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Hispasat’s control center. Photo: Hispasat [Via Satellite 10-16-2014] OUTtv has selected Spanish satellite operator Hispasat to expand its broadcast range throughout Europe. The channel is currently present in the Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden, however demand from television operators in Central and Eastern Europe prompted the need for new delivery methods. OUTtv has since reached broadcast…

Artist concept of the Bloostar launcher. Photo: Zero2infinity [Via Satellite 10-16-2014] Spain-based Zero2infiniti has unveiled a hybrid balloon-rocket launch system intended to serve the small satellite market and has signed customers totaling more than $200 million in sales, according to the company. Dubbed Bloostar, the “rockoon” uses balloons in lieu of a first stage, not…

Dassault Falcon family of aircraft. Photo: Dassault Falcon. [Via Satellite 10-16-2014] Satcom Direct has established a new office at Dassault Aircraft Services’ Wilmington, Del. location, from which the company will be able to assist Dassault Falcon Jet and mutual customers with aircraft communications systems. Dassault Falcon Jet and Satcom Direct can now jointly conduct full…

ISRO’s PSLV C26 launch. Photo: ISRO [Via Satellite 10-16-2014] On Oct. 15 2014 the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched the third satellite in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) aboard a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PLSV). The 1425kg IRNSS C satellite launch marks the sixth time the PSLV has flown in the XL…

Umberto Gallo, CEO of Milano Teleport. Photo: Milano Teleport [Via Satellite 10-15-2014] Milano Teleport, the largest independent teleport in Italy, has undertaken a drastic shift in the focus of its business. Built in 2002 around an uplink to one of Eutelsat’s Hotbird satellites, the company’s primary focus was Direct-to-Home (DTH) broadcasting. But in 2011, the teleport’s…

NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building at Launch Complex 39. Photo: Trey Ratcliff (Flickr) [Via Satellite 10-15-2014] The United States Air Force has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for a Cape Launch Operations and Infrastructure Support (CLOIS) contract. The purpose of the RFI is to study ways to combine the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS)…

SNC spacecraft production facility. Photo: SNC [Via Satellite 10-15-2014] Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), manufacturer of Orbcomm’s Second Generation (OG2) satellites, has received a contract to build the STPSat 5 demonstration satellite for the United States military. NASA’s Ames Research Center awarded the contract. The satellite is part of the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) Space Test Program…

Spaceflight Inc’s Sherpa hosted payload and in-space transportation system. Photo: Spaceflight Inc. [Via Satellite 10-15-2014] The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) has selected Innovative Solutions in Space (ISIS) for the launch of multiple CubeSats through ISIS’ ISILaunch services for small satellites. ISIS will be responsible for the launch of five satellites in 2015, developed under…

Gilat facility. Photo: Gilat [Via Satellite 10-15-2014] Wavestream, a provider of Solid-State Power Amplifiers (SSPAs) for mission-critical defense and broadcast satellite communications systems, has appointed its past President and Co-Founder James Rosenberg as CTO. Before rejoining Wavestream, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gilat Satellite Networks, Rosenberg held senior engineering positions at Comtech Xicom Technology, where…

An Ariane 5 moving into the launch zone at Kourou, French Guiana. Photo: Arianespace [Via Satellite 10-15-2014] CNES, the French space agency, has renewed a six-year bilateral agreement with 17 Guianese municipalities. From 2014 to 2020, the agency will provide approximately $15.5 million for economic, social and cultural development. The French government began operating from…