Mexsat Bicentenario Ku-band satellite successfully signals from space

Satellite manufacturer Orbital Sciences reported that it has picked up the first signals from the Mexsat Bicentenario C-/Ku-band satellite after its recent launch.

The first of a trio of satellites manufactured by Boeing and Orbital Sciences for the Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes (SCT) of Mexico, Mexsat Bicentenario is a new hybrid C-band and Ku-band satellite. It will improve and provide satellite communications services for domestic, military, civil, and humanitarian consumers in Mexico.

Orbital used its GEOStar-2 platform as the template for the Bicentenario design. The other two communications satellites will be built by prime contractor Boeing. The Boeing satellites are modified 702HP geomobile platforms and set to be launched in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Boeing will also handle integration duties for the Mexsat satellite network. When completed, the network will be composed of three communications satellites (including Bicentenario itself), a pair of ground telemetry and control sites, the associated network operations systems, and reference user terminals.

Orbital will provide command and control ground equipment and software for the Mexsat Bicentenario satellite. It will also extend associated training and operational documentation to Mexsat personnel.

EUTELSAT 21B Ku-band satellite fully enters commercial service

Eutelsat Communications proudly declared that its powerful EUTELSAT 21B Ku-band satellite has fully entered commercial service. The Company's control center closely collaborated with its clients and uplink services providers to ensure the smooth transfer of all traffic from the older EUTELSAT 21A satellite to the new satellite.

A wide range of users like broadcasters, enterprises, government administrations, news agencies, and telcos will benefit from the vast new dimension of satellite communications services offered by the EUTELSAT 21B satellite from its 21.5° East orbital slot.

The EUTELSAT 21B satellite carries 40 Ku-band transponders compared to the 29 on EUTELSAT 21A. The new satellite also has an enhanced Widebeam which covers Europe, North Africa, and Central Asia. Finally, its two high-energy beams deliver data, satellite broadband, and professional video services to the North-West African region and the Middle East/Central Asian region respectively. These options allow Eutelsat customers to either operate their services within a beam, or to interconnect between beams.

The older EUTELSAT 21A will move to a new operations base at the 48 degrees East orbital slot. Meanwhile, the EUTELSAT 70B satellite is now going through in-orbit testing before entering service in the middle of January 2013.

Eutelsat leases Russian Ku-band, Ka-band capacity on future RSCC satellites

In need of additional satellite capacity for broadcasting and IP services, Eutelsat Communications has signed two 15-year contracts with the Russian Satellite Communication Company (RSCC.) Eutelsat will pay approximately 300 million euros for Ku-band and Ka-band capacity on two RSCC satellites that will be launched in 2013 and 2015.

RSCC is currently expanding its communications satellite fleet. One of those planned platforms, Express-AT2, is set for a 2013 launch. Express-AT2 is being built by ISS Reshetnev and will use a Thales Alenia Space-designed payload. It will occupy the 140 degrees East slot and more than double the Ku-band capacity for satellite broadcasting at the key video neighborhood in the Far East region of Russia.

The second RSCC platform that Eutelsat intends to access is the Express-AMU1 satellite. Scheduled for a 2015 launch, the new RSCC satellite will share the 36 degrees East position with the older EUTELSAT 36A satellite. Eutelsat will sell this capacity under the EUTELSAT 36C name.

Express-AMU1 will serve the European part of the Russian Federation. It will also broadcast markets in sub-Saharan Africa. Its numerous Ku-band and Ka-band transponders will help support the developing digital entertainment market in Russia by transforming the broadcasting infrastructure at 36 degrees East into a wider system that can support more television services and IP-based applications.

The 36 degrees East video neighborhood serves more than 11 million Direct-to-Home (DTH) antennas in Russia. Most of those subscribers follow either the premium NTV+ platform or the flourishing Tricolor TV platform.


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Arianespace assembling Flight VA211 for Skynet 5D, Mexsat 3 satellites

Arianespace has begun preparations to launch its seventh Ariane 5 mission, Ariane Flight VA211, from the French Guiana Spaceport this 2012. The launch is scheduled for the middle of December and will deliver the Skynet 5D military communications platform and the Mexsat 3 Ku-band satellite into orbit.

