5 February 2006
Satcoms
Connexion by Boeing
Signs with Intelsat to Support Launch of Maritime Service
Construction of Loral
Skynet's Telstar 11N Satellite Begins at Space Systems/Loral
Eagle Broadband Awarded
Patent for SatMAX Satellite Communications Technology
Gilat Expands Market
Leadership in Kazakhstan
HNS Europe Rallies to Provide Service to Stranded
Satellite Broadband Users
Hughes Selects Motive Software to Streamline Management
of Broadband Services
Tachyon Networks Offers Immediate Assistance for Aramiska
Customers
Broadcast
DISH Network and
Lifetime Entertainment Services Reach Multi-Year Agreement
DISH Network Offers
'DishFamily' Programming Tier, Providing Parents with Worry-Free TV
RTI
Ready for Satellite
Serbia Broadband Launches DTH Service with
Scientific-Atlanta's End-to-End DVB-S System
Sirius to Launch
Exclusive Blue Collar Comedy Channel
Earth Observation
Airborne and
Satellite Radars Record Frascati Grape Harvest
First Images From
GERB
Intersat Provides DigitalGlobe Imagery to Brazilian
Telecommunications Company
Landsat 5 Resumes Operations
SGI Technology to Help
Process and Manage Data Generated by NOAA'S GOES-R Satellites
Navigation
Lockheed Martin
Global Positioning System Updates Enhance System Accuracy 10-15 Percent
SciSys
Wins Key Galileo Contracts Worth Over Euro 4 Million
Tetra Tech Awarded US$
60 Million Federal Aviation Administration Satellite Navigation Assistance
Contract
Military Space
Lockheed Martin
Awarded Contract for 3rd Advanced Military Communications Satellite
Swe-Dish
to supply satellite communication equipment to Swedish Armed Forces
XTAR
Signs Master Service Agreements with Key Government Services
Organisations
Science
Alcatel Alenia
Space Starts ExoMars Mission Design
Manned Space
Spacehab Files
Court Complaint for Losses on Space Shuttle Mission
Technology
NASA Tests New
Breed of Propulsion Engine and System
In Orbit
How to Find the
Orbital Needle in the Celestial Haystack
Launches
Launch Schedule
Reports
Mobile Satellite
Services Could Capture 16 Million Users by 2015
Business
CapRock Completes
US$ 200 Million Private Equity Recapitalisation
Intersputnik Holding
Begins Commercial Operation
MasTec Closes
Acquisition of Digital Satellite Services
SpaceDev Completes
Acquisition of Starsys Research Corporation
Telkonet Concludes
Acquisition of Microwave Satellite Technologies
Products and Services
Aerojet Qualifies
High Power Electric Propulsion System
Andrew Introduces 3.9
M Transportable Earth Station Antenna
Andrew's Enhanced
Earth Station Antennas Built To Withstand Powerful Winds
C2SAT Maritime Earth Station Authorised by Swedish Space
Corporation
C-Com Releases New Satellite Antenna and Controller
Vexcel
Announces VxEos MODIS Ground Station System
Events
SeaSAR 2006:
Satellite Radar Reveals Ever-Changing Face Of The Ocean
Workshop on
Telemedicine for Africa
People
Bernard L. Schwartz
to Retire as Chairman and Chief Executive of Loral
DigitalGlobe Appoints
Scott Smith to Chief Operating Officer
Lockheed Martin Names
Don DeGryse VP of Navigation Systems Organisation
Michael B. Targoff
Elected Chief Executive Officer of Loral
NASA Announces New
Langley Research Center Deputy Director
New Director General
for British National Space Centre
Satellite Security
Systems Appoints Vice President of Sales
Satcoms
Connexion by Boeing Signs with
Intelsat to Support Launch of Maritime Service
(2 February 2006) Connexion by Boeing, a leading provider
of high-speed Internet services to the aeronautical market, has signed two
multi-year service contracts with Intelsat to support the launch of its new
maritime service.
more . . . .
Construction of Loral Skynet's
Telstar 11N Satellite Begins at Space Systems/Loral
(1 February 2006) Loral Skynet, a subsidiary of Loral
Space & Communications, has announced that construction of Telstar 11N, a
powerful new multi-region Ku-band communications satellite, has begun at Space
Systems/Loral (SS/L) in Palo Alto, Calif.
more . . .
.
