September 2014

CBERS 4 at China Academy of Space Technology’s (CAST) facility. Photo: AEB [Via Satellite 09-18-2014] Beijing-based China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) has completed the Final Design Review (FDR) of the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite 4 (CBERS 4) in collaboration with Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE). The completed FDR paves the way for…

Technicians at Kennedy Space Center prep solar panels on the MAVEN spacecraft which Emcore supported. Photo: NASA [Via Satellite 09-18-2014] Emcore has agreed to sell its space photovoltaics business to private equity firm Veritas Capital, including all rights to the buildings and 275 employees in Albuquerque, N.M. An affiliate of Veritas has agreed to purchase…

These images show the progress of the spacecraft mate as it was underway at the Lockheed Martin facility near Denver. With the core spacecraft now complete, instrument installation will begin. Photo: Lockheed Martin [Via Satellite 09-18-2014] Harris Corporation completed the integration of the first weather product applications onto the ground segment hardware for the National…

Artist’s rendition of the DSMP 19 satellite. Photo: Lockheed Martin [Via Satellite 09-18-2014] The United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) has taken operational control of the Lockheed Martin-built Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) 19 satellite. United Launch Alliance (ULA) launched the satellite on April 3, 2014, after which Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air…

Seats on a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747. Photo: Virgin Atlantic [Via Satellite 09-18-2014] Virgin Atlantic has partnered with Gogo to install the new 2Ku In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) service on the airline’s existing fleet. The companies have agreed on principle terms and are working together to finalize a definitive agreement. Virgin Atlantic is Gogo’s first European…

Jim Bridenstine. Photo: United States Congress [Via Satellite 09-17-2014] United States Rep. Jim Bridenstine, R-Okla., called for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to make use of commercial weather data to mitigate risk from both pending and potential future weather data gaps. Speaking at the Washington Space Business Roundtable on Sept. 16, the congressman…

NBN Co’s Walumla ground station. Photo: NBN Co [Via Satellite 09-17-2014] Australia’s government-owned National Broadband Network (NBN Co) has completed its ninth satellite ground station, located in Waroona in Western Australia. The organization has one more station to finish in order to complete the network, which is to consist of 10 sites featuring 24 satellite…

A CPI radome under static loads testing. Photo: CPI [Via Satellite 09-17-2014] Communications and Power Industries (CPI) provided a quad-band satellite communications radome to ViaSat in support of the company’s recent flight demonstrations using an integrated Ku-band and Ka-band airborne satellite terminal. The hybrid Ku-/Ka-band terminal and radome enable roaming between beams for In-Flight Entertainment…

Gazprom Space Systems and Bentley Walker Execs. Photo: Gazprom Space Systems [Via Satellite 09-17-2014] European Internet Service Provider (ISP) Bentley Walker has signed an agreement with Gazprom Space Systems for capacity on the Yamal 402 satellite. The company intends to use the capacity for services in Africa. Following the purchase, Bentley Walker deployed an iDirect…

Skytech’s dual Ka-/Ku-band antenna. Photo: MTN [Via Satellite 09-17-2014] MTN Communications has announced a new Ku-/Ka-band solution in collaboration with Skytech designed for the yachting industry. The Skytech solution, which uses the Skytech BB75 antenna, is optimized through MTN Maestro communications management solution. The new product will provide a segue to MTN’s upcoming high throughput…