Astrium Wins ESA’s Sentinel-2B Contract

Astrium has been commissioned by the European Space Agency (ESA) to build the Sentinel-2B optical satellite, the next flight unit in the Sentinel series.

Astrium will be responsible for the satellite’s overall system design, multi-spectral instrument, platform, integration and testing. The contract is valued at 105 million euros ($145.5 million) and increases Astrium’s total Sentinel-2 program revenue to about 323 million euros ($435 million) following the Sentinel-2A contract Astrium signed in 2008.

The Sentinel-2 satellites, part of the ESA’s GMES program in Germany, France and Spain, aim to provide Europe with the ability to monitor environmental changes in the region over an extended period of time for data collection. The will be used for regional planning, agriculture and forest management, disaster control and humanitarian relief operations.

Avanti Signs Government Extension in Northern Ireland

Avanti Communications has won a satellite broadband contract extension with Northern Ireland’s Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment.

The Department has decided to increase the budget available for the provision of satellite broadband services across the region to those who cannot currently access broadband services by other means.

EMS Contracted to Supply Hylas 2 Hardware to Orbital

Orbital Sciences named EMS as supplier of the redundant low-noise amplifier assembly for the Hylas 2 Ka-band satellite.

The 16-month contract is worth more than $5.4 million and qualifies EMS Defense & Space as a U.S. based space-qualified Ka-band amplifier provider.

The Hylas 2 satellite, to be built by Orbital and operated by Avanti Communications Group, is scheduled for delivery in early 2012. The satellite aims to provide capacity to Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

Hughes Adds Virginia to U.S. State Broadband Contract List

Hughes Network Systems won a contract from the Virginia Information Technologies Agency to provide satellite broadband technology to public sector entities throughout the state.

The one-year, multiple-award contract, authorizes Hughes to sell broadband technology to public sector entities located in any zip code in Virginia. The contract follows a similar seven-year contract Hughes won with New York in December to provide a suite of managed services and connectivity to statewide agencies, local governments and eligible non-profit, educational and charitable organizations.

ILS Wins Nimiq 6 Launch

Telesat signed a contract with International Launch Services (ILS) to launch Telesat’s Nimiq 6 satellite on a Proton rocket in mid-2012.

The Ku-band Nimiq 6 satellite, under construction by Space Systems/Loral, will be placed at 91 degrees West. Telesat has leased the satellite to Bell TV for the entire life of the spacecraft to serve broadcast subscribers across Canada.

Intelsat General Signs $10.7 Million X-Band Deal in Southwest Asia

Intelsat General was awarded a $10.7 million contract by DRS Technical Services to provide X-band satellite connectivity in Southwest Asia on two X-band satellites owned and operated by Xtar and EADS Astrium subsidiary Paradigm Secure Communications. The connectivity aims to enable military leaders to receive battlefield information in near real-time.

Intelsat General will provide network integration and end-to-end network monitoring and control through the Xtar-Eur satellite and Paradigm’s Skynet 5A satellite. The service will provide two 155-megabit per second satellite links as well as high-speed modems with advanced coding, ground stations, fiber connectivity and terrestrial equipment for the high-data-rate X-band link.

KVH Wins Contract with Norwegian Shipping Company

Norwegian maritime company DSD Shipping has selected services KVH Industries to provide broadband services via its TracPhone V7 satellite communications system and its mini-VSAT network, KVH announced March 29.

The services aim to provide DSD Shipping crew members with multiple voice lines, broadband Internet, e-mail and onboard data access.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

MTN Lands $50 Million DISA Contract

The U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) awarded MTN Government Services a contract worth more than $50 million to provide global broadband satellite services for five years.

MTN will supply global C- and Ku-band satellite bandwidth to support the mission requirements for a key agency within DISA. The initial six-month award is for $6.5 million, and the contract includes five options, which when exercised, will bring the total contract value to more than $50 million.

Norsat Expands into European Military Market

Norsat International has won a $1.7 million network service contract from a military based in Europe.

Norsat said the unnamed military customer recently expanded its fleet of satellite terminals and will rely on Norsat’s dual-band SigmaLink flyaway systems to support their deployed forces. To support these remote operations, Norsat has installed several antennas from its OmegaLink line for hub operation in the field.

TCS Grabs U.S. Military Bandwidth, Terminal Contract

TeleCommunication Systems (TCS) has been awarded $7 million to provide managed bandwidth services and terminal maintenance support for fixed satellite terminal sites supporting U.S. government personnel in forward operating areas throughout Southwest Asia and Iraq.

TCS will support terminals that provide secure communications and IP-based voice, video and secure data services to U.S. military personnel from any deployed location. The order initially is funded at $2.2 million for the first year and will be funded up to a total of $7 million if the options for two additional one-year renewal periods are fully exercised.

Telesat Leases Anik G1 Capacity to Canadian DTH Provider

Telesat signed a contract with Canadian DTH proivder Shaw Direct for 16 Ku-band transponders on the planned Anik G1 satellite. The deal was the result of Industry Canada‚s recent decision to make extended Ku-band available for direct-to-home television services.

Anik G1 will be located at 107.3 degrees West and will carry other payloads, Telesat said. The satellite operator expects to announce the manufacturer of Anik G1 “in the next two to three months” and the satellite is scheduled to enter service in the second half of 2012.

ViaSat Receives $21.5 Million Military Terminal Order

ViaSat received a Multifunctional Information Distribution System–Low Volume Terminal (MIDS-LVT) delivery order from the U.S. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command MIDS Program Office.

The order, valued at nearly $21.5 million, will see ViaSat ship MIDS-LVT units beginning in March of 2011 and continuing through February of 2012. The order includes LVT airborne and LVT ground-based terminals under a five-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract.