Really Rocket Science

U.S. Navy to install Raytheon Company’s Navy Multiband Terminal on over 300 ships.
[Satellite Spotlight – 12/21/2012]

Telefonica will use Eutelsat’s high-performance KA-SAT to provide satellite Internet connectivity across Europe.
[msn money – 12/21/2012]

Globalstar’s common stock to be delisted by NASDAQ.
[Satellite Today – 12/20/2012]

British-made military satellite with ‘anti-jamming’ capability is orbited.
[Yahoo News UK & Ireland – 12/20/2012]

ViaSat receives $52 million contract from unnamed U.S. government agency to provide broadband services via satellite to government aircraft.
[North County Times – 12/20/2012]

China Mobile Satellite Communications Group and Thuraya Telecommunications announce successful launch of a new business focusing on mobile satellite phones. [People’s Daily Online – 12/20/2012]

UK-based GVF adds three authorized test entities in three major regions, doubling the size of the industry network of authorized test entities to provide type-approved equipment for the satellite industry.
[Broadcast Engineering – 12/20/2012]

Mexsat Bicentenario satellite sends first signals from space.
[Satellite Today – 12/20/2012]

Gilat will begin supplying satellite-based communications solutions for all Israeli governmental offices and defense organizations.
[Israel Defense – 12/20/2012]

Kratos gets $17.5 million U.S.A.F. contract for Command and Control System for current and future military communication satellites.
[Street Insider – 12/20/2012]

Export-Import Bank of Chine to provide Belarus with $280.8 million load for development of national communication and broadcasting satellite service.
[Belarusian Telegraph Agency – 12/20/2012]

Airtel and Comtech EF Data get award for Best Backhaul Solution for Africa at 5th annual AfricaCom Awards ceremony.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 12/20/2012]

Racking up over 100 million flight hours in more than 40 years, Honeywell Reaction Wheel Assemblies have never caused a satellite to fail or abort a mission. [Satellite Evolution Group – 12/20/2012]

Astronomers using Europe’s Herschel Space Observatory ask public for help in finding holes in the dust clouds throughout the galaxy using images from Herschel.
[SatNews – 12/20/2012]

GoGo, a leader in in-flight connectivity, signs major satellite capacity deal with SES. [Satellite Evolution Group – 12/20/2012]

Map of Earth at night published by NASA two weeks ago showed large number of lights in uninhabited areas of Western Australia that turned out to be lightning and wildfires.
[SatNews – 12/20/2012]

U.S. House and Senate agree on satellite export reform legislation.
[Space Policy Online – 12/19/2012]

Ariane 5 completes it’s 67th launch, the 7th and final of 2012, accurately delivering Skynet-5D and Mexsat Bicentenario into their respective orbits.
[European Space Agency – 12/19/2012]

Independent Oversight Board formed to investigate solar array deployment anomaly following launch of Intelsat 19 exonerates Sea Launch rocket in the incident.
[Satellite Today – 12/19/2012]

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShip Two completes first test glide flight with rocket motor components installed and thermal protection applied to its leading edges.
[SatNews – 12/19/2012]

United Space Alliance closes its Washington lobbying operation.
[Space News – 12/19/2012]

SES announces that it is the first satellite operator to offer satellite broadband service with download speeds up to 20Mbit/s for consumers in France.
[SatNews – 12/19/2012]

NASA’s next-generation communications satellite, TDRS-K, arrives at Kennedy Space Center in preparation for January 29, 2013 launch.
[Bloomberg – 12/18/2012]

XTAR retools and reconfigures infrastructure to provide new potential for its X-band bandwidth, including Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (AISR).
[Satellite Today – 12/18/2012]

Eutelsat 21B fully enters commercial service at 21.5 degrees East.
[Satellite Today – 12/18/2012]

Member of European Space Agency officially approve cooperation between ESA and Roscosmos on European Mars exploration ExoMars, led by Thales Alenia Space as prime contractor.
[SatNews – 12/17/2012]

Thuraya Telecommunications combines with Japan’s SoftBank Mobile to provide Japanese business, enterprise, and consumer subscribers across Thuraya’s satellite network with mobile satellite communication services.
[Satellite Today – 12/17/2012]

NASA’s Commercial Drew Program selects Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser Space System Program to receive a Certification Products Contract, a first step to enabling International Space Station transportation services and provide government certification of its commercial crew orbital transportation system. [SatNews – 12/17/2012]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Golden Spike Co., launched by team of former NASA executives, to sell trips to the moon for two for $1.5 billion.
[R&D Magazine – 12/07/2012]

Europe’s Global Monitoring for Environment and Security satellite system gets re-inserted  into the European Union’s multiannual financial framework, but faces a 35% cut to its seven-year budget.
[Space News – 12/07/2012]

Europe decides to offer Galileo’s Public Regulated Service signal to non-European allies that sign security agreements.
[Space News – 12/07/2012]

Thales Alenia Space Italy signs contract with Astrium GmbH of Germany to provide systems for Europe’s BepiColombo Mercury orbiter.
[Space News – 12/07/2012]

Infrared sensor manufacturer Sofradir to purchase infrared divisions of its two parent companies, Thales and Sagem.
[Space News – 12/07/2012]

ScanEx Research and Development Center signs distribution agreement with Astrium GEO Information Services for selling data from Pleiades-1B and TerraSAR-X satellites.
[SatNews – 12/07/2012]

