Really Rocket Science

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Falcon 9 launch – Space Travel file photo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo courtesy of Intellian Technologies – Marine Link

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Weather satellite launch, Vandenberg – Fox News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Captain Judy Rice with Think Global Flight students – BlueSky

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wikipedia photo – Via Satellite

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saft satellite battery. Photo: Saft – Via Satellite

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

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

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Communication Technology Satellite – Credit: NASA – Space.cm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arieanespace launch – Credit: Arianespace photo – Space News

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

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

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

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

PhoneSat 2.5 – Phys-Org file photo

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

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

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

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

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

Credit – Arianespace photo – Space News

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

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

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

Credit – Excelis artist’s concept – Space News

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Picture source: smartplanet.com – Screen Africa

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

SpaceX launches its first GEO satellite and proves upgraded Falcon 9 v1.1 with three launches within a few months – United Launch Alliance re-entering commercial market – incumbents not surprised as competition heats up in satellite manufacturing and launching market. [NSR – 02/12/2014]

Space Daily File Image

Russia, U.S. to pool efforts in the creation of asteroid diversion techniques. [Space Daily – 01/31/2014]

Lockheed Martin MUOS satellite tests show extensive reach in polar communications capability. [The Wall Street Journal – 01/31/2014]

Canada’s Sapphire military satellite designed to track objects in high Earth orbit begins operations. [Space News – 01/31/2014]

Neosat satellite platform – Credit: ESA artist’s cocnept – Space News

French space agency CNES aligns research and technology budget with attempt to increase French and European satellite telecommunications prime contractors’ share of global commercial market to  50% by 2020, up from 30% now. [Space News – 01/31/2014]

Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite – Credit: CNES artist’s concept – Space News

UK to invest $25 million in French environmental satellite projects. [Space News – 01/31/2014]

3rd Space Operations Squadron has been repositioning satellites during nine-month effort to optimize the military wideband communications constellation. [Defense Systems – 01/31/2014]

Globecomm Systems extends contract with Avanti to deploy satellite broadband services to thousands of businesses in South Africa. [Business Wire – 01/31/2014]

Beam Communications selects Two10degrees to power their new Beam Tracking Portal (BTP). [SatNews – 01/31/2014]

SES and EUTELSAT settle their dispute and conclude a series of agreements concerning the 28.5 degrees east orbital position. [Wall Street Journal – 01/30/2014]

IDATE predicts global TV market revenue to grow at steady pace. [Satellite Markets & Research – 01/30/2014]

Reportlinker adds report “Analysis of Global Wireless Backhaul via Satellite Market” to its catalogue. [Market Watch – 01/30/2014]

European satellite navigation services to start this year after Galileo and Copernicus satellites launch in March. [Via Satellite – 01/30/2014]

European Space Agency converts previously contracted back-up launch on a Rockot to a firm agreement with Eurockot Launch Services for placing into orbit an additional Copernicus Sentinel class satellite. [SatNews – 01/30/2014]

Plato – Credit: artist’s concept from Thales Alenia Space (left) and artist’s concept from EADS Astrium (center) – Space News

Planet-hunting Plato wins backing of European scientists for $1B medium-class mission. [Space News – 01/30/2014]

European Commission’s effort to set common European regulations on the sale of high-resolution satellite imagery outside Europe is blocked by British government. [Space News – 01/30/2014]

Globalstar announces Sat-Fi, a new voice and data solution seamlessly integrating Wi-Fi devices with Globalstar’s satellite constellation. [Via Satellite – 01/30/2014]

Thuraya unveils Orion IP maritime broadband terminal. [Satellite Evolution Group – 01/30/2014]

Satcom Direct becomes an Inmarsat Broadband Global Area Network distribution partner. [Aviation Pros – 01/30/2014]

Advantech Wireless releases advanced Multi-Carrier Demodulator (MCD). [Satellite Evolution Group – 01/30/2014]

