Posts Tagged ‘satcom’

Facebook, Ka-band and Africa

Tuesday, October 13th, 2015

Using state of the art satellite technology, Eutelsat and Facebook will each deploy Internet services designed to relieve pent-up demand for connectivity from the many users in Africa beyond range of fixed and mobile terrestrial networks. Satellite networks are well suited to economically connecting people in low to medium density population areas and the high throughput satellite architecture of AMOS-6 is expected to contribute to additional gains in cost efficiency.

That quote is not from a press release issued in 1999. It’s from Eutelsat’s announcement of a partnership with Facebook on 5 October 2015, leasing Ka-band capacity on Spacecom’s forthcoming spacecraft. In 1999, satellite was seen as the “leapfrog” technology, intended to bypass old wireline or tower-based schemes to get the Internet out to the people of Africa. Although “good for data” Ka-band payloads were not widely available back then, the same disadvantages are still lingering:

  1. the high cost of space segment
  2. customer premises equipment is not cheap
  3. latency will always be an issue

Unless Facebook dollars subsidize the first two costs, we’ll only need to deal with physics.

The RF signal to and from the geosynchronous spacecraft will always require a 1/4-second to complete, then add a little bit of time to get the content, then another 1/4-second to serve it up. We’re not getting into video or any rich media — just the basics. Fine. People without any connection will be happy with whatever they get. High-throughput or not, you get what’s allocated to you.

Let’s consider reliability. First, there’s the issue of a reliable electric supply. Do we have enough of that in Sub-Saharan Africa? Next, there’s the signal itself. Even with a good link budget, and backing-off on the data rate a bit, you’re dealing with a considerable amount of rainy conditions for wider areas, so you can expect the signal to fade or experience complete outages during the rainy season.

Considering satcom’s promise hasn’t been kept for so many years, true “leapfrogging” is happening everywhere. In Rwanda, for example, 4G LTE is being built out and it kills any comparison to satcom alternatives using geo satellites. Using LEOs from O3b Networks works well, but somebody stills has to make the economics work.

So good luck to to Facebook and their internet.org effort.

WBMSAT News Bits 08/08/2014

Monday, August 11th, 2014

European DTH market may be poised for a significant shakeup in the coming months, following a proposed merger between three of the continent’s largest DTH platforms.
[NSR – 08/08/2014]

There is a mismatch between what entrepreneurs building large cubesat constellations want to buy and what traditional suppliers are offering.
[Space News – Space News – 08/08/2014]

Credit: Dennis Wingo graphic/Inset ISEE-3 Reboot Project artist’s concept by Mark Maxwell – Space News

A group including Google is to offer live streaming of data from satellite missions beginning with the Aug. 10 lunar flyby of NASA’s 36-year-old International Sun-Earth Explorer (ISEE)-3) through a new website called SpacecraftForAll.com.
[Space News – 08/08/2014]

SingTel Satellite joins forces with three of the world’s main maritime charities to help seafarers use onboard technology to keep in touch with loved ones at home.
[Satellite Spotlight – 08/08/2014]

Orbcomm expects revenue boost now that SpaceX has patched the firm’s “hole in the sky.”
[Space News – 08/08/2014]

Dismissed SpaceX employees sue over lack of warning.
[Space News – 08/08/2014]

MSTelcom extends agreement with Intelsat to expand satellite broadband services in Angola.
[TMCnet – 08/08/2014]

Avanti and iSAT sign multi-year contract to extend East Africa satellite broadband coverage.
[4-traders – 08/08/2014]

Afghan TV channel to be broadcast via Azerspace-1 satellite. [News.Az – 08/08/2014]

GVF launches online training courses to prepare students to complete the EUI Basic Technical Operator certification exam.
[SatNews – 08/08/2014]

Walton Enterprises expands de-ice systems manufacturing capacity through move to new facilities in San Bernardino, California.
[SatNews – 08/08/2014]

July 2014 marked end of period of no orders for full electric propulsion satellites since the March 2012 deal between Boeing, SpaceX, ABS and Satmex – SES, Eutelsat, and Aniara announced orders.
[NSR – 08/07/2014]

IBISWorld Satellite & Earth Communication Systems Services Procurement Category market research report updated; expects decline in prices in three years to 2014.
[PRWeb – 08/07/2014]

U.S. looks to Japan space program to close Pacific communications gap.
[Space Daily – 08/07/2014]

Well-known hacker to demonstrate ability to hack satellite communications equipment that ground troops use to co-ordinate movements and airlines use for navigation..
[News.com – 08/07/2014]

A new attitude system developed by the Air Force and a small business offers improved maneuverability capabilities for small space research satellites.
[SatNews – 08/07/2014]

UAE sets its sights on space by announcing a mission to Mars.
[Khaleej Times – 08/07/2014]

CASBAA is hopeful that India is closer to enacting long-awaited reforms to its satellite policies under the leadership of new Indian Prime Minister.
[Via Satellite – 08/07/2014]

COM DEV gets Authorizaton and Proceed contract for C- and Ku-band multiplexers and coaxial and waveguide switches for a customer’s high throughput satellite.
[Via Satellite – 08/07/2014]

Inmarsat establishes office in Beijing, China.
[CRIENGLISH.com – 08/07/2014]

Though departing subscribers have undercut subscriber additions, EchoStar still enjoys satellite broadband revenue gains.
[Space News – 08/07/2014]

Norsat secures $1.7 million order from Datacom for X-band marine VSAT terminals for a military project in Asia.
[The Wall Street Journal]

Digital rendering of a Firefly launch system. Photo: Firefly Space Systems – Space News

Small satellite startup launch company Firefly Space Systems recruits General Astronautics to join its strategic team.
[Via Satellite – 08/07/2014]

Cubesat – Satellite Evolution Group file image.

Universal Space Network moderated a meeting of 20 CubeSat industry leaders in an effort to develop a standardized communications package.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 08/07/2014]

Space Daily File image: Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite.

Fourth MUOS communication satellite clears launch-simulation test.
[Space Daily – 08/06/2014]

C-COM iNetVu antenna systems deployed to assist with communications during recent earthquake in China.
[Market Wired – 08/06/2014]

ILS forming review board in September to determine whether Proton should be cleared to return to commercial flight this fall.
[Space News – 08/06/2014]

Delivery of an RD 180 engine – Credit ULA photo – Space News

Notwithstanding sanctions, ULA is standing by for RD-180 deliveries through 2017.
[Space News – 08/06/2014]

Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA image – Space News

Europe’s comet-hunting Rosetta probe reaches “scientific Disneyland” after 10 years of cruising through space on trajectory to bring it to the comet.
[Space News – 08/06/2014]

Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA image – Sports Illustrated

Charter Communications will broadcast the SEC Network after ESPN reached an agreement with the satellite company.
[Sports Illustrated – 08/06/2014]

An oil rig towing. Photo: Jay Phagan (Flickr) – Space News

Nearly a quarter of RigNet’s revenue for the second quarter of the fiscal year came from the $25 million acquisition of Inmarsat’s enterprise energy business unit.
[Via Satellite – 08/06/2014]