Boeing orders batteries from Saft of Paris for first batch of Boeing 702SP all-electric satellites.
[Space News – 12/07/2012]

U.S. Pacific Command moves ships into place to monitor possible North Korean rocket launch, professed by the North Koreans to be a satellite launch, but viewed by U.S. as demonstrating capability to launch intercontinental ballistic missiles.
[SatNews – 12/06/2012]

Thales Alenia Space gets Russian Yamal 402 satellite ready for December 8 launch.
SatNews – 12/06/2012]

South Africa discussing design of new satellite to replace  Sumbandila, incorporating lessons learned from Sumbandia’s failure after two years due to severe radiation.
[SatNews – 12/06/2012]

Hong Kong based SpeedCast acquires Australian Satellite Communications.
[ARN – 12/06/2012]

Haivision gets International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2008 and ISO 13485:2003 certification for the management system governing the design, development, manufacturing, support, and lifecycle of its products
[SatNews – 12/06/2012]

ViaSat successfully implements Integrated Waveform Network Control Station for the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense, to effeicently mange its UHF SATCOM assets.
[SatNews – 12/06/2012]

As North American DTH growth stagnates, DirecTV focuses on Latin American while Dish Network looks to leverage its recent wireless spectrum acquisitions.
[SatNews – 12/06/2012]

NASA/NOAA satellite captures the night-lights across the USA. [SatNews – 12/06/2012]

The third Galileo satellite transmits its first test navigation signals back to Earth.
[Satellite Today – 12/05/2012]

U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center awards SpaceX two Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle class missions.
[SatNews – 12/05/2012]

Globalstar satellite affected by momentum wheel failure in early 2011 is returned to service following software fix.
[Market Watch – 12/05/2012]

Xiplink signs reseller deal with Globecomm; initial deployment will provide optimized Internet access for crew welfare on maritime vessels.
[Satellite Today – 12/05/2012]

Eutelsat 70B successfully boosted into orbit by Sea Launch.
[betanews – 12/04/2012]

GPS receiver built by Surrey Satellite Technology Limited successfully achieves a GPS position fix at 23,300 km altitude – the first position fix above the GPS constellation on a civilian satellite.
[SatNews – 12/03/2012]

Globecomm reaches milestone, providing connectivity services to 3,500 ships globally.
[SatNews – 12/03/2012]

Gulfsat Madagascar signs long-term capacity deal with O3b to deliver high-speed satellite broadband across Madagascar.
Financial Post – 12/03/2012]

KVH implements technical changes resulting in 60 percent increase in satellite capacity of its mini-VSAT network in Europe, the Middle East, and northern Africa (EMEA).
[SatNews – 12/03/2012]

Full electric propulsion satellite target of SES and ESA partnership.
[Business Wire – 11/30/2012]

Virus hijacks data on newest Japanese rockets from Japan’s space agency.
[the New York Times – 11/30/2012]

Video – O3b nears launch, infrastructure built, customers coming.
[O3b video]

ISR conference next April to feature key military and industry speakers.
[SMI Online]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

 a href=”http://www.spacenews.com/article/europe-looks-to-broaden-base-for-encrypted-galileo-service”

European Space Agency enters cooperation arrangement with Russia under which Roscosmos will provide two Proton rockets to launch the Euro-Russian ExoMars mission in 2016 and 2018.
[SatNews – 11/21/2012]

SES’ Astra 2F successfully completes in-orbit testing and is now fully operational and in commercial service.
[SatNews – 11/21/2012]

China will launch Democratic Republic of the Congo’s first satellite, which will also be developed by China, in 2015.
[SatNews – 11/21/2012]

Ball Aerospace & Technologies part of team to build first space-based instrument to monitor major air pollutants across North America for NASA.
[SatNews – 11/21/2012]

International Launch Services successfully delivers the EchoStar XVI satellite into orbit aboard an ILS Proton rocket.
[SatNews – 11/20/2012]

Shipments of satellite nodes for smart-grid applications projected to quadruple by 2020.
[Telecom Engine – 11/20/2012]

Passengers aboard historic first flight of Qatar Airways’ Boeing 787 Dreamliner made heavy use of in-flight broadband and cellular networks to tweet, text, make phone calls, and browse the Internet.
[SatNews – 11/20/2012]

Frontier Communications Offers Satellite Broadband to Washington State
[Daily Finance – 11/20/2012]

Lockheed Martin selected to support new generation of agile, commercially based military satellite communications technologies.
[Sacramento Bee – 11/19/2012]

Following successful financial and operational restructuring, SATMEX reveals new branding image, “SATMEX Reaching Higher.”
[SatNews – 11/19/2012]

Rockwell Collins gets $35 million award for satellite communications services from the U.S. Army at Aberdeen Proving Ground.
[Equities – 11/19/2012]

China sends third satellite in its “Environment I” family into orbit.
[SatNews – 11/19/2012]

Hughes wins $24 million contract from Mexican government for 11,000 site satellite broadband system.
[Sacramento Bee – 11/19/2012]

University of Glasgow’s School of engineering led development of Aerodynamic End Of Life Deorbit System for cubesats to ensure de-orbit and incineration in atmosphere at end of life.
[Satnews – 11/19/2012]

