Satellite News articles from September 2006

Satellite News archives from September 2006

Army Awards Satellite Deal To Six Companies.
September 11, 2006... Boeing Co., General Dynamics and four small businesses won the U.S. Army's five-year, $5 billion worldwide satellite systems contract. Datapath of Duluth, Ga.; D&SCI of Eatontown, N.J.; Globecomm Systems of Hauppauge, N.Y.; and...

Lockheed Martin To Sell ILS Stake, Market Atlas 5 Missions On Its Own.
September 11, 2006... Lockheed Martin Corp. will sell its share of the International Launch Services (ILS) joint venture to a consultant who has advised the aerospace and defense giant on the launch venture, Lockheed Martin announced Sept. 7. Lockheed Martin...

NGA, JFCOM Look To Improve Tactical Exploitation Of Imagery.(U.S. Joint Forces Command)(National Geospatial- Intelligence Agency)
September 11, 2006... U.S. Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) and the National Geospatial- Intelligence Agency (NGA) are exploring how to improve the access of individual marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen to imagery-derived intelligence products and are leveraging...

'World's Remotest Island' Sees Fishermen Led To The Net Via Satellite.
September 11, 2006... Some 130 years after the British government claimed the island of Tristan da Cunha as part of its empire, the South Atlantic territory is being officially welcomed to the 21st century, too, thanks to Loral Skynet and Global Crossing. ...

DTH Operators Focus On HD And New Platform Opportunities.
September 11, 2006... There have been some significant events throughout the past few months in the direct-to-home (DTH) market in Europe. A number of pay-TV operators have launched high-definition (HD) services as they look for new ways to gain competitive...

Alcatel Alenia Space Wins Germany Armed Forces Deal.(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Alcatel Alenia Space earned a contract for the next step of the German Armed Forces' satellite communications program Satcom BW Stufe 2 from EADS Astrium, the space segment prime contractor. The contract calls for the design, manufacturing...

Execs See Boost In Satellite Construction.(Olry Gerard, Patrick Agnieray)
September 11, 2006... Satellite manufacturers and launch providers are optimistic about the next several years as demands for replacement satellites and new initiatives will boost a slight increase over earlier expectations for their respective services, industry...

DLR, Astrium Contract For German Satellite TanDEM-X.
September 11, 2006... The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and European satellite manufacturer Astrium GmbH signed an Aug. 30 contract for building the TanDEM-X satellite. Due to launch in 2009 for a five-year operation, the Earth-observing radar satellite...

Eutelsat Signs Alcatel Deal.(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Alcatel Alenia Space has been boosted by the news that Eutelsat will retain it for the design, manufacturing, assembling, tests and on-ground delivery of the W2A satellite. Scheduled for launch in early 2009, the W2A satellite's primary...

Ryanair Announces In-Flight Mobile Access For Airline Passengers.(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Ryanair and Onair announced Aug. 30 a deal calling for Ryanair's entire fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft to be fitted with Onair's onboard mobile- communications product. The Mobile Onair allows passengers to make and receive calls, exchange...

Lockheed Martin To Build NASA's Crew Vehicle.(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... NASA awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin Corp. to lead the design, development and construction of the agency's next-generation crew vehicle, NASA announced Aug. 31. Lockheed Martin will be the prime contractor in the effort to build...

VoIP Venture Begun From DirecTV, Hicks Holdings Deal.(Directpath selects Vistula Communications Services' V-Cube platform)(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Vistula Communications Services, a supplier of voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) services to telecommunications carriers and Internet service providers, today announced the selection of its V-Cube platform by Direcpath to run a pilot...

Comtech Receives $5.5 Million Order From General Dynamics.(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Comtech Telecommunications Corp. announced Sept. 7 that its Orlando, Fla.-based subsidiary, Comtech Systems Inc., has received a $5.5 million order from General Dynamics C4 Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics, for troposcatter modem...

