Satellite News articles from November 2006

Satellite News archives from November 2006

Northrop Grumman, SpaceX Protest ULA.(Space Exploration Technologies Corp., United Launch Alliance )(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Northrop Grumman Corp. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) filed complaints with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission over pending approval of the United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture to combine the government launch...

Plenty Of Industry Excitement, Some Doubt For S-Band Prospects.(SES Global and Eutelsat S.A plans to jointly develop a new mobile broadcasting system )
November 6, 2006... News of Eutelsat and SES Global's decision to jointly develop a new mobile broadcasting system for Europe is good news for other players such as Alcatel, which is hoping to be a key technology vendor in the mobile-TV space. SES and...

Reforms In Air Force Space Acquisition Showing Results.
November 6, 2006... The "back-to-basics" reforms adopted by the U.S. Air Force within the past year to overhaul how it develops satellite systems are starting to show positive results, the service's program executive officer (PEO) for space said. However,...

Spotlight: Heineken's "Beer Living Lab" Tracks Six-Packs Via Satellite.(intelligent wireless project jointly sponsored by IBM, Heineken, Safmarine and the University of Amsterdam )
November 6, 2006... Giving a whole new meaning to the phrase "beer tabs," an intelligent wireless project jointly sponsored by IBM, Heineken, international shipping company Safmarine and the University of Amsterdam is tracking suds by satellite as a means of...

SES's Bausch Explains Reasons Behind Surprise Eutelsat Tie-Up.(SES Global's Romain Bausch)
November 6, 2006... In one of the most significant announcements of the year in the European satellite industry, traditional rivals SES Global and Eutelsat will team up to launch a satellite-based mobile broadcasting system. The two companies will share the...

Cingular To Offer XM Channels.(Cingular Wireless and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. launched mobile radio services)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Cingular Wireless LLC and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. announced a partnership Nov. 2 to stream 25 XM music channels to Cingular handsets. Beginning Nov. 6, Cingular Wireless customers may choose among 25 audio streams of...

Gilat Wins Portugal Telecom Deal.(Gilat Satellite Networks )(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Gilat Satellite Networks announced Nov. 1 that Portugal Telecom (PT) has selected Gilat's Skyedge broadband satellite hub equipment to serve rural subscribers and enterprise customers. To meet Universal Service Obligation (USO)...

Orange Launches GPS For 3G Phones.(contract with Webraska Mobile Technologies S.A.)(global positioning system)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Orange UK will launch a GPS navigation system for corporate customers that will be powered by Webraska, a provider of mobile GPS navigation systems and geospatial software for wireless carriers and service providers, Webraska announced Nov....

SES Americom Selects IDC's DVB-S2 Receivers For IP-Prime.(International Datacasting Corp., )(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... International Datacasting Corp. and SES Americom announced Nov. 2 the integration of IDC's next-generation DVB-S2 satellite receivers aboard the IP- Prime IPTV service. As part of the agreement, IDC will be the exclusive provider of satellite...

Patriot Antenna Systems Rolls Out New Flyaway Antenna.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Patriot Antenna Systems unveiled Nov. 2 its 1-meter Back-Pack Flyaway Antenna system. The system provides transmit-and-receive operation in Ku- or Ka- band frequencies and is designed for frequent travel. The antenna stores in a durable,...

Qinetiq To Launch Interference Geolocation Service.
November 6, 2006... Qinetiq announced Nov. 1 it is launching a European satellite interference geolocation service intended to deter malicious or accidental disruption of satellite communications services while allowing customers to identify and locate the...

Study Predicts Growth In Commercial Transponder Demand To Hit $8.4 Billion By 2011.
November 6, 2006... The demand for commercial C- and Ku-band capacity will grow globally at an average annual rate of 3.2 percent, Northern Sky Research (NSR) announced Oct. 31. Between 2005 and 2011, capacity equal to nearly 900 additional transponders...

Frost & Sullivan: Latin American Demand For Commercial Satellite Communications Growing.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... The commercial geostationary satellite transponder market produced total revenues of $708.5 billion in Latin America in 2005, and that figure will reach more than $1 trillion by 2012, Frost & Sullivan announced Oct. 31. Though the...