MTN to transform at-sea communications with first ever hybrid satellite and land-based solution for maritime industry.
[Sacramento Bee – 11/19/2012]

Having already delivered most accurate gravity map of Earth, ESA’s GOCE gravity satellite’s orbit is being lowered to obtain even better results.
[SatNews – 11/19/2012]

Dual effect of optimizing operational efficiency and improving crew welfare expected to drive strong marine satellite communications market growth over the next ten years.
[gnom.es – 11/19/2012]

Television stations in Chicago and Houston successfully complete alpha-phase field testing to Exede Newsgathering service from ViaSat using first High-Capacity Ka-band SNG vehicle built in the U.S.
[SatNews – 11/19/2012]

With 25 percent of all ships sailing the world’s oceans using satellite communications using Marlink’s equipment, the company turns to Asia and China for further growth.
[China Daily – 11/19/2012]

Iridium finalizes agreement with NAV CANADA regarding Aireon LLC, a joint venture to provide air traffic management agencies around the globe the ability to continuously track aircraft anywhere in the world, leveraging Iridium’s NEXT LEO constellation.
[SatNews – 11/19/2012]

Charlie Ergen’s bet to enter wireless industry frustrated by failure of bid to acquire MetroPCS Communications.
[Wall Street Journal – 11/18/2012]

FCC close to granting Dish Network approval to use spectrum for ground-based network, but may attach limits unpalatable to Charlie Ergen.
[Denver Post – 11/17/2012]

Air Force decision on disaggregation (disperse payload sets to larger numbers of smaller satellites) not expected until 2015.
[Space News – 11/16/2012]

While U.S. worries about Chinese efforts in space, European governments are concerned about American competitors such as SpaceX.
[Citizens in Space – 11/15/2012]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services/aa href=”http://www.spacenews.com/article/air-force-decision-on-disaggregation-not-expected-until-2015″

Highway work knocks out communications to Russian space facility, putting at risk return of astronauts from International Space Station until repair was affected.
[South China Morning Post – 11/16/2012]

Sri Lanka’s first communications satellite expected to be launched November 22 from Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in China.
[Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses – 11/16/2012]

Hunter Communications and SATMEX announce multi-transponder agreement for Satmex 7, and entrance into the Canadian marketplace.
[Sacramento Bee – 11/16/2012]

Google reportedly has held talks with DISH Network regarding potential mobile network joint venture.
[TeleGeography – 11/16/2012]

Lack of commercial satellite capacity in Asia-Pacific region huge risk for defense agencies’ ability to find capacity on the spot market in case of Pacific region engagement requiring communications capabilities for the warfighter.
[National Defense Magazine – 11/15/2012]

As Afghanistan drawdown progresses, EADS Satcom venture expects shift in customer base from military to organizations involved in emergency management and humanitarian relief.
[Bloomberg Business Week – 11/15/2012]

The second Advanced Extremely High Frequency U.S. military communications satellite is turned over to the 14th Air Force for operation following successful in-orbit testing.
[UPI – 11/15/2012]

Delivery of satellite-based communications nodes for smart grid applications expected to quadruple by 2020.
[DailyFinance – 11/15/2012]

Mark Dankberg of ViaSat named Visionary Executive of the Year at SATCON 2012.
[SatNews – 11/15/2012]

Spacecom, operator of AMOS satellite fleet, named Most Promising Company of the Year at SatCon 2012.
[SatNews – 11/15/2012]

Newtec IP modem capable of up to 380 Mbps wins Satellite Markes and Research Most Innovative Product Award.
[SatNews – 11/15/2012]

No new expensive satellite programs for the military in the foreseeable future, given today’s budgetary environment, according to Air Force’s Space and Missiles Center commander General Ellen Pawlikowski.
[National Defense Magazine – 11/14/2012]

Soyuz rocket launch puts Russian Meridian communications satellite into orbit. [Spaceflight Now – 11/14/2012]

Hughes contract  is to help the Air Force develop options and reduce acquisition risk for architecture to provide the U.S. and allied forces with protected satellite communications in future hostile environments.
[UPI – 11/14/2012]

Mexico says Orbital Sciences-built Bicentenario satellite is ready for January, 2013 launch.
[Fox News Latino – 11/14/2012]

Inmarsat’s $1.2 billion Global Xpress system will be focused on service quality, requiring mandatory Earth station testing in co-ordination with the Global VSAT Forum.
[SatNews – 11/14/2012]

Cobham is selected by Inmarsat to provide land-based satellite communication terminal antennas specifically designed to support the Global Xpress network.
[SatNews – 11/14/2012]

RRsat acquires SM2 Sports & Media Solutions, a U.S-based premier provider of occasional-use international sports distribution and syndication services.
[SatNews – 11/14/2012]

Globecomm Systems gets NATO contract to upgrade the GPS-Based Force Tracking System for more capacity and additional features.
[SatNews – 11/14/2012]

ATCi provides multiple cable TV and satellite channels with disaster recovery services to ensure seamless, uninterrupted programming.
[Herald Online – 11/14/2012]

Thuraya recognized as Satellite Communications Player of the Year by the Arab States Broadcasting Union.
[AME Info – 11/14/2012]

SES announces contract with Telespazio Brasil to uses SES-4 Ku-band capacity for high-speed broadband and high quality voice to companies operating in remote inland communities.
[SatNews – 11/14/2012]

