Apscc monthly Newsletter August 2011

July 4, 2011 - ASI, the Italian Space Agency announced an agreement with Eutelsat Communications to use the new KA-SAT High Throughput Satellite in order to develop broadband connectivity for public administrations in Italy. The agreement was signed by ASI and Skylogic, the Eutelsat affiliate that provides broadband services through KA-SAT. ASI is planning the progressive use of 550 Mbps of KA-SAT capacity across 10 spotbeams that together provide full coverage of Italian territory. The capacity will mainly be deployed to deliver broadband to Italian public administrations beyond range of terrestrial networks so that the benefits of ICT can be extended to citizens located in previously underserved regions.

July 6, 2011 - Thuraya unveiled a specialized suite of solutions aimed at offering all the functionality of satellite communication, indoors. Banishing the myth that satellite communications are an outdoor offering, Thuraya’s range of products is specifically designed for indoor use. Compatible with Thuraya XT, the portfolio includes a Fixed Docking Unit (FDU), Fixed Phone and Indoor Repeaters. Built in consideration of Thuraya’s key market segments: government, oil and gas, mining, construction, NGOs and maritime, the holistic offerings allow instant set-up of remote offices in areas where there is little or no terrestrial coverage.

July 7, 2011 - Stratos Global announced the commercial availability of Inmarsat XpressLink from Stratos, its newest managed global broadband service for the maritime industry. Inmarsat XpressLink is the latest addition to Stratos' maritime broadband portfolio. Inmarsat XpressLink from Stratos offers enhanced Ku-band coverage and bandwidth and leverages the global capabilities of FleetBroadband. Inmarsat XpressLink offers the only guaranteed upgrade path to Inmarsat's Global Xpress Ka-band service. Global Xpress, which is expected to be commercially available in 2013, will deliver speeds of up to 50Mbps.

July 7, 2011 - EMS Defense & Space announced a contract with Thales Alenia Space to provide Ka-band redundant low noise amplifier (RLNA) switching hardware. The hardware will support the Athena-Fidus satellite (Access on theaters for European allied forces nations-French Italian dual use satellite), a French-Italian telecommunications satellite that uses state-of-the-art civil broadband Internet technologies. Under the terms of the contract, EMS is slated to deliver a ferrite switch and driver electronics to meet Thales Alenia Space’s 2013 launch date.

July 11, 2011 - ViaSat Inc. is introducing its SurfBeam 2 satellite networking system that enables fast and cost-effective satellite broadband services. The new system is designed to simultaneously deliver a wide range of residential, enterprise, and mobile broadband services. Customers can choose from a new family of SurfBeam 2 terminals for consumer, enterprise, on-the-move, and portable applications. The new SurfBeam 2 system builds off the previous success of SurfBeam, the first satellite networking system designed from the ground up for economical, mass market broadband networking. The SurfBeam system is the choice for residential broadband, with installations in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and over 800,000 units shipped.

July 11, 2011 - Globecomm Systems Inc. has been awarded a contract amendment from a multi-national organization for transportable satellite ground terminals, valued at approximately US$2.4 million. This contract amendment changes the technical solution for the vehicles supplied under this contract. Globecomm previously announced approximately US$29.5 million in contracts for the design and development of the system, bringing the combined contract value to approximately US$31.9 million. Globecomm has recognized US$5.8 million in revenue under the contract.

July 11, 2011 - Iridium Communications Inc. announces that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will authorize aircraft operating in oceanic airspace to use its satellite data service for critical air traffic control communications. This marks completion of the FAA process evaluating aircraft flying in airspace under its jurisdiction to use Future Air Navigation System (FANS) 1/A over Iridium (FOI) to meet communications requirements for air traffic control. The decision is an important milestone in providing corporate and commercial aircraft a cost-effective alternative for implementing FANS 1/A communications. Iridium's fully global coverage provides the aviation industry with an attractive alternative for long-range voice and data communication systems.

July 12, 2011 - Integral Systems, Inc. has been awarded a contract by SKY Perfect JSAT to upgrade its ground systems with the latest version of Integral Systems' industry leading EPOCH Integrated Product Suite (IPS) satellite command and control software. In addition to the software upgrade, Integral Systems will provide a hardware refresh to support SKY Perfect JSAT's latest satellite, JCSAT-13, scheduled for liftoff in the fourth quarter of 2011.

