Satellite News articles from January 2007

Satellite News archives from January 2007

Space Systems/Loral Captures Pair Of Manufacturing Contracts.
January 8, 2007... Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) will modify the ChinaSat-8 satellite for ProtoStar Ltd. and received a contract to manufacture the Nimiq 5 satellite for Telesat Canada, SS/L announced. The renamed ProtoStar 1 will provide direct-to-home (DTH)...

Year In Review: North America.(satellite industry)(Industry overview)
January 8, 2007... As with any year, 2006 will be defined by beginnings and ends. As they apply to the satellite industry, and while there is much yet to be ascertained about what any one or every one may mean in the future, only more time will tell....

Year In Review: Eastern Hemisphere.(satellite industry)(Industry overview)
January 8, 2007... It has been another eventful year in the satellite industry. Who would have thought at the start of 2006 that we would have seen a high-profile link-up between traditional rivals SES Global and Eutelsat in terms of S-band? It was also a year...

Orbiting Wall Street.(Loral Space & Communications Inc. acquired Telesat Canada)(Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio fourth quarter income revenue)(NDS Ltd. acquired Jungo Ltd.)
January 8, 2007... BCE, LORL The Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) businesses of Loral Space & Communications Inc. and Telesat Canada will be combined under a new Canadian company that will become the fourth largest operator in the world, the companies...

DigitalGlobe Contracts Ball Aerospace To Build WorldView 2 Satellite.
January 8, 2007... Moving to position itself to meet growing commercial demand for high- resolution satellite imagery, DigitalGlobe awarded Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. a contract to build the WorldView 2 satellite, DigitalGlobe announced Dec. 2. ...

Ondas Media Signs Dutch Broadcast Deal.(Talpa Radio)(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... Ondas Media, a European satellite media company, has signed a deal with Dutch broadcaster Talpa Radio as it looks to build its satellite radio business in Europe. Talpa Radio B.V. is part of Talpa Media Holding, a privately owned group...

DirecTV, Echostar Taking Different Directions To Attract Subscribers.(EchoStar Communications Corp.)
January 15, 2007... DirecTV and EchoStar jostled for attention and headlines throughout the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, as the two direct-to-home (DTH) providers unveiled a variety of new products and offerings. DirecTV...

Current TV CEO Targets Other Satellite Deals.(Joel Hyatt)(Interview)
January 15, 2007... In one of the more intriguing content deals announced last year, Current TV, which has former U.S. vice president Al Gore as its co-founder, signed a deal with BSkyB to bring its user-generated content channel to BSkyB's 8 million...

USGS Studies: There Grows The Neighborhood.(U.S. Geological Survey)(Rate, Trends, Causes, and Consequences of Urban Land-Use Change in the United States)
January 15, 2007... With the estimated population of the United States expected to reach 301 million by the end of the month, the ebb and tide of population and land use are ever more vital factors for tracking and study by businesses and governments planning...

Huge Cost Reductions Make British Unmanned Moon Missions Viable.(Surrey Satellite Technology report)
January 15, 2007... The cost to send unmanned missions to the Moon has come down to such an extent that the U.K. government could be persuaded to send missions there in the foreseeable future. A report by Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) said unmanned...

Arianespace Wins ProtoStar 1 Contract.
January 15, 2007... Arianespace received a contract from Asian direct-to-home (DTH) operator ProtoStar Ltd. to place the ProtoStar 1 satellite into orbit in the first half of 2008, Arianespace announced Jan. 8. The satellite, being refurbished by Space...

General Dynamics To Provide SatCom Terminals To Marines.(General Dynamics C4 Systems)(United States Marine Corps)(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... General Dynamics C4 Systems received a $15.5 million order for satellite communications terminals for the U.S. Marine Corps' Support Wide Area Network (SWAN) program, the company announced Jan. 11. Procured by the U.S. Army...

NovAtel, AGCO Sign Deal For Next-Generation Tractor Navigation System.(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... NovAtel Inc., a precise positioning technology company, has signed a long-term agreement to supply a precision positioning subsystem to AGCO Corp. of Duluth, Ga., for the company's Auto-Guide Satellite Navigation System, NovAtel announced...