Generation Orbit’s Flight Experiment Testbed. Photo: Generation Orbit – Space News

Generation Orbit Launch Service successfully completed captive-carry test flight for its air-launch SmallSat vehicle.
[Via Satellite – 08/06/2014]

D’Amico launches shipboard communications app, toctoc, that acts as hub to synchronise and connect to smartphone contacts and across range of social media channels.
[Digital Ship – 08/06/2014]

PAR Technology Corporation subsidiary Rome Research Corporation gets contract potentially worth $23.5 million to continue support to operate and maintain NAVSATCOMMFAC Northwest.
[The Wall Street Journal – 08/06/2014]

Orange Niger taps Intelsat for cellular backhaul services.
[Via Satellite – 08/06/2014]

SpaceX Falcon 9 launch of Asiasat 8 – Credit: SpaceX – CBS News

SpaceX Falcon 9 launches AsiaSat 8 communications satellite.
[CBS News – 08/05/2014]

SpaceX to build world’s first commercial site for orbital rocket launches in the southernmost tip of Texas.
[R&D Magazine – 08/05/2014]

SSL to build Intelsat 36 satellite.
[Via SAtellite – 08/05/2014]

Google closes Skybox Imaging purchase.
[Via Satellite – 08/05/2014]

Empowering Mission-Critical Broadband Satellite Communications for Naval Vessels – SatNews

ORBIT Communication Systems announces that it has received a $2.5 million order to provide satellite communication systems to one of the world’s principal navies.
[SatNews – 08/05/2014]

SkyVision wins VSAT deal with Bank of Africa Burkina Faso.
[Via Satellite – 08/05/2014]

Steadily increasing capacity, reduced costs, modular functionality and higher data transfer rates now mean satellite communications can exceed even the most stringent requirements for public safety communications, all delivered through a more robust network than 4G LTE.
[Government Video – 08/05/2014]

Frontline Communications partners with TVU Networks to introduce new cellular/microwave/satellite IP vehicle solution.
[CNN Money – 08/05/2014]

United Launch Alliance carries the Air Force’s seventh Global Positioning System (GPS 2F-7) satellite to space.
[Via Satellite – 08/04/2014]

Iridium has delivered the first satellite engineering model for the upcoming Iridium NEXT constellation.
[SatNews – 08/04/2014]

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. CEO feels that applying Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) consumer technology to satellite will continue to revolutionize satellite design over the next decade.
[Via Satellite – 08/04/2014]

Booz Allen Hamilton Engineering Services will introduce to the public safety community its new next-generation broadband deployable communications system.
[MarketWatch – 08/04/2014]

NSR Report provides comprehensive market analysis of the three major methods of UltraHD consumption via satellite – DTH, IPTV, and Cable distribution.
[NSR Report – August 2014]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Technical Proposals System Acceptance Testing
Link Analysis System Quality Testing
Systems Engineering Project Management
Systems Integration Satellite Industry Research

360-895-0478   email:  [email protected]


Black Eye for Satcom at Black Hat?

Monday, August 4th, 2014

This week, at Black Hat USA in Las Vegas, Ruben Santamarta is to present his findings of how he was able to hack satcom terminals, at least in theory.

At first glance, especially with lots of alarming details from DailyTech, you’d think the party for in-flight WiFi via satcom was over. Their piece was based on a Reuters story, which wasn’t as frightening.

The theoretical hack involves low-bandwidth services using Inmarsat and Thuraya. In-flight broadband uses more bandwidth and wasn’t really included in the study. Managing unmanned terminals is common in this industry segment.

Take a look at the white paper (PDF) published by IOActive and see for yourself. You can be sure all those mentioned in the 25-page report are asking their engineers if this is indeed possible.

I wouldn’t worry about it much.


WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 12/27/2013

Tuesday, December 31st, 2013



Russian Proton-M rocket puts Russian government communications satellite Express-AM5 into orbit.
[Space Fellowship – 12/27/2013]

U.S. Air Force selects Raytheon’s high-bandwidth AEHF satellite terminal for secure, protected communications to aircrews during nuclear and non-nuclear missions.
[Yahoo Finance – 12/27/2013]

Global VSAT Forum (GVF) emphasizes importance of blanket licensing for countries to ensure the coexistence of satellite in the marketplace, and help developing countries attract foreign investment.
[Via Satellite – 12/26/203]

NASA’s 30-day Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD), with record-breaking data download and upload speeds, showed the system could operate as well as any NASA radio system.
[R&D Magazine – 12/26/2013]

Three Russian military satellites launched December 25 reach their target orbit.
[Space News – 12/26/2013]

Russia and Kazakhstan agree on three-year Baikonur roadmap.
[Space Daily – 12/26/2013]

ISRO targets January 5th launch window for GSAT 14 satellite.
[Via Satellite – 12/26/2013]

Storm system caught by NASA satellite – Christian Science Monitor

Set to launch in February, the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite will gather data that can help with efforts to monitor the effects of global warming on precipitation.
[The Christian Science Monitor – 12/26/2013]

Azerbaijan’s first telecom satellite reaches $10 million in revenue for 2013, with more than 50% of payload sold.
[Via Satellite – 12/26/2013]

Sea Launch rocket with JSAT-9 – Space News

U.S. federal court grants in part and denies in part a motion by Boeing to dismiss counterclaims filed by Russian space giant Energia in Boeing’s lawsuit against the Russian company.
[Space News – 12/26/2013]

National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) purchases assets of the Satellite Communications Conference and Expo (SATCON) as well as Content and Communications World (CCW) from JD Events.
[SatNews – 12/26/2013]

The Atlas 5. Photo: ULA – Via Satellite

NASA selects United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Atlas 5 to launch planned 2016 Mars mission.
[Via Satellite – 12/24/2013]

Congress says Russia must use U.S. citizens to manage construction, operation, and maintenance of any satellite monitoring ground stations it builds in the U.S.
[NextGov – 12/23/2013]

Two-way ground station in Uganda – MIT Technology Review

Emerging data-coding technology could more than double bandwidth on satellite Internet connections, boosting service to developing countries, planes, and cruise ships and fixing jerky live video news feeds.
[MIT Technology Review – 12/23/2013]

Green satellite propulsion nears industry breakthrough with development of competitive propellant called Hydroxyl Ammonium Nitrate (HAN) fuel/oxidizer blend, or AF-M315E.
[Via Satellite – 12/23/2013]

Falcon 9 v1.1 launch – Space News

U.S. Air Force considering whether Falcon 9 v1.1 maiden launch will count toward certification qualifying the company to launch national security assets.
[Space News – 12/23/2013]

Panasonic and China Telecom partner to offer in-flight internet.
[telecompaper – 12/23/2013]


WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 12/20/2013

Saturday, December 21st, 2013

Chinese rocket launches Bolivia’s first telecommunications satellite, with the president of Bolivia, who traveled to China for the launch, declaring it a success.
[7 News – 12/21/2013]

