October 2015

ILS’ Turksat 4B launch. Photo: Anadolu Agency/Turksat [Via Satellite 10-19-2015] International Launch Services (ILS) completed the launch of Turksat’s latest satellite, Turksat 4B, on Oct. 16 using a Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Turksat 4B separated from Proton’s Breeze M upper stage approximately 9 hours and 13 minutes after liftoff. The satellite will…

Miguel Angel Molina, Executive Director of GMV. Photo: GMV [Via Satellite 10-16-2015] GMV is one of the leading suppliers of satellite ground segment equipment. The company has a strong presence in both institutional and commercial space, with more than 30 telecom satellite operators relying on its systems to support their satellite fleets, and major European…

Rollout of Atlas 5 SBIRS Geo 1. Photo: ULA [Via Satellite 10-16-2015] The U.S. Air Force announced Oct. 15 that it had awarded launch services contracts to United Launch Alliance (ULA) on Oct. 1 for two defense missions as part of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) phase-1 block buy contract. The launch service contracts…

Masood M. Sharif Mahmood, CEO at Yahsat, and Serge Van Herck, CEO at Newtec. Photo: Newtec [Via Satellite 10-16-2015] UAE-based satellite operator Yahsat, has awarded a new contract to Newtec for its Newtec Dialog multiservice VSAT platform, including VSAT baseband hubs, user terminals, and the Operating Support System (OSS) and Business Support System (BSS). The contract also…

The Cygnus service module for the OA-4 CRS mission. Photo: Orbital ATK. [Via Satellite 10-16-2015] Orbital ATK has delivered the service module for its Cygnus spacecraft to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center for the next International Space Station (ISS) cargo mission, scheduled to launch on Thursday, Dec. 3. The Cygnus spacecraft will be assembled at Kennedy…

Norsat’s MarineLink COM12 terminal. Photo: Norsat [Via Satellite 10-16-2015] A U.S. military contractor has awarded Norsat International a $2.7million contract for its Ku-band and Wideband Global Satcom (WGS)-certified X-band marine VSAT terminals. Under the agreement, Norsat will supply its MarineLink COM12 1.2m and MarineLink COM15X 1.5m dual antenna maritime VSAT terminals for seafaring vessels, including…

The Firebird 2 CubeSat.Credit: NASA / Montana State University / University of New Hampshire [Via Satellite 10-15-2015] NASA has awarded contracts to Firefly Space Systems, Rocket Lab and Virgin Galactic to provide Venture Class Launch Services (VCLS) for CubeSat missions to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The awards will fund demonstration missions with dedicated SmallSat launch…

An emergency.lu antenna deployed in Nepal. SES provides capacity to emergency.lu and is one of three cmopanies that form the public-private partnership with theLuxembourg government to re-establish communications networks in support of humanitarian relief operations. Photo: emergency.lu [Via Satellite 10-15-2015] On Oct. 14, Eutelsat, Hispasat, Inmarsat, Intelsat, SES, Thuraya and Yahsat, under the umbrella of…

Cotonou, Benin. Photo: jbdodane (Flickr) [Via Satellite 10-15-2015] Ericsson, with customer MTN, has reached its first Managed Rural Coverage deal to bring mobile coverage as a service to parts of central and northern Benin where there was none previously. Managed Rural Coverage is a cost-competitive solution whereby Ericsson enables operators to provide mobile coverage for…

Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, Space and Missile Systems Center commander and Air Force Program Executive Officer for Space congratulates Claire Leon, the first director of the Launch Systems Enterprise Directorate on officially assuming her leadership role. Photo: USAF SMC [Via Satellite 10-15-2015] The U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) stood up its…