World Teleport Association Ranks Year's Top Operators.(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... The World Teleport Association (WTA) announced Nov. 1 its rankings of the Top Teleport Operators of 2006 in three categories. The Global Top 20 includes satellite and fiber carriers operating teleports, led by Intelsat, SES Global and...

MDA Joins Rocketplane Kistler's COTS Team.(MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.)(commercial orbital transportation services program)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. signed a strategic long-term agreement with Rocketplane Kistler to participate in the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, MacDonald Dettwiler announced Oct. 31. Rocketplane...

Iridium Receives DISA Contract; Completes Test With Marines.
November 6, 2006... Iridium Satellite has announced two new initiatives aimed toward the U.S. military market. The company has approval to provide its 9601 data modem to the U.S. Department of Defense and other approved users through its contract with the...

C-Com Forms Sales Alliance with OrbitIQ.(C-Com Satellite Systems Inc.)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... C-Com Satellite Systems Inc. announced Oct. 31 it has signed a sales partnership agreement with Ottawa-based OrbitIQ, which will assist C-Com in identifying strategically located global sales partners for the C-com- manufactured Inetvu mobile...

Glowlink Receives Patent for Satellite Uplink Power Control Technology.
November 6, 2006... Glowlink announced Oct. 31 that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted the company a patent for satellite uplink power control (UPC) technology. The technology achieves fast and accurate control of transmit power for satellite...

GPSFlight To Provide GPS Tracking For Edwards Air Force Base.(global positioning system)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... GPSFlight, a provider of miniature wireless GPS telemetry, has been selected as a technology provider to Edwards Air Force Base for tracking base personnel and vehicles as they travel in and around the practice bombing range, the company...

Iridium, Omnilink Launch Offering In Brazil.(Iridium Satellite LLC,)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Iridium Satellite LLC announced Oct. 30 that it has launched products and service offerings in Brazil through an alliance with Omnilink. Anatel, the Brazilian telecommunications agency, has confirmed operational authority for the full...

Terrestar Inks Research And Development Deal With DISA.(Terrestar Networks Inc., Defense Information Systems Agency)(Brief article)
November 6, 2006... Terrestar Networks Inc., a provider of 4G mobile communications networks, announced Oct. 30 a cooperative research and development agreement with the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA). Under the agreement, which covers...

Orbiting Wall Street.
November 6, 2006... GSAT Globalstar Inc. priced its initial public offering at $17 per share, the company announced Nov. 2. The company has also added 1 million shares to the offering, bringing the total to 7.5 million shares. The stock has begun...

NASA Administrator Greenlights Mission To Extend Life Of Hubble Space Telescope.(National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
November 6, 2006... NASA's decision to extend the life of the Hubble Space Telescope drew a round of applause from interested lawmakers, companies with a financial stake in the mission and astronomy and space federations. NASA Administrator Mike Griffin...

Corrrection.
November 6, 2006... In "Loral, MHR To Alter Stock Deal Following Investor Complaints," (Satellite News, Oct. 30), Kevin Ciavarra should have been identified as general partner and general counsel of Highland Capital Management LP. [Copyright 2006 Access...

ICO Asks FCC To Delay Satellite Milestones.(ICO Global Communications, Federal Communications Commission)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... ICO Global Communic-ations filed a request with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to extend four milestone dates spelled out in the company's authorization for the construction and launch of the satellite for a hybrid Mobile...

Satellite Imagery Key To Microsoft's Virtual Earth 3D Application.
November 13, 2006... As part of his stand-up act, comedian Steven Wright used to say that he had "a map of the United States, actual size." To see and peruse some of Microsoft's latest plans, that scale may no longer be a joke. Microsoft Corp. launched a new...

Wildblue Hopes Satellite Launch Solves Capacity Problems.
November 13, 2006... The Wildblue-1 satellite has been delivered to the Arianespace spaceport in French Guiana in advanced of its scheduled launch in early December, a move that Wildblue Communications Inc. hopes will help it meet the growing demand for its...

