October 2014

News on key developments at SupremeSAT, and general news on the Space and Satellite industry from across the web

SpaceQuest Signs Future Satellites to Mishaal Aerospace SmallSat Launcher – Satellite Today

Artist’s rendition of the M-OV launch vehicle. Photo: Mishaal Aerospace [Via Satellite 10-23-2014] SpaceQuest has signed a letter of intent to launch satellites on Mishaal Aerospace’s M-OV orbital launch vehicle once it is ready. The agreement defines the launch requirements and minimum payload requirements necessary for launch. SpaceQuest has launched its past four satellites on…

Inmarsat, Globalsat to Sell IsatPhones in Brazil – Satellite Today

The IsatPhone 2. Photo: Inmarsat [Via Satellite 10-23-2014] Inmarsat’s IsatPhone portfolio has been approved for sale in Brazil. Globalsat Brazil, a regional arm of the larger Globalsat Group, will distribute the phones. Inmarsat’s IsatPhone Pro and IsatPhone 2 use the company’s I-4 satellite network. Each device supports voice, data and GPS location services and is…

Intelsat General and Braxton Technologies to Study Commercializing US Air Force Satellite Control Network – Satellite Today

Intelsat General’s Fillmore Teleport. Photo: Intelsat General. [Via Satellite 10-22-2014] Intelsat General has partnered with Braxton Technologies to study the use of commercial systems for Tracking, Telemetry and Command (TT&C) of government satellites for the U.S. Air Force. Currently, the Air Force Satellite Control Network (AFSCN) uses 15 ground-based TT&C antennas located at seven different…

IDT Global, Elara Comunicaciones Partner on Rural Mexico Telecoms Project – Satellite Today

Elara Comunicaciones VSATs. Photo: Elara Comunicaciones. [Via Satellite 10-22-2014] Elara Comunicaciones has decided to implement IDT Global’s VoiceLine app to bring voice and data connectivity to more than 3,000 towns in Southeast Mexico as part of a government project. The international calling app will be used on Elara Comunicaciones’ satellite network to simplify phone calls…

Comtech EF Data Wins Advanced VSAT Platform Contract for HTS Connectivity – Satellite Today

Advanced VSAT rack. Photo: Comtech EF Data [Via Satellite 10-22-2014] Comtech EF Data, a subsidiary of Comtech Telecommunications, has received a $2.3 million order for the Advanced VSAT networking platform from a systems integrator in Asia. The customer specified a mission requirement for high-throughput, bi-directional connectivity with the ability to support greater throughput demand in…

Earth Observation Satellite Product Revenues to Exceed $5 Billion by 2023 – Satellite Today

Onekotan Island, Russia as seen by a BlackBridge satellite. Photo: BlackBridge [Via Satellite 10-23-2014] Satellite Earth Observation data, value-added services and information products are expected to more than double from $2.3 billion in 2013 to $5.1 billion in 2023, according to NSR’s new “Satellite-Based Earth Observation (EO), 6th Edition” report. Driving this growth is a…

ViviSat MEVs Join Growing List of Hosted Payload Launch Opportunities – Satellite Today

Panelists David Anhalt, VP and general manager, Iridium Prime, Iridium Communications; Jim Armor, VP of ATK Space Systems Division; Curt Blake, president, Spaceflight Inc; Kirk Woellert, external payloads manager, NanoRacks. Photo: Access Intelligence [Via Satellite 10-21-2014] ViviSat will soon begin orbiting a constellation of Mission Extension Vehicles (MEVs) with room to carry hosted payloads into…

SmartSky Gains Five Partners for New 4G LTE Air to Ground Network – Satellite Today

Passengers using Wi-Fi in-flight. Photo: SmartSky [Via Satellite 10-21-2014] SmartSky Networks, an In Flight Connectivity (IFC) startup with intentions of launching a high-bandwidth Air-to-Ground (ATG) service in the United States has announced partnerships with Textron Aviation, Duncan Aviation, Satcom Direct, ICG, and Harris Corporation. Together, SmartSky and its partners intend to launch an aviation-focused broadband…