Satellite News

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. announced that its Kratos ISI business unit was awarded a contract by Sky Perfect JSAT (SJC) for the design, supply, delivery, installation and test of a TT&C antenna and associated RF system for the JCSAT-16 satellite. The project, which has successfully completed the critical design review phase, is scheduled for completion this summer, well in advance of the JCSAT-16 launch, scheduled for 2016.

China will launch a data relay satellite to ensure communication between Earth and the lunar probe during an expedition to the far side of the moon, Ye Peijian, chief scientist with China’s lunar exploration programme, was quoted as saying.

SES S.A. and Gogo announced a major satellite capacity deal in the aero market to meet the growing demand for high-speed inflight connectivity on travel routes over the Americas, Caribbean and North Atlantic.

Iridium Communications Inc. announced that it has been awarded a US$8.57 million task order, under the Gateway Modernisation Efforts contract, from the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), to make upgrades and enhancements to the U.S. Department of Defense’s dedicated Iridium gateway in preparation for the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation.

Airbus Defence and Space said it is working with local service providers to develop new partnerships to deliver highly resilient Skynet military satellite communication services to the Asia Pacific region, following the successful completion of Skynet 5A satellite move from 6 degrees East to 95 degrees East to provide global X-band and UHF coverage in this region.

SpeedCast International Limited announced a new agreement with Gazprom Space Systems (“GSS”) to expand satellite communications services in Africa.

Telesat and Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic) announced that Panasonic has signed another multi-year contract for Telesat satellite capacity.

ESA inaugurated a new tracking dish in Australia yesterday, marking a significant step in the Agency’s world-wide satcom network.