Avanti begins installation of Ka-band VSAT services on HYLAS-2 for South African “Working for Water” programme.
[Gadget – 11/14/2012]

Paradigm to provide Global Xpress land terminal integration services for the Inmarsat Global Xpress global Ka-band network.
[SatNews – 11/14/2012]

Telesat and Panasonic sign pre-launch long-term agreement for capacity on Anik G1 allowing Panasonic to expand aeronautical broadband service over Latin America.
[SatNews – 11/14/2012]

Globalstar petitions FCC to use its licensed MSS spectrum terrestrially to support mobile broadband applications throughout the U.S.
[SatNews – 11/13/2012]

SES announces iPad application showcasing the SES global fleet of 52 satellites and including over 150 satellite footprints, with 3D earth navigation and augmented reality view.
[SatNews – 11/13/2012]

Beam Communication’s RapidSat700 offers portable satellite solution for disaster recovery, operating with the Inmarsat BGAN network.
[Sacramento Bee – 11/13/2012]

MTN extends contract with Norwegian Cruise Line for VSAT communications, crew calling, Internet services, access to MTN Worldwide TV, and related services around the globe.
[Sacramento Bee – 11/13/2012]

Inmarsat promoting new satellites and technologies it says will transform communications in Africa.
[IT Web – 11/13/2012]

RRsat will launch new C-band DVB-S2 MCPC platform with complete coverage of Africa.
[Sacramento Bee – 11/13/2012]

Red Cross chooses Exede Enterprise satellite services from ViaSat to provide satellite connectivity during disaster response.
[Sacramento Bee – 11/13/2012]

Israel’s Orbit Technologies announces contract worth up to $150 million to provide hundreds of Ka-band communications systems to one of the world’s largest satellite ventures, a consortium providing high-speed broadband to billions of people.
[Globes – 11/12/2012]

Satellite imagery shows North Korea has been testing rocket engines.
[abc6 – 11/12/2012]

Ka-band comes of age as enterprise, defence, and military organizations look at Ka-band to upgrade capability and capacity of their satellite communications.
[Milsat Magazine – November 2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

GPS shoes to be commercially available in the U.K and Ireland, enabling tracking of wandering Alzheimer’s patients who wear them.
[SatNews – 10/12/2012]

The Season of Bulgarian TV Shows II from Martin Simeonov on Vimeo.

Intelsat gets agreements with two Bulgarian media companies for transponder services to enable digital terrestrial television and distribution of HD programming.
[SatNews – 10/12/2012]

B612 Foundation Sentinel Special Review Team concludes that the Sentinel Mission implementation plans and mission design and will lead to successful Sentinel mission to find and track Near Earth Asteroids.
[Satellite Today – 10/12/2012]

SpaceX Dragon loses Orbcomm satellite on way to Space Station.
[NewScientist – 10/11/2012]

Astrium successfully completes ASTRA 2F testing in orbit and turns over control to SES.
[SatNews – 10/11/2012]

Boeing is selected by SES S.A. to build SES-9 Ku-band satellite for DTH to Asia and Indonesia.
[Space Daily – 10/11/2012]

Eutelsat chooses Thales Alenia Space to build the EUTELSAT 8 West B satellite for broadcast over the Middle East and North Africa.
[herald online – 10/11/2012]

Components for fourth, fifth, and sixth Soyuz launches from French Guiana have arrived at the Spaceport.
[SatNews – 10/11/2012]

Avanti’s $25 million operating loss sends shares down.
[Space News – 10/11/2012]

Russian Federation approves use of Iridium service throughout its territory.
[SatNews – 10/11/2012]

Marlink commits to completing a maritime VSAT installation within 24 hours.
[SatNews – 10/11/2012]

DigitalGlobe gets USGIF Industry Intelligence Award for its work with Satellite Sentinel Project, monitoring human rights violations in Sudan and South Sudan using satellite imagery.
[SatNews – 10/11/2012]

Air Force Space Command commander order Accident Investigation Board to investigate why a Delta IV RL-10B-2 upper stage engine did not perform as expected, even though the GPS IIF satellite was successfully deployed into orbit.
[SatNews – 10/11/2012]

Ariane 5 VA210 flight to orbit EUTELSAT 21B for Eutelsat and Star One C3 for Brazil in November; Soyuz Flight VS03 scheduled for launch October 12 with two European Space Agency GPS satellites.
[Space Ref – 10/10/2012]

Avanti announces that HYLAS 2 is now fully operational and providing coverage across Africa, Caucasia, and the Middle East.
[SatNews – 10/10/2012]

EADS and BAE Systems terminate merger discussions on heels of discussions with several governments about their issues with the merger.
[SatNews – 10/10/2012]

Australian company EM Solutions wins tender with Tokyo based Jepico Corporation to provide Ka-band Satellite on the Move (SOTM) platform to Japanese Government’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology.
[SatNews – 10/10/2012]

Azerbaijani Deputy Communications and IT Minister says first Azerbaijani telecommunications satellite Azerspace will be launched in January 2013.
[Trend – 10/09/2012]

ATK gets $50M NASA contract to complete engineering development and risk reduction tests as part of the Advanced Concept Booster Development for the Space Launch System.
[SatNews – 10/09/2012]