Eagle Broadband Awarded Patent for
SatMAX Satellite Communications Technology
(1 February 2006) Eagle Broadband, a leading provider of
broadband, Internet protocol (IP) and communications technology and services,
has received notification from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that Patent
# 6,996,369 has been awarded to the company and will be issued on or about
February 7, 2006 for its SatMAX non-line-of-sight, satellite communications
technology.
more . . . .
Gilat Expands Market Leadership in
Kazakhstan
(1 February 2006)
Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. has expanded its market leadership in Kazakhstan
by signing contracts to deploy broadband satellite networks for four of that
country’s leading telecom operators.
more . . .
.
HNS Europe Rallies to Provide
Service to Stranded Satellite Broadband Users
(2 February 2006) Hughes Networks Systems Europe (HNSE),
a wholly owned subsidiary of Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HNS), has launched a
rescue programme for stranded users of a European satellite ISP following
customer notification that they were ceasing operations effective 27 January
2006.
more . . . .
Hughes Selects Motive Software to
Streamline Management of Broadband Services
(30 January 2006) Hughes Network Systems, LLC, the world's leading
provider of broadband satellite solutions, will use Motive software to build
intelligent automation into its broadband offerings, greatly simplifying the
process of rolling out and supporting new high-speed Internet services.
more . . . .
Tachyon Networks Offers Immediate
Assistance for Aramiska Customers
(30 January 2006) Tachyon Networks Incorporated, a leading
provider of commercial satellite broadband services, will offer immediate
business continuity assistance to Aramiska satellite customers who have
reportedly experienced an unannounced, permanent discontinuation of their
network services and support.
more . . .
.
Broadcast
DISH Network and Lifetime
Entertainment Services Reach Multi-Year Agreement
(1 February 2006) EchoStar Communications Corporation and
its DISH Network and Lifetime Entertainment Services have reached a multi-year
agreement that provides for the distribution of Lifetime Television and
Lifetime Movie Network.
more . . . .
DISH Network Offers 'DishFamily'
Programming Tier, Providing Parents with Worry-Free TV
(1 February 2006) EchoStar
Communications Corporation and its DISH Network satellite TV service now offers
"DishFamily," a new "family-friendly" programming package with 40 channels.
more . . . .
RTI Ready for Satellite
(2 February 2006) RTI is in the
final stages of launching its first satellite service Europe wide just as BSkyB
announced the satellite which will carry RTI is now viewed by 8.1 million homes
in the UK alone.
more . . . .
Serbia Broadband Launches DTH
Service with Scientific-Atlanta's End-to-End DVB-S System
(3 February 2006) Following the
successful creation of its hybrid fibre-coax (HFC) cable network using
Scientific-Atlanta Europe NV technology, Serbia Broadband - Srpske Kablovske
Mreze (SBB) has chosen additional Scientific-Atlanta products and systems to
create its DVB-S DTH (direct-to-home) headend and uplink.
more . . .
.
Sirius to Launch Exclusive Blue
Collar Comedy Channel
(1
February 2006) Sirius Satellite Radio and Parallel Entertainment have announced
the launch of Blue Collar Comedy, a new channel on Sirius, featuring the Blue
Collar Comedy comedians Jeff Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy, and Bill Engvall,
as well as many others.
more . . . .
Earth Observation
Airborne and Satellite Radars Record
Frascati Grape Harvest
(31
January 2006) The slopes of Frascati overlooking Rome boast rich, volcanic
soils: wine has been produced there since time immemorial. However the latest
vine crop should go down in history as the single best documented harvest
ever.
more . . . .
First Images From GERB
(1 February 2006) The Geostationary
Earth Radiation Budget (GERB) onboard the MSG-2 satellite captured its first
images on 1 February 2006.
more . . .
.
Intersat Provides DigitalGlobe
Imagery to Brazilian Telecommunications Company
(1 February 2006) DigitalGlobe’s Brazil-based
partner Intersat, a division of Imagem, has provided DigitalGlobe’s
high-resolution QuickBird imagery to its telecommunications client Telemar.
more . . . .
Landsat 5 Resumes Operations
(28 January 2006) The US Geological
Survey (USGS) has announced that Landsat 5 is back in operation.
more
. . . .
SGI Technology to Help Process and
Manage Data Generated by NOAA'S GOES-R Satellites
(30 January 2006) The Raytheon Company has selected SGI
to work on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
next-generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) "R"
Series program.
more . . . .