July 13, 2011 - Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. has been selected by Synterra, Russia's national communications carrier, to provide satellite communications equipment for the extension of a broadband network throughout Siberia and the Russian Far East. The network is set to support the operator's USO goals in the region, providing residents of remote communities with essential connectivity to broadband internet and telephony services. As part of the agreement, Synterra, a long-time Gilat partner in Russia, has committed to implement Gilat's technology in 1500 remote sites.

July 13, 2011 - Eutelsat Communications announced the signature of a distribution contract for the Tooway™ broadband service between its Skylogic subsidiary and Eurosat-Ukraine. Eurosat-Ukraine is an affiliate of Altegrosky, a provider of satellite-delivered telecoms services in Russia and CIS countries. The new contract between Skylogic and Eurosat-Ukraine covers distribution to consumers in the Ukraine of the Tooway™ new generation satellite broadband service, which is delivered via Eutelsat's KA-SAT satellite. With Tooway packages enabling users to benefit from download speeds of up to 10 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 4 Mbps, Eurosat-Ukraine can now offer fast and immediate Internet access to users across the Ukraine.

July 18, 2011 - O3b Networks Limited announced successful completion of the Critical Design Review (CDR) of the Constellation Space Segment. This significant event in O3b’s development validated that the satellite design will exceed its technical specifications, allowing O3b to deliver an even higher level of competitiveness to the market. Satellite manufacturer Thales Alenia Space successfully passed the CDR by demonstrating completion of the design phase.

July 19, 2011 - Vizada has launched a range of highly flexible global maritime broadband packages seamlessly integrating Ku-band VSAT and mobile satellite services (MSS), including the newly-launched Vizada XChange. The Vizada global maritime broadband packages provide unmatched choice to shipping companies: they can select the combination of VSAT, MSS hardware and airtime best suited to their needs while being able to upgrade to a higher bandwidth plan or next generation satellite service during or after contract termination. Customers can choose between a VSAT antenna from Thrane & Thrane, Vizada’s preferred partner, as well as Intellian or Sea Tel, with the Inmarsat FleetBroadband 250 and 500 or Iridium OpenPort service as back up.

July 20, 2011 - VT iDirect, Inc. (iDirect) announced that SkyStream FZ LLC, a Dubai-based provider of connectivity and satellite service solutions, has launched an on-demand TV service based on iDirect’s Evolution product line. SkyStream recently upgraded its satellite system with Evolution, allowing it to increase bandwidth efficiency without disrupting service for existing iNFINITI customers by operating both Evolution and iNFINITI networks on the same iDirect hub. Based on the next-generation DVB-S2 standard, Evolution increases SkyStream’s bandwidth efficiency by as much as 30 percent over its previous system.

July 20, 2011 - Gilat has been selected by Russian Yakutia Ministry of Finance to provide a full turnkey SkyEdge II broadband satellite network to serve new Ministry of Finance locations across Sakha (Yakutia) Republic, one of Russia's largest Federal Districts. Satellite-based connectivity is essential for communications in Yakutia which has fewer than one million people spread over more than 3,100,000 square kilometers. As part of the agreement, Gilat will provide the Ministry with a SkyEdge II platform, including hub installation, integration with previously installed Sky Edge platforms, and service support and maintenance. The Company will also oversee the installation of remote sites across Yakutia's expansive and rugged geography. The network offers the Ministry improved utilization of space segment and maximizes bandwidth efficiency at a time when the supply of capacity in the Russian satellite market is nearly exhausted.

July 20, 2011 - Hughes Network Systems, LLC introduced a new carrier-grade hub configuration optimized for medium- to large-scale networks. Employing highly efficient systems architecture, the Hughes HN NOCXT sets a new standard in flexibility and scalability, with numerous features such as guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS) levels for bandwidth management and industry-leading acceleration and compression technologies, making it the ideal solution for service providers and enterprises demanding the best for their customers. The HN NOCXT is the latest member of the HN family and the ideal choice to deliver high-speed IP services over satellite, supporting an expanding range of multi-media, video, data and voice applications.

July 21, 2011 - Stratos BV has purchased most of the operational assets of Blue Ocean Wireless Ltd. (BOW). BOW was a provider of shipboard GSM services that enabled crewmembers to use their personal GSM phones to communicate with family and friends by voice and SMS. As part of the acquisition, Stratos assumes responsibility for providing services to most of BOW's customers, including many large commercial shipping companies worldwide. Since July 1, BOW customers have been receiving invoices directly from Stratos. Stratos will continue to market and sell BOW's services to existing and new customers, under the new brand GSM Oceanwide.