Beam Communications installs Inmarsat products IsatDock Pro at Russian Antarctic Polar Station.
[herald online – 10/09/2012]

GeoEye is connected to additional government networks through the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
[SatNews – 10/09/2012]

Hughes signs 10-year smart grid satellite connectivity deal with Emtele of Finland.
[Satellite Today – 10/09/2012]

Inmarsat signs long-term alliance with Cisco, enabling it to deliver advanced services over Inmarsat’s new high-throughput satellite broadband network, Global Xpress.
[Market Watch – 10/08/2012]

Indian Space Research Organization plans to launch 58 space missions, among them 33 satellites, by 2017.
[Satellite Today – 10/08/2012]

Inmarsat signs master distribution agreement with Honeywell for GX Aviation services, to bring the service to the business aviation market.
[SatNews – 10/08/2012]

Space Systems/Loral to build EchoStar 8 for Dish Network.
[Satellite Today – 10/08/2012]

New ESA project led by Irish industry puts satellite data to use for monitoring quality of coastal water.
[SatNews – 10/08/2012]

NASA plans space network upgrade for Goddard Space Flight Center to accommodate third generation Tracking and Data Relay Satellites, with launch of TDRS-K scheduled for December.
[Satellite Today – 10/08/2012]

NASA’s Terra satellite observes plume cause by eruption of Shiveluch volcano on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
[SatNews – 10/08/2012]

Two TV market studies show increasing IPTV effect on traditional video, giving satellite TV providers something to think about.
[Satellite Today – 10/08/2012]

NASA TDRS-K satellite under final system checks by Boeing in preparation for December launch.
[phys.org – 10/06/2012]

FCC lets access rules expire that required cable companies to sell local content like sports channels to satellite TV providers.
[Wall Street Journal – 10/05/2012]

Race for gigabit satellite throughput explored in WTA report, “Teleports in a Gigabit World.”
[World Teleport Site – October, 2012]

Satellite industry girds for another likely spectrum battle in 2015.
[Satellite Today – 10/01/2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

NSR report projects strong long term growth in government and military demand for satellite services in spite of short term slump caused by troop withdrawals and budgetary challenges.
[SatNews – 09/28/2012]

Dish Network offers broadband Internet to underserved U.S. rural market.
[Chicago Tribune – 09/28/2012]

Indra closes with European Space Agency the definition of requirements for management system for Spanish satellite Ingenio.
[SatNews – 09/28/2012]

Beam Communicatons entire range of Inmarsat products approved for sale into Japanese market.
[SatNews – 09/28/2012]

Astrium Services is awarded ESCPC framework contract by the EDA for commercial satellite communications for European military needs.
[Defence Professionals – 09/28/2012]

Four instruments on the Metop-B weather satellite activated this week.
[SatNews – 09/28/2012]

Danish shipping company TORMN selects Inmarsat XpressLink to deliver next generation high-speed broadband to its entire bulk carrier and tanker fleets.
[SatNews – 09/28/2012]

Iridium Pilot terminals to be added to NSSLGlobal’s portfolio.
[SatNews – 09/28/2012]

Canadian pioneer in space technologies recalls NASA’s first reservations that Alouette satellite program was too ambitious.
[The Province – 09/28/2012]

Arianespace’s Ariane 5 mission with ASTRA 2F and GSAT-10 gets go ahead for September 28. [Space Ref – 09/27/2012]

GE Capital’s GE 23 satellite goes to Eutelsat.
[Digital Edge – 09/27/2012]

TCS, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin team to produce affordable satellite terminals for protected communications on the move and at the halt.
[Defence Professionals – 09/26/2012]

First ECME and live hybrid event in Dubai and Bahrain deemed huge success.
[AME info – 09/26/2012]

Satellite communications have crucial role in helping bridge digital divide in Sub-Saharan Africa.
[African Business Review – 09/26/2012]

Astrium reveals first demo of robotics in space for maintenance and disposal of satellites.
[SatNews – 09/25/2012]

ORBCOMM’s first OG2 satellite to launch on October 7.
[4-traders – 09/25/2012]

Collaborative efforts of stakeholders in the satellite industry and Pacific militaries improve disaster preparedness in the Pacific with training program at Changi Naval Base.
[SatNews – 09/25/2012]

Spacenet to showcase “Pay-as-You-Use” emergency communications solutions at International Association of Chiefs of Police.
[Daily Finance – 09/25/2012]

Bentley Walker unveils new Freedomsat service to Iraq and Afghanistan, the fastest satellite broadband connection available in both countries to date.
[SatNews – 09/25/2012]

Cassidian and Astrium enhance regional Tatrapol networks, enabling interconnection of the networks over satellite.
[Defence Professionals – 09/25/2012]

Air Force Space Command to build Space Fence radar site on Kwajalein Island in 2017.
[SatNews – 09/25/2012]

ViaSat developing a vertically integrated communications play.
[Seeking Alpha – 09/25/2012]

Russia’s first satellite manufactured and operated by a private firm to be launched next year.
[SatNews – 09/25/2012]

Vizada to showcase latest innovations in maritime communications at National Marine Electronics Conference in Orlando, FL.
[SatNews – 09/25/2012]

Telesat mounts PR offensive in Nunavut to prove relevance of satellite communications in spite of the company’s battered reputation.
[Succeed – 09/24/2012]

