Hughes Network Systems announced Thursday that the Jupiter 3 satellite successfully deployed its solar arrays and antennas and passed readiness testing by manufacturer Maxar Space Systems. Hughes is now testing the satellite communications with ground equipment.  The satellite, which SpaceX launched in late July, is moving closer to commercial service. Parent company EchoStar said in…

Telus, TerreStar Solutions and Skylo have conducted a successful trial to bring direct satellite connectivity to customers in Canada. The three companies announced details of the trial in Canada on Nov. 1. The trial paves the way to eliminate no-coverage zones and providing ubiquitous connectivity across Canada. In the trial, satellite connectivity was used to…

It is all systems go for Canadian operator Telesat and its Lightspeed LEO satellite constellation. In a surprise announcement on Friday, the company confirmed that the long-awaited constellation is now fully funded and that it has contracted to MDA to build the 198 satellites needed for the system. Lightspeed satellite launches are now scheduled to…

Viasat is dealing with an unexpected anomaly with the reflector on its Viasat-3 satellite that “may materially impact” its performance. The company’s stock plunged after it released the news on Wednesday after market close, dropping from around $43 to $30 on Thursday.  SpaceX launched the satellite on a Falcon Heavy mission on April 30. Viasat…