July 25, 2011 - Integral Systems, Inc. has received a US$468,000 contract from mZeal Communications, Inc. to provide space systems expertise and define the Multi-level Secure (MLS) network architecture supporting mZeal’s Mission-Aware Network Architecture for Small-Satellite Adaptive Systems (MANASSAS) project. MANASSAS was competitively selected by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) within Technical Area 3, Information Architecture, of the F6 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA). Integral Systems’ Military and Intelligence Group (MIG) will perform the work and provide space systems expertise, supporting mZeal by developing standards for advanced concepts in satellite operations and design.

July 26, 2011 - Mitsubishi Electrics Corporation (MELCO) has awarded GMV a contract for developing the ground segment for the 4A and 4B satellites of the Turkish satellite operator Türksat. This contract broadens its client base, not only in terms of satellite manufacturers but also telecommunications operators, giving it an even higher profile on all 5 continents. Both Türksat and MELCO are important milestones in GMV’s ongoing process of expansion and leadership, bringing two new leading telecommunications companies into its growing portfolio. This contract consolidates GMV’s strategic policy of providing its clients with a complete solution in any ground-segment project.

July 27, 2011 - Vizada will provide the new Inmarsat FleetPhone maritime handset with email and data transfer capabilities to its extensive network of service provider partners. Vizada will optimize the phone’s capabilities by adding several Vizada Solutions^TM including SkyFile Mail, Universal Card^TM and Satellite Direct. Vizada’s FleetPhone is packaged with a unique crew calling promotion, providing cost-effective crew calling to shipping companies, while eliminating upfront hardware investment. Inmarsat’s new entry-level voice service will feature not only high quality voice calls and voicemail, but also text and email messaging capabilities.

July 28, 2011 - Eutelsat has selected Astrium to design and manufacture Eutelsat 3B, a new telecommunications satellite to provide video, data, Internet and telecom services across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and parts of South America, notably Brazil. The satellite will operate from Eutelsat 3 degrees East orbital location in geostationary orbit. Based on Astrium’s Eurostar E3000 platform, Eutelsat 3B will operate 51 transponders in C, Ku and Ka-bands. Its ten antennas will enable Eutelsat to provide fixed widebeams and steerable spotbeams to regional and national markets with a scalable allocation of power and spectrum per beam in Ka band. Scheduled for launch in early 2014, Eutelsat 3B will have a launch mass of six tons, an electrical power of 12 kW and is designed to deliver more than 15 years of in-orbit operation.

July 5, 2011 - SES ASTRA announced that the Ukrainian digital terrestrial network provider Zeonbud has chosen ASTRA to provide capacity for Ukraine’s first digital terrestrial television network. Zeonbud was awarded a license to operate four multiplexes and has contracted capacity on SES ASTRA’s 31.5 degrees East orbital position to roll out its digital terrestrial television service in September 2011. The company will use the capacity to deliver television signals to its network of digital terrestrial towers allowing it to offer digital television services to households across Ukraine.

July 5, 2011 - SES ASTRA announced that the ProsiebenSat.1 Group has signed a long-term capacity contract for one transponder with SES ASTRA. The new transponder will be used to broadcast the channels SAT.1 Österreich HD, ProSieben Austria HD, kabel eins austria HD and PULS 4 HD. The new high definition offer for Austria will be marketed by AustriaSat – a full subsidiary of the M7 Group – as part of the HDaustria package for all satellite households with an ORF smartcard. ASTRA Platform Services will handle the uplink to the ASTRA satellite system, HD encoding and signal encryption.

July 5, 2011 - Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific (DNAP) and Malaysian media company Astro have announced the launch of Discovery HD World, the company’s international high definition network. Discovery HD World will be available in Malaysia on Channel 571 as part of the Astro B.yond package and Astro’s B.yond IPTV offering. Discovery HD World in Malaysia will feature new content that maximizes the potential of high-definition technology and lends itself perfectly to the type of rich, spectacular images Discovery is renowned for.

July 7, 2011 - The Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Arabsat) has announced the launch of the Moroccan television and radio Bouquet on BADR-4, which enables Arabsat viewers in the Middle East and North Africa as well as large parts of Europe to follow up this bouquet. This Moroccan bouquet carries 8 TV channel and 6 radio channels. By building the digital Radio &TV broadcasting platforms through a number of Arab countries, Arabsat aims at serving its customers and providing the best services and the easiest solutions for them to have access to their viewers and serve them wherever they are on higher levels of quality.