Monitoring Groups Stir Nuclear Weapons Debate Using Satellite Imagery.
November 13, 2006... Experts from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and Federation of American Scientists (FAS) used Google Earth satellite imagery technology to release Nov. 9 an interactive, 3-dimensional map to track nearly 10,000 nuclear warheads...

Ensequence Plans To Expand Satellite Business.
November 13, 2006... While providing services for operators across all platforms, interactive TV software company Ensequence hopes to strengthen its role in the satellite pay-TV industry by helping operators deploy the latest advanced interactive services,...

DirecTV Post Gains; Echostar Profit Slips.
November 13, 2006... DirecTV Group Inc. reported Nov. 8 that its third quarter revenues increased 13 percent to $3.7 billion in the 2006 third quarter, while net income more than tripled to $370 million, the company announced. In the same period in 2005, it...

Arianespace Receives Launch Contract From Terrestar.
November 13, 2006... Arianespace and Terrestar Networks Inc., a mobile communications operator and subsidiary of Motient Corp., signed Nov. 8 a launch-on-demand contract for the Terrestar 1 satellite and up to two more spacecraft. The contract calls for up...

ILS Proton Launches Arabsat's Badr-4 Satellite.(International Launch Services)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... The Badr-4 satellite was launched from Kazakhstan Nov. 8 aboard a Russian Proton rocket, International Launch Services (ILS) announced Built by Astrium and owned by the Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Arabsat), Badr-4 will be...

Space Systems/Loral Delivers Wildblue-1 For December Launch.(contracts with Arianespace)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... Space Systems/Loral announced Nov. 9 that it has delivered the Wildblue-1 satellite to Arianespace in preparation for its scheduled launch in early December. Wildblue-1, built for Wildblue Communications Inc., is among the first...

ATK Joins Rocketplane Kistler COTS Team.(Commercial Orbital Transportation Services)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... ATK will become the lead contractor for Rocketplane Kistler's K-1 launch vehicle, the companies announced Nov. 8. ATK will provide vehicle development, assembly, integration and test of the launch system as well as conduct launch and...

Microsat Readies To Launch Tacsat-2 In December.(Microsat Systems Inc.)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... Microsat Systems Inc. announced Nov. 8 the completion of spacecraft system testing and the delivery of the responsive satellite bus, Tacsat-2, scheduled for a Dec. 11 launch. The microsatellite features 11 experiments that will be...

Frost & Sullivan Analyzes Asian Pacific VSAT Markets.(very small aperture terminals)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... The VSAT market in the Asia-Pacific region has grown steadily even as markets in other regions have begun to slow, Frost & Sullivan announced Nov. 8 The company reported that total installed sites for all VSAT applications in the region...

Raytheon Achieves Satellite Communications, GPS Milestones.(Global Positioning System)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... Raytheon Co. announced having reached two technological milestones. Raytheon's Navy Multiband Terminal (NMT) is the first advanced, next- generation satellite communications system to log onto and communicate with the U.S. government's...

Norsat Teams With TC Communications In Australia.
November 13, 2006... Norsat International Inc., a provider of compact portable satellite terminals, and TC Communications, a provider of integrated satellite communications systems, have formed a strategic partnership, Norsat announced Nov. 3. TC Communications...

DirecTV Creates In-House Advertising Sales Team.
November 13, 2006... In a move designed to signal an aggressive, new strategy to generate more national ad sales and revenue, DirecTV announced Nov. 7 it is streamlining its advertising sales division by bringing the entire operation in-house. DirecTV will...

C2Sat Awarded Stabilized VSAT Order.(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... C2Sat announced Nov. 7 that it will equip a GG505 Polar vessel with a C2Sat stabilized VSAT antenna. "It is a revolution having the C2SAT system installed," Lars-Uno Bryngeld, captain of GG505 Polar, said in a statement. "The ship...

Nigeria Orders DMC Spacecraft From Surrey Satellite.(National Space Research and Development Agency of Nigeria contracts with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd.)(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. signed a contract with the National Space Research and Development Agency of Nigeria for a small Earth observation satellite, Surrey Satellite announced Nov. 6. Nigeriasat-2 will be based upon a new...