U.S. Weather satellite used for East coast hurricanes is busted.
[SatNews – 09/24/2012]

SpaceXs Grasshopper vertical takeoff and landing test vehicle takes first test flight hop.
[SatNews – 09/24/2012]

Lockheed Martin reaches major software design milestone in development of “switchboard in the sky” for Iridium NEXT constellation.
[Sacramento Bee – 09/24/2012]

MDA-Loral satellite deal clears U.S. national security hurdle.
[Reuters – 09/21/2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Sports. Lots of people like watching it live because the outcome is unknown. Movies and TV series can have predictable outcomes, and news network can be a bore to some. The major sport leagues know this to be true. So do the broadcasters who carry them. They get advertising revenues, and those on pay-tv services get additional revenue from subscriber fees.

Sports continues to be the driver for moving HDTVs into many homes in America. And for cable and satellite companies. I’ve gone from cable to satellite to cable again, and now I’m set with DISH Network. I refuse to pay Jimmy Dolan $78 per month for a basic cable package, so I’m sticking with Charlie. But I still have to choose between channel packages/bundles. Which doesn’t include AMC or MSG. Let them fight it out.

Sure, I can edit the channels I surf, but why must I pay for 20 shopping channels? Some people say the same for sports channels. Charlie’s mother doesn’t watch sports, so why can’t we just pick and choose the channels we want to watch — and pay only for those. DISH Network’s Hopper STB lets viewer skip ads, so why not let subscribers get only channels they want? How about an “over the top” service via the Internet?

Yeah, here it comes — millions are ready to make the switch. The report, via Ad Age…

Dish Network is talking to networks such as Viacom’s MTV about offering their channels over the internet, a service that could shift the economics of the pay-TV industry, five people familiar with the plan said.

In addition to Viacom, the negotiations involve the Spanish-language broadcaster Univision Communications and Scripps Networks Interactive, owner of the Food Network and HGTV, said the people, who asked not to be named because the talks are private. The companies would offer an online product known as an over-the-top service, charging a lower price for a smaller bundle of channels viewable on a computer or tablet.

Dish’s service would change the dynamics of the pay-TV business, whereby customers are forced to pay for bundles with channels they don’t watch. It also gives Dish a way to avoid its biggest programming expense: sports. Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN gets as much as $5.13 each month for every cable and satellite subscriber, compared with the industry’s average of 26 cents, according to SNL Kagan.

“That’s when you could start seeing a few cracks in the ecosystem,” said Alan Gould, a media analyst at Evercore Partners. “The addition of an over-the-top service would be significant.”

The effort would mark the biggest attempt to create an online service with live cable channels, a break from the approach taken by Netflix and Hulu. For Dish, the move would decrease its reliance on its satellite-TV service, which ranks second to DirecTV in U.S. customers. This also gives it a way to undercut pay-TV competitors on price.

Cable networks, meanwhile, have been reluctant to break up their suite of channels and sell them a la carte because it would lower the amount of available advertising inventory. Viacom and other cable networks typically sell ads at a lower rate than the big broadcast networks such as CBS Corp., so they rely on volume.

Viacom would be willing to sell smaller bundles of its networks, which also include Nickelodeon and Comedy Central, at a higher rate per channel than it does for its full complement of programming, according to two executives familiar with the situation.

Spokesmen for Dish, Viacom, Scripps and Univision declined to comment.

A central question is whether consumers want smaller bundles that lack sports programming. Several pay-TV operators, including Dish and Time Warner Cable, already offer cheaper packages that don’t include sports. ESPN — admittedly a network with a horse in the race — says those offerings aren’t very popular. “History shows that very few households subscribe,” said Amy Phillips, a spokeswoman for ESPN, the biggest cable sports network.

Dish offers a $20-per-month satellite package without ESPN, though it also lacks other top channels such as MTV and HGTV. Cable and satellite companies’ agreements with ESPN typically require the video distributors to include the sports network in their most popular tier of TV service.

Dish Chairman Charlie Ergen, who co-founded the company, has said there will be a day when a pay-TV operator chooses not to include sports in order to charge $10 to $20 per month less than competitors.

“My mom doesn’t watch sports,” Mr. Ergen said during a conference call last month. “I’ve got neighbors who don’t want sports. I’ve got friends who go to the bars or the neighbors’ house to watch sports.”

Bring on the “DISH Topper!”

Europe and China will share data from ocean-monitoring satellites.
[Space News – 08/30/2012]

Twin U.S. satellites rocket into orbit to explore radiation belts and protect planet from solar outbursts.
{R&D Magazine – 08/30/2012]

Defense Weather Systems Directorate celebrates 50 years of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP).
[SatNews – 08/30/2012]

Russia’s NPO Molnya Space Design Bureau developing hypersonic unmanned rocket vehicle capable of orbiting satellites.
[Satelllite Today – 08/30/2012]

Vizada is awarded five-year IDIQ contract with funding ceiling of $2.8 billion to provide land, sea, and air SATCOM services to all federal agencies.
[U.S. Politics Today – 08/30/2012]

Thaicom plans for interim satellite to be placed at its 50.5 degree East orbital slot to maintain the location rights.
[Satellite Today – 08/30/2012]

