Nice daytime launch of a Proton-M (Протон-М) with SES-6 as the the payload. It’s a big boy: weighing in at 6,100 kg, with lots of transponders: 43 C-band and 48 Ku-band. It’s replacing the 806 spacecraft, one of the few remaining “brick” birds (LM/AS-7000). That’s a good thing to do because you never know when these might go on ya.
Besides filling it partially with what’s on 806, what are you going to do with all that capacity? You could probably wait until the 2014 World Cup to help fill it with 6 weeks of occasional business. Then what? Hey, how about a DTH business? And the players are:
Net/Embratel with 8,638,984 subscribers
Sky (DirecTV) = 5,144,946
Oi = 792,107
Telefónica/Vivo = 586,152
GVT = 451,605
Oi waits for launch, then signs the contract. Anchor customer, probably. Large? Good enough.
SpaceX Chairman optimistic that partially reusable rocket will accelerate reduction in launch costs that have already followed the Falcon 9 entrance into the market. [Space News – 05/31/2013]
SES subsidiary SES Techcom supports satellite communication links with a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System using SES Ku-band capacity. [Sat PR – 05/31/2013]
Cartrack uses ORBCOMM to provide satellite data communication services to extend its range of GSM logistics and telematics solution in Africa. [financial news – 05/31/2013]
Today’s attempts at multi-nation initiative for human exploration beyond low earth orbit face same barriers that doomed the Euro-Russian collaboration on manned space vehicles. [Space News – 05/31/2013]
SES 6 to be launched June 3, 2013 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan by International Launch Services (ILS). [Satellite Today – 05/30/2013]
Sri Lanka paying China Great Wall $215 million to build and launch SupremeSAT-2. [Space News – 05/30/2013]
NASA hands over operational control of the Landsat 8 to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Earth Resources Observation and Science Center. [SatNews – 05/30/2013]
Norwegian Space Centre and SINTEF company MARINTEK look at how to get broadband services into the Artic regions. [Phys Org – 05/30/2013]
North America expected to lose its status as top region for in-flight entertainment to the Asia-Pacific region within 5 years. [Satellite Today – 05/30/2013]
Gilat to present free Webinar June 1th entitled ‘News and Entertainment Anywhere with Satellite Communications on the Move.’ [SatNews – 05/30/2013]
Galaxy Broadband Communications of Canada selects Hughes HX gateway and HX90 and HX200 satellite terminals to provide IP networks for Resource, Government, and Enterprise markets in North America. [SatNews – 05/30/2013]
Spidersat wins contract to provide VSAT network design and provisioning to ArcelorMittal in Liberia. [Sat PR – 05/30/2013]
China to provide Sri Lanka’s first communication satellite. [UPI – 05/29/2013]
Task of monitoring global air traffic to be greatly aided since successful launch of ESA’s Proba-V satellite May 6 with the first space-based automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) system. [Satellite Today – 05/29/2013]
Advantech Wireless selected by SAVIS Tegnologia to provide geographically redundant military satellite communication network for SISFRON, the largest border security program in Latin America. [Satellite Today – 05/29/2013]
MDA signs contract with Canada’s Department of National Defense to support a space-based surveillance solution being developed by MDA. [Satellite Today – 05/29/2013]
SingTel looks at selling the satellite communications arm of its wholly-owned Australian subsidiary Optus to a private equity firm. [smart company – 05/29/2013]
UAE and Belarus discuss ways to resolve interference between the satellite networks of the two countries in their Frequency Coordination Meeting. [WAM -05/29/2013]
Gilat plans increased performance in the SkyEdge II-c product, with 66 Msps forward channel bandwidth. [financial news – 05/29/2013]
Pay-TV households across the globe expected to reach more than one billion before the end of 2013 according to senior analyst with Multimedia Research Group. [Satelllite Today – 05/28/2013]
British company SATcase offers emergency satellite communication on smartphones via a smartphone case with a satellite receiver. [Out and About Live – 05/28/2013]
Singapore-based Swire Pacific Offshore upgrades to Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband Unlimited on 65 of its vessels. [Sacramento Bee – 05/28/2013]