July 8, 2011 - Globecomm Systems Inc. has recently completed the transition and expansion of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS) Satellite Broadcast Network (SBN) to Digital Video Broadcast - Satellite - Second Generation (DVB-S2) under a subcontract to Raytheon Company. The SBN is a one-way, point-to-multipoint satellite broadcast system that distributes large amounts of data collected and produced at NOAA's national centers to Weather Forecast Offices (WFO’s) used by forecasters to generate watches, alerts and warnings of various types of severe weather in a timely manner.

July 12, 2011 - Solaris Mobile Ltd., the Dublin based pioneer of European next generation mobile communications networks, a joint venture company formed by SES Astra and Eutelsat Communications, and Class Editori, an Italian media publishing group, have reached an agreement to launch, an initial phase package, of radio services to listeners across Italy. The initial phase of the roll-out will commence in October 2011 with the deployment of a hybrid satellite and terrestrial network in Milan. Solaris Mobile is partnering with major Italian network operators for the provision of the terrestrial transmission network. Following the successful implementation of the initial phase, it is envisaged that a full commercial launch may take place in 2012 where Solaris Mobile plans to extend the hybrid network across the whole of Italy.

July 14, 2011 - AXN has launched its high definition feed AXN HD, on Thai pay-TV platform TrueVisions. The channel has already been successfully launched in South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam in the last two years and now it debuts in Thailand. AXN HD is currently available as part of the pack of 11 HD channels on TrueVisions' digital cable pay-TV service. It shares the space with Asia's standard definition channels AXN, AXN Beyond and Animax, which are already available on TrueVisions.

July 14, 2011 - Vietnam Television Corporation (VTC) has extended channel capacity across its HD and SD services through the deployment of Ericsson advanced compression products. Ericsson’s market leading solutions have enabled VTC to roll out a further 20 MPEG-4 AVC HD channels and an additional 70 MPEG-2 SD channels to its satellite customers across Vietnam. This offers viewers more premium content such as movies, sports and international programming in the high picture quality they are increasingly expecting from their subscription.

July 15, 2011 - SES WORLD SKIES announced a new capacity deal on two SES satellites with transmission and live production provider Pacific Television Center aimed at expanding and enhancing the delivery of Trinity Broadcasting Networks's Christian-based programming around the world. As part of the five-year agreement, Pacific Television Center is utilizing MPEG-4 technology and capacity on a global C-band transponder aboard SES' NSS-9 satellite to distribute Trinity's 4 channels of network programming to audiences across the Pacific Ocean Region. Pacific Television Center is also leveraging C-band capacity aboard the NSS-5 spacecraft, enabling Trinity to reach viewers in the Americas, Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Pacific Television Center is using 24MHz of capacity aboard the two advanced satellites.

July 25, 2011 - MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd. (MEASAT) announced the addition of tvN HD from FOX International Channels (FIC) to the MEASAT-3/3a video neighbourhood, bringing to 21 the number of HD channels on the platform. tvN (Total Variety Network) is a leading Asian channel that offers 6,000+ hours of diverse content from drama, variety show, K-pop, E-news, reality and lifestyle. The programs hosted by famous Korean celebrities, feature trend-setting programming based upon aspects of Korean popular culture most appealing to today’s young audience. The channel will be distributed together with the popular National Geographic Channel HD, Nat Geo Wild HD and Fox Family Movies HD in the FIC network on MEASAT’s HD platform.

July 26, 2011 - International Datacasting Corporation announces a vendor financing package, and follows on contracts with the Wananchi Group Ltd., for the rollout of a DTH broadcast service in Africa. International Datacasting has successfully secured a vendor financing package, which establishes a revolving credit facility for Wananchi. This credit facility was developed in cooperation with Export Development Canada (EDC) and a Canadian financial institution. Wananchi Group Ltd. launched the first triple-play network in Africa, and recently added Zuku Satellite to bring video, voice and data services to consumers in the Sub-Saharan region of Africa.

July 28, 2011 - SES ASTRA has signed an agreement for satellite capacity with ITV, the UK commercial broadcaster. The long-term agreement provides for the renewal of ITV's existing capacity and for additional capacity to support future development with ITV's channel offer. ITV currently utilizes six transponders at ASTRA's prime 28.2 degrees East orbital position, serving the UK and Ireland. Under the new contract it will progressively activate three further transponders.

