Satellite News articles from June 2005

Satellite News archives from June 2005

Saunders Kramer Passes Away.(Brief Article)(Obituary)
June 6, 2005... Saunders Kramer passed away May 30 in Washington, D.C., after complications following heart surgery. He was 84. Kramer, while working at Lockheed Missiles and Space in the late 1950s, was among the earliest designers of crewed space...

Satmex Creditors Attempt To Force Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Proceeding.
June 6, 2005... With Mexican satellite operator Satelites Mexicanos S.A. de C.V.'s (Satmex) facing numerous questions about its future, a group of the company's creditors filed an involuntary Chapter 11 petition against Satmex in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court...

Loral Moves Closer To Exiting Bankruptcy.
June 6, 2005... Loral Space & Communications Ltd. moved a step closer to emerging from bankruptcy when the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved, June 1, the company's disclosure statement with respect to its proposed plan of...

Spotlight: Keeping Track Of Pets.(GPS Tracks LLC)
June 6, 2005... Tracking people using GPS technology, particularly paroled felons, is gaining media attention. Now GPS Tracks LLC is applying that concept to help people keep track of something a bit closer to home: the family pet. GPS Tracks CEO...

Alcatel Space CEO Proposes Galileo Collaboration.(Chief Executive Officer)
June 6, 2005... While market conditions continue to be tough for satellite manufacturers, Alcatel Space CEO Pascale Sourisse is confident the company's prospects for revenue growth prospects will remain strong. Whether it is high-definition television...

Orbiting Wall Street.
June 6, 2005... The biggest news affecting a publicly-traded company in the past five business days leading up to this issue's June 3 publication was the launch of an investigation of Orbital Sciences Corp. by the Pentagon. The company announced May 27 that...

G2 Launches Global iDirect Network.(G2 Satellite Solutions)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... G2 Satellite Solutions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Panamsat that focuses on providing communications solutions to the U.S. government, announced June 1 the launch of a new global managed network service based on iDirect's technology. ...

Arianespace To Launch Spaceway-2, Telkom 2 On June 24.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... Arianespace said it would launch the Spaceway 2 satellite for DirecTV and Telkom 2 for PT Telkom Indonesia June 24. The spacecraft will be launched aboard an Ariane 5 ECA rocket from the company's launch facility in French Guiana. The...

King Controls Sues KVH for Patent Infringement.(King Controls)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... King Controls, a Minneapolis-based manufacturer of mobile satellite antenna systems, filed a patent infringement suit against KVH Industries Inc., King announced May 27. The suit, filed in Minnesota Federal District Court, claims KVH...

Sirius To Carry Exclusive Conversations With Lance Armstrong From 2005 Tour De France.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... Sirius Satellite Radio announced June 1 an exclusive series that will follow Lance Armstrong on his quest for an historic seventh consecutive Tour de France title, which begins July 2. As an offshoot of Armstrong Radio, a weekly radio...

Gilat Settles Tax Case With Israeli Government.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. reached a settlement with the government of Israel covering six years of tax assessments against the company, Gilat announced May 30. Under the settlement, Gilat agreed to pay $6 million to cover its tax...

Globalstar Unveils Faster Satellite Internet And Data Communications.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... Globalstar introduced May 31 Express Data, a subscription-based service that allows users to send e-mail, transfer files and browse the Internet two to five times faster than the 9.6 kilobits per second that Globalstar currently offers....

Novatel Demonstrates Dual Mode GPS & Galileo Receiver.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... Novatel Inc. claims to be the first company to demonstrate a dual mode GPS and Galileo L1/E5A dual frequency prototype receiver in North America. Novatel made the claim even though the Galileo Joint Undertaking has yet to announce the...

HUD Taps Americom Government Services For Satellite Communications.(Housing and Urban Development)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... Americom Government Services Inc. (AGS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SES Americom, said May 31 it received a contract through prime contractor Innovative Technologies Inc. to provide the satellite communications bandwidth for 80 U.S....

