Satellite Today articles from January 2004

Satellite Today archives from January 2004

ViaSat Gets $33M Contract To Provide WildBlue Equipment.
January 5, 2004... ViaSat [Nasdaq: VSAT], a Carlsbad, Calif.-based VSAT equipment provider, has signed a $33 million contract to provide broadband equipment and ground systems to WildBlue Communications. With a planned launch in the second half of 2004,...

Lockheed Martin Awarded A2100 Satellite Contract.
January 5, 2004... Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] announced Dec. 30 that it had been awarded a contract to build an A2100 geosynchronous satellite for an undisclosed customer, marking the fifth new commercial satellite order received by its Commercial Space Systems...

Russian Express-AM22 Satellite Launched.
January 5, 2004... The Russian Satellite Communications Corp.'s (RSCC) Express-AM22 satellite was successfully launched Dec. 29 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard a Proton rocket. The satellite, which will be located at 53 degrees East Longitude, is expected to...

China Launches First Double Star Satellite.
January 5, 2004... On Dec. 29, the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) successfully launched TC-1, the first of two scientific satellites known as Double Star. The spacecraft, called Explorer 1, took off from the launch pad in Xichang in Sichuan province...

Israel's AMOS 2 Satellite Settles into Orbit.
January 5, 2004... Israel's AMOS 2 telecommunications satellite was successfully placed into geostationary transfer orbit Dec. 28 aboard a Soyuz/Fregat rocket launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Launch services were jointly provided by Arianespace...

GlobalNet Signs Mobile Phone Service Accord For Iraq.
January 5, 2004... Woodlands, Tex.-based GlobalNet [OTCBB: GLBT] has been awarded a contract for the termination of voice and data mobile satellite traffic originating from U.S. troops in Iraq. Global Telesat, a privately held company that owns a satellite...

Arianespace Wins Two JCSAT Launch Contracts.
January 6, 2004... Arianespace, an Evry, France-based commercial launch service provider, has received two launch contracts from JCSAT, a Japanese satellite operator. Financial terms were not disclosed. Under one contract, Arianespace will launch the JCSAT-9...

TANDBERG Provides Turnkey Video Product To Intelsat.
January 6, 2004... TANDBERG Television, an Orlando, Fla.-based supplier of open solutions for digital broadcasting and broadband, is providing Intelsat with a turnkey video product, including digital compression and control and monitoring equipment. The...

Skybitz Secures $16M in Funding.
January 6, 2004... Dulles, Va.-based SkyBitz has secured $16 million in funding to continue marketing efforts and product enhancements for its satellite-based asset tracking and information management service. This equity financing was co-led by Inverness Capital...

NASA Approves Three Small-Satellite Missions.
January 6, 2004... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has approved three small-satellite missions under the Earth System Science Pathfinder program. The three spacecraft are Orbiting Carbon Observatory, Aquarius and Hydros. The Orbiting Carbon...

Van Zandt Joins Sirius Satellite Radio.
January 6, 2004... Sirius Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: SIRI], a New York, N.Y.-based satellite radio company, has selected Steven Van Zandt as a creative advisor to develop a rock and roll channel called "Underground Garage" for its lineup this year. Van Zandt, a...

Delphi Unveils Satellite TV Antenna For Cars.
January 6, 2004... Delphi [NYSE: DPH], a Troy Mich.-based manufacturer of vehicle component, has introduced a new satellite antenna system for passenger vehicles. Delphi said that this will be the first-known satellite TV antenna system specifically for...

Sirius Notches Healthy Subscriber Gains.
January 7, 2004... New York-based Sirius Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: SIRI] ended 2003 with 261,061 subscribers, up from approximately 30,000 subscribers at the end of 2002. This represents an increase of 772 percent over the year-ago figure. Sirius added over...

MDA Inks Four RADARSAT-1 Data Agreement Renewals.
January 7, 2004... Canada's MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) has secured C$1.8 million (US$1.4 million) in downlink agreement renewals with four RADARSAT-1 clients. MDA holds the exclusive international marketing rights to RADARSAT-1 data. The...

Gilat To Supply VSATs to Chinese Agriculture School.
January 7, 2004... Petah Tikva, Israel-based Gilat Satellite Networks [Nasdaq: GILTF] will supply a hub and 300 VSATs to China's Central Agriculture Broadcast and Television School (CABTS) for a rural distant learning network. Financial terms were not disclosed....

C-Com, ShowNet Sign Middle East Distribution Agreement.
January 7, 2004... Ottawa, Canada-based C-Com Satellite Systems [TSXV: CMI] has signed a distribution agreement with ShowNet Internet Solutions, a Kuwait-based reseller of DirecWay broadband satellite service, to distribute C-Com's iNetVu mobile antenna...

AirTran Offers XM Satellite Radio on Flights.
January 7, 2004... AirTran AirWays, a subsidiary of Atlanta, Ga.-based AirTran Holdings [NYSE: AAI], has selected XM Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: XMSR], a Washington D.C.-based satellite radio provider, to provide in-flight entertainment. No financial terms were...

Wherify Introduces Miniature GPS Locater Phone.
January 7, 2004... Wherify Wireless, a Redwood Shores, Calif.-based developer of wireless location products, has introduced what the company says is the world's smallest GPS-enabled cell phone. The new phone will feature a two-way mic/speaker and a one-touch...

Tenzing, Emirates Form Inflight Email Partnership.
January 7, 2004... Seattle, Wash.-based Tenzing Communications and Emirates Airlines have formed a partnership to offer inflight email service on the Emirates fleet. Starting in the first quarter with new Airbus A340-500 aircraft and progressing across the fleet,...

Correction.
January 7, 2004... In the Jan. 6 issue, we incorrectly identified the name of the Japanese satellite operator that recently signed two satellite launch contracts with Arianespace. The name should be JSAT Corp. The company's satellites, however, are designated as...

Air Force Awards Boeing $20.8M GPS III Contract.
January 8, 2004... The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing [BA: NYSE:] a GPS III study contract valued at $20.8 million. Under the contract, Boeing will perform a 24-month systems requirement review (SRR) study. GPS III is a new initiative by the Air Force to...

XM Achieves Best Quarter Ever.
January 8, 2004... The dominant U.S. satellite radio services provider, XM Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: XMSR], beat analyst forecasts for the fourth quarter by signing up more than 430,000 customers - its best quarter ever - to amass 1.36 million subscribers by...

DirecTV Requests FCC Authority To Share Spectrum with Telesat Canada.
January 8, 2004... DirecTV, an El Segundo, Calif.-based satellite TV provider, has filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for authority to move its DirecTV 5 spacecraft into an orbital slot controlled by Telesat Canada. If the request is approved,...

Russia To Manufacture Satellite For Kazakh Government.
January 8, 2004... Russia's state-owned Khrunichev Research and Production Center has received a contract to manufacture the first national geostationary telecommunications satellite for the government of Kazakhstan, according to the TASS news agency. The...

Globecomm Extends Relationship with African Virtual University.
January 8, 2004... Globecomm Systems [Nasdaq: GCOM], a Hauppauge, N.Y.-based provider of satellite-based communications solutions, has extended its relationship with African Virtual University (AVU) with a contract valued at approximately $1.5 million. The new...

O'Keefe Named CFO at Verdisys.
January 8, 2004... John O'Keefe has been selected chief financial officer at Verdisys [OTC BB: VDYS.OB], a Houston-based provider of satellite communications and other services to the oil and gas industry. He joins Verdisys from Ivanhoe Energy, where he also...

Tiscali Targets Improved Satellite Performance.
January 9, 2004... Pan-European ISP Tiscali, which recently signed a deal with SatLynx to rollout its Tiscali Sat service in 10 European countries, hopes to extend that partnership if the demand for satellite broadband services continue to grow. Mario Mariani,...

Bezeq, YES To Use Orca Software For Interactive TV.
January 9, 2004... Orca Interactive, a developer of applications for interactive TV services, announced the licensing of its RiGHTv software solutions to Bezeq, Israel's national telecommunications provider, and YES, an Israeli satellite TV company, for the...

