Satellite News articles from August 2006

Satellite News archives from August 2006

RCS Looking Outside Of Romania.(Romania Cable Systems)(Mark Holmes)
August 7, 2006... Romania Cable Systems (RCS), the media company which launched direct-to- home (DTH) services in Romania in 2005, is looking to launch new DTH platforms in other countries and build an Eastern-European footprint. "We have plans to go...

Air Force Extends Lockheed Martin's ANGELS Program.(Brief article)
August 7, 2006... The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to continue work on a nanosatellite development program, the company announced Aug. 2. Under the contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate, Lockheed...

Business Developments: Initiatives Shaping Satellite Communications.
August 7, 2006... After a few challenging years, satellite-enabled business initiatives have begun to rebound fueled by new technologies and applications. Many industry observers believe that the notion of a "killer app" that will trigger significant business...

Spotlight: Setting Records With Satellite Technology.
August 7, 2006... The largest maize maze in the world has opened in York, England, and fittingly, the maze design was created using space age technology. Pioneering GPS equipment was employed to plot out the maze pathways. The system, based on the...

Military Communications Programs Making Progress.
August 7, 2006... With civil space initiatives being pushed with significant momentum, many projects have passed milestones that are making some industry executives re- evaluate this sector. Recently, Boeing Co. successfully tested a key laser component of the...

GAO Says Congress Should Limit Crew Exploration Vehicle Program Outlays.(United States. Government Accountability Office)
August 7, 2006... Congress should consider limiting NASA spending on the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) program to nothing beyond the preliminary design review, the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) stated. NASA shouldn't enter into...

XM Satellite Radio To Air Google Commercials On Non-Music Channels.
August 7, 2006... XM Satellite Radio will run adds for customers of Google Inc.'s Adwords program on the satellite radio provider's non-music channels, the companies announced Aug. 3. Under the agreement, Google Adwords customers will be able to use...

Geoeye Receives Contract for Satellite Images.(Brief article)
August 7, 2006... The U.S. government awarded Geoeye a $19.6 million contract to provide imagery, products and services to multiple federal agencies, the company announced Aug. 2. Under the contract, Geoeye will supply imagery from its constellation of...

Intelsat To Offer Portuguese Channel in Brazil; Provide Service To Yachts.(Brief article)
August 7, 2006... Radio e Televisao de Portugal (RTP) signed a deal with Intelsat to launch a channel on Intelsat's IA-8 satellite to supply the direct-to-home channel in Brazil. Intelsat will provide RTP with a solution that includes signal turnaround,...

Globalstar Introduces New Satellite Modem.(Brief article)
August 7, 2006... Globalstar Inc. unveiled a modem to provide satellite connectivity for laptop computers and other data-only applications, the company announced Aug. 3. The Skyhawk M1620 modem is designed to adapt to various applications that require...

Thrane & Thrane Seeks To Buy Nera Satcom.(Brief article)
August 7, 2006... Thrane & Thrane has made a 550 million kroner ($94.1 million) offer to buy Nera ASA's mobile satellite communications operations, Nera announced Aug. 2. Under the deal, Thrane & Thrane would pay 405 million kroner ($69.3 million) in cash for...

ATK Receives Contract To Build Orion Solid Rocket Motors.
August 7, 2006... Orbital Sciences Corp. awarded ATK a $90 million contract to supply first-, second- and third-stage Orion solid rocket motors for a variety of launch platforms. ATK will build the motors at its manufacturing facilities in Utah through...

Forecast International Sees Continued Growth In Launch Prices.(Brief article)
August 7, 2006... Despite overcapacity in the commercial satellite market and the continuing decline in the number of commercial launches being conducted, satellite operators are having trouble finding rides to space because launch vehicle manufacturers have...

Lockheed Martin Delivers Second Flight Structure For Advanced EHF Program.
August 7, 2006... Lockheed Martin delivered the flight structure of the second Advanced Extremely High Frequency (EHF) spacecraft the company announced Aug. 2. The Advanced EHF system will supply highly secure, protected and survivable communications for...

