Really Rocket Science

Final launch of space shuttle Endeavor is called off due to heater failure as six-man crew is walking toward the pad – NASA hopes to try again Monday.
[msnbc – 04/29/2011]

Azerbaijan is to sign a loan with French bank BNP Paribas in May to finance its first national telecommunications satellite Azerspace.
[ABC.AZ – 04/29/2011]

Arianespace to launch ABS-2 satellite for Asia Broadcast Satellite in 2013.
[Brahmand Defence & Aerospace News – 04/29/2011]

World’s largest product tanker owner, Maersk, fields KVH CommBox for network management on 120 vessels.
[GlobeNewswire -04/29/2011]

Two more communications providers, SI Wireless and Cellular South, join companies signing bilateral roaming agreements with LightSquared to expand planned nationwide 4G-LTE network.
[SatNews – 04/29/2011]

Pactel International is awarded multiyear contract to manage SamoaTel’s International Telephony business.
[SatNews – 04/29/2011]

Tracking Central Pty Ltd to  acquire exclusive licensing rights in Australia and New Zealand for GTX Corp’s GPS Smart Shoe product designed for seniors suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s.
[SatNews – 04/29/2011]

Global Space and Satellite Forum accepting registrants for the Use of Space Science and Technology for Disaster Management and Emergency Response workshop May 11 in Abu Dhabi.
[SatNews – 04/28/2011]

First meeting of Hosted Payload Alliance brings together representatives of industry and government to share creative solutions to challenging budgets for satellite systems.
[SatNews – 04/28/2011]

Eutelsat satellites booked for total of 13,000 MHz hours, equivalent to 15 transponders over 24 hours, for coverage of the royal wedding in London.
[SatNews – 04/28/2011]

COM DEV International is awarded Authorization to Proceed contract to provide equipment for a new commercial satellite.
[SatNews – 04/28/2011]

Texas-based Proactive Communications Inc. is awarded one of first fixed satellite services contracts from Texas Department of Information Resources, to provide rapid support in disasters and serve other needs.
[Satellite Spotlight- 04/28/2011]

Department of Veterans Affairs gets 13 systems from F4W Inc. which provide internet and VoIP connectivity for emergency situations, and include satellite broadband for when cellular is not available.
[PR Newswire – 04/28/2011]

EMS Technologies initiates new satellite communications study for The Commonwealth of Australia.
[Business Wire – 04/28/2011]

The second in series of 12 GPS IIF satellites arrives at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
[SatNews – 04/28/2011]

STM and ViaSat successfully demonstrate waveform interoperability between the STM SatLink 2000 modem and the ViaSat DoD-standard Joint Internet Protocol Modem.
[SatNews – 04/28/2011]

Skyware Global announces opening of new office in Washington DC area.
[SatNews – 04/28/2011]

Russia and Sweden agree to improve cooperation in the space industry, including launching Swedish satellites using Russian carrier rockets.
[SatNews – 04/28/2011]

KVH’s new TracPhone V3, at just 14.5″ (37cm) the world’s smallest Ku-band maritime VSAT terminal, receives FCC license.
[GlobeNewswire – 04/27/2011]

Rumors have owners of Telesat fighting over the price for which the Canadian satellite communications company might be sold.
[Ottawa Citizen – 04/27/2011]

Team including scientists at Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories and the Air Force Research Laboratory work to improve capabilities for detecting and monitoring threats to U.S. space operations (space junk).
[PhysOrg – 04/27/2011]

Chinese space officials confirm plans to build a 60-ton space station by 2020 and build a space freighter for hauling supplies to the station.
[SatNews – 04/27/2011]

DirecTV takes measure of its subscribers’ preferences with regard to possible launch of Netflix-like video streaming service, following the acquisition of Blockbuster by Dish Network.
[The Hollywood Reporter – 04/27/2011]

Malaysia’s no. 1 rated HD channel, ONE HD, joins MEASAT’s video neighborhood.
[SatNews – 04/27/2011]

Topcon Precision Agriculture announces that its HiPer series of satellite receivers has been expanded to include a specialty receiver for the worldwide agriculture market.
[Precision Pays – 04/27/2011]

Spanish operator Digital+ launches 3D demo channel on SES ASTRA’s ASTRA.
[SatNews – 04/27/2011]

Integral Systems is selected as Mewxsat-3’s turnkey ground segment subcontractor.
[Satellite Today – 04/27/2011]

Track24 launches first global tracking and messaging systems for individuals and small businesses using Iridium satellite network and Track24’s mapping software.
[SatNews – 04/27/2011]

AMI to support Thrane Aviator SwiftBroadband service in the United States.
[Satellite Today – 04/27/2011]

NASA’s nanosatellite NanoSail-D is slowly descending after successfully orbiting the Earth’s upper atmosphere for 95 days after deploying its 100-square-foot sail on January 20th.
[SatNews – 04/27/2011]