Dish Network urges FCC not to shift its spectrum holdings in the 2GHz band, and to approve rules for using satellite spectrum in terrestrial settings.
[TeleGeography – 08/30/2012]

Globecomm will introduce new business unit, Globecomm Europe, at IBC.
[SatNews – 08/30/2012]

NASA’s Dawn spacecraft to leave giant asteroid Vesta and travel three billion miles in 2 1/2 yeas to dwarf planet Ceres.
[SatNews – 08/30/2012]

Russia to launch two space laboratories within next four years.
[SatNews – 08/30/2012]

Satellite Interference Reduction Group (IRG), Global VSAT Forum (GVF), and Newtec announce number of meetings and initiatives relating to satellite interference at IBC.
[SatNews – 08/29/2012]

Largest public media enterprise in the U.S., Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), installs large set of Newtec M6100 modulators for content distribution as part of upgrade to DVB-S2 and H264, as well as Carrier ID for interference migigation.
[SatNews – 08/29/2012]

ITC deepens local presence in Africa with acquisition of Spidersat.
[Herald Online – 08/29/2012]

SES signs capacity agreement with Romantis, who will use NSS-12 Ku-band capacity to support growing connectivity needs across Russia and Central Asia.
[SatNews – 08/29/2012]

KVH introduces new onboard terminal for its mini-VSAT Broadband service including its breakthrough IP-enabled antenna control unit, CommBox ACU, with IP network and Wi-Fi features.
[SatNews – 08/29/2012]

United Arab Emirates is elected as member of the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization Advisory Committee.
[Khaleej Times – 08/28/2012]

MTN Satellite Communications launches MTN Worldwide TV for maritime customers.
[SatNews – 08/28/2012]

Intelsat Mobility offering highlights convergence of FSS and MSS markets.
[Satellite Today – 08/28/2012]

Dish Networks broadens international Internet-based television service to be viewable on PCs and Mac computers.
[Home Media Magazine – 08/28/2012]

C-COM Satellite Systems receives type approval from ViaSat for its iNetVu Ka-75V antenna system, for operation on ViaSat’s Exede professional Ka-band high-capacity satellite service.
[SatNews – 08/28/2012]

Satlink upgrades MCPC platform on AsiaSat 5 satellite to DVB-S2.
[SatNews – 08/28/2012]

Advantech Wireless rolls out new X-, C-band manpack BUCs.
[Satellite Today – 08/28/2012]

EchoStar files patent application for rooftop weather station.
[Satellite Today – 08/27/2012]

Satellite companies look to drones for growth.
[Washington Post – 08/26/2012]

iDirect Government Technologies to provide satellite router board modems to L-3 GCS for Hawkeye III 2.0M VSAT terminals.
[U.S. Politics Today – 08/26/2012]

Eight satellite providers win Custom Satellite Communications Solutions contract awarded by the General Services Administration and the Defense Information Systems Agency for commercial satellite services.
[Space News – 08/24/2012]

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Surrey Satellite Technology announces successful launch of exactView-1 satellite aboard Soyuz launcher.
[Directions Magazine – 07/27/2012]

Communications payload on MUOS satellite passes in orbit tests.
[Defense Systems – 07/26/2012]

China successfully launches Tianlian I-03 satellite, completing the country’s first data relay satellite network system.
[SatNews – 07/26/2012]

Dubai-based Sky-Stream selects two satellites operated by Eutelsat for capacity to support increasing demand from maritime and energy sectors.
[Market Watch – 07/26/2012]

SES signs long-term renewal with the U.K’s Channel 5 for one transponder.
[SatNews – 07/26/2012]

Norsat releases Satellite Locator application for iPhone on the App Store.
[Market Watch – 07/26/2012]

U.S. Export-Import Bank approves $1.2 billion to finance export of American-made telecommunications satellites to Mexico and Australia.
[Aerospace Manufacturing and Design – 07/25/2012]

TeleCommunication Systems gets $7.3 million funded U.S. Army order for SNAP deployable satellite systems equipment and support.
[Market Watch – 07/25/2012]

Intelsat announces partnership with Harris Caprock using Intelsat’s new Epic platform to service remote sites.
[IT Web – 07/25/2012]

MTN to deliver more than 2 gigabits per second to Caribbean cruise ship and yacht customers, using Intelsat EpicNG broadband connectivity.
[Market Watch – 07/25/2012]

GMV receives contract for MEASAT-3b communications satellite control center.
[Space Daily – 07/25/2012]

NASA’s Odyssey satellite orbit is successfully adjusted so it can provide prompt confirmation of Rover landing in August.
[SatNews – 07/25/2012]

Large inflatable heat shield for re-entry of vehicles into the atmosphere successfully survives hypersonic test by NASA.
[R&D Magazine – 07/24/2012]

Roscosmos launches group of five satellites aboard Soyuz-FG carrier rocket after regulatory delays.
[Satellite Today – 07/24/2012]

Globecomm announces receipt of $17 million contract from U.S. Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic for commercial-off-the-shelf satellite network and communications equipment and other services.
[EON – 07/24/2012]

Al Jazeera Networks (AJN) and Es’hailSat, the Qatar Satellite Company, sign a Memorandum of Understanding to promote closer co-operation between the two companies in building out AJN network to reach rest of world.
[SatNews – 07/24/2012]

