August 2015

ViaSat corporate headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif. Photo: ViaSat [Via Satellite 08-07-2015] ViaSat revenues increased by 8 percent during its first fiscal quarter of 2016 compared to the prior year period, reaching a total of $344.4 million. Likewise for the first quarter ended June 30, Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) grew nearly…

Rockwell Collins’ connectivity graphic. Photo: Rockwell Collins [Via Satellite 08-07-2015] Rockwell Collins has purchased Virginia-based International Communications Group (ICG) for an initial purchase price of $50 million. ICG provides global voice and data satellite communications products and services to the aviation industry. The company’s offerings will be integrated into Rockwell Collins’ Commercial Systems portfolio. Rockwell Collins…

Artist’s rendition of a CubeSat. Photo: NASA [Via Satellite 08-07-2015] Kratos Defense and Security Solutions has released a complete Command and Control (C2) to Radio Frequency (RF) ground systems package for small satellite operators. The company’s new quantumGND product is comprised of three pre-integrated components. QuantumCMD provides C2 for a single small satellite up to…

An Advantech Wireless-equipped DSNG. Photo: Advantech Wireless [Via Satellite 08-07-2015] An Advantech Wireless customer selected the company’s SapphireBlu series of Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPAs) for a 4K, Ultra-HD television transmission of an international football tournament in South America. “With the new requirements of HDTV and Ultra-HD TV, broadcasters need more power per feed ……

ULA’s Delta 4 launch of the U.S. Air Force’s GPS 2F-5 satellite. Photo: ULA/Ben Cooper [Via Satellite 08-05-2015] The U.S. Air Force wants to manage the transition to competing launches “very carefully,” now that two companies are certified to conduct missions for national security payloads. According to Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, commander of the Space…

Vroon’s MPI Resolution vessel, used for for installing offshore wind turbines, foundations and transition pieces. Photo: Vroon [Via Satellite 08-06-2015] International shipping company Vroon has signed a multi-year contract with SpeedCast for Ku-band satellite services for clients on select maritime vessels. SpeedCast will provide connectivity for subsea-support vessels, which have 10 to 25 passengers; walk-to-work…

Iridium’s Satellite Network Operating Center (SNOC). Photo: Iridium [Via Satellite 08-06-2015] Iridium has received the first delivery of the Broadband Core Transceiver (BCX) prototypes for interoperability testing on the Iridium NEXT satellite network infrastructure. Cambridge Consultants, a product development firm, designed the prototypes, which will be distributed to Iridium Certus broadband manufacturing partners, which Iridium…

OneWeb connectivity graphic. Photo: Honeywell [Via Satellite 08-06-2015] OneWeb has joined the Satellite Industry Association (SIA), a U.S.-based trade organization that represents commercial satellite companies on policy, regulatory, and legislative issues affecting the industry. OneWeb intends to orbit a constellation of 648 small satellites to provide broadband for rural and underdeveloped locations across the globe.…

Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) in Nepal. Photo: TSF [Via Satellite 08-06-2015] Télécoms Sans Frontières, an Inmarsat-supported nongovernmental organization (NGO) providing disaster response and humanitarian support, is continuing to provide post-emergency mHealth support in Nepal roughly three months after the magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the country, affecting more than 2.8 million people. The charity telecoms agency…

Cybersecurity graphic. Photo: BAE Systems [Via Satellite 08-05-2015] A new report by the World Teleport Association (WTA) finds that cybersecurity is a growing concern in the satellite industry, and an issue that not all companies are adequately prepared to protect against. As hacking equipment and techniques continue to evolve and instances of attacks become ever-more…