December 2015

An O3b satellite. Photo: O3b [Via Satellite 12-10-2015] O3b Networks has closed $460 million in incremental financing, the company announced Dec. 10, which the operator will use to expand the total number of High Throughput Satellites (HTS) in its constellation from 12 to 20. O3b began full commercial operations in September 2014 and, according to the…

FAB-T will provide secure communications for U.S. leadership and military. Photo: Raytheon [Via Satellite 12-09-2015] Earlier this fall, Raytheon reached the final marker, Milestone C, for the Family of Advanced Beyond Line of Sight Terminal (FAB-T) program, paving the way for Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP). The terminals, designed for the United States President, senior…

SSL selected by NASA for robotic on-orbit assembly. Photo: SSL [Via Satellite 12-10-2015] NASA has selected Space Systems Loral (SSL) through its Tipping Point initiative to develop on-orbit robotic satellite assembly technology. Through the multi-million dollar contract, SSL will partner with NASA researchers to develop systems with benefits for both government and commercial spacecraft. NASA’s Tipping Point initiative…

UrtheCast’s Iris camera. Photo: UrtheCast [Via Satellite 12-10-2015] UrtheCast co-founder Wade Larson has accepted the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective immediately, replacing current CEO Scott Larson, who is stepping down. Wade, who is also president and Chief Operating Officer (COO), developed the original vision behind the company. He has more than 20 years…

Photo: Maridive Group [Via Satellite 12-10-2015] Maridive Group, an Egypt-based international offshore marine and oil support services provider, has chosen to migrate 24 of its offshore support vessels to Marlink’s VSAT WaveCall Plus services, in addition to one new build vessel. The vessels will have access to higher bandwidth while using WaveCall Plus, which combines…

Jean-Yves Le Gall, CNES president, and Alain Ratier, director general of EUMETSAT. Photo: CNES/Olivier Pascaud [Via Satellite 12-10-2015] The French Space Agency CNES and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (Eumetsat) have signed a cooperation agreement for the development of a new generation of Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometers (IASI-NG) to be flown…

Gogo installing is 2Ku antenna on its test plane. Photo: Gogo [Via Satellite 12-09-2015] Gogo CEO Michael Small is bullish about what the company’s new satellite-based connectivity offering will bring to the In-Flight Connectivity (IFC) market, including loosening bandwidth constraints and aftermarket domination. Hot on the heels of the FAA’s certification of the 2Ku technology…

Yousuf Al-Kubaisi, COO, Ooredoo Qatar; Waleed Al-Sayed, CEO, Ooredoo Qatar; Ali Al Kuwari, president and CEO, Es’hailSat; and Saif Al Khaldi, corporate and strategy VP, Es’hailSat. Photo: Es’hailSat [Via Satellite 12-09-2015] Qatari companies Ooredoo and Es’hailSat have signed a large development and collaboration agreement to work together on a portfolio of VSAT and other satellite…

SNC Rendering of STPSat 5. Photo: SNC [Via Satellite 12-09-2015] Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has successfully completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) of its STPSat 5 satellite for the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) Space Test Program (STP), confirming that the satellite will meet mission requirements and is sufficiently mature to begin fabrication. Administered by…

Rendering of Aireon satellite ADS-B coverage. Photo: Aireon [Via Satellite 12-09-2015] Aireon has signed a data services agreement with Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS), South Africa’s Air Navigation Service Provider (ANSP). Through the agreement, ATNS will have 100 percent air traffic surveillance of the Johannesburg Flight Information Region (FIR) and the Cape Town FIR,…