SES Astra, RTL To Launch Four Austrian TV Channels.
January 9, 2004... SES Aster and RTL Group have signed contracts for the digital transmission of the "RTL Austria" bouquet of television channels via an Astra satellite located at 19.2 degrees East Longitude. "RTL Austria" includes the television channels RTL,...

GlobeTrac Signs Reseller Agreement In Italy.
January 9, 2004... London-based GlobeTrac [OTC BB: GBTR] has signed a reseller agreement with Visible, a Milan, Italy-based company specializing in customer relationship management for mobile workforces. Visible and GlobeTrac have integrated the TOM TOM satellite...

Pharos Partner, Hitachi Team on GPS-enabled Communicator.
January 9, 2004... Pharos Science & Applications, a provider of portable GPS navigation and location-based services, has announced a partnership with Hitachi to combine Hitachi's G1000 multimedia communicator with Pharos' Ostia Smart Navigator system. Smart...

Mobile Military Bases To Use Satellite-based Printing For Stores.
January 9, 2004... AccessVia, a provider of automated sign printing solutions and electronic display technologies for retailers, has received a contract to provide stores on 225 U.S. Army and Air Force military bases with Web-based in-store sign printing...

DirecTV Has Best Subscriber Growth Quarter.
January 12, 2004... DirecTV, a unit of Hughes Electronics [NYSE: HS], achieved its highest quarterly subscriber growth by connecting 861,000 total customers during the fourth quarter. This translates into 405,000 net new subscribers after monthly churn is factored...

Sea Launch Deploys Telstar 14/Estrela do Sul 1.
January 12, 2004... On Saturday, Sea Launch successfully deployed the Telstar 14/Estrela do Sul 1 communications satellite into orbit. A Zenit-3SL rocket lifted off at 8:13 p.m. PDT from the Odyssey Launch Platform, positioned at 154 degrees West Longitude, on the...

ORBIMAGE Emerges from Chapter 11.
January 12, 2004... ORBIMAGE, the Dulles, Va.-based satellite imagery provider, has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the company announced last week. As part of the final reorganization plan, all existing notes and shares of capital stock of Orbital...

Raytheon To Produce US Air Force Anti-Jam GPS Systems.
January 12, 2004... Waltham, Mass.-based aerospace giant Raytheon [NYSE: RTN] has been awarded a $7.6 million engineering and manufacturing development contract to supply anti-jam GPS receivers to the U.S. Air Force's C-130 avionics modernization program. Boeing...

China To Launch 10 Satellites This Year.
January 12, 2004... China plans to launch 10 satellites this year as part of a significant expansion of its space program, according to a Chinese aerospace official quoted in Business Daily Update. The satellites will be large-scale spacecraft with a mission life...

OptiStreams Introduces New Satellite Access Gateway.
January 12, 2004... OptiStreams, a Fresno, Calif.-based private satellite network provider, has introduced a new line of wired and wireless networking hardware designed for consumer, small office/home office and small business users of Hughes Network Systems'...

Global Launch Industry Climbs Slowly Back To Health.
January 13, 2004... HONOLULU--As telecom, broadcast, consumer and enterprise markets begin to recover from their recent business lows, the world's global expendable launch vehicle (ELV) providers are poised to ramp up their launch manifests to accommodate...

Satellite Operators Struggle Back to Profitability.
January 13, 2004... With consolidated revenues estimated at $6.15 billion in 2003, the 36 satellite operators of the fixed satellite service (FSS) industry experienced a slight fall in revenues (-1 percent), as a result of a combination of stagnant transponder...

Telenor, Brittany Ferries Sign Agreement for Maritime VSAT Service.
January 13, 2004... Telenor Satellite Services has signed a three-year agreement with Brittany Ferries to provide high-speed data communications via satellite. Under terms of the agreement, Telenor will provide Ku-band service for two Brittany vessels, the Val de...

Comtech Receives $4M In Tracking System Orders.
January 13, 2004... Comtech Telecommunications' [Nasdaq: CMTL] Maryland-based subsidiary Comtech Mobile Datacom has received $4.0 million in orders relating to its satellite-based movement tracking system, under an existing contract with the U.S. Army. These...

