Author: Max Engel
August 1, 2013
Every so often, someone points out that a satellite is just a very tall antenna tower – without the tower part. When looked at this way, it is obvious that there are other ways to put an antenna way up in the air (or vacuum). Indeed, any antenna height is a compromise between signal strength,…
June 1, 2013
At SATELLITE 2013, Hughes announced the new Jupiter 2/EchoStar XIX satellite. This satellite will be built by Space Systems/Loral on the SSL 1300 bus and will have 50 percent more capacity than its predecessors Jupiter I/EchoStar XVII and than ViaSat-1, both also built by SSL. With average broadband speeds growing every year (20 percent, according…
April 1, 2013
In February, the FCC released its third Measuring Broadband America report (MBA report). While previous MBA reports have examined fiber, cable, and DSL connections, this latest report is the first to give satellite broadband the same coverage. According to the report’s introduction, the FCC was waiting for the current generation of high throughput satellites to…
March 1, 2013
With the success of SpaceX’s Falcon 9, it seems like the age of truly commercial space launch has arrived. But what exactly is a commercial launch? When I worked with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (launch licensing office) we spent a fair amount of time trying to decide what a…