Really Rocket Science

Joint Polar Satellite System – Credit: Ball Aerospace artist’s concept – Space News

House Appropriations Committee approves full funding for NOAA next-generation polar-orbiting and geostationary weather satellites, but not climate sensor plans.
[Space News – 05/09/2014]

SpaceX challenge to ULA block buy of Russian-made engines appears to hinge on the question of whether the plaintiff met the deadline for filing its protest.
[Space News – 05/09/2014]

NSR’s Global Direct-to-Home (DTH) Markets, 7th Edition, provides industry-leading analysis on the Satellite Television markets worldwide.
[NSR – 05/09/2014]

ASTRA 2G – Credit: SES Artist’s Concept – Space News

SES says Astra 2G has been cleared for shipment to Russia for launch.
[Space News – 05/09/2014]

Evolution of Milsatcom in India – a discussion of the space technologies deployed for defence and security of India.
[Pakistan Defence – 05/09/2014]

Jupiter 1/EchoStar 17 – Credit: SSL Artist’s Concept – Space News

Echostar warns investors that use of its EchoStar 19 Ka-band satellite now in development may be affected by the patent litigation between ViaSat and Space Systems/Loral.
[Space News – 05/09/2014]

Recovering mobile satellite services operator Globalstar reports double-digit growth in handset saels and subscriber revenue for its key two-way voice service.
[Space News – 04/09/2014]

Global Satellite Engineering now integrates SkyWave’s IsatData Pro, Automatic Vehicle Location, and Garmin-based dispatch within its fleet management solution.
[SatNews – 05/09/2014]

Euroconsult releases report providing insight into Milsatcom industry.
[Via Satellite – 05/08/2014]

United States remains the leader in space competitiveness, but is the only nation to decline for seven straight years, according to Futron 2014 Space Competitiveness Index..
[Satellite Markets & Research – 05/08/2014]

Oilfield communications market expected to reach $3.18 billion by 2019 – new report by MarketsandMarkets.
[TMCnet – 05/08/2014]

Research and Markets announces the addition of the “Analysis of the Global Satellite Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) Market” report, analyzing the VSAT market 2012-2019, to their offering.
[Satellite Spotlight – 05/08/2014]

Navy’s Ice Camp Nautilus on floating ice – (PHOTO COURTESY LOCKHEED MARTIN) – NUNATSIAQ Online

Navy’s floating Ice Camp Nautilus north of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, uses the MUOS secure satellite system to transmit large data files and voice transmissions during March exercises.
[NUNATSIUAQ ONLINE – 05/08/2014]

Euroconsult and Hughes to share information about how latest satellite backhaul solutions are opening opportunities to expand cellular addressable markets beyond the current paradigm in a webinar.
[SatNews – 05/08/2014]

Judge lifts temporary band on purchase of Russian RD-180 engines by United Launch Alliance.
[Space News – 05/09/2014]

RSCC plans to implement Center for Geolocation and Space Monitoring in Dubna, Russia.
[Via Satellite – 05/08/2014]

The House Armed Services Committee calls on U.S. national security officials to report back on the threat posed by Russian satellite monitoring stations.
[SatNews – 05/08/2014]

A map showing satellite communications company Inmarsat’s global subscriptions. (Reuters) – The Atlantic

Outside satellite experts say investigators could be looking in the wrong ocean for MH370 because the Inmarsat analysis doesn’t hold up.
[The Atlantic – 05/08/2014]

Inmarsat and Sea Launch say Russia sanctions won’t disrupt upcoming launches.
[SatNews – 05/08/2014]

Spaceflight Inc.’s first Sherpa hosted payload flight almost fully booked with smallsats.
[Via Satellite – 05/08/2014]

Bandwidth crunch will force Australian broadband project to ration capacity.
[Space News – 05/08/2014]

HISPASAT and Eskaltel sign agreement to provide broadband internet access throughout Spain.
[SatNews – 05/08/2014]

The International Media Associates (TIIMA) acquires capacity on the EUTELSAT 10A satellite in hopes of serving international news teams covering high-profile events such as Oscar Pistorius trial.
[Screen Africa – 05/08/2014]

Fishing Boats in NS Harbour – Marinelink file photo

Inmarsat says it now connects leisure and fishing vessels with a specially designed broadband service.
[Marine Link – 05/08/2014]

ORBCOMM will offer its portfolio of M2M solutions to government customers under Corp Ten’s General Services Administration schedule.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 05/08/2014]

ViaSat launches Exede Business internet service for small and medium-sized businesses.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 05/08/2014]

Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana Stadium. Credit: Image courtesy of Brazil’s government – Space News

Brazil awards satellite positions to Eutelsat, Hispasat, and SES affiliates.
[Space News – 05/07/2014]

Utility market full of satcom potential.
[NSR – 05/07/2014]

IPTV is set to overtake DTH in western Europe, according to a new report from Digital TV Research.
[Satellite Markets & Research – 05/07/2014]

Airbus Defence and Space launches a new Global Field-Service Alliance (GFSA) initiative to ensure quality installation and maintenance of VSAT equipment in major ports.
[Digital Ship – 05/07/2014]

Globalstar subsidiary SPOT LLC announces that its products have been used to initiate 3000 rescues around the world since 2007.
[Market Watch – 05/07/2014]

Intellian launches its new x60 terminal, designed to deliver efficient high-speed broadband on Inmarsat’s Global Xpress service, coming into service later this year.
[BYM News – 05/07/2014]

Research and Markets adds the “Global Satellite Transponder Market” report to their offering.
[Satellite Spotlight – 05/06/2014]

Pentagon funding for space programs is projected to fall 37 percent over the next four years when compared to last year’s projected spending over the same time period.
[Defense News – 05/06/2014]

Coming soon, NSR’s 4th edition of Satellite Manufacturing & Launch Services report combines thorough and invaluable market analysis with extensive and in-depth forecasts.
[NSR – 05/06/2014]

KVH doubles mini-VSAT broadband network capacity in Africa to support offshore oil and gas industry.
[MENA FN – 05/06/2014]

Sprite picosat developers hoping Kicksat, launched by Falcon 9 April 18, will deploy the 104 microsatellites it holds on May 16, before falling back into atmosphere.
[Space News – 05/06/2014]

ITC Global closes more than $30M in new service contracts and deploys 27 high-end satellite networks in first quarter 2014.
[Yahoo Finance – 05/06/2014]

NSA and British counterpart GCHQ seek ways of monitoring airplane passenger communication: Greenwald.
[Daily News – 05/06/2014]

Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited (NigComSat) urges National Conference to facilitate government policy to direct all security agencies to key into its National Public Security.
[Leadership – 05/06/2014]

U.S. sanctions against Russia’s space industry affect Europeans.
[Space Daily – 05/05/2014]

Avonline Broadband signs multi-million dollar contract extension with Avanti Communications, in order to provide a series of tailored broadband solutions to SME customers across Europe.
[SatNews – 05/05/2014]

Globecomm receives service contract extension for mission-critical distribution systems from global media and information firm in New York.
[Business Wire – 05/05/2014]

Thaicom selects Orbital Sciences Corp. and SpaceX to build and launch another television broadcasting satellite.
[Spaceflight Now – 05/04/2014]

WiFi on airlines: users will find it’s worth the trouble.
[eweek – 05/04/2014]

Nigeria Internet Group chief urges Nigerian government to sell NigComSat to private investors.
[The Nation Online – 05/04/2014]

SatNews file photo

Today’s SatHealth vehicles help save lives, time, and money. [SatMagazine – May 2014 issue]

U.S. sanctions against Russia sowing confusion, caution among space firms. [Space News – 05/02/2014]

Indonesia’s Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) has sets collision course with Indonesia’s Indosat satellite operator by ordering a satellite to be placed into the same orbital slot as a satellite ordered by Indosat a year ago. [Space News – 05/02/2014]

French space agency CNES signs formal work-share agreement with NASA on the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) altimetry satellite to be launched in 2020. [Space News – 05/02/2014]

Xplornet Communications Inc. has contracted with ViaSat Inc. for all of the residential capacity covering Canada on the ViaSat-2 satellite. [SatNews – 05/02/2014]

MDA says 90 percent of bids for commercial telecommunications satellites that its SSL subsidiary is chasing are unaffected by the patent-infringement litigation between SSL and ViaSat. [Space News – 05/02/2014]

Avanti signs a multi-million dollar contract extension with Avonline broadband to target European consumers with new satellite broadband. [IFA Magazine – 05/02/2014]

Ultra Electronics AEP enables Thuraya to offer extremely secure communications over robust satellite network. [CIOL – 05/02/2014]

MEASAT’s new MEASAT-3b satellite to be launched from French Guiana on May 28. [BERNAMA – 05/02/2014]

U.S. Federal court bans United Launch Alliance from purchasing RD-180 engines from Russia’s NPO Energomash, following filing by SpaceX calling it an “unlawful contract” to send money to sanctioned Russian Deputy Prime Minister. [Via Satellite – 05/01/2014]

Sea Launch announces its prime contractor will restart testing in preparation of rollout of EUTELSAT 3B satellite, now scheduled to launch May 26. [SatNews – 05/01/2014]

A proposed microsatellite mission would demonstrate technology for satellite-based quantum key distribution. [SPIE – 05/01/2014]

Arianespace on track to perform 12 missions during 2014, setting a new operational record surpassing the 10 flights in 2010. [SatNews – 05/01/2014]

AT&T has approached DirecTV about a takeover. [The Wall Street Journal – 05/01/2014]]

Telesat cut Q1 losses, growing revenue 10.6%, but it wasn’t enough to give the satellite communications company a profitable first quarter. [Ottawa Business Journal – 05/01/2014]

Orbital Sciences will build, and SpaceX will launch, Thaicom 8. [Space News – 04/30/2014]

British government to adopt industry recommendations to reduce amount of insurance satellite companies must purchase before government guarantees on third-party liability take effect. [Space News – 04/30/2014]

TelOne, the Zimbabwean national telco, has announced a satellite broadband contract with Avanti Communications. [MIL-TECH – 05/01/2014]

Lockheed Martin testing facility enables more radio terminals to be qualified for use with MUOS communications satellites. [Satellite Spotlight. – 05/01/2014]

New Delorme inReach combines GPS navigation and emergency communications. [gizmag – 05/01/2014]

Both ViaSat and Space Systems Loral (SSL) take further legal action following recent decision by U.S. Court for Southern District of California to award ViaSat $283M in damages against SSL. [Via Satellite – 04/30/2014]

IGNIS project spearheaded by HISPASAT concludes with demonstration combining satellite communications with range of services and technologies at scene of a forest fire. [SatNews – 04/30/2014]

SSL delivers satellite to Kourou launch complex for Optus of Australia. [Broadcaster – 04/30/2014]

GlobaFone brings leading satellite communications solutions to the Florida Governor’s Hurricane Conference. [4-traders – 04/30/2014]

EUTELSAT signs distribution agreement with Wireless Innovation to enable it to use KA-SAT to provide critical communication services and connectivity for temporary and mobile offices. [SatNews – 04/30/2014]

The global military satellite market is expected to experience a growth of 3.74% during 2014-2024 in a report published by Strategic Defence Intelligence. [Yahoo Finance – 04/29/2014]

Inmarsat lost altitude amid market fears the satellite communications group’s $1.6bn (£950m) high-speed broadband programme would be hit by Western sanctions on Moscow. [Telegraph – 04/29/2014]

MDA wins strategic contact to provide communications satellite hosted X-band payload on Turksat 6A. [Yahoo Finance – 04/29/2014]

ATK merges Aerospace and Defense Group with Orbital Sciences. [Via Satellite – 04/29/2014]

United Launch Alliance (ULA) responds to SpaceX suit against the U.S. Air Force’s block buy of 36 cores from ULA for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program. [Via Satellite – 04/29/2014]

Pilots using Planet2 satellite service can now receive inflight updates on weather hazards and warn other aircraft of storms they see ahead. [PHYS-ORG – 04/29/2014]

Ultra Electronics and Thuraya to provide end-to-end communications for government customers. [Via Satellite – 04/29/2014]

Age of satellites dedicated to broadcast is giving way to new technologies for handling massive data streams. [NY Times – 04/29/2014]

Telemar SpA appointed as Value Added Reseller for Inmarsat Global Xpress for the Global Government. [twst – 04/29/2014]

Carrier rocket Proton-M delivered Kazakh KazSat -3 and Russian Luch – 5B satellites to intermediate orbit, Russian Space Agency’s representative told RIA Novosti. [TMCnet – 04/28/2014]

SpaceX files suit against Air Force block buy of 36 cores from United Launch Alliance for Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program. [Via Satellite – 04/28/2014]

AT&T will use its considerable resources to challenge Gogo in the inflight connectivity market. [cnbc – 04/28/2014]

AT&T and Honeywell to redefine the air travel experience with world-class, high-speed wireless Internet, developed so it can integrate with Honeywell’s GX and L-Band satellite systems. [Aviation Today – 04/28/2014]

SSL selected to provide a satellite to PT. Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk (BRI), the oldest and most profitable bank in Indonesia. [msn Money – 04/28/2014]

Iridium completes extensive upgrade of ground station infrastructure worldwide for enhanced reliability and performance. [Financial Content – 04/28/2014]

Iridium submits application to IMO for new GMDSS maritime offering. [Via Satellite – 04/28/2014]

The FAA Alaska Flight Services has announced that the DeLorme inReach satellite communicator has been approved for the Enhanced Special Reporting Service (eSRS) program. [AERO News Network – 04/28/2014]

Airbus selected to build Peru’s first Earth Observation Satellite system. [Via Satellite – 04/28/2014]

International telecom and media company Millicom began its first Direct-to-Home (DTH) TV service in Bolivia. [Via Satellite – 04/28/2014]

ViaSat awarded $283M in damages in suite against Space Systems/Loral (SSL). [Via Satellite – 04/25/2014]

Cubesat propulsion systems to be 3-D printed by Aerojet Rocketdyne. [Via Satellite – 04/25/2014]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Speaking in South Korea as satellite images show North Korea may be preparing for another nuclear test, Obama warns of stiffer sanctions. [Yahoo News – 04/25/2014]

U.S. Sanctions putting the brakes on Russia-bound satellite shipments. [Space News – 04/25/2014]

Falcon 9’s first stage – Credit: SpaceX photo – Space News

SpaceX’s latest cargo flight delivers a step toward rocket reusability, as first stage fired back up and successfully performed a test “soft landing” in the Atlantic. [Space News – 04/25/2014]

SpaceX files formal protest in U.S. Court of Federal Claims over multibillion-dollar U.S. Air Force contract to its incumbent launch provider, United Launch Alliance. [Space News – 04/25/2014]

Increasing shift towards satellite TV drives demand for satellite transponders according to new Global Industry Analysts report. [Digital Journal – 04/25/2014]

Government of Canada decides not to proceed with scheduled June, 2014 launch of M3M satellite constructed by COM DEV – launch to be rescheduled.. [Space Ref business – 04/25/2014]

Glonass satellite collage – Space Daily file image

Russia plans to build 50 stations for the global navigation satellite system Glonass in 36 countries, a senior official said. [GPS Daily – 04/25/2014]

Russia’s GLONASS has resumed normal operations after suffering an outage earlier this month caused by a malfunctioning satellite. [GPS Daily – 04/25/2014]

High resolution satellite proposed for Peru –
Credit: Airbus Defence and Space artist’s concept – Space News

Airbus beats a crowded field for the right to build a reconnaissance satellite for Peru. [Space News – 04/25/2014]

Russian startup Yaliny hopes crowdfunding will launch its business — and its 135 satellites. [cnet – 04/25/2014]

M2M specialist Ovinto’s monitoring solution is certified for use with Globalstar Simplex satellite technology, and the company is a Globalstar Value Added Manufacturer. [SatNews – 04/25/2014]

Loral and SSL plan to appeal jury decision in ViaSat lawsuit. [MarketWatch – 04/24/2014]

Thuraya sets its sights on maritime sector, aiming for 10% market share in 2 years. [Business Times – 04/24/2014]

Hispasat is bidding for a majority stake in Israeli satellite operator Space Communication to boost its international exposure. [Reuters – 04/24/2014]

International Maritime Organization to consider Iridium applications to be a global maritime distress and safety system service provider. [CNBC – 04/24/2014]

Globalstar is unlocking the value of its $1 billion investment in the world’s newest, most modern satellite network and challenging customers to experience the best in voice quality, data speeds and affordability. [money.msn.com – 04/24/2014]

AsiaSat of Hong Kong terminates its cooperation agreement with GeoMetWatch to place a hyperspectral meteorological sensor on the AsiaSat 9 telecommunications satellite. [Space News – 04/24/2014]

Sea Launch in Pacific Ocean –
Credit: Sea Launch photo – Space News

Boeing’s petition to a Swedish court to rulke on its attempt to collect $356 million in back bills from its former Russian and Ukranian partners in Sea Launch is rejected. [Space News – 04/24/2014]

Gondwana selects Avanti to power multiple broadband and VOIP services to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and South Africa via HYLAS 2. [MarketWatch – 04/24/2014]

United States Department of Defense awards Orbcomm partner Savi Technology with a five-year contract as the sole provider to the $204 million RFID-IV program. [Via Satellite – 04/24/2014]

General Services Administration’s Federal Acquisition Service issues combined synopsis/solicitation notice for acquisition of Worldwide Satellite Communication Services (WSCS II). [TMCnet – 04/23/2014]