Planet Labs’ Dove 2 spacecraft. Photo: Planet Labs – Via Satellite

African Heirs Holding invests in U.S. start up Planet Labs, looking to transform the way imaging of the Earth is carried out with introduction of “Dove” spacecraft. [Via Satellite – 01/30/2014]

McMurdo Group enters satellite search and rescue market. [Via Satellite – 01/30/2014]

Europe’s Sentinel 1 radar satellite – Credit: ESA photo – Space News

European government group says radar satellites and Wi-Fi cannot coexist in the same slice of radio spectrum. [Space News – 01/29/2014]

With one-two punch of Super Bowl and Winter Olympics in Sochi, 2014 shapes up as upswing year for contribution and occasional use satellite TV markets. [NSR – 01/29/2014]

Soyuz rocket – Credit: Arianespace photo – Space News

Logjam at European Spaceport puts Arianespace in a ticklish spot. [Space News – 01/29/2014]

Orange Business Services expands network capacity in Siberia on NSS-12 satellite in deal with SES. [The Wall Street Journal – 01/29/2014]

Afghanistan signs strategic partnership with Eutelsat, hoping to accelerate access to satellite infrastructure for digital services with an in-orbit satellite to be deployed to 48 degrees East in February 2014. [Broadband TV News – 01/29/2014]

Inmarsat’s BGAN SDR waveform receives SCA certification from Joint Tactical Radio System Test and Evaluation Laboratory. [Herald online – 01/29/2014]

O3b completes successful live test of broadband voice and video on 4G/LTE networks. [Via Satellite – 01/29/2014]

Comtech Telecommunications Corp. is awarded $3.2 million order from a government systems integrator for DoubleTalk Carrier-in-Carrier powered DMD2050E satellite modems. [Market Watch – 01/29/2014]

SkyVision partners with Romantis to deliver quality VSAT platform solution to SkyVision customers worldwide. [Via Satelite – 01/29/2014]

2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) comments addressing comsatcom receives praise for some sections, but still falls short with respect to Industry white paper shared with the government a year ago. [Via Satellite – 01/28/2014]

RFI-EUI merger with IRG brings greater focus to Carrier ID initiative. [Via Satellite – 01/28/2014]

2nd annual MilSatCom Middle East & Africa conference to be held Feb 24th & 25th in Dubai, UAE. [PRWeb – 01/28/2014]

NASA GPM – NASA photo -Via Satellite

NASA and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) scheduled February 27 to launch first coordinated international satellite, GPM, to provide near real-time observations on all types of precipitation. [Via Satellite – 01/28/2014]

Liberty Global to acquire Ziggo – combined venture to reach 7 million Dutch homes, providing video, broadband Internet and telephony services. [Via Satellite – 01/28/2014]

U.S. Navy surveys industry looking for companies who can demonstrate ability to develop and build MUOS-capable radio terminals. [Military & Aerospace Electronics – 01/27/2014]

Boeing receives first signals from NASA TDRS L satellite. [Via Satellite – Via Satellite – 01/27/2014]

Ball Aerospace completes integration of WorldView 3 spacecraft, scheduled to launch this summer for DigitalGlobe. [Via Satellite – 01/27/2014]

Eleven Asia Pacific mobile operators form region’s largest Machine-to-Machine (M2M) alliance, offering a “one-stop-shop” experience for M2M deployment in the region. [Via Satellite – 01/27/2014]

Three Romanian channels select the EUTELSAT 16A satellite to maximise reach. [The Wall Street Journal – 01/27/2014]

Eutelsat’s E172a South Pacific satellite beam – SatNews

NSSLGlobal extends reach in Australasia with the opening of a new teleport at the Perth International Telecommunications Centre. [SatNews – 01/27/2014]

Thuraya’s SatSleeve for Android launch brings MSS to top smartphone models. [Via Satellite – 01/27/2014]

Sass@sea system developed by MediaMobil as part of Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) program is allowing ships to optimize their bandwidth use at sea. [SatNews – 01/26/2014]

