Satellite Today articles from April 2003

Satellite Today archives from April 2003

Boeing Delta II Deploys GPS Satellite.
April 1, 2003... A Boeing [NYSE: BA]-built Delta II rocket deployed a Global Positioning System satellite Monday for the U.S. Air Force. GPS IIR-9 was launched aboard a Delta II launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., at 5:09 p.m. EST. ...

MTN Signs Distribution Agreement with Xantic.
April 1, 2003... Maritime Telecommunications Network (MTN), a provider of satellite-based communications to cruise ships and offshore oil rigs, has signed a marketing and distribution agreement with Xantic, a Dutch satellite communication provider offering...

ESA Launch Maxus 5 From Artic Circle.
April 1, 2003... The European Space Agency's Maxus 5 sounding rocket mission was launched today at 6 GMT from Esrange, north of the Arctic Circle near Kiruna in northern Sweden. The rocket, an 11.5-ton, solid-fueled Castor 4B, carried a 488 kilogram...

Internet Satellite Platform Signs Up 300 Partners For SatXpress.
April 1, 2003... Internet Satellite Platform (ISAT), an affiliate of SES Americom, has signed up more than 300 partners for its SatXpress one-way satellite Internet access service. The wholesale broadband product combines standards-based satellite technology...

Envivio, KenCast Team to Offer Secure MPEG-4 Digital Delivery System.
April 1, 2003... Envivio, which develops MPEG-4 broadcast and streaming products, and satellite multicast systems provider KenCast have signed an agreement to provide a secure MPEG-4 distribution product for government and military applications, as well as for...

Top Satellite Executives To Participate In PBI Media Webinar.
April 1, 2003... SATELLITE TODAY invites you and your team to join us on Tuesday, April 29, from noon-1:30 PM EST for an exclusive Webinar: "From Broadcast To Broadband: Seizing the Next Satellite Business Opportunity." In just 90 minutes, we'll put you in...

Loral Completes Merger of Skynet, CyberStar.
April 2, 2003... Loral Space & Communications [NYSE: LOR] said that it has completed integrating its Loral Skynet and Loral CyberStar units into a new Loral Skynet that will offer a combination of fixed satellite and network services from a single source. ...

Intelsat Carries HDTV Programming from Antarctica to Japan.
April 2, 2003... Using Intelsat's satellite capacity and Japan Telecom's [Tokyo: 9434] antenna facilities, Japanese broadcaster NHK is delivering programming from the Showa base in Antarctica to households in Japan. NHK has set up its highdefinition TV...

Lagardere Named EDS Chairman.
April 2, 2003... Arnaud Lagardere has been named co-chairman of European aerospace giant EDS. He will replace Jean-Luc Lagardere, who died on March 14. French holding company Sogeade (which includes French high-tech firm Lagardere and the French state) holds 30...

Sanchez Appointed GlobeCast Asia CEO.
April 2, 2003... Darby Sanchez has been named CEO of GlobeCast Asia, a unit of satellite service provider GlobeCast (Paris), a France Telecom [NYSE: FTE] unit. As CEO of GlobeCast Asia, Sanchez will be responsible for overall direction and management of the...

RT Logic Gets USAF Contract for Portable Ground Processing Units.
April 2, 2003... Integral Systems [Nasdaq: ISYS] subsidiary RT Logic has won a follow-on contract with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to supply portable universal ground processing units for use in satellite communications. During the initial phase...

Noteworthy.
April 2, 2003... Satellite Entertainment 2003 April 30, 2003 Monterey, California An elite lineup of conference speakers, including FCC Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy, will examine the key elements representing the rapidly growing direct...

FCC Yanks Loral's Ka-band Licenses.
April 3, 2003... The Federal Communications Commission has pulled Ka-Band licenses held by Loral Space and Communications [NYSE: LOR] because it failed to meet license milestones. In an order released Tuesday, the FCC voided Loral's Ka-band authorizations at...

U.S. Court Denies Injunction Against Azteca's Coverage.
April 3, 2003... A U.S. district court has denied EchoStar Communications' [Nasdaq: DISH] request for a preliminary injunction against Spanish language TV programming company TV Azteca. The injunction would have prevented TV Azteca (Mexico City) from directly...

