December 2014

The Hughes HX system. Photo: Hughes [Via Satellite 12-10-2014] Russian satellite service provider Roilcom has selected Hughes Network Systems for a major upgrade to modernize the company’s system and extend its networking capabilities. The upgrade consists of a Hughes HX gateway and 240 VSATs. Roilcom provides telephony, broadband and other services for customers in oil…

Hunter Communications’ Ku-4 EIRP footprint on Eutelsat 115 West B. Photo: Hunter Communications [Via Satellite 12-09-2014] Hunter Communications, a satellite communications provider in Canada, is readying for the launch of its first hosted payload on the Eutelsat 115 West B satellite early next year. The company, which provides satellite capacity from the “Big Four” and…

An O3b satellite with solar panels deployed. Photo: Ob3 [Via Satellite 12-09-2014] In a demonstration at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, SES Government Solutions (GS) streamed real-time 4K video for members of the United States armed forces while simultaneously backhauling and disseminating multiple channels of HD full motion video over O3b Network’s Medium Earth…

The Falcon Eye satellites will leverage technology from the Pléiades satellites. Photo: CNES [Via Satellite 12-09-2014] The United Arab Emirates Armed Forces has selected Airbus Defence and Space to manufacture and launch two Earth observation satellites as part of the Falcon Eye contract. The company will also provide a ground system to receive and process…

Photo: Indi Samarajiva (Flickr) [Via Satellite 12-09-2014] Tom Stroup, former CEO of Shared Spectrum Company (SSC), has been selected as the Satellite Industry Association’s (SIA’s) new president, effective Dec. 15. Stroup fills the void left by Patricia Cooper, who joined Intelsat this summer as VP of government affairs and policy. Prior to SSC, Stroup served…

Integration of the payload module for the fourth Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) protected communications satellite. Photo: Northrop Grumman, by Alex Evers [Via Satellite 12-09-2014] Northrop Grumman has delivered the payload for the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) 4 satellite, approximately four and a half weeks ahead of schedule, to prime contractor Lockheed Martin. The…

Photo: Yahlive [Via Satellite 12-09-2014] Yahlive, a joint venture between Yahsat and SES, has initiated broadcasts of Cloud TV International from the Yahsat Y1A satellite’s east beam. The channel targets African communities across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Clouds TV International CEO Joseph Kusaga said the company has been seeking to bring entertainment to the…

Ariane 5 lifts off from the Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch zone on the daytime mission that lofted the DirecTV-14 and GSAT 16 satellites. Photo: Arianespace [Via Satellite 12-08-2014] DirecTV’s Ultra-HD ambitions and the India Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) domestic capacity plans moved closer to realization following the dual launch of new satellites aboard an Ariane 5…

Eutelsat Quantum satellite. Photo: Eutelsat [Via Satellite 12-08-2014] With support from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the United Kingdom Space Agency, Airbus Defence and Space and Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) are building a software-defined satellite for Eutelsat Communications. Dubbed “Eutelsat Quantum,” the satellite will be capable of complete electronic synthesis of “receive” and…

The Eutelsat 25b/Es’hail 1 satellite. Photo: SSL [Via Satellite 12-08-2014] Qatari satellite company Es’hailSat has picked Kratos Defense and Security Solutions to upgrade the Capacity Management Center (CMC) it installed in 2013. The upgrades are in preparation for Es’hail 2, slated to launch in 2016. At Es’hailSat’s new teleport, Kratos is providing a monitoring site,…