Satellite Stuff

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KSAT, DMCii aim for greater downlink capacity at Svalbard

Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) and DMC International Imaging (DMCii) have signed a new agreement that will increase the volume and the speed at which KSAT delivers satellite imagery to DMCii through the former's Svalbard ground station.

KSAT's new, complete ground station service includes hardware provisioning and data delivery to DMCii headquarters in the United Kingdom. The higher delivery rate of an improved KSAT downlink enables the availability of 30% additional imagery, which will enhance capability for change detection applications.

KSAT operates the Svalbard ground station near the North Pole. The location receives 14 passes a day from polar-orbiting satellites like the ones operated by the DMCii. This allows Svalbard to downlink satellite data every 90 minutes. A high-speed data link to DMCii headquarters will allow Svalbard to deliver more satellite imagery at a faster rate.

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Spacecom nabs contract with Southern African ISP for Ku-band VSAT services

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STMicroelectronics, ESA successfully tests satellite-tracking chip for Galileo

The first ground location test of the STMicroelectronics-designed Teseo II single-chip satellite-tracking ICs, which leveraged the Galileo independent satellite navigation system operated by Europe, concluded successfully.

The European Space Agency (ESA) performed the tests at its technology center in the Netherlands. ST collaborated from its Italy-based Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) software development laboratories.

Teseo II is a single-chip standalone satellite receiver able to access every satellite navigation system in operation, such as the American GPS, Europe's Galileo, Russia's GLONASS, and Japan's QZSS. The new STMicroelectronics chip enjoys shorter time-to-first-fix and can perform continuous tracking with greater accuracy.

STMicroelectronics and ESA tested Teseo II with the Galileo system in both static (rooftop mount) and dynamic (mobile mount) environments. The ST-designed receiver required the use of a mere four Galileo IOV satellites to successfully track and generate a 3D fix throughout the mobile unit's entire path.

ST and ESA will continue to collaborate on a combined fix over multiple constellations that uses satellites from the GPS and/or Glonass networks, as well as future Galileo-only tests featuring a hostile environment once more of the European satellite navigation platforms enter operation in 2013.

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Hispasat expands broadband satellite network with new Gilat SkyEdge II system

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Belarus prepares new satellites, meteor watch system

The Belarusian State University plans to launch two satellites, one of them a Chinese-made communications satellite. It has also created a terrestrial system to watch out for meteors like the one that caused the Chelyabinsk disaster.

Petr Vityaz made the announcement on behalf of the Academy of Science during a conference in Belteleradiocompany. According to the representative, Belarus has built an autonomous surface system that can receive and analyze any information from space.

The Eastern European country has also built a communications satellite with the help of partners from China. The second satellite will support local logistics and navigation.

Mr. Vityaz explained that space centers and observatories around the world will create a common international network that can predict the approach and entry of meteors such as the one that exploded in the skies over Chelyabinsk.

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Virgin Atlantic starts year-long trial period for Arinc Cabin Connect in-flight solution

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Satellite Safari app lets users watch satellites from iPhone

Southern Stars recently released a new iOS app, Satellite Safari, that will let satellite watchers get an up-close and in-depth look at those elusive orbital space platforms using their iPhones.

Satellite Safari can zoom in on any orbital view to see details of the satellite. The app lets viewers rotate the image to look at the platform from any angle. It realistically updates the light and shadows whenever the device is rotated. It also updates satellite positions every second and updates calculations of positions on a daily basis.

The app is designed for the iPhone 5. It requires iOS 4.3 or later. Users have described it to be stable and swift. However, its numerous complex functions is expected to use up plenty of battery power and data.

SkyCube Mission selected Satellite Safari to serve as its official app. The publicly funded venture will launch its nano-satellite in September this year. The Sky Cube nano-satellite will take images of users on Earth as requested, and also broadcast messages from orbit.

Satellite Safari is currently on sale for $2.99. The regular listed price is $4.99. SkyCube will also release a free Web interface for users who do not have smartphones. An Android version is also under work.

