4 February 2007
Satcoms
Advantech Satellite
Networks to Provide a DVB-RCS VSAT Satellite Communications System to Saudi
Aramco
AMC-18 Ready for Commercial
Services
Satlynx Demonstrate
Transportable Instant Communications Solution at Cisco Networkers
Study Predicts Raytheon Antennas Will Perform
More Than Twice Design Life
Telenor
Satellite Services Expands Equipment and Services Available Through Its General
Services Administration Contract
Broadcast
DISH Network Expands High Definition
Programming Lineup to 31 Channels
Earth Observation
Research Team Uses Satellite To Track Earth's
Water
Satellite Data Vital to UN
Climate Findings
US-Canadian
Science Pact to Improve Monitoring of Land Cover, Biodiversity, Climate
Change
Tracking
Blue Sky Network's Satellite-Based Asset
Tracking Solution Now Available for Land and Marine
Vehicles
Military
Space
General Dynamics Antennas and Radio Equipment
Selected for German Military SATCOM Program
Harris Corporation Successfully Demonstrates
Super High Frequency Antenna Control Unit in Extremely Adverse Sea
Conditions
Harris Successfully
Completes Another Advanced EHF Navy Multiband Terminal Milestone; Logs onto
Milstar Satellite from Simulated Submarine Platform
Iridium Announces Rapid Adoption of 9601 Data
Device by US Department of Defense and Partners
Nation's Newest USAF Environmental Satellite
Begins Operation
Astronomy
Engineers Investigate Issue On One of Hubble's
Science Instruments
Hubble's Main
Camera Stops Working
Moon
NASA Moon-Impactor Mission Passes Major
Review
Earth
NASA Probes Sources of World's Tiny
Pollutants
NASA Space Sleuth Hunts
Trail of Earth's Water
Mars
Dig Deeper To Find Martian
Life
Saturn
Cassini Images Mammoth Cloud Engulfing
Titan's North Pole
Extra-Solar
Planets
Hubble Probes Layer-cake Structure of Alien
World's Atmosphere
Manned
Space
International Space Station Status Report
#6
Lockheed Martin Readies for
Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle at NASA's Kennedy Space Center
NASA Assigns Crew for Japanese Lab and
Canadian Robotics Mission
Space
Station to Grow Faster, Mark Firsts Throughout Year
Space Tourism
Spaceport Sweden Open For
Business
Technology
How SMART-1 Has Made European Space
Exploration Smarter
Technology
Transfer
Space Technology Benefits Medical
Community
Launch
Services
Commercial Space Transportation Capabilities
Agreements Signed
NASA and
PlanetSpace sign Space Act Agreement for Commercial Space
Capabilities
NASA Signs Space Act
Agreement with t/Space
Second
Satellite for Ariane 5's Next Mission Delivered to
Spaceport
Launch Services -
NSS-8 Launch Failure
NSS-8
Satellite Launch Failure
Sea Launch
Assesses Status and Plans for Next Steps
In Orbit
Sophisticated ESA Space Weather Tool Under
Development
Launches
Beidou
Launch
Schedule
Reports
New Opportunities on the World Wide Global
Positioning Systems (GPS) - Market Size, Forecasts, Competitive
Landscape
Business
Com Dev Announces Expansion of Cambridge
Production Facility
DirecTV Group
to Acquire Darlene Investments' Interests in DirecTV Latin America
SpaceDev Expands Production Capability in
Colorado
Products and
Services
National Semiconductor Introduces Industry's
Lowest-Power, Radiation-Tolerant, 8-bit, 1 GSPS ADC for Satellite
Applications
Smaller, Lighter,
Better - Globalstar Launches Smallest Satellite Telephone for US
Market
People
General Howell M. Estes III Appointed to
DigitalGlobe Board of Directors
Mobile Satellite Ventures Appoints Drew Caplan
Chief Network Officer
ProtoStar
Appoints Paul Froelich CFO
ViaSat
Vice President of Operations Retires
Satcoms
Advantech
Satellite Networks to Provide a DVB-RCS VSAT Satellite Communications System to
Saudi Aramco
(31 January 2007) Advantech AMT, Inc, today announced
that its wholly owned subsidiary, Advantech Satellite Networks Inc, has been
awarded a contract to provide a new VSAT satellite communications network for
Saudi Aramco in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
AMC-18 Ready for Commercial
Services
(1 February 2007) SES Americom, an SES company, announced
today that the Americom-18 (AMC-18) satellite that was launched on December 8,
2006, has successfully completed a full battery of in-orbit-tests and is now
operational from its assigned orbital location of 105 degrees West.