Frequency Electronics Awarded Several Contracts from Department of Defense.
August 7, 2006... The U.S. Department of Defense awarded Frequency Electronics Inc. multiple contracts to build a secure communications satellite system. The initial contracts, totaling $1.5 million, include obtaining long-lead materials and developing time...

Aliant Offers Internet Satellite Service to Canadian Customers.(Brief article)
August 7, 2006... Aliant will launch a high-speed Internet satellite service to customers without access to terrestrial services, the company announced Aug. 2. Aliant partnered with Telesat Canada to provide the two-way broadband satellite service, which can...

MDA To Study Joint Canadian-Italian Hyperspectral Mission.(MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.)(Canadian Space Agency)(Brief article)
August 7, 2006... MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) received a contract from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to study the development of a joint Canadian- Italian hyperspectral satellite, the company announced July 31. Under the 1.4 million Cdn...

Northrop Grumman Completes Range Test For Array Antenna.(Brief article)
August 7, 2006... Northrop Grumman Corp. announced July 31 it completed range tests for its downlink phased array antenna for the Advanced Extremely High Frequency military satellite communications payload. The antennas will send signals to ground terminals,...

Harris Receives NPOESS Contract.(National Polar- orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System)(Brief article)
August 7, 2006... The U.S. Air Force awarded Harris Corp. a six-month, $1 million contract to complete a concept development study to incorporate the National Polar- orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) environmental satellite data into...

Tampa Microwave Receives Contract For Satellite Simulators.
August 7, 2006... The U.S. Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center awarded Tampa Microwave an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract, to supply satellite simulators for training and testing satellite terminals, Tampa Microwave announced July 28....

Mitsubishi To Offer Sirius.
August 7, 2006... Mitsubishi Motors North America will offer Sirius Satellite Radio as a standard feature or factory option on four of its 2007 models beginning this fall and all of its 2008 models. All Sirius-equipped vehicles include a six-month prepaid...

Orbiting Wall Street.(Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., Inmarsat PLC., ViaSat Inc.)
August 7, 2006... ISAT.L Inmarsat PLC reported a profit of $31.3 million in the first half of 2006, down from a profit of $42.8 in the first half of 2005, The company reported Aug. 4. Revenues fell from $253.6 million in the first half of 2005 to $245.9...

BSkyB Continues Impressive Subscriber Growth.(British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC)
August 7, 2006... BSkyB has seen an impressive increase in its number of subscribers. In its latest results, the operator announced it added close to 80,000 subscribers to the end of June. In fact, BSkyB's strong performance in its consumer gains were...

NGA Director Wants To Leverage Commercial Imagery Sector.(U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency)(Interview)
August 14, 2006... The U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is committed to the commercial imagery sector and sees the opportunity to leverage that industry in the future, said the agency's new director. "We are determined to work closely with...

Satellite Capacity Sector Ignites Business Activity.
August 14, 2006... The satellite transponder market has consolidated considerably since the London Satellite Exchange (LSE) was created more than five years ago to serve as a marketplace where companies could bid for leased space on satellites. In April,...

Andrew Rejects Commscope Takeover; Cancels ADC Merger.
August 14, 2006... Andrew Corp. and ADC Telecommunications Inc. agreed to end their May merger agreement, and Andrew's board rejected an unsolicited takeover bid from Commscope Inc., Andrew announced Aug. 9. Andrew will pay ADC $10 million to end the merger...

Satellite Data Show 2004 Sumatra Earthquake Changed Gravity in the Region.
August 14, 2006... NASA's two Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites offer a possible new approach to understanding how earthquakes work. Research recently conducted paints a clearer picture of how the Earth changed following the December...

Orbit CEO Hints at PVR Launch Before End of 2006.(Company overview)
August 14, 2006... The Middle East potentially is one of the must lucrative markets in the world for satellite TV. With television being one of the main forms of entertainment, the opportunities for pay-TV operators to carve out lucrative businesses is strong....

