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.”

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.