Finance

[Satellite News 03-06-12] During the past four years, the central discussion topic for many industries has been dealing with the global economic recession. The cable industry, for example, is still trying to figure out the behavior of its budget-conscious subscriber core and which technologies can lead to simultaneous efficiency and growth. The satellite industry, however,...

[Satellite News 01-31-12] Arianespace and the European Space Agency (ESA) have spent nearly $924 million into their new four-stage, 30-meter Vega launcher. Now, ESA officials confirmed Jan. 31 that the rocket is assembled on its launch pad at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou and scheduled for lift-off next week. ESA Director-General Jean-Jacques Dordain set Feb. 9...

[Satellite News 01-17-12] Satellite operator Intelsat and Canadian space company MDA have terminated a $280 million in-orbit satellite life extension service agreement signed by the two companies in March 2011.    The deal would have employed MDA’s space-based Space Infrastructure Servicing (SIS) vehicle to refuel, reposition or maintain commercial and government satellites. At the time...

[Satellite News 12-28-11] Despite economic challenges and a series of next-generation offerings still in development, the satellite industry reaped remarkable financial benefits in 2011 thanks to smart acquisition moves and increasing demand for bandwidth. Satellite News has compiled a list of the most discussed contracts of the year based on Web traffic and reader interest....

[Satellite News 12-28-11] The past 12 months have seen a new impetus placed on the noteworthy acceleration in satellite technology. From Ka-band to hosted payloads, new offerings and breakthroughs have changed the dynamic of the satellite industry and have paved the way for the next generation of developments in 2012. Satellite News has compiled a...

The design of the modern satellite has taken several different evolutionary paths during the past five years. They have both grown and shrunk. The variety of their capabilities has both expanded and become more specialized. We examine how launch service providers are investing to improve capabilities and the services they offer operators. The methods in...

[Satellite News 10-26-11] SpaceX CEO Elon Musk testified before the U.S. House Science, Space and Technology Committee on the progress of its $75 million NASA Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program contract awarded in April, the commercial launch company announced Oct. 26.    In written testimony, Musk updated the committee on the work that SpaceX has...

[Satellite News 10-21-11] Arianespace has successfully launched its first Soyuz rocket from the European Spaceport and Guiana Space Center (CSG) in Kourou, the company confirmed Oct. 21.    The debut launch carried the first two Galileo IOV-1 satellites in the Galileo constellation, which aims to provide Europe with its own independent satellite positioning and navigation...

[Satellite News 10-18-11] The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is questioning a joint U.S. Department of Defense and National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) plan to spend $15 billion on United Launch Alliance (ULA) rocket booster cores. In a report issued Oct. 18, the GAO claimed that the plan did not provide government auditors with enough information...

[Satellite News 07-18-11] International Launch Services’ (ILS) first shared payload Proton-M rocket launch was a success, carrying the SES-3 and KazSat-2 telecommunications satellites July 15 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to their respective geosynchronous transfer orbits.    SES-3 was launched while mated to the top of the KazSat-2. To increase the performance of its...