SES announces new investment in new Luxembourg satellite control facilities and business center.
[Satellite Spotlight – 04/26/2011]Russian Space Forces re-establish contact with military satellite, Geo-IK-2, which went missing in February.
[SatNews – 04/26/2011]Intelsat’s new African satellite, New Dawn, is safely in orbit following Good Friday launch from French Guiana.
[Engineering News – 04/26/2011] ATK is awarded contract to provide upgraded more powerful second stage motor for Orbital Science Corporation’s Taurus II commercial launch vehicle.
[SatNews – 04/26/2011]ORBCOMM announces its two-way satellite data communications services are now authorized in Equador.
[Benzinga – 04/26/2011]Kazakhstan ready to consider Russia’s proposal of converting Baikonur Space Center into a joint-stock company, with Russia as major shareholder, according to RIA Novosti.
[SatNews – 04/26/2011]MTN Satellite Communications and ERZIA announce completion of Santander Teleport in Spain.
[PR Newswire – 04/26/2011]Satcom Direct becomes distribution partner for Inmarsat’s global phone services, offering them directly to government, military, and corporate aviation customers and resellers.
[PR Web – 04/26/2011]SES WORLD SKIES announces three new capacity deals with Global Crossing to meet growing connectivity demand across Latin America.
[Business Wire – 04/26/2011]Inmarsat and SkyWave develop new low data rate tracking, monitoring and message service promising up to 37x data capability of current global M2M services, for Q3 2011 launch.
[NSR – 04/26/2011]NARSS puts EgyptSat-2 launch on indefinite hiatus.
[Satellite Today – 04/25/2011]Arianespace launches two satellites – Yahsat 1A and Intelsat’s New Dawn, from French Guiana.
[redOrbit – 04/24/2011]Thuraya to sponsor the Istanbul University Solar Race Team in the World Solar Challenge across the continent of Australia, also providing Thuraya IP and Thuraya XT as their full communication solutions.
[SatNews – 04/24/2011]

SpaceX wins $75M NASA contract to complete Dragon spacecraft and modify it for human transport with launch escape system.
[Military Aerospace – 04/20/2011

WBMSAT PS satellite communications systems services

Global satellite machine-to-Machine (M2M) service revenues to reach $1.7B by 2017 according to new Gobal Industry Analysts report.
[San Francisco Chronicle – 04/15/2011]

U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency wants to lease a single commercial satellite for 15 years for $440M, meeting 78% of U.S. Central Command’s requirements in Afghanistan and Iraq while dramatically cutting costs.
[Next Gov – 04/15/2011]

Cheetah “Morale Satellite” system provides free phone calls home and fast Internet connectivity for soldiers in Afghanistan.
[DIVIDS – 04/15/2011]

Comtech receives $1.2M satellite ground station equipment order from a large integrator for a military requirement in a Latin American country.
[Your Industry News – 04/15/2011]

Senators Pat Roberts (R-Kan) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb) in an open letter ask fellow senators to call on FCC to stop LightSquared from deploying its nationwide LTE network until it proves service does not interfere with GPS services.
[Fierce Wireless – 04/15/2011]

Space Data Association announces full operational capability of its Space Data Center, established by commercial satellite operators to improve the safety and efficiency of space operations.
[SatNews – 04/14/2011]

United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carries National Reconnaissance Office’s L-34 secret satellite payload aloft from Vandenberg.
[SatNews – 04/14/2011]

Arianespace to launch ASTRA 2E satellite for SES ASTRA in 2013.
[Brahmand – 04/14/2011]

New way to cool military satellite payloads to be tested by Northrop Grumman Corporation with an experiment on the International Space Station.
[SatNews – 04/14/2011]

Newtec extends invitation to all to join their 2011 Business Seminar “How to Keep Satellite Services Profitable” in Miami May 11 and 12, with first day capped by leisurely cruise and dinner.
[SatNews – 04/14/2011]

ITT successfully concludes Critical Design Review for imaging payload for the Worldview-3 Earth observation satellite being built for DigitalGlobe.
[SatNews – 04/14/2011]

Iridium excecutive states that the biggest opportunity ever for placing hosted payloads aboard telecommunications satellite system (the 66-satellite next generation Iridium system) may be lost because of slow-moving government bureaucracies.
[Space News – 04/14/2011]

Gilat’s SkyEdge II Broadband Satellite Network selected by Telecom Namibia to provide hundreds of locations throughout Namibia with VOIP and Internet services.
[SatNews – 04/14/2011]

New satellite to be launched from Kodiak Alaska, TACSAT-4, will carry UHF payload in highly elliptical orbit that will allow soldiers to communicate from deep canyons rather than out in the open, saving lives, though only available 6-7 hours a day.
[National Defense – 04/14/2011]

Advantech Wireless signs contract with Hoje Telecom of Brazil to provide VSAT upgrade hub, RF equipment, and more than 1,000 remote terminals.
[SatNews – 04/14/2011]

Globalstar Europe Satellite Services, in conjunction with Globalstar Avrasya of Turkey, provisioned to cover all of European sub-continent as well as northern Africa, Middle East, and most of Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic ocean maritime region.
[SatNews – 04/14/2011]

