E-letter: Briefs

Globalstar Unveils Smaller, Lighter Handsets Globalstar Inc. introduced its next-generation satellite telephone handset. The GSP-1700, manufactured by Qualcomm, weighs about 7.1 ounces — about half the weight of the Globalstar’s […]

A captive audience of travelers waiting out delays in Denver International Airport (DIA) can bide their time watching DirecTV following the Dec. 28 launch of the satellite TV provider’s first […]

Space Micro Inc. announced that its Proton 100k space computer has been launched aboard the TacSat-2 satellite. The Proton 100k Radiation Hardened Single Board Computer is the instrument computer of […]

A new study from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) uses satellite imagery to illustrate changes in land use associated with increasing urbanization and its impacts on local, regional, and national […]

Calian Technologies Ltd. reported Dec. 27 its has received a contract valued in excess of $15 million Canadian dollars ($12.9 million) to develop radio frequency terminals for a new mobile […]

Lockheed Martin has delivered the flight structure for the third Advanced Extremely High Frequency (EHF) satellite to the company’s Mississippi facility for integration with its propulsion subsystem, Lockheed Martin announced […]

France’s Corot astronomy spacecraft was placed into polar orbit Dec. 27 by an enhanced Russian Soyuz 2-1b rocket in a mission conducted jointly from Baikonur Cosmodrome by Arianespace and its […]

The Russian government has placed three Glonass navigation satellites and a communications spacecraft into orbit in a pair of launches, according to press reports. A Proton rocket lofted three modernized […]

Empost, the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) national courier company, is installing GPS units in more than 425 delivery vans and motorcycles as part of an advanced information technology communications system, […]

ViaSat Inc. has received a $4.6 million order from the Defense Communication and Army Transmission Systems (PM DCATS) for MD-1366 enhanced bandwidth efficient modems, which are used by the U.S. […]

Following a day’s delay, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) announced Dec. 26 that a key receiving antenna on its Kiku-8 engineering test satellite had been deployed, pushing completion of […]

Boeing Satellite Systems Inc. was awarded a $50.7 million contract modification to begin work on the fifth Wideband Gapfiller Satellite (WGS), the U.S. Air Force announced Dec. 22. The contract […]

The Russian Federal Space Agency is awaiting Iran’s proposals for equipment to make the Iranian satellite Zohre, according to Dec. 22 Russian reports. The agency’s deputy director, Yuri Nosenko, was […]

EchoStar Communications Corp. announced Dec. 22 that its pay-TV provider Dish Network passed the 13 million-customer milestone.

Spacenet announced Dec. 22 the availability of its new StarBand Nova Pro satellite broadband Internet service for residential customers. Offered at StarBand’s lowest-ever price point, the Nova Pro service — […]

Globecomm Systems Inc. announced Dec. 21 that it has been awarded a five-year, $5.5 million contract from Harris Corp. to provide support services for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s Telecommunications […]

Liberty Media Corp. (Liberty) announced Dec. 22 a definitive agreement to exchange its 16.3 percent stake in News Corp. for News Corp.’s 38.5 percent stake in DirecTV Group Inc. along […]

Globecomm Systems Inc. announced Dec. 21 that it has been awarded a five-year, $5.5 million contract from Harris Corp. to provide support services for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s Telecommunications […]

Liberty Media Corp. has entered into a definitive agreement to exchange its 16.3 percent stake in News Corp. for News Corp.’s 38.5 percent stake in DirecTV Group Inc., the companies […]

ShifTV Inc., an Internet broadcaster of ethnic and niche programming, announced Dec. 20 an exclusive IPTV agreement with Sky Angel, a U.S.-based direct-to-home satellite broadcaster of Christian and family-oriented programming […]

Swales Aerospace has completed a critical design review for the TacSat-3 Modular Bus program, the company announced. TacSat-3 is sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicle Directorate as […]

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract valued at about $50 million to execute a system design review for the next-generation GPS space segment, Lockheed Martin announced […]

Eumetsat, the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, announced Dec. 19 that an agreement has been reached with Estonia to become the third Baltic State to join the […]

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced plans Dec. 19 to locate a satellite receiving station in India for capturing data from the future National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental […]

Ford Motor Co. of Canada and Audi Canada separately announced that Sirius Satellite Radio receivers will be delivered as factory-standard features in nearly all 2007 Ford, Lincoln and Audi vehicles […]

David Stone, former assistant secretary of Homeland Security for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA), has been named to the board of directors of SkyPort International Inc., the company announced […]

XM Satellite Radio announced Dec. 19 that Joan Lordi Amble has joined the company’s board of directors. Amble serves as executive vice president and corporate comptroller for American Express Co.

The first satellite in Germany’s SAR-Lupe system was placed into orbit Dec. 19 by a Russian Cosmos 3M booster, satellite prime contractor OHB-System announced. The system of five identical satellites, […]

Australia Network, the Australian Broadcasting Corp.’s international TV channel, has acquired additional capacity from Intelsat under a renewal of its multiyear contract, the Fixed Satellite Services announced Dec. 19. Australia […]

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. expects to raise $36.8 million in an offering of 7 million shares of stock, the company announced Dec. 19. The company will sell up to 4.7 […]