Launch Pad 39 – Space News

SpaceX had edge in competition to lease NASA pad in Florida because of its firm backlog.
[Space News – 12/20/2013]

Alcatel-Lucent to sell U.S. satellite unit LGS for $200 million.
[Bloomberg Business Week – 12/20/2013]

XTAR wins $5.6 million renewal of U.S. Army satellite telecom contract.
[Space News -12/20/2013]

Turksat and Eutelsat announce an agreement whereby Eutelsat will redeploy its EUTELSAT 33A satellite in May 2014 from 33 degrees East to 31 degrees East, where it will be operated by Turksat under its satellite network filings.
[SatNews – 12/20/2013]

Gaia satellite – R&D Magazine

Europe launches star-surveying satellite Gaia, in mission to map 1 billion stars.
[R&D Magazine – 12/19/2013]

ViaSat demonstrates full mesh MF-TDMA DAMA multi spot beam networking over the WGS satellite network for the U.S. Army.
[Via Satellite – 12/19/2013]

SSL celebrates 50th satellite built for Intelsat, and CEO discusses future satellite opportunities for the company.
[Via Satellite – 12/19/2013]

Inmarsat signs Astrium services as Global Xpress distributor.
[Space News – 12/19/2013]

Rio Urubamba an Amazon tributary, winding through the Sacred Valley, Peru. Photo: World Water Forum – Via Satellite

Gilat to connect remote areas near the Amazon river in Peru to enable Internet and telephone services for 70 communities in the Loreto region.
[Via Satellite – 12/19/2013]

AeroMexico 737 postcard photo – Via Satellite

Aeromexico to install Gogo Vision on at least 75 aircraft.
[Via Satellite – 12/19/2013]

Top 10 quotes from January issue of Via Satellite, as the magazine celebrates the winners of the first edition of the Via SAtellite Excellence Awards.
[Via Satellite – 12/18/2013]

SES, SpeedCast and AsiaSat donate satellite capacity and ground infrastructure services to Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan.
[Wall Street Journal – 12/18/2013]

An artist’s impression of a Mars One base – getSurrey

Surrey Satellite Technology to develop interplanetary communications system between Mars and Earth for Mars One.
[getSurrey – 12/18/2013]

Military communication improved as 6th Boeing-built Wideband Satellite enters service.
[Space Daily – 12/18/2013]

Geoforce GT1 satellite GPS tracker becomes world’s first to receive IECEx/ATEX Zone 0 certification, the highest satellite tracking device safety rating.
[Via Satellite – 12/18/2013]

Comtech EF Data demonstrates 10% roll off functionality for DM240XR video broadcast modulator.
[Via Satellite – 12/18/2013]

Brazilian workers working on CBERS satellite inside re-inforced chamber – Phys.org

Brazil and China to launch new joint environmental monitoring satellite in 2014. [Phys.org – 12/17/2013]

Arianespace orders two Vega launchers for unidentified commercial customer for launches in 2017 and 2018.
[Space News – 12/17/2013]

SES-8 launch by SpaceX – Aurora Media Group

45th Space Wing provided vast network of radar, telemetry, optical and communications instrumentation to support successful launch by Space X of the SES-8 satellite.
[Aurora Sentinel – 12/17/2013]

Inmarsat acquires U.S. maritime service provider Globe Wireless in bid to transform its 6,000 ship customer base into future Inmarsat Global Xpress broadband users.
[Space News – 12/17/2013]

New Zealand plans to enhance naval communications capabilities, procuring ground infrastructure to operate on the WGS satellite network.
[IHS Jane’s 360 – 12/17/2013]

Space walk – R&D Magazine

ISS Astronauts undertake massive repair job that could stretch to Christmas day, with series of spacewalks.
[R&D Magazine – 102/17/2013]

Kymeta successfully tests flat panel Ka-band antenna on Anik F2 and moves toward product development.
[Via Satellite – 12/17/2013]

ViaSat Exede Evolution is first satellite internet plan to offer unlimited, full-speed access for web pages and email.
[Yahoo Finance – 12/17/2013]

Exelis to use ENVI software for Skybox imaging data analysis, supporting data analysis of images from SkySat 1, the first in a planned constellation of 24 satellites from Skybox Imaging.
[Via Satellite – 12/17/2013]

Astrium and GeoNorth sign multi-satellite receiving station agreement, working together to build the first multi-mission Direct Receiving Station (DRS).
[Via Satellite – 12/17/2013]

Astrium signs agreement to provide 18 additional Ariane 5 ECA launchers to Arianespace.
[Via Satellite – 12/16/2013]

SSL is selected to build new replacement satellite for AsiaSat, AsiaSat 9.
[Via Satellite – 12/16/2013]

U.S. Air Force awards Lockheed Martin more than $200 million in contract options to complete production of its fifth and sixth next-generation Global Positioning System satellites, known as GPS 3.
[Via Satellite – 12/16/2013]

Avanti Communications takes over ownership of the ARTEMIS satellite.
[IFA Magazine – 12/16/2013]

Arianespace to launch SGDC satellite for Brazil in 2016.
[Via Satellite – 12/06/2013]

GATR terminal in Phillipines – SatNews

GATR terminals among first high-bandwidth satellite communications terminals deployed in key areas of Phillipines after typhoon.
[SatNews – 12/16/2013]

Boat in Phang Nga – AsiaOne

Boats and aircraft passing through Andaman Sea region warned to watch out for falling parts of India’s GSLV-D5-II satellite launch vehicle.
[Asia One – 12/14/2013]

Research and Markets adds “Global Satellite Communication Market in the Oil and Gas Industry 2014 – 2018″ to their offering; number of UDW rigs expected to reach 220 – 230 units by 2018.
[Satellite Spotlight – 12/13/2013]

Sea Launch plans to focus on the heavy lift launch market, focusing on its strength to stay afloat as SpaceX enters its waters with a successful launch of SES-8.
[Via Satellite – 12/13/2013]

Lockheed Martin to re-enter the commercial satellite business, building and launching satellites.
[Via Satellite magazine January 2014]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services


WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 12/13/2013

Monday, December 16th, 2013

NASA negotiating pad lease with SpaceX after GAO rejects Blue Origin protest.
[Space News – 12/13/2013]

Brazil selects Thales to play a key role in its space development plans as it establishes SGDC Government Communications Satellite System.
[Defense World – 12/13/2013]

Arianespace and Visiona Tecnologia Espacial S.A. sign launch contract for the next Brazilian government satellite, the Geostationary Defense and Strategic Communications Satellite (SGDC).
[SatNews – 12/13/2013]

Mexican flag – Space News

Mexican government to award licenses for two orbital slots in Ku- and extended C-band frequencies at two orbital positions it has long held.
[Space News – 12/13/2013]

The sixth WGS satellite, funded by Australia, enters service.
[Via Satellite – 12/13/2013]

Chinese lunar rover – Space Daily

China’s first lunar rover to land on moon December 14.
[Space Daily – 12/13/2013]

Comtech reports increased commercial orders and expects downward revenue spiral following loss of Army contract and U.S..budget freeze to end this year.
[Space News – 12/13/2013]