Satlynx Demonstrate Transportable Instant
Communications Solution at Cisco Networkers
(30 January 2007)
Satlynx today unveiled an instant communications solution based on the
combination of Satlynx Mobile, a robust and flexible vehicle mounted
transportable VSAT antenna, the Cisco IP VSAT Satellite WAN Module, operated in
EMEA as the Satlynx 9000C and the Cisco iComm "Instant Communications"
solution.
Study Predicts Raytheon
Antennas Will Perform More Than Twice Design Life
(29 January 2007)
A recent study says that Raytheon Company-designed and manufactured antennas
launched on communications satellites between 1997 and 2002 are anticipated to
operate well past their original eight-year in-orbit design life, saving costs
and exceeding expectations.
Telenor
Satellite Services Expands Equipment and Services Available Through Its General
Services Administration Contract
(31 January 2007) Telenor Satellite
Services, a subsidiary of Telenor of Norway, today announced that it has
received a modification to its existing General Services Administration (GSA)
Federal Technology Service (FTS) contract expanding the variety and types of
satellite services available to all United States government agencies and
authorised government contractors.
Broadcast
DISH Network Expands High Definition
Programming Lineup to 31 Channels
(1 February 2007) EchoStar
Communications Corporation and its DISH Network satellite TV service today
announced the launch of A&E HD, a high definition simulcast of the
network's blockbuster lineup.
Earth Observation
Research Team Uses
Satellite To Track Earth's Water
(1 February 2007) For the first
time, scientists have used a spaceborne instrument to track the origin and
movements of water vapour throughout Earth's atmosphere, providing a new
perspective on the dominant role Earth's water cycle plays in weather and
climate.
Satellite Data Vital to UN
Climate Findings
(1 February 2007) The most authoritative report on
climate change to date will be released tomorrow in Paris, France, and is
expected to warn of rising global sea levels and temperatures.
US-Canadian Science Pact to Improve
Monitoring of Land Cover, Biodiversity, Climate Change
(31 January
2007) The Department of the Interior's U.S. Geological Survey and Natural
Resources Canada have launched a high-tech satellite mapping initiative that
can better monitor changes in the combined land cover of two of the world's
largest nations.
Tracking
Blue Sky Network's Satellite-Based Asset
Tracking Solution Now Available for Land and Marine Vehicles
(30
January 2007) Blue Sky Network, the global logistics solution provider for
two-way linking and managing transportation assets via satellite, today
announced that it has begun initial shipments of its D2000M/MD product
line.
Military
Space
General Dynamics Antennas and Radio Equipment
Selected for German Military SATCOM Program
(31 January 2007)
General Dynamics C4 Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics, has been
selected by ND SatCom Defence GmbH of Friedrichshafen, Germany, to supply
strategic and tactical antennas and radio support equipment to the German Armed
Forces SATCOMBw Step 2 Program.
Harris Corporation Successfully Demonstrates
Super High Frequency Antenna Control Unit in Extremely Adverse Sea
Conditions
(1 February 2007) Harris Corporation, an international
communications and information technology company, has successfully
demonstrated that its advanced Antenna Control Unit (ACU) can help track a
satellite and maintain a communications link in extremely adverse sea
conditions, including wave heights of more than 45 feet.
Harris Successfully Completes Another
Advanced EHF Navy Multiband Terminal Milestone; Logs onto Milstar Satellite
from Simulated Submarine Platform
(1 February 2007) Harris
Corporation, an international communications and information technology
company, has successfully completed another major milestone in a US$ 1 billion
U.S. Navy communications program competition: logging onto a Milstar satellite
using an Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) Navy Multiband Terminal
prototype system onboard a platform that simulates submarine
conditions.
Iridium Announces Rapid
Adoption of 9601 Data Device by US Department of Defense and
Partners
(30 January 2007) Iridium Satellite is pleased to announce
the activation and support of approximately 200 of its 9601 Short Burst Data
(SBD) devices through its contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).
Nation's Newest USAF Environmental Satellite
Begins Operation
(29 January 2007) The Defense Meteorological
Satellite Program (DMSP) F-17 Block 5D-3 spacecraft, built under contract for
the U.S. Air Force by Lockheed Martin, has been turned over to the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for operational use
world-wide.