Navigation
Lockheed Martin Global Positioning
System Updates Enhance System Accuracy 10-15 Percent
(31 January 2006) Lockheed Martin has upgraded the
software processing and modelling for the Air Force's Global Positioning System
(GPS), enhancing the Air Force's ability to monitor GPS satellites and improve
system accuracy 10-15 percent for users world-wide.
more . . .
.
SciSys Wins Key Galileo Contracts
Worth Over Euro 4 Million
(30
January 2006) SciSys has been awarded several ground segment contracts in
support of Europe’s future satellite navigation system Galileo
more
. . . .
Tetra Tech Awarded US$ 60 Million
Federal Aviation Administration Satellite Navigation Assistance Contract
(1 February 2006) Tetra Tech, Inc.
has been awarded the rebid to its largest Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
contract, the Global Positioning System Technical Assistance Contract 2 (GPS
TAC2).
more . . . .
Military Space
Lockheed Martin Awarded Contract for
3rd Advanced Military Communications Satellite
(31 January 2006) The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed
Martin a contract for US$ 491 million to build a third spacecraft for the
Advanced Extremely High Frequency (Advanced EHF) program constellation.
more . . . .
Swe-Dish to supply satellite
communication equipment to Swedish Armed Forces
(31 January 2006) Swe-Dish Satellite Systems AB has been
chosen to supply FA150T Mil Fly-Away systems for use within the network of the
Swedish Armed Forces.
more . . . .
XTAR Signs Master Service Agreements
with Key Government Services Organisations
(3 February 2006) XTAR, LLC has signed master service agreements
(MSA) with two prominent government communications services companies: General
Dynamics Satellite Communications Services Inc. and Stratos Mobile Networks
Inc.
more . . . .
Science
Alcatel Alenia Space Starts ExoMars
Mission Design
(31 January
2006) Following the signing of a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA),
Alcatel Alenia Space has started the ExoMars mission design.
more . . .
.
Manned Space
Spacehab Files Court Complaint for
Losses on Space Shuttle Mission
(3 February 2006) Spacehab, Incorporated, a leading provider of
commercial space services, announced today that it is filing a civil complaint
against NASA with the United States District Court in Houston, Texas for loss
and damages suffered during the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy in February
2003.
more . . . .
Technology
NASA Tests New Breed of Propulsion
Engine and System
(31 January
2006) NASA engineers have successfully tested a new breed of reaction control
engine and propulsion system.
more . . .
.
In Orbit
How to Find the Orbital Needle in
the Celestial Haystack
(2
February 2006) Experts from across the world have met at ESA to discuss how to
best calculate spacecraft orbits.
more . . .
.
Reports
Mobile Satellite Services Could
Capture 16 Million Users by 2015
(2 February 2006) A new report from Telecom, Media and Finance
Associates, Inc. (TMF Associates), "ATC: The Future of Mobile Satellite
Services?," concludes that a partnership between a Mobile Satellite Services
(MSS) operator and a Satellite TV operator could provide spectrum and funding
for deployment of a new nation-wide 4G wireless network in the US by 2010.
more . . . .
Business
CapRock Completes US$ 200 Million
Private Equity Recapitalisation
(2 February 2006) CapRock Communications, a leading global
satellite communications provider to extreme and remote locations, has
completed a US$ 200 million recapitalisation through a majority share sale to
Boston private equity firm ABRY Partners.
more . . .
.
Intersputnik Holding Begins
Commercial Operation
(1
February 2006) The Intersputnik International Organisation of Space
Communications has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary - Intersputnik
Holding Ltd. - has started commercial operation.
more . . .
.
MasTec Closes Acquisition of Digital
Satellite Services
(2 February
2006) MasTec, Inc. has completed the purchase of substantially all of the
assets and operating liabilities of Digital Satellite Services, Inc.
(DSSI).
more . . . .
SpaceDev Completes Acquisition of
Starsys Research Corporation
(2
February 2006) SpaceDev has completed the acquisition of Starsys Research
Corporation after each company obtained approval from over 98% of shares voting
on the merger and unanimous approvals from both companies' Board of
Directors.
more . . . .
Telkonet Concludes Acquisition of
Microwave Satellite Technologies
(1 February 2006) Telkonet, Inc., the leader in providing
powerline carrier (PLC) networking solutions using existing electrical wiring,
has concluded the acquisition of a 90% controlling interest in Microwave
Satellite Technologies (MST), a communications technology company that offers
complete sales, installation, and service of VSAT and business television
networks, and is a full-service national Internet Service Provider (ISP).
more . . . .
