Satellite Today articles from March 2005

Satellite Today archives from March 2005

Japan H-2A Launch Successful.
March 1, 2005... Space Systems/Loral said the SS/L built MTSAT-1R was successfully launched at 1:25 a.m. PST Feb. 26. SS/L built the satellite, based on its 1300 bus for the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau and the Japanese Meteorological Agency. It is a...

XM-3 Satellite Scheduled For Feb. 28 Launch.
March 1, 2005... Sea Launch said it has rescheduled the launch of the XM-3 satellite for XM Satellite Radio on a Zenit-3SL rocket for Feb. 28 after this edition of Satellite Today went to press. The launch window was opening at 7:51 p.m. PST and remained open...

Harmonic Acquires BTL.
March 1, 2005... Harmonic Inc. said it completed the acquisition of U.K.-based Broadcast Technology Ltd. (BTL). By integrating BTL into Harmonic's Convergent Systems division, Harmonic said it is able to expand the scope of solutions it provides for existing...

HNS Taps Sandvine For Network Security Application.
March 1, 2005... Sandvine Inc. said Hughes Network Systems Inc. selected the Sandvine Attack Mitigation solution for operation on its Direcway broadband satellite network. The HNS Direcway service will deploy Sandvine's multi-layer worm/denial of service and...

XM Satellite Radio Raises Basic Service Fees.
March 1, 2005... XM Satellite Radio said it is raising the cost of its basic monthly service package to $12.95 per month, $3 more than the current per-month charge. However, existing customers will have the opportunity to lock in the $9.95 rate for up to five...

DirecTV Files Fraud Lawsuit.
March 1, 2005... DirecTV Inc. said it filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, against seven individuals it claims fraudulently obtained DirecTV direct-to-home satellite television services for other consumers by setting up false...

Galileo Delays Naming Concession Winner.
March 2, 2005... The Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU) delayed the naming of the winning bid to operate Europe's satellite navigation system. The winner of the concession was supposed to be named in March, but in a prepared statement, the GJU said the two...

XM-3 Satellite Launch Successful.
March 2, 2005... Sea Launch Co. LLC said it successfully delivered the XM-3 satellite into orbit for XM Satellite Radio. The launch occurred Feb. 28 at 7:51 p.m. PST. It was the first Sea Launch mission in 2005. The satellite was sent into orbit on a Zenit-3SL...

Future Of Voom Still Unknown.
March 2, 2005... For customers of Voom's high-definition only direct-to-home satellite television service, mixed signals have been sent out regarding the future of the service. On one hand, Cablevision Systems Corp. said Feb. 28 that the company and Voom HD LLC...

Eumetsat Playing Key Role in Tsunami Warning System.
March 2, 2005... Eumetsat, the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, moved fast to support a new Tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean. It announced that it has made its Meteosat-5 satellite, which flies above the Indian...

Tachyon Expands Reach Of Satellite Broadband Network.
March 2, 2005... Tachyon Networks Inc. said it is expanding the delivery of its IP-based satellite broadband access services to Asia, the Pacific Rim, Latin America and Africa in the coming year. Tachyon is expanding its geographic services areas in response to...

Comtech Inks $2.3 Million Contract.
March 2, 2005... Comtech Telecommunications Corp. said its Comtech EF Data Corp. subsidiary won a $2.3 million contract to provide integrated digital satellite terminals for an unnamed satellite operator in Latin America. The installation of Comtech EF Data...

Sanborn Acquires Space Imaging Business Unit.
March 3, 2005... Sanborn, a geographic information system and photogrammetry company, said it acquired Space Imaging's Federal Civil and Commercial Solutions value-added solutions business unit. The unit's capabilities span a full range of geospatial services...

Dish, TVG Launch Interactive Horseracing Channel.
March 3, 2005... EchoStar Communications Corp., along with TVG Network, said it launched the nation's first interactive horseracing television channel. The new channel will allow viewers to access the latest horseracing news and information and, in certain...

ILS Gets Nod For GPS Satellite Launch In 2007.
March 3, 2005... International Launch Services (ILS) said it received authorization from the U.S. Air Force to proceed with a mission to launch a GPS satellite in early 2007. The satellite will be launched on an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force...

Orbital Revenues, Net Income Increase For 2004.
March 3, 2005... Orbital Sciences Corp. reported an increase in revenues and net income for 2004. The company earned $675.9 million in total revenues in 2004, up from $581.5 million earned in 2003. Additionally, Orbital reported a net income of $200 million for...