Fifth WGS satellite rockets into space aboard Delta 4 rocket from Cape Canaveral. [iol scitech – 05/27/2013]
Cost of modernized GPS ground control system soars $3.4 billion above original $1.4 billion price; development delays launch of satellites. [Nextgov – 05/26/2013]
French space agency, CNES, to freeze final design of new-generation Ariane 6 launcher by July, triggering work on new launch pad in French Guiana whose location has already been decided. [Space News – 05/24/2013]
Russian biological research satellite mission termed a “success” in spite of the deaths of most of the animals on board. [Space Daily – 05/24/2013]
Hopes are high for a successful launch of the WGS-5 satellite today, which was scrubbed yesterday for an issue with a ground support helium pressurization line. [SatNews – 05/24/2013]
Ecuador’s new and only satellite collides with debris from old Russian rocket, but it’s not clear whether damage resulted. [Space Mart – 05/23/2013]
Leading global satellite players look to capitalize on expected $17 billion military communications sector. [AMEinfo – 05/23/2013]
Intelligence community and military face challenges from High Throughput Satellites, including jamming, increased demand and routing issues. [Satellite Today – 05/23/2013]
Draft bill in House of Representative would put greater emphasis on the NOAA operation weather forecasting activities at the expense of climate research, and create inroads for increased government use of commercial satellites and weather data. [Space News – 05/23/2013]
NASA’s plans to downsize Kennedy Space Center and shift shuttle-era facilities into private sector hands get $20 million boost from Florida. [Space News – 05/23/2013]
ScheduALL releasing new ScheduALL 5 (S5) software for automating previously labor-intensive functions such as slack capacity optimization, media system integration and third-party connectivity. [Satellite Today – 05/23/2013]
ViaSat executes contract for Boeing to build next generation broadband satellite, expected to be by far the world’s highest capacity satellite at the time of its launch in 2013. [Satellite Spotlight – 05/23/2013]
Newtec to host a Government and Defense Seminar in Washington DC on the topic of satellite communications efficiency and best practices in the market. [Satellite Evolution Group – 05/23/2013]
Advantech Wireless announces release of new Sapphire Series 2,500W Ku-band UltraLinearTM GaN SSPA/BUC modular design with built-in redundancy. [Satellite Evolution Group – 05/23/2013
Sprint Emergency Response Team in Moore, OK shortly after tornado, providing local responders and officials with mobile devices, and wireless voice and secure IP data communications using its Satellite Cell on Light Trucks. [Satellite Evolution Group – 05/23/2013]
House defense legislation would enable long-term commercial satellite leases and fair evaluation of companies seeking to win U.S. Air force satellite launch contracts. [Space News – 05/22/2013]
EUsatcom 2013 is a new type of fast-paced satcom event which for the second year provides opportunity for those in the European satellite industry to come together and learn about major developments in the industry. [infoTECH News – 05/22/2013]
Australian satellite company NewSat buys land next to its existing premises at Mawson Lakes to double its presence and hopefully create up to 50 high-tech jobs over the next few years. [news.com.au – 05/22/2013
Hughes will showcase next generation broadband satellite technology at SatCom Africa 2013. [Yahoo Finance – 05/22/2013]
Hermes Datacomms wins contract to support Tullow Oil with their African operations using Hermes’ pan-African satellite platform. [Satellite Today – 05/22/2013]
Congress debates best location for deep-space dry run for future Mars mission – an asteroid, or the moon? [Space News – 05/22/2013]
DISA cancels $45 million sole source contract to store terabytes of satellite and drone imagery files, planning to pursue contract through competitive means. [Nextgov – 05/21/2013]
House panel inserts language in next year’s defense budget bill that would prevent Defense Department from entering into contracts for satellite services with countries like China and North Korea. [Wired – 05/21/2013]
Dish remains hopeful it can show Sprint the superiority of its offer to acquire the U.S. wireless giant. [Satellite Today – 05/21/2013]