Globecomm Systems Gains Additional $2 Million For Infrastructure Project.(Department of Defense of United States)(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... Globecomm Systems Inc. was awarded a second round of funding on a previously announced infrastructure contract for a foreign government, the company announced Jan. 10. In September, Globecomm was awarded a contract to design and build a...

Near Earth Adds Advisory Board Members.
January 15, 2007... Near Earth LLC has added three members to its advisory board, the company announced Jan. 10 -- Ted Bolton, president of Bolton Research Corp.; Gary Hatch, president and CEO of ATCi; and Stuart Jacob, founding executive and senior vice...

Thales To Provide NATO With Secure, Jam-Proof Satellite Communications.(North Atlantic Treaty Organization)(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... Thales was awarded a contract to supply NATO with an electronic protective measures modem system to support satellite communications and associated control capabilities. The system is intended to reinforce the availability, confidentiality...

MDA Nets $14 Million Deal With Sumitomo Corp.(MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.)(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) will provide a data reception and transmission subsystem that will be used in an advanced solution for two Yamal-300 satellites for Russian operator Gascom. The contract, valued at about $14...

Harris Corp. Completes Test Of Advanced EHF Terminal.(Extremely High Frequency)(won the contract of Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command)(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... Harris Corp. completed Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) Navy Multiband Terminal Prototype Testing on its tri-band ship antenna and associated RF components five months ahead of schedule, the company announced Jan. 10. Harris won...

PSLV Launches Four Satellites.
January 15, 2007... The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)'s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C7, lofted four satellites into orbit Jan. 10. The 10th PSLV mission placed India's Cartosat-2 and Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE-1), Indonesia's...

Pace Names New CFO.
January 15, 2007... Set-top box manufacturer Pace Micro Technology named Stuart Hall as its new CFO. Hall will join Pace in April, succeeding David Brocksom. Damien Wilkinson, Pace's group financial controller, will head the finance team in the interim. ...

Air Force Exercises EPS Contract Option.
January 15, 2007... Boeing and the U.S. Air Force Milsatcom Systems Wing have exercised an $8.4 million contract option to activate Phase 2 of the Enhanced Polar System (EPS) payload study, Boeing announced Jan. 9. Phase 1 began in July with a $1.5 million...

HughesNet Surpassses 325,000 Subscribers.
January 15, 2007... Hughes Network Systems LLC surpassed 325,000 residential subscribers at the end of 2006, the company announced Jan. 8. HughesNet posted an 18 percent increase subscriber additions in the 2006 fourth quarter compared to the same period in...

Read Joins SES New Skies For Regulatory Affairs.(Joslyn Read)(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... Joslyn Read has joined SES New Skies as vice president for regulatory affairs in the company's Washington, D.C., office. Read previously served as head of regulatory affairs for Hughes Network Systems. Previously she has held positions at...

Telekom Serbia To Deploy Gilat's SkyEdge System.(Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd.)(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... Telekom Serbia, a telecom carrier in Serbia, will deploy Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd.'s SkyEdge broadband satellite hub and several hundred VSATs to serve residential and corporate customers, Gilat announced Jan. 8. To meet its...

KVH Introduces Marine Antenna For European Satellite TV.(TracVision M3 marine satellite TV system from KVH Industries Inc.)(Brief article)
January 15, 2007... KVH Industries introduced its TracVision M3 marine satellite TV system Jan. 8 in London. Now available to mariners throughout Europe, the small, stabilized marine satellite TV system is designed for installation aboard vessels as small as 25...

SkyTerra Closes Acquisition Of BCE's Share Of MSV.
January 15, 2007... SkyTerra Communications Inc. has completed its previously announced acquisition of BCE Inc.'s stake in Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV), SkyTerra announced Jan. 8. SkyTerra issued about 22.5 million shares of its non-voting common stock...

Orbiting Wall Street.
January 15, 2007... SIRI Sirius Satellite Radio exceeded its subscriber estimates for 2006 by more than 2 million, triggering a payout to Howard Stern of nearly 22.1 million shares of stock, the company announced Jan. 9. Sirius closed 2006 with slightly...

Budget Shortfall May Mean NASA Program Cuts, More Dependence On Commercial Providers.
January 15, 2007... NASA cannot expect huge funding increases, and instead will have to cut costs and find ways to perform the space mission with improved intelligence and efficiency while taking greater advantage of commercial space services, NASA...