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Intelsat secures two future launch missions with International Launch Services

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Satmex 8 finishes post-launch maneuvers, moves to orbital slot

Space Systems Loral (SSL) reported that the Satmex 8 communications satellite has completed post-launch maneuvers following its successful launch.

The broadband satellite deployed its solar arrays as scheduled. Satmex 8 has begun maneuvering itself into geosynchronous orbit at 116.8 degrees west longitude, where it will replace the much older Satmex 5 platform and serve alongside its sister SSL-build spacecraft, Satmex 6.

Satmex 8 was built by SSL on behalf of Satélites Mexicanos. A Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) platform, the new Satmex spacecraft will cover North, South, and Central America.

In addition to offering cellular backhaul, satellite broadband services, and video content and distribution services, Satmex 8 will also enable connectivity for distance learning, emergency communications, and telemedicine.

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Eutelsat satellite capacity will power new satellite TV platform in Georgia

Eutelsat Communications will be providing satellite capacity in support of Global TV, a new satellite broadcasting platform offered by JSC Global Contact Consulting.

A media company based in the Eastern European country of Georgia, JSC Global has entered a multi-year agreement with Eutelsat for capacity on the Eutelsat 36B satellite. JSC Global will use 36B's widebeam footprint to deliver its new platform across the entire country, the surrounding regions, and Western Europe.

Satellite broadcasting of Global TV begins this March 2013. The initial broadcast will feature four free-to-air (FTA) channels with room for later addition of both Georgian and international channels.

JSC intends to accelerate viewers' access to its Global TV platform by installing several thousand satellite dishes across Georgia during the next couple of years. The satellite antenna will be locked on to Eutelsat 36B, which occupies the 36 degrees East orbital slot.

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GSA Schedule gets new satellite communications products, services from Spacenet

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ART/IND renews satellite TV distribution deal with Intelsat

ART/International Network Distribution (ART/IND) is extending its satellite TV distribution agreement with Intelsat S.A. for a few more years.

ART/IND aggregates and distributes niche and international channels across the world. The extended agreement with Intelsat lets the Company continue using the Intelsat 21 satellite to contribute and distribute key programming channels throughout the Americas.

Based in Lebanon, ART/IND has been using Intelsat services for more than a decade. It is one of a handful of premier media companies that use the Intelsat 21 satellite to deliver diverse and popular content.

With Intelsat 21, media companies can access the best video neighborhoods and direct-to-home (DTH) satellite TV platforms in the Americas.

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Thuraya SatSleeve turns Apple iPhone into satellite phone

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SES satellite TV gains 17 million new subscriber households

SES recently announced that it has brought 17 million additional households into the coverage of its satellite TV network. A significant portion of the new households are in Germany and India. The Company now serves a total of 276 million homes worldwide as of December 31, 2012.

The last four years have seen satellite TV broaden its coverage of Europe by 17 percent. More and more European households subscribe to High Definition (HD) satellite TV, and SES satellites can reach 41 percent of those satellite households. Germany accounts for much of this growth due to its switch-off of the analogue satellite signals and the success enjoyed by the HD platform HD+.

Subscriber growth in India was driven by the growing local Direct-to-Home (DTH) market and the digitalization of cable. DTH platforms, Dish TV, and Airtel Digital TV are in high demand in India. SES satellite serve 25 million Indian homes, 7.5 million of which were recent additions. SES capacity is contracted by the Indian Space Research Organization.

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Nupoint Systems expands Globalstar M2M data communication satcom services

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RapidEye releases MALAREO study, Earth observation products

The RapidEye website has posted the findings of its recently-completed African Malaria Control Project study, MALAREO.

The MALAREO project started back in 2011. Funded by the European Commission, it was run by a consortium of European and African interests. MALAREO combined years of experience in malaria control with the Earth observation (EO) expertise of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES.)

Remote Sensing Solutions GmbH (RSS) processed the satellite data. It also developed Earth observation products that investigated the spatial variability of environmental factors that affected malaria at the local level. The National Malaria Control Programs of Mozambique, South Africa, and Swaziland were able to benefit from these EO products.