Hughes Communications India is named best VSAT operator in India for sixth year in a row at Telcom Operator Awards. [Yahoo Finance – 05/20/2013]
Telit Communications to expand its line of multi-constellation satellite global positioning receivers for the M2M market. [4-traders – 05/20/2013]
Inmarsat Plc announces Satcom Direct as a distributor of GX Aviation to the business aviation market. [4-trader – 05/202013]
Ottawa, Ontario – SkyWave Mobile Communications announces SCADAconnect, and end-to-end connectivity solution targeting the oil & gas, utilities, heavy equipment and industrial automation markets. [eon – 05/20/2013]
Khathmandu government forms committee to study feasibility of launching Nepal’s first satellite to a slot assigned the the ITU in 1984. [The Himalayan – 05/05/2013]
U.S. Air Force has been quietly developing and has finally fielded measures to counter interference and electronic attacks directed against satellite communications. [Defence Update – 05/03/2013]
China launches state-owned communications satellite to transmit TV and data to commercial customers across Asia, Africa and Australia for the next 5 years. [RapidTV news- 05/03/2013]
Pentagon indirectly leases capacity on a Chinese satellite, leading to criticism from Capitol Hill – situation could become commonplace without reform in the way the military procures commercial satellite capacity. [SpaceNews – 05/03/2013]
Steve Birnbaum of the Global VSAT Forum (GVF) is honored by the White House for expertise and innovative HTS satellite solutions that enabled locally-driven community response during Hurricane Sandy relief operations. [SatNews – 05/03/2013]
Inmarsat and Honeywell partner with Ka-band; as Inmarsat prepares to launch first Global Xpress Ka-band satellite, Honeywell completes preliminary design review of satcom hardware for aircraft. [AIN online – 05/03/2013]
A top line-up of global satellite communications experts to meet in Abu Dhabi and discuss next steps forward in global military telecom market expected to reach $7.4 billion in 2013. [TradeArabia – 05/02/2013]
Iridium joint venture Aireon, developer of world’s first satellite-based global air traffic surveillance system, signs long-term commercial. data services contract with NAV CANADA. [Satellite Evolution Group – 05/02/2013]
Harris Caprock completes installation of advanced communications solutions onboard 33 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. vessels that will improve crew morale, guest experiences, and company operational efficiencies. [Harris Caprock – 05/02/2013]
Comtech Xicom gets $1.2 million contract from a leading European integrator for antenna-mount Ku-band ampliviers to be used in transportable uplink systems for a TV broadcast network. [Satellite Evolution Group – 05/02/2013]
Chinese launch Chinasat-ll (Zhongxing-1) aboard a Long March 3B/E (Chang Zheng-3B/E) rocket form the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. [NASA Spaceflight – 05/01/2013]
Militaries worldwide forced to face same questions as businesses and demand for satellite capacity increases – is Ka-band the way forward, and can they modernize while cutting costs? [Satellite Today – 05/01/2013]
Sea Launch failure identified as hydraulic oil pump not built to specifications, company aims to return to flight by year’s end. [Space News – 05/01/2013]
TeleCommunicaton Systems receives $4 million funded order for satellite modems from U.S. Army. [Sacramento Bee – 05/01/2013]
Hiltron products to be showcased at Broadcast Asia 2013 include advanced motorized antenna mount. control system, and SNG satellite link monitor and controller that allow SNG uplinks to be operated on inclined orbit satellites. [4rfv.co.uk – 05/01/2013]
Advantech Wireless releases new Sapphire Series 600W Ku-band UltraLinearTM GaiN SSPA/BUC, the ultimate solution for Direct to Home TV. [Satellite Evolution Group – 05/01/2013]
May Satellite Executive Briefing magazine includes: ‘Update on the African Satellite Market’ by Virgil Labrador, ‘The Lack of Consensus on Spectrum Demand’ by Armand Musey, and ‘Back and Forth with O3b Networks CEO Steve Collar’ by Lou Zacharilla. [Satellite Markets – May 2013]
Russia wins, SpaceX loses, as NASA budget cuts force choice for manned space missions. [Quartz – 04/30/2013]
SES hopes for strong impact in the UK satellite broadband market, signing a deal with BeyonDSL for the distribution of SES Broadband in the U.K. and Ireland. [Satellite Today – 04/30/2013]