U.S. Navy awards Harris Corporation potential $133 million broadband satellite communication terminal contract. [Satellite Spotlight – 04/23/2014]

Artist’s rendition of Eutelsat 65 west A. –
Photo: SSL – Via Satellite

All Eutelsat 65 West A Ka-band capacity is scarfed up by Hughes Network Systems do Brazil. [Via Satellite – 04/23/2014]

Critical military satellite systems are vulnerable to hacking. [Defense Sysems – 04/23/2014]

Silversea Cruises renews and extends its relationship with MTN for its eight-ship fleet, substantially increasing broadband connectivity and optimizing WiFi. [SatNews – 04/23/2014]

Effnet licenses its header compression technology to a leading broadband satellite communications companyu. [Globe Newswire – 04/23/2014]

New NSR report finds demand for traditional satellite capacity will remain strong, especially in the energy sector. [Reuters – 04/22/2014]

Third Kazakhstani communications satellite to be launched from Baikonur cosmodrome on April 28. [TMCnet – 04/22/2014]

Express-AT1 was launched jointly with Express-AT2 from
the Baikonur space center by a Russian Proton-M rocket
© ITAR-TASS/Oleg Urusov

[Russia puts into operation 2 new telecoms satellites. [ITAR-TASS – 04/22/20104]

General Dynamics opens new radio testing laboratory for MUOS satellite-ground station communications. [Reuters – 04/22/2014]

SkyWave launches dual satellite-cellular HSPA device. [M2M World News – 04/22/2014]

Comtech EF Data Corp., has received a USD3.1m order for SLM-5650A satellite modems from a government systems integrator. [Financial News – 04/22/2014]

US Finance Inc. commits to lend $24 million to Laser Light Global Limited, UK to build the HALO Center, a laser communications test and evaluation facility. [SatNews – 04/22/2014]

Thuraya Telecommunications Company announces a partnership with Satcom Direct, a US-based provider of voice and data communication services. [TMC News – 04/22/2014]

The satellite industry is at a critical inflection point, poised to expand beyond niche status and play a broader, more vital role in global communications. [Via Satellite – 04/21/2014]

Azerbaijan is finishing a tender procedure for the launch of the first national low-orbit satellite. [ABC.AZ – 04/21/2014]

Intelsat sees African over-capacity situation as temporary. [Via Satellite – 04/21/2014]

Astronauts get Easter treat courtesy of Space X Dragon 9. [R&D Magazine – 04/20/2014]

Handout picture released by the Peruvian Geological
Institute INGEMMET – NDTV

Satellite imagery can be used to predict which volcanoes are most likely to erupt, scientists have found. [NDTV – 04/20/2014]

Challenger Communications acquires assets of former Patriot Antenna Systems. [Press release – 03/19/2014]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Ukraine’s Yuzhnoye Design Office continues to produce engines and other rocket components for customers in the United States, Brazil, Russia, Europe and elsewhere with no interruptions stemming from the crisis in Ukraine’s relations with Moscow. [Space News – 04/18/2014]

Lockheed Martin engineers in Denver install the Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI)
on the GOES-R Sun Pointing Platform. – Phys Org

New satellite sensor will analyze and predict severe space weather. [Phys Org – 04/18/2014]

India’s Department of Space consulting with telecom department (DoT) on planned overhaul of 17-year old satellite communications policy to allow auctioning of satellite bandwidth. [India Times – 04/18/2014]

Inmarsat will offer airlines free tracking using its satellite communications. [SKIFT – 04/18/2014]

Leading military and industry experts to meet in Rio de Janeiro in August at MilSatCom Latin America Conference. [PR Web – 04/18/2014]

Qualcomm assigned patent for forward link data rate control and rate indication for satellite-enabled communications systems. [TMC News – 04/18/2014]

Power system failure detected on Amazonas 4A likely to reduce transponder capacity- since the problem cannot be fixed, Orbital Sciences will lose millions in incentive payments. [Washington Business Journal – 04/17/2014]

Falcon 9 launch – Space Travel file photo

SpaceX cargo mission launches to International Space Station. [Space Travel – 04/17/2014]

Satellite terminals widely used in transportation, military, and industrial plants contain backdoors, hardcoded credentials, weak encryption algorithms, and other design flaws. [Information Week – 04/17/2014]

German satellite and Internet company Stellar tells GCHQ and NSA “Call me!” – wants answers why it may have been hacked by them. [DW – 04/17/2014]

Atmospheric satellite – Artist’s concept at Angelpub – Wealth Daily

Atmospheric satellites can alleviate most of problems affecting polar and geosynchronous satellites, and do things like provide low-cost, wide-area-effective internet access to people and places that would never have had it before. [Wealth Daily – 04/17/2014]

Africa’s demand for bandwidth is doubling every year, outpacing the laying of terrestrial fiber links and encouraging satellite operators to launch more satellites. [Yahoo News – 04/17/2014]

Lockheed Martin completely renovates its flagship A2100 satellite bus as it moves forward to reengage the commercial satellite market. [Via Satellite – 04/17/2014]

Russian Aerospace Corp. president suspected of office abuse in instructing subsidiary to grant loans to two companies involved in commercial space project Sea Launch. [Space News – 04/17/2014]

exactEarth and SRT release new technology called ABSEA to enable global tracking for small commercial and leisure vessels. [Via Satellite – 04/17/2014]

GlobaFone to offer Iridium GO! personal Wi-Fi hotspot that allows users to connect up to five devices to the Iridium satellite network and use a smart phone to make calls and send data. [Officer.com – 04/17/2014]

Advantech Wireless CEO expects Gallium Nitride (GaN) to be the technology of choice over Traveling Wave Tube Amplifiers (TWTAs) and Klystrons in the future. [Via Satellite – 04/17/2014]

Measat 3b satellite transported to Kourou, French Guiana for a dual launch with the SSL-built Optus 10 by an Arianespace Ariane 5 launcher. [Via Satellite – 04/16/2014]

SpaceX signs 20-year agreement with NASA for use of Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, the site of numerous Apollo and space shuttle missions. [Via Satellite – 04/16/2014]

Satellite photo of California wildfires in 2013 May 2, 2013 by UK DMC2. Photo: DMCii

Even with current and planned proliferation of Earth Observation satellites, DMC International Imaging CEO advises governments and industry not to get comfortable with the level of coverage just yet. [Via Satellite – 04/16/2014]

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the air force to adopt an integrated air and space defence capability, in what was called a response to the increasing military use of space by the United States and others. [Space News – 04/16/2014]

Pentagon seeks information on potential launch service providers for ORS-5 satellite. [Space News – 04/16/2014]

IceSat 2 – Credit: NASA artist’s concept – Space News

Science instrument for NACA’s ICESat-2 will be delivered at least nine months late and continues to face development challenges. [Space News – 04/16/2014]

DigitalGlobe and MDA will offer combined optical and synthetic aperture radar satellite solution to their global defense and intelligence customers. [Via Satellite – 04/16/2014]

SSL is selected to provide two communications satellites to SKY Perfect JSAT of Japan, with a fleet currently including 16 satellites. [MarketWatch – 04/16/2014]

Arabsat CEO calls for the satellite industry to up the pace of progress, saying the industry is moving too slow. [Via Satellite – 04/16/2014]

The German Aerospace Center and the Japanese National Institute of Information and Communications Technology sign memorandum of understanding strengthening their cooperation in the crucial research area of optical satellite-Earth communication. [DLR – 04/16/2014]

SES Broadband Services (SBBS) and Gilat expand consumer Ka-band services to Germany and Italy over SES’s ASTRA 2E satellite. [Satellite Spotlight – 04/16/2014]

Harvey Gulf International Marine chooses KVH’s mini-VSAT Broadband network to support onboard applications including crew Internet access, business email, and voice. [MarineLink – 04/16/2014]

DeLorme announces inReach Explorer, the world’s first satellite communicator with built-in navigation. [Yahoo Finance – 04/16/2014]

Shaw Communications will make changes to its operating units as part of its bid to improve efficiency and enhance growth, laying off as many as 400 but making up to 100 new hires. [mediacaster – 04/16/2014]

Global military satellite market expected to experience growth of 3.74% during 2014 – 2024 in new report published by Strategic Defence Intelligence. [Yahoo Finance – 04/15/2014]

Frost and Sullivan report based on a Hughes Network Systems solution posits that satellite backhaul is the best way for 3G/LTE cellular providers to extend their networks in hard-to-reach areas where terrestrial facilities are limited or cost-prohibitive. [Financial News – 04/15/2014]

Second of three new NASA TDRS-L spacecraft arrives at launch pad at Cape Canaveral ready for launch. [Scientific Computing – 04/15/2014]

U.S. intelligence community recommends granting U.S. satellite imagery provider DigitalGlobe’s request for permission to sell high resolution images to non-government customers. [Space News – 04/15/2014]