Hughes Wins Multiple Contracts From Thuraya.
August 14, 2006... Hughes Network Systems LLC announced Aug. 10 it signed multiple contracts with Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications. The contracts, worth nearly $60 million, call for the development and supply of a high-speed mobile data system,...

Alltel Wireless First U.S. Carrier to Launch XM Satellite Radio.(Brief article)
August 14, 2006... Alltel Wireless, announced Aug. 10 an agreement with XM Satellite Radio that will make Alltel customers the first in the United States to have access to XM Satellite Radio programming via their wireless phones. Alltel Wireless customers will...

Qatar Airways Rolls Out Live Satellite Television.
August 14, 2006... Qatar Airways plans to equip 14 of its aircraft with digital satellite TV systems by the end of 2006. The aircraft will install the Rockwell Collins Tailwind 560 satellite television system on aircraft flying between the Middle East and...

RT Logic's Next Generation High-Rate Digital Telemetry Processor Available.(Brief article)
August 14, 2006... RT Logic, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Integral Systems Inc. announced Aug. 10 the availability of its next generation high-rate digital telemetry data processor to support wideband and remote sensing satellite telemetry applications. ...

NASA, Air Force Forge Pact On Joint Research Work.(United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration)(Brief article)
August 14, 2006... NASA and the U.S. Air Force recently executed an agreement to work jointly in aeronautics search areas, NASA said. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin and Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne signed the memorandum of...

Tata Sky Launches DTH Services In India.
August 14, 2006... Tata Sky Ltd. has launched direct-to-home TV services across India, the company announced Aug. 8. The joint venture, set up by the Tata Group and News Corp.'s Star India, delivers its digital service via 12 Ku-band transponders aboard...

Americom Government Services Advances Mobile Broadband Service.(Brief article)
August 14, 2006... Americom Government Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of SES Americom, and Wheat International, a provider of long-range wireless services, set a record for mobile broadband Internet services during a public test of their network, the...

Volvo Offers Sirius Satellite Radio As Factory Installed Option.(Volvo Cars of North America Inc.)(Brief article)
August 14, 2006... Volvo Cars of North America and Sirius Satellite Radio announced Aug. 8 that Volvo will begin offering Sirius equipment as a factory installed option this summer. Starting with the 2007 model year, Volvo plans to offer factory installed...

ICG Offers Iridium Conversion Program For Verizon Airfone Customers.(International Communications Group)(Brief article)
August 14, 2006... International Communications Group (ICG) announced Aug. 8 the introduction of an Iridium satellite conversion program for customers being affected by the pending shutdown of the Verizon Airfone air-to-ground telephone service in North...

Orbiting Wall Street.
August 14, 2006... WRSP Worldspace Satellite Radio posted higher revenues in its 2006 second quarter, but the company's subscriber additions plummeted in comparison to the first three months of the year, the company announced Aug. 9. Worldspace added...

DirecTV, Echostar Fall Back In U.S. Government Spectrum Auction; Post Profits In Second Quarter.
August 14, 2006... A joint venture between DirecTV Group and Echostar Communications Inc. held the early lead in an auction of public wireless spectrum being conducted by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) but fell back after eight rounds of...

Appeals Court Blocks Tivo Injunctions Against Echostar.
August 21, 2006... A federal appeals court Aug. 18 blocked a decision by a lower court that Echostar Communications Corp. to stop selling digital video recorders (DVR), the company announced. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia...

Canalsat Pleased With Early Mobile TV Efforts, Looks For More.
August 21, 2006... Pay-TV operator Canalsat hopes to make a strong impact in the mobile TV market in France, as the company seeks to boost its revenues outside of its core direct-to-home (DTH) platform. Canalsat teamed up with mobile operator SFR in June...

Gilat Second Quarter Provides Encouraging Signs.
August 21, 2006... A strong increase in profits and revenues in the second quarter for Gilat Satellite Networks has given the company's CEO and financial analysts reason to be optimistic about the satellite service provider's future. Revenues for the...