NordNet deploys Gilat’s SkyEdge II-c VSATs for high-end broadband-over-satellite service in France. [Yahoo Finance – 04/30/2013]
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo makes its first powered flight, breaking the sound barrier in a test over the Mojave Desert. [R&D Magazine – 04/29/2013]
As O3b’s first satellites arrive in French Guiana, the Exploration & Production, and Mining operations segment represents a small but high-end market awaiting the availability of fiber speeds by satellite. [NSR – 04/29/2013]
Orbital sciences will design and build a new satellite for NASA that will investigate the connection between space weather and Earth’s terrestrial weather. [R&D Magazine – 04/29/2013]
NSR believes new technological choices will accelerate the split of satellite design into two categories: one driven by payload maximization and the other driven by savings. [SatNews – 04/25/2013]
Walton announces new fabric for its Snow Shield covers that outperforms that of its competitors, while half the price of the Gore-Tex now used. [SatNews – 04/26/2013
Russian cargo spacecraft which failed to deploy one of its antennas after Wednesday launch docks with International Space Station. [Space News – 04/26/2013]
Eumetsat’s Metop-B replaces Metop-A as its prime operational polar-orbiting satellite following its commissioning period. [SatNews – 04/25/2013]
SES announces increased satellite penetration in Ukraine, to 22 percent of all TV households, or 3.7 million households. [Satellite Today – 04/25/2013]
Eutelsat Broadband helps workers from Ross-Shire Engineering stay in touch whilst constructing water treatment plants in some of the remotest parts of Scotland. [Satellite Evolution Group – 04/25/2013]
Orbital Sciences Corporation selected by NASA to design, manufacture, integrate and test a new astrophysics satellite that will perform full-sky search for exoplanets around nearby stars. [Satellite Evolution Group – 04/25/2013]
Kymeta is the first to close a Ka-band link with a passive phased array antenna using metamaterials. [EON – 04/23/2013]
iDirect to host its third annual Global Partner Summit, where industry leaders from around the world will discuss market trends, insights, and best practices, in Istanbul May 6 – 8. [Wall Street Journal 04/23/2013]
Speedcast acquires Australian satellite communications service provider Pactel International. [Satellite Today – 04/23/2013]
KVH’s TracPhone V3-IP and mini-VSAT satellite broadband ideal for remote oil and gas applications including on moving vehicles. [Wall Street Journal – 04/23/2013]
Israel Defense Forces select Gilat SatTrooper 1000 to provide Israeli soldiers with dependable data, video and telephony at broadband speeds. [NBC News – 04/23/2013]
SES, Inverto, Abilis, and MaxLinear develop the first low-noise block down-converter to incorporae eight-channel satellite-to-IP bridging technology. [Business Wire – 04/22/2013]
UniSA develops low-cost satellite system for sending and receiving sensor information collected in Australia’s vast unpopulated areas. [Spatial Source – 04/23/2013]
Telecom reform proposed by new Mexican President features important opportunities for foreign investors and satellite communications service providers. [Satellite Today – 05/01/2013]
The 6th European Conference on Space Debris will be held at ESOC, ESA’s European Space Operations Center, Darmstadt, Germany, 22 – 25 April. [Space Daily – 04/19/2013]
Galileo In-Orbit Verification In Orbit Test Review Board held at European Space Agency facility in Noordwijk, Netherlands, is declared a full success. [SatNews – 04/19/2013]\
Capacity on Azerbaijan’s first communications satellite, with Ku- and C-band transponders but no Ka-band, may be too expensive for internet providers. [ABC.AZ – 04/19/20103]
NASA seeks proposals for suborbital technology payloads and spacecraft capability enhancements that could be used on future space missions. [Space Travel – 04/18/2013]
Intelsat raises $347.8 million in IPO, less than hoped for, but stocks rise 7% in first day after offering. [Bloomberg – 04/18/2013]
COM DEV built multiplexers and switches populate Telesat’s Anik G1 satellite successfully launched April 15. [SatNews – 04/18/2013]
Responder to Superstorm Sandy disaster in Breezy Point, NY turns to Global VSAT Forum to put him in touch with satellite communications companies that are helping the community recover. [Urgent Communications – 04/18/2013]