EchoStar Corp. and Vivendi end talks on a joint venture to develop a pay-television service in Brazil using EchoStar’s orbital slot at 45 degrees west longitude.
[Space News – 12/13/2013]

RAVAN cubesat – Space Daily

New, low-cost cubesat mission led by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory will demonstrate technology needed to measure the absolute imbalance in the Earth’s radiation budget for the first time.
[Space Daily – 12/13/2013]

Federal budget crunch leads U.S. Air Force to decommission an experimental missile warning sensor hosted aboard a commercial satellite after 27 months on orbit.
[Space News – 12/12/2013]

Proton M launcher – Space Daily

Russian official plays down concerns on the future of Proton launches from Baikonur, saying that during a recent meeting with Kazakhstan’s president “we came to a mutual understanding about resuming Proton launches from Baikonur.”
[Space Travel – 12/12/2013]

Northrup Grumman satcom system aboard Fireberd – Primezone

Northrup Grumman re-purposes satellite communications system normally used in space as high-functioning low cost system for aircraft in one year.
[msn money – 12/12/2013]

Mitsubishi Electric Corp. (Melco) to build Japan’s GOSAT-2 environmental satellite.
[Space News – 12/12/2013]

Research and Markets announces addition of “2013 Report on the US Machine-to-Machine Communications Market – Includes Forecasts to 2018″ report to their offering.
[Satellite Spotlight – 12/12/2013]

Team of researchers, mainly Valencian, win contract with ESA to conduct research on use of new materials for reduction of the Multipactor effect in effort to improve space communications systems in ESA’s satellites.
[Product Design and Development – 12/12/2013]

British government deepens ties to China’s space sector with bilateral agreements on future joint projects and a fund to promote British industry’s search for a foothold in China.
[Space News – 12/12/2013]

Spacecom mulls over possible sale or merger.
[Globes – 12/12/2013]

Telespazio recently linked-up with Eutelsat to market broadband services using its Ka-Sat satellite and hopes satellite broadband can make a big impact in Italy, as well as other countries in Europe.
[Via Satellite – 12/12/2013]

ATK and Hughes successfully demonstrate LEO-based weather sensing technology to US Air Force.
[Via Satellite – 12/12/2013]

Avanti secures deal to connect libraries in South Africa.
[Via Satellite – 12/11/2013]

Contribution & Occasional Use TV Markets to Require over 700 Transponders and 1.4 Gbps of HTS Capacity by 2022.
{NSR – 12/11/2013]

NSR’s new report “Land Mobile and Handheld Satellite Markets” points out that traditional growth in this part of the satellite communications market accounted for 97% of global revenues in 2012; is expected to drop to 82% by 2022; growth in the consumer market is making significant impact.
[Via Satellite – 12/11/2013]

KVH is chosen by BW, a worldwide leader in maritime energy transportation, as the satellite communications solution for its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) fleet.
[Wall Street Journal – 12/11/20103]

NIGCOMSAT decries annual capital flight due to unchecked penchant of Nigerian organisations to purchase bandwidth from abroad.
[National Mirror – 12/11/2013]

Reuters photo – msn news

Chinese-Brazilian satellite launched by China Monday failed to reach planned orbit and likely fell back to Earth.
[msn news – 12/10/2013]

Russian Glonass satellite – Nextgov

Obama administration reviews Russian proposals for satellite monitoring stations on U.S. soil.
[Nextgov – 12/10/2013]

Lt. Gen Ellen Pawlikowski says USAF needs innovative approaches to procuring satellite capacity; tells interviewer “A different strategy would be for us to go out and leverage the bargain basement aspects of the (commercial) satcom business.”
[National Defense – 12/10/2013]

Astronaut – Nextgov

6-year-old donates life savings and starts on-line petition to save NASA.
[Nextgov – 12/10/2013]

Russian DTH provider Tricolor discusses satellite capacity demands.
[Via Satellite – 12/10/2013]

Private Mars One venture engages Lockheed Martin and Surrey Satellite Technology to work on hardware concepts for robotic Mars mission.
[nbc news – 12/10/2013]

Mars One accepting applications – CNN

200,000 people apply to live on Mars.
[CNN – 12/10/2013]

SkyWave and Garmin solution enables integrated vehicle tracking, navigation, driver communication and dispatch capabilities regardless of cellular service availability.
[Satellite Spotlight – 12/10/2013]

Honeywell and Inmarsat advance global wireless in-flight connectivity program.
[Via Satellite – 12/10/2013]

Globecast, Measat and Mezzo partner to bring new HD channel to Asia-Pacific region.
[Via Satellite – 12/10/2013]

NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite arrives at Kennedy Space Center.
[Yahoo News – 12/09/2013]

ABS-2 – PR Newswire

SSL delivers ABS-2 satellite to launch base in Kourou.
[Yahoo Finance – 12/09/2013]

Spacecom has kept all five of its satellites working at close to full capacity from DTH operators, TV channels, and North American agencies, and ultimately hopes to use its brand of Amos satellites to become a global operator.
[Via Satellite – 12/10/2013]

Recent Gooch & Housego acquisition Constelex Technology Enablers announced its participation in new European Union R&D projects and European Space Agency (ESA) space photonics contracts.
[LaserFocusWorld – 12/09/2013]

First Global Xpress®Satellite Launch and 7th ILS Proton Launch of 2013, Inmarsat-5 goes into orbit.
[Hispanic Business – 12/08/2013]

[MarketResearchReports.biz announces addition of new report “Global Satellite Communication Market in the Oil and Gas Industry 204 – 2018” to its database.
[WatchList News – 12/08/2013]

December 2013 issue of the Satellite Executive Briefing Features: Europe Gets Universal Broadband Coverage by Elisabeth Tweedie DTH Services Boost the Asia-Pacific Market by Peter Galace The Importance of Latency in the Mobile Market by Virgil Labrador Enterprise-Class HTS Servicees by Martin Jarrold
[Satellite Markets & Research – December 2013]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services


WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 11/29/2013

Saturday, November 30th, 2013

SpaceX’s second attempt to launch SES-8 satellite, on Thanksgiving day, is shut down at last second as the rocket’s nine first-stage Merlin engines automatically shut down at ignition as increase in pressure in first stage oxygen tank was slower than expected.
[Space News – 11/29/2013]

SSL Partners with NASA to place laser communications relay demonstration on a commercial satellite.
[Azooptics – 11/28/2013]

Signalhorn is awarded funding from the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a gateway that will allow its customers to monitor all aspects of their services with the company, under ESA’s ARTES program.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 11/28/2013]

Brazil’s communications ministry (MinCom) approves two projects to deploy terrestrial satellite control stations by state-run telco Telebras under a tax exemption program
[BN Americas – 11/28/2013]

Image for illustration only – Space Daily

European Space Agency announces that next two large science missions will study the hot and energetic universe and search for elusive gravitational waves.
[Space Daily – 11/28/2013]

