September 2014

Artist’s rendering of Es’hail 2 satellite. Photo: Mitsubishi Electric [Via Satellite 09-09-2014] Qatar based Es’hailSat has awarded a contract to Mitsubishi Electric for the manufacture of its second satellite: Es’hail 2. The project, which began in July 2014, is expected to take 27 months and has an anticipated launch in late 2016. Additionally, Mitsubishi Electric…

The Army’s Deployable Ku-band Earth Terminals such as the one shown here in August 2013 at an enduring site in Afghanistan, are part of the WIN-T network architecture. Photo: U.S. Army [Via Satellite 09-09-2014] The United States Defense Information Services Agency (DISA) has awarded a contract to SES Government Solutions to provide capacity for the…

[Via Satellite 09-09-2014] The United States Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) has awarded a $54 million contract to ViaSat and Data Link Solutions to jointly develop and qualify new Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) capabilities. The award supports a U.S. government program aimed at transitioning from the Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Low…

Artist’s rendition of bulgariasat 1. Photo: SSL [Via Satellite 09-09-2014] SSL has been selected by Bulgaria Sat, a joint stock company established by the owners of Bulsatcom, to build the company’s first satellite: BulgariaSat 1. Slated for launch in 2016 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the satellite will provide Direct-To-Home (DTH) TV services in…

QuadriCast VOD graphic. Photo: Quadrille Ingénierie [Via Satellite 09-09-2014] Eutelsat, in partnership with MStar Semiconductor, Aston and Quadrille Ingénierie, are working together to validate push Video-On-Demand (VOD) using the Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) 2.0 standard. VOD enables viewers to save content to a Set-Top-Box (STB) to watch at a later date. According to Eutelsat,…

Azerspace 1. Photo: Azercosmos [Paris, France 09-08-2014] Senior executives from space programs across the world discussed the potential for their ambitious projects in key emerging markets during a lively panel at Euroconsult’s World Satellite Business Week (WSBW) in Paris. Some of the main highlights came from the Caucasus region and Latin America. Azercosmos Wesley Wong,…

ViaSat-1 in the Compact Antenna Test Range (CATR). Photo: SSL [Via Satellite 09-08-2014] ViaSat has reached a comprehensive settlement of all outstanding claims related to its litigation with Space Systems/Loral (SSL) and Loral Space & Communications for breach of contract and patent infringement. In April, a U.S. District Court in San Diego, Calif. determined that…

Falcon 9 lifts off from LC-40 at Cape Canaveral, Fla., carrying the Asiasat 6 satellite. Photo: SpaceX [Via Satellite 09-08-2014] After two delays, AsiaSat’s newest communications satellite, Asiasat 6, successfully lifted off on Sept. 7. This was the second SpaceX Falcon 9 launch for AsiaSat this summer, after AsiaSat 8 on Aug. 5. Approximately 32…

Kacific seeks to connect the Pacific islands with high speed satellite broadband. Photo: Kacific [Via Satellite 09-08-2014] Kacific Broadband Satellites has signed a cooperation agreement with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for the development of satellite communications capacity and emergency communications solutions for the Pacific region. The project will establish 55 fully equipped e-centers to…

An O3b satellite with solar panels deployed. Photo: Ob3 [Via Satellite 09-08-2014] Timor Telecom, a subsidiary of Portugal Telecom, has gone live on O3b Networks’ “Fiber in the Sky” satellite network. This follows the May 14 announcement that the Portugal Telecom subsidiary had signed a deal with O3b to bring high throughput, low latency capacity…