Astronomy
Engineers Investigate Issue On One of Hubble's
Science Instruments
(29 January 2007) NASA engineers are examining a
problem related to the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) aboard the agency's
Hubble Space Telescope.
Hubble's Main
Camera Stops Working
(30 January 2007) On Saturday 27 January,
Hubble's main camera, the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), stopped
working.
Moon
NASA
Moon-Impactor Mission Passes Major Review
(2 February 2007) NASA's
drive to return astronauts to the moon and later probe deeper into space
achieved a key milestone recently when agency officials approved critical
elements of a moon impact mission scheduled to launch in October
2008.
Earth
NASA Probes
Sources of World's Tiny Pollutants
(31 January 2007) Pinpointing
pollutant sources is an important part of the ongoing battle to improve air
quality and to understand its impact on climate.
NASA Space Sleuth Hunts Trail of Earth's
Water
(31 January 2007) For the first time, NASA scientists have
used a shrewd spaceborne detective to track the origin and movement of water
vapour throughout Earth's atmosphere.
Mars
Dig Deeper To Find Martian
Life
(31 January 2007) Probes designed to find life on Mars do not
drill deep enough to find the living cells that scientists believe may exist
well below the surface of Mars, according to research led by UCL (University
College London).
Saturn
Cassini Images Mammoth Cloud Engulfing
Titan's North Pole
(1 February 2007) A giant cloud half the size of
the United States has been imaged on Saturn's moon Titan by the Cassini
spacecraft. The cloud may be responsible for the material that fills the lakes
discovered last year by Cassini's radar instrument.
Extra-Solar Planets
Hubble Probes Layer-cake
Structure of Alien World's Atmosphere
(31 January 2007) The powerful
vision of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has allowed astronomers to study for
the first time the layer-cake structure of the atmosphere of a planet orbiting
another star.
Manned
Space
International Space Station Status Report
#6
(31 January 2007) Two residents of the International Space
Station stepped outside their orbital home Wednesday for a 7-hour, 55-minute
spacewalk to begin the connection of recently activated cooling systems from
their temporary to their permanent locations and to conduct other station
assembly work.
Lockheed Martin
Readies for Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle at NASA's Kennedy Space
Center
(30 January 2007) In another milestone marking steady
progress on the Orion crew exploration vehicle program, the Lockheed Martin
team accepted responsibility today for the Operations & Checkout (O&C)
Building at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Kennedy
Space Center.
NASA Assigns Crew for
Japanese Lab and Canadian Robotics Mission
(29 January 2007) NASA
has assigned the crew for space shuttle mission STS-123. The flight will
deliver both the first component of the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo and the
new Canadian Dextre robotics system to the International Space
Station.
Space Station to Grow
Faster, Mark Firsts Throughout Year
(31 January 2007) Already
spanning an acre in orbit, the International Space Station this year will grow
faster in size, power, volume and mass than ever before, significantly
expanding its capabilities and setting new records for humans in
orbit.
Space
Tourism
Spaceport Sweden Open For
Business
(26 January 2007) The official inauguration of Spaceport
Sweden was made today at Kiruna Airport by Mrs. Maud Olofsson, Minister for
Enterprise and Energy as well as Deputy Prime Minister of
Sweden.
Technology
How SMART-1 Has Made
European Space Exploration Smarter
(31 January 2007) A unique way to
travel to the Moon, new technologies successfully tested and brand-new science:
a few months after the end of the SMART-1 mission scientists and engineers
gathered to recap on these and all the other achievements of the first European
mission to the Moon.
Technology
Transfer
Space Technology Benefits Medical
Community
(31 January 2007) A small group of APL researchers, in
collaboration with physicians from the Johns Hopkins Scleroderma Center in
Baltimore, developed and recently completed initial trials for a miniature
device to help physicians characterise Raynaud's disease and measure treatment
effectiveness.
Launch
Services
Commercial Space Transportation Capabilities
Agreements Signed
(1 February 2007) On Wednesday, NASA agreed to
co-operate with PlanetSpace Inc. of Chicago and Transformational Space Corp.
(t/Space) of Reston, Va., to facilitate the commercialisation of low-Earth
orbit as they develop capabilities to transport goods and people to orbital
destinations.
NASA and PlanetSpace
sign Space Act Agreement for Commercial Space Capabilities
(1
February 2007) PlanetSpace Inc. of Chicago has signed an agreement with NASA to
co-operate and facilitate the commercialisation of Low-Earth-Orbit as the
company develops capabilities to transport goods and people to orbital
destinations.