The Saturno project, centering on distribution of satellite content to all domestic devices (television, laptops, tablets, or smartphones) using current infrastructure, led by HIspasat, successfully concludes its work with a meeting in Madrid. [Satellite Evolution Group – 04/18/2013]
Comtech EF Data gets a $1.1 million equipment order from an Asian telecommunications operator to support high-speed trunking links transporting 880 Mbps of data traffic, software upgradeable to over 3 Gbps. [Satellite Evolution Group – 04/18/2013]
SES announces that IN DEMAND has renewed an integral part of its cornerstone capacity agreement with SES for delivery of Pay-Per-View and Video ON Demand sports and entertainment television content .. [Satellite Evolution Group – 04/18/2013]
British firm unveils a sat-nav system that warns lorry drivers when they are approaching roads where they are at high risk of hitting a cyclist. [GPS Daily – 04/18/2013]
Proba-3 mission will be first in which two spacecraft will fly through space as a single unit – relative position accuracy to within less than one millimeter. [SatNews – 04/17/2013]
Eutelsat satellite Eutelsat 3D is undergoing final preparations for May 14 launch aboard an ILS Proton Breeze M rocket at Baikonour. [Satellte Today – 04/17/2013]
Astrium study, under contract with French space agency CNES, will analyze existing concepts and technologies and determine which can be used to successfully tackle large items of space debris. [SatNews – 04/17/2013]
MilSatCom Asia-Pacific 2013 – the largest SatCom event within the APAC region, to take place in Singapore May 9th and 10th. [Yahoo News – 04/17/2013]
French company Astrium approaches near-global X-band satellite communications for government and military customers with entry into service of its Skynet 5D and the launch of its hosted payload on Telesat’s Anik G1. [UPI – 04/17/2013]
Eastern Africa regional conference on satellite communication is held in Uganda. [UN-SPIDER – 04/17/2013]
Honeywell’s Sky Connect Tracker III combines voice, text and flight-tracking technologies into single system designed for helicopters, using the Iridium satellite network. [AIN online – 04/17/2013]
Wireless Innovation provides satellite communications solution for the British Antarctic Survey’s “Project Javelin.” [Satellite Spotlight – 04/17/2013]
Anik G1, successfully launched from Baikonur, Kazakhstan; aims to ease overcrowded communications networks in Latin America and add capacity to DTH services in Canada, and government and military users across the Americas. [Universe Today – 04/16/2013]
Air Force Space Command developed database that was turned over to Stratcom maintains a registry of tens of thousands of man-made objects in space and shares the information freely with anyone who seeks it through a command-run website. [SatNews – 04/16/2013]
New Nigerian Permanent Secretary to the Communications Technology Ministry, on tour of NIGCOMSAT facility, expresses regret that the government has not properly harnessed the facilities for nation building. [allAfrica – 04/16/2013]
Spacecom of Israel wins three-year contract with one of Africa’s largest Internet Communications Service Providers for VSAT services on AMOS-5. [SatNews – 04/16/2013]
Ecuador is scheduled to launch its first satellite, a nanosatellite named Pegasa, from China April 26. [SatNews – 04/16/2013]
The U.S. Air Force is requesting a space program budget for fiscal year 2014 that is nearly one-third smaller than the 2013 request, at $6.4 billion. [SatNews – 04/15/2013]
ABI Research reports the Over The Top (OTT) video market is now worth over $8 billion, but does not yet see it as a threat to satellite. [Satellite Today – 04/12/2013]
Northrup Grumman Aerospace Systems Business Development Director discusses need for protected MILSATCOM and an affordable solution. [MILSATMAGAZINE – April issue]
Satellite Short Burst Data is cost-effective Beyond-Line-of-Sight transmission for multiple military units in the field. [MILSATMAGAZINE – April issue]
iDirect VP of Technology feels High Throughput Satellites can help solve biggest challenges of using satellite communications in the military – bandwidth and cost. [MILSATMAGAZINE – April issue]
Delivery of two state-of-the-art Ka-band Satellite On-The-Move terminals to the Japanese National Institute of Information and Communications Technology by Australian company EM Solutions represents key milestone for the firm for a partnership project with Tokyo-based Jepico Corporation. [MILSATMAGAZINE – April edition]