Space Systems/Loral To Build Intelsat 14 Satellite.(Brief article)
January 22, 2007... Intelsat Corp. awarded a contract to Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) to manufacture the Intelsat 14 satellite, SS/L announced Jan. 19. Based on SS/L's 1300 platform, Intelsat 14 will carry 40 C-band and 22 Ku-band transponders. The spacecraft...

China Anti-Satellite Missile Test Raises Escalation Concerns.
January 22, 2007... Despite reports and official responses about a Chinese anti-satellite missile test last week, satellite experts on Friday urged restraint in any response taken by the United States and several other countries which formally protested the...

Arris Enters Into The Satellite Space Market.(acquired Tandberg Television)(Arris Group Inc.)
January 22, 2007... Arris' acquisition of Tandberg Television for $1.2 billion is one of the surprise early acquisitions of 2007, and at a stroke marks the company's entrance into the satellite arena. Traditionally a cable equipment supplier, Arris believes the...

Rumors Of Sirius-XM Merger Spawn Advocacy Group For Subscribers.
January 22, 2007... Motivated by rumors of a possible merger between digital satellite radio companies Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio, a new consumer-advocacy group seeking to maintain competition in the industry has been established at George...

Pace CEO 'Not Surprised' By Slow European HD Start.(Neil Gaydon of Pace Micro Technology PLC)(high-definition television)
January 22, 2007... Pace Micro Technology CEO Neil Gaydon believes there is much work to be done if high-definition television (HDTV) is to make the expected strong impact in Europe. Appointed to his position last April, Gaydon has described the initially slow...

ViaSat Wins Telecentros Ecuador Satellite Network Hub.(Unete Telecomunicaciones SA)(Brief article)
January 22, 2007... ViaSat Inc. will supply its LinkStar DVB-S2 satellite networking system to Unete Telecomunicaciones SA of Bolivia to expand enterprise broadband services in Ecuador and the surrounding region, ViaSat announced Jan. 17. The contract...

SkyPort Partners With Comdex To Provide Secure Communications Services.(Brief article)
January 22, 2007... SkyPort International Inc. announced Jan. 17 a strategic partnership with Comdex Inc. in which the two companies will jointly provide secure satellite communications services to Comdex customers around the globe. SkyPort provides...

DigitalGlobe Partners With Lowrance To Power GPS Tools.
January 22, 2007... DigitalGlobe has formed a partnership with Lowrance, a marine electronics and GPS navigational systems provider, to provide satellite imagery for the Lowrance iWay 600C portable navigation device, DigitalGlobe announced Jan. 16. The iWay...

Home2US Chooses Irdeto To Secure TV Transmissions.(Home2US Communications Inc.)(Brief article)
January 22, 2007... Irdeto will provide secure distribution services for the latest channel to join Home2US Communications Inc.'s offerings, Irdeto announced Jan. 17. Irdeto will secure programming provided in the United States by Planeta TV, the largest...

Euro Satellite To Offer IPTV Option.(along with Exterity)(internet protocol television)(Brief article)
January 22, 2007... Euro Satellite is teaming up with Exterity, an Internet protocol TV (IPTV) network provider, to offer a corporate IPTV solution to customers in the United Kingdom. The companies are targeting city-based businesses that currently use...

XCOR Begins Tests Methane Rocket Engine For NASA.(XCOR Aerospace)(National Aeronautics and Space Administration)(Brief article)
January 22, 2007... XCOR Aerospace conducted a series of six short-duration test firings of its new 7,500-pound thrust rocket engine, the company announced Jan. 16. The tests were conducted as part of a $3.3 million subcontract XCOR has with ATK. The...

Integral Systems To Upgrade GOES Ground System.(Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites)(Boeing Satellite Systems Inc.)(Brief article)
January 22, 2007... Integral Systems Inc. has been awarded a contract modification to upgrade several command and control subsystems for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) N-P Program, the company announced Jan. 17. Integral is a...

International Datacasting Wins Contract From Shin Broadband For New Asia IPTV Service.
January 22, 2007... International Datacasting Corp. (IDC) has been awarded a contract by Shin Broadband Internet of Thailand to provide software for a next-generation Internet protocol TV service in Asia, IDC announced Jan. 16. Shin Broadband Internet...