Telenor Offers Airtime To Encourage Digital Switch.
April 3, 2003... Telenor Satellite Services is offering up to $3,000 of airtime to maritime customers who upgrade their satellite communications from the aging Inmarsat A analog service to the Fleet F77 digital voice and data technology. Telenor's Fleet...

Fastrax, Savox Team On GPS Receiver.
April 3, 2003... Global Positioning System receiver developer Fastrax and Savox Communications, a telecom accessory product provider, have teamed up for a new GPS accessory for TETRA (terrestrial trunked radio) terminals. The GPS accessory developed by...

Oregon's TriMet Uses NetScout For GPS Tracking.
April 3, 2003... NetScout Systems [Nasdaq: NTCT], a provider of network performance management products, announced that Tri-County Metropolitan Transit Agency (TriMet), the public transportation system in the Portland, Ore., area, is using its nGenius...

Star Choice Beefs Up DTH Offerings.
April 3, 2003... Star Choice Communications [NYSE: SJR] has improved the programming, technology and services offered to its direct-to-home (DTH) satellite television customers with the addition of new audio and video channels, expansion of HDTV programming,...

Correction.
April 3, 2003... In the April 3 issue, SATELLITE TODAY incorrectly identified the European aerospace firm that recently named Arnaud Lagardere as its chairman. The company is EADS, which stands for European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. [Copyright 2003...

Hispasat CEO Warns Of Lower Revenues.
April 4, 2003... Spanish fixed satellite service (FSS) operator Hispasat expects to see very little, if any, revenue growth in 2003. The operator, which targets Portuguese and Spanish speaking markets in Europe and Latin America, could be in for a tough year....

XM Delivers On Subscriber Promises.
April 4, 2003... XM Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: SIRI] has turned meeting expectations into a habit welcomed by Wall Street. The satellite-radio-services company (Washington, D.C.) did it again this week when it posted 483,000 subscribers through the first quarter...

European Space Agency, Hungary Expand Space Ties.
April 4, 2003... The European Space Agency and the Hungarian government are expanding their cooperation in the exploration and commercial use of space through an agreement the two sides will sign on Monday. Under this agreement, Hungary will take part in ESA...

ILS Readies Launch of AsiaSat 4 Bird.
April 4, 2003... International Launch Services is getting ready to launch the AsiaSat 4 communications satellite April 10 aboard an Atlas III rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The AsiaSat 4, a 8,911 pound Boeing 601HP satellite, is set to be...

Eutelsat, GlobeCast Launch Transatlantic IP Platform.
April 4, 2003... Eutelsat and GlobeCast have signed a deal to jointly market the first Atlantic Bird 3 broadcast and IP platform at GlobeCast's New York teleport and broadcast center. The platform will use capacity on Atlantic Bird 3 to provide a...

Wall Street Firm Is Bullish On Digital Angel.
April 4, 2003... Melhado, Flynn & Associates, which recently initiated coverage of Digital Angel [AMEX: DOC], is recommending that investors buy the company's stock. Digital Angel (St. Paul, Minn.) supplies devices that enable people, pets and valuables to be...

RF Neulink Introduces Wireless Transceiver Family.
April 4, 2003... RF Industries' [Nasdaq:RFIL] Neulink Division introduced the NL6000 wireless transceiver family of radio modems. The NL6000 telemetry applications include data terminals, water management, remote data logging, oil and gas monitoring, irrigation...

Harris Gets $3.2M Contract To Upgrade NOAA System.
April 7, 2003... Harris Corp. [NYSE: HRS] (Colorado Springs, Colo.), which supplies satellite communications equipment and integrated network control and support systems, landed a $3.2 million contract with Integral Systems [Nasdaq: ISYS] to support the design,...

ESA, Japan's NASDA Complete Data Relay Tests.
April 7, 2003... The European Space Agency's experimental satellite Artemis has successfully transmitted data from the Japanese earth observation satellite Adeos II, ESA announced Monday. ESA and Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA) had earlier...