Via Satellite webcast March 5h – “High Utilization AND High Throughput Efficiency?  Solving the TDMA vs. SCPC dilemma.” [Via Satellite – March]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

NASA’s latest communications satellite, TDRS-L, gets a lift into space on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket using a Russian designed RD-180 first stage engine. [CBS News – 01/24/2014]

Sentinel-1 satellite – Credit: ESA artist concept – Space News

Europe mounts defense of radar satellite spectrum against wireless broadband incursion. [Space News – 01/24/2014]

Space Travel file image

President Obama signs new spending bill including money to continue NASA’s human space exploration program, bringing back Project Constellation. [Space Travel – 01/24/2014]

Illustration only – Space Daily

Sierra Nevada reserves Atlas rocket for 2016 Dream Chaser test flight. [Space Travel – 01/24/2014]

Virgin Galactic reaches significant milestone in testing of new family of liquid rocket engines for LauncherOne, its small satellite launch vehicle. [Space Travel – 01/24/2014]

Small lander named Philae – Credit: ESA artist concept – Space News

ESA managing expectations for small lander to be launched from comet-chaser satellite Rosetta for attempt to latch onto Comet 67P by harpoon in November 2014. [Space News – 01/24/2014]

Airbus Defence and Space to build ground segment for France’s net-generation optical and infrared reconnaissance satellite system and maintain it for 12 years. [Space News – 01/24/2014]

GVF-EMP Conference – Creating the New “New” Verticals – Air, Water, Surface & Rail – coming to London February 11th and 12th will analyze “seamless connectivity” for today’s communications users. [SatNews – 01/24/2014]

ILS to launch Yamal 601 satellite for Russia’s Gazprom Space Systems in 2016. [Via Satellite – 01/23/2014]

Global Satellite Broadband Communication in Public Safety market forecast to grow at a CAGR of 8.45% over the period 2014 – 2018 in new report added to Research and Markets offering. [Yahoo Finance – 01/23/2014]

India’s satellite communication sector has experienced significant growth over past five years driven by demand from DTH payTV platforms and growing telecommunication needs in the country according to Euroconsult report. [SatNews – 01/23/2014]

Location Based Services (LBS) ,market in Asia Pacific region set to grow at CAGR of 32.98% over the period 2013-2018 according to new report by Research and Markets, but lack of knowledge among users could challenge the growth. [Satellite Markets & Research – 01/23/2014]

RFIEUI and IRG announce a merger helping the two groups to better serve the industry and combat satellite interference together. [Satellite Evolution Group – 01/23/2014]

NASA expected to miss congressional deadline for releasing call for proposals for concepts for Discovery-class planetary science missions later this year. [Space News – 01/23/2014]

Former U.S. Defense Secretary Gates says Pentagon believed PLA acted alone without knowledge of civilian Chinese leadership in 2007 Anti-satellite test. [Space News – 01/23/2014]

Spot 6 image of Bora Bora, French Polynésia. Credit: Astrium image – Space News

France to make older Spot optical Earth observation images available to researchers for free. [Space News – 01/23/2014]

SES selects Xstream to enhance Video on Demand platform. [Via Satellite – 01/23/2014]

Inmarsat Government finalizes agreement to be a Value Added Reseller for Inmarsat Global Xpress as a cleared company under a proxy agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense. [Via Satellite – 01/23/2014]

Telered and MEASAT provide TV services in Philippines. [Via Satellite – 01/23/2014]

GS Group survey shows high demand for quality digital TV in Pakistan, but reveals problems influencing the quality of TV services. [Via Satellite – 01/23/2014]

U.S. Navy accepts three MUOS ground stations built by General Dynamics. [The Wall Street Journal – 01/23/2014]

NSSLGlobal opens teleport in Perth, Australia. [Satellite Evolution Group – 01/23/2014]

Afghanistan drawdown that began in 2011 has led to diminishing growth in the global land mobile satcom market. [NSR report – 01/22/2014]

Telesat majority owner Loral Space & Communications explores a sale of the Canadian satellite communication services company. [Chicago Tribune – 01/22/2014]