Skynet 5D will occupy the upper payload slot of the Ariane 5 rocket. It will be the first satellite to be deployed. Mexsat 3 will be installed in the lower payload slot.

Built by the Astrium division of EADS, Skynet 5D was based off the high-power E3000 variant of the company’s Eurostar satellite series. The 2.5 ton satellite is equipped with its X-band transponders that can provide secure voice and data communications to Skynet users such as the British armed forces, the militaries of other European countries, NATO member-nations, and Australia, who all perform military operations in peacekeeping and battlefield conditions.

Its fellow passenger on Flight VA211, the Mexsat 3 satellite, is of American manufacture. The rugged Orbital Sciences Corporation-built platform weighs nearly 3,050 kg at liftoff and was designed for more than 15 years of operations in orbit. Its complement of extended C-band and Ku-band transponders will deliver next-generation satellite communications services throughout Mexico and the maritime VSAT users in its surrounding waters.

The Flight VA211 vehicle is undergoing assembly at the Spaceport’s Launcher Assembly Building. Its sister Ariane 5 rocket. Designated Flight VA210 and scheduled for launch this November, the second Arianespace rocket is nearing completion at the Final Assembly Building. Flight VA210 will also carry a two-satellite payload consisting of the EUTELSAT 21B and Star One C3 platforms.

ILS successfully launches Intelsat 23 Ku-band satellite

Satellite service provider Intelsat S.A. recently announced that a Proton launch vehicle operated by International Launch Services (ILS) successfully boosted the Intelsat 23 C-/Ku-band satellite into orbit.

The ILS Proton rocket launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on October 14. Intelsat has confirmed signal acquisition of Intelsat 23 nine and a half hours after the successful launch.

Intelsat 23 was built by Orbital Sciences Corporation and deployed to replace the aging Intelsat 707 at the 307 degrees East orbital slot. It was designed for an anticipated service life of more than 18 years.

Its mixed payload of transponders will deliver improved capacity for enterprise, oil and gas, and data networking applications in four continents. Intelsat 23's C-band transponders will refresh capacity for customers in the Americas, Europe, and Africa. Its Ku-band transponders will similarly improve capacity for Latin America.

Intelsat 23 is the last Intelsat satellite to be launched this year and the second-to-the last component of the Company's global broadband mobility platform. The next satellite, Intelsat 27, will complete Intelsat's current fleet replacement and expansion program when it is launched in the first quarter of 2013.

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Eutelsat orders new C-band, Ku-band satellite from Thales Alenia Space for future DTH services

On October 11, Eutelsat Communications announced that it has signed a contract with Thales Alenia Space for a new multi-band satellite, Eutelsat 8 West B satellite. From its planned 7 degrees West position, the new satellite will deliver broadcasting services to Direct-to-Home (DTH) markets in North Africa and the Middle East over the C- and Ku-band.

Eutelsat plans to launch Eutelsat 8 West B in 2015. The satellite will deploy 40 Ku-band transponders and 10 C-band transponders. The latter transponders will provide broadcast services to Africa and South America.

In addition, Eutelsat announced that it will move its operational Ku-band satellite to 8 degrees West in 2013 in order to make room for Eutelsat 8 West B. The new satellite will bring additional resources.

According to Michel de Rosen, the CEO of Eutelsat, broadcasters will be able to use the headroom and services of the future Eutelsat 8 West B satellite to enhance business growth.

In addition, the planned satellite will be able to tap the ever-growing demand for Direct-to-Home video experience in the Middle East and Northern Africa.

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India’s GSAT-10 boost Tata Sky’s DTH services

The successful launch of India’s GSAT 10 satellite has boosted hopes for direct-to-home (DTH) service and digital TV provider, Tata Sky. The satellite, which was launched in French Guinea, is equipped with 12 Ku band, 6 extended C band, and 12 C band transponders. 

Tata Sky is eyeing to secure a few transponders from the bird in an effort to answer the increasing bandwidth-demands which have left present networks strained. The company has been relying on 12 Ku-band transponders from another satellite, the Insat 4A, but the growth of the DTH market has been steadily pushing demands for more bandwidth capacity. 