Sirius Could Follow XM With Rate Hike Of Its Own.
March 3, 2005... A March 2 report on CNN's Web site quotes Sirius Satellite Radio Mel Karmazin as saying, at a Bear Stearns media conference that day, that the company is considering a rate hike for its satellite radio service. He said the boost in XM Satellite...

NDS Wins Key Contract Renewal.
March 3, 2005... NDS Group won a key contract renewal in Asia with leading Korean pay-TV operator SkyLife. The two parties signed a new five-year contract, which sees the operator use NDS' VideoGuard Conditional Access (CA) solution for its digital broadcast...

Modulus Unveils New MPEG-4 AVC Encoder.
March 3, 2005... Modulus Video introduced its new ME6000 real-time, full-resolution highdefinition (HD) MPEG-4 AVC encoder for broadcast and other quality driven video applications. According to Modulus, the new system will enable satellite, telco and cable...

GMPCS Opens London Office.
March 3, 2005... Telenor subsidiary GMPCS said it opened its first international office in London. The office will serve all of GMPCS' existing and new clients that use the United Kingdom as a base of operations. GMPCS provides a full compliment of mobile...

EMS Names Senior Account Manager For Satcom Division.
March 3, 2005... EMS Technologies said it appointed Candy Cunningham to the position of senior account manager for the company's Satcom division. Cunningham will focus on growing the Satcom division's government and military business. Cunningham most recently...

Plot Thickens Regarding Voom.
March 4, 2005... The fate of Cablevision's Rainbow DBS direct-to-home satellite television unit, which does business as Voom, took another twist. On March 3, Cablevision reported in a Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that Chairman...

HNS Calls For More Satellite Broadband Usage By The Government.
March 4, 2005... In testimony before the House Committee on Government Reform, Michael Cook, senior vice president of Hughes Network Systems, told committee members March 3 that the government should include satellite technologies in its "Networx" procurement...

Intelsat Reports Increased Revenues, Net Loss For 2004.
March 4, 2005... Intelsat reported an increase in revenues for 2004 compared to 2003, but the company also reported a net loss for the year. For 2004, the company reported revenues of $1.04 billion, up from $946.1 million reported in 2003. The revenues...

Lockheed Martin Reaches Milestone In SBIRS High Program.
March 4, 2005... Lockheed Martin said it achieved a milestone with the completion and delivery of a sophisticated, high-performance communications subsystem integral to the infrared payload of the first Space-based Infrared System High (SBIRS High)...

BSkyB Selects Thomson For HDTV Launch.
March 4, 2005... BSkyB has taken another significant step toward its launch of High-Definition TV (HDTV) services in the United Kingdom. It announced that it is working with Thomson as the initial Set-Top Box (STB) manufacturer for its HDTV service. The deal is...

PlanetSky Launches Service On Gascom's Yamal 200 Satellite.
March 4, 2005... PlanetSky Ltd. said it signed a long-term agreement for the use of capacity on Gascom's Yamal 200 satellite located at 49 degrees East. PlanetSky said it intends to load up to four transponders on the satellite. "With the addition of the...

XM, IRL Ink Broadcasting And Marketing Agreement.
March 4, 2005... XM Satellite Radio said it signed a multi-year agreement with Indy Racing League (IRL) to broadcast the IndyCar Series races live over its satellite radio service. The first race to be broadcast will be Indy 300 from the Homestead-Miami...

DirecTV Targets Canadian Suspects For Fraud.
March 4, 2005... DirecTV Inc. said it filed a lawsuit in Ontario, Canada, against 19 citizens and five of their businesses that it alleges were participating in a scheme to activate fraudulent DirecTV direct-to-home satellite service accounts that enabled...

Globalstar Files For ATC Authority.
March 4, 2005... Globalstar LLC said it filed March 2 an application with the Federal Communications Commission for authority to offer ancillary terrestrial service (ATC) in the United States in conjunction with its mobile satellite services. ATC allows...

ILS Reveals Inmarsat 4-F1 Launch Details.
March 7, 2005... International Launch Services (ILS) revealed the details of its scheduled March 10 launch of the Inmarsat 4-F1 satellite. The spacecraft will be sent into orbit onboard an Atlas 5 rocket. The launch will take place at the Cape Canaveral Air...

Nera To Launch New Maritime Communications System.
March 7, 2005... Nera is planning to launch a communications system targeting the maritime market. The new system, named Nera SatLink Marine, combines the DVB-RCS (Digital Video Broadcast-Return Channel via Satellite) standard with a unique antenna for use at...

Radyne Comstream To Acquire Xicom Technology.
March 7, 2005... Radyne Comstream Inc. said it signed a definitive merger agreement to acquire Xicom Technology, a provider of satellite and microwave power amplifiers and other RF products, for about $41 million in cash and stock. As part of the deal, Radyne...