July 5, 2011 - Lockheed Martin has successfully completed on-schedule a System Design Review (SDR) for the Global Positioning System (GPS) IIIB satellite increment under the U.S. Air Force's next generation GPS III program. GPS III will improve position, navigation and timing services and provide advanced anti-jam capabilities yielding superior system security, accuracy and reliability for users around the globe. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is under contract to produce the first two of a planned eight GPS IIIA satellites, with first launch projected for 2014. The contract, which features a "back to basics" acquisition approach, includes a Capability Insertion Program (CIP) designed to mature technologies and perform rigorous systems engineering for future GPS III increments.

July 5, 2011 - Telenor Satellite Broadcasting (TSBc) has signed a contract with Arianespace for launch services of its THOR 7 satellite. The satellite will be launched into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) in Q4, 2013 on an Ariane 5 launcher from the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana. Built by Space Systems/ Loral, THOR 7 will be based upon SS/L’s 1300 series platform and be fitted with two payloads. The THOR 7 satellite will be equipped with 11 Ku-band transponders providing dedicated capacity for broadcast services in Central and Eastern Europe. The Ka band payload will be used to meet the growing demand for broadband communications within the maritime industry and will include spot beams over the North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Red Sea, Baltic Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean.

July 6, 2011 - China launched an experimental orbiter in the country's Shijian satellite series from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu Province. The satellite, SJ-11-03, was sent to space by a Long March II-C carrier rocket. The orbiter, developed by China Spacesat Co. Ltd under China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, will be used to conduct space scientific experiments. It has been the 139th flight of the Long March rocket series.

July 7, 2011 - Lockheed Martin has announced that the Multi-Mission Satellite Operations Center Ground System Architecture recently extended its mission capability to Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., with the successful launch of a new Air Force Operationally Responsive Space mission satellite, ORS-1. The ORS mission will be deployed by the 1st Space Operations Squadron, a component of the 50th Space Wing at Schriever. The architecture was developed by Lockheed Martin and the Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center Space Development and Test Directorate to allow the Air Force to operate different types of satellites with the same ground system.

July 11, 2011 - Astrium will be the European Space Agency’s (ESA) prime contractor for the development and construction of two highly accurate instruments designed to monitor the atmosphere. The two spectrometers, known as Sentinel-4, will for the first time gather data on the quality of the Earth’s atmosphere and its chemical composition from a geostationary orbit. Their position at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers will allow seamless observations of Europe and North Africa to be taken hourly. The data collected in this way is urgently required for climate research; for instance, it would have made it possible to determine the spread of the ash cloud that followed the eruptions of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull and Grimsvotn volcanoes in 2010 and 2011.

July 12, 2011 - China blasted off a new data relay satellite Tianlian I-02 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest Sichuan Province. The satellite was launched on a Long March-3C carrier rocket. Developed by the China Academy of Space Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the satellite is the country's second data relay satellite. China launched its first data relay satellite "Tianlian I-01" on April 25, 2008. The two satellites will form a network to offer data relay and measurement and control service for China's spacecrafts and planned space stations.

July 13, 2011 - Globalstar Inc. announced the successful launch of six new second-generation Globalstar satellites. Arianespace, Starsem and their Russian partners confirmed that the Fregat orbital stage accurately injected the six Globalstar-2 satellites into their targeted orbit. Each Globalstar-2 satellite, built by Thales Alenia Space, weighs approximately 650 kg at launch. The new constellation features an optimized design to provide telephone and data transmission services to businesses and individuals in more than 120 countries. The first 6 satellites of the Globalstar-2 constellation were orbited successfully by Arianespace and Starsem on October 19, 2010. The 12 other satellites comprising the constellation will be launched from Baikonur by Arianespace and Starsem during the second half of 2011.

July 14, 2011 - Eutelsat has assigned the launch of its ATLANTIC BIRD™ 7 communications satellite to Sea Launch. The satellite will be lofted into an optimized geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) on board the reliable Zenit 3SL. The launch will occur from Sea Launch’s Odyssey launch platform after its transit to the equatorial launch site located at 154 degrees West longitude, in international waters of the Pacific Ocean. The ATLANTIC BIRD™ 7 mission is planned for launch in September 2011. Built by Astrium, the ATLANTIC BIRD™ 7 satellite will weigh approximately 4,600 kilograms at launch. Its final geostationary orbit will be located at 7 degrees West longitude, a key neighbourhood for Eutelsat’s digital broadcasting markets in the Middle East and North Africa.