Tata Sky currently offers over 200 channels, both in standard and high-definition. 

Harit Nagpal, the managing director for Tata Sky, is hopeful that securing more Ku band transponders from the new bird will give the company up to 200 additional channels. GSAT 10 is perfect for the company’s plan for expansion as it will be in the same direction as Insat 4A which is 83 degree east. Thus, realignment of dish antennas should not worry customers. 

Other DTH service providers are looking at acquiring several transponders on different satellites to deliver more channels to both regional and national customer bases. Tata Sky would need to invest on a teleport facility that would uplink to the new GSAT 10 as soon as the transponders are secured.

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Eutelsat purchases satellite, customer contracts, orbital rights from GE Capital

Satellite operator Eutelsat Communications was pleased to report its acquisition of the GE-23 Ku-band satellite from GE Capital. In addition to the renamed EUTELSAT 172A, Eutelsat also acquired the satellite’s associated customer contracts and orbital rights 172° East.

The former GE Capital satellite has been renamed EUTELSAT 172A. Eutelsat’s technical and commercial teams are smoothing the transition for established customers.

Eutelsat secured all required regulatory approvals beforehand.

Thales Alenia Space built the former GE-23 satellite for an operational lifespan of 15 years. It was launched in December 2005 and placed in geostationary orbit at 172° East, a position with a wide coverage of the Asia-Pacific region.

The renamed EUTELSAT 172A has 20 Ku-band transponders that can access five interconnecting beams and 18 legacy C-band transponders connected to a trans-Pacific beam. It offers various telecom services to a diverse base of blue chip customers.

The EUTELSAT 172 C-band / Ku-band satellite will support its new owner’s organic growth initiatives. Eutelsat will launch its own EUTELSAT 70B satellite later this year to complement its new acquisition.

Mitsubishi Ku-band satellite device launched to Orbit

Mitsubishi recently developed a GaN high-electron mobility transistor or GaN HEMT Ku-band amplifier for several satellite earth stations. The gallium nitride device runs at 12-18 GHz, and was developed to help reduce the number of high frequency amplifiers currently being used to just half. This will also reduce the need for power transmitter equipment.

GaN devices have steadily been replacing GaAs amplifiers since the latter has been more prone to saturated electron speeds, and high breakdown voltage.

The latest GaN HEMT from Mitsubishi has 30 percent more power efficiency. This quality is crucial as satellite communications in the ku band require power-saving measures, as it is used in severe weather conditions, and extraordinary situations like natural disasters. Hard to reach areas which need communication links also rely on mobile earth-based stations.

Samples of Mitsubishi's GaN HEMT device, MGFK47G3745, will be shipped starting October 1. 

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IAI building Ka-band, Ku-band satellite for Spacecom

Satellite manufacturer Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) accepted a $200 million contract from satellite operator Spacecom to build the AMOS-6 Ka-band/Ku-band satellite. MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) will handle the satellite's payload of Ku-band and multi-beam Ka-band transponders.

In addition to manufacturing AMOS-6, IAI will also launch the satellite in 2015 and provide ground control operations during the platform's 16-year operational lifespan.

AMOS-6 will join its sister AMOS-2 and AMOS-3 satellites in the 4 degrees West location. The Spacecom fleet at that spot supplies Ka-band and Ku-band satellite services to Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the East Coast of the United States.

Spacecom will form a consortium of investors to fund AMOS-6. IAI has already signed on as an investor. Another possible source of funding are foreign lenders that will indirectly support the planned Spacecom satellite by supporting the companies that export parts used in telecommunications satellites.

RRsat scores multiple contracts for Amos-5 Ku-band satellite capacity

The last couple of months have been busy and profitable for RRsat Global Communications Network Ltd. In that span of time, the satellite services provider had secured several contracts with TV and radio channels for capacity on the RRsat Ku-band platform mounted aboard the AMOS-5 satellite.

AMOS-5 was launched by Spacecom in December 2011 and is operated by the same company. The Ku-band satellite distributes data to and from Africa via its varied payload, one of them being RRsat's platform.

The two steerable Ku-band beams of the RRsat’s platform cover the African continent. They also provide connectivity to Europe and the Middle East. The steerable Ku-band beams can support multiple transponders operating at the same time.