ATK MegaFlex. Photo: ATK – Via Satellite

ATK demonstrates MegaFlex Solar Electric Propulsion solar array for NASA. [Via Satellite – 01/22/2014]

ILS president says it is too early to say if launch market is oversaturated. [Via Satellite – 01/22/2014]

U.S. Southern Command embarks on ambitious international CubeSat program, turning to the Naval Postgraduate School for evaluation of the micro satellites. [SIP Trunking Report – 01/22/2014]

Sierra Nevada Corp to announce expansion plans for its Dream Chaser Space System. [R&D Magazine – 01/22/2014]

Environmental & Safety Systems International spins of ESSI Communications division to create BlueTide Communications Corporation, focused on satellite communications for energy, maritime, and yacht leisure markets. [Via Satellite – 01/22/2014]

Alphasat’s high-frequency hosted payload set to begin experiments. [Via Satellite – 01/22/2014]

Digitaria International selects Signalhorn to provide satellite communications services to passengers and crew aboard fleet of twelve luxury vessels operated in the Americas, Mediterranean, and South African markets. [telecompaper – 01/22/2014]

MTN signs new agreement with Carnival Corporation extending partnership providing Internet services to customers and crew aboard several of their cruise ships. [Via Satellite – 01/22/2014]

New report added to offering of Research and Markets, “Analysis of Global Wireless Backhaul via Satellite Market,” discusses expected growth in the market in various regions, and key drivers for satellite backhaul. [Business Wire – 01/21/2014]

NASA and Roscosmos to sign new transportation services contract by summer. [Space News – 010/21/2014]

Gilat Satcom and Gilat Satellite Networks to supply fixed and on-the-move satellite services to the Israeli government. [Yahoo Finance – 01/21/2014]

Spacebel signs commercial contract to supply Vietnam with VNREDSat 1b, an Earth observation system made in Belgium set to launch in 2017. [Via Satellite – 01/21/2014]

Badan SAR Nasional selects Thuraya Telecommunications to provide satellite communications to improve search and rescue efforts in Indonesia. [National Post – 01/21/2014]

Globalstar launches industry’s lowest cost and most accessible prepaid service thoughout EMENA. [CIOL – 01/21/2014]

Telstra Global launches new Points-of-Presence increasing its global Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS) network in Western Europe and the American Midwest. [Via Satellite – 01/21/2014]

LiveTV and Eutelsat agree to launch new Ka-band satellite connectivity for airlines in Europe. [Yahoo Finance – 01/21/2014]

HISPASAT now offers HIGH TV 3D across Europe. [SatNews – 01/21/2014]

Australian Defense Force selects ViaSat terminal for data link network management. [Via Satellite – 01/21/2014]

With new HTS systems launching over next year or two, FSS C-band capacity might get lost in the mix, but it is not going anywhere, adding another 55 TPEs of capacity over the next ten years. [NSR Report – 01/20/2014]

SpeedCast re-branding positions it in a top five position in the international satellite telecommunications service provider market. [University Chronicle – 01/18/2014]

President of Astrium Services Government (now part of the Airbus group) calls the “Lowest Price Technically Acceptable (LPTA)” procurement strategy for the U.S. military dangerously flawed. [Via Satellite – 01/17/2014]

NASA Tech Briefs article discusses photonic laser thrusters for spacecraft maneuvering. [NASA Tech Briefs – January Issue]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

NASA Space Launch System could make ‘outside the box’ science missions possible. [Space Travel – 01/17/2014]

Marines build field-based command and control center for satellite and radio operations at Camp Hansen, Okinawa as part of pre-deployment communication exercise. [dvids – 01/17/2014]

Omnibus bill fully funds primary NOAA satellites, but does not fund an adjunct satellite intended to host instruments that cannot fit on NOAA’s primary polar-orbiting platforms. [Space News – 01/16/2014]

Screaming through space at nearly one million miles a day, NASA’s New Horizons, launched in 2006, draws closer to its target Pluto, with encounter to begin in January 2015. [SatNews – 01/16/2014]