July 14, 2011 - SpaceX took another major step toward the first launch of the Falcon Heavy. The Falcon Heavy will be the first ever rocket to break the US$1,000-per-pound-to-orbit barrier, less than a tenth as much as the Shuttle. Falcon Heavy, along with SpaceX’s medium-lift Falcon 9, offers the next generation of launch capability to the US Air Force, NASA, and commercial satellite companies at revolutionary costs. With a launch site at Vandenberg and the world’s largest rocket, SpaceX will be ready to compete for the full range of US government business, provided competition is allowed. Currently, United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed, has a sole-source monopoly contract for Defense Department business.

July 15, 2011 - India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C17) successfully launched GSAT-12 communication satellite from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. The launch of PSLV-C17 was the eighteenth successive successful flight of PSLV. After a smooth countdown of 53 hours, the vehicle lifted-off from the Second Launch Pad. After about 20 minutes of flight time, GSAT-12 was successfully injected into sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (sub-GTO) with a perigee of 284 km and an apogee of 21,020 km with an orbital inclination of 17.9 deg.

July 16, 2011 - International Launch Services (ILS) successfully carried the SES-3 satellite into geostationary transfer orbit for SES. This was the first commercial shared launch for ILS; the SES-3 satellite was paired with the KazSat-2 satellite to serve the Republic of Kazakhstan. The ILS Proton Breeze M launched from Pad 39 at the Cosmodrome. After an 8-hour, 1-minute mission, the Breeze M successfully released the SES-3 satellite directly into geostationary transfer orbit. The KazSat-2 satellite, built by Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center (Khrunichev), was delivered directly into geosynchronous orbit after a 9-hour, 24-minute mission. The SES-3 satellite was built on Orbital’s Star 2.4 platform and will replace SES’ existing AMC-1 satellite at the orbital position of 103 degrees West orbital location. SES-3 will provide continuity of service to the enterprise, government and media sectors from the center of the North American arc.

July 18, 2011 - Russia's national space agency Roskosmos launched a space observation radio telescope capable of viewing distant solar systems and the edge of the Milky Way galaxy. A rocket taking off from Kazakhstan's Baikonur space centre placed the space vehicle, called the RadioAstron astrophysical observatory, in a stable but highly elliptical orbit. The 3.8-tonne telescope will deploy a 10-metre antenna and communicate with ground stations to provide the highest-resolution images ever seen of distant bodies in space.

July 18, 2011 - Thales Alenia Space Italia announces the signature of a contract with OCCAR-EA (Organization for Joint Armament Co-operation) for the study phase for the definition and feasibility of the Multinational Space-based Imaging System (MUSIS) Federated Activities program. OCCAR-EA acted on behalf of the French and Italian Ministries of Defense, and awarded the contract to a Temporary Grouping of Companies made up of Astrium France and Thales Alenia Space France, led by Thales Alenia Space Italia. The study is aimed at defining a Common Interoperability Layer (CIL) between the Ground Segments of the Italian COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation and the French CSO (Optical Space Component) high resolution optical system. The two defense ministries will be guaranteed access to both systems through this common interoperability, providing them with multi-sensor observation capabilities (SAR and Optical).

July 19, 2011 - Boeing has received the first on-orbit signals from the second of 12 Global Positioning System (GPS) IIF satellites it is building for the U.S. Air Force. GPS IIF-2, renamed SVN-63, is functioning normally and ready to begin on-orbit maneuvers and operational testing. SVN-63 launched on a United Launch Alliance Delta IV vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Controllers confirmed initial contact with the spacecraft at a ground station on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. GPS signals from the spacecraft payload will be turned on for test purposes in the coming days.

July 20, 2011 - Orbital Sciences Corporation announced that the Dawn interplanetary spacecraft, which the company designed and built for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), has successfully completed rendezvous and achieved orbit around the solar system’s second most massive asteroid, Vesta. These events took place after a nearly four-year, 1.7 billion-mile journey to Vesta, which resides in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Dawn will image Vesta’s surface using Framing Cameras and carry out other scientific surveys using a Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer and a Gamma-Ray and Neutron Detector. Dawn also will conduct a scientific survey using its radio system (along with the NASA Deep Space Network) to map Vesta’s gravity field. Dawn will continue to return science data about the asteroid through July 2012, when it will depart Vesta to journey farther out in the asteroid belt.

