December 2014

Stephen Spengler, Intelsat’s deputy CEO. Photo: Intelsat [Via Satellite 12-11-2014] Intelsat chairman and CEO David McGlade is transitioning to the position of executive chairman, effective April 1, 2015, the company announced today. Stephen Spengler, president and chief commercial officer of Intelsat will succeed him, and has been appointed, effective immediately, as Deputy CEO. Spengler’s promotion…

Protestors facing tear gas from police in the Hong Kong Umbrella Revolution. Photo: Pasu Au Yeung (Flickr) [Via Satellite 12-11-2014] Thuraya has partnered with the International News Safety Institute (INSI) to use Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) for the protection of journalists working in dangerous environments. The company is sponsoring a Thuraya SatSleeve and airtime as…

Globe Telecom headquarters. Photo: Wikipedia / Hans Olav Lien [Via Satellite 12-11-2014] Globe Telecom, a Philippine telecommunications service provider, has partnered with iDirect to provide VSAT connectivity in areas of the Philippines unreached by terrestrial services. The company plans to use iDirect’s Evolution platform along with the X3 remote for high-speed connectivity to corporate clients.…

Myanmar’s Deputy Minister H.E. U Thaung Tin of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology delivering a keynote speech at the 2014 Myanmar Satellite Forum. Photo: CommuniCast Myanmar [Via Satellite 12-11-2014] Myanmar’s government has outlined a plan to develop and orbit the country’s first satellite in five years. The country is looking to leverage private…

Uruguay. Photo: Roberto Tietzmann [Via Satellite 12-11-2014] OpenSky, a systems integrator has purchased an initial VSAT network from Gilat Satellite Networks for Uruguay’s state-owned telecommunications company ANTEL. The order calls for a fully redundant SkyEdge 2-c hub, along with 250 Ku- and C-band remote sites across the country. The contract includes installation, training and three…

An airplane in flight. Photo: Wikimedia / xlibber [Via Satellite/Aviation Today 12-10-2014] The European Space Agency (ESA) and Europe’s Single European Sky ATM Research Joint Undertaking (SESAR JU) program are teaming up and taking steps to boost efficiency in worldwide aircraft tracking, capacity and management through satellite-based communications. ESA’s Iris  program looks to create a…

An Atlas 5 rocket used for the U.S. Navy’s MUOS 1 satellite launch. Photo: United Launch Alliance. [Via Satellite 12-10-2014] Orbital Sciences has contracted United Launch Alliance (ULA) to conduct the next commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) using an Atlas 5 rocket. The mission is scheduled to take place in the…

Representatives from RSCC meeting with China Great Wall Industry Corporation. Photo: China [Via Satellite 12-10-2014] Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) recently met with China Great Wall Industry Corporation to discuss the manufacture, launch and operation of communications satellites. During a visit to China, RSCC delegates toured the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), including the…

The French Space Agency CNES’ Toulouse, France location. Photo: CNES [Via Satellite 12-10-2014] Manuel Valls, prime minister of France, and Bohuslav Sobotka, prime minister of the Czech Republic, have signed a treaty of cooperation on the peaceful exploration and use of outer space. During the French prime minister’s two-day visit to the Czech Republic, the…

Digital rendering of the future Thales Alenia Space building. Photo: Thales Alenia Space [Via Satellite 12-10-2014] Thales Alenia Space is spending approximately $10 million to expand its Cannes, France site with a new 1,250-square-meters building for optical space instruments. The new, modular building will have four integration areas each capable of handling a separate program,…