Government/Military

[Via Satellite 09-17-2015] The European Space Agency (ESA), the French space agency CNES, and Thales Alenia Space have signed the C/D phase contract for Neosat, enabling the full development and qualification of the next generation satellite platform product line, Spacebus Neo. ESA and CNES are jointly managing the Neosat program, which aims to create 3...

[Via Satellite 09-16-2015] Airbus Defence and Space’s Skynet 5A satellite has completed its 67,000km relocation from 6 degrees east to 95 degrees east, the company announced Sept. 15. Skynet 5A began its transition on June 17. Airbus Defence and Space moved the satellite to extend Skynet constellation’s coverage and services from 178 degrees west to...

[Via Satellite 09-15-2015] The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is launching the world’s first non-commercial Ultra-HD channel with partners SES and Harmonic on Nov. 1, following preliminary testing. The space agency channel will feature Ultra-HD video sourced from high-resolution images and video generated on the International Space Station (ISS) and other current NASA...

[Via Satellite 09-14-2015] The U.S. military is preparing to shift away from having multiple independent ground systems in favor of one unified system for its satellite networks. This effort, known as the Enterprise Ground System (EGS), aims to modernize the ground segment for military users, expunging integration and scalability challenges by introducing a more effective...

[Via Satellite 09-14-2015] International Datacasting Corporation (IDC) has received new orders totaling more than CA$1,100,000 ($830,000) to support the U.S. government in the expansion of its secure worldwide satellite broadcast network. The company will supply the software-based Cyphercast Client and the hardware-based SuperFlex Pro Data 3104 receiver. The SuperFlex Pro Data satellite receivers enables high performance...

[Via Satellite 09-11-2015] Two Full Operational Capability (FOC) Galileo satellites for Europe’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) launched Sept. 10 aboard an Arianespace Soyuz rocket. Galileo 9 and 10, also known as Alba and Oriana, entered their target orbit close to 23,500-km altitude approximately 3 hours and 48 minutes after liftoff. Two further Galileo satellites...

[Via Satellite 09-09-2015] Harris Corporation, the prime contractor and system integrator for the ground segment dedicated to the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites-R (GOES-R) series, has finished the first of six 16.4-meter antennas. The antenna is operational and is serving as the primary link to the current GOES satellites. Harris Corp. is installing the other antennas...

[Via Satellite 09-02-2015] International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Region 2 member countries have decided to submit an Inter-American Proposal (IAP) to the ITU that favors allocating a portion of the C-band spectrum to the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) industry. The decision occurred during the final Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL) meeting in Ottawa, held from Aug. 17 to...

[Via Satellite 09-02-2015] United Launch Alliance (ULA) launched the U.S. Navy’s fourth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS 4) satellite on Sept. 2 aboard an Atlas 5 rocket. The fourth satellite globalizes the MUOS footprint, bringing both legacy Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) and new Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) communications capabilities. The narrowband tactical satellite communications...

[Via Satellite 09-01-2015] The United States military is eager expand implementation of its Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) once the fourth satellite is launched. The mission, recently delayed from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2 due to uncertainty in the weather conditions associated with Tropical Storm Erika, will turn the already active MUOS network into a...