Staff Writer

[Satellite Today 07-01-09] Eutelsat has launched Fransat, a satellite service providing access in metropolitan France to all free digital terrestrial television (DTT) channels, Eutelsat announced June 29.     The service, […]

[Satellite Today 07-01-09] Vizada has launched its Inmarsat FleetBroadband 150 (FB 150), a high-speed maritime voice, IP data and SMS service, Vizada announced June 30.     The mobile satellite terminal […]

[Satellite Today 07-01-09] The management of the development and validation phase of the Galileo satellite navigation program “was inadequate” and the proposal for a public-private partnership to oversee the venture […]

[Satellite Today 07-01-09] SES Astra signed a transponder deal with BSkyB to provide 24 transponders on a long-term basis at Astra’s 28.2 degrees East orbital position, SES announced June 30. […]

[Satellite Today 07-01-09] The U.S. Air Force awarded a $30 million contract to Lockheed Martin to begin concept development for Space Fence, a system of land-based S-band radars supporting operations […]

TECHNOLOGY Comtech EF Data Introduces Point-To-Multipoint Modem for Satellite IP Delivery Comtech EF Data unveiled its CDM-740 Satellite Modem — a high performance architecture featuring an integrated DVB-S/-S2 receiver and […]

Reynald Seznec succeeded Pascale Sourisse as CEO of Thales Alenia Space in May 2008, taking over a company with a strong backlog that included the next-generation constellation for Globalstar. He […]

[Satellite Today 06-30-09] The Sirius FM-5 satellite, set to be placed at the 96 degrees West orbital slot, is ready to be launched on board an International Launch Services (ILS) […]

[Satellite Today 06-30-09] DigitalGlobe signed a contract to extend its NextView world imagery service agreement with the U.S. National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) for $12.5 million per month, DigitalGlobe announced […]

[Satellite Today 06-30-09] DirecTV and Dish Network applauded a unanimous decision by the Kentucky State Supreme Court to strike down a Kentucky law allowing local governments to tax satellite TV, […]

[Satellite Today 06-30-09] Boeing and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) received the first on-orbit signals from the GOES-O satellite and reported that the Earth observation satellite is […]

[Satellite Today 06-30-09] Stratos Global Corp. signed an agreement with Modern Security Solutions, a Stratos partner based in the United Kingdom, to market the Afiant satellite network video management system […]

[Satellite Today 06-30-09] Eutelsat signed a satellite broadband deal with the German province of Brandenburg to provide services supporting Brandenburg’s Broadband Supply for Rural Areas program, Eutelsat announced June 29. […]

[Satellite Today 06-30-09] A U.S. bankruptcy judge ruled that Sea Launch Co. can continue maintaining its bank accounts and paying its utilities and employees as it restructures under Chapter 11 […]

[Satellite Today 06-30-09] SES Astra signed a capacity deal with SatGate, a Lithuanian satellite service provider, to resume transmissions from SES Astra’s orbital position at 31.5 degrees East, SES Astra […]

[Satellite Today 06-30-09] Microsoft has signed a strategic partnership deal with French broadcaster Canal Plus to bring pay-TV content to Xbox users in France, Microsoft announced June 29. There are […]

NASA requested suggestions on how to organize documents from from spaceflight pioneer Wernher von Braun into an electronic, searchable database or other system. The space agency would welcome thoughts from […]

Salt may signal that an underground ocean lurks inside a moon circling Saturn, according to NASA. The Cassini spacecraft discovered sodium, or salt, for the first time in grains of […]

The first Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) satellite arrived at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., for launch preparation, Northrop Grumman Corp. [NOC] announced. "This delivery is a significant […]

Making Another ESA Facility In South America, After Spaceport The European Space Agency (ESA) announced plans for a ground station to be built in South America, assuming negotiations are successful. […]

NASA gave Wackenhut Services Inc. a $1.2 billion contract to provide security services at NASA installations, after Wackenhut successfully sued the space agency when it earlier had awarded the contract […]

Updated — June 26, 2009 – 7:15 p.m. EDT Legend: + Targeted For | * No Earlier Than (Tentative) |** To Be Determined 2009 Launches Date: June 27 Mission: GOES-O […]

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV rocket roared from Space Launch Complex 37 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Saturday evening, to place a Geostationary Operational Environmental […]

North Korea May Launch Taepo Dong-2 Missile On Saturday, Perhaps Toward Hawaii: Reports U.S. missile defense systems very likely can demolish any missile that North Korea launches to hit U.S. […]

Nuclear forces at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., passed inspections with the highest possible score. That’s a reversal from the situation two years ago, when six nuclear-tipped cruise missiles were […]

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz is examining the feasibility of missile defense systems mounted on aircraft, such as strike fighters. Interest in the Air Launched Hit-to-Kill systems […]

Obama Administration Isn’t Seizing Control Of NPOESS To Fix Problems, Lawmakers Say The Senate Appropriations Committee expressed exasperation with the long-troubled National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System, or NPOESS, but […]

Lunar Impacts Set For Oct. 9 Two NASA spacecraft are healthy and ramping up their systems, poised for pioneering lunar missions that will net key information for future manned U.S. […]

But Defense Measure Also Encourages Talks With Russians Over Possible Joint Radar The pending Senate defense authorization bill leaves the European Missile Defense (EMD) program with just $51 million for […]

Funding Restoration Amendments Are Rejected Even More Cuts May Gouge Missile Defense Programs In Future Years, Lawmaker Warns Both the entire House and a key Senate panel backed President Obama’s […]