Focus: Ground Systems

Antennas that function with satellites in both Geostationary Orbit (GEO) Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO) as a hybrid solution are essential for using the growing supply of satellite capacity in space, ThinKom CTO Billy Milroy said in a Via Satellite webinar on Tuesday.  Milroy said ThinKom has verified that both its Ka-band ThinAir 2517 and Ku-band ThinAir...

Thales Alenia Space has selected Anywaves as the prime contractor to deliver payload user antennas that will be embedded into the initial set of two satellites for Omnispace’s Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure.  Thales was selected in April to develop two satellites for Omnispace’s global hybrid communications that will operate in Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO). The...

Spacebridge has received an order from Jar Electrónica Aplicada (Grupo Jar) to expand its Discovery Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) platform. Grupo Jar, a Mexico-based telecommunications system integrator, uses Spacebridge’s Discovery VSAT platform to deliver connectivity for applications including internet, rural telephony, and cellular backhaul.  This expansion will further upgrade the VSAT platform to enhance...

Microsoft is getting into the satellite ground station business with Azure Orbital. Microsoft on Tuesday announced a preview of the offering, a ground station service that allows satellite operators to communicate to and control their satellites, process data, and scale operations directly with Microsoft Azure.  Microsoft is building its own ground stations, and also partnering...

The U.S. Navy has selected Get SAT‘s Ultra Blade L-Band ESA (Electronically Steerable Array Antenna) to pair with SeaLandAire‘s ADARO, an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV). Ultra Blade will allow Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) C2 and ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) exfiltration on the ADARO. The companies said in a Tuesday announcement that this deal...

NovelSat and Spacecom have demonstrated high capacity satellite transmission with spectral efficiency of 10.5 bit/Hz over the AMOS-17 High Throughput Satellite (HTS) using NovelSat DUET CEC (carrier-echo-cancellation) band reuse technology, the companies announced Monday.  Operating over AMOS-17 Ka-band HTS and Ku-band beams, NovelSat modems established a symmetrical link, reaching 64 APSK modulation with 9/10 FEC...

Comsat revealed on Wednesday the signing of a new distribution agreement with Orbit Communications Systems, a global provider of airborne and maritime satellite solutions. Through this agreement, Comsat expands its international terminal, hardware, and service footprint. Comsat is adding Orbit’s Multi-Purpose Terminals (MPT) and OceanTRx hardware to its portfolio. The MPT WGX models  are designed...

ST Engineering iDirect’s iQ Series satellite modems have been integrated into the FUSION product line of mobile and fixed satellite internet solutions provider IP Access International, the company announced Sept. 2.  FUSION uses iQ LTE satellite modem, which features an integrated LTE cellular modem, to create a solution that automatically finds and connects to all...

Skygate Technologies, a Japanese Ground Station as a Service (GSaaS) startup, has received seed investments from the Keio University-based venture capital firm Keio Innovation Initiative. The funding amount was not disclosed.  The company was founded in February and develops GSaaS utilizing high-speed wireless technology and software radio. According to an Aug. 25 announcement, Skygate Technologies...

BlackSky has selected Atlas Space Operations to provide telemetry, commanding, and data support for the two satellites recently launched in its Earth imaging satellite constellation. Atlas said in a Friday release it plans to provide support through its ground station sites in Guam and Japan, with its Freedom software. Atlas said through its integration, BlackSky...