Eight satellite builders group themselves into seven separate bids for Brazil’s dual-use X- and Ka-band telecommunications satellite. [Space News – 04/12/2013]
Satellite tracking with single STMicroelectronics Teseo II chip successfully tested using Europe’s independent Galileo satellite navigation system. [SatNews – 04/12/2013]
University of Hawaii faculty and students designed satellite that will be launched in October 2013 in the first space launch from the State of Hawaii, from the U.S. Navy’s missile range on Kauai. [SatNews – 04/11/2013]
NASA’s Aqua satellite captures images of Mediterranean obscured by thick plumes of dust. [SatNews – 04/11/2013]
Honeywell and Boeing sign technical services agreement, seeking to develop next generation of high-speed in-flight connectivity services on passenger devices such as iPads, smartphones, tablets, and laptops. [Satellite Today – 04/11/2013]
NOAA-17 Polar-Orbiting Environmental Satellite turned off after 11 years of successful operation. [SatNews – 04/11/2013]
SES announces launch of SES Ultra HD Experience initiative inviting content providers and broadcasters to work with SES to support the development of the Ultra HD value chain. [Satellite Evolution Group – 04/11/2013]
DeLorme launches next generation inReach satellite communicator with GPS; inReach keeps users connected when out of cell phone range. [Herald online – 04/11/2013]
Globecomm and TodoCast partner to combine TodoCast’s live Internet broadcast capabilities with Globecomm’s global satellite network and broadcast infrastructure to provide direct-to-consumer content distribution. [Satellite Evolution Group – 04/11/2013]
Row 44 announces completion of installation of in-flight entertainment solution on 60 Norwegian Air Shuttle Boeing 737-800s. [Satellite Evolution Group – 04/11/2013]
Bahrain’s NOORSAT deploys multiple Telairity quad-channel BE9400 high-compression SD encoders in a complete end-to-end redundant encoding system for new Middle East video installations. [Satellite Evolution Group – 04/11/2013]
Commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific says U.S. can intercept North Korean missile. [Space Mews – 04/10/2013]
Canada’s Radarsat 1 satellite feared lost for good as prospects for reviving it are not promising. [Spaceflight Now – 04/10/2013]
Next Vega to be launched from French Guiana is delivered to Arianespace – is slated for May 2 mission to carry aloft Proba-V for the ESA, VNREDSat-1 for Vietnam, and an Estonian student nanosatellite ESTCube-1. [SatNews – 04/10/2013]
Aireon, a commercial venture that will leverage the Iridium Next satellite communications constellation to provide navigation and flight safety communications to airlines, waits for FAA funding commitment. [Space News – 04/10/2013]
United Airlines discusses plans to use both Ka-band and Ku-band technology for in-flight connectivity. Satellite Today – 04/10/2013]
Antares rocket rolled out at NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility for launch set for April 17. [Space News – 04/09/2013]
New Australian space coordination office to be created under new space policy that will provide strategic direction for Australian users of satellite technology. [Yahoo 7 news – 04/09/2013]
Fourth MUOS satellite, with communication module and multi-beam antenna installed, enters system test. [Sacramento Bee – 04/09/2013]
Panasonic leases full transponder of Ku-band satellite capacity on Eutelsat 172A from Australian Satellite Communications. [PR Newswire – 04/09/2013]
RRsat to launch new content management and distribution solution for Russia and the CIS that includes RRsat’s Ku-band MCPC platform on the new Yamal-300K satellite. [RRSAT Press Release – 04/09/2013]
NAB – International Association of Broadcasting Manufacturers (IABM) conference session saw data on recent market growth of 4.7% per annum, though profits down 12.7%; discussed strategies for reinvention of industry. [Satellite Markets – 04/09/2013]
ITT Exelis to fabricate composite-based bus structures for Orbital Sciences Corporation’s GEOStar-3 communications satellite. [EON – 04/09/2013]
New report in Reportlinker.com catalogue discusses the Global Military Communications and COTS Market for 2012-2013. [Yahoo Finance – 04/08/2013]
Euroconsult predicts strong performance for Ka-band in in-flight connectivity; overall take-up rate of connectivity services is lower than expected. [Satellite Today – 04/08/2013]
