Really Rocket Science

A couple of years ago, the Americom name went away. That’s when owner SES S.A., having bought out GE’s stake via a creative asset & cash transaction, decided to combine Americom’s Princeton-based operation with the New Skies organization in Den Haag. All got mashed up into a thing called SES WorldSkies.  A dozen employees were let go, including yours truly. All of them in the U.S.

Recently, just prior to the Satellite 2011 show in Washington, a call went out from Betzder Schlass, headquarters for SES S.A., that the companies are slated for a re-org and “right sizing.” Yeah, heads were going to roll. Officially, it was not about “headcount,” only a justification of expenses. The networking among long-time U.S. employees immediately preceding this news was darkly startling: never have I seen more activity from former Americom colleagues on LinkedIn.com.

Ironically, the corporate rattling started just as the Society of Satellite Professionals International announced their 12th induction into the SSPI Hall of Fame. Three of the seven inductees were past CEOs of SES Americom: Dean Olmstead, Ed Horowitz and Rob Bednarek.

To many “old pros,” this wasn’t really news. They’ve seen the writing on the wall and concluded there would be less and less people running the business in the U.S., with the possibility of shutting down the Princeton office once the lease expired in 2014.  Earlier this month, a couple of dozen people lost their jobs, the lion’s share in New Jersey. Some were happy to “get a package” and move on, others not so much.

The office in Den Haag will likely be shut down, with most of the jobs moving to Luxembourg. Princeton jobs will likely be moved to Washington. Remaining will be token offices to satisfy licensing requirements.

What does this say about the state of the satellite business in the U.S.? Are EchoStar and DirecTV the only true American commercial satellite operators? Both SES and Intelsat are based in Luxembourg, Telesat’s based in Ottawa, Canada, and Eutelsat’s in Paris. And they’ve all benefited from the U.S. government’s need for satellite bandwidth in the Middle East and Central Asia (Iraq & Afghanistan). How much of the profits from U.S. sources, commercial and government, are used toward economic benefit in the U.S.? Perhaps a few satellite builds with Space Systems/Loral and Orbital Sciences.

Makes for an interesting argument. Bring it.

LightSquared wireless network plan could interfere with systems such as Defense Department communications according to a U.S. agency that manages federal use of airwaves.
[Reuters =- 01/14/2011]

A radical new US military drone aircraft, able to fly for days in the stratosphere while providing satellite-like communications, completes test flight on hydrogen fuel.
[The Register – 01/14/2011]

Launch of ViaSat’s first high-capacity broadband communications Ka-band satellite to be delayed several months after receiving damage while being moved inside a factory in California,
[Spaceflight Now – 01/14/2011]

As recovered "Zombie satellite" Galaxy 15 undergoes tests and company officials consider placing it back into service, investigators now blame a build-up of static electricity for the failure.
[Spaceflight Now – 01/14/2011]

GMV Space Systems is selected as part of General Dynamics team to modernize NASA’s TDRS satellite constellation’s ground system.
[SatNews – 01/14/2011]

T-Hrvatski Telekom (T-HT) Selects Eutelsat’s 16 Degrees East Neighbourhood to Roll-out MAXtv Pay-TV Platform to Viewers Across Croatia.
[PR Newswire – 01/14/2011]

Sun Direct leases two additional Measat-3 Ku-band transponders.
[Satellite today – 01/14/2011]

Lines of communication between the U.S. Government and the commercial satellite communications industry deteriorate, contrary to spirit of the National Space Policy.
[SIGNAL – 01/13/2011]

Eutelsat’s KASAT satellite successfully on station at 9 degrees East and undergoing in-orbit tests.
[PR Newswire – 01/13/2011]

Iran plans to put into orbit a new domestically manufactured satellite named Fajr (Dawn) in the current Iranian calendar year, which will end on March 20 this year.
[Tehran Times – 01/13/2011]

Russia to launch oceanography satellite in March to keep track of vast amount of data to improve weather, climate, and ocean forecasts.
[SatNews – 01/13/2011]

SES WORLD SKIES U.S. Government Solutions wins two new contract vehicles through the FCSA that broaden government access to the company’s global satellite bandwidth and services.
[Business Wire = 01/13/2011]

Intelsat S.A. borrows $3.75 billion from a consortium of banks and securities in an effort to reorganize its assets and simplify operations.
[Satellite Today – 01/13/2011]

U.S. Space LLC and ATK announce creation of ViviSat, a new satellite life extension venture whose services can add several years to revenue-producing life of a satellite.
[SatNews = 01/13/2011]

Astrium Reports Modest Growth in 2010; Plans Military Focus in 2011
[Satellite Today – 01/13/2011]

