Technology

[Via Satellite 05-29-2014] Lockheed Martin made a definitive agreement with Astrotech Corporation to acquire the company’s Astrotech Space Operations (ASO) business for $61 million. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2014, and once closed, Astrotech Space Operations will be managed by Lockheed Martin’s Space Systems business arm. “Astrotech Space Operations’...

[Via Satellite 05-29-2014] Macom has added three discrete mixers to its product portfolio for use in applications for test and measurement, electronic warfare, point-to-point wireless and more. The mixers will be available in surface mount, industry standard plastic Thin Dual Flat No Lead (TDFN) packaging. The MAMX-011021 high IP3 mixer sustains high linearity for applications...

[Via Satellite 05-28-2014] The Satellite Industry Association (SIA) released its 17th annual report recapping how the industry faired for the past year. The study, performed by the Tauri Group, found the satellite industry’s growth slightly outdid both worldwide and United States growth rates and brought in $195 billion in revenue for 2013. Overall the industry...

[Via Satellite 05-27-2014] NovelSat finished installing Carrier ID (CID) on its latest products, bringing the interference mitigating system to 100 percent of its satellite communication equipment. The process was completed most recently for NovelSat’s NS1000 modulator and NS3000 modem with support from the Satellite Interference Reduction Group (IRG). NovelSat had been working on installing CID...

[Via Satellite 05-27-2014] C-Com Satellite Systems has signed an agreement with ViaSat to develop a low profile, Ka-band mobile antenna system for the emerging communications-on-the-move market. C-Com will manufacture and sell this new product under the ViaSat license. “We want to bring affordable high speed broadband connectivity over satellite to our land-based customers, much the...

[Via Satellite 05-27-2014] The University of Maryland (UMD) created a Center for Orbital Debris Education and Research (CODER) for addressing issues in orbital space debris, which often pose a threat to space-based communications, weather forecasting, Earth observation, among other services. Over 22,000 pieces of space “junk”, particles amounting to 3.9 inches or larger, are tracked...

[Via Satellite 05-27-2014] Sharp, a Japanese consumer electronics company, has chosen the ViXS XCode 6400 System on Chip (SoC) to power the company’s Ultra High Definition (Ultra-HD) 4K Recorder TU-UD1000 products, as well as the company’s UD20 series of Ultra-HD 4K digital TV products. The TU-UD1000 4K recorder will support a trial 4K broadcasting service...

[Via Satellite 05-23-2014] Airbus Defence and Space and BAE Systems have partnered to target commercial, United States government and select international customers with Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) products from X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites. The two companies will use the TerraSAR X and TanDEM X radar satellites to develop a new line of products. The...

[Via Satellite 05-23-2014] Exelis is working closely with Australia’s Victorian Coalition Government to build a new research and development (R&D), testing and systems integration facility. The company’s new regional presence will improve access to in-market resources as well as provide in-country sustainment support. Exelis has been in Melbourne since January 2013 when it acquired C4i...

The environment in which your portable or mobile satellite system is shipped and deployed is characterized by conditions such as temperature, humidity, shock, vibration and air quality. As a first step, you