GATR Technologies spins diminished military spending into opportunity with latest $440 million contract. [Via Satellite – 01/16/2014]

Amid growing sentiment that U.S. military must adopt new ways of operating in space to cope with new threats and declining budgets, top executive with Lockheed Martin says the company must change as well. [Space News – 01/16/2014]

Harris Broadcast acquires Imagine Communications, a digital video solutions company that delivers bandwidth-efficient services with prime video quality for online applications and TV Everywhere. [Via Satellite – 01/16/2014]

KVH plans to debut multicast service intended to replace longstanding practice of sending DVDs by mail to ports in advance of ship arrivals. [Space News – 01/16/2014]

ILS to launch Eutelsat 9B satellite in 2015. [Via Satellite – 01/16/2014]

Dish and Southwest Airlines extend partnership and “TV Flies Free” promotion – through December 31, 2014 customers using iOS, Android, and other Internet-ready devices can get 20 live TV channels free, and VOD. [SatNews – 01/16/2014]

Thuraya Telecommunications launches latest version of Thuraya SatSleeve for Android-based smartphones. [Via Satellite – 01/16/2014]

Viking Satcom deploys ground station equipment to support SES’s new SES 6 satellite. [Via Satellite – 01/16/2014]

Free NSR webinar February 12 – “Satellite Manufacturing and Launching: The Dawn of a New Era.” [NSR – February 12 2014]

Government & Military Satcom – pessimistic views overshadow many opportunities for solutions that address military requirements of lower budgets while at the same time offering more bandwidth. [NSR – 01/15/2014]

Boeing Space Surveillance system helps U.S. Air Force reduce satellite loss by 66%, detecting potential threats more quickly and allowing operators to take early action if necessary. [Via Satellite – 01/15/2014]

SpaceX drives sharp increase in projected launches at Cape Canaveral, which plans to support up to 21 rocket launches in 2014, a 50% increase from 2013. [Space News – 01/15/2014]

ViaSat sees future in aeronautical and maritime broadband markets. [Space News – 01/15/2014]

Members of Netherlands Parliament want Minister of Defense to explain the exact purpose of equipment owned by the American Defense Ministry in Burum, Friesland. [NLTimes – 01/15/2014]

KVH doubles capacity of global C-band beams as its mini-VSAT broadband customers increase reliance on broadband connectivity. [The Wall Street Journal – 01/15/2014]

Planning to connect your car to the Internet by satellite – Kymeta and UIEvolution. [Via Satellite – 01/15/2014]

Indian launch of GSAT-14 communications satellite validates technology of ISRO’s indigenous GSLV-D5 rocket. [Space.com – 01/14/2014]

Air Force searches for companies in the industry able to upgrade GPS satellite waveform generators. [Military & Aerospace – 01/14/2014]

General Shelton tells George Washington University students that space is the “ultimate high ground,” fundamental to the economy. [Milsat Magazine – January issue]

Boeing tests new anti-jamming technology making it easier and cheaper for the U.S. military to send secure communications via current satellites that do not have their own anti-jamming capability. [UPI – 01/14/2014]

The first of two Intelsat launches by ILS in 2015 will be Intelsat DLA-2, also known as Intelsat 31. [Via Satellite – 01/14/2014]

C-COM receives new orders from Russian reseller AltegroSky for additional iNetVu auto-deploy antenna systems. [Yahoo Finance – 01/14/2014]

Tethers Unlimited is testing new propulsion method that might greatly improve access to as well as capability of CubeSats. [Via Satellite – 01/14/2014]

RigNet and Harris CapRock target energy businesses in Houston Texas, naming Houston as its Americas regional headquarters. [Houston BizBlog – 01/14/2014]

ViaSat’s Fly-Fi premiers on JetBlue Airways, offering new in-flight high-capacity Wi-Fi, opening the skies to business passengers needing faster internet while traveling. [U-T San Diego – 01/14/2014]