Brazilian telecom provider Telebras and Embraer sign contract to supply the Defense and Strategic Communications Geostationary Satellite (SGDC) system following outcry over U.S. spying..
[Space Daily – 11/285/2013]

Why the world’s 2nd largest fleet operator (SES) agreed to be SpaceX’s 1st customer for a launch to GEO.
[Space News – 11/27/2013]

NASA photo – PhysOrg

Small satellite delivered to International Space Station is launched into space to demonstrate advanced deorbiting technique using exo-brake parachute..
[Phys Org – 11/27/2013]

Recent launch of Minotaur 1 rocket marked first flight test of new on-board safety system aimed at preventing errant rockets from causing damage or bodily harm on the ground.
[Space News – 11/27/2013]

Nitrogen tanks explode at SpaceX’s Texas rocket test facility.
[Space News – 11/27/2013]

Analyst speculates that Dish could spend up to $10.7B on LightSquared, H Block, AWS-3 and 600 MHz spectrum over the next year.
[Fierce Wireless – 11/27/2013]

DigitalGlobe and AstriumGEO strategies look like classic Niche vs. Mass Market opposition.
[NSR – 11/27/2013]

Boeing targets manned and unmanned ISR platforms for Inmarsat’s GX government sales tactic.
[Via Satellite – 11/27/2013]

Comtech Systems receives $2.4 million contract for new Troposcatter communications system.
[Via Satellite – 11/27/2013]

SpaceX has to postpone launch of SES-8 after three stoppages in the countdown.
[Via Satellite – 11/26/2013]

Reportstack announces new market report on Global Satellite Communication Market in the Oil and Gas Industry which forecasts the market to grow at a CAGR of 5.74 percent over the period 2013-2018.
[PR Carbon – 11/26/2013]

Artist’s rendition of exactEarth satellite – SatNews

exactEarth launches advanced AIS satellite that will extend its exactAIS constellation and increase the capacity of its global vessel monitoring service.
[SatNews – 11/26/2013]

CEA-Leti’s next-generation magnetometer technology was launched into space on board the European Space Agency’s three Swarm satellites to collect unprecedented detail about the Earth’s magnetic field.
[SatNews – 11/26/2013]

NASA weather satellite with Ball Aerospace’s GMI instrument arrives in Japan where it will launch aboard NASA’s Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission.
[Via Satellite – 11/26/2013]

Telespazio and Eutelsat sign multi-year agreement to market KA-SAT services in Italy.
[msn Money – 11/26/2013]

Orbcomm strengthens cellular footprint through agreement with Telefonica.
[Via Satellite – 11/26/2013]

Caribsat teams up with Newtec and Eutelsat for West Indies broadband play.
[Via Satellite – 11/26/2013]

SpaceQuest CEO looks to enter M2M market.
[Via Satellite – 11/26/2013]

Huawei helps APT construct cloud data centers, integrating cloud computing data services with satellite communications services.
[Yahoo Finance – 11/26/2013]

Army photo – www.army.mil

Team Tobyhanna uses pioneering approach to install the Army’s next generation SATCOM ground terminals using a plan that exceeds the depot’s annual Value Engineering Proposal cost avoidance goal by more than 276 percent.
[www.army.mil – 11/26/2013]

ASC Signal Corporation secures major contract with Sheri Tai International Company of China for HF antennas for coastal communications systems.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 11/26/2013]

Creonic of Germany announces two new IP cores for satellite communication – a DVB-S2 demodulator and a DVB-CID (Carrier ID) modulator.
[SatNews – 11/26/2013]

Rogers Communications and NHL announce 12-year national broadcast and multimedia agreement.
[Yahoo Finance. – 11/26/2013]

Inmarsat appoints ESL as global government distribution partner.
[The Wall Street Transcript]

Teal Group analysts identify 3,164 space payloads proposed for launch To 2032 with an estimated value of more than $235 billion.
[PR Newswire – 11/25/2013]

NSR’s latest market size estimate in the Global Assessment of Satellite Supply & Demand 10th Edition study projects that global HTS demand will hit 451 Gbps in 2018 on a supply of 1.6 Tbps
[NSR – 11/25/2013]

Euroconsult expects 33 High Throughput Satellite (HTS) systems to be launched between 2014 and 2016, as HTS expand into new markets.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 11/25/2013]

Boeing’s Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals (FAB-T) development program has completed the functional qualification testing phase for the protected wideband satellite communications system.
[Satellite Spotlight – 11/25/2013]

Eutelsat selects Newtec’s Sat3Play VSAT Broadband Platform to extend its IP Easy service offering over the French West Indies and French Guiana.
[Satellite Markets & Research – .11/25/2013]

Lockheed wins $105 million Air Force contract to help operate two satellite communications systems.
[Washington Business Journal – 11/25/2013]

Globalstar announces that the Spanish Ministry of Defence is now using SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger™ and SPOT Connect™ devices for in-field communications for personnel who are operating in remote locations with no cellular coverage.
[SatNews – 11/25/2013]

Three O3b 7.3m antennas in Peru – Via Satellite

O3b Networks opens satellite ground station in Peru.
[Via Satellite – 11/25/2013]

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. receives $1.1 million in additional orders for satellite equipment spares from Brazilian military.
[The Wall Street Journal – 11/25/2013]

Sat Space Africa to expand African market reach through AfricaSat 1a.
[Via Satellite – 11/25/2013]

ViaSat and Harris Corp are boosted by key breakthrough in the European milsatcom market, as BAE Systems U.K. selects the KOR 24 Small Tactical Terminal co-developed by the companies for installation on the Falcon 20.
[Via Satellite – 11/25/2013]

FLYHT introduces the Dragon, a revolutionary, lightweight, portable satellite communications device that blends existing FLYHT technology with that of the iPad.
[Wall Street Journal – 11/25/2013]

Snowden leaks reveal that Singapore and South Korea are helping the U.S. and Australia tap undersea telecommunications links across Asia.
[The Sydney Morning Herald – 11/24/2013]

Cable mergers might rekindle the consideration of a merger between DirecTV and Dish Network.
[Yahoo Finance – 11/23/2013]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services


WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 11/01/2013

Friday, November 1st, 2013

John Logan of EM Solutions, Brisbane, has entered The Australian Innovation Challenge with his mobile satellite terminal. – The Australian

Comms-on-the-move Ka-band mobile satellite terminal developed by EM Solutions of Australia, enabling high speed data transfer while driving in locations lacking other communications, finds emergency applications.
[The Australian – 11/02/2013]

FAA loosens rules for electronic devices during flights.
[USA Today – 11/01/2013]

Spacecom announces a manufacturer’s workaround for Amos 5 power-supply anomaly that should enable the satellite to operate for its full 15-year service life.
[Space News – 11/01/2013]

Delayed O3b satellites should be repaired and ready for launch in March 2014.
[Space News – 11/01/2013]

The number of commercial aircraft providing either Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity will reach 4,048 by the end of 2013, representing 21% of the global fleet, according the recent research published by IHS Inc.
[SatNews – 11/01/2013]

