Uncategorized

November 3, 1957: The Soviet Union startled the world by launching a second satellite less than one month after Sputnik 1. Sputnik 2 carried radio and TV transmitters, telemetry, scientific […]

February 19, 1976: COMSAT launched Marisat, the first Mobile Communications satellite. Marisat allowed constant ship-to-shore communications for the maritime industry. Prior to Marisat, companies would go as long as 48 […]

March 28, 2001: SES Global announced the acquisition of GE Americom from General Electric for US$5 billion in cash and stock, granting General Electric a 25% stake in SES Global […]

July 7, 2007 – DIRECTV’s HD expansion took a giant leap forward with the successful launch of the DIRECTV 10 satellite. The Hughes-built satellite has spot beam capacity that will […]

January 31, 1958: The US launched Explorer 1, designed by JPL and carrying instruments developed by Dr. James Van Allen, as part of the International Geophysical Year. A Geiger counter […]

October 27-November 21, 1977: The World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC 77) finalized frequency allocations for Direct Broadcasting Satellites (DBS) Click here to view this event in the SSPI Satellite Industry […]

July 18, 2001: Intelsat completed its privatization by establishing a holding company, Intelsat Ltd., based in Bermuda, and formally ending its 37-year history as an international treaty organization Click here […]

September 2, 2007 – India celebrated a double success when its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLV-F04, placed its INSAT-4CR satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit. The INSAT-4CR satellite carries 12 high-power […]

August 12, 1960: NASA launched, Echo 1, developed by a Bell Labs team led by Dr. John Pierce. The satellite consisted of a large metallized balloon that passively reflected radio […]

November 11, 1982: NASA’s Space Shuttle flew its first mission to deliver communications satellites into low Earth orbit. Mission STS-5 deployed two communications satellites, both Hughes-built HS-376 spacecraft: SBS-3 owned […]

October, 2001: Hughes Electronics accepted a bid from Echostar CEO Charlie Ergen to acquire its DirecTV unit in a $25.8 billion deal that would create a single US DTH operator […]

January 15, 2008 – The third Geo-mobile satellite for Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company, based in the United Arab Emirates, was successfully launched. The Boeing-built Thuraya satellites enable mobile telephone services, […]

December 20, 1961: The UN General Assembly adopts resolution 1721 calling for the application of international law to space exploration and applications, and the free exploration and use of space […]

June 28, 1983: Hughes Communications launched Galaxy 1 aboard a Delta rocket. Carrying 24 primary and 6 back-up C-band transponders, Galaxy 1 was the first satellite devoted exclusively to cable […]

October 10, 2002: Citing anti-trust concerns, the US Federal Communications Commission rejected the proposed $25.8 billion merger with DirecTV proposed by Echostar CEO Charlie Ergen and approved by the board […]

April 7, 2008 – Hughes announced the activation of its first HughesNet consumer broadband Internet subscriber on its SPACEWAY 3 Ka-band satellite, launched in August 2007. SPACEWAY 3 employs high-performance, […]

July 10, 1962: The launch of Telstar 1, developed by a Bell Laboratories team led by Dr. John Pierce and funded by AT&T, marked the beginning of the commercial satellite […]

November 8 – November 16, 1984: Westar 6 and Palapa B2 became the first satellites to be retrieved from space and repaired by the Space Shuttle Discovery’s mission STS 51-A. […]

April 9, 2003: Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, General Motors and Hughes Electronics reached agreement on a deal through which News Corp. would acquire a 34% stake in Hughes (20% owned […]

April 14, 2008 – ICO Global Communications celebrated the successful launch of its new North American geosynchronous satellite, ICO G1. With a total mass of 6,634kg, ICO G1 was the […]

[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] 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 […]

[Satellite TODAY 03-08-10] Viasat Broadcasting signed an IPTV distribution deal with Telenor, Viasat announced March 3.    The agreement will allow, Viasat, which operates a DTH platform throughout Scandinavia, to […]

[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 […]