GlobalNet Tests Global Mobile Satellite Service In Middle East.
January 13, 2004... GlobalNet [OTCBB:GLBT] has successfully tested its pre-paid mobile satellite system, which serves Turkey, and areas to the south and east, including the eastern Mediterranean, Egypt, Lebanon and Iraq. Initially, GlobalNet intends to focus its...

NomadISP, StarBand Team on WiFi Hotspot Partnership.
January 13, 2004... NomadISP, a division of LinOra, and StarBand Communications have formed a strategic partnership to offer NomadISP's AH-1 WiFi Hotspot product through StarBand's satellite broadband dealer network. The partnership enables the creation of...

Shin Satellite Prepares For iPSTAR Launch.
January 14, 2004... Shin Satellite, a Thailand-based satellite operator, expects to launch its iPSTAR-1 broadband satellite in the middle of this year. The satellite will be part of the iPSTAR system, which will provide satellite-based last-mile broadband Internet...

Regulatory Issues Continue To Plague Asian Market.
January 14, 2004... HONOLULU--The time has come for the Asia-Pacific region to fully open its doors to the international satellite business. Even though global satellite and network operators have made significant contributions within the Asian marketplace for...

Telstar 14 Spacecraft Encounters Solar Array Problem.
January 14, 2004... New York-based Loral Space & Communications [OTCBB: LRLSQ] announced that after its Jan. 10 launch, the Telstar 14/Estrela do Sul 1 communications satellite fully deployed its south solar array but only partially deployed its north solar array....

Connexion by Boeing To Offer Maritime Communications.
January 14, 2004... Connexion by Boeing, a business unit of Boeing [NYSE: BA], plans to expand its high-speed satellite broadband service for commercial aviation use to the maritime industry. The unit is in talks with several maritime operators, as well as...

Telenor Expands U.S. Government Satellite Services.
January 14, 2004... Telenor Satellite Services is adding VSAT services to its existing General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Telecommunications Service contract. This will enable U.S. government users to order customized C- and Kuband global VSAT services...

Alcatel Delivers Express AM11 Payload To NPO-PM.
January 14, 2004... Alcatel Space, the satellite manufacturing arm of Paris-based Alcatel [NYSE: ALA], has delivered the payload for the AM11 satellite to Russia's NPO-PM, prime contractor for the Express AM satellites deployed by the Russian Satellite...

Executives Express Frustration Over Global Policies.
January 15, 2004... HONOLULU--Cautious optimism and policy frustration top the list of emotions expressed by various satellite industry executives as they consider business initiatives for 2004 and beyond. During panel sessions here at the Pacific...

SES Global Forms Worldsat, Signs Deals With Boeing.
January 15, 2004... Luxembourg-based SES Global [Luxembourg: SESG] has formed a new unit called Worldsat, which will operate as a unit of its U.S. subsidiary SES Americom. In addition, SES has signed a long-term agreement to provide satellite services to Connexion...

Intelsat Restores Internet Service to Turkey.
January 15, 2004... When a major undersea cable recently failed, Intelsat was able to restore Internet services to all of Turkey within 38 hours, the company said. The highspeed connection to the Internet backbone was provided to Turk Telecom through two 155 Mbps...

Lockheed Martin, USAF Begin Launch Pad Renovations for Atlas V.
January 15, 2004... Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and the U.S. Air Force (USAF) have begun renovations at Space Launch Complex 3E (SLC-3E) at Vandenberg Air Force Base to prepare the launch site for Atlas V West Coast missions. The first Atlas V launch from SLC-3E...

Space Industry Council Forecasts $90B Market in 2004.
January 15, 2004... The International Space Business Council expects to release a report next week that predicts the space industry will reach $90 billion this year. Among the conclusions of the "'2004 State of the Space Industry," the group expects a rebound in...

McGrath To Head Digital Angel.
January 15, 2004... Kevin N. McGrath has been named president and CEO of Digital Angel [AMEX: DOC], a So. St. Paul, Minn.-based location tracking company. Prior to joining Digital Angel, McGrath spent 16 years at El Segundo, Calif.-based Hughes Electronics [NYSE:...

