Uncategorized

June, 1994: Hughes Electronics and United States Satellite Broadcasting introduced DirecTV, the first US all-digital direct-to-home TV service. It was carried on the high-powered DBS-1 satellite, launched in 1993 with […]

May 17, 2004: Boeing introduced Connexion by Boeing, providing in-flight connectivity for broadband Internet via satellite. Lufthansa was the first airline to contract for the service, for which Boeing installed […]

September 28, 2008 – The Falcon 1 rocket’s fourth launch was the first success for Space Exploration Technology Corp. (SpaceX), and marked the entrance of the first privately funded, liquid-fuelled […]

July 20, 1969: The first landing on the moon by Apollo 11 was broadcast “”live via satellite”” to a global audience over Intelsat satellites. Intelsat also provided communications support for […]

August 3, 1995: With the successful launch of PAS 4 aboard an Ariane 4 launcher, PanAmSat became the first private satellite company to achieve global coverage. The Hughes-built HS-601 satellite […]

August 20, 2004: An investment group including Kohlberg, Kravis Roberts, the Carlyle Group and Providence Equity Partners purchased PanAmSat from the News Corporation’s DirecTV Group for $2.6 billion in cash. […]

December 1, 2008 – China launched a new remote sensing satellite aboard a Chinese CZ-2D Chang Zheng 2D launch vehicle. The satellite was developed by the China Academy of Space […]

April 24, 1970: Dong Fang Hong 1, also known as China 1, was launched aboard China’s Long March 1 rocket as part of the PRC’s Dong Fang Hong (“”The East […]

January 13, 1996: The launch of Measat 1, built by Boeing and launched on an Ariane 4 rocket, put Malaysia’s first satellite into orbit. The Boeing 376 spacecraft weighed 1.6 […]

August 29, 2005: Intelsat and PanAmSat announced that the two companies would merge in a $6.4 billion deal that would create the world’s largest satellite carrier with 51 spacecraft in […]

February 10, 2009 – An Iridium satellite and a Russian Cosmos satellite collided in the first-ever satellite crash. According to the U.S. Strategic Command’s Space Surveillance Network, the collision left […]

June 7-July 17, 1971: The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) convened the World Administrative Radio Conference for Space Telecommunications (WARC-ST) and determined the frequency allocations for Broadcast Satellite Services (BSS) Click […]

August 19, 1997: The launch of Agila 2 added the Philippines to the list of satellite nations. Designed and built by Space Systems/Loral for the Mabuhay Philippines Satellite Corporation, Agila […]

June 18, 2006: Kazakhstan became the 44th satellite nation when a Russian Proton-K-DM3 launcher put Kazsat 1 into GEO orbit. The 1.5-ton (1380kg) satellite, built by GKNPT Krunichev, carried 12 […]

August 21, 1971: The final treaty for the creation of the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO) was signed by 11 national governments, creating the predecessor organization to today’s Intelsat Click […]

March 31, 1998: The 22nd meeting of the Intelsat Assembly of Parties unanimously approved the creation of a private, independent spin-off company, New Skies Satellites, to be based in The […]

November 17, 2006: Arqiva, a British provider of satellite and terrestrial communications services, announced that it would acquire the Satellite Broadcast Services business of BT for 25 million pounds in […]

The seminal event of the 1970’s was the””Open Skies”” ruling by the US Federal Communications Commission, which favored competition in satellite services and set a precedent that influenced government policy […]

February 23, 1999: The launch of the Stellenbosch University Satellite (SUNSAT) added South Africa to the list of satellite nations. This micro-satellite, designed and built by electrical engineering students at […]

December 18, 2006: Loral Space and Communications announced an agreement with a Canadian partner, the Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments) to acquire 100% of Telesat Canada from Bell […]

[Satellite TODAY 03-08-10] International Datacasting Corp. (IDC) continued remaking its executive leadership, naming a new chairman five days after replacing its president and CEO.    Adam Adamou has been named […]

[Satellite TODAY 03-08-10] Globecomm Systems Inc. has acquired Carrier to Carrier Telecom BV (C2C) and the assets of Evolution Communication Ltd. from Carrier to Carrier Telecomm Holdings Ltd. (C2C Holdings), […]

[Satellite TODAY 03-08-10] Integral Systems has acquired privately held CVG and its subsidiary, Avtec Systems, for $35 million in cash, Integral announced March 5.    CVG-Avtec provides secure, satellite-based communication […]

[Satellite TODAY 03-08-10] Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) signed a long-term capacity deal with Intersputnik International Organization of Space Communications for capacity on the ABS-2 satellite, ABS announced March 8.    […]

[Satellite TODAY 03-08-10] Irdeto will provide Middle East technology provider Selevision  middleware and conditional access solutions for Setevision’s new HD personal video recorders, Irdeto announced March 8. The devices, which […]

[Satellite TODAY 03-08-10] Orbital Sciences Corp. has reached an agreement to acquire the spacecraft development and manufacturing business of General Dynamics subsidiary GD Advanced Information Systems, Orbital Sciences announced March […]

[Satellite TODAY 03-08-10] SES Astra has taken full ownership of SES Sirius, acquiring the remaining 10 percent of SES Sirius shares from the Swedish Space Corp., SES Astra announced March […]

[Satellite TODAY 03-08-10] GlobeCast signed a deal to bring more Mandarin content to Chinese communities throughout Europe, the company announced March 3.    Globecast signed a video-on-demand (VOD) distribution deal […]

[Satellite TODAY 03-08-10] OSN, a DTH operator in the Middle East, is deploying Harmonic’s digital headend solutions to power OSN’s recently launched HD video service, Harmonic announced March 4.    […]

[Satellite TODAY 03-04-10] Viaccess will work with NEC on developing technology for hybrid set-top boxes, Viaccess announced March 3.    The two companies will collaborate to offer incorporate conditional access […]