Rural New Zealand To Get Broadband Service.(Brief article)
September 11, 2006... Rural New Zealand is poised to benefit from the launch of satellite broadband service from Orcon Internet. The company announced on Sept. 7 that its new satellite service will complement its existing fixed-line services, and greatly...

Orbiting Wall Street.
September 11, 2006... ISAT.L Inmarsat global mobile satellite services operator and ACeS International Ltd., an Asian hand-held voice satellite services operator, today announced collaboration arrangements to offer low-cost, hand-held and fixed-voice services...

Colorado Senators Seek Probe Over Echostar-DirecTV Rebroadcast Standoff.
September 11, 2006... Colorado's two U.S. senators have asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate a dispute between DirecTV and Echostar over the rebroadcasting of local channels. In a letter dated Aug. 31, Sens. Wayne Allard (R) and Ken Salazar (D)...

DirecTV Signs Deal With Audience Measurement Service.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... DirecTV Inc. signed an agreement with TNS Media Research to launch audience measurement services that will focus on DirecTV interactive subscribers, DirecTV announced Sept. 13. TNS will use aggregated and anonymous click stream data from a...

DirecTV, Echostar Focusing On Interactive Offerings.
September 18, 2006... DirecTV and Echostar have nearly 30 million subscribers in the U.S. between them. While they continue to trail established cable competitors in total subscribers, the two satellite operators also must now focus on the growing competitive...

Telesat Canada Names Goldberg President, CEO; IPO Or Sale Possible.(Daniel Goldberg)
September 18, 2006... The hiring of Daniel Goldberg as president and CEO of Telesat Canada has led to anticipation of an initial public offering (IPO) or private equity sale of the Canadian satellite operator, according to financial analysts familiar with...

NGA Puts New Mobile Imagery Unit Through Paces In Response To Hurricane Ernesto.(United States. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency)
September 18, 2006... If concern about Hurricane Ernesto proved a bit overblown, a new level of preparedness got rolling in the form of the U.S. National Geospatial- Intelligence Agency's (NGA) new Domestic Mobile Integrated Geospatial- Intelligence System (DMIGS)....

Executive Q&A: McGlade: Convergence, IPTV Gaining Momentum.(David McGlade)(Interview)
September 18, 2006... Internet Pro-tocol (IP) TV and high-definition (HD) TV and their potential impact on the satellite industry and telecommunications world as a whole were among the hot topics at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) in Amsterdam....

German Institute To Develop Core Of Ondas Satellite Radio System.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... Ondas Media has awarded a contract to the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Institute (FHG) in Germany to develop the core system for Ondas' planned satellite radio offering in Europe, the company announced Sept. 13. Under the "multimillion euro"...

Telenor To Provide Satellite Communications For Norwegian Service Fleet.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... Telenor Satellite Services will provide maritime broadband communications aboard more than 20 vessels operated by DOF ASA of Storebo, Norway, Telenor announced Sept. 12. The three-year agreement calls for the installation of Telenor's...

Leica Geosystems, Locata Sign Cooperation Agreement.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... Leica Geosystems and Locata Corp. of Australia signed an agreement for the distribution of Locata positioning technology that augments GPS coverage in areas with limited access to the satellite signals, Leica Geosystems announced Sept. 11....

Intelsat Signs On With European Mobile TV, Broadband Services.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... Reti Radiotelevisive Digitali (RRD) has selected Intelsat to support the first commercially available digital video broadcasting-handheld (DVB-H) mobile TV service in Europe. In a Sept. 8 statement by Intelsat, the company will complement...

South Korea Signs Galileo Cooperation Agreement.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... The European Union (EU) signed a cooperation agreement with the government of South Korea covering participation in the Galileo satellite navigation program, the EU announced Sept. 11. The agreement covers joint efforts in the areas of...

Andrew To Distribute Gigasat Antenna Products.(Andrew Corp., Gigasat Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... Andrew Corp. and Gigasat Ltd. signed a multiyear agreement that makes Andrew the exclusive original equipment manufacturer of Gigasat's flyaway antenna family in North America. The Gigasat flyaway antennas, available in 1-meter,...