Helius Signs Globecomm To Expand Satellite IP Availability.
April 7, 2003... Satellite communications products provider Globecomm Systems [Nasdaq: GCOM] (Hauppauge, N.Y.) has joined Helius' strategic alliance program. Helius (Lindon, Utah) provides satellite broadband routing. The Helius program integrates products...

Newell Named Account Manager at EMS' SATCOM.
April 7, 2003... Stephen Newell has been named senior account manager at EMS Technologies' SATCOM Aeronautical Group in Ottawa, Ontario. Newell will represent EMS' products to Gulfstream Aerospace, the U.S. military and other large aircraft refinishing centers....

Belgacom Selects SkyStream's Mediaplex Router.
April 7, 2003... Belgacom will use SkyStream Networks' Mediaplex 20 video services router to deliver Internet and streaming services via satellite to its business customers, especially Internet service providers. Belgacom is a Belgian provider of telecom...

PanAmSat Extends Contracts With Broadcasters.
April 7, 2003... PanAmSat [Nasdaq: SPOT] recently expanded its North American operations through long-term and multi-year contracts with Starz Encore, Rigler Deutsch and HDNet. PanAmSat's contracts with the three companies support the delivery of content to...

Cornerstone Extends Bandwidth Agreement With SES Americom.
April 7, 2003... SES Americom, an SES Global [Luxembourg: SESG] unit, has signed a multiyear agreement with Pittsburgh, Pa.-based Cornerstone TeleVision Network to lease C-band capacity on AMC-4 to distribute its religious programming services to broadcast...

PBI Media Launches Telecom Policy Publication.
April 7, 2003... Responding to the growing need in the telecom industry for improved guidance on regulatory and policy issues, PBI Media today launches Telecom Policy Report. This weekly newsletter is tailored to telecom industry executives, lawyers, government...

Boeing, Ball Team On Satellite-Based Laser Communications.
April 8, 2003... Boeing [NYSE:BA] is teaming with Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. to develop laser technologies that will be used for satellite communications. Under the terms of the agreement, Boeing and Ball Aerospace will jointly market laser...

Japanese Satellite Takes Images of Space Debris.
April 8, 2003... As a first step in collecting space debris, the National Space Development Agency of Japan's (NASDA) satellite, mu-Lab Sat, last month captured images of a small target jettisoned from the satellite. mu-Lab Sat, whose mass is only 50...

NavCom Signs Distribution Accord With Navtech GPS Supply.
April 8, 2003... NavCom Technology (Redondo Beach, Calif.) has signed a sales representation and distribution agreement with Navtech Seminars & GPS Supply Co. to make NavCom's line of StarFire dual-frequency GPS receivers more widely available throughout North...

Inforetech Wireless, Club Concepts Sign $7 Million GPS Golf Contract.
April 8, 2003... Club Concepts, a golf management and marketing agency, has signed a contract with Inforetech Wireless Technology [OTCBB:WYRE], a Vancouver, British Columbia-based manufacturer of GPS devices for the golf industry, to acquire distribution rights...

EMS Delivers Second Hub To Loral For High-Speed Internet Access.
April 8, 2003... EMS Satellite Networks, an Atlanta, Ga.-based design and manufacturer of wireless, satellite and defense products [Nasdaq: ELMG], has delivered a second DVB-RCS hub to Loral Skynet, located in Bedminster, N.J. Skynet will use both hubs to...

Elop Systems To Team With AeroAstro To Develop Small Satellites and Components.
April 8, 2003... Elop Electro-Optics Industries, a subsidiary of Israeli-based defense electronics company Elbit Systems [Nasdaq: ESLT], has agreed to join Ashburn, Va.-based AeroAstro in manufacturing low-cost satellite systems and components. With the...

Top Satellite Executives To Participate In PBI Media Webinar.
April 8, 2003... SATELLITE TODAY invites you and your team to join us on Tuesday, April 29, from noon-1:30 PM EST for an exclusive Webinar: "From Broadcast To Broadband: Seizing the Next Satellite Business Opportunity." In just 90 minutes, we'll put you in...

Noteworthy.
April 8, 2003... Don't miss the International Space University's 8th Annual International Symposium: "Satellite Navigation Systems: Policy, Commercial and Technical Interaction" to be held in Strasbourg, France from May 26 - 28. The symposium will differ from...

