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Sunoco has signed a five-year enterprise networking-services contract extension in which Spacenet will provide upgraded satellite networking and managed services at approximately 900 company-owned retail stores across the United States, Spacenet announced Nov. 15. Sunoco stores will be upgraded to the Gilat Skyedge VSAT platform, and Spacenet also will provide hybrid network-management solutions and application...

Lockheed Martin has finished its system requirements review for the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation GPS Block 3 system, the company announced Nov. 16. Lockheed Martin conducted the review under a $10 million follow-on to a 2004 concept development contract. GPS Block 3 is designed to enhance space-based navigation and performance. The Air Force is expected...

Arabsat has begun broadcasting a bouquet of 11 Iraqi TV channels via Arabsat’s constellation at 26 degrees East. The deal will enable the channels to be broadcast to Middle Eastern and North African audiences of 130 million viewers via Arabsat’s constellation of four BADR satellites.

Discovery Communications Inc. will use Intelsat’s PAS-12 satellite to provide Discovery HD in Europe, Intelsat announced Nov. 16. "High-definition in Europe is fast-growing, and as the leader in HD programming, Discovery will continue to play a large role in the development and distribution of content and services utilizing this technology," John Honeycutt, Discovery Communications’ executive...

Helius Inc. announced Nov. 16 its has been awarded a patent by the U.S. Patent Office covering the integration of high-bandwidth satellite networks with corporate data networks. The technology enables businesses to create their own IPTV networks and improve information flow internally and externally.

Protostar Ltd.,a Bermuda-based corporation with principal U.S. operations in San Francisco, worked closer to its Asian satellite service by successfully closing on $210 million in financing to purchase and launch its first satellite. Preceded by a $40 million series-B round completed earlier in the year for a total cumulative financing of $250 million, Protostar’s initial...

The Measat-3 communications satellite has been shipped to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan from Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems‘ satellite-manufacturing facility in El Segundo, California, Boeing reported Nov. 14. Measat-3 will be readied for a December launch aboard an International Launch Services Proton/Breeze M rocket. The Boeing 601 HP satellite was manufactured for Measat by...

The Americom-18 (AMC-18) satellite has been delivered to Kourou, French Guiana, in preparation for its Dec. 8 Ariane-5 ECA launch, SES Americom announced Nov. 15. AMC-18, an all C-band satellite, is designed to offer full North American cable-programming coverage to all 50 U.S. states, Caribbean and Mexico. It will be located at 105 degrees West...

The first HDTV broadcast from space, featuring crew members of the International Space Station’s Expedition 14, was received on Nov. 15 and carried by Discovery Channel‘s HD Theater and Japanese broadcast network NHK and shown at Discovery Channel stores, Discovery.com reported. While previous space missions flew with HD cameras, the 11:30 EST broadcast was the...

Racepoint Group Inc., a Waltham, Mass.-based public relations and marketing consultancy, was hired Nov. 14 by Digitalglobe to serve as its agency of record. Racepoint Group will work with Digitalglobe to expand its visibility for high-resolution commercial satellite imagery and geospatial information products across the business, and financial and industry analyst communities.