October 2014

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…

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…

A Russian federal Proton carrying RSCC’s Express AM6 satellite. Photo: RSCC [Via Satellite 10-22-2014] On Oct. 21 a Proton rocket carried the Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) Express AM6 satellite into orbit. The government launch marks the second consecutive successful Proton mission since its May failure, and gives a fresh restart to RSCC’s fleet renewal…

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…

Yokota Air Base’s air traffic control (ATC) tower overlooks entire flight line at Yokota Air Base, Japan. Photo: Staff Sgt. Jonathan Steffen, U.S. Air Force [Via Satellite 10-22-2014] The U.S. Air Force has awarded a $6.4 million Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) to improve the flight path safety…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…