Government/Military

[Satellite TODAY 12-16-11] The government and military satellite industry will need to provide higher-level solutions for less cost in order to capitalize on a market set to nearly double in the next decade, according to an NSR report issued Dec. 15.    The analyst firm projects government and military satellite communications revenues to grow from...

[Satellite TODAY 12-16-11] Global missions communications provider Cable & Wireless (C&W) has inked a contract to provide Artel with a multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) data network connecting 30 locations in 10 countries across the globe, C&W announced Dec. 15.    When fully implemented, the MPLS-based, wide-area network will connect satellite Earth stations, Artel network points...

[Satellite TODAY 12-14-11] Optimal Satcom has been awarded a multi-year contract by Harris CapRock to provide a company-wide capacity management system based on Optimal Satcom’s Enterprise Capacity Manager (ECM) and Complan products, the company announced Dec. 13.    Optimal Satcom said that following Harris CapRock’s recent acquisitions, the company operated three separate capacity management systems,...

[Satellite TODAY 12-14-11]A Lockheed Martin team developing the U.S. Air Force’s next generation Global Positioning System (GPS-3) has delivered the program’s pathfinder spacecraft to the company’s Denver-area facility, Lockheed announced Dec. 13.    The pathfinder, known as the GPS 3 Non-Flight Satellite Testbed (GNST), will now undergo final assembly, integration and test activities in a...

[Satellite TODAY 12-14-11] The European Commission (EC) unveiled plans Dec. 12 to establish a cross-border surveillance and satellite tracking system, which will aim to allow border guards to share information and intelligence.    The proposed European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR) will provide border agents with capability to track small boats used in smuggling operations via...

[Satellite TODAY 12-12-11] U.K. imagery technology supplier E2V has signed a multi-million Euro agreement with prime contractor Thales Alenia Space to design and manufacture a space qualified CMOS imaging sensor, E2V announced Dec. 9.    The sensor will be used in the Flexible Combined Imager (FCI) instrument of the Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) cooperative project...

[Satellite TODAY Insider 12-09-11] The European Space Agency (ESA) has named Astrium’s United Kingdom division its prime contractor for the Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite (S5p), which will engage in an Earth observation mission to monitor atmospheric chemistry. The agreement, announced Dec. 8, is worth 45.5 million euros ($60.5 million).    The S5p project falls under ESA’s...

[Satellite TODAY 12-09-11] Satellite technology developer Track24 has won a contract to supply the Canadian government with short burst data (SBD) services from MSS operator Iridium Communications, Track24 announced Dec. 8.    Track24 said the contract was issued by Shared Services Canada (SSC) to deliver Iridium SBD-based devices, airtime and support, while minimizing procurement costs...

[Satellite TODAY 12-08-11] Prime contractor China Great Wall Industry Corp. (CGWIC) has signed a contract with Thales Alenia Space to build Turkmenistan’s first national communications satellite that CGWIC is scheduled to launch, Chinese officials reported Dec. 7.    According to CGWIC, Thales Alenia Space will develop the 4.5-ton satellite for a service life of 15...

[Satellite TODAY 12-08-11] Iridium Communications has expanded its board of directors from ten members to eleven members and has appointed Retired U.S. Navy Adm. Eric Olson as the additional director, the MSS operator announced Dec. 7.    Olson previously served as commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and was responsible for the readiness...