Radyne Completes Acquisition Of Xicom Technology.(Radyne Comstream Inc.)(Xicom Technology)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... Radyne Comstream Inc. announced May 31 that it completed its acquisition of Xicom Technology. After final adjustments, Radyne paid $37.7 million in cash, 219,708 shares of stock and assumed $5.1 million in debt at the closing. When Radyne...

SpaceX Performs Falcon 1 Test.(Brief Article)
June 6, 2005... Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) performed a 5-second test firing of its main engine May 28, SpaceX announced. The wet dress rehearsal took place at the company's Space Launch Complex-3 West pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif....

NRTC, Wildblue Cuts Ribbon On First Customer.(National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative)
June 6, 2005... The Tuttle family of Strasburg, Colo., became the first subscriber of Wildblue Communications Inc.'s two-way broadband satellite service June 2, and if the service turns out to be successful, the family will have secured a tiny place in...

Arianespace Delays Launch.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... Arianespace pushed back the launch of a pair of satellites due to a technical problem with the Telkom 2 spacecraft, Arianespace announced June 6. The launch of the Spaceway 2 and Telkom 2 had been scheduled for the night of June 24....

After Public Sparring, Voom Goes Quietly Into The Night.(forecast of high definition television and direct-to-home satellite television service)
June 13, 2005... The final nails in the Rainbow DBS coffin were hammered in quietly and with little fanfare as Cablevision suspended work on new satellites being manufactured for Rainbow, a Cablevision unit that offered direct-to-home (DTH) satellite...

Microspace, Scala Looking To Tap Growing Digital Signage Market.
June 13, 2005... Microspace Communications Corp. announced June 8 it formed a partnership with Scala Inc. to create a satellite-based digital signage offering aimed at small companies that may find the cost of current networks too expensive. The...

Spotlight: A Controversial Tax Proposal.(tax rule for automobile drivers)
June 13, 2005... Satellites would play a key role in a controversial new plan aimed at relieving congestion on roadways in the United Kingdom. The plan calls for satellite navigation equipment to be installed in cars to track how many miles a vehicle has...

IPTV: The Threat To Satellite Pay-TV.(internet protocol television)
June 13, 2005... Telcos across the world aim to be serious players in the pay-TV business with Internet protocol television (IPTV) offerings. The technology provides both threats and opportunities to satellite pay-TV platforms already competing against cable...

Boeing, Cisco In Alliance For Network Centric Technologies.
June 13, 2005... Similar to an arrangement it made with IBM [IBM] last fall, Boeing [BA] June 8 said it signed a non-exclusive, 10-year strategic alliance with Internet networking technology provider Cisco Corp. [CSCO] to develop and deploy joint solutions...

Orbiting Wall Street.
June 13, 2005... SIRI & XMSR This week, Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio offered what appeared to be positive announcements related to their respective businesses. While the news was well received by at least one Wall Street analyst, both...

Futron: Bleak Commercial Future For U.S. Launch Providers.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... There is little evidence that U.S.-built launch vehicles can recapture commercial market share lost to international competitors, industry analyst Futron Corp. said in a white paper released June 8. U.S. rocket builders lost their hold on...

SBCA Certifies More Than 4,000 Technicians During First Quarter.(Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association )(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA) said it trained and certified more than 4,000 technicians during the first quarter of 2005, an increase of almost 50 percent compared to the number of direct broadcast...

Satellite Industry Revenues Up In 2004.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... The commercial satellite industry generated $97.2 billion in revenues in 2004, up 6.7 percent from the previous year, according to the Satellite Industry Association's (SIA) "State of the Satellite Industry Report." The report, compiled...

EMS Satcom Unveils Prototype Search-And-Rescue Terminal.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... EMS Satcom, a division of EMS Technologies, unveiled an improved ground terminal intended to make search and rescue operations more efficient, the company announced June 9. The medium earth orbit local user terminal, developed and tested...

Stratos First to Offer Improved Fleet F77 Coverage in Pacific.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... Stratos Global Corp., a global provider of Inmarsat mobile satellite services, announced June 8 that it is the first provider to offer the new, higher speed Inmarsat Fleet F77 data service in the Pacific Ocean region. Fleet F77, the...