Shocking disaster images dominating news bulletins and major global sporting events combine to create an unprecedented demand for live transmissions from Australia to the World in early 2011.
[SatNews = 01/13/2011]

Space Tourism Company to Sell Three Russian Soyuz Seats to International Space Station.
[Satellite Today – 01/13/2011]

Mayflower Communications is awarded patent for "Antijam Filter system and Method for high Fidelity High Data Rate Wireless Communication" that can filter out interfering signals.
[Satellite Spotlight – 01/12/2011]\

Hughes HX broadband satellite system enables remote monitoring of forest fires in Russia.
[PR Newswire = 01/12/2011]

Thrane & Thrane’s Aviator 200 Wi-Fi Service Certified for Cessna Aircraft.
[Satellite Today – 01/11/2011]

British earth station at Goonhilly, once the world’s largest, whose satellite communications operation shut down in 2006, to be refurbished and used for space radio telescopes.
[Space Business and Industry – 01/11/2011]

Morgan Stanley analysts expect the satellite industry’s strong 2010 overall performance to continue in 2011.
[Satellite Today – 01/11/2011]

Spirit Wireless of Portland, OR, provides critical satellite communications devices for hunters.
[AmmoLand – 01/11/2011]

Frequency Electronics, Inc. is awarded a follow-on contract of approximately $12 million for a U.S. Government high capacity, secure communications satellite program.
[Globe Newswire – 01/11/2011]

Avanti established as credible operator in broadband satellite communications as growth is forecast to be substantial, and it moves forward with HYLAS-2 and HYLAS-03.
[Sharecast = 01/11/2010]

Orbital-Built Glory Earth Science Satellite Arrives at Vandenberg Air Force Base Launch Site.
[Business Wire – 01/11/2011]

Key elements of Ariane 5 launcher arrive in Korou as preparations go forward for its second launch of 2011, to carry the Yahsat 1A and Intelsat New Dawn satellites into orbit.
[SatNews – 01/10/2011]

iDirect Government Technologies forges partnership with Integral Systems in order to help the U.S. Coast Guard modernize its large cutter fleet.
[TMCnet – 01/10/2011]

Central & Eastern European Video Markets Continue Strong Gains.
[NSR Report – January 2011]

WBMSAT PS satellite communications systems services

Courtesy of Bill McDonald…

Vox Telecom of South Africa will offer low-cost satellite broadband nationwide late next year, in partnership with Dubai-based Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat).
[Tech Central – 11/27/2010]

China successfully launches Zhongxing-20A communications satellite on Long March 3A rocket.
[Brahmand.com – 11/26/2010]

Ariane 5 ECA launches with HYLAS 1 and Intelsat 17.
[NASA Spaceflight.com – 11/26/2010]

Astrotech Wins Sixth NPOESS Contract for $35 Million.
[Satellite Today – 11/25/2010]

Otesat-Maritel of Greece becomes a Distribution Partner for Inmarsat’s Global Satellite Phone Services (GSPS) IsatPhone, the first satellite handheld by Inmarsat with global coverage.
[Wireless Week – 11/25/2010]

Russian Business Communications Provider Leases NSS-9 Capacity from SES.
[Satellite Today – 11/25/2010]

XM Canada and Sirius Canada Inc. merging; pushing for service in more vehicles and on more devices like smartphones and personal computers to better compete in audio entertainment industry.
[Winipeg Free Press – 11/25/2010]

China launches Shen Tong-1 military satellite via Long March-3A.
[NASA Spaceflight.com – 11/24/2010]

Russian Communications Administration to represent interests of Azerbaijan in the International Telecommunications Union.
[Trend – 11/23/2010]

FCC codifies legislation passed in spring of 2010 allowing DBS operators to provide out-of-market broadcast signals to households unable to receive in-market broadcasts over the air.
[Television Broadcast.com – 11/23/2010]

The U.S. Department of Defense’s STPSat-2 satellite has launched from the Kodiak Launch Complex, Alaska on board a Minotaur 4 rocket.
[Satellite Today – 11/23/2010]

TerreStar Networks, in the midst of chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, launches new satellite phone called TerreStar GENUS, billed as the first combined cellular-satellite smartphone.
[International Business Times – 11/23/2010]

USA launches the biggest-ever spy satellite, to be used "to listen to the communications of potential enemies."
[World Aeronautical Press Agency – 11/23/2010]

XipLink optimizes satellite Internet delivery with three technologies – transport layer TCP Acceleration and optimization, HTTP Acceleration, and advanced data compression.
[TMCnet – 11/23/2010]

Energia, Russia’s Rocket and Space Corporation, says the Company will build a special orbital pod designed for sweeping-up satellite debris from near-Earth space.
[Satnews – 11/23/2010]

KVH and Viasat double satellite capacity in North Atlantic for Mini VSAT maritime broadband service.
[Satellite Spotlight – 11/23/2010]