Arianespace Flight 160 Rescheduled For Tonight.
April 9, 2003... Arianespace is expected to carry out a dual-payload launch Wednesday evening to lift PanAmSat's [Nasdaq: SPOT] Galaxy XII and India's INSAT 3A satellites into orbit, following a one day delay caused by "minor" technical issues with the Indian...

FT Mobile Satellite, Japan's KDDI Team On Inmarsat Service.
April 9, 2003... France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications and KDDI have signed a partnership that will allow the French operator to offer global coverage to its Inmarsat customers with value-added services in Asia and the Pacific region. Since...

Orbcomm To Provide Communications For Container Monitoring.
April 9, 2003... Northrop Grumman [NYSE: NOC] has signed an agreement with Orbcomm, a Dulles, Va.-based satellite communications provider, for Orbcomm to provide data transmission services through its low-orbit satellite network for container tracking and...

Is Canal+ Technologies Looking To Buy?
April 9, 2003... Canal+ Technologies CEO Francois Carayol expects conditional access and middleware technology vendor to play a key role in industry consolidation. He pointed to Thomson Multimedia's acquisition of Canal+ Technologies from the Canal+ Group last...

MTN To Provide WiFi Services To Holland America.
April 9, 2003... Maritime Telecommunications Network (MTN), a Miramar, Fla.-based provider of satellite-based communications to the cruise and offshore oil and gas rigs, has signed an agreement with Holland America Line to provide wireless technology to its...

Space Imaging Signs Up Four Brazilian Distributors.
April 9, 2003... Space Imaging, a Thornton, Colo.-based provider of Earth imagery and related services to commercial and government markets, has signed contracts with four Brazilian companies - Engesat, GisPlan, Infostrata and Threetek - to distribute satellite...

Telesat, Storm Internet Services Team To Bring Broadband To Rural Canada.
April 9, 2003... Telesat Canada and Storm Internet Services, an Ottawa, Canada-based subsidiary of International Datacasting [Toronto: IDC], are teaming to provide satellite-based broadband services to rural and remote areas of Canada. The township of North...

News Corp Guarantees Program Access To Get Hughes.
April 10, 2003... News Corp's [NYSE: NWS] much anticipated deal to acquire General Motors [NYSE: GM] subsidiary Hughes Electronics [NYSE: GMH] could stumble over the issue of program access when U.S. regulators review it. To head off regulatory opposition, News...

Satellite Executives Bullish On Broadband.
April 10, 2003... LAS VEGAS--Satellite-delivered broadband services will gain a U.S. market niche despite fierce competition from regional telephone companies and cable TV system operators, top satellite industry experts said at the National Association of...

General Dynamics Lands $300M Satellite Communications Contract.
April 10, 2003... The U.S. Army has selected General Dynamics Decision Systems, a unit of Falls Church, Va.-based General Dynamics [NYSE: GD], to integrate a voice and data communications system called the secure enroute communications packageimproved...

International Datacasting To Provide Satellite Datacasting To Canadian Forces.
April 10, 2003... International Datacasting [Toronto: IDC] has won a contract to provide satellite datacasting services to Canadian forces deployed overseas. The oneyear, C$3.6 million (US$2.47 million) contract calls for the distribution via satellite of...

Ariane 5 Successfully Deploys Birds Into Space.
April 10, 2003... On Wednesday evening, the Ariane 5 rocket launched into geosynchronous orbit Galaxy XII, the first of three Orbital Sciences satellites built for Wilton, Conn.-based PanAmSat. The rocket left the Guiana Space Center site in Kourou, French...

CSI Wireless Reaches GPS Supply Agreement with AGCO.
April 10, 2003... CSI Wireless [Toronto: CSY] has reached an agreement to supply aftermarket agricultural GPS-based guidance systems to AGCO [NYSE: AG], a Duluth, Ga.-based manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment. Financial terms were not...

High Winds Delay ILS Launch of AsiaSat 4.
April 11, 2003... International Launch Services postponed its launch of the AsiaSat 4 satellite aboard an Atlas III rocket until today at 8:08 p.m. (EDT) because of high winds. ILS had scheduled the launch for Thursday at 8:09 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Air Force...