Raytheon To Develop Experimental Satellite For Air Force.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... Raytheon Co. will develop a quick-reaction space optical payload with the potential to spot hidden targets under a U.S. Air Force Contract, Raytheon announced. The ARTEMIS (Advanced Responsive Tactically Effective Military Imaging...

Globecomm Systems Awarded $4.2 Million In Orders.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... Globecomm Systems Inc., a global provider of end-to-end satellite-based communications services, won multiple contracts from an unnamed existing customer valued at approximately $4.2 million, Globecomm announced June 9. One award, valued...

Swe-Dish Establishes Satellite Network For Malaysia.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... Swe-Dish Satellite Systems will develop an Internet protocol (IP)-based, Ku-band satellite network for Malaysian authorities based on its suitcase terminal already in use by other government organizations. The order includes voice and data...

EADS To Provide Satellite Communications To French Government.(EADS Space Services)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... EADS Space Services signed a framework agreement with the French Ministry of Defense to provide satellite telecommunications services for up to two years, EADS announced June 7. EADS Space Services will provide the French armed forces...

HNS Unveils New Managed Broadband Service.(Hughes Network Systems)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... Hughes Network Systems LLC (HNS) unveiled June 6 its managed telecommunications service, Direcway Unified Broadband, aimed at providing enterprise users with a generic broadband network solution. HNS will offer network solutions that...

iDirect Launches Wi-Fi Over Satellite Solution.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... iDirect Technologies launched its Global Edge Connect solution to deliver last-mile wireless connectivity via satellite. Global Edge Connect is a wireless Internet Service Provider solution that will incorporate a carrier-class, scalable,...

Ukraine Joins European Union's Galileo Program.(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... Ukraine reached an agreement with the European Union (EU) to participate in the Galileo satellite navigation project, becoming the third non-EU country to join the program, the EU announced June 3. The agreement gives Ukraine a stake in...

HNS Introduces New Inmarsat Mobile Satellite Terminal.(Hughes Network Systems)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2005... Hughes Network Systems LLC (HNS) introduced the first Inmarsat Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) Class 1 terminal to work over the new Inmarsat I4 satellite system, HNS announced June 8. HNS will provide the product to distribution...

Datapath Strengthens Position In Military Market.(M and C Systems Inc.)
June 13, 2005... In a series of moves designed to maintain its momentum in the military sector, systems integrator Datapath Inc. acquired the assets of M&C Systems Inc., a provider of satellite communications monitoring and control systems. Datapath,...

Galileo Competitors Will Submit Unified Bid.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... News reports from France last week stated that the two remaining consortiums bidding for the contract to build and operate the European Union's Galileo satellite navigation system have been given the green light to unify their bids into a...

CRTC Approves Licenses For XM, Sirius To Offer Service In Canada.(XM Satellite Radio Inc., Sirius Canada Inc., Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission)
June 20, 2005... The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Canada's telecom regulator, approved license applications June 16 from Canadian Satellite Radio Inc. (CSR) and Sirius Canada Inc. to offer subscription-based satellite...

Integrated Satellite And Terrestrial Networks Becoming The Norm.
June 20, 2005... The primary strength of satellite technology remains point-to-multipoint applications such as broadcasting, but the use of satellites for point-to-point services is growing as satellite network operators integrate their services with...

Spotlight: Using Satellite Radio For Homeland Security.
June 20, 2005... Raytheon demonstrated its Mobile Enhanced Situational Awareness (MESA) system designed to deliver data over the XM Satellite Radio system at the Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration '05 (CWID), a homeland security and homeland...

Broadband, Video Driving Growth In Southeast Asian Market; IPStar Launch Draws Attention.
June 20, 2005... SINGAPORE -- Video and broadband applications are leading business growth for satellite-enabled services throughout Southeast Asia, said regional directors and general managers of some of the leading satellite companies in the Asia-Pacific...

DTT Continues To Put Pressure On Satellite.(Digital Television )
June 20, 2005... The rise of free-to-air digital services continues to dominate the U.K. pay-TV market, according to the June 10 report on digital television by U.K. communications regulator Ofcom. In the 2005 first quarter, the total number of digital...