New GPS Technology Helps Wildlife Group Better Track Endangered Species.(Brief article)
August 21, 2006... A technology partnership between H.A.B.I.T. Research Ltd., a Victoria- based company that designs, develops and manufactures technology for wildlife research, and Swiss positioning technology provider u-blox, is making it possible for...

Getting Satellite Imagery To The Front Lines Faster.
August 21, 2006... Changes in thinking, along with technology advancements, are helping the U.S. Department of Defense deliver satellite imagery to the units in the field more quickly, helping to improve operations and save lives, officials with the Pentagon...

NASA Selects SpaceX, Rocketplane Kistler For Cargo Orbiting Demo.
August 21, 2006... NASA selected Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and Rocketplane Kistler to demonstrate their ability to loft cargo and eventually crew members to the International Space Station (ISS). In the demonstration contracts, each firm would...

DirecTV, Echostar Drop Out Of Spectrum Auction.(Brief article)
August 21, 2006... After placing the largest deposit among the 168 qualified bidders and leading after the early rounds, DirecTV Group Inc. and Echostar Communications Corp. have dropped out of an auction of wireless spectrum being conducted by the U.S....

Space Systems/Loral Wins Terrestar-2 Satellite Contract.
August 21, 2006... Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), announced that it won a contract to build the Terrestar-2 Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) spacecraft for Terrestar Networks Inc. Terrestar's two-satellite system, which includes the TerreStar-1 satellite...

Dnepr Failure Traced To First Stage Problem.(Brief article)
August 21, 2006... The July 26 failure of a Russian Dnepr rocket was due to problem with the first stage, Kosmotras, the company that markets the rocket, announced Aug. 15. An investigation determined that the failure was due to "a short-time...

ND Satcom Wins SNG Project From U.S. Broadcaster.(Brief article)
August 21, 2006... ND Satcom won a project from an unnamed U.S. broadcaster for its new broadcast workflow automation solution smartSNG. The project includes in its first phase twelve Satellite Newsgathering (SNG) vehicles equipped with smartSNG in 2006 plus a...

General Warns of Danger In Enemy Satellites.(Brief article)
August 21, 2006... The United States must be able to know instantly the nature of potential enemies' missile launches, according to Gen. Kevin Chilton, commander of U.S. Air Force Space Command. That means knowing immediately whether a launch is sending a...

MTN Group Signs Pan-African Supplier Agreement With Harris Corporation.
August 21, 2006... Harris Corp. has secured a five-year supplier agreement to supply digital microwave radios for backhaul and access applications in Africa for mobile phone operator MTN Group, Harris announced Aug. 15. Harris will supply its Truepoint...

Iridium Provides Links For New Aircell Airborne Medical Assistance Program.(Brief article)
August 21, 2006... Aircell Inc., an Iridium service provider will launch a new service in conjunction with Medaire Inc. that offers in-flight, on-demand medical assistance from ground-based health experts through the Iridium satellite network, Iridium...

Arianespace Places JCSAT-10, Syracuse 3B Into Orbit.(Brief article)
August 21, 2006... Arianespace placed a commercial communications satellite and a French military communications satellite into orbit Aug. 11, the launch provider announced. The Ariane 5 rocket lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 6:15 EDT. The...

BSkyB Links Up With Emuse.(British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC)(Brief article)
August 21, 2006... BSkyB announced its latest plans in the interactive advertising arena, signing an agreement with Emuse Absolutely, a U.K. independent, cross-platform interactive advertising operator. Under the agreement between Emuse and Sky Media, the...

Scientists See Threat From U.S. Satellite Protection Plan.(Brief article)
August 21, 2006... A proposed U.S. system to protect satellites from solar storms or high- altitude nuclear detonations could cause worldwide radio communications blackouts, according to a group of scientists from New Zealand, Finland and the United Kingdom....