Canal Satellite To Ramp Up Pilotime Campaign.
April 11, 2003... French pay TV operator Canal Satellite will launch a concerted TV campaign to promote the benefits of its new Pilotime service being offering to its subscriber base in France. Laurent de Camas, Canal Satellite's vice president of marketing,...

Arianespace, Indian Space Agency Ink Launch Accord.
April 11, 2003... Arianespace and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are expanding their relationship after the successful launch of ISRO's INSAT-3A communications satellite aboard the Ariane 5 rocket earlier this week. Arianespace will be...

NOAA To Build $61M Satellite Operations Center.
April 11, 2003... The U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has broken ground on a $61 million satellite operations center that will house $50 million in high-tech equipment. Once completed, NOAA will move from its World War II-era...

Triaton To Install VSAT Network For German Foreign Ministry.
April 11, 2003... The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs has hired Krefed, Germany-based Triaton to install a satellite-supported very small aperture terminal (VSAT) network between the main office in Berlin office and foreign offices in countries with poor...

Top Satellite Executives To Participate In PBI Media Webinar.
April 11, 2003... SATELLITE TODAY invites you and your team to join us on Tuesday, April 29, from noon-1:30 PM EDT for an exclusive Webinar: "From Broadcast To Broadband: Seizing the Next Satellite Business Opportunity." In just 90 minutes, we'll put you in...

HNS Signs Contracts With GTECH Worth $24M.
April 14, 2003... Hughes Network Systems (HNS), a unit of Hughes Electronics [NYSE: GMH] that provides broadband satellite services, has signed two technology and service contracts valued at $24 million with GTECH [NYSE: GTK]. Under a seven-year technology...

AIRIA Selects Telenor To Supply Ground Segment.
April 14, 2003... AIRIA, a venture of London-based Inmarsat Ventures, is moving ahead with plans to deliver live television services onboard aircraft. The latest step involved the delivery of transmission equipment for use at Telenor Satellite Services'...

ILS Blasts AsiaSat 4 Into Orbit.
April 14, 2003... International Launch Services boosted AsiaSat 4, a high-power Boeing Satellite Systems 601HP spacecraft, into orbit aboard an Atlas IIIB vehicle on Friday at 8:47 p.m. EDT. The spacecraft separated from the launch vehicle approximately 30...

MDA Awarded Space Mission Feasibility Study.
April 14, 2003... MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates [Toronto: MDA] has inked a deal with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to undertake a study which evaluates a tandem topographic mission with the RADARSAT-2 radar imagery satellite. The total value of the...

Amstrad Signs STB Deal With BSkyB.
April 14, 2003... Amstrad, a U.K.-based supplier of digital satellite receivers, has signed two manufacture and supply agreements with British satellite broadcaster BSkyB. One is to supply Sky+ set-top boxes, and the second is to provide a new Sky branded...

ESA Inks Deal With CNES for ATV Control Center.
April 14, 2003... The European Space Agency plans to sign an accord this Thursday with the French space agency (CNES) for joint development and operations of an automated transfer vehicle (ATV) control center in Toulouse, France. The main functions of the...

Wall Street Likes Hughes Results.
April 15, 2003... Hughes Electronics [NYSE: GMH] outperformed the expectations of key Wall Street analysts, according to it 2003 first-quarter results released Monday. Hughes, the parent company of DirecTV, Hughes Network Systems and PanAmSat [Nasdaq:...

Orbital Ships OrbView-3 Satellite to Vandenberg Launch Site.
April 15, 2003... Orbital Sciences [NYSE: ORB] has shipped the OrbView-3 imaging satellite to a launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), Calif., where the spacecraft will be attached to and integrated with Orbital's Pegasus launch vehicle that will carry...

Harris Completes DoD Ka-Band Antenna Testing.
April 15, 2003... Satellite communications equipment manufacturer Harris [NYSE: HRS] has completed testing the first of three ship-sets of Ka-band spot antennas it will supply to Boeing Satellite Systems as part of the Department of Defense wideband gapfiller...