U.S. Air Force awards Integral Systems $6.99M contract for Rapid Attack Identification, Detection, and Reporting System to provide near real-time detection, characterization, geolocation, and electromagnetic Interference reporting for critical satellite communication systems.
[SatNews – 04/14/2011]

Dynetics and Pratt & Whitney join Rocket City Space Pioneers team competing for Google $30M Lunar X Prize to be awarded to first team to build and launch to the moon a privately funded spacecraft capable of completing a series of exploration and transmission tasks.
[SatNews – 04/14/2011]

MDA signs contract worth more than $40M to provide technology support for satellite communications and information service for a confidential customer.
[Windsor Star – 04/14/2011]

92,708 total registered attendees for 2011 NAB show in Las Vegas, with 25,691 international attendees and 1,314 news media, beating 2010 final attendance of 88,044.
[SatNews – 04/13/2011]

German aerospace contractor approved for taking lead role in designing European data relay satellite to promptly relay images of Earth from orbiting spacecraft back to ground stations.
[Spaceflight Now – 04/13/2011]

Top Azerbaijani official says country will launch communications satellite in 2012.
[RFE/RL – 04/13/2012]

Russia plans to test a next-generation spacecraft, build a new cosmodrome and even consider a manned mission to Mars after 2035.
[R&D Magazine – 04/13/2011]

China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology announces launch of eighth satellite of the Beidou-2 global navigation system aboard a Long March 3A rocket on April 10, 2011.
[Examiner – 04/13/2011]

RRSAT grows global broadcast network to over 590 channels featuring SD, HD, and 3D formats and increased number of playout centers in Israel and U.S.
[PR Newswire – 04/13/2011]

Arqiva will launch dedicated DVB-S2 MPEG-4 shared platform at Los Angeles teleport, affording broadcasters and mobile providers access to 100% of U.S. cable headends via SES WORLD SKIES’ AMC-10 satellite.
[TMCnet – 04/13/2011]

Raytheon leads team bidding on U.S. Air Force Launch and Test Range System (LTRS) Integrated Support Contract (LISC).
[Defense – Aerospace – 04/13/2011]

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission approves merger of XM Canada and Sirius Canada.
[Satellite Today – 04/13/2011]

Intelsat’s New Dawn African satellite rescheduled for April 22 launch.
[Engineering News – 04/12/2011]

SES ASTRA Platform Services opens new playout centre near Munich, significantly expanding capabilities to provide broadcasters and production houses around the world with state-of-the-art playout and platform services.
[SatNews – 04/12/2011]

Harris to deliver shipboard satellite communications terminals to Canadian Navy.
[Satellite Spotlight – 04/12/2011]

SES WORLD SKIES announces AMC-3 C-band capacity deal with Weigel Broadcasting to deliver new digital ME TV channel to broadcast stations and viewers across U.S.
[Business Wire – 04/12/2011]

GMPCS unveils IsatTruck vehicular satellite phone package.
[PR Web – 04/12/2011]

TeleCommunications Systems selected as participant in FCSA contract allowing government agencies to procure services from commercial satellite services providers.
[Market Wire – 04/12/2011]

NSR press release – Revenues for Broadband Satellite Satellite Services to Exceed S$9 Billion by 2020.
[NSR – 04/12/2011]

GlobeCast selects Eurobird 9A to launch HD distribution platform.
[Indian Television – 04/12/2011]

Level 3 buys Global Crossing in effort to create a networking giant.
[Business Insider – 04/11/2011]

Maiden voyage of Ocean Star Pacific, first ship of the first national cruise line based in Mexico, to offer MTM satellite communications VSAT, crew calling, and Internet services.
[PR Newswire – 04/11/2011]

Qatar plans early 2013 launch of its high-powered communications satellite Es’Hail, being built under joint investment with Eutelsat.
[Gulf Times – 04/11/2011]

TerreStar GENUS satellite-enabled cellular smartphone provides expanded voice and data roaming coverage for mobile users.
[SatNews – 04/10/2011]

Iran’s claims about satellite service raise difficult question for ITU – “Can regulators refuse to accept word of sovereign nation about its own assets even if they are convinced it is lying?”
[Spacenews – 04/08/2011]

NSR Report “Broadband Satellite Markets” – VSAT networking and broadband access continue gains; a turning point for IP trunking.
[NSR – May 2011]

NSR Report “Global Satellite Manufacturing and Launch Markets” – 109 payloads were carried by 74 launch missions worldwide over the past 12 months, down from 2009 by 6.5%.
[NSR – May 2011]

Raytheon seeks new applications for System designed to communicate with deeply submerged swiftly moving submarines using satellites and underwater communications systems tied to buoys, since Navy has yet to come to decision on deployment.
[National Defense Magazine – May 2011]

NSR upcoming – HTS and KA-SAT: “Changing the European Telecom Landscape” – An Interview with Eutelsat.
[gotomeeting – May 24, 2011]

WBMSAT PS satellite communications systems services