Orbiting Wall Street.
August 21, 2006... IS Intelsat Ltd. reported revenues of $310.5 million in the 2006 second quarter, an increase of 7 percent from revenues of $289.8 million in the same period a year ago, the company announced Aug. 14. The revenue gains help Intelsat cut...

Boeing Severs Connexion After Market Fails To Develop.
August 21, 2006... Boeing Co. will close its Connexion satellite Internet unit for aircraft following "a detailed business and market analysis" of the service, Boeing announced Aug. 17. "Over the last six years, we have invested substantial time, resources...

Sky Brasil, DirecTV Brasil Finalize Merger.
August 28, 2006... The merger of Sky Brasil and DirecTV Brasil has been completed and DirecTV Group Inc. has acquired the interests of News Corp. and Liberty Media in Sky Brasil, DirecTV Group announced Aug. 24. DirecTV now owns about 74 percent of Sky...

IMS Research: Mobile TV Poised For Tremendous Growth Through 2010.
August 28, 2006... With the market for mobile TV "finally gaining momentum," IMS Research is predicting strong growth for the sector throughout the next several years. IMS forecasts that by the end of 2011, nearly 500 million people will be watching TV on...

New Delivery Platforms Could Help Home2US Reach Subscriber Target.
August 28, 2006... Home2US Communications, which launched a pay-TV platform via satellite in North America that caters to a variety of ethnic markets, hopes to eventually get somewhere between 1 and 2 million subscribers for its service. The operator currently...

Station 53 Aims To Catch Wave, Chooses Satellite For Broadband Service to Luxury Yachts.
August 28, 2006... Intelsat announced that Station 53, supplier of integrated communications services to luxury yachts, has signed a multi-year agreement to provide voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), data and Internet service through Intelsat's Globalconnex...

The Future Of Private Networks: What's Next For VSAT Systems.
August 28, 2006... VSAT systems have established themselves as a technology ideally suited to corporate networking, enabling a new tier of users to take advantage of the enhanced flexibility the platforms offer. But the industry has had to respond to a growing...

Rand: New Family Of Launch Vehicles Likely To Meet National Security Needs.
August 28, 2006... With no breakthroughs in space propulsion or rocket design likely in the near future, a new family of launch vehicles developed for military payloads should satisfy all projected national security needs through 2020, according to a panel...

Supreme Court Rejects Echostar Rebroadcast Appeal.(Brief article)
August 28, 2006... U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas denied without comment Aug. 22 a request by Echostar Communications Corp. to delay a lower court order that could force Echostar to stop rebroadcasting network TV shows. Echostar was sued in...

Air Force Discloses GPS 2F Delays.(Boeing Co.)(Brief article)
August 28, 2006... The first launch of a U.S. Air Force GPS Block 2F satellite has slipped from November to possibly January 2009, the U.S. Department of Defense said. The delay was revealed in a Selected Acquisition Report for the June 2006 reporting period...

Comtech To Provide Equipement For Iraqi Army, Security Forces.(Brief article)
August 28, 2006... Comtech Telecommunications received a contract to supply satellite-based position and location equipment to the Iraqi Army and security forces, the company announced. Under the $1.7 million contract, Comtech Mobile Datacom Corp., will...

Sea Launch Orbits Koreasat 5.(Brief article)
August 28, 2006... Sea Launch placed the Koreasat 5 communications satellite into orbit Aug. 21 for KT Corp. and South Korea's Agency for Defense Development. The hybrid satellite, built by Alcatel Alenia Space, will be located at 113 degrees East and will...

Orbiting Wall Street.(briefs)
August 28, 2006... BA The story of the Iridium satellite telephone service provides a blueprint for savvy investors who may want to rescue Boeing Co.'s Connexion satellite Internet service by capitalizing on the U.S. government's demand for commercial...

Lockheed Martin Seeks More NASA Contracts As Agency Faces 'Challenging Budget' Era.
August 28, 2006... Lockheed Martin is poised to compete for some $8 billion or more annually in work that NASA will award in coming years, including the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) program, the company's space business executives said. Competition for...