ILS successfully launches Canadian Anik G1 communications satellite

Canada's Anik G1 multi-band communications satellite is on its way to its transfer orbit following the successful launch of the International Launch Services (ILS) Proton-M carrier vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

SSL built the Canadian satellite on behalf of Telesat. The multi-mission commercial communications satellite is based on the SSL 1300 platform and has a payload of 24 C-band transponders, 28 Ku-band transponders, and 3 X-band transponders. It will occupy the 107.3 degrees West longitude orbital slot and has an expected service life of 15 years.

Once Anik G1 enters commercial operations, South America will be able to access twice the previous capacity in C-band and Ku-band. The communications satellite will also provide extra DTH (direct-to-home) satellite TV services in extended Ku-Band, and enable X-band coverage for military forces in the Americas and a significant part of the Pacific Ocean.

Azercosmos says Azerspace-1 Ku-band satellite ready for business

Azercosmos has officially taken control of the Azerspace-1 Ku-band satellite from Orbital Sciences Corporation. The national space agency of Azerbaijan reported that the country's first telecommunication satellite is now ready for business.

The Azerbaijani satellite is currently managed by Azercosmos specialists from the main control center near the capital city of Baku. An additional control center was built in Nakhchivan, 450 km west of Baku.

Azerspace-1 launched from the ELA-3 launch facility at the Guiana Space Centre on February 8. The telecom satellite underwent trials through February and March, and is now ready for commercial exploitation. According to Communications and Information Technologies Minister Ali Abbasov, Azerspace-1 will earn revenues beginning May 1.

The Azerspace-1 project cost a total of around $230 million. This included the cost of building the two ground control stations, training the Azercosmos specialists, insurance for the satellite and related equipment, and the Ariane 5 ECA rocket carrier that boosted it into orbit. Azercosmos expects the satellite will be worth $500-600 million by the end of its 15 year lifespan.

Azerbaijan will use around 20 percent of Azerspace-1's capacity for its own domestic needs. The remaining 80 percent will be made available to commercial customers. Preliminary agreements have already been reached with several countries for the lease of Azerspace-1's satellite capacity.

Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and North Africa all lie within the coverage of Azerspace-1. The Azerbaijani satellite will offer digital broadcasting services, data transmission, and access to Internet on satellite connectivity. It can also support government communication and serve as the backbone for multiservice VSAT networks.

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Roscosmos reports successful launch of Satmex-8 aboard Proton-M rocket

The Russian federal space agency, Roscosmos, announced the successful launch of the Proton-M rocket carrying the Satmex-8 C-/Ku-band communications satellite on Tuesday, March 26, 2013.

Roscosmos posted a live webcast of the launch, which took place at the Baikonur Cosmodrome on 23:06 Moscow time (1906 GMT.) According to the Russian space agency, Satmex-8 should part ways with the Briz-M booster at 8:19 Moscow time (0419 GMT) on Wednesday, March 26, 2013.

Space System/Loral built the Satmex-8 satellite for Satélites Mexicanos. The satellite carries a payload of 24 C- and 40 Ku-band transponders. It will deliver satellite broadband, video, and audio services to the Americas.

The Tuesday launch is the first successful activity this 2013 for the Proton-M series of rockets. Back in December 2012, the Briz-M booster of a similar carrier vehicle suffered a malfunction and failed to boost its payload, the Russian Yamal-402 communications satellite, into designated orbit.

ViaSat earns Guinness World Record Title as highest capacity satellite

ViaSat reached another milestone as the company’s ViaSat-1 satellite, which runs the Exede Internet service, earned the Guinness World Record title as the highest-capacity communications satellite in the world. When ViaSat-1 satellite was launched in October 2011, the spacecraft had more capacity than all the other communication satellites covering North America combined.

The world record proves that ViaSat-1 satellite provides 100 times the capacity of a typical Ku-band satellite and ten times the throughput of any Ka-band satellite launched before it over Canada and the United States.

In a statement, ViaSat Chairman and CEO Mark Dankberg said in a statement: “The Guinness World Records title is an important recognition of our breakthrough technology and a testament to the work done by our team of innovators. Best of all, it’s allowing us to deliver on our commitment to provide a high quality customer experience for satellite broadband service.”

The new system of ViaSat is a great breakthrough in the economics and quality of satellite Internet service. Aside from powering the 12 Mbps Exede Internet service, ViaSat-1 satellite is also expected to provide the bandwidth for a new generation of enterprise services, which includes in-flight broadband for commercial aviation.

The Guinness World Record title is the second major recognition that ViaSat-1 satellite earned in the past month. The first one was an indirect indication, when in the FCC’s annual benchmarking report “2013 Measuring Broadband America,” ViaSat’s Exede Internet service was ranked as number one among DSL, cable, fiber and satellite providers in surpassing advertised speeds.