UN, India And Bhutan Team To Bridge Digital Divide.
January 16, 2004... Two United Nations' agencies - the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Universal Postal Union (UPU) - are teaming with India to help boost the delivery of postal services to citizens in the least accessible parts of India's...

ESA Chief Unveils 2004 Plans.
January 16, 2004... The European Space Agency missions planned this year include the launch of the Rosetta spacecraft to the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko in February, the mission of ESA astronaut Andre Kuipers to the International Space Station in April, the Ariane...

GlobeCast Signs Contract with Vectone TV.
January 16, 2004... Paris-based satellite operator GlobeCast has signed a contract to deliver Vectone Entertainment Network's community channels - Vectone Urdu, Vectone Bangla, Vectone Tamil and Vectone Hindi - using Eutelsat's Eurobird and Hot Bird satellite...

ORCA Develops GPS System for Underwater Tracking.
January 16, 2004... French firms ORCA Instrumentation and Advanced Concept and System Architecture (ACSA) have developed a GPS Intelligent Buoy (GIB) system designed to track underwater vehicles in real-time. GIB is a new concept to obtain GPS accuracy for...

Alcatel Selected To Supply Military Satellite.
January 16, 2004... Alcatel Space, the satellite manufacturing arm of Paris-based Alcatel [NYSE: ALA], has received an order from the French defense procurement agency DGA to build a new military communications satellite called Syracuse 3B. The order is part of a...

GPS Industries To Provide Units To Australian Golf Club.
January 16, 2004... Vancouver, Canada-based GPS Industries [OTCBB: GPSN], a provider of GPS-based golfing products, announced the installation of its Inforemer GPS-based golf solution at Noosa Springs Golf Club on Australia's Sunshine Coast. Noosa is installing...

Digital Radio Taking Off, Says Study.
January 20, 2004... The worldwide digital radio market, both satellite and terrestrial, will grow to over 19 million unit shipments in 2007, according to a report by market research firm In-Stat/MDR. The firm believes that new content and data services will drive...

Alcatel To Build Two Early Warning Satellites.
January 20, 2004... Alcatel Space, a subsidiary of Paris-based Alcatel [NYSE: ALA], has been selected by EADS Astrium, the prime contractor for France's SPIRALE early warning satellite program, to build two demonstration satellites. The 124 million euro (US$155.8...

Eagle Broadband Signs Satellite Phone Agreement with SAIC.
January 20, 2004... Eagle Broadband [AMEX: EAG], a League City, Tex.-based supplier of broadband and communications products and services, has signed a distribution agreement with San Diego-based Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) to sell Eagle's Orb'...

Helius, LTRT To Expand Satellite Broadband Solutions in Europe.
January 20, 2004... Lindon, Utah-based Helius has signed up Paris-based LTRT as a strategic partner for its satellite broadband product for corporate networks. The Helius Strategic Alliance Program integrates products and services from satellite technology...

NASA Satellites Improve Response To Global Agricultural Change.
January 20, 2004... National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth satellite observing systems are being used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) to improve the accuracy and timeliness of information they provide...

Stubbs Named Managing Director of Astra Marketing France.
January 20, 2004... Nick Stubbs has been appointed managing director of Astra Marketing France, the French affiliate of satellite operator SES Astra, a unit of SES Global [Luxembourg: SESG]. Prior to joining SES Astra, Stubbs was with the Canal+ Group for 11...

ATK To Supply Composite Components For A2100 Satellites.
January 21, 2004... Minneapolis-based Alliant Techsystems [NYSE: ATK] has signed an agreement with Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] Commercial Space Systems to supply composite satellite components for the company's A2100 communications satellite series. The five-year...

SkyBitz Signs Up Five Trucking Customers.
January 21, 2004... Dulles, Va.-based SkyBitz has signed up five new trucking customers for its satellite-based trailer tracking and information management service --Southern Cal Transport, Fugro Chance, On Time Transportation, Royal Freight and Gill Brothers...