Singapore Technologies Electronics wins $468 million in 4Q 2013 contracts for intelligent transportation, satellite communications, and advanced electronics and information communications technologies. [Via Satellite – 01/14/2014]

Fifth Lockheed Martin MUOS secure communications satellite completes assembly and enters system test. [Yahoo Finance – 01/13/2014]

2013 was an unprecedented year for satellite broadband access services with record subscriber growth – NSR forecasts the global satellite broadband assess market will add over 4.3 million net new subscribers in coming ten years. [NSR – 01/13/2013]

Technavio report projects global satellite broadband communication in the Public Safety market to grow at a CAGR of 8.45% in the 2013 – 2018 period. [SBWire – 01/13/2014]

NASA’s next-generation TDRS L satellite mounted atop Atlas 5 rocket in preparation for launch on Thursday, January 23. [Spaceflight Now – 01/13/2014]

SpaceX may pick Texas over controversial Merritt Island launch site. [Space News – 01/13/2014]

Future commercial prospects for laser satellite communication could include providing “broadband access to remote parts of the world without having to dig thousands of kilometres of trenches to lay down optical fibres.” [Novus LIght – 01/13/2014]

Comtech receives $4.4 million contract to provide upgrade to Brazilian Military satellite network. [CiOL – 01/13/2014]

Cloud Front Group and Saratoga Data Systems announce availability of Flume software protocol that transmits data up to 5-100X faster than TCP and 3X faster than SCPS acceleration protocol over satellite communications. [IT Business Net – 01/13/2014]

MTN pioneers new iDirect X7 high-performance satellite modem on the Norwegian Breakaway, dramatically improving the efficiency and throughput of the vessel’s communications system. [SatNews – 01/13/2014]

Bently Walker extends reach across Africa and the Middle East using Avanti’s HYLAS 2 satellite. [Satellite Spotlight – 01/13/2014]

Raytheon to develop strategic SATCOM system to link nuclear forces to national command authorities. [Military & Aerospace – 01/10/2014]

WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services

Orbital Sciences Corp.’s Cygnus space capsule berths with International Space Station on re-supply mission. [Space News – 01/13/2013]

China’s space policy is open to the world, according to the new chief of China’s space industry. [Space Mart – 01/13/2013]

Iran is preparing to orbit three new home-made satellites in the future, according to Vice-President for Executive Affairs Mohammad Shariatmadari. [Space News – 01/13/2013]

Boeing completes first of two 702HP geomobile satellites, Centenario. for government of Mexico. [Space Daily – 01/10/2014]

Sky Perfect JSat selects SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket to launch JCSat-14 communications satellite in 2015. [Space News – 01/10/2013]

KVH surpasses 100-vessel mark in 10-year contract to supply next-generation satellite communications to U.S. Coast Guard cutter fleet, with 29.2 terabytes of data and over 835,000 VOIP minutes provided thus far. [SatNews – 01/10/2014]

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceshipTwo reaches highest altitude to date in rocket-powered test flight over Mojave desert. [Space News – 01/10/2013]

Falcon 9 v1.1 appears to have met U.S. Air Force’s requirements to bid for national security launches and challenge the market incumbent, United Launch Alliance. [Space News – 01/09/2013]

Obama administration extends International Space Station support another four years. [Nextgov – 01/09/2013]

U.S. Air Force takes control of STPSat-3. [Space News – 01/09/2013]

Launch of Orbital Science’s Antares mission following one-day delay raises awareness of space weather-induced flight risks. [Via Satellite – 01/09/2014]

Energia chooses Sea Launch to launch the AngolaSat telecommunications satellite and the Energia 100 broadband satelli8te in 2016 in a dual-satellite mission. [Space News – 01/09/2013]

Lockheed Martin gets $3.9 million contract to track orbital debris. [Via Satellite – 01/09/2014]

Comtech gets $4.4 million contract from Brazilian military to upgrade its satellite network. [Yahoo Finance – 01/09/2014]