China’s homegrown Beidou Navigation Satellite System will be put into its first oversea operation in Thailand early next year.
[GPS Daily – 11/01/2013]\

GCI extends capacity agreements with Intelsat to support broadband services to Alaskan schools and medical clinics, as well as telemedicine applications for hospitals in underserved areas.
[SatNews – 11/01/2013]\

Analysts forecast the Global Fixed Satellite Service market to grow at a CAGR of 5.44 percent over the period 2013-2016.
[SBWire – 10/31/2013]

Latest Ericsson Mobility Report presents key statistics and future forecasts which should provide satellite technology, especially High Throughput Satellites (HTS) , with highly promising short term opportuniteis.
[NSR – 10/31/2013]

Telesat considers expansion after one of its new satellites helps increase revenues in third quarter.
[Ottowa Business Journal – 10/31/2013]

NASA will rely on hosted payload to continue some of the long-running Earth-system observations the agency took over from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in April.
[Space News – 10/31/2013]

Astrium enters into partnership agreement with IHS to deliver satellite imagery and services for intelligence analysis and reporting.
[Via Satellite – 10/31/2013]

MTN Communications experiences a surge in demand, claiming customers increased demand for additional bandwidth on its network by 61% since 2013.
[Via Satellite – 10/31/2013]

Astrium Services is expanding its global VSAT coverage following the signing of new separate Ku-band capacity agreements with SES and Eutelsat.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 10/31/2013]

UltiSat signs multi-year contract with Eutelsat for capacity on EUTELSAT 5 West A to provide C-band service to nongovernmental organizations (NGO) in Africa.
[The Wall Street Journal – 10/31/2013]

Ocean Dream – Via Satellite

Having recently signed a new deal with MTN Communications to enhance its onboard suite of connectivity options for passengers and crew, cruise ship operator Pullmantur executive explains the need for satellite.
[Via Satellite – 10/31/2013]

Signalhorn is selected for ht operation and management of a pan-African network for one of the world’s leading providers of offshore service vessels in the global energy industry.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 10/30/2013]

SimbaNET uses iDirect’s Evolution platform to advance Nigeria-based satellite network.
[Via Satellite – 10/31/2013]

Dreamchaser hoisted by helicopter – R&D Magazine

Sierra Nevada Corp.’s Dream Chaser space plane skids off runway in test flight landing as landing gear collapses.
[R&D Magazine – 10/30/2013]

Arianespace reschedules SES, Hispasat and ESA’s launch dates, with consent of its customers.
[Via Satellite – 10/30/2013]

Raytheon is awarded $11.9 million contract for sustainment services supporting the Military Satellite Communications System (MILSATCOM) Global Broadcast System (GBS). [Signal online – 10/30/20103]

High speed satellite broadband provider ViaSat defies the naysayers who have stigmatized satellite communications as impractical, flawed, and slow.
[Chicago Tribune – 10/30/2013]

Comtech Telecommunications Corp is awarded $1.4 million for communications jamming high-power amplifier systems.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/30/2013]

Dish and Southwest start in-flight iPad lending program for on-demand entertainment on Wi-Fi enabled Southwest flights..
[Via Satellite – 10/30/2013]

Maxwell Technology, in partnership with Cable Wise, expands satellite internet to Northern KwaZulu-Natal.
[Human IPO – 10/30/2013]

Global Maritime VSAT market expected to grow at CAGR of 7.71 percent between 2012 and 2016 according to new Research and Markets report.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/29/2013]

Data product differentiation beginning to become important again in the Earth Observation market.
[NSR – 10/29/2013]

Eutelsat and Es’hailSat announce that their jointly owned EUTELSAT 25B/Es’hail 1 satellite launched August 29, went into commercial service October 29.
[The Wall Street Journal – 10/29/2013]

Astrium to build new satellite for DIRECTV.
[Space Daily – 10/29/2013]

Space training in China – asiaone

Hundreds of space professionals from developing economies receive space training in China, including Pakistan, Nigeria, and Bolivia.
[Asia One – 10/29/2013]

Artist’s rendering of the Ball Smallsat – Via Satellite

Ball Aerospace & Technologies’ Green Propellant Infusion Mission is selected to test advance form of thermal insulation that could become standard on future satellites and cryogenic subsystems.
[Via Satellite – 10/29/2013]

Artist’s rendering of the LADEE – R&D Magazine

NASA’s Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration makes history, successfully transmitting data from lunar orbit to Earth at a rate of 622 Mbps.
[R&D Magazine – 10/28/2013]

ESA approves sale of Artemis telecom satellite to Avanti.
[Spaceflight Now – 10/28/2013]

Measat CEO says company is open to partnerships.
[Via Satellite – 10/28/2013]

ILS Proton successfully launches the Sirius FM 6 satellite.
[Via Satellite – 10/28/2013]

Gogo signs deal with Japan Airlines to deliver in-flight connectivity.
[Via Satellite – 10/28/2013]

Oil and Gas companies – will High Throughput Satellites change the equation?
[Via Satellite Webinar November 14, 2013]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services


WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 10/25/2013

Monday, October 28th, 2013

 

Latest solar flare – Daily Mail

X1.7 solar event with potential to disrupt satellite communications and harm astronauts sparks temporary radio blackout.
[MailOnline – 10/26/2013]


Proton-M launches with Sirius FM-6 satellite.
[NASA Spaceflight – 10/25/2013]

Northrup Grumman’s production of fifth and sixth Advanced EHF communication satellite payloads off to a strong start thanks to delivery of customized integrated circuits.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/25/2013]

Space debris, NASA graphic – Space News

Ground radars count 1,369 objects in geostationary orbit of which nearly half of are in an uncontrolled drift orbit, and another 178 dead satellites have converged at one of two libration points on opposite sides of the earth.
[Space News – 10/25/2013]

Globecomm Systems chooses Amino set top boxes as parts of deployment of managed communications solution to over 1,000 locations across the U.S. for a national retailer.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/25/2013]

Minot Air Force Base B-52 bomber crews to get upgraded communication system that can send and receive information via satellite links.
[Minot Daily News – 10/25/2013]

Business aviation forecast spells good news for satellite communications market.
[Via Satellite – 10/24/2013]

Emerging Markets Communications becomes first global VSAT and terrestrial connectivity provider to obtain a Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) license to provide services directly to oil and gas companies in Nigeria.
[WatchList News – 10/24/2013]

Cygnus capsule – Space News

Orbital Science’s Cygnus space capsule concludes its first ISS cargo run, breaking up during re-entry and burning up over the Pacific Ocean.
[Space News – 10/23/2013]

ViaSat CEO Mark Dankberg gets Clarke Foundation’s Innovator Award.
[Yahoo Finance – 10/23/2013]

Astrium is awarded contract by DirecTV Latin American to build the latest addition to its fleet, based on the E3000 platform, to be launched in early 20176.
[SatNews – 10/24/2013]

Avanti will buy Artemis data-relay satellite along with all rights to its orbital slot from the European Space Agency.
[Space News – 10/24/2013]