Frontier will be distribution partner for HughesNet Gen4 service, offered on the Echostar XVII satellite with faster broadband speeds.
[Telecompetitor – 07/24/2012]

NASA’s Landsat, the longest running earth-imaging satellite, turns 40.
[Nextgov – 07/23/2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

U.K Space Agency launches ‘Civil Space Strategy,’ setting out direction for the U.K. space sector over the next four years. [SatNews – 07/13/2012]

Euroconsult announces findings of its most recent study of fixed satellite services in the 5th edition of its ‘Company Profiles, Analysis of FSS Operators.’
SatNews – 07/13/2012]

50th anniversary of satellite Telstar is celebrated.
[CNN – 07/13/2012]

L-3 Communications will provide U.S. Special Operations Command very small aperture terminal satellite systems.
[Avionics Intelligence – 07/13/2012]

NATO steps up purchase of commercial Ka- and Ku-band satellite capacity under two separate agreements with Avanti Communications of London and SES of Luxembourg.
[Space News – 07/13/2012]

EADS Corporate Technical Office and Russian researcher collaborate on evaluation of new, innovative and efficient propulsion technology for development of new Continuous Detonation Wave Engines for future applications.
[SatNews – 07/12/2012]

SpaceX Dragon crewed version design review is completed.
[SatNews – 07/12/2012]

ARINC and Lemko demonstrate seamless 4G LTE transmission via satellite connection.
[Market Watch – 07/12/2012]

ESA wants to team with industrial partner to launch third data-relay satellite in geostationary orbit over Asia and Americas.
[Space News – 07/12/2012]

ViaSat wins AU$280m contract from NBN to provide ground equipment for NBN’s satellite service to be launched in 2015.
[ZDNet – 07/12/2012]

SES announces that SAT-IP converter by Inverto Digital Labs of Luxembourg that converts satellite-delivered programs into Internet Protocol in the consumer’s home has been tested and certified.
SatNews – 07/12/2012]

DigitalGlobe completes series of upgrades to ground systems, more closely aligning its security capabilities with those used by the U.S. government.
[SatNews – 07/12/2012]

PortVision’s desktop Automatic Identification System vessel-tracking service available in mobile platform optimized for smartphones including BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android devices.
[SatNews – 07/12/2012]

Chinese sailor will attempt to set new record circumnavigating the globe single-handed, making use of satellite communications provided by Inmarsat.
[SatNews – 07/12/2012]

Jordanian biker completes another leg of 60,000 kilometer “goodwill Journey” on his motorbike, raising funds for Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund Pediatric Cancer Center, relying on communications equipment by Thuraya.
[SatNews – 07/12/2012]

Virgin Galactic announces a commercial launch service for small satellites with an air-launched rocket named LauncherOne; four companies have placed deposits as future customers.
[Spaceflight Now – 07/11/2012]

Surrey Satellite Technology signs with OHB for construction of second batch of eight Full Operational Capability Satellites for ESA GALILEO constellation.
[SatNews – 07/11/2012]

Telecommunication Industry Association and Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions announce gathering of top ICT industry groups to launch major global organization focused on advancement and standardization of machine-to-machine (M2M) communications.
[SatNews – 07/11/2012]

Inmarsat to deploy SwiftBroadband service as satellite backbone for in-flight Internet services on two airlines in Asia Pacific region.
[Sattellite Today – 07/11/2012]

TSF communications equipment provided to NGO teams in Sahel region essential for communications of vital food data on situation of people affected by drought.
[SatNews – 07/11/2012]

Raytheon existing AEHF terminals already meet 80% of requirements for FAB-T alternate terminal program, for which it submitted a proposal in June.
[Market Watch – 07/11/2012]

ViaSat antennas and modems selected by Selex for NATO communications.
[Market Watch – 07/11/2012]

Arabsat announces that Dubai Media will launch six free Sport Channels on Arabsat satellite to broadcast games and activities of Olympic Games in London, live.
[SatNews – 07/11/2012]

SES-5 telecommunications satellite equipped with European government navigation terminal as piggyback payload is launched by ILS aboard a Proton rocket from Russia.
[msnbc – 07/10/2012]

Eutelsat and Ariancespace sign launch contract for Eutelsat’s 28th satellite launch.
[Sacramento Bee – 07/10/2012]

MDA signs contract to provide Ka-band communications payload for HYLAS 3 satellite.
[Sacramento Bee – 07/10/2012]

Harris CapRock and Astrium Services sign multi-year multi-channel agreement to offer end-to-end UHF Tactical Satellite solutions to international and U.S. government users.
[SatNews – 07/10/2012]

European Communication Services partners with OH TV to offer joint broadcast and IPTV service to African broadcast market and various regions around the world.
[Satellite Today – 07/10/2012]

Spacecom selection of Israel Aerospace Industries to produce Amos 6 communications satellite saves Israel’s domestic satellite industry.
[Jerusalem Post – 07/09/2012]

NIGCOMSAT invests in iDirect Universal Satellite hub to aid deployment of Evolution-based service to capture growing broadband market in Nigeria.
[Business Day – 07/09/2012]

Russian designers and engineers in the closed Siberian city Zheleznogorsk are creating some of the world’s most advanced satellite systems.
[Telegraph- 07/09/2012]

Russian space agency to create communications satellite for Armenia. [NEWS.am – 07/09/2012]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services