Boeing Delta 4 Launches Military Weather Satellite.(Brief article)
November 13, 2006... A Boeing Delta 4 rocket placed a Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellite into orbit for the U.S. Air Force, Boeing announced Nov. 4. The launch of DMSP-17 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., was the second West Coast...

Clarification.(Correction notice)
November 13, 2006... In "Loral, MHR To Alter Stock Deal Following Investor Complaints," (SN, Oct. 30), Kevin Ciavarra should have been identified as Highland Capital's general counsel. [Copyright 2006 Access Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved.]

Orbiting Wall Street.
November 13, 2006... Paris, Lux:SESG SES Global posted revenues of 481.18 million euros in its 2006 third quarter, a 54 percent increase from revenues of 313 million euros in the same period a year ago, the company announced. SES reported a profit of 132...

Revenue, Subscriber Gains Help Sirius, XM Cut Losses In 2006 Third Quarter.
November 13, 2006... Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio both posted smaller third- quarter net losses as subscriber growth helped boost revenue gains for both companies. Sirius posted revenue of $167.1 million in the 2006 third quarter, up 150...

Arqiva To Acquire BT Satellite Broadcast Business.(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... Arqiva reached an agreement Nov. 17 to acquire the full-time service components of BT's Satellite Broadcast Services business for 25 million British pounds ($47.2 million) in cash. The Satellite Broadcast Service unit provides full-time...

ICO Satellite Delay Raises Questions About ATC Market.(ICO Global Communications, ancillary terrestrial components)
November 20, 2006... A request by ICO Global Communications to delay construction of its geostationary satellite means the company's plans to launch a hybrid satellite- terrestrial communications system will be pushed back even further, and could indicate that...

Satellite Failure, Panamsat Acquisition Lead To Intelsat Loss.
November 20, 2006... Restructuring cost and higher interest expense related to the acquisition of Panamsat Corp. and the September failure of a satellite serving the Africa and the Indian Ocean region helped contribute to a third quarter loss for Intelsat Ltd.,...

GPS-Equipped Pigeons Track Pollution On The Wing.
November 20, 2006... Pigeons might get a dirty reputation from anyone who's looked closely at the base of a statue in a big-city park, but some California carriers are doing their share to fight air pollution. Inspired by a famous, century-old photograph of a...

DTH CEOs Seek Expansion Beyond Satellite Roots.(direct to home,)(Modern Times Group MTG AB's Hans-Holger Albrecht)(Canal Digital's Christian Albech)(Interview)
November 20, 2006... While in most markets in western Europe - i.e., France, Italy and Spain - consolidation has taken place in recent years, among DTH operators in the Nordic markets, competition between the operators Viasat and Canal Digital is alive and well....

Protostar Closes On $210 Million Satellite Financing.(from China Telecommunications Broadcast Satellite Corp.)(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... Protostar Ltd. closed a $210 million financing round that will fund the purchase and launch of its first satellite, the company announced Nov. 15. Protostar is developing a constellation of geostationary satellites to provide service to...

NASA Broadcasts First HDTV Program From Space.(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... The first HDTV broadcast from space, featuring crew members of the International Space Station's Expedition 14, was received Nov. 15 and carried by Discovery Channel's HD Theater and Japanese broadcast network NHK and shown at Discovery...

Stratos, Seamobile Sign Strategic Alliance.
November 20, 2006... Stratos Global Corp. has signed a strategic alliance agreement with Seamobile Enterprises to deliver GSM and CDMA wireless voice and data to the U.S. government and military markets, Stratos announced Nov. 16. Under the agreement, the two...

Sunoco Extends Network Services Contract With Spacenet.
November 20, 2006... Sunoco has signed a five-year enterprise networking-services contract extension in which Spacenet will provide upgraded satellite networking and managed services at approximately 900 company-owned retail stores across the United States,...

Lockheed Martin Completes GPS 3 Review.(contracts with U.S. Air Force)(Global Positioning System)(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... Lockheed Martin has finished its system requirements review for the U.S. Air Force's next-generation GPS Block 3 system, the company announced Nov. 16. Lockheed Martin conducted the review under a $10 million follow-on to a 2004 concept...

