WBMSAT News Bits 02/06/2015
Tuesday, February 10th, 2015SpaceX, working with Google, and OneWeb, teamed with Virgin Galactic, race to build satellite internet.
[VOX – 02/05/2015]
SpaceX, working with Google, and OneWeb, teamed with Virgin Galactic, race to build satellite internet.
[VOX – 02/05/2015]
ITU gives European satellite operators bad news – share the lower part of C-band spectrum with mobile operators.
[Space News – 01/29/2015]
New head of Russia’s Federal Space Agency Roscosmos, Dimitry Rogozin, says Russia must continue international space cooperation.
[Space Daily – 01/23/2015]
ESA is actively working with China with the goal of placing a European astronaut on the Chinese space station.
[Space News – 01/16/2015]
Good news: Google Fiber may get access to utility rights-of-way under Title II of the Telecom Act.
Here’s the news, via The Wall Street Journal…
In a rare public comment by Google on net neutrality, the Internet giant this week said it sees a silver lining in the potential to be regulated like a telecom company.
The Federal Communications Commission has proposed treating broadband Internet providers like Google Fiber as telecommunications services under Title II, which President Barack Obama supported in November to complaints from the telecom and cable industries.
Title II would expose Google Fiber to new regulations usually targeted at communications utilities and monopolies. Rates and service quality would be regulated by the government and Google Fiber may have to ask permission to stop providing some services, according to Tom Cohen, a communications lawyer at Kelley Drye & Warren.
But in a letter Tuesday to the FCC, Google’s director of communications law Austin Schlick highlighted a potential positive for the company if Title II kicks in. As a regulated telecom service, Google Fiber would get access to utility poles and other essential infrastructure owned by utilities. The FCC should make sure this happens because it would promote competition and spur more investment and deployment of broadband internet service, Schlick argued.
Broadband competition just got a little more interesting.
Late surge of launch activity, primarily by China and Russia, pushed the total number of orbital launches worldwide in 2014 to its highest level in 20 years.
[Space News – 12/31/2014]
U.S. Air Force and NOAA join forces to resurrect launch of space weather satellite Triana, renamed the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DISCOVR).
[Via Satellite – 12/22/2014]
Orbital Sciences signs $1billion deal with Russian design bureau Energomash for 60 RD181 rocket engines to power the Antares rocket.
[Space Daily – 12/18/2014]
Compromise appropriations bill includes $220 million for RD-180 replacement, despite Air Force objections.
[Space News – 12/11/2014]
House-Senate conference measure prohibits future use of a Russian-built RD180 rocket engine that today routinely launches U.S. national security satellites.
[Space News – 12/05/2014]