AsiaSat To Broadcast East Asian Games

AsiaSat has won a contract from East Asian Games (Hong Kong) Ltd. to supply satellite capacity on AsiaSat 3S for live television coverage of the Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games.

AsiaSat 3S will distribute television feeds of the 2009 event to broadcast right holders and millions of sports fans across the Asia Pacific. The deal follows the commencement of operations on the AsiaSat 5 satellite in September and capacity contracts won in October with TDM for television broadcasting service across more than 50 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Com Dev wins U.S. Government Satellite Contract

Com Dev USA LLC has been awarded a contract to provide passive microwave equipment for an unnamed U.S. government space program.

The contract, valued at more than $7 million, covers work on the fourth spacecraft in a multiple-satellite constellation and follows a contract announced in October for the third spacecraft in the same program. Design and production work will be performed at Com Dev USA’s manufacturing facility in El Segundo, Calif., with delivery scheduled for the middle of fiscal 2011.

CSA Funds Space R&D Contracts

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) will invest more than $7.6 million in 26 research and development contracts with Canadian companies. The projects involve “timely development of priority technologies that are required for the implementation of specific potential future missions of interest to Canada,” according to the announcement.

The 26 contracts were awarded through the CSA’s Space Technology Development Program, which issues periodic requests for proposals to identify and support the development and demonstration of strategic space technologies.

e-Geos Receives ESA GMES Imagery Contract

Telespazio and Italian Space Agency joint venture e-Geos signed a 3.5 million euro ($5.2 million) contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to supply optical and radar satellite data for the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) program

Under the contract, e-Geos will provide the ESA with images from three radar satellites of the Italian Cosmo-SkyMed constellation and from the GeoEye-1, Ikonos, QuickBird, WorldView-1 and WorldView-2 optical satellites. The images supplied will mainly be used for various fast-track European services.

GMES is a joint program run by the European Commission and the ESA to develop European Earth-observation capacity and monitor climate change.

Astrium To build four satellites for ses

Astrium won a contract worth more than 500 million euros ($749.4 million) to build four satellites for SES. The satellites will provide replacement as well as incremental capacity for SES’ Astra and World Skies divisions and allow the release of the existing satellites at two orbital positions (28.2 and 31.5 degrees East).

Three of the new spacecraft, Astra 2E, Astra 2F and Astra 2G, are intended to deliver next-generation broadcast, VSAT and broadband services in Europe and Africa and will carry Ku- and Ka-band payloads at 28.2 degrees East. The fourth satelllite, Astra 5B, will be deployed at 31.5 degrees East, extending SES Astra’s transponder capacity and geographical reach over Eastern European and neighboring markets for DTH, direct-to-cable and contribution feeds to digital terrestrial television networks.

The satellites are scheduled for launch between 2012 and 2014.

Intelsat Signs Distribution Agreement with CSC/DVS

Intelsat Ltd. signed a multi-year distribution agreement with Corporate Satellite Communications (CSC/DVS) for Intelsat’s Network Broadband Global Maritime service.

Intelsat’s Network Broadband Global Maritime service, part of the GlobalConnex portfolio of services, uses C-band capacity provided via Intelsat 602 at 178 degrees East, Intelsat 707 at 307 degrees East and Intelsat 906 at 64 degrees East.

In 2008, CSC, a wireless communication infrastructure provider, merged its satellite operations with DVS, a system integrator within the maritime segment. DVS has installed more than 1,500 antennas around the globe and maintains more than 200 vessels at sea. CSC’s satellite division operates 12 antennas between its Miami and New Jersey sites.

Iridium Secures Distribution Partnerships in Mexico

Iridium Communications signed three distribution partnership agreements in Mexico to expand the service network and partner base of its regional subsidiary, Iridium Mexico.

Astrum Comunicaciones, Intercomunicaciones Móviles Satelitales (Inmosat) and Tecnologías de Control del Norte (Tecnor) will join Iridium’s initial partner Spacenet in selling Iridium Mexico’s voice and data satellite communications services in to domestic and international customers.

The partnership expansion follows the Mexican Ministry of Communications and Transportation granting approval in October to Iridium Mexico to operate, provide and sell MSS to business, government and consumer markets in Mexico.

MDA Provides Technology for Express Satellites

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) signed a $187 million satellite technology contract with the Russian Radio Research and Development Institute to provide technology solutions for the Russian Express AM5 and AM6 satellites, scheduled for launch between 2011 and 2012.

The satellites, owned and operated by the Russian Satellite Communications Co., are designed to provide broadcasting services, including digital TV, radio, multimedia services and mobile communications.

SSTL To Build Satellite for Sri Lanka Space Agency

The director general of the Sri Lankan Telecommunications Regulatory Commission has contracted Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) to help the country develop its own space capability and its first satellite.

SSTL will design and produce an Earth observation satellite for Sri Lanka, and the country would become a member of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation, with the ability to participate in international disaster relief support activities coordinated by the United Nations. SSTL will also advise the Sri Lankan government on the establishment of its national space program, which will be called Sri Lanka Space Agency.

The program includes training, development and collaborative activities between the University of Surrey and Sri Lankan academic institutes, which aim to promote academic, industrial and socioeconomic development.

Thomson Supplies MPEG-4 HD Satellite Set-top Boxes to TNS

Tahiti Nui Satellite (TNS) has selected Thomson to supply satellite MPEG-4 HD set-top box technology to support the launch of TNS’ HD broadcast service in the 2009 fourth quarter.

Thomson will supply its DSI2110 set-top box, part of its HD zapper product line, to allow TNS subscribers across the French Polynesia region of the Pacific Ocean to select and view video on-demand content via IP broadband. The unit also includes a USB port to connect an external disk drive to add PVR capability.

ViaSat Wins deal for Australian Military Ground Stations

BAE Systems Australia has contracted ViaSat to provide satellite ground stations for a high-speed upgrade to Australian Defense Force (ADF) satellite communications for $9.4 million.

ViaSat will provide multiple 9-meter Ka-band and 16-meter X-band terminals and services, with delivery scheduled for the third quarter of 2011. The new terminals will be installed at the ADF satellite ground station in Western Australia (SGS-West). The new system is designed to increase the survivability and mission coverage needs of the ADF.

The Australian Defense wide area network will be using bandwidth capacity on the Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) system in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Defense and other Australian defense satellites.

Yahsat Signs Multi-Regional YahClick Distribution Deal

Yahsat subsidiary Star Satellite Communications has entered into a cooperative agreement with of satellite-based Internet services provider IEC Telecom to distribute the YahClick satellite broadband service,.

IEC Telecom will roll out the YahClick service to 24 countries in Africa, Middle East and Southwest Asia. IEC Telecom will provide YahClick service to enterprise customers such as NGOs, oil and gas and other multinational companies.