CloudSat Concludes Environmental Testing.
March 7, 2005... CloudSat, part of a multi-satellite, multi-sensor National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) experiment designed to measure the properties of clouds, successfully concluded its final environmental test and was mated to the flight...

Boeing Heading Back Into Government Launch Business.
March 7, 2005... Reuters reported late last week the U.S. Air Force may lift a near twoyear ban that kept Boeing from obtaining launch contracts, according comments from an Air Force official. The report stated the official word on the lifting of the ban could...

South Korea To Launch Multipurpose Satellite.
March 7, 2005... Asia Pulse reported March 4 that South Korea's Office of Science and Technology confirmed the country would put into orbit a multi-purpose, highresolution remote sensing satellite in November. The cost of the spacecraft, named Arirang-2, and...

Satlynx Signs Key Xantic VSAT Deal.
March 8, 2005... Satlynx acquired a significant volume of Xantic's VSAT business in a key deal announced today. Xantic, a Dutch company majority-owned by KPN, is focusing more on its mobile satellite communications business going forward. The agreement was...

Intelsat General Unveils New Service For Military/Government Users.
March 8, 2005... Intelsat General Corp. (IGC) said it would launch its new GlobalConnex Network Broadband service today (March 8) at the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association's TechNet Tampa trade show. The service uses a bundle of satellite...

Spacenet Acquires Remaining Shares Of StarBand.
March 8, 2005... Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. said its Spacenet Inc. subsidiary acquired all remaining shares of StarBand not already owned by Gilat and plans to merge the operations of StarBand into Spacenet. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. ...

Mitsubishi To Factory Install Sirius Receivers On Exclusive Basis.
March 8, 2005... Mitsubishi Motors North America said it inked an exclusive agreement with Sirius Satellite Radio to offer its satellite radio receivers as a factory installed option on various Mitsubishi automobiles. The first Mitsubishi vehicle to offer a...

GoIP Global To Distribute Direcway.
March 8, 2005... GoIP Global Inc. said it signed a contract to distribute and service Hughes Network Systems' Direcway satellite terminals in Central Asia, countries of the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and North Africa. The terms of the three-year...

DirecTV Parts Ways With President And CEO Mitch Stern.
March 8, 2005... The DirecTV Group Inc. said that effective March 7, Mitch Stern will no longer be the president and CEO of DirecTV Inc. Chase Carey, president and CEO of the DirecTV Group will now oversee day-to-day operations of DirecTV and Stern's direct...

Globalstar Acquires Venezuelan Service Provider Operations.
March 9, 2005... Globalstar LLC said it signed, through its subsidiary company Globalstar de Venezuela CA, an agreement to acquire the Globalstar service operations, including the satellite ground station, of TE.SA.M de Venezuela. Under the agreement,...

Alltel To Offer Dish Satellite Television Service.
March 9, 2005... Alltel said that beginning this summer, the company would offer its telephony subscribers the option of subscribing to EchoStar Communications Corp.'s Dish Network satellite television service as part of a discounted bundled package. The...

Helius, Microspace Announced Partnership With OOH Vision Networks.
March 9, 2005... Helius Inc. and Microspace Communications Corp. together announced a joint partnership with OOH Vision Networks LLC (OVN) to implement OVN's proprietary digital signage network in more than 100 diners in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut,...

Ottawa Fire Services Taps C-Com For Broadband Internet.
March 9, 2005... C-Com Satellite Services Inc. said it delivered an iNetVu mobile satellite antenna system to the Ottawa Fire Service. The Provincial Hazmat/CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) Response Team of the Ottawa Fire Service will use...

MDU To Provide DirecTV, Other Services To National Training Center At Fort Irwin.
March 9, 2005... MDU Communications International Inc. said it signed a 10-year franchise agreement with the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, CA, to provide DirecTV satellite television programming and other private cable video services to approximately...

Comtech Receives $1 Million Order For Satellite Modems.
March 9, 2005... Comtech Communications Corp. said its Comtech EF Data subsidiary received a $1 million order for satellite modems from Satcom Resources, a global supplier of satellite communications equipment. [Copyright 2005 Access Intelligence, LLC. All...

New Japan Satellite Christened Himawari 6.
March 9, 2005... Kyodo News reported March 8 that Japan's new multipurpose satellite entered its geostationary orbital slot at 148 degrees East a few hours ahead of schedule. The report also noted the satellite was officially named Himawari 6. That satellite...

China To Launch Meteorological Satellite In 2007.
March 9, 2005... The People's Daily Online reported March 8 that China is planning to launch a new meteorological satellite, named Fengyun-3, in 2007. The satellite's mission, according to the report, is to observe how temperature changes with altitude. ...