Intelsat Teams With Telenor To Expand Fiber Network In Europe.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... Intelsat and Telenor Satellite Broadcasting AS have agreed to their respective fiber networks in London, providing customers with expanded, seamless access to new regions and services. Under an agreement announced Sept. 8, Telenor has...

Ice Broadband Acquires Satellite Broadband Provider.
September 18, 2006... Wireless broadband provider Ice Broadband has acquired the assets of Ildana, a provider of satellite broadband services across Ireland, Ice Broadband announced. Established in 2001, Ildana developed a satellite network system to deliver...

Astra Establishes Broadband Satellite Platform.(Astra2Connect)(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... SES Astra has announced its new Astra2Connect service, a triple-play offering of Internet, video and voice services for the residential broadband-by- satellite market. SES Astra President and CEO Ferdinand Kayser said the product was not...

Raytheon Completes NPOESS Segment Acceptance Testing.(National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System)(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... Raytheon announced Sept. 7 that the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP) command, control and communications segment acceptance testing has been completed two months early. ...

Globecomm Rolls Out New Video Services.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... Globecomm is introducing a range of new satellite-based broadcast, cable, direct-to-home and Internet Protocol (IP) TV services for program contribution and distribution, the company announced Sept. 8. Globecomm provides content...

Scopus Strengthens Position In Romanian DTH Market.(direct-to-home )(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... Digital Cable System (DCS) has selected digital broadcast platforms from Scopus Video Networks to support the expansion of direct-to-home (DTH) service in Romania, Scopus announced Sept. 8. DCS, a consortium of Romanian cable companies,...

NDS, SES Americom Combine To Offer New NDS Synamedia Metro IPTV Middleware To U.S. Telcos.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... NDS announced Sept. 8 that SES Americom will distribute NDS Synamedia Metro IPTV middleware to the North American telecommunications market. Digital rights management service provided by NDS Videoguard protects content on 65 million...

Tandberg Television Unveils Next Generation MPEG-4 AVC HD and SD Encoders.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... Tandberg Television debuted its next-generation high-definition (HD) and standard-definition (SD) MPEG-4 AVC encoding services Sept. 7 at the International Broadcasting Conference in Amsterdam. Tandberg Television's new encoders enable...

ND Satcom Wins Greek Deal.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... ND Satcom will deliver components to Greek systems integrator BLK for a satellite newsgathering system, ND Satcom announced Sept. 12. BLK will integrate the Skyray antenna subsystem, a 400-watt Ku-band amplifier and an encoder into a Kia...

ATCI Integrates Flyaway Broadcast System for Tele Cinco.(Antenna Technology Communications Inc.)(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... Antenna Technology Communi-cations Inc. (ATCI) announced Sept. 11 that it has integrated a flyaway broadcast system for Tele Cinco - a television producer in Colombia. Tele Cinco will use the system to transmit programming and events for...

XM Satellite Radio Comes Standard In 2007 Acuras.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... XM Satellite Radio announced that Acura is expanding availability of factory-installed XM radios throughout its 2007 model-year line. According to a Sept. 13 release, XM is standard equipment on all Acura models. In addition, Acura will...

Globalstar Boosts Its Satellite Data Suite In The United States.(Brief article)
September 18, 2006... Globalstar Inc. announced Sept. 12 that it has partnered with software and communications company Ocens to launch a comprehensive suite of data services. Now available to Globalstar's U.S. subscribers, each of the Ocens Mail, Weathernet...

Orbiting Wall Street.(Sirius Satellite Radio Inc., XM Satellite Radio Inc.)
September 18, 2006... SIRI, XMSR A merger of satellite radio operators Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio makes sense in terms of pricing and operations costs, Credit Suisse media equity analyst Bryan Kraft said in a research note. The potential...

Lockheed Martin Sale Of ILS Interest Could Change Face Of Launch Industry.(Space Transport Inc)(International Launch Services )
September 18, 2006... Lockheed Martin Corp.'s plan to unload its controlling share of the International Launch Services (ILS) joint venture has raised questions about the future of ILS and whether the Atlas 5 rocket will be a player in the commercial launch...

