E-letter: News Feed

October 29, 1999: In Penang, Malaysia, the INTELSAT Assembly of Parties, including representatives of all 143 member governments, voted unanimously to privatize the treaty organization that created the world’s first […]

January 11, 2007 – China conducted an anti-satellite missile test. The target of the test – a Chinese weather satellite – was destroyed, leaving an estimated 40,000 fragments from 1 […]

April 1955: Dr. John R. Pierce’s article, “”Orbital Radio Relays”” in Jet Propulsion, discussed both active and passive satellite “”repeaters”” and outlined the concept behind what would become the Echo […]

April 19, 1975: Launched by the Soviet Union from Kapustin Yar, Aryabhata was India’s first satellite, named after a ancient Indian mathematician (5th century AD). Aryabhata was built by the […]

March 17, 2000: US President Bill Clinton signed into law the Open-market Reorganization for the Betterment of International Telecommunications (ORBIT) Act, with the goal of helping to promote a more […]

January 30, 2007 – A Sea Launch Zenit 3SL rocket, carrying the NSS-8 satellite, exploded on the launch pad. The explosion occurred during main engine ignition. A Failure Review Board […]

October 4, 1957: The Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, into low earth orbit, giving birth to the age of satellites and space applications Click here to […]

Before 1975, cable TV was largely a rural industry that brought remote areas better reception and more channels. Then the October 1, 1975 Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier boxing match, carried live […]

October 21, 2000: Thuraya 1, the United Arab Emirates’ first satellite, was inserted into GEO orbit by a Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket from a floating platform in the Pacific Ocean. […]

March 11, 2007 – The Orbital Express mission of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) completed history’s first satellite-to-satellite hardware transfer in orbit. The mission aimed to test […]

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, […]

[Satellite TODAY 3-10-10] Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) signed a three-year agreement for capacity on ABS-2 with ICS Technologies Iraq, ABS announced March 9.    ICS will lease Ku-band capacity on […]

[Satellite TODAY 03-10-10] GlobeCast signed a deal for an additional full transponder on the AsiaSat 5 satellite, GlobeCast announced March 9.    The increased capacity on AsiaSat 5, formerly AsiaSat […]

[Satellite TODAY 03-10-10] RigNet Inc. has opened a service center in Williamsport, Pa., to serve the the Marcellus Shale region and provide a higher service level to clients in the […]

[Satellite TODAY 03-03-10] Ethan Lavan has been appointed director of Eutelsat’s In-Orbit Resources division, the satellite operator announced March 9.    Prior to joining Eutelsat, Ethan was responsible for regulatory […]

[Satellite TODAY 03-10-10] Modern Times Group (MTG) has appointed Laurence Miall-d’Aout chief of staff for its free-TV operations and Martin Lewerth in the newly created role of chief of staff […]

[Satellite News 03-10-10] Col. William Harding, vice commander, Military Satellite Communications System Wing, Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, directs acquisition planning, programming, budgeting and operational […]

[Satellite TODAY 03-10-10] Intelsat reported record revenues of $2.5 billion in 2009 but recorded a loss of 781.7 million, the satellite operator announced March 9. The loss included non-cash charges […]

[Satellite TODAY 03-10-10] Inmarsat posted revenues of $1.04 billion in 2009, up 4 percent from revenues of $996.7 million in 2008, the company reported March 9. EBITDA was $594.2 million, […]