Reaction Engines’ Skylon – Credit: Reaction Engines artist’s concept – Space News

Two companies take radically different approaches to launcher reusability – Britain’s Reaction Engines and SpaceX of the U.S. [Space News – 04/15/2014]

Acquired by Broadband Satellite Services last year, Satcom Global and the AND group are being unveiled as the unified global brand Satcom Global offering wider portfolio of services. [SatNews – 04/15/2014]

Mario Zucchelli, Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica – Photo courtesy of ESA – SatNews

SES and Milano Teleport have signed a capacity and ground satellite infrastructure deal to provide connectivity to Mario Zucchelli, the Italian research station in Antarctica. [SatNews – 04/15/2014]

Iveriasat to broadcast to Europe and Middle East via Azerspace 1 satellite. [Via Satellite – 04/15/2014]

A model of the Solara 50, Titan Aerospace’s commercial “atmospheric satellite” – arstechnica

Google buys “atmospheric satellite” builder Titan Aerospace, previously identified as a Facebook acquisition. [ars technica – 04/14/2014]

According to recent revelations, Britain’s GCHQ Intelligence agency has been able to hack into German communications and satellite firms. [Acumin – 04/14/2014]

With an impending gap in meteorological satellite coverage looming over the United States, NOAA is being pushed to make greater use of commercial data sources. [Via Satellite – 04/14/2014]

Artist’s concept image of ISEE-3 (ICE) spacecraft. Image Credit: NASA

Launched in 1978 to study solar wind, ISEE-3 returns to make its closest approach to Earth in August 2014 before it heads back out to interplanetary space. [NASA – 04/14/2014]

Turkmenistan plans to launch communications satellite in November 2014. [TMC News – 04/14/2014]

Key companies providing in-flight WiFi include Gogo Inc. of the U.S., Row44 of the U.S., LiveTV, owned by Thales of France, Panasonic Avionics of Japan, and SITA unit OnAir based in Geneva – article includes the satellite providers they work with. [Reuters – 04/14/2014]

RigNet and CPN introduce new packages SCADA solution for oilfield service companies. [The Wall Street Journal – 04/14/2014]

Huawei and Comtech EF Data announce integrated satellite solution platform using Comtech EF Data’s advanced VSAT and Huawei’s routers, communications, and monitoring systems. [WhaTech – 04/12/2014]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

An Atlas 5 launched a classified satellite from Cape Canaveral April 10 after a 16-day delay caused by technical issues at the launch range. [Space News – 04/11/2014]

SpaceX and United Launch Alliance more than double lobbying expenses in recent years, as launch competition looms. [Space News – 04/11/2014]

The U.S. commerce secretary says current weather satellite development programs are on track but nonetheless she continues to worry about a future gap in coverage. [Space News – 04/11/2014]

Metop SG – Credit: ESA artist’s concept – Space News

European Space Agency’s Industrial Policy Committee approved 820 million Euros for Airbus Defence and Space to build two to six polar-orbiting METOPS meteorological satellites. [Space News – 04/11/2014]

Telespazio of Rome will provide the operations and maintenance services for the data-access system to manage Europe’s Copernicus network of environment-monitoring satellites. [Space News – 04/11/2014]

Soyuz at European Spaceport – Credit: Arianespace
photo – Space News

Arianespace is negotiating with the Russian space agency on a block buy of Soyuz rockets to be operated from Russia’s Baikonur spaceport. [Space News – 04/11/2014]

Avanti’s HYLAS 2, with 100% coverage over South Africa, is used by Reuters for 24/7 SNG coverage of Oscar Pistorius trial. [SatNews – 04/11/2014]

Ofeq 9 launch – Credit: Israel Aerospace
Industries photo – Space News

Israeli rocket launches Ofeq 10 radar reconnaissance satellite into orbit aboard a Shavit rocket. [Space News – 04/10/2014]

Europe’s just-launched Sentinel-1A dodges dead space weather satellite. [Space News – 04/10/2014]

Ontario Teachers Pension Plan (OTPP) is in the lead to buy Loral Space & Communications Inc’s Canadian satellite communications company Telesat Holdings Inc for about $7 billion. [Bloomberg – 04/10/2014]

SES books SpaceX Falcon 9 for launch of SES-9 and SES10, hybrid satellites carrying a mix of chemical and electric propulsion. [Space News – 04/10/2014]

Recent MarketsandMarkets report projects that M2M satellite communication market will be woprth $4.763 billion by 2019. [infoTECH – 04/10/2014]

Ariane 5 upper stage – Credit: ESA artist
concept by D. Ducros – Space News

A new French space law designed to reduce orbital debris risks posing problems for commercial launch services provider Arianespace of France. [Space News – 04/10/2014]

Globalstar is moving to the NY Stock Exchange. [Washington Examiner – 04/10/2014]

Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) is building out a fresh fleet of satellites that it hopes will propel the company into the industry’s top five. [Via Satellite – 04/10/2014]

Hispasat expands 4K offerings, prepares for more transatlantic broadcasts. [Via Satellite – 04/10/2014]

SES signs multiple Occasional Use (OU) capacity deals with broadcasters to deliver coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. [Via Satellite – 04/10/2014]

Gogo starts its first transatlantic connectivity service with SES satellite capacity, using SES-1, SES-4, and SES-6. [SatNewqs – 04/10/2014]

Ball Aerospace completes a series of environmental tests on its commercial remote-sensing satellite, WorldView 3. [Via Satellite – 04/10/2014]

Canada’s SkyTrac Systems Ltd. has been in the business of flight-following, monitoring flight data, and supporting aviation businesses for over twenty years. [Broadcaster Magazine – 04/10/2014]

Panasonic Avionics provides IcelandAir with its FlightLink solution. [Satellite Evolution Group – 04/10/2014]

SES Broadband Services has signed an agreement with German Internet Service Provider ORBITCOM to market its Astra Connect service. [Satellite Evolution Group – 04/10/2014]

Emerging Markets Communications announces satellite connectivity solution for Star Clippers sailing vessels. [4-Traders – 04/10/2014]

Arqiva obtains C-band capacity on AsiaSat 5 to deliver sports coverage to Asia-Pacific. [Via Satellite – 04/10/2014]

SatLink launches new DVB-S2 platform on Eutelsat’s Hot Bird. [Via Satellite – 04/10/2014]

Skycasters announces its newest and largest Mobile Satellite Trailer (MST) with a 1.8-meter satellite dish and a host of enhancements. [StreetInsider – 04/10/2011]

Global satellite broadband communications market in public safety set to increase by 8.5% CAGR during 2013 to 2018. [pr-inside – 04/09/2014]

Emanuel Fthenakis in 1981 – Credit Gerald Martineau/TWP
– Washington Post

Emanuel Fthenakis, who helped develop early satellite communication systems for military and commercial use, died April 3 at a hospital in Rockville, Md. He was 86. [The Washington Post – 04/09/2014]

Northrop Grumman ships payload module for fourth advanced EHF protected communications satellite two months early. [The Wall Street Journal – 04/09/2014]

KazSat 3 – Photo courtesy of magenta-studio.ru – Tengri News

KazSat-3 delivered to Baikonur, for April 28 launch. [Tengri News – 04/09/2014]

SES is working with over 30 manufacturers to create SAT>IP products that take Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) data and transfers it to IP format, allowing it to be transported over in-home IP networks. [Via Satellite – 04/09/2014]

L-3 and Intelsat demonstrate anti-jam technology for military satellites. [Defense Systems – 04/09/2014]

Gogo to Partner with Air Canada to Bring Wi-Fi to its North American Fleet. [Market Watch – 04/09/2014]

KVH Industries, Inc. has come to an agreement with IMG Media to distribute video content of the 2014 FIFA World Cup ™ to merchant ships. [Market Watch – 04/09/2014]

Inmarsat’s east London control room – New York Times photo

Flight 370 search brings satellite company Inmarsat an unaccustomed bit of fame. [NY Times – 04/09/2014]

The latest Hollywood blockbusters will soon be available to commercial shipping companies across the world, delivered directly to vessels at sea via Inmarsat’s global satellite network. [The Maritime Executive – 04/09/2014]

TechNavio’s analysts forecast the Global Satellite-based Earth Observation market will grow at a CAGR of 11.34 percent over the period 2013-2018. [PR Newswire – 04/08/2014]

The CubeSat revolution of the past decade has placed satellite technology within reach of private companies, universities and even unaffiliated individuals. [PHYS-ORG – 04/08/2014]

Lockheed Martin and NewSat Limited successfully complete a comprehensive technical review of Jabiru-1, Australia’s first commercial Ka-band satellite. [Digital Journal – 04/08/2014]

The Australian Navy ship HMAS Success (front) performs a Replenishment
at Sea evolution with the Royal Malaysian Navy ship KD Lekiu – Reuters pic – The Malay Mail Online