ND Satcom Hopes To Capitalize On German Contract.
June 20, 2005... ND Satcom is in position to receive a key satellite communications contract from the German armed forces later this year and hopes to use the momentum from that win to capture even more government business around the globe, the company's...

Orbiting Wall Street.(Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., XM Satellite Radio Inc. got the approval from Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission)(stocks of New Skies Satellites N.V., PanAmSat Corp. went down)
June 20, 2005... SIRI & XMSR Satellite radio continues to receive attention as Canadian-based partners of both Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio received licenses to offer satellite radio in Canada using Sirius' and XM's satellites (see...

Satmex Response Deadline Extended.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... Satelites Mexicanos S.A. de C.V. (Satmex) reached an agreement with debt holders who filed an involuntary bankruptcy petition against the company to extend Satmex's deadline for responding to the petition. According to documents filed...

IA-8 Departs For Equatorial Launch Site.(Intelsat America, Sea Launch Company L.L.C.)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... The Odyssey Launch Platform and Sea Launch Commander vessels are en route to Sea Launch's equatorial launch site for the company's third mission of the year, the launch of the Intelsat America-8 (IA-8) satellite, Sea Launch LLC said. A...

Arianespace To Launch BSat-3a.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... Arianespace announced June 14 that the Broadcasting Satellite System Corp. of Japan (BSat) awarded Arianespace a contract to launch the BSat-3a spacecraft. The satellite will be launched on an Ariane 5 launcher in the second quarter of 2007...

EADS Astrium, Alcatel Space To Build Alphabus.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... EADS Astrium and Alcatel Space will jointly develop a new platform for next generation communications satellites, the companies announced June 16. The two companies will develop the platform, dubbed Alphabus, and produce a first flight...

Connexion Inks Airline, Maritime Deals.(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... Connexion by Boeing signed an agreement with its first ever maritime customer and added another airline to its satellite Internet service, the business unit of Boeing announced. Teekay Shipping Corp. will be the launch customer for...

Telesat Names National Sales Director.(Appointed Peter Concelmo as Director of Sales)(Brief Article)
June 20, 2005... Telesat appointed Peter Concelmo director of sales for the U.S. broadcast market, the company announced June 16. Concelmo will be based in New York and be responsible for expanding Telesat's work with various industry partners. He has more...

Eagle Broadband Flying High With Iridium.(Iridium Satellite L.L.C., contract)
June 20, 2005... Because it is a private company, Iridium Satellite LLC does not have to publicly announce its subscriber figures. But the success of companies that rely on Iridium technology as part of their business can provide a barometer for Iridium...

At Press Time: IA-8 Successfully Launched.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2005... As this issue was going to press, Intelsat announced June 23 that at 10:03 a.m. EDT, the Intelsat Americas-8 (IA-8) was successfully launched by Sea Launch LLC aboard a Zenit-3SL rocket. The satellite, built by Space Systems/Loral, will...

Analysts Expect Sirius, XM To Move Forward In Canada.
June 27, 2005... Despite what observers consider to be unnecessarily burdensome restrictions, Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio ultimately are expected to agree to the terms set forth by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications...

Commercial Imagery Industry Shakeout Expected Soon.
June 27, 2005... The number of U.S.-based commercial satellite imagery suppliers could dwindle to two by the end of the year, industry officials and observers said. Space Imaging, which launched the first of the current generation of high resolution...

Spotlight: Manitoba Urban Search and Rescue Adopts Satellite Technology.
June 27, 2005... Manitoba's Urban Search and Rescue team has joined the list of emergency response organizations turning to satellite communications technology. Such systems ensure that response teams can maintain communications with officials back at...

ISRO Chairman Targets More Commercial Approach.(Indian Space Research Organization)(Interview)
June 27, 2005... The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) plays a key role in boosting the communications infrastructure in India. The agency is launching a series of satellites that aims to bring the benefits of applications such as telemedicine and...