NASA Signs Space Act
Agreement with t/Space
(1 February 2007) Transformational Space
Corp. (t/Space) today announced it has signed a Space Act agreement with NASA
to facilitate the company's development of affordable transportation of
passengers and cargo to and from Earth orbit.
Second Satellite for Ariane 5's Next Mission
Delivered to Spaceport
(1 February 2007) Payload preparations for
Arianespace's upcoming heavy-lift Ariane 5 flight are in full stride following
the arrival of India's INSAT 4B telecommunications satellite at Europe's
Spaceport this week.
Launch
Services - NSS-8 Launch Failure
NSS-8 Satellite Launch Failure
(31
January 2007) SES New Skies, an SES company regrets to announce the failure of
the launch of NSS-8, the sixth satellite in the SES New Skies fleet, onboard a
Zenith-3SL launch vehicle, and the resulting total loss of the
satellite.
Sea Launch Assesses
Status and Plans for Next Steps
(1 February 2007) Following the
unsuccessful launch of the NSS-8 spacecraft on January 30, and subsequent
safeing of all systems, Sea Launch is now in the process of securing the
Odyssey Launch Platform and taking initial measures to determine the root cause
and implement necessary corrective actions.
In Orbit
Sophisticated ESA Space Weather Tool Under
Development
(2 February 2007) If a satellite encounters high-energy
particles or other 'space weather' phenomena before ground controllers can take
action, on-board electronics could be disrupted, scientific instruments damaged
and, in very rare and extreme cases, spacecraft may even be
lost.
Launches
Beidou
Launch
Schedule
Reports
New Opportunities on the World Wide Global
Positioning Systems (GPS) - Market Size, Forecasts, Competitive
Landscape
(30 January 2007) Allbizreport.com announces that a new
market research report related to the world wide GPS market is now available :
World Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Market Forecast
(2006-2008)
Business
Com Dev Announces Expansion of Cambridge
Production Facility
(1 February 2007) Com Dev International Ltd.
today announced plans to address its need for increased production capacity by
adding 38,000 square feet of space to its Cambridge, Ontario facility.
DirecTV Group to Acquire Darlene Investments'
Interests in DirecTV Latin America
(30 January 2007) The DirecTV
Group has agreed to acquire Darlene Investments LLC's 14.1 percent equity
interest in DirecTV Latin America, LLC, and resolve all outstanding disputes
between the parties, for US$ 325 million.
SpaceDev Expands Production Capability in
Colorado
(31 January 2007) SpaceDev, Inc. announced today that it
has signed a lease on a new 72,000 square foot development and manufacturing
facility located in the Colorado Technology Center in Louisville, Colorado, for
its subsidiary, Starsys, Inc.
Products and Services
National Semiconductor
Introduces Industry's Lowest-Power, Radiation-Tolerant, 8-bit, 1 GSPS ADC for
Satellite Applications
(29 January 2007) National Semiconductor
Corporation today announced the industry's lowest- power, 8-bit, 1 giga-samples
per second (GSPS) dual CMOS analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) qualified for
use in broadband and high-speed communications satellite applications.
Smaller, Lighter, Better - Globalstar
Launches Smallest Satellite Telephone for US Market
(1 February
2007) Globalstar USA, LLC, a leading provider of mobile satellite voice and
data services to businesses and individuals, announced the US market launch of
the GSP-1700 next generation satellite telephone handset.
People
General Howell M. Estes III Appointed to
DigitalGlobe Board of Directors
(29 January 2007) DigitalGlobe,
provider of the world's highest-resolution imagery and geospatial information
products, today announced that General Howell M. Estes III has been appointed
to the DigitalGlobe board of directors, effective immediately.
Mobile Satellite Ventures Appoints Drew Caplan
Chief Network Officer
(29 January 2007) Mobile Satellite Ventures
(MSV) announced today the appointment of Drew Caplan, a 25-year veteran of the
telecommunications industry, to the position of Chief Network Officer. Mr.
Caplan will be responsible for MSV's network engineering and technology
functions, as well as leading the development and deployment of MSV's next
generation network.
ProtoStar
Appoints Paul Froelich CFO
(31 January 2007) ProtoStar Ltd., a
Bermuda corporation with principal U.S. operations in San Francisco, has
appointed Paul Froelich as its Chief Financial Officer.
ViaSat Vice President of Operations
Retires
(29 January 2007) ViaSat Inc. announced that Mr. Robert
Barrie has resigned his position as Vice President of Operations in connection
with his planned phased retirement.