Satellite data analysis suggests MH370 flew inverted to site of acoustic signals. [Malay Mail Online – 04/08/2014]

With questions about the challenge of locating Flight 370, Secure World Foundation will host a panel discussion Thursday, May 8, 2014, that will examine the challenges of combining multiple sources of ground-, air- and space-based data. [SatNews – 04/08/2014]

Gogo’s new “2Ku” technology solution for inflight internet, to be launched on international airlines in 2015, uses two antennas and has achieved 70Mbps download speeds. [Forbes – 04/08/2014]

Through its recent acquisition of ARINC and following a MOU with Inmarsat, Rockwell Collins will bring the newest generation of Ka-band satellite communications to airline customers across the world. [Aviation Media – 04/08/2014]

ThinKom’s ThinSat300 ultra low profile Ka-band antenna transmits at rates in excess of 8 Mbps at sustained speeds in excess of 140 kmph (85 mph) during SNG on-the-move test. [SatNews – 04/08/2014]

Photo courtesy of Intellian Technologies – Marine Link

Intellian wins contract to supply Hanjin Shipping of South Korea, with FleetBroadband FB500 terminals for a fleet of 38 container ships [MarineLink – 04/08/2014]

All of the 24 GLONASS satellites that make up Russia’s equivalent of the GPS system failed at once on April 7, confirming urgent need for terrestrial backup system per Locata. [MarketrWired – 04/07/2014]

Military communications market projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.2% to $30.12B by 2019 in new research report at RnRMarketResearch.com. [PCB Design 007 – 04/07/2014]

Iridium NEXT satellite artist’s conception – Courtesy Iridium – Aviation Week

Iridium aims for increasing share of aviation market, focusing on satcom applications beyond the cabin. [Aviation Week – 04/07/2014]

Arqiva selects Eutelsat satellite capacity to expand DTH broadcasting in the UK. [Satellite Spotlight – 04/07/2014]

SpeedCast to host first product demo of its new ReadyCONNECT(TM)TA12, a mobile VSAT solution that combines portability and rapid deployment equipment, at this year’s APPEA Conference and Exhibition. [TMCnet – 04/07/2014]

CNN adopts newest BGAN terminal from Cobham, improving streaming rates via Inmarsat. [PR.com – 04/07/2014]

Airbus Defence and Space has launched XChange v3 to further improve the flow of operational data between ship and shore through sophisticated voice and connectivity service management. [IIFL – 04/07/2014]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Isro successfully launches navigation satellite IRNSS-1B.
[The Times of India – 04/04/2014]

Sentinel-1 – Credit: ESA/ATG medialab – RedOrbit

Sentinal-1A satellite, successfully launched on Thursday, is expected to provide regular access to key environmental data for European citizens, policymakers and service providers.
[RedOrbit – 04/04/2014]

RD180 engine in Atlas 5 rocket – Credit: NASA photo by Jack Pfaller – Space News

U.S. lawmakers press defense officials on use of Russian-made rocket engine.
[Space News – 04/04/2014]

With much more than the ISS at stake, Europe stays the course on Russian space partnerships.
[Space News – 04/04/2014]

Confrontation between SES and European Commission over a June launch slot on Arianespace seems to have been avoided by delay in delivery of Europe’s next Galileo GPS spacecraft.
[Space News – 04/04/2014]

Avanti and Quortus achieve world first in delivery of 4G over satellite.
[Satellite Spotlight – 04/04/2014]

Metop – Credit: ESA artist’s concept – Space News

Airbus is selected over Thales Alenia-OHB for billion-dollar ESA weather satellite contract.
[Space News – 04/04/2014]

Intelsat, BT, Ericsson, Newtec and Sony demonstrate next steps to make 4K UHDTV a commercial reality.
[Smart Grid – 04/04/2014]

After two-year hiatus following filing of bankruptcy, LightSquared has resumed cash payments to Inmarsat to reactivate an agreement on reorganization of L-band spectrum.
[Space News – 04/04/2014]

Optus signs $19.5 million deal with Australian Department of Defence to continue providing managed satellite services until 2018.
[Delimiter – 04/04/2014]

U.S. Air Force hopes to use Operationally Responsive Space (ORS)-5 mission as space surveillance gap filler and pathfinder for future SBSS satellite technologies.
[Space News – 04/04/2014]

Weather satellite launch, Vandenberg – Fox News

$518 million military weather satellite, Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Flight 19, is successfully launched after 15 year wait.
[Fox News – 04/03/2014]

U.S. Air Force identifies six candidate payloads, half from civilian agencies, that could be matched with commercial host satellites in its soon-to-be -awarded Hosted Payload Solutions contract.
[Space News – 04/03/2014]

Large Iridium shareholder calls for sale of company, saying management has consistently ignored interests of shareholders and cannot estimate cost of second-generation satellite constellation.
[Space News – 04/13/2014]

Avanti Communications is selected by Turkish telecom operator ESEER Telekom to deliver its satellite broadband coverage in the Middle East Region.
[4-traders – 04/03/2014]

Arab States Broadcasting Union picks EUTELSAT 21B as broadcast exchange gateway between North Africa, Middle East and Europe.
[TMCnet – 04/03/2014]

Small eruption of Mount Rinjani in Indonesia. Credit: Oliver Spalt, Wikipedia – PHYS-ORG

Satellite view of volcanoes finds the link between ground deformation and eruption.
[PHYS.ORG – 04/03/2014]

KVH increases its lead in the maritime VSAT market according to latest report from Euroconsult, reaching a 26% share of the industry’s 11,000 activated maritime VSAT terminals.
[SatNews – 04/03/2014]

Comtech Telecommunications receives $3.7 million in orders from an international OEM for High Power Amplifiers to be used for jamming communications.
[Satellite Spotlight – 04/03/2014]

U.S. Air Force requested demonstration by Northrup Grumman shows Global Hawk can used additional satellite link to transfer command and control signals separately from mission data.
[Yahoo Finance – 04/03/2014]

Captain Judy Rice with Think Global Flight students – BlueSky

Inmarsat will provide satcom hardware and airtime to the Think Global Flight mission flying to 25 countries and 31 U.S. states to highlight importance of science, technology, engineering and math education.
[BlueSky Business Aviation News – 04/03/2014]

Australian satellite broadband provider NBN adds capacity for 9000 more users.
[The Sydney Morning Herald – 04/03/2014]

Asianet Satellite Communications expects to grow its broadband subscribers by 50% due to its migration from Docsis 2.0 to Docsis 3.0.
[Television Post – 04/03/2014]

Israel-based NovelSat is offering to provide broadcasters with free bandwidth, per se, through its newest product: FreeBand.
[Via Satellite – 04/03/2014]

GT-SAT  deploys MaxLinear MxL862 SoC in its new DLNB, allowing European and Latin American satellite operators to migrate to digital channel stacking.
[Business Wire – 04/03/2014]

Reference design from MaxLinear and STMicroelectronics to speed multi-channel Ultra HD HEVC satellite STB and gateway deployments.
[Financial Content – 04/03/2014]

Example of hyperspectral satellite imaging that STORM will provide. – Via Satellite

Tempus Global Data to use Utah State University-built STORM instrument to provide space-based weather data to commercial and government customers.
[Via Satellite – 04/03/2014]

Azerspace 1 satellite to broadcast Ukrainian TV channels.
[Via Satellite – 04/03/2014]

Skyline Communications announces new office for the Americas in Miami, Florida.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 04/03/2014]

Euroconsult report “Profiles of Government Space Programs” reveals decline in global budgets for space programs for first time in nearly 20 years.
[Via Satellite – 04/02/2014]

Ultra-secure communications payload on third AEHF satellite activated for first time, and user testing begins.
[4-traders – 04/02/2014]

The launch of Ukraine’s first-ever communications satellite has been delayed by the Russian annexation of Crimea.
[Broadband TV News – 04/02/2014]

China delivers communications satellite project to Bolivia.
[Global Times – 04/02/2014]

As U.S. and coalition forces draw down in Afghanistan, a suitcase-sized satellite communications kit will help keep communications disruptions to a minimum.
[ECN – 04/02/2014]

Goldin Associates acquires communications advisory firm Summit Ridge Group.
[Digital Journal – 04/02/2014]

The global M2M satellite communication market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.8% from 2014 to 2019 in new Research and Markets report.
[Satellite Spotlight – 04/01/2014]

Wikipedia photo – Via Satellite

Recent talks between Charlie Ergen of Dish and Mike White of DirecTV reignite discussions on whether a merger is possible – familiar FCC and DOJ objections likely remain in place.
[Via Satellite – 04/01/2014]

Ball Aerospace and Aerojet Rocketdyne green propellant test results surpass expectations.
[Via Satellite – 04/01/2014]