Macdonald Dettwiler & Associates gets $4 million deal for European communications satellite subsystem. [4-traders – 01/09/2014]

Hughes teams with Aruba Networks to provide retail Wi-Fi service. [Via Satellite – 01/09/2014]

Cobham Satcom and Comtech EF Data partner to provide collaborative maritime solutions. [Via Satellite – 01/09/2014]

Huge solar flare causes Orbital Science’s Antares team to scrub ISS resupply mission. [NBC News – 01/08/2013]

Zinwell Corp is developing a new satellite digital outdoor unit (D-ODU) using MaxLinear’s channel stacking system on chip (SoC). [Via Satellite – 01/09/2014]

Use of satellite imagery is strongly related to economic growth – Asia good example as one of the most dynamic regional EO markets over the past five years. [NSR – 01/08/2014]

GATR Technologies wins $440 million contract with U.S. Army for inflatable satellite communications antennas. [BusinessWire – 01/08/2014]

Dish withdraws $2.2 billion bid to buy bankrupt LightSquared, as trial got underway over whether Dish’s Charles Ergen had unlawfully bought LightSquared’s debt in effort to take over the company. [Reuters – 01/08/2013]

ESA’s Gaia spacecraft reaches operational orbit. [Via Satellite – 01/08/2014]

Global Eagle plans expansion of in-flight connectivity across South Asia. [Via Satellite – 01/08/2014]

Spacecom to broadcast African CHAN football championships via Amos 5 satellite. [Via SAtellite – 01/08/2014]

Entropic announces first fully-integrated set-top box (STB) system-on-a-chip for satellite receivers and IP clients. [Via Satellite – 01/08/2014]

SpaceX successfully completes second GEO communications satellite launch, delivering Thaicom 6 into orbit. [[Via Satellite – 01/07/2014]

Mars One plans two, or possibly three, communications satellites for the Red Planet. [Via Satellite – 01/07/2014]

Arianespace postpones launch of Ariane 5 ECA mission, citing need to change-out unspecified equipment on the VA217 Ariane 5 ECA launcher. [Via Satellite – 01/07/2014]

Sea Launch Zenit 2S rocket completes inspection, preps for April launch. [Via Satellite – 01/07/2014]

Computer Security firm analysis states that VSAT terminals may pose a soft target for hackers, finding more than 10,000 terminals of 3 million investigated to be using default passwords or having open ports. [Computer World – 01/07/2014]

SES and EUTELSAT complete sale of Solaris Mobile to Echostar. [Market Watch – 01/07/2014]

Broadcom announces new Outdoor Unit (ODU) satellite chipset that enables wider range of services to more subscribers without additional dish installations. [Market Watch – 01/07/2014]

West African mining company uses satellite/cellular terminals to track mine vehicles where no other means of communications are available. [Directions Magazine – 01/07/2014]

ISRO completes successful GSLV D5 launch of GSAT 14 satellite. [Via Satellite – 01/06/2014]

Thales Alenia Space awarded Astrium contract for Ariane 5 Midlife Evolution (ME). [Via Satellite – 01/06/2014]

France-UAE satellite deal shaky after U.S. spy tech discovered onboard. [RT – 01/06/2014]

Navman Wireless adds satellite communications option to its OnlineAVL2 fleet tracking platform.
[Construction Equipment Guide – 01/04/2014]

Inmarsat PLC completes acquisition of Globe Wireless.
[The Wall Street Journal – 01/03/2014]

Columbus ISS (NASA Photo) – Space News

European Space Agency says that by late 2015 it will reduce its annual space station operating costs by 30% compared with 2010.
[Space News – 01/03/2014]

Mexican Oil and Gas reform opens up satellite opportunity for Jaba satellite engineering.
[Via Satellite – 01/03/2014]

Liberty Media reaches for control of SiriusXM satellite radio.
[LA Times – 01/03/2014]

Bolivian state-owned telecommunications company Entel establishes contact with the country’s first communications satellite, Tupac Katari, orbited in December.
[Hispanically Speaking News – 01/03/2014]