Israeli University to Buy Integral's Downlink System.
April 15, 2003... The Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, part of Ben Gurion University in Israel, has purchased Integral Systems' [Nasdaq: ISYS] Skylight direct-broadcast ground terminal for receiving and processing satellite Earth science data. The...

Marlink Lands Contract With Radisson Cruises.
April 15, 2003... Marlink, an Oslo, Norway-based unit of Telenor Satellite Services, has signed a three-year agreement with Radisson Seven Seas Cruises to provide complete onboard satellite communications for the Radisson Diamond. The Diamond joins other...

Gilat's Spacenet Provides Broadband Access for Dairy Queen.
April 15, 2003... Gilat Satellite Networks' [Nasdaq: GILTF] U.S. subsidiary Spacenet has been selected by International Dairy Queen (IDQ) to provide satellite-based broadband connectivity for its restaurant brands, including Dairy Queen/Brazier restaurants,...

Sirius Embraces Niche Market With Unique Channel.
April 15, 2003... New York-based satellite radio operator Sirius Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: SIRI] is unveiling what it believes is the first national radio channel aimed at gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual listeners. Market research has found that people...

DigitalGlobe Helps U.S. Manage Walrus Populations.
April 16, 2003... DigitalGlobe's QuickBird satellite imagery is being used to support a wildlife observation study in Bristol Bay and the Bering Sea, Alaska. The imagery, purchased by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the Marine Mammals Management Office,...

EUMETSAT Selects Equant to Link Earth Stations.
April 16, 2003... Equant [NYSE: ENT], a provider of data and IP services for multinational businesses, will deploy an IP virtual private network for EUMETSAT to process crucial weather data gathered from international meteorological satellites. Based in...

I-cubed Supplies Mosaic of Middle East for Media.
April 16, 2003... Geospatial engineering company I-cubed has developed a satellite image mosaic of the Middle East for use by the media covering the Iraq conflict. The mosaic includes Bahrain, Iraq, Israel/the West Bank, Jordan, Kuwait and Syria, and portions of...

Japanese Satellite TV Provider Takes Stake in Dream Stage.
April 16, 2003... Japanese digital satellite TV provider SKY PerfecTV! has taken a minority stake in Dream Stage Entertainment (DSE), a Los Angeles-based martial arts program provider. In conjunction with the investment, DSE Managing Director Nobuyuki...

CSI Wireless Supplies GPS Products For USDA.
April 16, 2003... CSI Wireless [Toronto: CSY], a Canadian manufacturer of wireless and GPS technologies, has received a $3-million purchase order from 3-D Marketing, a U.S. firm, for its MBX-3S differential (DGPS) beacon receiver. 3-D Marketing uses the MBX-3S...

NTT DoCoMo Launching GPS Handset Sales.
April 16, 2003... Japan's NTT DoCoMo announced Wednesday that it would begin marketing its first GPS-compatible handset, dubbed F661i, on Tuesday. The mobile phone features a one-touch GPS button that lets users pinpoint their locations, within a radius of 50...

Boeing Awarded $31M GPS Contract to ITT.
April 17, 2003... Boeing Integrated Defense Systems has awarded ITT Industries' [NYSE: ITT] Aerospace/Communication Division (A/CD) a contract with a potential value $31 million to upgrade 12 Global Positioning System (GPS) Block IIF satellites. The GPS...

SeaSpace, Taiwan Group Ink Deal.
April 17, 2003... The Allied Defense Group's California-based SeaSpace subsidiary has signed a long-term collaborative agreement with Taiwan's National Space Program Office (NSPO). Under the agreement, SeaSpace and NSPO will collaborate initially on projects...

EMS Signs Up NSSL As Inmarsat Terminal Distributor.
April 17, 2003... EMS Technologies [Nasdaq: ELMG] has signed up NSSL as a master distributor for its suite of Inmarsat satellite products and services. NSSL will provide service to customers worldwide in the shipping, energy, government, news and corporate...

Satellite Saves Airline Passenger's Life.
April 17, 2003... A passenger onboard a recent bmi flight from Chicago to Manchester, England, became the first commercial airline passenger to have an electrocardiogram in flight with data from the procedure transmitted via satellite to physicians on the...