Emerging Markets Communications establishes new location in Aberdeen, Scotland.
[PR Web – 04/01/2014]

RRsat is selected as key delivery partner of DFH Network for North American distribution in $6 million deal.
[Via Satellite – 04/01/2014]

NASA Data Systems partners with Avanti Communications to deploy satellite broadband in Middle East.
[Yahoo Finance – 04/01/2014]

EM Solutions gets grant from Australian government under the Defence Science and Technology Organisation’s Capability and Technology Demonstrator Program.
[SatNews – 04/01/2014]

NSR’s Energy Markets via Satellite, 4th Edition provides the industry-leading, dedicated analysis on the energy markets – from pipeline SCADA applications to semi-submersible drilling platforms.
[NSR – April 2014]

“NAB 2014 to Highlight the New Multiplatform Media Environment” by Virgil Labrador, “Trends in Broadcasting” by Elisabeth Tweedie, “Direct-to-Home Satellite Trends” by Dmitri Buchs, “Back and Forth with Jorge Villareal, Tomaz Lovsin and Eric Greenberg” by Lou Zacharilla, and “The Road to Sprint/T-Mobile Merger Goes through DISH” by Armand Musey.
[Satellite Exeutive Briefing – April 2014]

Sea Launch advises Eutelsat Communications to postpone the scheduled launch of its Eutelsat 3B satellite on April 15 due to installation discrepancy.
[Wall Street Journal – 03/31/2014]

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISROI) scientists believe the failure of imported components for the satellite power supplies may be the cause of INSAT-4B glitches.
[SatNews – 03/31/2014]

Latest leak from Snowden – the NSA and GCHQ hacked into the systems of three German satellite communication providers.
[The Register – 03/31/2014]

Capacity on nine Eutelsat satellites mobilised for worldwide high definition coverage of canonisation of John XXIII and John Paul II.
[The Wall Street Journal – 03/31/2014]

Image: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center – R&D Magazine

Data on photosynthesis activity teased from current satellite data shows high productivity in U.S. corn belt.
[R&D Magazine – 03/31/2014]

Saft satellite battery. Photo: Saft – Via Satellite

Battery technology company Saft looks to discoveries across multiple industries in order to improve pace of development for space-specific batteries.
[Via Satellite – 03/31/2014]

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation announces it has completed in-orbit delivery of TURKSAT-4A to Turksat.
[Financial Content – 03/30/2014]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Inmarsat engineers worked out probable path of flight MH370 using Doppler effect of signals from the plane to their satellites.
[asia one Malaysia – 03/28/2014]

An artist’s image of a robotic refueler (left) approaching an orbiting satellite –
Credit: NASA – Space.com

Advocates say robotically refueling and maintaining satellites in Earth orbit will allow government agencies and private companies to dramatically extend their lifetime.
[Space.com – 03/28/2014]

CFOSat – Credit: CNES artist’s concept by Oliver Sattler – Space News

French and Chinese space agencies confirm joint venture to build ocean-surface radar satellite carrying instruments from both nations.
[Space News – 03/28/2014]

Thousands of VSAT operators left in lurch by failure of India’s Insat 3 satellite.
[Space News – 03/28/2014]

Research and Markets has added “Global Satellite Communication in the Oil and Gas Industry 2014-2018″ to their offering, discussing the expected growth of UDW rigs and role of satellite communication for UDW exploration.
[Digital Journal – 03/28/2014]

New Euroconsult research assesses distribution mechanisms within the Earth Observation value chain.
[Satellite Markets & Research – 03/28/2014]

Third AEHF satellite begins transmitting using its protected communications payload, joining two other satellites undergoing system test in orbit with a suite of user terminals.
[AZO Sensors – 03/28/2014]

F-15E – Credit: Boeing artist’s concept – Space News

Boeing Defense Space and Security, targeting 66% reduction in launch cost, wins three way competition for Pentagon contract to build and demonstrate low-cost airborne satellite launching system.
[Space News – 03/28/2014]

New U.S. military weather satellites could launch on Minotaur rockets.
[Space News – 03/28/2014]

Arianespace’s medium-lift Soyuz launch with the Sentinel-1A Earth observation satellite is moving into its final preparations for an April 3 liftoff from French Guiana.
[Space Mart – 03/28/2014]

Sentinel 5 – Credit: ESA artist’s concept – Space News

ESA orders nearly $200 million spectrometer from Airbus for polar-orbiting meteorological satellite to be launched in 2021.
[Space News – 03/28/2014]

Commercial-off-the-shelf consumer components are now just as reliable as hardware specifically developed for satellites, driving the small satellite revolution, according to Surrey founder.
[Space News – 03/28/2014]

Inmarsat is supporting the Think Global Flight mission to highlight the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
[Incentive Travel – 03/28/2014]

Image taken by the Thaichote satellite on March 24, 2014 –
Source: Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency – Bloomberg

Thai satellite images of more than 300 objects in the south Indian Ocean produced another lead in the hunt for Malaysian Air Flight 370.
[Bloomberg – 03/27/2014]

Opening new assembly line, Orbital Sciences Technology announces it is manufacturing 81 new satellites for Iridium at its Gilbert Arizona factory.
[Business Wire – 03/27/2014]

Asian satellite fleet operators and service providers are counting on the growth of high-definition (HD) television in the region to offset any drop in prices for C-band capacity due to oversupply.
[Space News – 03/27/2014]

ISRO announces April 4 launch for new Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System 1B satellite.
[Via Satellite – 03/27/2014]

ETL Systems has been chosen by Boeing to support Inmarsat’s GX services for high speed maritime communications.
[Satellite Spotlight – 03/27/2014

Commercial vessel equipped with KVH’s TracPhone V7. Photo: KVH – Via Satellite

RHL Hamburger Lloyd Tanker selects KVH Mini-VSAT broadband to provide global broadband service for tankers.
[Wall Street Journal – 03/27/2014]

Novelsat claims that its newly introduced FreeBand solution gives broadcasters “free” bandwidth for video contribution.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 03/27/2014]

Gogo receives certification for in-flight connectivity in Europe.
[Via Satellite – 03/27/2014]

Japan Airline has selected Panasonic Avionics for an expansion of in-flight Wi-Fi for its international fleet, including 787′s, 777-200ER’s, and 767-300ER’s.
[Via Satellite – 03/27/2014]

According to SVP of marketing and strategic planning at KVH, all the major sectors of the maritime industry are pushing for greater connectivity.
[Via Satellite – 03/27/2014]

Evolve Broadband deploys Globecomm Systems’ hybrid 4G LTE solutions.
[Via Satellite – 03/27/2014]

More than 1,000 satellites are in orbit.
[The Washington Post – 03/27/2014]

LandSat 8 images of mudslide area before (bottom) and after – SatNews

Landsat 8 uses Operational Land Imager (OLI) to observe fatal mudslide in Washington State.
[SatNews – 03/26/2014]

Recent deals may signal that civil government uptake could present tangible opportunities, thus softening the blow from milsatcom decline in most markets in the short/medium term.
[NSR – 03/26/2014]

GPM Image of March 10 cyclone – Photo: NASA/JAXA – Via Satellite

NASA and JAXA release first images from the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory.
[Via Satellite – 03/26/2014]

Singer’s NML Capital, seeking to enforce $1.7 billion in judgments over Argentina’s defaulted bonds, sues SpaceX over Argentina launch contracts
[Space News – 03/26/2014]

The National Broadband Network Company of Australia institutes a “fair use” policy and deploys additional capacity to allow its interim satellite service to function more effectively.
[Delimiter – 03/26/2014]

Yahsat and Thuraya co-host annual satellite industry reception in Washington D.C.
[Zawya – 03/26/2014]

Delta Air Lines will be launching Gogo’s Wi-Fi service on international flights of Ku-band-enabled Boeing 747-400′s.
[Via Satellite – 03/26/2014]

New report by MarketsandMarkets puts value of M2M satellite communication market at $4,763.4 million by 2019.
[TMC News – 03/25/2014

Glonass M satellite – Photo: JSC “Academician M.F. Reshetnev”
Information Satellite Systems – Via Satellite

Russia’s Glonass M satellite successfully separates from “Fregat” stage and reaches orbit.
[Via Satellite – 03/25/2014]

JAXA chooses Mitsubishi Heavy Industries as prime contractor for development of new flagship launcher with greater commercial focus.
[Via Satellite – 03/25/2014]

Communication Technology Satellite – Credit: NASA – Space.cm

Space history photo – Communication Technology Satellite launched in 1976, after five years of cooperation between Canada and the U.S.
[Space.com – 03/25/2014]

Boeing meets key production milestones on initial 702 Small Platform (SP) all-electric propulsion satellites, with late 2014 or early 2015 delivery expected.
[Via Satellite – 03/25/2014]

