Telesat’s Nimiq 6 satellite, built by Space Systems/Loral, arrives at Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan, where it will be launched on a Proton Breeze M vehicle.
[Market Watch – 04/18/2012]

Australia’s NBN process of moving ahead with satellite construction and launch plans ahead of actual approval of the satellite slots meets with ITU requirements since the application for the slots is underway.
[PC Advisor – 04/18/2012]

Communications on four Eutelsat satellites will be used to cover the French Presidential elections.
[Market Watch – 04/18/2012]

Raytheon successfully downloads and delivers Defense Weather Satellite data via Antarctica with 50% reduction in latency.
[Market Watch – 04/18/2012]

Hughes announces the addition of Ka-band mobile satellite equipment and other communications products to its GSA schedule 70 contract.
[Market Watch – 04/18/2012]

RRSAT and THAICOM extend contract for global distribution of Vietnam Television.
[Market Watch – 04/18/2012]

Unfurlable mesh antenna reflectors aboard DoD’s recently launched MUOS satellite are successfully tested in space.
[Market Watch – 04/17/2012]

University of Navarre’s doctorate thesis describes satellite antenna array designed as a cone such that “radiation is uniformly incident on all parts of the Earth, thus avoiding some zones receiving more energy than others”.
[Basque Research – 04/17/2012]

ITT Exelis, Britain’s BAE Systems and L-3 Communications Holdings have created a joint venture to bid for a huge contract to manage and maintain the U.S. Air Force’s satellite launch and test ranges.
[Reuters – 04/17/2012]

Kratos Integral Systems International selected by Boeing to provide turnkey ground segment solution to support entire constellation of Boeing 702 and Orbital STAR2 satellites for MEXSAT.
[Market Watch – 04/17/2012]

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions subsidiary RT Logic releases CyberC4(TM), a family of cyber security products designed specifically for the satellite industry.
[Market Watch – 04/17/2012]

Military takes control of fourth WGS satellite following completion of on-orbit tests by Boeing.
[UPI – 04/16/2012]

European Space Agency struggles to restore contact with its massive 10 year old satellite Envisat, after it lost touch with Earth.
[Space – 04/16/2012]

Intelsat and PCCW Global of Hong Kong agree to interconnect their MPLS networks to expand the IntelsatONE terrestrial network.
[Market Watch – 04/16/2012]

Undisputed evidence showing ICO waived its claim for breach of a satellite contract by Boeing leads to three-judge appellate court’s reversal of a 2008 jury award to ICO against Boeing for over $600 million.
[Gulf News – 04/15/2012]

Sailors who have grown up used to instant access to friends and family by broadband and the Internet are finding themselves and their families stressed out when they go to sea and have these lines of communications restricted or severed.
[Navy Times – 04/15/2012]

Some scientists believe that a solar storm on April 5, 2010, observed by NASA satellites TWINS and IBIX, was responsible for the loss of control of Galaxy 15, which drifted out of control for almost a year before operators regained control and returned it to its assigned orbit.
[NASA – article]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Lockheed Martin delivers 100th and 101st commercial geostationary communications satellites, JCSAT-13 and VINASAT-2, to French Guiana for upcoming dual launch.
[Space Ref – 04/13/2012]

Multispectral Scanner on Landsat 5 which was turned off in late 1990′s is turned on by United States Geological Service to determine the state of the sensor, and downlinked data for several successful passes.
[SatNews – 04/13/2012]

Inmarsat’s second generation Inmarsat-2 F4 satellite switched off just days short of its 20th birthday.
[SatNews – 04/13/2012]

After 10 years of service, Envisat stops sending data to Earth.
[SatNews – 04/12/2012]

North Korea rocket breaks up 90 seconds after launch.
[MSNBC – 04/12/2012]

NOAA retires GOES-7 after 25 years as weather and communications satellite.
[Environmental Protection – 04/12/2012]

Space Systems/Loral to partner with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center to host laser communications relay demonstration on a commercial satellite to be launched in 2016. [Photonics – 04/12/2012]