EchoStar Settles Insurance Claim.
March 10, 2005... EchoStar Communications Corp. reported in a March 9 Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it settled an insurance claim related to the failure of EchoStar 4 for an aggregate amount of $240 million. The company said in...

Voom Gets Life Extension.
March 10, 2005... Following the close of Satellite Today's March 9 edition, Cablevision announced that it has reached an agreement with company Chairman Charles Dolan and Thomas Dolan, executive vice president of Cablevision Systems, under which both parties...

Boeing Preps GEOS-N For Shipment.
March 10, 2005... Boeing said it is prepping the first of three Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GEOS)-N it manufactured for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for shipment...

aeroTelesis, PT Citra Sari Makmur Partner To Develop USM Satellite Services.
March 10, 2005... aeroTelesis Inc. said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Indonesia's PT Citra Sari Makmur (CSM) to develop and implement ultra spectral modulation (USM)-enabled satellite communications services for the Indonesian market. Under this...

EMS Technologies Appoints John Dunbar as CIO.
March 10, 2005... EMS Technologies Inc. said it appointed John Dunbar to the position of chief information officer. He will be responsible for implementing a new IT vision for EMS, including overseeing strategic planning, implementation and management of IT...

Shin Satellite Inks Deal With ITI.
March 10, 2005... Dow Jones reported March 9 that Shin Satellite PCL inked a deal with ITI Ltd. of India to supply it with broadband satellite services over its soon-to-be-launched iPSTAR satellite. According to the report, the contract was characterized as a...

Four Chinese Companies Unite To Represent China In Galileo Project.
March 10, 2005... As reported by China Daily's Web site, four Chinese companies, which united under the firm China Galileo Industries Ltd., will represent China in the European Union's Galileo satellite navigation project. China Galileo Industries consists of...

ILS Scrubs Inmarsat Satellite Launch.
March 11, 2005... International Launch Services (ILS) halted the launch of an Atlas 5 rocket that was to carry the Inmarsat 4-F1 satellite into orbit March 10. ILS spokeswoman Fran Slimmer told Satellite Today that the reason for the delay has not yet been...

Americom Government Services Wins FAA Contract.
March 11, 2005... The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded Americom Government Services (AGS), a subsidiary of SES Americom, a 10-year contract through Lockheed Martin Transportation and Security Services to support the space-based navigation services...

SBS Launches New Dutch Digital Channels.
March 11, 2005... Pan-European broadcaster SBS Broadcasting is launching three new digital channels in the Dutch digital television market. The first channel is called "Klussen en Wonen" (Do-It-Yourself) and is dedicated to home improvements. The second channel,...

Foxtel Launches Integrated PVR Service In Australia.
March 11, 2005... NDS Group plc said Foxtel of Australia, a provider of direct-to-home satellite and cable television services, launched NDS XTV integrated personal video recorder (PVR) technology to power its iQ PVR service. Foxtel is the sixth customer of NDS...

DirecTV Unveils Exclusive NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Package.
March 11, 2005... DirecTV Inc. said it is carrying CBS Sports' high-definition (HD) coverage of 30 of the 56 games of the first three rounds and 37 games in total of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship tournament via its exclusive Mega March...

KVH Appoints New VP Of Engineering For Satellite Products.
March 11, 2005... KVH Industries Inc. said Robert Balog joined the company and will serve as its vice president of engineering for satellite products. He comes to KVH from Automation Services Inc., where he served as president of the engineering contract...

A Bad Day For EchoStar.
March 11, 2005... Bloomberg reported March 10 that EchoStar Communications Corp. might have improperly booked transactions with suppliers and made suspect consulting payments to a friend of company Chairman and CEO Charles Ergen. The report cites unnamed sources...

Satlynx CEO Confident Over Revenue Increase.
March 14, 2005... Paul Heinerscheid, CEO of European satellite broadband operator Satlynx, is confident the company will substantially increase revenues in 2005. In terms of revenue projections in 2005, Heinerscheid told Satellite Today, "We do believe that we...

Iridium Broadens Range Of Type-Approved Ship Security Systems.
March 14, 2005... Iridium Satellite LLC said it expanded its range of ship security alert systems (SSAS) that meet the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) carriage requirements. The company said four of its value-added manufacturing partners --Thrane &...

Inmarsat 4-F1 Satellite Launch Rescheduled For March 11.
March 14, 2005... International Launch Services (ILS) will make its second attempt to launch the Inmarsat 4-F1 satellite into orbit on March 11. The satellite is being delivered to orbit onboard an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Fla. The first attempt to...