PanAmSat's Galaxy 13/Horizons-1 Goes into Service.
January 21, 2004... Wilton, Conn.-based PanAmSat [Nasdaq: SPOT] announced that Galaxy 13/Horizons-1, the company's recently launched 24th satellite, has successfully completed in-orbit testing and is operational, delivering cable, video and VSAT services...

Arianespace Readies Rosetta For Feb. 26 Launch.
January 21, 2004... Arianespace completed Wednesday the integration of the equipment bay and the storable propellants stage for the Feb. 26 launch of the European Space Agency's Rosetta comet probe aboard an Ariane 5 from Kourou, French Guiana. The transfer of the...

Shin Satellite Subsidiary Acquires TMC.
January 21, 2004... Shin Satellite's board of directors has approved the purchase of Teleinfo Media Company (TMC), the publisher of Yellow and White Pages directories in Thailand, by Shin subsidiary CS Loxinfo (CSL). The acquisition is being pursued to...

Marlink Launches Regional BGAN Service.
January 21, 2004... Marlink has launched new Regional Broadband Global Area Network (Regional BGAN) service, which offers always on IP connectivity at data speeds of up to 144 Kbps via a secure channel. The service, which uses Inmarsat's mobile satellites, is...

SES Global CEO Confident On Revenue Prospects.
January 22, 2004... Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES Global [Luxembourg: SESG] expects to see significant revenue growth from 2005 onwards. On the other hand, the company anticipates tough market conditions in 2004. Romain Bausch, CEO of SES Global,...

Loral's Injured Bird To Initiate Limited Service in March.
January 22, 2004... New York-based Loral Space & Communications [OTC BB: LRLSQ] plans to begin limited service on its Telstar 14/Estrela do Sul 1 satellite in March. The satellite had trouble deploying one its solar arrays after its Jan. 10 launch (see ST, Jan....

Sutron Receives Certification for Satellite Transmitter.
January 22, 2004... Sterling, Va.-based Sutron Corp. [OTC BB: STRN] has received certification from the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) for its satellite high data rate DCP transmitter - Satlink SL2 G312-1. Satlink...

Hughes Network Systems Supplies Broadband System To Italy's Wind.
January 22, 2004... Hughes Network Systems (HNS), a satellite and wireless broadband subsidiary of Hughes Electronics [NYSE: HS], has signed an agreement with Italy's Wind Telecomunicazioni to deploy its AIReach Broadband 9000 wireless access system nationwide....

OpenTV To Provide Interactive Service Suite To Australia's Foxtel.
January 22, 2004... OpenTV [Nasdaq: OPTV] has signed a definitive agreement to provide Australian satellite and cable TV provider Foxtel with middleware technology and interactive applications that will be integrated into the Foxtel digital product offering....

Sarantel Supplies GPS Antennas For UK Emergency System.
January 22, 2004... UK-based antenna supplier Sarantel has been awarded a contract to supply its miniature GPS antenna to communications firm Savox for use in its "trackmate" GPS module. The new track-mate, developed in Finland, provides precise GPS location...

USAF Awards Two Transformational Satellite Contracts.
January 23, 2004... The U.S. Air Force's Milsatcom Joint Program Office has awarded two risk reduction/system definition contracts for the Transformational Communications Milsatcom (TCM) system to Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Boeing Satellite Systems. Each...

XM Satellite Radio Prices Public Offering.
January 23, 2004... XM Satellite Radio Holdings [Nasdaq: XMSR] announced Friday that it has priced at $26.50 per share an underwritten public offering of 20 million shares of its Class A common stock, including 7 million shares offered by the company representing...

Netupsat To Use Astra Birds To Offer Internet Service in France.
January 23, 2004... France's Netupsat has signed an agreement with SES Astra to use the Astra satellite system to provide high-speed Internet services. Labeled "Netbysky," the high-speed Internet service via Astra's 19.2-degree East orbital position will be...

Space Imaging Gets Forest Service Contract.
January 23, 2004... The Denver-based remote sensing firm Space Imaging has received a contract to continue providing geographic information services (GIS) to the U.S. Forest Service's regional office in Vallejo, Calif., its Remote Sensing Laboratory in Sacramento...