C-COM increases its sales presence in the Middle East and Africa.
[Reuters – 03/25/2014]

Profen establishes Turkish Gateway Earth Station to manage internet traffic in Turkey provided on Avanti’s HYLAS 2 satellite.
[Satellite Spotlight – 03/25/2014]

F-35A – Credit: Matt Short/Lockheed Martin – Aviation Week

South Korea is likely securing an offset deal that will include a new military communications satellite along with its F-35A purchase.
[Aviation Week – 03/24/2014]

TV5MONDSEW HD chooses MEASAT for Asia-wide distribution.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 03/25/2014]

Federal agencies are learning that with recent developments, the tools of commercial satellite communications (COMSATCOM) are becoming increasingly efficient and effective.
[Federal Times – 03/24/2014]

ViviSat, a satellite-servicing startup developing life-extension vehicles for end-of-life commercial communications satellites in geostationary orbit, has booked two customers for three missions, and expects to start building its specialized spacecraft by the end of 2014.
[Aviation Week – 03/24/2014]

Airbus Defence & Space launches new AuroraGlobal satellite communications package that collates Ka-band, Ku-band and L-band services, integrating offerings from Inmarsat, Iridium, Intelsat, Eutelsat, Telenor, Thuraya and SES.
[Seatrade Global – 03/24/2014]

Inmarsat launches IsatPhone 2, with longest battery life in the industry, capable of receiving incoming call alerts with antenna stowed.
[Morning Star – 03/24/2014]

Kratos has been selected by Turksat Satellite Communication to deliver a full-motion antenna system for installation at its Gölba ?, Turkey site.
[Wall Street Journal – 03/24/2014]

Satcom Direct earns initial STC from the FA for installation of its Satcom Direct Router (SDR) in Lear 60 aircraft.
[Digital Journal – 03/24/2014]

OG2 satellite under construction – Photo: Sierra Nevada Corporation – Via Satellite

With the launch of the first six OG2 satellites coming up at the end of April, Orbcomm is planning to offer two new services that the company hopes will greatly expand its share of the M2M market.
[Via Satellite – 03/24/2014]

Lockheed Martin awards General Dynamics contract for U.S. Air Force GPS 3 satellite program.
[Via Satellite – 03/24/2014]

Ariane 5 ECS launch – NASA photo – NASA Spaceflight.com

Arianespace successfully lofted Astra 5B and Amazonas 4A into orbit via their Ariane 5 ECA rocket on Saturday, March 22.
[NASA Spaceflight.com – 03/22/2014]

At Mobile Deployable Communications Conference adaptability, agility, and scalability seen as key requirements, with a continued extant requirement for bandwidth and operability even as budgets tighten.
[iDirect Blog – 03/22/2014]

High winds delay launch of Astra 5B and Amazonas 4A.
[Broadband TV News – 03/21/2014]

Satellites pick up two significant objects in the southern Indian Ocean southwest of Australia, one estimated at 78 feet long, and ships are steaming quickly toward both.
[Hot Air – 03/20/2014]

Malaysia Airlines Jet – NDTV file photo

Missing flight MH370 puts spotlight on satellite technologies that could ensure tracking and communicating with aircraft over water and uninhabited areas.
[NDTV Gadgets – 03/20/2014]

Congress acknowledges need for new acquisition models for DOD to obtain needed satellite bandwidth – recorded Federal News Radio panel discussion with SES GS CEO and
government officials and consultants.
[Federal News Radio – 03/20/2014]

NewSpace Global releases 2014 SmallSat report examining global industry leaders, major investors, and sources of revenue in this sometimes obscure market.
[SatNews – 03/20/2014]

KazSat-3 at the testing and assembling division of Baikonur cosmodrome. ©RIA Novosti

KazSat-3 being readied for shipment to Baikonur.
[Tengri News – 03/20/2014]

Orbital drops antitrust lawsuit against United Launch Alliance.
[Space News – 03/20/2014]

Es/HailSat solicits bids for second satellite.
[Space News – 03/20/2014]

RRsat plans expansion in US market, opening a new office in the United States.
[Via Satellite – 03/20/2014]

Exelis installs its satellite communications on-the-move technology into the U.S. Army Stryker vehicle during the Army Expeditionary Warfighting Experiment at Fort Benning, GA.
[Executive Biz – 03/20/2014]

M7 group selects EUTELSAT 9A to launch its new pay-TV platform in Hungary.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 03/20/2014]

Speedcast strengthens it leadership position in the Asian maritime market with new facilities in Singapore.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 03/20/2014]

SES reaches 291 million TV homes around the world, with 151 million in Europe; sees room for growth in Latin America.
[Via Satellite – 03/19/2014]

DMSP-19 encapsulation within the Atlas V launch vehicle payload fairing represents an important milestone for the DMSP-19 launch campaign.
[Los Angeles AFB – 03/19/2014]

Arianespace launch – Satellite Evolution Group file photo

Arianespace calls for opening of U.S. government market to international launch services competition.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 03/19/2014]

Head of Germany’s space agency urges ESA to scrap the favored Ariane 6 plans.
[Space News – 03/19/2014]

Gogo receives supplemental type certificate from FAA to install Ku-band satellite connectivity service on Airbus A330 aircraft.
[Yahoo Finance – 03/19/2014]

Inmarsat signs contract with Hughes Network Systems to manufacture the new Low Profile BGAN terminal.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 03/19/2014]

Globecomm Maritime forms a strategic relationship with Future Care, Inc, to create Future Care Live, a video-enabled telemedicine solution.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 03/19/2014]

Gilat introduces StealthRay 300X-M Low-Profile Ultra-Compact X-Band Satellite-on-the-Move Antenna.
[ThomasNet News – 03/19/2014]

RSCC and Thales Alenia Space successfully launch two new Russian communications and broadcasting satellites, Express At1 and At2.
[Via Satellite – 03/18/2014]

Former Arianespace chief says SpaceX has advantage on cost in testimony to French Senate.
[Space News – 03/18/2014]

GeoStar 3 platform – Space Daily file photo

Orbital introduces the GEOStar-3 commercial communications satellite platform.
[Space Mart – 03/18/2014]

Pentagon weaning itself from controversial bandwidth lease with Hong Kong firm.
[Space News – 03/18/2014]

Ball Aerospace powers on bus of the first Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS-1) satellite for the first time.
[Yahoo Finance – 03/18/2014]

File photo CCL3 – MarineLink.com

An alliance between France’s Orolia, and Transas Group aims to integrate Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and Search and Rescue (SAR) functionality into enhanced marine communication solutions.
[MarineLink – 03/18/2014]

Harris Broadcast splits into two separate companies: Imagine Communications and Gates Air.
[Via Satellite – 03/18/2014]

Gogo’s business group Aircell unveils its ST 4300, a new in-flight communications system for business aircraft.
[Via Satellite – 03/18/2014]

Elektrobit completes a multi-year study with European Space Agency (ESA), analyzing the benefits of using multiple antennas (MIMO) in satellite communications.
[CIOL – 03/18/2014]

Airbus Defense and Space launch new high throughput satcom services featuring Ku-, X-, and Ka-bands without need to change antenna systems.
[Space Daily – 03/18/2014]

Gilat SkyEdge II-c Capricorn IP Router offers throughput exceeding 200 Mbps.
[Thomas Net – 03/18/2014]

Moscow accuses Ukraine of electronic attack on satellite.
[Free Beacon – 03/17/2014]

M2M satellite communication market to grow at a CAGR of 9.8% to 2019 according to RnRsMarketResearch report.
[Satellite Spotlight – 03/17/2014]

Global Satellite Communication market in the Oil and Gas industry is to grow at a CAGR of 5.74 percent over the period 2013-2018.
[Live – PR – 03/17/2014]

Arab satellite pay-TV market expected to grow at steady pace from 2014 to 2017, with room for more entrants into the market.
[Via Satellite – 03/17/2014]

Azerbaijan and Argentina to cooperate in outer space.
[azernews – 03/17/2014]

kangshutters/shutterstock.com – CGN

GSA renews satellite-based training network contract with Hughes Network Systems.
[GCN – 03/17/2014]

Orange Business Services joins European Union to assist in development of cloud-based ship management platform.
[Via Satellite – 03/17/2014]

Satellite signals can confirm plane’s identity.
[KETV – 03/17/2014]

PlanetLabs small satellite – New York Times

Start-up Planet Labs aims to conquer space market, launching dozens of small satellites to provide near constant observation of Earth.
[New York Times – 03/16/2014]

Arabsat issues an RFP for four new satellites, to be designated HS3, HS4, AR6E and AR6A.
[Broadband TV News – 03/16/2014]

Gilat Satellite Networks chosen by Inmarsat as Gobal Xpress services partner for new fixed land VSAT opportunities.
[Space Ref – 03/16/2014]