Eurely, iNavSat Submit Joint Galileo Bid.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2005... The two teams competing for the contract to build and operate the European Union's Galileo satellite navigation system submitted a joint bid to the Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU) June 20. The combined bid from the Eurely team, formed by...

Alcatel Space Delivers EGNOS.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2005... The European satellite navigation system took another step forward June 21 when Alcatel Space delivered the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) system to the European Space Agency, Alcatel announced. EGNOS passed...

Echostar Names New President, Vice Chairman; Launches New Channel.(appointments)(Brief Article)
June 27, 2005... Echostar Communications Corp. appointed of Michael Neuman as the president and COO, the company announced June 20. In these positions, he will oversee day-to-day operations of Echostar. Neuman most recently served as president of Bell...

Ace Hardware Selects Spacenet For Broadband Connectivity.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2005... Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. announced June 20 that its U.S. subsidiary, Spacenet Inc., was selected by Ace Hardware Corp. to provide satellite broadband network solutions for its 4,800 independent hardware and building materials retailers...

Antrix, EADS Sign Satellite Communications Agreement.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2005... Antrix Corp., the marketing arm of the Indian Space Research Organization, and EADS Astrium will combine their technologies to develop commercial communication satellites, the organizations announced June 17. Communication payloads...

Lockheed Martin Test Fires Second Falcon Hybrid Motor.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2005... Lockheed Martin tested a hybrid rocket motor June 10 as part of the Falcon Small Launch Vehicle program, Lockheed Martin announced. The test, conducted at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., used a...

Eutelsat Selects Aon Explorer For Space Risks Management.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2005... Eutelsat selected Aon Explorer, a department of Aon Conseil & Courtage in France, as its insurance broker. Aon Explorer is a specialized aerospace and telecom consultant that helps customers develop, finance and insure space ventures. ...

Digiweb Acquires Satellite Broadband Business.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2005... Digiweb Ltd. announced June 19 it completed the acquisition of Tiscali's satellite broadband business. The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Digiweb said the acquisition will be seamless to Tiscali's customers and...

Qatar To Be First International Airline With Onboard Satellite TV.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2005... Qatar Airways announced June 19 it would be the first international airline to install live onboard satellite television as part of a $100 million agreement with Lufthansa Technik. The service will be introduced on Qatar Airway's long-haul...

Globecast To Deliver MTV Europe On Hot Bird 6.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2005... Globecast announced June 21 that it would deliver MTV Networks' European channels to cable and satellite television providers across Europe via a dedicated transponder aboard the Hot Bird 6 satellite. Globecast's solution for MTV...

C-Com Delivers Mobile Unit To Nigerian Distributor.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2005... C-Com Satellite Systems Inc. delivered its first iNetVu Mobile unit to Netcom Africa Ltd., a communications infrastructure provider of satellite and wireless broadband in Western Africa, C-Com announced. Netcom will be reselling the...

Dish Network Prepares For U.S. Hurricane Season.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2005... Echostar Communications Corp., which operates the Dish Network direct-to- home satellite television system, is making preparations for what is expected to be another busy hurricane season on the U.S. East Coast, the company said. The...

GCI Taps Glowlink For Satellite Monitoring Equipment.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2005... Glowlink Communications Technology Inc. announced June 21 that GCI, a provider of local cellular and long distance telephone, cable television, Internet and data services in Alaska, awarded Glowlink a contract for a spectrum monitoring...

MDA To Study On Orbit Assembly Of Spacecraft.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2005... MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) received a contract from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to study technology for in- space manufacturing and assembly of a very large optical sensor surface and structure. ...

Iridium Introduces In-Network Service For Communication Between Iridium Terminals.(Brief Article)
June 27, 2005... Iridium Satellite LLC is upgrading and enhancing its in-network service to make it easier for fleet operators to take advantage of the Iridium-to- Iridium calling and the prepaid crew calling programs. Iridium in-network service handles...

C-Com Maintains Low-Key Market Approach.
June 27, 2005... With the broadband satellite services market continuing to grow, C-Com Satellite Systems Inc. is content in letting its product do its talking rather than taking a more direct approach to boosting its market share. This approach is the...