Harris-CapRock win of Carnival Cruise Line digital communications contract against MTN Satellite Communications means hit to MTN bottom line, but MTN still has key ingredients to remain relevant in maritime market.
[NSR – 10/24/2013]

NASA liquitos – Satellite Today

Media Networks and Conekta to provide Ku-band satellite internet for rural towns in the Amazon.
[Via Satellite – 10/24/2013]

Blue Sky introduces HawkEye 7200 portable satellite tracking unit that operates on the U.S. GPS, Russian Glonass and European Galileo systems and also supports Iridium satellite communications for mobile devices.
[AIN online – 10/24/2013]

Aircell, a subsidiary of Gogo, signs with Honeywell Aerospace to become distributor for Inmarsat’s Ka-band GX Aviation Services.
[Hispanic Business – 10/24/2013]

Honeywell is enhancing its satellite communication product lines with a supplier agreement to bring to market the Aspire 300, a new FANS over Iridium product that improves safety and operational efficiency.
[SatNews – 10/24/2013]

Hispasat’s Amazonas 4A near completion, getting ready for launch in December.
[Via Satellite – 10/23/2013]

SES-6 Ku-band Atlantic beams – Space News

SES is now designing its satellites with dedicated beams for mobile markets, including the maritime market.
[Space NMews – 10/23/2013]

NASA awards Astrotech Space Operations a contract to provide facilities and pre-launch processing services for the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) mission to launch in late 2014 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
[Via Satellite – 10/23/2013]

SES renews contract with Sony Entertainment Television Asia.
[Via Satellite – 10/23/2013]

XIPLINK and Hughes to offer broadband connectivity to public schools in Mexico.
[Hispanic Business – 10/23/2013]

Signalhorn to connect thousands of locations across Europe for one of the world’s leading oil producers and gas retailers, using its Xtend solution fully integrating terrestrial, 3G cellular, and satellite technologies.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 10/23/2013]

Australian satellite firm NewSat gets $2.4 million deal to supports U.S. Department of Defense in the PACOM region.
[CRN – 10/23/2013]

Winegard deploys mobile antenna solution designed for IP Access International Isis network, guaranteeing access to the network when there is a regional disruption. [Satellite Evolution Group – 10/23/2013]

RSCC (Russian Satellite Communications Company) ready to commission three new satellites.
[Via Satellite – 10/22/2013]

Spacecom reports Amos 5 satellite fault that will shorten the satellite’s lifespan by eleven months.
[Globes – 10/22/2013]

Spacecom’s Amos 5 wins $3.6 million broadcast contract in East Africa.
[Via Satellite – 10/22/2013]

Raytheon supports U.S. Army’s Aviation units with additional satellite radio equipment.
[Providence Journal – 10/22/2013]

TeleCommunication Systems gets $14 million contract to supply satellite equipment and support to the U.S. Army.
[Wall Street Journal – 10/22/2013]

Inmarsat and Honeywell announce that Satcom1 will be a distribution partner to deliver GX Aviuation to VIP, government and business aircraft across the globe.
[SatNews – 10/22/2013]

Global Telesat Communications will provide satellite tracking solution for yachts participating in the Atlantic Odyssey rallies.
[Digital Journal – 10/22/2013]

Comtech Telecommunications receives $1.1 million of orders for satellite equipment spares from Brazilian military.
[Market Watch – 10/22/2013]

PBS announces request for information process for industry input into definition of the Public Television Interconnection System – Version 6 (PTISv6), to succeed present system in 2016 – DEADLINE November 1, 2013.
[PBS Press Release- 10/21/2013]

ESA declares end of mission for the GOCE satellite as its fuel is depleted.
[Via Satellite – 10/21/2013]

EU commissioner welcomes milestone achievement of satellite broadband connectivity now being available to all 28 countries in the European Union.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/21/2013]

U.S. Department of Defense awards Iridium, a $400 million, five-year contract for Iridium(R) airtime services.
[Yahoo Finance – 10/21/2013]

Harris delivers first satellite terminals for the U.S. Army’s Modernization of Enterprise Terminals program.
[4-traders – 10/21/2013]

Successful operational test of Phasor Solution’s flat, electronically steered antenna array puts the company on fast track to deliver the world’s first commercially available, highly affordable Ku-band phased array antenna in 2014.
[Yahoo Finance – 10/21/2013]

Global Xpress satellite – Satellite Today

L-3 GCS receives first military band type approval for GX terminals from Inmarsat.
[Via Satellite – 10/21/2013]

Cobham Satcom’s two-box Aviator S family of satellite communications systems is more powerful than larger three-box systems.
[AIN online – 10/21/2013]

Fort Worth, Texas company Elbit Systems of America delivers hundreds of lightweight satellite communications amplifiers to the Army, Air Force and Navy each year for rotary wing aircraft.
[UPI – 10/21/2013]

Just as U.S. Air Force is finally revamping approach to attracting more companies to the military satellite business, cuts in defense spending threaten to undermine the progress.
[Reuters – 10/20/2013]

NSR’s Satellite Operator Financial Analysis report provides comprehensive picture of the satellite telecom industry from a financial standpoint.
[NSR – October 2013]

The new SATCOM standard (DVB-S2 extensions) explained – is the standard relevant for the MILSATCOM market?
[MilsatMagazine – October 2013 edition]

Earth – SatNews file photo

Incorporating satellite into Continuity of Operations plans for severed weather or disaster events.
[MilsatMagazine – October 2013 edition]

“The Changing Face of MILSATCOM.”
[MilsatMagazine – October 2013 edition]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services


WBMSAT Satellite Industry News Bits 10/18/2013

Friday, October 18th, 2013

GOESR satellite – Space News

Spending bill passed by Congress provides NOAA funding flexibility for maintaining launch schedules for two weather satellite programs.
[Space News – 10/18/2013]

Companies interested in taking part in a revolution in the way Europe develops and builds rockets have submitted more than 150 proposals for overturning the current launch vehicle industrial base to build the next-generation Ariane 6 within the cost objectives.
[Space News – 10/18/2013]

MetOp4 satellite – Space News

ESA delays the contract award for next-generation polar-orbiting MetOp satellite system to assure the spacecraft are built to disintegrate over the Pacific Ocean on retirement.
[Space News – 10/18/2013]

Orbital Sciences pursues commercial launch opportunities for its Antares rocket following two successful NASA funded test flights.
[Space News – 10/18/2013]

Sirius FM-6 to launch October 20 on Proton M/Breeze M; – Via Satellite webcast starts October 20th at 1:45pm EDT.
[ILS Launch – current] [Webcast at imgondemand – ongoing]

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory expects to download 700 terabytes of data per day from NASA missions; its engineers are busy developing creative tools to better store the data.
[R&D Magazine – 10/18/2013]

U.S. Air Force awards two-year contract extension to SES for hosted payload.
[Via Satellite – 10/18/2013]

NSSLGlobal announces further expansion of their VSAT Ku-Band network to include an additional two satellite beams covering the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean region.
[CiOL – 10/18/2013]