Ku Band Market still source of growth

According to a report by the Northern Sky Research or NSR, the Ku Band market will continue to be one of the growth engines for satellite industry. This results from the robust growth also seen from the DTH or direct-to-home market. 

International point-to-point business has declined but key players in the satellite industry still saw great numbers from the DTH market, which on its own, is expected to generate US$1.4 billion in revenues for the Ku band segment by 2021.

Etisalat's Ku Band satellite

NSR Senior Analyst Patrick M. French said, "Solid Ku-band revenue gains are also expected from the video distribution, enterprise data, commercial mobility and gov/mil verticals."

On the other hand, ka band satellites are also slowly penetrating the market. The segment is expected to generate income from government and military customers, in particular, servicing demand in the Middle East region. 

The satellite industry is facing new challenges with limited orbital sports and frequencies. Many operators are now looking to cooperate on joint project to reduce cost and keep the sector competitive.

Astrium and NewSat for Lockheed Martin

Astrium Satellites, one of the three business units of Astrium, a subsidiary of EADS, are providing Ku band and Ka bands payload hardware to NewSat, to date, the largest independent satellite communications provider in Australia, as reported by Space News, the online publication of record for civil space, military space, commercial space, and satellite communications business.


They will be under a contract with Jabiru-1 prime contractor Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, one of the four major business divisions of Lockheed Martin, which will represent a breakthrough for Astrium’s product division. According to Andreas Lindenthal, Head of Astrium Satellites’ Product Department, Astrium was well placed for the Lockheed Martin contract after a development program for Ku band communications receivers and Ka band beacons. The two was funded in part by the European Space Agency (ESA), established in 1975), an intergovernmental organization dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 19 member states, and the UK Space Agency, a British government agency responsible for United Kingdom’ civil space programme.


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Intelsat to offer EpicNG Ku-band satellite internet for MTN cruise, yacht customers

Satellite services provider Intelsat S.A. and communications provider MTN Satellite Communications announced that they will provide high-speed marine satellite internet and communications services for the cruise and yacht sectors through Intelsat's next-gen EpicNG Ku-band satellite.

Intelsat and MTN entered a long-term agreement where MTN will initially use capacity on Intelsat's Ku-band mobile global broadband infrastructure to provide Caribbean cruise and yacht operators with satellite Internet and communications. In 2015, Intelsat will launch its first EpicNG satellite, Intelsat 29e, which will bring massively-increased broadband capacity and coverage to the satcom playing field. MTN will then partly transition to EpicNG platform and provide custom-designed service featuring up to 2 Gbps capacity in important Caribbean regions.

The EpicNG Ku-band satellite will complement Intelsat's existing, extensive network of earlier platforms.

"MTN has been an important partner to Intelsat for more than two decades," said Steve Spengler, Intelsat EVP of Sales, Marketing and Strategy, "and is one of the true pioneers of the maritime VSAT sector." According to EVP Spengler, the Intelsat EpicNG platform will allow MTN to differentiate its service features and provide much higher throughput to each individual vessel. The widespread availability of affordable, reliable connectivity would change the cruise ship and yachting experience.

Errol Olivier, President and CEO of MTN Satellite Communications, stated that the Intelsat EpicNG infrastructure was "game-changing" and "will allow us to once again set the bar for broadband telecommunications at sea." MTN's eventual move to EpicNG would be the the first strategic step to provide services beyond increased satellite bandwidth.

"Our cruise and yacht customers want to offer their guests and crew the same Internet experience they have at home or at land-based resorts." President Olivier said. "We are confident that our service on Intelsat EpicNG, along with our other innovative wireless and application optimization solutions, will exceed our customers expectations."

Kevin McCarthy, MTN's SVP of Network Engineering, agreed with his boss. "The innovative Intelsat EpicNG platform will give us unprecedented control," he said, "Allowing us to customize every aspect of the service."

EpicNG service would not just provide a huge boost in throughput and reliability. It would also maintain backwards compatibility with the rest of MTN's global Ku-band network.

"Our cruise and yacht customers will be able to seamlessly roam into our high-throughput beams with their existing Ku antennas," SVP McCarthy pointed out.