July 25, 2011 - Astrium has signed a contract with Hong Kong’s Spatial Technology Limited to provide precise surface movement monitoring information for the construction of a 3.5 km tunnel on Hong Kong Island. The tunnel forms part of the Wan Chai Bypass Project, a 4.5km a section of highway running along the northern part of Hong Kong Island that will improve transport links in the region and reduce traffic congestion. The GEO-Information Services division of Astrium Services will utilize data from the Astrium-built TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X radar satellites to provide surface movement information before and during the tunnelling process. This data is essential in order to ensure that the risks of tunnelling are reduced in what is a highly populated area, enabling project teams to understand the impact of the underground construction work on the site’s surface, surrounding buildings and infrastructure.

July 26, 2011 - China successfully launched an orbiter into space as a part of its indigenous satellite navigation and positioning network known as Beidou, or Compass system. The orbiter launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwestern Sichuan Province, was boosted by a Long March-3A carrier rocket into a geostationary orbit. From April 2007 to April this year, China launched another eight orbiters to form its Beidou-2 system, which will eventually consist of 35 satellites. The network will provide satellite navigation, time and short message services for Asia-Pacific regions by 2012 and global services by 2020.

July 27, 2011 - SPACEBEL has been commissioned to supply to Vietnam an environment and territory observation microsatellite. For this first successful commercial sale of the PROBA microsatellite technology, SPACEBEL is surrounded by a certain number of Belgian partners including QinetiQ Space, AMOS and the Centre Spatial de Liège, which will bring their respective expertise in the field of satellite platform, integration, payloads and optical validation. As the leader of the Belgian consortium, SPACEBEL is in charge of the mission and system studies, design and development of the entire satellite software package as well as the development and deployment of the ground segment. Weighing a hundred kilo and scheduled for launch in 2016, the satellite “Made in Belgium” will enable Vietnam to monitor autonomously its natural resources: farmland, forests, rivers, water fauna etc.

July 1, 2011 - THAICOM Public Company Limited’s Board of Directors announced the appointment of Suphajee Suthumpun as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of THAICOM Public Company Limited to replace Arak Chonlatanon, who will retire from this post. This appointment is effective August 1st, 2011. Suphajee Suthumpun is 47 years old and has more than 23 years of experience in the IT industry, working for a multinational company. Before joining THAICOM Public Company Limited, she held the positions of Managing Director of IBM Thailand Company Limited and General Manager of Global Technology Services Group, IBM ASEAN.

July 3, 2011 - Thuraya has appointed Robert Demers as Vice President for Government Services. In his new role, Demers will be developing and managing Thuraya’s global government business sector, especially defense in the US, Europe, Middle East and Asia. Prior to joining Thuraya, Demers held several key management positions in the mobile satellite services (MSS) as well as the fixed satellite services (FSS) industries. His extensive experience working within the government sector coupled with a service record in the US Army spanning 22 years makes him an extremely valuable addition to the Thuraya team.

July 6, 2011 - Inmarsat plc reports that with effect from 1 January 2012 Andrew Sukawaty will become Executive Chairman and Rupert Pearce will become Chief Executive Officer. Rupert will join the Inmarsat plc board as an executive director effective 6 July 2011. With this appointment Inmarsat has implemented a previously announced plan to separate the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Rupert Pearce, who currently serves as Senior Vice President of Inmarsat Enterprises and Inmarsat's Group General Counsel, has been with the company for six years.

July 11, 2011 - Advantech Wireless Inc., a Canadian-based manufacturer of Satellite, RF Equipment and Microwave Systems announced the promotion of Pierre Cardinal to Vice-President, Global Sales, effective immediately. Cardinal initially joined Advantech Wireless as VP Sales, North America and has been instrumental in restructuring and expanding the current sales force. Pierre Cardinal started his career in telecoms as Sales Manager for Teleglobe. He also held senior management positions at Sprint Canada, Cisco, Colubris (currently HP ProCurve) and more recently at SR Telecom.

July 12, 2011 - GlobeCast has announced the arrival of Philippe Rouxel as chief marketing officer. His principal assignment will be to develop GlobeCast’s global product strategy for all business units in France, U.K., Italy, South Africa, Asia, and the Americas. He will lead the implementation of a strategy focused on value-added products in the broadcast market. Since 2007, Rouxel has held the role of vice president of international distribution for France 24, available to 165 million households across five continents. Previously, he held business development positions with channels belonging to Lagardère, Canal+/Multithémathiques, Viacom/MTV Networks International, Première, and Walt Disney International.