Telecommunications ministers from nine major Arab states, including Qatar, look into the prospects of acquiring next generation satellite technology to boost services across the region. [Gulf Times – 04/08/2013]
Iridium endeavors to re-enter India with Indian partners Bhgarat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and MTNL. [afaqs – 04/08/2013]
Boeing developing family of small satellite prototypes called Phantom Phoenix sharing a common architecture that can quickly and affordably be manufactured and configured for specific missions. [SatNews – 04/08/2013]
Abbot-led coalition Australian government would keep the fixed-wireless and satellite components of Australia’s National Broadband Network project. [ZDNet – 04/08/2013]
KVH announces availability of integrated service package pairing its mini-VSAT Broadbandsm service with Iridium OpenPort broadband services for seamless, fully global connectivity. [Daily Herald – 04/07/2013]
NASA selects 295 research and technology proposals from 216 American small business for negotiations that could lead to contract awards worth up to a combined $38.7 million. [Space Travel – 04/05/2013]
GVF-EMP Conference Partnership to hold its 17th conference in its global Oil & Gas Communications Series in Rio de Janeiro, for the third year in succession. [SatNews – 04/05/2013]
KVH more than doubles mini-VSAT satellite broadband network capacity in Brazil and Africa. [Space Daily – 04/05/2013]
Cobham SATCOM to unveil EXPLORER 710 BGAN terminal, capable of streaming rates of over 650 kbps when using new high data rate streaming service to be introduced in September, at NAB 2013. [SatNews – 04/05/2013]
Crystal Solutions to demo its Spectrum Monitoring & Recording solution at NAB 2013, which will enable broadcasters to defend the 2GHz Broadcast Auxiliary Service. [SatNews – 04/05/2013]
Astrium to present several new products and services at the LAAD Defence & Security 2013 exhibition. [SatNews – 04/05/2013]
Globecomm CEO David Hershberg to appear on Fox Business Network Saturday, April 6th, and Bloomberg Telivision International Sunday, April 7th. [laserpostal.com – 04/05/2013]
Euroconsult strategic review expects global in-flight connectivity market to grow at a CGR of ~42% over the next 10 years. [SatNews – 04/04/2013]
Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC) is accepting project proposals for 2013 from members and non-members for projects that promote the use of telecommunications to improve quality of life in the Pacific. [SatNews – 04/04/2013]
AsiaSat signs partnership deal with GeoMetWatch, under which the satellite operator will host the first of six Sounding & Tracking Observatory for Regional Meteorology (STORMTM) instruments on board a new satellite. [Satellite Today – 04/04/2013]
L-3 EDD 50-watt NanoMPM Ka-band power amplifier is the world’s smallest commercially available millimeter wave power amplifier module at just 6.5 in. x 4 in. by 1 in.. [SatNews – 04/04/2013]
NASA celebrates 30th anniversary of the deployment of the first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, TDRS-A, launched on space shuttle Challenger’s maiden voyage. [redOrbit – 04/04/2013]
Gilat to showcase new lightweight integrated airborne satellite communications solution for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) at LAAD 2013 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil April 9 – 12. [Aviation Pros – 04/04/2013]
China’s second female astronaut, Wang Yaping, to fly in space aboard the Shenzhou 10 spacecraft later this year. [Space Daily – 04/03/2013]
China to launch dual purpose satellite in 2013 to be used in weather forecasting and satellite disaster warning, and the BDS system will begin operations for the first time outside China, in Thailand. [SatNews – 04/03/2013]
Cobham SATCOM and LiveU, a leader in portable live video-over-cellular solutions, announce alliance to offer broadcasters a robust, high performance hybrid solution for live video transmission in diverse locations. [Screen Africa – 04/03/2013]
Satcom Direct holds 9th annual conference to answer satellite questions in the airborne arena; its growth is evidence that steady pace of satcom development has led to greater variety of services and lower prices. [AIN online – 04/03/2013]
China says its Beidou GPS System will soon be available to civilians on public mobile phone services. [GPS Daily – 04/02/2013]
