News & Events

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…

Digital rendering of OneWeb satellites. Photo: OneWeb [Via Satellite 10-15-2015] OneWeb has appointed Matthew M. O’Connell, the former president and CEO of GeoEye, as it’s CEO. O’Connell will be responsible for steering and scaling OneWeb from where it is today through its subsequent phases of construction, launch and operation. In this role he will work…

Apstar 9 completes its journey to China’s Xichang Satellite Launch Center. Photo: APT Satellite [Via Satellite 10-14-2015] Hong Kong-based satellite operator APT Satellite wants to include more high throughput payloads on future satellites and sees mobility markets growing in importance. The company currently operates a fleet of five satellites, and has a sixth, Apstar 9,…

Spaceflight Networks’ SmallSat‬ ground station in New Zealand is now fully operational. Photo: Spaceflight Networks [Via Satellite 10-14-2015] Orbit Communications Systems has completed Spaceflight Networks’ third ground station for small satellites. Located in Invercargill, New Zealand, the station is now fully operational, and joins two other operational stations located in Fairbanks, Ark. and Tukwila, Wash.…