July 12, 2011 - Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) announced that former Orbital Sciences Corporation executive and industry leader Mark Bitterman is joining the company’s Washington office as Senior Vice President of Government Affairs. Bitterman joins SpaceX after serving in a similar role at Orbital for 19 years. Bitterman spent nearly two decades at Orbital Sciences Corporation. Hired as director of government relations in 1992, he rose to senior vice president of government and external relations in 2000.

July 21, 2011 - SpaceCom International has named Akhtar Ali to be its Chief Technology Officer. In this role, he will be responsible for engineering oversight of satellite and ground resources, custom and complex network solutions and exploring the increasingly important KA band and related technologies. Akhtar is well respected throughout the global telecommunications Industry as a technology and engineering specialist. He has more than 16 years experience in the industry. Before joining SpaceCom, Akhtar was at Intelsat for 9 years. At Intelsat, he provided engineering services throughout the Africa region, including direct technical interface on major and key accounts to Africa’s largest telecom providers.

July 28, 2011 - The Board of Eutelsat Communications appointed Michel Azibert to the post of Deputy CEO and corporate officer on the recommendation of Michel de Rosen, the Group's CEO. Michel Azibert will succeed Jean-Paul Brillaud following the General Assembly of shareholders of Eutelsat Communications of 8 November, at which point Jean-Paul will relinquish his operational role as deputy CEO. Michel Azibert will join Eutelsat on 5 September from TDF, where he is currently Deputy CEO, to work closely with Jean-Paul during September and October in order to ensure a smooth transition.

July 29, 2011 - Globalstar, Inc. announced that after the successful implementation of the strategic initiatives he introduced during his tenure, the Company has accepted Chief Executive Officer Peter Dalton's request to retire. Executive Chairman and former Globalstar CEO Jay Monroe will immediately resume his operational role as CEO on an interim basis and Dalton will remain as a special advisor to the interim CEO to assist with transition issues through September 1, 2011. Dalton is also retiring as a member of Globalstar's Board of Directors.

July 27, 2011 - Euroconsult announced the findings of its most recent study of fixed satellite services. Company Profiles, Analysis of FSS Operators, now in its 4th edition, is the only report available worldwide which provides in-depth profiles of all 37 currently-active FSS satellite operators, plus nine companies that will launch commercial satellites in the near future. Through these detailed profiles, Euroconsult provides insight into individual operators and paints a picture of the overall market. The report indicates that regional operators in particular continued to see strong business growth from various applications including DTH TV broadcasting, cellular backhaul and enterprise networks. Many of these regional operators are continuing their ambitious expansion plans with growing satellite fleets and a number of satellite launches still ahead in the coming years.

July 28, 2011 - Juniper has released a new report which forecasts that M2M (Machine to Machine) connections will be the catalyst for over US$35 billion of service revenues across a diverse range of industry sectors by the end of 2016, driven by Automotive Telematics and Consumer Electronics. The report also finds that remote monitoring in the healthcare sector will hold significant promise in the long term. The report finds that industries are at different stages of development when it comes to M2M with commercial automotive telematics driven by the requirement for fuel efficiency which engine management systems can deliver. The report notes that in-car entertainment systems and infotainment will support telematics growth in the consumer vehicle market.

Hosted by the Electronic and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), the 5th NGSCA (Next Generation Satellite Communications and Applications) international workshop will promote and accelerate the efficient introduction of new services and technologies via satellite applications into the satellite industry in Korea. Contact the event coordinator at ray@cescon.co.kr and join the NGSCA 2011 workshop.

Now in its 13th year, SMi’s Global MilSatCom 2011, Europe’s show for military satellite communications professionals, will take place on the 29 November to 1 December 2011 in London. Featuring an impressive international speaker line-up; Global MilSatCom 2011 is the ideal place for delegates to discuss issues ranging from national requirements, to cyber security threats with an array of military speakers from across the globe; network with key European and NATO players and interact with leading decision makers from across the SATCOM arena.

APSCC is a non-profit, international organization representing all sectors of satellite and space-related industries. The aim of the organization is to exchange views and ideas on satellite technologies, systems, policies and outer space activities in general along with satellite communications including broadcasting for the betterment of the Asia-Pacific region.

Conferences, forums, workshops, and exhibitions are organized through regional coordination with its members in order to promote new services and businesses via satellite as well as outer space activities. APSCC membership is open to any government body, public or private organization, association, or corporation that is involved in satellite services, risk management or associate fields such as data-casting, informatics, multi-media, telecommunications and other outer-space related activities with interests in the Asia-Pacific region. More information is available at www.apscc.or.kr.