AT&T To Provide Satellite Services To Nlets.(National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Inc.)(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... Nlets, a Phoenix-based supplier of secure, interstate, justice and public-safety network systems, announced Nov. 14 a one-year contract choosing AT&T as its satellite services provider. AT&T will provide a frame relay system, satellite...

NASA Selects French Sallite Platform For Catalog.
November 20, 2006... NASA has selected Proteus -- a low-Earth orbit (LEO) multipurpose platform developed in cooperation with the French space agency CNES -- as part of NASA's Rapid Spacecraft Development Office (RSDO) catalog, Alcatel Alenia Space announced Nov....

SES Astra Signs Deal With French News Channel.(with Globecast)(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... SES Astra and SES New Skies have inked a deal to broadcast France 24, a new French channel for international news, on an Astra satellite at 19.2 degrees East for Europe and on the NSS-7 satellite at 22 degrees West for Africa. The deal...

Arabsat Wins Iraqi Deal.(Arab Satellite Communications Organization)(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... Arabsat has begun broadcasting a bouquet of 11 Iraqi TV channels via Arabsat's constellation at 26 degrees East. The deal will enable the channels to be broadcast to Middle Eastern and North African audiences of 130 million viewers via...

Discovery HD Launched In Europe Via Intelsat.(Discovery Communications Inc., high definition television)(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... Discovery Communications Inc. will use Intelsat's PAS-12 satellite to provide Discovery HD in Europe, Intelsat announced Nov. 16. "High-definition in Europe is fast-growing, and as the leader in HD programming, Discovery will continue to...

Helius Earns IPTV Patent.
November 20, 2006... Helius Inc. announced Nov. 16 its has been awarded a patent by the U.S. Patent Office covering the integration of high-bandwidth satellite networks with corporate data networks. The technology enables businesses to create their own IPTV...

U.S. To Support Modernization Of India's Airways.(Federal Aviation Authority contracts with India's Ministry of Civil Aviation)(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... A satellite-based navigation system to facilitate seamless air travel across the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans will be among improvements made through a Nov. 13 deal between the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and India's...

Wildblue Enterprise Adds NRTC As Value-Added Reseller.(National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative, Wildblue Enterprise Solutions )(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... The National Rural Telecom-munications Cooperative (NRTC) has joined the Wildblue Enterprise Solutions roster of value-added resellers (VARs) in the enterprise market, the company announced Nov. 13. Wildblue Enterprise Solutions offers...

EMS Satcom, Vitrociset Belgium To Create Satellite Service Provider.(Creaction International )(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... EMS Satcom signed a memorandum of understanding with Vitrociset Belgium and Creaction International to develop a new satellite communications service to offer airtime services and equipment in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, the...

Measat-3 Satellite Arrives In Kazakhstan For December Launch.(International Launch Services and Boeing Space Systems)(Brief article)
November 20, 2006... The Measat-3 communications satellite has been shipped to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan from Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems' satellite- manufacturing facility in El Segundo, California, Boeing reported Nov. 14. Measat-3...

Orbiting Wall Street.(Shin Satellite PCL, Hughes Communications Inc. and Inmarsat Holdings Ltd. third quarter revenue sales)
November 20, 2006... ISAT.L Inmarsat Holdings Ltd. recorded revenue of $129.2 million in the 2006 third quarter, up 8 percent from the same period a year ago, the company said. The recently launched Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) service has...

Satellite Manufacturing Gains Help Loral Post Third Quarter Profit.
November 20, 2006... Nearly a year after emerging from bankruptcy, Loral Space & Communications Inc. posted a profit in its 2006 third quarter as revenues jumped 42 percent, the company announced Nov. 13. Driven by an upturn in the commercial satellite...

To Our Readers.
November 20, 2006... In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, there will be no Nov. 27 edition of Satellite News. Our next edition will appear Dec. 4. [Copyright 2006 Access Intelligence, LLC. All rights reserved.]