The RapidEye Earth observation satellite constellation took pictures of 43,000 square kilometers covered by the MALAREO study. The EC/ESA GMES Space Component Data Access (GSC-DA) delivered the satellite data.

The study was completed in January 2013. The MALAREO project team then presented the EO products to their end-users, the Southern African National Malaria Control programs.

According to the end-users, the RapidEye EO products and accompanying Map Atlas have been a great boon in planning to control malaria. When combined with linked environmental and epidemiological data, the EO products will serve as the basis for an early warning system.

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 Hughes rolls out new Ka-Band satellite routers with Jupiter technology

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CCSI says Russian BLITS satellite hit Chinese space debris

The Center for Space Standards & Innovation (CCSI) finally found out what blitzed the Russian Ball Lens in the Space (BLITS) satellite back on January 22, 2013: Debris from the destroyed Chinese satellite Fengyun 1C.

China destroyed Fengyun 1C in 2007 in order to demonstrate its anti-satellite capabilities. According to the Colorado-based CSSI, the wreckage have been orbiting Earth since then.

Russia built and launched its BLITS retroreflector demonstration satellite in 2009 to perform precision satellite laser-ranging experiments over the next five years.

BLITS, says CSSI, got clobbered by a .08 gram piece of debris from Fengyun 1C towards the end of January. The impact seriously disrupted BLITS' spin period and orbit, which came to the attention of Moscow's Institute for Precision Instrument Engineering (IPIE) on February 4, 2013.

As of the time of this writing, it is still unsure if BLITS will be able to continue operations.

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Sana taps Avanti satellite to deliver Ka-band Internet on satellite in Libya

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Millennium Space Systems, Air Force work on weather satellite gap

A new contract with the Defense Weather Systems Directorate of the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Center will see Millennium Space Systems embarking on a year-long research program covering space-based weather sensing.

The program is part of the USAF Weather Satellite Follow-On Activities (WSFA) risk reduction technology project. Millennium will prepare for the weather satellite gap expected in 2015 by seeking out long- and short-term solutions that are affordable, responsive to schedules, and low-risk.

The Disaggregated Weather Satellite Pathfinder (DWSP) concept that Millennium is working on will leverage a constellation of weather sensing satellites to shore up, replenish, and replace Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) platforms.

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Actia Sodielec, Astrium Services develop French comcept Ka-band satcom system

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SES handles satcom services, infrastructure for Galileo data network

The Galileo Data Dissemination Network (GDDN) will be supporting the Galileo Operator Spaceopal with the aid of SES TechCom. The SES service company recently entered contract with BT to provide satellite communications services for the GDDN.

SES TechCom has been tapped to deploy, maintain, and support the GDDN's Satcom terrestrial infrastructure. It will also deliver satellite capacity as well as monitoring and controlling the GDDN satellite network.

Galileo is the European initiative for a global satellite navigation system. It is controlled by civilians, specifically the European Space Agency, which manages it on behalf of the European Union.

Through the GDDN network, the two Galileo Control Centers in Italy and Germany can access the extensive network of sensor stations, uplink stations, and Telemetry, Tracking & Control (TT&C) stations distributed around the world. GDDN also delivers satellite connectivity to Galileo’s facilities, such as the satellite test and launch facilities, security monitoring centers, network management facilities, and external entities.

BT designs, deploys, and operates the GDDN network. Spaceopal is the operations contractor for the Galileo project.

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Virtually try out Diamond in the Rough rings through iPhone app

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NBN enters big launch deal with Arianespace

The National Broadband Network (NBN) of Australia has tapped Arianespace to procure and launch two broadband satellites in 2015. The agreement is worth $300 million.

NBN intends to deliver high-speed broadband services to a quarter of a million households, businesses, and farms in the remote regions of Australia. This includes the country's overseas territories.

According to Mike Quigley, CEO of NBN, faster broadband speeds will enable video health services, high-quality video calls, and other services for consumers in regional communities.

