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General news on the satellite and space industry from around the web

MTS Exec Details Russian Satellite TV Ambitions – Satellite Today

MTS is using the ABS 2 satellite to broadcast 160 channels to 95 percent of Russia. Photo: SSL [Via Satellite 12-04-2014] Mobile Telesystems (MTS), a major telecommunications company in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), has decided to launch a satellite pay-TV service with 160 channels. The company has leased capacity from Asia…

SpinSat Experimental Satellite Deployed from ISS – Satellite Today

SpinSat outside the ISS prior to deployment. Photo: NASA [Via Satellite 12-04-2014] The Special Purpose Inexpensive Satellite (SpinSat) has been deployed from the International Space Station (ISS) through the Japanese Experiment Module Airlock (JEMAL). The 50-kg, 22-inch diameter spacecraft is dotted with a series of thrusters that will test an Electrically-controlled Solid Propellant (ESP) system…

Emerging Markets Fueling Growth in Satellite Pay-TV – Satellite Today

Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, one of the top new markets for satellite pay-TV according to Euroconsult. Photo: Adam Cohn [Via Satellite 12-04-2014] New research by Euroconsult pegs emerging markets as the source of the majority of satellite pay-TV growth. According to the research and consulting firm’s “Satellite Pay-TV: Key Economics & Prospects” report,…

Thuraya Donates Satellite Phones to ITU – Satellite Today

A Thuraya XT handset user. Photo: Thuraya [Via Satellite 12-04-2014] Thuraya has donated several satellite phones to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to better equip relief workers and first responders for emergencies. The company provided Thuraya XT handsets, which are water resistant, shockproof, work with the antenna stowed away, and can be charged with a…

Azercosmos Orders Gilat’s SkyEdge 2-c for Managed Services – Satellite Today

A Gilat SkyEdge 2-c Hub. Photo: Gilat [Via Satellite 12-04-2014] Azercosmos has signed an agreement with Gilat Satellite Networks to use the SkyEdge 2-c network to provide multi-application satellite managed services on Azerspace 1. The SkyEdge 2-c system uses enhanced forward channel technology to increase second generation Digital Video Broadcasting – Satellite (DVB-S2) bandwidth efficiency,…

CPI Receives $6 Million Award for Radomes and Reflectors – Satellite Today

[Via Satellite 12-04-2014] Communications and Power Industries (CPI) Radant Technologies Division has received a $6 million follow-on order for radomes and reflectors designed for shipboard satellite communications. The radomes are for a military satcom program for which CPI Radant Technologies has received more than $45 million in orders. CPI’s military customer is using the radomes…

ESA Hands Reins to Industry on New Launchers – Satellite Today

Council Meeting at the Ministerial Level. Photo: ESA [Via Satellite 12-03-2014] Describing the move as near revolutionary, Jean Jacques Dordain, director general of the European Space Agency (ESA), said the agency is changing the governance arrangements of Europe’s next generation launchers letting industry take the lead. ESA member states made several key decisions on the…

Bristow Helicopters Using Iridium, Thales for Satellite Broadband – Satellite Today

The Sikorsky S-92 helicopter. Photo: Bristow Helicopters [Via Satellite 12-03-2014] Bristow Helicopters has selected Iridium’s OpenPort service to provide satellite broadband through Thales’ LiveAero product for its Sikorsky S-92 helicopters. The rotorcraft, which are purposed for search and rescue missions, will now allow emergency responders on board to send real-time transmissions of patient vitals to…

Hughes Announces Revamped SME Business Internet Plans – Satellite Today

A HughesNet Satellite Dish. Photo: Alan Levine [Via Satellite 12-02-2014] Hughes Network Systems has begun offering broadband plans targeted to Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The new Business Internet (BI) Select and Access plans feature download speeds ranging from 5 Mbps to 15 Mbps. Hughes’ plans all offer its Express Repair Premium and ZoneAlarm services…