Viasat CTO describes ViaPlay, with video streaming apps for the Apple iOS, Google Android platforms, Sony PlayStation 3, and Microsoft Xbox 360, as a complement to satellite pay-TV and DTH. [Satellite Today – 04/01/2013]
Norsat receives $13.3 million (CAD) research and development contract from Canada’s Strategic Aerospace and Defense Initiative. [Satellite Today – 04/01/2013]
Experiments in Saharan Desert prepare for manned missions to Mars, supported by satellite link provided by BusinessCom Networks and Constellation Networks Corp. [PR.com – 03/29/2013]
Could a satellite company decongest American Wi-Fi and save itself in the process? Globalstar’s “terrestrial Low Power Service” (TLPS) plans. [Quartz – 03/05/2013]
XCOR Aerospace announces firing of full piston pump-powered rocket engine, a first in aviation and space history – the engines will be reusable several times a day. [Satellite Evolution Group – 03/28/2013]
ILS and Intelsat sign contract for two firm ILS Proton launch missions. [SatNews – 03/28/2013]
Space Systems/Loral will study options for low-cost U.S. military weather satellite replacement system. [Space News – 03/28/2013]
China to launch the first satellite for its high-resolution Earth observation system in April. [SatNews – 03/28/2013]
Harris Corporation and NOAA develop and deploy new tool that will help track and report anomalies in critical weather satellite information. [Satellite Evolution Group – 03/28/2013]
Reinventing Space – dramatically reducing space mission cost with advanced spacecraft technology. [Space News – 03/28/2013]
Gilat Satellite Networks gets three year contract from Peruvian Ministry of Education to provide SkyEdge II-c hub and Aries VSAT equipment, installation, maintenance and technical support for 2,600 schools nationwide. [SatNews – 03/28/2013]
C-COM to show new, rugged, lightweight iNetVu line of Ka- and Ku-band auto-pointing antenna systems at NAB 2013. [SatNews – 03/28/2013]
XipLink’s wireless link optimization solutions are successfully tested and implemented at Maritime Communications Partner, assisting MCP in servicing a higher number of internet subscribers on maritime vessels while reducing operating expenses. [SatNews – 03/28/2013]
Satcom Direct releases new mobile application, GetORT+, allowing users of their Satcom Direct Unity product kit to interface with their satcom equipment using Apple devices. [SatNews – 03/28/2013]
On Call chooses Romantis Universal Hardware Platform for second generation of QuickSPOT on demand satellite network, saying it should just take moments to book satellite space online and then access it. [SatNews – 03/28/2013]
First Search and Rescue payload on U.S. satellite, NOAA-E, was launched 30 years ago; more than 33,000 lives have been saved to date. [SatNews – 03/28/2013]
Canada receives part of the ground segment of its military’s first dedicated operation military satellite from Denmark’s Terma A/S. [SatNews – 03/28/2013]
Mitsubishi Electric delivers world’s first helicopter satellite communication system, expected to gather information on disaster areas to support rapid deployment of first response measures. [Yahoo Finance – 03/27/2013]
Spacenet announces addition of a range of new communications services and products to the GSA schedule. [Satellite Spotlight – 03/26/2013]
Hughes announces first Inmarsat BGAN M2M terminal to receive hazardous locations accreditation. [Yahoo Finance – 03/27/2013]
VSAT provider Maju Nusa of Malaysia to use Hughes Network Systems Network Operations Center and 130 HXb roadband satellite terminals to deliver cellular backhaul services. [SatNews – 03/27/2013]
Exinda announces that Satcom Direct has selected its Exinda Mobile platform to be integrated into the Satcom Direct Router, to act as a Wi-Fi access point on an airplane. [Yahoo News – 03/26/2013]
ViaSat CEO speaks optimistically about ViaSat-2 satellite at 2013, saying it is expected to be a dramatic improvement over ViaSat-1; a realistic time frame for the satellite may be 2016. [Satellite Today – 03/25/2013]
NSR report ‘Aeronautical Satcom Markets’ due out in April answers critical questions affecting the in-flight connectivity business. [NSR – Apritl 2013]
NSR report ‘Energy Markets Via Satellite’ builds on legacy of NSR’s detailed analysis of the Oil & Gas markets, adding detailed view into the O&G, mining, and utility verticals. [NSR – March 2013]