Intelsat Reports Anomaly on Intelsat 802 Satellite.(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... Intelsat, Ltd. announced Sept. 22 that its IS-802 satellite, located at 33 degrees E, experienced a sudden and unexpected anomaly on Sept. 21 at approximately 8:27 p.m. E.T. The Intelsat satellite control center reportedly retained...

France's Canalsat, TPS Face Post-Merger Operation Questions.
September 25, 2006... The impending merger of France's two satellite-TV providers -- Canalsat and TPS -- has raised the question about which fixed satellite services (FSS) company will inherit the combined companies' business, along with other marketing and...

SES Americom Primed For IPTV Rollout After Testing, Content Deals.
September 25, 2006... SES Americom's new Internet-protocol (IP) TV service promises "a front- row seat to the next phase of video technology" for more than 30 programmers and networks that have signed deals to distribute content via the system, a company executive...

Spotlight: Satellite Observations Of Greenhouse Gas Prove Loss Of Arctic's Perennial Ice Pack.
September 25, 2006... Santa Claus is getting nervous: Judging from satellite images taken last month, the Arctic's perennial sea ice pack has encountered gaping openings of territory reaching all the way to the North Pole. Observing data from Envisat's...

Executive Q&A: Peckham: Sea Launch, Commercial Industry Enjoying Rebound.(Rob Peckham)(Interview)
September 25, 2006... After a few frustrating years of slow launch rates due to a depressed commercial launch market as well as satellite manufacturing delays, Sea Launch is on target to perform six missions in 2006, a single-year record for the commercial...

NAB Urges XM, Sirius To Pull Wireless Transmitters, Stop Signal Bleed.(National Association of Broadcasters)(XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio)(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) sounded off against signal bleed from satellite radios. On Sept. 21, NAB President and CEO David Rehr urged the heads of XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio to "voluntarily withdraw...

Asia Broadcast Satellite Acquires LMI From Lockheed Martin.
September 25, 2006... Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS), a newly formed satellite operator, announced Sept. 20 the acquisition of Lockheed Martin Space Communications Ventures Ltd. (LMSCV) and Lockheed Martin Intersputnik Ltd. (LMI) from Lockheed Martin Global...

Gilat Brings Satellite Broadband To Nicaragua's Largest Telecom Operator.(Empresa Nicaraguense de Telecomunicaciones, Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd.)(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. announced Sept. 22 that it has been selected by Empresa Nicaraguense de Telecomunicaciones (Enitel) to provide a Skyedge broadband satellite hub station and VSAT terminals. Enitel, Nicaragua's largest...

Iridium Appoints Desch Chairman, CEO.(Matthew Desch, Iridium Satellite LLC)(chief executive officer)(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... Matthew Desch has been named chairman and CEO of Bethesda, Md.-based Iridium Satellite LLC , the company announced Sept. 21. Desch will replace Dan Colussy as CEO of Iridium Satellite and become CEO of Iridium Holdings, its parent...

NASA Partners With Venture Capital Firm.(Red Planet Capital Inc., XR Ventures and EA-Capital Fund)(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... NASA has formed a partnership with San Mateo, Calif.-based Red Planet Capital Inc. to establish a strategic venture capital fund for NASA intended to help the agency gain access to new and innovative technologies through the venture capital...

Air Force Mulls Changes To Space-Based Surveillance Project.
September 25, 2006... The U.S. Air Force is considering changing the acquisition strategy of its Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) program in order to field more on- orbit capabilities sooner with less risk, a senior Air Force space official told sister...

Raytheon Inks Deal For Space Situational Awareness Work.(Raytheon Aircraft Co.)(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... The U.S. Air Force awarded Raytheon a contract valued at nearly $1 million to demonstrate technologies that will improve the United States' ability to monitor objects in space and understand their activities, the company announced. ...