Eutelsat closes transaction to acquire 100% of share capital of SATMEX.
[The Wall Street Journal – 01/02/2014]

SpaceX rocket on pad (Space photo) – SatNews

SpaceX delays launch of Thaicom-6 by at least 3 days to allow launch team to resolve issue with Falcon-9 v1.1 rocket’s fairing.
[SatNews – 01/02/2014]

Amos 4 (IAI photo) – Via Satellite

Spacecom’s Amos 4 satellite concludes testing, prepares to enter commercial service.
[Via Satellite – 01/02/2014]

Soyuz 2.1v rocket – Via Satellite

New Soyuz 2.1v rocket completes first successful launch, carry8ing an AIST student built microsatellite and two SKRL 756 radar calibration spheres for the Russian Ministry of Defense into orbit.
[Via Satellite – 01/02/2014]

Airbus Defence and Space, formerly named Astrium, congratulates SpaceX for retaining focus on cost efficiency without veering off into fascinating but unnecessary engineering challenges.
[Space News – 01/02/2014]

Entropic Communications gets patent for “Method and Apparatus for Cross Polarization and Cross Satellite Interference Cancellation.”
[4-Traders – 01/02/2014]

CHIRP on SES-2 – Space News

U.S. Air Force targets 2016 for CHIRP follow-on.
[Space News – 01/02/2014]

Given the seriousness of the space debris problem, the Secure World Foundation discusses the need for space situation awareness among satellite operators.
[Via Satellite – 12/31/2013]

China puts into service its high-definition Earth observation satellite Gaofen 1.
[Via Satellite – 12/31/2013]

EIAST engineers. Photo: EIAST – Via Satellite

UAE announces plans to launch first domestically-built satellite in 2017.
[Via Satellite – 12/31/2013]

NASA artist’s concept showing the kinds of land surface data DESDynI mission will collect – Space News

Joint mission with India considered as NASA looks for savings in Earth science missions.
[Space News – 12/31/2013]

Energia completes full cycle of ground tests on Earth Observation Satellite EgyptSat 2, to be launched in April 2014.
[Via Satellite – 12/31/2013]

A Coronal Mass Ejection, or CME, as captured by NASA’s SDO Telescope. Photo: NASA – Via Satellite

UK to invest approximately $7.6 million in space weather forecasting system to protect technology from solar activity.
[Via Satellite – 12/30/2013]

China says it will have 30 satellites in its Beidou navigation system by 2020 to improve accuracy to within inches to better compete with the U.S. GPS.
[GPS Daily – 12/30/2013]

Gazprom Space Systems’ board of directors unanimously approves several long-term company goals for development until 2020. including continued construction and sustainment of fleet of Yamal satellites..
[Via Satellite – 12/30/2013]

Newsat gets Malaysian satellite regulator’s confirmation with respect to the use of the orbital slot 91.5 degrees East for the Jabiru-1 satellite.
[4-Traders – 12/30/2014]

New report published by Reportbuyer.com, “Global Fixed Satellite Service Market 2012 – 2016,” forecasts the market to grow at a CAGR of 5.44% over the period.
[Yahoo Finance – 12/30/2013]

AEHF satellite – Lockheed Martin photo – Space News

Lockheed gets $116 million for AEHF launch support.
[Space News – 12/31/2013]

House Energy and Commerce Committee announces plans to use 2014 to begin process leading to an update of the Communications Act for the digital age.
[The Washington Times – 12/29/2013]

New law precludes Russian satellite monitor stations in U.S. unless Secretary of Defense and Director of National Intelligence certify they will not be used to spy.
[New york Times – 12/29/2013]

Euroconsult believes High Throughput Satellite (HTS) services are poised for record-breaking growth, with 33 HTS systems to be launched over the next three years (31 have been launched over past decade).
[Via Satellite – 12/27/2013]

Skybox Imaging releases first high resolution HD video images from SkySat 1.
[Via Satellite – 12/27/2013]

 WBMSAT satellite communications consulting services