Satellite News

Loral Space & Communications Inc. announced that the jury in the trial of the lawsuit with ViaSat, Inc. (ViaSat) returned a verdict against Loral’s former subsidiary, Space Systems/Loral, LLC (SSL). The jury found that SSL infringed the patents asserted by ViaSat in the case and also that SSL breached certain non-disclosure agreements with ViaSat. Damages of US$283 million were awarded against SSL. The jury also found that Loral was not liable for either patent infringement or breach of contract.

O3b Networks announced that its second group of four satellites have begun their journey from the Thales Alenia Space facility in Rome to Kourou in French Guiana. They are to be launched aboard a Soyuz rocket in June, which means that the launch of the first two Galileo Full Operational Capability (FOC) satellites slips to August.

COM DEV International Ltd. announced that the Government of Canada has decided to not proceed with the planned Russian Soyuz launch of M3M, which was scheduled for June this year.

A project to build a new super-heavy carrier rocket was included into the draft new Russian Federal Space Programme, Roskosmos chief Oleg Ostapenko said.

The ISS Progress M-23M resupply ship redocked to the International Space Station’s Zvezda service module Friday at 1213 UTC after a 48-hour venture away from the complex to enable Russian flight controllers to test its upgraded Kurs automated rendezvous system.

ViaSat Inc. announced that a federal court jury has awarded ViaSat US$283 million in damages in its patent infringement and breach of contract case against Space Systems/Loral (SS/L).

The Ariane 5 for Arianespace’s fifth flight to service the International Space Station is now being assembled in French Guiana, preparing the launcher for its 2014 mission with another European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) cargo resupply vessel.

Airbus Defence and Space is preparing for the launch of KazEOSat-1 (formerly known as DZZ-HR), which is due to lift off on 28 April 2014 into low Sun-synchronous orbit (about 700 km from Earth) on-board a Vega launcher from the European spaceport in Kourou (French Guiana).