February 2015

Thor 7 in the Compact Antenna Test Range (CATR). Photo: SSL [Via Satellite 02-17-2015] Telenor Satellite Broadcasting is in the early stages of an entrance into the markets of aviation and government connectivity. Morten Tengs, CEO of Telenor Satellite Broadcasting, told Via Satellite that the company is having a number of discussions around ways to…

Azerscosmos engineers visiting Orbital Sciences during the construction of the company’s last joint-satellite, Azerspace 1/Africasat 1a, collaboratively built with Measat. Photo: Azercosmos [Via Satellite 02-17-2015] Intelsat and Azercosmos, the national satellite operator of Azerbaijan, have signed a strategic agreement at the 45 degrees east orbital position. The two companies will collaborate on the design, manufacture…

Artist’s rendering of the SES 16/GovSat spacecraft. Photo: SES [Via Satellite 02-17-2015] SES has procured three new satellites to launch in 2017: SES 14, SES 15 and SES 16/GovSat. Airbus Defence and Space, Boeing and Orbital ATK, respectively, will manufacture the satellites. The new orders bring the total number of SES satellites currently under procurement…

A BC Ambulance. Photo: BCAS [Via Satellite 02-17-2015] Norsat International’s Sinclair Technologies division based in Aurora, Ontario, has executed a standing offer with BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS), to supply up to 16 of the company’s communications shelters (comshels). BCEHS governs the emergency medical services system in British Columbia and oversees the BC Ambulance Service.…

Monics CMS to be integrated into the Jabiru 1 satellite. Photo: SAT Corporation [Via Satellite 02-17-2015] Kratos Defense & Security Solutions’ subsidiary, SAT Corporation (SAT), has been awarded a contract to design, manufacture, install, test and deliver a Carrier Monitoring System (CMS) for NewSat‘s Jabiru 1 satellite. The system will include SAT’s MonicsCMS with SAT-DSP,…

Tank monitoring for deliveries of bulk fluids often demands satellite. Photo: Hans Splinter (Flickr) [Via Satellite 02-13-2014] Numerex, an Atlanta, Ga. based Machine-to-Machine (M2M) service provider, is contemplating ways to expand its services internationally by using satellite. Roughly 90 percent of the company’s business is cellular, but Steve Baker, VP of network product management at…

NTU and Thales officials at the launch of S4TIN. Photo: NTU [Via Satellite 02-13-2015] Thales Alenia Space and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) are establishing a joint research laboratory on NTU’s campus dedicated to developing new concepts and technology for small satellites. The lab, named Smart Small Satellite Systems-Thales in NTU (S4TIN), will focus on spacecraft…

Virgin Galactic’s new LauncherOne manufacturing facility. Photo: Virgin Galactic [Via Satellite 02-13-2015] Boosted by its contract to launch satellites for OneWeb’s ambitious 648 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) telecommunications satellite constellation, Virgin Galactic has opened a new facility to increase the production of LauncherOne rockets. The facility is located at Long Beach Airport in California, where…

One of Satcom Direct’s new sites is located by Centennial Airport. Photo: Jeffrey Beall [Via Satellite 02-13-2015] Satcom Direct has opened three new offices around the globe for training support and satcom system consultation for the aviation market. One of the offices is near Centennial Airport (KAPA) near Denver, Colo. KAPA is the third busiest…

Norsat Atom Products. Photo: Norsat [Via Satellite 02-03-2015] Norsat has delivered a prototype of its Atom 25 Watt Ka-band Block Upconverter (BUC) to an undisclosed defense customer. The buyer worked with Norsat to meet its size, weight and power efficiency goals for the new Ka-band system. Norsat’s customer plans to integrate the prototype into a…