E-letter: Briefs

[Via Satellite 07-29-2014] SES Government
 Solutions (SES GS) reports that as of July 8, 2014, the company has received approval from the General Services Administration (GSA) to
 offer O3b Networks […]

[Via Satellite 07-29-2014] Rocket Lab revealed plans to build a carbon-composite dedicated small satellite launch vehicle named Electron. Currently under construction in New Zealand, the company anticipates launching payloads of […]

[Via Satellite 07-29-2014] United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, launched three Air Force satellites on July 28, 2014. Using a Delta 4 rocket, the […]

[Via Satellite 07-29-2014] NBN Co has selected Thaicom subsidiary IPstar Australia (IPA) to provide interim satellite capacity for remote and regional areas of Australia and Tasmania. The agency anticipates the […]

[Via Satellite 07-29-2014] Lockheed Martin Flight Services (LMFS) has approved DeLorme’s inReach satellite communicator for use in the company’s Adverse Condition Alerting Service (ACAS) and Surveillance-Enhanced Search and Rescue. Pilots […]

[Via Satellite 07-28-2014] Rockwell Collins has sold its satellite communications business to an Atlanta-based private investor group. Roughly 365 employees along with operational centers in Duluth, Ga., and Stockholm, Sweden, […]

[Via Satellite 07-28-2014] ViaSat has acquired a high-rate modem product line and custom spacecraft technologies for Earth observation from Gray Labs. As part of the agreement, Gray Labs president Jim […]

[Via Satellite 07-28-2014] MTN Communications has signed contracts for expanded and new services with three cruise ship operators. Pearl Seas Cruises, Lindblad Expeditions, and Windstar have selected MTN to enhance […]

[Via Satellite 07-28-2014] Tata Sky has opted for Broadcom’s BCM7252 High-Efficiency Video Codec (HEVC) H.265 system-on-chip (SoC) for Ultra-HD capable Set-Top-Boxes (STBs) in India. According to Broadcom, the SoC reduces […]

[Via Satellite 07-28-2014] Hong-Kong-based Internet Service Provider (ISP) LiveCom has selected iDirect’s Evolution platform to expand the reach of its customers beyond the Asia-Pacific. The company intends to use a […]

[Via Satellite 07-25-2014] In preparation for Iridium’s next generation constellation Iridium NEXT, the company has issued more than 30 Request for Proposals (RFPs) to build new broadband subscriber products. Iridium […]

[Via Satellite 07-25-2014] Northrop Grumman reported lower sales in three of the company’s four main sectors during second quarter 2014. aerospace systems experienced a 4 percent decrease, electronic systems a […]

[Via Satellite 07-25-2014] Japanese airline Skymark Airlines is providing In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) free of charge to fliers via Panasonic Avionics’s eXConnect global connectivity service. The airline intends to equip Airbus […]

[Via Satellite 07-25-2014] Surrey Satellite Technology US has decided on five payloads to carry on the company’s Orbital Test Bed (OTB) mission in 2016. Using the SSTL-150 satellite bus, the […]

[Via Satellite 07-25-2014] Interns from United Launch Alliance and Ball Aerospace are planning to launch Colorado’s largest rocket on July 26, 2014. More than 100 students are participating in the […]

[Via Satellite 07-24-2014] Hughes Network Systems and Thales Defense & Security have successfully tested a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) mobile satellite network designed for rapid deployment in emergency situations. The LTE […]

[Via Satellite 07-24-2014] NASA has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to build a set of communications satellites for Mars. The approach signals a major change in the way NASA […]

[Via Satellite 07-24-2014] The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded a license to Tempus Global Data for a hyperspectral imaging and sounding system constellation. Tempus will leverage the […]

[Via Satellite 07-24-2014] SES, in partnership with Computer Warehouse Group (CWG), is launching the first Free-to-Air (FTA) digital TV platform in Nigeria. The Direct-to-Home (DTH) service will use SES’ Astra […]

[Via Satellite 07-24-2014] China Eastern Airlines has equipped an Airbus A330 aircraft with In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) capability. China Telecom Satellite is providing the service through Panasonic’s eXConnect system. The first […]

[Via Satellite 07-23-2014] Algerian VSAT operator Divona, has signed a contract with Eutelsat for a 72 MHz transponder on Eutelsat 21B. The multiyear contract enables Divona to provide increased satellite […]

[Via Satellite 07-23-2014] Harris Corporation received an order for wideband handheld tactical radios from an undisclosed Middle East country. The order, worth $15 million, provides the country with RF-7850M multi-band, […]

[Via Satellite 07-23-2014] The Russian Hydro-meteorological Service (Roshydromet) signed an agreement with Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) and partner ООО Isatel to provide maritime connectivity to the research and survey […]

[Via Satellite 07-23-2014] Arabsat has contracted Spanish technology group GMV to construct a new satellite control center (SCC) capable of managing the company’s six current satellites, with room for two […]

[Via Satellite 07-23-2014] SpaceX released video footage showing the company’s latest attempt to soft-land the Falcon 9 rocket following the launch of six OG2 satellites for Orbcomm. After the soft-landing, […]

[Via Satellite 07-22-2014] The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected SSL to build flight hardware capable of taking a variety of small missions to space aboard the […]

[Via Satellite 07-22-2014] The U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) has awarded SES Government Solutions a firm-fixed-priced Pathfinder contract for commercial satellite communications. The contract, worth more […]

[Via Satellite 07-22-2014] Telekomunikasi Indonesia TbK (Telkom) has selected Thales Alenia Space to build a new 3,500 kg satellite named Telkom 3S for HD broadcasts and Global System for Mobile […]

[Via Satellite 07-22-2014] Northern Sky Research (NSR) has released the 11th edition of the “Global Satellite Capacity Supply and Demand” report, which finds the growing amount of available capacity will […]

[Via Satellite 07-22-2014] STMicroelectronics’ JANSR+ series of radiation-hardened (rad-hard) transistors has been qualified for use in U.S. products. The series is comprised of 100krad JANSR high-dose-rate bipolar transistors with an […]