TECOM antenna – Avionics Intelligence

Ka-band tail-mounted satellite communications antenna for in-flight Internet connectivity introduced by TECOM.
[Avionics Intelligence – 03/16/2014]

VSAT Auto-commissioning systems enable accurate VSAT pointing, crosspol, and power adjustment, providing feedback to the installer from a carrier monitoring system over the VSAT link.
[SatMagazine – March issue]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Continuing satellite system handshake signal after other communications had been turned off leads to conclusions that someone on Malaysian flight deliberately altered its flight path to one of two corridors.
[Fox News – 03/15/2014]

Inmarsat says it had recorded electronic “keep alive” ping signals from the missing Malaysia Airlines jet after it disappeared.
[NY Times – 03/14/2014]

Survey by MarketsandMarkets puts worth of M2M satellite communications market at $4.763 billion by 2019.
[Yahoo Finance – 03/14/2014]

Arieanespace launch – Credit: Arianespace photo – Space News

SES threatens to cease future dealings with Arianespace unless SES’s O3b Networks broadband satellites are given a spring launch slot also coveted by the European Commission for the commission’s Galileo spacecraft.
[Space News – 03/14/2014]

Jury trial to begin March 26 to determine whether satellite broadband provider ViaSat Inc. is right in claiming $800 million in patent-infringement damages from satellite builder Loral Space and Communications.
[Space News – 03/14/2014]

SpaceX delays its next supply run to the international space station after discovering an oily residue on thermal blankets that protect the trunk of the Dragon cargo capsule.
[Space News – 03/14/2014]

Inmarsat is negotiating with fleet operator Arabsat on the placement of an Inmarsat S-band payload aboard Arabsat’s Hellas Sat 3 satellite.
[Space News – 03/14/2014]

PhoneSat 2.5 – Phys-Org file photo

NASA prepares to launch fifth in a series of smartphone-controlled small spacecraft into orbit; PhoneSat 2.5 to be carried into orbit sunday, March 16 as part of SpaceX cargo for International Space Station.
[Phys-Org – 03/14/2014]

Cobham Satcom, an Inmarsat Global Xpress partner, announces two new maritime terminals and three new land mobile terminals for Inmarsat’s new satellite network.
[Via Satellite – 03/14/2014]

DRS is awarded $30 million contract to operate control and maintain satellite communications between the continental U.S. and worldwide locations.
[AFCEA – 03/14/2014]

Nearly a week after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished U.S. investigators say based on an analysis of satellite signals from the Boeing 777, it may have landed at some point.
[Examiner – 03/13/2014]

Chief of the space services department at the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau expresses surprise to hear satellite executives brag about their prowess in playing fast and loose with the rules.
[Space News – 03/13/2014]

Credit – Arianespace photo – Space News

Commercial launch service providers raise the possibility of Europe’s Ariane 5 rocket becoming American, the international Sea Launch becoming Russian and the high-cost Japanese H-2A rocket becoming cost competitive.
[Space News – 03/13/2014]

Malaysian airliner disappearance highlights need for Aireon’s satellite air traffic system.
[Seeking Alpha – 03/13/2014]

Northrup begins integrating new 20 GHz high-speed phased array antenna into fourth Advanced EHF communications payload.
[Satellite Spotlight – 03/13/2014]

Credit – Excelis artist’s concept – Space News

Lockheed Martin solicits info on alternative navigation payload similar to the one that has delayed the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation GSP-3 system.
[Space News – 03/13/2014]

Panasonic Avionics Corporation expects to double the size of its connectivity-equipped fleet by the end of 2014 following FAA certification of a bird strike compliant radome for B777-200 aircraft.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 03/13/2014]

Intelsat enters agreement with Airbus Defense & Space bridging maritime VSAT services to Intelsat’s High Throughput Ku-band Satellite (HTS) EpicNG platform.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 03/13/2014]

Gilat introduces new X-band antenna.
[Via Satellite – 03/13/2014]

Arquiva to provide exclusive distribution of Al Jazeera Media Network channels on two of the Es’hailSat satellites.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 03/13/2014]

Crystal Solutions will be launching Crystal Solutions Connect™, a content substitution tool for multiple distribution paths, at the National Association of Broadcasters Show (NAB).
[Satellite Evolution Group – 03/13/2014]

SES signs a capacity deal with Alruya, a leading system integrator and VSAT operator based in Libya, to deliver connectivity to oil and gas fields in the country.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 03/13/2014]

Boeing 702 – Credit – Boeing artist’s concept – Spaceflight Now

Boeing reveals an order last year by a U.S. government customer for three light-class geostationary satellite platforms with all-electric propulsion.
[Spaceflight Now – 03/12/2014]

The importance of high-quality satellite earth station installation and maintenance is being reinforced in the energy, maritime, military and other key markets through recognition of Harris CapRock Communications as a “GVF Accredited Organization.”
[SatNews – 03/12/2014]

Boeing and TrustComm to sell satellite bandwidth to government and commercial users.
[Satellite Spotlight – 03/12/2014]

Gilat Satellite Networks selected by Inmarsat as Global Xpress services partner for new fixed land VSAT opportunities.
[Yahoo Finance – 03/12/2014]

Elektrobit (EB) develops a Multiple Antenna (MIMO) test environment for next generation satellite networks.
[msn money – 03/12/2014]

Emerging Markets Communications announces receipt of contract from Brazilian Navy to provide VSAT satellite connectivity services for the entire Brazilian Navy fleet.
[digital Journal – 03/12/2014]

Picture source: smartplanet.com – Screen Africa

SatLink Communications chosen for global distribution of Ethiopian news channel.
[Screen Africa – 03/12/2014]

Euroscan Holdings, B.V., a telematics solution provider, is acquired by ORBCOMM Inc.
[Near Earth LLC. – 03/12/2014]

A rocket carrying a satellite is launched in Xichang, China. Reuters – The Wall Street Journal

China brings its rapidly expanding satellite surveillance capabilities to bear in the effort to find out what happened to Malaysian Airlines 370.
[China Real Time – 03/11/2014]

ITC Global launches a new network over Sub-Saharan Africa, utilizing the Intelsat IS-25 spacecraft.
[Yahoo Finance – 03/11/2014]

Nynex grows its multi-million dollar contract with Avanti Communications to extend satellite broadband coverage across Libya.
[Satellite Spotlight – 03/11/2014]

Etisalat showcases latest VSATExpress, VSATConnect and Satellite News Gathering services at CABSAT 2014.
[TMC News – 03/11/2014]

Vislink chooses the Q-Lite compact satellite modem for its Advent MSAT portal terminal for Satcom On The Move (SOTM).
[Business Wire – 03/11/2014]

Kratos selected by TrustComm to provide Starlight gateway satellite earth station.
[IT Business Net – 03/11/2014]

Harris CapRock debut’s its advanced Pulse VSAT system which dynamically reassigns satellite capacity on demand by leveraging Comtech EF Data Corporation’s efficient modem technologies and Vipersat Management System.
[Wall Street Journal – 03/11/2014]

Harold Rosen, satellite communications pioneer often called the father of the geosynchronous satellite, gets life achievement award.
[Satellite Spotlight – 03/10/2014]

Gilat announces availability of SkyEdge II-c Capricorn satellite VSAT with exceptional throughput exceeding 200Mbps.
[Yahoo Finance – 03/10/2014]

Newsat selects Kratos for command and control systems for Jabiru-1 satellite.
[The Wall Street Journal – 03/10/2014]

Orbital introduces the GEOStar-3 commercial communications satellite platform combining traditional and electric propulsion.
[Wall Street Journal – 03/10/2014]

Kymeta demonstrating metamaterials-based flat panel satellite antenna at Satellite 2014 following successful transmit and receive tests on the satellite in Canada and the U.S.
[PR Newswire – 03/10/2014]

LightSquared and ViaSat enter multi-year agreement to introduce ViaSat L-band managed Service, a mobile service using LightSquared’s SkyTerra 1 L-band satellite, with the largest antenna, 22 meters, ever put in service on a commercial satellite.
[Broadway World – 03/10/2014]

Thuraya partners with Talia Onboard to reach oil and gas customers.|
[National Post – 03/10/2014]

Germany’s Federal Network Agency selects Kratos for satellite carrier monitoring solution.
[The Wall Street Journal – 03/10/2014]

Opportunities exist to provide services to remote areas in Chile including tele-health and tele-education as satellite communications forms key part of Chile’s national space policy in 2014 – 2020.
[BN Americas – 03/10/2014]

EMC Satcom Technologies and Kymeta announce strategic collaboration to advance the speed, reliability and efficiency of satellite communications for mobile, fixed, and aerospace markets with flat panel metamaterials antenna.
[PRWEB – 03/09/2014]

ORBCOMM launches new satellite modems targeted for systems integrators and resellers.
[University Chronicle – 03/09/2014]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services