Technology

[Via Satellite 07-22-2014] Northern Sky Research (NSR) has released the 11th edition of the “Global Satellite Capacity Supply and Demand” report, which finds the growing amount of available capacity will exceed demand as more High Throughput Satellite (HTS) systems come online. While this poses a risk of oversupply, NSR projects market growth of 76 percent,...

[Via Satellite 07-22-2014] STMicroelectronics’ JANSR+ series of radiation-hardened (rad-hard) transistors has been qualified for use in U.S. products. The series is comprised of 100krad JANSR high-dose-rate bipolar transistors with an additional 100krad low-dose-rate (100 mrad/s) test performed on each wafer. The company said it will complete its JANSR+ offer with data from very-low-dose-rate (10 mrad/s)...

[Via Satellite 07-21-2014] Following the completed manufacturing of the first five main mission antennas (MMAs) for Iridium NEXT, Iridium has tasked Thales Alenia Space with ramping up production for the rest of the constellation. Thales Alenia Space is responsible for building 81 MMAs, which will provide one for all 66 satellites as well as the...

[Via Satellite 07-18-2014] Satellite companies on the Future Space 2014 event panel  “Return of Wicked Cool Space Technology,” wasted no time in their discussions of advanced satellite manufacturing and launch systems. Industry veterans Intelsat and SSL joined smaller companies Made in Space and the normally quiet Blue Origin to talk technologies such as in-orbit servicing,...

[Via Satellite 07-14-2014] Singapore Technologies Engineering (ST Engineering) earned approximately $580 million in new contracts during the second quarter 2014 from the electronics arm of its business. The company reported new contracts totaling $272 million for intelligent transportation, $211 million in advanced electronics and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), and $93 million for satcom networks...

[Via Satellite 07-17-2014] International Rectifier has introduced the M3G120 series of 40W radiation-hardened 120V input DC-DC converters. Based on the M3G series that has been in use since 1998, the new converters are designed for digital and analog satellite power systems with lifespans of 15 or more years. The M3G120 series comes in single and...

[Via Satellite 07-18-2014] Macom has released the MADL-011014 L-band power limiter, designed for use in air traffic management and radar systems. The 200 W CW limiter operates at 1 to 2 Hz bandwidth, features 200 CW power handling and up to 1000 W of peak power handling under 300 us and 10 percent duty cycle...

Spacecraft manufacturers are jockeying for position in a fast-changing market driven increasingly by customer interest in on-orbit flexibility, reduced costs and faster production times. Spacecraft manufacturers are jockeying for position in a fast-changing market driven increasingly by customer interest in on-orbit flexibility, reduced costs and faster production times, according to top executives of several communications...

Government and large enterprises worldwide have ever-expanding needs for both fixed and mobile satellite services, and the need to adhere to the strictest security; whether the user is an entrepreneur, a soldier, or a field energy engineer, all must maintain the highest levels of security for their satcom deployments. Enterprises have an increasing demand for...

[Via Satellite 07-16-2014] Though more prominently known for its suborbital spaceflight business, Virgin Galactic has also been working on a dedicated small satellite launch system known as LauncherOne. Speaking to Via Satellite, George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic, said the company hopes to have liftoff using its air-launch system within the next two years. “We try not to...