Technology

[Via Satellite 09-26-2014] Executives from Swiss Space Systems (S3) met with Russia’s JSC Kuznetsov to check the NK-39 engines planned to power the unmanned suborbital shuttle SOAR. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding at the Sochi Winter Olympics to collaborate on the engine, which would enable SOAR to launch satellites weighing up to...

[Via Satellite 09-25-2014] Spire, a fast-paced remote sensing company with roots in Silicon Valley, has leapfrogged from incubation just two years ago at Lemnos Labs into a multi-million dollar startup with four satellites in orbit. Formerly known as Nanosatisfi, the company recently raised $25 million in Series A funding, bringing the total amount raised to...

[Via Satellite 09-23-2014] Bolstered by recent new deals, Airbus Defence and Space has pulled ahead with two contract wins for all-electric satellites during 2014; a year where, so far, no other manufacturer has received any all-electric orders. Now in the process of building those satellites — Eutelsat 172b and SES 12 — the company expects...

[Via Satellite 09-24-2014] Telefonica del Peru, the Peruvian arm of the Telefonica Group, has upgraded to iDirect Evolution using iDX 3.2 software in order to increase data rates and bandwidth efficiency. According to iDirect, the decision was prompted by one of Telefonica del Peru’s customers, telemedicine provider Essalud, opening up a bidding process for a...

[Via Satellite 09-24-2014] Iridium has finished testing a new solar panel design for use on the Iridium NEXT constellation. Built by Spectrolab and Mitsubishi Electric, the improved triple junction solar cells are based on six-inch wafers, providing 50 percent more solar cell surface area than those on Iridium’s current satellites. At full extension, the solar...

[Via Satellite 09-24-2014] Three Comtech Telecommunications subsidiaries have received new or follow on contracts for different satellite products. Comtech Xicom Technology, Comtech PST and Comtech Mobile Datacom brought in a combined $15.3 million with these new deals. Comtech Xicom Technology received a $2.5 million order from a military integrator for high power Gallium-Nitride (GaN) based...

[Via Satellite 09-24-2014] Boeing announced it is has received a new six-month contract to evaluate a scientific hosted payload named Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO). A future commercial satellite would support the hosted payload, which would study atmospheric pollution over the majority of North America. The TEMPO study contract falls under the larger $495...

[Via Satellite 09-24-2014] Macom has released the MAUC-011003 up-converter specialized for 28 to 34 GHz point-to-point radio applications. The device is designed for point-to-point radios in both Lower Sideband (LSB) and Upper Sideband (USB) operation as well as Ka-Band VSAT applications. The new integrated up-converter has a typical conversion gain of 12 dB, an image...

[Via Satellite 09-23-2014] Terabit Wave has ordered several Ku-band terminals from Gilat Satellite Networks for a Myanmar government agency. The purchases include a SkyEdge 2 hub and terminals with SatTrooper manpacks, Raysat Satcom-On-The-Move antennas, WaveStream Block UpConverters (BUCs) and the related modems. Terabit Wave’s government customer desired the terminals for mobility-intensive emergency operations. The equipment...

[Via Satellite 09-22-2014] Martin Gee, former CEO of Thales Alenia Space U.K., has stepped down from his executive position. Taking the helm is Ben Oliver, former director of Systems Engineering and Assessment Limited’s (SEA) space division. Olivier has held previous roles at British Aerospace (BAe) and Matra Marconi Space. He also served as deputy chairman...