Government/Military

[Satellite TODAY 03-01-13] Lockheed Martin, under contract to develop the U.S. Air Force’s next generation Global Positioning System 3 satellites, has successfully turned on power to the system module of the program’s first spacecraft, which indicates the company is on schedule for a 2014 launch.     The milestone is also a demonstration of the satellite’s...

[Satellite TODAY 03-01-13] The new GOES-R satellite being built by Lockheed Martin may help provide earlier warnings for severe weather, according to the NOAA. The new satellite would be capable of detecting lightning inside storm clouds, which may lead to improvements in tornado detection.     The U.S. national average time to warn residents of a...

[Satellite TODAY 02-28-13] The Peruvian Ministry of Education has awarded a $12.8 million three-year contract to Gilat Satellite Networks to provide SkyEdge II-c hub and ‘Aries’ VSAT equipment, installation, maintenance and technical support. The deal will help to provide Internet connectivity to 2,600 schools across Peru in an effort to reduce educational disparities in the...

[Satellite TODAY 02-28-13] Inmarsat has announced the expansion of mobile tactical Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) communications to a broader range of new government users through the company’s L-band satellites.     The company plans to launch L-TAC, a new L-band service, which will deliver a ‘UHF-like’ tactical satellite capability for use with existing UHF tactical radios for approved...

Astrium is seeking for a partner to develop its new geostationary Earth observation satellite, the GO-3S.

[Satellite TODAY 02-27-13] European satellite equipment developer Newtec has been selected by California-based X2nSat to provide equipment for a new B2B broadband and SCADA service, under the brand name ST4G, which aims to offer reliable and fast connectivity for the enterprise and government markets, the companies confirmed Feb. 27.   ST4G is the fourth generation...

[Satellite TODAY 02-27-13] TS2 Satellite Technologies has expanded its Internet service in Afghanistan using Avanti’s Hylas 2 satellite, which is equipped with Ka bandwidth transponders that enable bidirectional data transmission and additional services for corporations, individuals, and government agencies in rapidly growing international markets. Additionally, TS2 will launch commercial links in selected African and East...

[Satellite TODAY 02-27-13] Turkmenistan has scheduled the launch of its first national satellite for late 2014. Thales Alenia Space will design and build the satellite, as well as provide assistance in satellite management and train specialitsts to operate the satellite.    Turkmenistan currently services the Yamal Russian satellite, owned by JSC Gazprom Space Systems, which...

A new group to support the “ever-increasing importance of GPS” has formed in Washington, D.C.

[SatelliteTODAY 02-25-13] The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully launched the SARAL Indo-French satellite from its spaceport at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh on Monday. ISRO’S PSLV rocket also carried Austria’s UniBRITE and BRITE; Denmark’s AAUSAT3; the United Kingdom’s STRaND; and Canada’s NEOSSat and SAPPHIRE.    The ISRO-built SARAL is a 410-kg satellite with two payloads,...