CET Teleport signs new deal with SES for Ku-band capacity

CET Teleport and SES expand their business partnership once again with a new three-year agreement for NSS-12 Ku-band capacity linking Europe and East Africa. CET has identified a growing demand for satellite services in the region, and the East Africa beam has proven to be considerably popular among operators and end-users.

With this new development, CET has now accomplished its goal of having the African continent covered with C- and Ku-band. The teleport is already delivering services on the Ku-band South Africa beam of NSS-7. Services on both satellites are delivered as SCPC links or via CET’s iDirect Evolution hubs at its Hameln teleport.

The African region continues to be one of the fastest growing markets for VoIP connectivity and satellite broadband for commerce, government and individuals in urban areas, where infrastructure development has not kept up with demand, as well as rural areas which have not been served properly in the past.

International Launch Services getting ready for Satmex-8 launch

Satélites Mexicanos, S.A. de C.V. (“Satmex”) and International Launch Services (ILS) is happy to announce that the launch date of Satmex 8, a C- and Ku-band satellite, has been set for March 27. It will be sent into orbit from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. The launching of Satmex 8 is expected to help in the timely and continuous transition of customers from Satmex 5 to the new satellite.

Initially planned to be sent into space on December 28, 2012, the Satmex 8 launch was delayed because of an irregularity experienced by the Proton Breeze M launch vehicle on December 28. Satmex 8 participated in the International Launch Services Failure Review Oversight Board (FROB) which recently completed as part of its return to flight process. The corrective measures required to prevent any recurrence of the anomaly have been started and are on schedule to support the new launch date.

ViaSat expands Ku-band satellite capacity through four new contracts

A quartet of new contracts will expand the total Ku-band satellite capacity of ViaSat Inc.'s global mobility network by more than 60 percent.

ViaSat will reserve this additional bandwidth for government and general aviation business growth as well as providing high data rates for customers in the mobile satellite communications market.

The current expansion phase is an overlay to ViaSat's mobile network in important regions around the world. The additional satellite bandwidth will not only improve baseline broadband performance; it will also create a foundation for future service plans.

ViaSat will elaborate on the regional coverage and availability of its expanded Ku-band satellite capacity within February 2013 at the earliest.

The Company recently delivered its 500th VR-12 satellite terminal. General aviation and government mobility markets have relied upon the ultra-small aperture system to accomplish “office in the sky” business applications, while military customers use them for enroute Command & Control and ISR services. 

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Gogo to install satellite, air to ground in-flight Internet solutions on American Airlines’ A320, 737 aircraft

Gogo, a world-leading company providing in-flight connectivity, said in a statement that it will set up two in-flight connectivity solutions on American Airlines’ new Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737 deliveries: Ku-band satellite and Gogo’s next generation Air to Ground technology - ATG-4.

These dual systems will allow the aircraft to provide smoothly continuous in-flight Internet service on both domestic and international flights. Installations will take place as the new aircraft are delivered to the U.S this year.

In a company statement, Gogo’s CEO and President Michael Small said, "Installing the two systems helps ensure these aircraft will stay connected wherever they fly, whether they're flying domestically or headed to an international destination. Gogo's ability to deploy multiple connectivity solutions gives us the flexibility to install the right technology for each individual aircraft regardless of its mission. American's decision to use both solutions is further acknowledgment of the significant advantages of the dual system for an enhanced customer experience."

Aside from American’s new A320 family and Boeing 737, Gogo was also formerly chosen to install existing MD-80 and Boeing 737, 757 and 767 in American Airlines domestic aircrafts.

ViaSat ships its 500th ultra-small airborne satellite terminal

Swedish company ViaSat has just reached a military and general aviation market milestone after shipping its 500th VR-12 Ku-band airborne ultra-small satcom antenna, along with its ArcLight technology.

The VR-12 serves as an aircraft which requires a limited size, weight and power of onboard communications equipment, all while meeting the requirements for advanced broadband satcom for media-rich applications.

The VR-12 airframe systems also include a “hatch-mount” version -- a combined antenna system and radome package that falls into the escape hatch of a C-130 aircraft. Other installations include tail mounts for the PC-12 (U-28), commercial Gulfstream and other planes, as well as a fuselage mount for government MC-12W aircraft.

Paul Baca, the General Manager for ViaSat Global Mobile Broadband, said that the ultra-small 30-centimeter aperture of the VR-12 brings the trend for larger antenna designs.

“The small VR-12 footprint has been a key to achieving so many successful Ku-band installations,” Mr. Baca said in a statement. “As more Ka-band satellites become operational, we plan to offer a new VR-12 Ka antenna with an identical footprint as a new configuration option.”