XM Broadcasts Live From SXSW Music Festival.
March 14, 2005... XM Satellite Radio said it is broadcasting a series of exclusive live performance, interviews and original specials from this year South by Southwest Music Festival March 16 through March 19. The festival is an annual event held in Austin, TX....

Joint Venture Formed To Offer Satellite TV In Indonesia.
March 14, 2005... Bernama.com reported March 11 that Astro All Asia Network plc and Lippo Group of Indonesia have united in a joint venture, named PT Astro Nusantara, to provide satellite pay-television services in Indonesia. Astro will hold 51 percent of the...

China Eyeing Possible Fourth Launch Site.
March 14, 2005... According to a report on People's Daily Online, China is looking at its southern-most island province of Hainan as the possible home to the country's fourth satellite launching facility. The report said the site would likely be put in operation...

Panel To Discuss Mobile Satellite Services At March 15 Brown Bag Lunch.
March 14, 2005... The Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Society of Satellite Professionals International will be hosting a brown bag lunch and briefing on the future of Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) now that the Federal Communications Commission affirmed its...

Correction.
March 14, 2005... In the March 10 edition of Satellite Today, we erroneously misspelled the acronym for a satellite being prepped for shipment by Boeing. The proper acronym for the satellite is GOES-N. [Copyright 2005 Access Intelligence, LLC. All rights...

Inmarsat 4-F1 Launch Successful.
March 15, 2005... International Launch Services said the March 11 launch of the Inmarsat 4-F1 satellite onboard an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral, FL, was successful. The satellite was the largest payload carried by an Atlas 5 to date, weighing 5,959...

ProtoStar Secures Funding For DTH Satellite.
March 15, 2005... Start-up company ProtoStar said it secured initial equity funding from private equity investors New Enterprise Associates and Space Vest to support the company's launch of direct-to-home satellite television and broadband Internet services in...

IMS Releases New HDTV Statistics.
March 15, 2005... Only just more than a quarter of TV operators worldwide, as defined by a recent IMS Research study, "Making Digital TV Pay" are offering HDTV (High-Definition Television services) to subscribers. These are the latest numbers released by IMS...

Med-Trans Taps SkyTrac For Iridium-Based Tracking System.
March 15, 2005... Med-Trans Corp., which operates a fleet of Medevac helicopters, said it is installing an Iridium-based flight following satcom system provided by SkyTrac Systems. Financial terms of the deal between Med-Trans and SkyTrac were not disclosed. ...

DirecTV Announces Planned Refinancing.
March 15, 2005... The DirecTV Group Inc. said its subsidiaries, DirecTV Holdings LLC and DirecTV Financing Co. Inc., intend to enter into a new $2 billion senior secured credit facility and issue up to $500 million principal amount of unsecured notes. DirecTV...

XM Names Jon Zellner Senior VP Of Music Programming.
March 15, 2005... XM Satellite Radio said it hired Jon Zellner to serve in the newly created position of senior vice president of music programming. Zellner comes to XM from Infinity Broadcasting, where he most recently served as vice president of adult top...

Government, Military Use Of Commercial SatCom Remains Steady.
March 16, 2005... Northern Sky Research said in a report released March 15 that the total revenue for the satellite industry derived from government and military users is expected to grow to more than $1.4 billion by 2010 from an estimated $580.2 million in...

Eumetsat Hopes For Formal Agreement With Vito.
March 16, 2005... Eumetsat hopes its recent collaboration with Vito, the Flemish Institute for Technological Research, will result in a formal three-year agreement after a series of successful trials. The two organizations have teamed up and have completed a...

EMS To Review Strategic Options For Its Satellite Networks Division.
March 16, 2005... EMS Technologies Inc. said it intends to restructure its participation in its satellite networks business. In the coming months, EMS will consider a variety of potential approaches, including joint ventures with industrial or capital partners,...

CapRock, RST Unite For New Mobile Satellite System.
March 16, 2005... CapRock Communications said it signed an alliance agreement with Robotic Satellite Technology Solutions (RST) for the distribution of a new automatically deployable satellite system for mobile communications vehicles. CapRock will have global...

Sirius Taps WSI Corp. For Marine Weather Data.
March 16, 2005... Sirius Satellite Radio said WSI Corp. would provide it with a full suite of marine weather content for a new service expected to launch later this year. Sirius plans to create a special marine weather service that will include a variety of...

German Minister Questions Galileo Bid Process.
March 16, 2005... Dow Jones reported March 15 that German Transport Minister Manfred Stolpe has expressed concern with the transparency of the bidding process for the Galileo concession. Galileo is a satellite-based navigation system being launched by the...