Satellite News

Stratos Global Corp. has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by CIP Canada Investment Inc. (”CIP Canada”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Communications Investment Partners Limited (”CIP”), a professional investment company with a focus on satellite services.

The loss of NSS-8 and its Zenit 3SL launch vehicle in an explosion on Sea Launch’s ocean-going launch platform is to cost insurers more than US$250 million, according to Best’s Review.

The Eurobird 4 (formerly known as Eurobird 10, formerly known as Hotbird 3) satellite of Eutelsat Communications has initiated commercial service at the group’s 4 degrees East position.

Russia’s Energia Corporation is building two Yamal-300 telecom satellites for Gazkom [Gascom], Itar-Tass reported. The telecommunications unit of gas giant Gazprom also mulls a satellite system in HEO, according to the report.

Globalstar, Inc. said that it continues with preparations needed for a May launch of four satellites that will be used to augment the company’s first generation LEO satellite constellation.

At Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, everything is on track for the first launch in this year of a Proton M with Telesat Canada’s Anik F3 telecommunications satellite, rocket manufacturer Khrunichev said.

The second demonstration flight of SpaceX’s Falcon 1 was delayed today (19 March UTC) for reasons unknown at the time of writing. It was unclear whether another launch attempt could be made within the launch window that extends to 0300 UTC on 20 March.

SES Astra said it has launched its broadband satellite service Astra2Connect with Filiago as an anchor customer in Germany.