Study: Expendable Launch Vehicle Industry Primed Rebound.(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... A Forecast International study projects that an estimated 682 expendable launch vehicles will be produced throughout the next decade to meet global demand. According to "The World Market for Expendable Launch Vehicles: 2006- 2015," the...

Worldspace Becomes First U.S. Customer For Intraplex Netxpress.(Harris Corp. get contracts from Worldspace Inc.)(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... Harris Corp. announced its first U.S. sale of Intraplex Netxpress, a managed platform for the transport of audio-over-Internet Protocol (IP), to Worldspace Inc., of Silver Spring, Md. In a Sept. 19 statement, Harris announced Worldspace...

SSTL Delivers On-board GPS Receiver To Spacedev.(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) of Guildford, United Kingdom, has delivered the first of four flight SGR-10 GPS receivers to California-based Spacedev, SSTL announced Sept. 20. SSTL's Space GPS Receiver, a 24-channel C/A code...

Eutelsat To Continue HDTV DTT Role In France.(digital terrestrial television )(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... Eutelsat intends to maintain development of digital terrestrial television (DTT) in France. The operator has announced that, following the first series of tests of reception of HDTV through France's DTT network, it is renewing its support for...

Comtech Receives Order For Satellite Communications Network.(Comtech Telecommunications Corp.)(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... Comtech Telecommunications Corp. announced Sept. 19 that its Tempe, Ariz.-based subsidiary, Comtech EF Data Corp., received a $1.9 million satellite communications equipment order from a U.S. government agency to expand a satellite...

Blue Sky Offers Iridium Fix To Existing Magnastar Users.(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... Blue Sky Network (BSN) announced Sept. 19 it will offer existing Magnastar customers special pricing on BSN Iridium satellite communications to minimize downtime. When Verizon announced that its Magnastar Airfone service would be...

Software Simulates Galileo Navigation System.(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... Siemens researchers have developed simulation software to test the precision of Galileo, Europe's fledgling satellite system, though not all of the satellites are yet in position. A collaboration between the European Union and the European...

Echostar Names Vogel President, Han CFO.(Carl Vogel, Bernard Han)(chief financial officer)(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... Echostar Communications Corp.n announced Sept. 18 that Carl Vogel will oversee day-to-day operations as president for Dish Network, effective immediately, while continuing to serve as vice chairman of the company's board of directors. Vogel...

Spacehab Wins $9.5 Million NASA Contract.
September 25, 2006... Spacehab, Inc. announced Sept. 20 that its Astrotech Space Operations subsidiary won a payload-processing services contract from NASA's Kennedy Space Center for payload-processing support on several NASA spacecraft. Under consideration...

Ondas Expands Senior Management Team.(John Yates, Jason Jones, Martin Charman)(Ondas Media)(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... Ondas Media, which plans to launch a satellite radio service in Europe by 2009, has named John Yates senior vice president of network engineering, Jason Jones vice president of broadcast operations and Martin Charman vice president of...

Orbital Promotes Four Executives.(David Low, John Pullen, Gregg Burgess, Sally Richardson)(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... Orbital Sciences Corp. announced Sept. 18 that it was promoting four executives to new positions. David Low will become senior vice president and program manager for the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program; John Pullen will...

U.S. Air Force Selects Ball Aerospace For LEOSS.(Lightweight Electro-Optical Space Sensor)(Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp.)(Brief article)
September 25, 2006... Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. has been selected for phase A of the Lightweight Electro-Optical Space Sensor (LEOSS) program by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, N.M., Ball announced Sept....

Orbiting Wall Street.(briefs)
September 25, 2006... DTV Lost amid widely published speculation last week that Rupert Murdoch might divest his interests in DirecTV were definitive answers about what such a move would mean to the satellite TV industry at large: If Murdoch's News Corp. were...

Satellite Operators Looking At Hybrid Strategies.
September 25, 2006... The market for set-top boxes (STB) that combine Internet Protocol (IP) and direct broadcast service functionality is growing, and Michael Arden, an analyst with ABI Research believes satellite pay-TV operators will increasingly seek these...