$4.1 billion of Department of Defense contracts awarded prior to the U.S. Government shutdown is a tree hiding a forest of not-so-good news that gives the impression the bottom of the milsatcom wave is yet to come for the satellite industry.
[NSR – 10/17/2013]

Raytheon leverages its position as the only provider of AEHF satellite terminals to three branches of the military to show that it can provide an affordable protected tactical solution using an unclassified secure waveform.
Azosensors – 10/17/2013

SATCON 2013 will shine spotlight on intersection of satellite communications and future media capabilities.
[Yahoo Finance – 10/17/2013]

Reportlinker adds new report to its catalogue: Global Markets for Satellite Technology — Focus on the EMEA Market.
[Yahoo Finance – 10/17/2013]

IRG Challenge industry to implement Carrrier ID 100 percent by June 2014, the date of the 2014 Football World Cup.
[Via Satellite – 10/17/2013]

ESA awards Astrium three new contracts for Ariane 6 and Ariane 5 ME.
[Via Satellite – 10/17/2013]

HISPASAT and Astrium present Europe’s first reconfigurable Ku-band satellite antenna, boasting four simultaneous beams, which will be installed in the Hispasat AG1 satellite.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 10/17/2013]

Nippon Television Network Corporation chooses SES as its satellite operator of choice to provide live transmissions of three key sporting events in Europe.
[Via Satellite – 10/17/2013]

Media Networks launches satellite Internet wholesale service in Latin America on the nine Ka-Band beams on ISAT-KA.
[Via Satellite – 10/17/2013]

Satellite Evolution file photo

Europe reaches major milestone in drive to bridge the Digital Divide, launching broadband satellite services in the Baltics, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, now reaching all 28 EU countries.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 10/17/2013]

Thales merges the navigation, surveillance, and simulation segment of the Thales air traffic management organization and the former Thales USA Defense and Security organization with 2012 acquisitions Tampa Microwave, Viosionix, and InterSence.
[Military Aerospace – 10/17/2013]

Major U.S. broadcaster selects NovelSt to upgrade the satellite communication technology in their global Digital Satellite News Gathering fleet.
[Satellite Evolution Group – 10/17/2013]

Boatracs Inc. to provide a broadband communications solution to B & J Martin, Inc., outfitting the site clearance trawling division of their fleet with KVH TracPhone V7-IP VSAT terminals and mini-VSAT Broadband service.
[PR Web – 10/17/2013]

First satellite communications ship – Space.com

The United States Navy built the first satellite communications ship, the U.S.N.S. Kingsport, in 1963.
[Space.com – 10/16/2013]

10 reasons why Global MilSatCom 2013 is set to become SMi’s biggest SatCom event to date.
[Digital Journal – 10/16/2013]

GPS 2 satellite – Space News

U.S. Air Force delays upcoming GPS 2F-5 launch for unspecified reasons.
[Space News – 10/16/2013]

Iridium Communications Inc. announces successful completion of a Critical Design Review of the complete Iridium NEXT satellite network system, on schedule for first launch in early 2015.
[Wall Street Journal – 10/16/2013]

SES enters public-private partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) for the development of a full-electric propulsion satellite platform.
[Via Satellite – 10/16/2013]

UK Solar Orbiter – Space News

Thales Alenia and Italy’s CGS to build a visible and ultraviolet imaging telescope for Europe’s future Solar Orbiter satellite.
[Space News – 10/16/2013]

SkyVision donates an iDirect-powered satellite network for the Crossover International Academy in Tongor-Attokrokpo, Ghana.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/16/2013]

Inmarsat selects Kratos subsidiary Sat Corporation’s Monics system to provide satellite interference detection for Global Xpress.
[Via Satellite – 10/16/2013]

Thales Alenia Space will build Multi Element Telescope for Italian Space Agency’s Imaging and Spectroscopy instrument.
[Via Satellite – 10/16/2013]

Alcatel-Lucent to provide ground station for monitoring of spectrum in satellite communications for Anatel of Brazil.
[Telecompaper – 10/16/2013]

Morgan Stanley report claiming the FSS sector has entered a “no-growth” cycle and that “HTS will struggle to find a market” misses the mark.
[NSR – 10/15/2013]

Boeing to build fourth satellite for the Inmarsat Global Xpress network.
[UPI – 10/15/2013]

Harris CapRock to provide communications services for more than 100 Carnival Corporation cruise ships worldwide.
[Yahoo Finance – 10/15/2013]

Newtec and SniperHill deploy new satellite technology providing increased throughput and service availability for network serving NATO and U.S. Troops in Afghanistan.
[Government Video – 10/15/2013]

NewSat signs $5 million worth of new teleport business contracts in first quarter of FY 2014 to provide satellite communication services across the Middle East and Austaliasia.
[SatNews – 10/15/2013]

United Airlines launches 100th aircraft with satellite Wi-Fi.
[Via Satellite – 10/15/2013]

Arabsat gets exclusive rights to broadcast Sudan’s football.
[all Africa – 10/15/2013]

The Global VSAT Forum (GVF), and the Satellite Interference Reduction Group (IRG) will be joining Cobham Technical Services and Eutelsat for a pre-conference workshop on satellite interference alongside Global MilSatCom in London. [SatNews – 10/14/2013]

Broadband Satellite Services Limited (BSS), an investment company based in the North East of England, completes the acquisition of AND Group & the Satcom Global group of companies.
[MarineLink – 10/14/2013]

iDirect Wins VSAT 2013 Technology Innovation Of The Year Award for high performance X7 remote.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/14/2013]

Cable & Wireless to sell its Algerian satellite communication business Divona SpA to Smart Link Com SpA of Algeria for $1.4 million..
[4-traders – 10/14/2013]

LaPaz Bolivia – Via Satellite

Gilat Satellite Networks continues to make strong progress in Latin America, getting an award for equipment and services from Entel S.A., the largest telecom operator and satellite network operator in Bolivia.
[Via Satellite – 10/14/2013]

Spacecom gets five-year capacity deal from an East African video service provider worth just under $6 million.
[Via Satellite – 10/14/2013]

Earth station constructed by Harris near Arua Town, Uganda in 1976 for Idi Amin is now rotting away.
[Hispanic Business – 10/14/2013]

As part of U.S. Army’s recently announced 4.1 billion communications budget, Lockheed Martin gets IDIQ contract to deliver satellite and terrestrial communications to the Army.
[Satellite Spotlight – 10/14/2013]

SatStream Media launches new maritime service, SatstreamNet, a multicast-IP content delivery network developed specifically for the maritime industry.
[Via Satellite – 10/14/2013]

BT and BSkyB sign multi-year agreement for Sky Movies to be made available through BT TV.
[Via Satellite – 10/14/2013]

Via Satellite speaks with Michel de Rosen of Eutelsat about all things Latin America, and how his vision for Eutelsat is shaping up.
[Via Satellite – November issue]

Oil companies see a future in satellite, but want lower prices.
[Via Satellite – November issue]

U.S. government changes its business approach with satcom vendors under Sequestration, but what does this mean?
[Via Satellite – November issue]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

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