BAE Systems To Head DARPA Development Project.(Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency )(Brief article)
January 22, 2007... The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has chosen BAE Systems to lead a team of 10 companies in the next development phases of the Novel Satellite Communications (NSC) program, BAE announced Jan. 16. NSC is intended...

Comtech Receives Order From DirecTV.
January 22, 2007... Comtech EF Data Corp. will supply components, including modulators and redundancy switches, to DirecTV under a contract valued at about $1 million, Comtech Telecommunication Corp. announced Jan. 16. The components will be deployed to power...

Merrimac To Supply Components For Military Satellite.(Department of Defense)(Brief article)
January 22, 2007... Merrimac Industries Inc. received an order valued at $430,000 to supply its Multi-Mix microtechnology products for a next-generation military communications satellite program, the company announced Jan. 16. The unnamed U.S. Department of...

Starchaser Industries Wins ESA Contract.
January 22, 2007... Starchaser Industries was awarded a study contract from the European Space Agency (ESA) for the detailed assessment of the company's Thunderstar/Starchaser 5A space tourism reusable launch vehicle, Starchaser announced Jan. 12. The...

NASA Boosts Contract With MDA By $28 Million.
January 22, 2007... NASA has increased the value of its Canadarm shuttle remote manipulator system contract with MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA), the company announced Jan. 16. The increase, valued at 28 million Canadian dollars ($23.8...

Six Satellite Industry Leaders Chosen For Hall Of Fame.(Society of Satellite Professionals International)(Robert Berry, Laurier Boisvert, Mary Ann Elliott, Yasuo Hirata, Delbert Smith, Conny Kullman)(Brief article)
January 22, 2007... The Society of Satellite Professionals International (SSPI) will induct six members into its Satellite Hall of Fame during a Feb. 20 ceremony preceding the annual SSPI Gala which coincides with the SATELLITE 2007 Conference and Exhibition in...

Al Majd Satellite TV Reaches 200,000 Subscriber Mark.
January 22, 2007... Al Majd Satellite TV, an Arabic entertainment and news channel, has surpassed 200,000 subscribers, the company announced Jan. 15. The three-year-old channel, based at Dubai Media City, serves households primarily in Saudi Arabia but also...

Camping World To Offer Latest King Control HD-Ready Antennas.(high definition)(Brief article)
January 22, 2007... Camping World will sell and service King Controls' new King-Dome line of high definition-ready automatic and in-motion satellite television antennas, King Controls announced Jan. 15. King Controls is a Bloomington, Minn.-based...

U-blox Delivers 5 Millionth GPS Receiver To Mobile Crossing.
January 22, 2007... U-blox America Inc. delivered its 5 millionth GPS receiver to Mobile Crossing Inc., a manufacturer of rugged handheld GPS computers and personal navigation devices, u-blox announced Jan. 15. [Copyright 2006 Access Intelligence, LLC. All...

Swedish Space Names New CEO.
January 22, 2007... Lars Persson has been appointed president and CEO of Swedish Space Corp. effective Feb. 16, the company announced. Persson previously served as CEO for Marratech AB and will replace the retiring Claes-Goran Borg. [Copyright 2006 Access...

Lockheed Martin To Provide Control Centers For Inmarsat.(Brief article)
January 22, 2007... Lockheed Martin has received a contract from Inmarsat to develop enabling technology for Inmarsat's mobile satellite network, Lockheed Martin announced Jan. 15. Under the $36.5 million contract, Lockheed Martin will deliver and install...

SES New Skies Gets Ready For NSS-8 Launch.(Sea Launch Company L.L.C.)(Brief article)
January 22, 2007... Final preparations are underway for the launch of the NSS-8 satellite, SES New Skies announced. Sea Launch is scheduled to place the satellite into orbit Jan. 25 using a Zenit-3SL rocket. NSS-8 is a Boeing 702 spacecraft carrying 56 C-band...

Aerojet To Provide Launch Technology To Air Force.(Aerojet General Corp.)(Brief article)
January 22, 2007... The U.S. Air Force awarded a contract to Aerojet-General Corp. to provide technology for the Hydrocarbon Boost Technology Demonstration (HBTD) program, the Air Force announced Jan. 17. Under the $109.7 million contract, Sacramento,...