Each of the two, 6.25 ton NBN broadband satellites will cost $620 million each. They will link up with ten Earth stations equipped with 13.5m satellite dishes.

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 Orion Express eyes Hotbird satellite hotspot for Russia

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Turkmenistan plans late 2014 launch for first national satellite

Turkmenistan announced that it has picked a late 2014 launch date for its first national satellite.

Design and construction of the Turkmen national satellite will be the purview of Thales Alenia Space. The company will also assist in managing the satellite and shall train Turkmen satellite operation specialists.

Currently, the closest satellite that Turkmenistan can call its own is the Yamal Russian platform. Owned by JSC Gazprom Space Systems, Yamal delivers digital national TV broadcasting and Russian TV channels in Turkmenistan. In turn, the Central Asian nation services the satellite.

The new national communication satellite will provide international backbone TV broadcasts and integrated information exchange in Turkmenistan. Its payload will enable communication between distant ground stations, distance education, radio telephone, telemedicine, and a whole slew of other applications.

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TS2 taps HYLAS 2 for its new Ka-band satellite services debuting in Afghanistan

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GPS Innovation Alliance stands up for satellite navigation

Bid farewell to the U.S. GPS Industry Council (USGIC) and the Coalition to Save Our GPS. The two groups have been succeeded by the GPS Innovation Alliance, which inherited their members and goals to support the “ever-increasing importance of GPS” in Washington, D.C.

Former USGIC members such as Garmin, John Deere, NovAtel, Trimble, and Topcon Positioning Systems have joined the new voice of the U.S. Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) industry and its community of users.

The GPS Innovation Alliance will be led by Michael Swiek. Assuming duties similar to his former position as executive director of the defunct USGIC, Mr. Swiek will closely cooperate with the U.S. government's executive branch departments. He will also maintain contact with governmental, private sector, and academic entities who directly influence GPS and satellite navigation.

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NewSat wins extra funding for satellite Teleport expansion, Jabiru-1 launch

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Successful launch for ISRO SARAL oceanographic satellite

The SARAL oceanographic satellite enjoyed a successful launch from the Satish Dhawan space center in southern India. It will join Envisat at an altitude of 800 kilometers.

SARAL is a joint oceanography mission between the Indian Space Research Organization and its French counterpart, CNES. ISRO worked on the platform while CNES handled the payload, which included an innovative Ka-band altimeter, AltiKa.

Built by Thales Alenia Space, AltiKa is the first radar altimeter/radiometer that uses a Ka-band frequency. The high frequency counteracts distortion from the ionosphere and improves spatial and vertical resolution, making for more accurate observations of bodies of inland water, coastal zones, and ice.

Thales Alenia Space also built SARAL's digital data processing module, ARGOS-3. Its sister company Thales Airborne Systems produced the data collection instrument of the ARGOS-3 module and the rather homely-named Doris position-determination instrument. Thales Alenia Space ETCA provided satellite's payload interface components while specialized companies in southern Franch built the payload processing hardware and software in charge of thermal control and the instrument-platform interface.

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Inmarsat unveils L-TAC L-band service for government users

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ILS finishes FROB, cites new date for Satmex 8 satellite launch

International Launch Services (ILS) and and its customer, Satélites Mexicanos, S.A. de C.V. (“Satmex”,) announced that they will be launching the Satmex 8 multi-band satellite on March 27, 2013 Western Time.

Satmex 8 was previously set to launch on December 28, 2012. However, its Proton Breeze M launch vehicle experienced an anomaly on December 8, forcing ILS to postpone the launch and check the vehicle for problems.

After completing its Failure Review Oversight Board (FROB) review with the help of Satmex, ILS performed corrective actions needed to prevent the anomaly from recurring in the future.

The Company expects to make it to the new launch date on March 27.

If all goes well during the launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan, Satmex customers will be able to transition from the aging Satmex 5 satellite to the new Satmex 8, which is equipped with both C-band and Ku-band transponders.