Products and Services
Aerojet Qualifies High Power
Electric Propulsion System
(31
January 2006) Aerojet, a GenCorp Inc. company, has successfully completed
qualification testing of its 4.5 kW Hall Thruster electric propulsion system -
the highest power flight- qualified Hall propulsion system in the world - for
use on large, high-power communications satellites.
more . . .
.
Andrew Introduces 3.9 M
Transportable Earth Station Antenna
(30 January 2006) Andrew Corporation, a global leader in
communications systems and products, has introduced a new transportable earth
station antenna for military and commercial broadcast use that will operate on
virtually any geostationary satellite system.
more . . .
.
Andrew's Enhanced Earth Station
Antennas Built To Withstand Powerful Winds
(3 February 2006) Andrew Corporation, a global leader in
communications systems and products, has enhanced two of its most popular earth
station antennas to make them capable of withstanding the fiercest
hurricane-force winds.
more . . . .
C2SAT Maritime Earth Station
Authorised by Swedish Space Corporation
(30 January 2006) C2SAT communications AB has announced
the approval of the C2SAT 1.2 m Ku-band Maritime Earth Station, authorised by
Swedish Space Corporation (SSC).
more . . .
.
C-Com Releases New Satellite Antenna
and Controller
(31 January
2006) C-COM Satellite Systems Inc. has announced the availability of 2 new
satellite based products - the 19" 1U Rack mountable iNetVu 9000 Antenna
Controller and the iNetVu 980 Ku band auto-deploying Satellite Antenna
System.
more . . . .
Vexcel Announces VxEos MODIS Ground
Station System
(1 February
2006) Vexcel Corporation, a global market leader in earth observation
technologies and services, has announced the immediate availability of its
VxEos MODIS ground station offering.
more . . .
.
Events
SeaSAR 2006: Satellite Radar Reveals
Ever-Changing Face Of The Ocean
(1 February 2006) Radar satellites such as ESA's Envisat and ERS-2
maintain constant watch on the Earth's surface, their signals able to cut
through clouds, rain or darkness.
more . . .
.
Workshop on Telemedicine for
Africa
(31 January 2006) A
one-day workshop with the aim of better understanding how satellite
telecommunications might be useful for improving and complementing African
healthcare systems was held in Brussels on 27 January 2006.
more . . .
.
People
Bernard L. Schwartz to Retire as
Chairman and Chief Executive of Loral
(1 February 2006) Bernard L. Schwartz, chairman and chief
executive officer of Loral Space & Communications Inc. has announced that
he plans to retire from the company on March 1, 2006, and will relinquish all
of his positions and directorships held at Loral and any of its subsidiaries
and affiliates at that time.
more . . .
.
DigitalGlobe Appoints Scott Smith to
Chief Operating Officer
(30
January 2006) DigitalGlobe has hired Scott Smith as the company’s new
chief operating officer (COO).
more . . .
.
Lockheed Martin Names Don DeGryse VP
of Navigation Systems Organisation
(2 February 2006) Lockheed Martin has selected Dr. Donald G. (Don)
DeGryse, an executive with 24 years of experience in government and commercial
programs, as vice president, Navigation Systems for Space Systems Company.
more . . . .
Michael B. Targoff Elected Chief
Executive Officer of Loral
(2
February 2006) The Board of Directors of Loral Space & Communications Inc.
has announced that, in connection with the retirement of Bernard L. Schwartz,
effective March 1, 2006, Michael B. Targoff has been elected chief executive
officer of Loral.
more . . . .
NASA Announces New Langley Research
Center Deputy Director
(30
January 2006) NASA has announced that Stephen Jurczyk is the new Deputy Center
Director for the agency's Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
more
. . . .
New Director General for British
National Space Centre
(2
February 2006) Lord Sainsbury, Minister for Science and Innovation, has
announced that Dr David Williams had been appointed to be the next Director
General of the British National Space Centre (BNSC).
more . . .
.
Satellite Security Systems Appoints
Vice President of Sales
(31
January 2006) Satellite Security Systems, Inc. (S3), a wholly-owned subsidiary
of Celtron International, Inc. a global provider of asset security and
logistics control, has added Tom King as Vice President of Sales.
more
. . . .