Orbiting Wall Street.(Eagle Broadband Inc.'s earnings)(Kudelski Group acquired OpenTV Corp.)(Spacehab Inc. cuts its workforce)
January 22, 2007... KUD.VX Kudelski Group has acquired a controlling stake in OpenTV, the company announced Jan. 16. Kudelski, a supplier of conditional access system to pay-TV operators, announced in October that it had reached an agreement with...

Launch Providers Aim To Meet, Add Bookings In '07.
January 22, 2007... A new year in the commercial launch industry is unlikely to present any new trends, according to officials of the three primary launch providers, each of whom profess optimism for their collective business while remaining primarily focused...

SS/L To Build EchoStar-14.(Space Systems/Loral Inc.)(EchoStar Orbital Corp.)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) has been awarded a contract to manufacture a direct broadcast satellite for EchoStar Orbital Corp. 2, a subsidiary of EchoStar Communications Corp., SS/L announced Jan. 24. EchoStar-14, based on SS/L's 1300...

Resignation Of Chairman Could Cause Concern For TerreStar.(Jared Abbruzzese of TerreStar Networks Inc.)
January 29, 2007... FBI Investigating Non-TerreStar Activities The Jan. 23 announcement that Jared "Jerry" Abbruzzese had resigned as chairman of the board for TerreStar Networks Inc. and chairman of TerreStar Global Ltd. coincides with reports that the FBI...

FTMSC Aims To Develop New Video Capabilities For TSF.(Telecoms Sans Frontieres)(France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications)
January 29, 2007... France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications (FTMSC) hopes to develop new applications for Telecoms Sans Frontieres (TSF) as a result of a new partnership deal signed last week. In terms of applications it might develop, Erik Ceuppens, CEO...

NOAA Fights Record Wildfire Season Via Satellite.(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
January 29, 2007... Within the United States during 2006, an estimated 96,000 wildfires burned an all-time record area totaling 9.8 million acres, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). That area represents approximately all the...

Russian DTH Player Getting Ready For HD Push.(direct to home)(high definition television)(Dmitry Samokhin of NTV-Plus )(Interview)
January 29, 2007... With a population of approximately 140 million people, Russia is one of the largest pay-TV markets in the world. While pay-TV is still a relatively new industry, the opportunities for operators is beginning to grow along with the nation's...

Gilat To Provide Backhaul Services For African Operator.(Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd.'s SkyAbis CDMA2000 )(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. will supply its SkyAbis CDMA2000 to provide satellite backhaul for an unnamed African telecommunications operator's network, Gilat announced Jan. 23. Gilat will install more than 150,000 fixed phone lines based...

Loral Wins $51 Million Against Cablevision Subsidiary.
January 29, 2007... Loral Space & Communications Inc. has won a unanimous jury verdict worth $51 million in the Supreme Court for the State of New York in a contract action against Rainbow DBS Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp., Loral...

Northrop Grumman Integrates All Phased-Array Antennas On First Advanced EHF Flight Payload.(Extremely High Frequency)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... The uplink and downlink phased-array antennas developed by Northrop Grumman Corp. for the first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (EHF) military satellite communications payload have been integrated onto the first flight structure, the...

TV Vlaanderen Hits 30,000 Subscribers.(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... Belgian direct-to-home operator TV Vlaanderen has surpassed the 30,000- customer milestone, the company announced. The service was launched in the Flanders region of Belgium in June. TV Vlaanderen hopes to ramp up subscriber additions...

FTMSC Signs New Emergency Telecoms Deal.(France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications)(Telecoms Sans Frontieres)(Brief article)
January 29, 2007... France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications (FTMSC) signed a new deal with Telecoms Sans Frontieres (TSF) to develop an emergency mobile satellite communications system. The deal was announced at International Aid & Trade, a trade show...

Orbiting Wall Street.
January 29, 2007... LMT Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Space Systems segment posted revenues of $7.9 billion in 2006, up 16 percent over revenues of $6.8 billion in 2005, the company announced. Lockheed Martin credited the sales growth to higher volume on both...

U.S. Policy Experts Contemplate Impacts After China's Anti-Satellite Missile 'Experiment'.
January 29, 2007... Officials from the Senate Armed Services Committee strategic forces subcommittee and key government agencies met on Jan. 26 to discuss a Chinese test two weeks earlier in which it launched a missile to shoot down an outdated weather...