Azerbaijan delays launch of its first national Azerspace satellite to 2013 to accommodate expanded ground system.
[Satellite Today – 04/12/2012]

Senators ask Federal Communications Commission to find alternative spectrum for LightSquared since its recent ruling effectively killed LightSquared’s plans for a national broadband network using frequencies that interfered with GPS.
[VB/Mobile – 04/11/2012]

Satellite industry predictions vary for post-budget cut in the military market.
[Via Satellite – 04/11/2012]

Surrey Satellite seeks ancillary payloads for its upcoming OTB mission in Q1 2015, offering government and commercial organizations a low-risk, cost effective opportunity for flight and operation of payloads in low Earth orbit.
[SatNews – 04/11/2012]

Boeing successfully parachute drop tests space capsule that may eventually carry passengers to International Space Station.
[Design News – 04/11/2012]

Fregat M upper stage for Starsem’s Soyuz launch of the MetOp-B weather satellite, capable of 20 restarts in flight, undergoes checkout in preparation for May 23 launch from Kazakhstan.
[SatNews – 04/11/2012]

Afghanistan seeks partner for satellite launch.
[Rapid TV News – 04/11/2012]

U.K. Government to grant nearly 7 million pounds to co-fund major new British research to develop commercial products and services using space technology and data from space-based systems.
[SatNews – 04/11/2012]

Gilat delivers satellite-based connectivity during Russian national presidential elections.
[Market Watch – 04/11/2012]

FRANSAT, SAMSUNG, and NEOTION unveil satellite receiver and DTT module that facilitate satellite reception of free Digital Terrestrial Television channels in France.
[SatNews – 04/11/2012]

RigNet deploys universal satellite hub for offshore use in Doha, Qatar, to enhance VST services for Middle East oil & gas sectors.
[Marine Link – 04/11/2012]

C-Com gets $1 million iNetVu order from un-named customer in Russia.
[Satellite Today – 04/11/2012]

Clear Channel Satellite’s XtremeSat Media receiver allows independent syndicators maintaining their own satellite links to seamslessly transition from SCPC to MCPC as their network expands.
[SatNews – 04/11/2012]

Dead Russian military satellite falls into Pacific Ocean after circling Earth for 15 years.
[Live Science – 04/10/2012]

Cobham renews bid to acquire Thrane & Thrane after purchasing 25% of the company from investors.
[Reuters – 04/10/2012]

Newtec and Yahsat demonstrate 310 Mbps transport over a 36 Mhz transponder on Yahsat’s Y1A satellite.
[SatNews – 04/10/2012]

AeroMechanical Services signs contract with unnamed Canadian charter airline to provide AFIRS system using  Iridium satellite system.
[Satellite Today – 04/10/2012]

SES announces SUPER RTL HD joins the HD+ platform in Germany as of May 1.
[SatNews – 04/10/2012]

SES negotiates with Ethiopian Ministry of Information and Communication Technology to provide satellite services to back-up the infrastructure of Ethiopia’s telecommunications provider, Ethio Telecom.
[Satellite Today – 04/10/2012]

Cisco introduces IP multiplexing technology for its Mobile Ready Net package that aims to dramatically improve the number of IP-based voice calls on a satellite link.
[Satellite Today – 04/10/2012]

Exede Newsgathering from ViaSat revolutionizes the way news is delivered and the way journalists work in the field, using high-capacity Ka-band service offering ample bandwidth for live HD video uplinks plus 2-way broadband work flow. [SatNews – 04/09/2012]

SpaceX plans to build private launch facility in Texas.
[Satellite Today – 04/09/2012]

Skyline Communications to showcase at NAB release 7 of its DataMiner multi-vendor network management platform guaranteed to interface with any product from any vendor.
[SatNews – 04/09/2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Remarkable and fantastic predictions from Sir Arthur C. Clarke, via the BBC programme “Horizon” from 1964.

Part 1

Part 2