NASA’s Organism/Organic Exposure to orbital Stresses nanosatellite is successfully launched from Alaska Aerospace Corporation’s Kodiak Launch Complex.
[SatNews – 11/23/2010]

SpaceX gets first ever FAA license for commercial company to re-enter a spacecraft from orbit.
[SatNews – 11/22/2010]

Hughes Network Systems and Environmental Safety Systems International Corporation are equipping entire Hercules Offshore fleet of Class 120 to Class 230 liftboats in the Gulf of Mexico with Hughes satellite-based broadband maritime services.
[SatNews – 11/22/2010]

Global Marine Networks debuts GMN webXaccelerator for ship-to-shore and remote communications needs fishing, marine transport, cruise ships, offshore oil rigs, and first-response communications.
[SatNews – 11/22/2010]

WBMSAT PS satellite communications systems services

I was saddened to hear of Dean’s passing the other day. He accomplished much for the satellite business in the U.S. and he did alot for me as a marketing person.

Too bad SES only acknowledges his contribution anonymously  via their "timeline" Flash…

SES reaches two major milestones that are hugely significant for the long-term growth and success of SES. SES AMERICOM signs a multi-year agreement, leasing long-term satellite capacity to EchoStar’s DISH Network, creating a strategic partnership that links North America’s largest satellite operator with the U.S.’s largets DTH network. EchoStar would eventually lease up to three entire satellites in the AMERICOM fleet.

He did the deal to buy Americom from GE Capital, becoming its CEO. I met him as the deal was announced in Washington and found him to be articulate, technologically-brilliant and well-grounded.

He hired some really good people, raising Americom’s performance to a level that, some would argue, embarrased senior managers in Luxembourg. Here’s what started it all…

Dean Olmstead, President and CEO of SES AMERICOM, speaking today at the Satellite Entertainment 2002 conference in Monterey, California, said: "These television services will be provided via a new satellite that we intend to launch into the 105.5° West Longitude orbital slot. Another new SES AMERICOM satellite, at the adjacent 105° W.L. slot, will enable us to provide high-speed broadband connections to U.S. residences. All of these services — TV and broadband — will be available to U.S. consumers who purchase a single, small satellite dish and related equipment, into which the latest twoway digital technologies will have been incorporated."

SES AMERICOM intends to offer the new platform, named AMERICOM2Home®, using a license granted to its affiliate by the Government of Gibraltar, relating to an orbital location over the United States at 105.5¼ W.L. This slot falls directly between orbital positions used by DirecTV and EchoStar at 101¼ and 110¼, respectively. Both AMERICOM2Home® and the existing satellites use frequencies in the 12.2-12.7 GHz range, which is set aside internationally for direct broadcasting to the home. SES AMERICOM also holds FCC licenses for both Ku-band and Ka-band satellites at the 105¼ W.L. location. Olmstead explained that the new AMERICOM2Home® system will be different from the current satellite television services offered by EchoStar and DirecTV. Unlike these providers, SES AMERICOM itself will not offer any retail services to consumers. Instead, Olmstead explained, "We will create a best-in-class DBS satellite platform, on which we expect a wide variety of content providers — large and small, established and start-up, mass market and niche, advertisingsupported and pay-per-view – will lease capacity in order to offer their programs and interactive entertainment directly to American consumers."

It was one of Americon’s "master plans," to build spacecraft and fully lease them to DTH operators using new spectrum filed via the ITU over the U.S. How did Dean sell it? He ran into Charlie Ergen in the hallway at a Sky Forum event at The Grand Hyatt in New York. "Hey Charlie: we gotta talk," said Dean. To which Charlie replied "yeah, we do." That exchange really got the ball rolling — and I eventually got to meet Charlie when he visited New Jersey.

Thanks, to Dean, we developed and executed the Americom2Home, WorldSat, and HD-PRIME branding campaigns, most of which resulted in major long-term contracts.

I was looking forward to seeing EchoStar’s FSS business succeed against SES, ironically using their leased capacity for occasional use, IPTV, et. al.

Good-bye, Dean. We’ll miss you.

Courtesy of Bill McDonald…

Microspace Communications to offer shared hub services using X-Digital Systems platform.
[PRWeb – 10/02/2010]

Orange picks Gilat for broadband satellite communications solutions.
[TMCnet – 10/01/2010]

Fashion TV HD now delivered to North, Central, and South America by RRsat on Intelsat-805.
[PR Newswire – 10/01/2010]

KVH wins $42m Coast Guard contract to install mini-VSAT on as many as 216 small cutters over next 3 – 5 years.
[Trade Only – 10/01/2010]

NASA awards Raytheon $1.7B contract to create Joint Polar Satellite System to replace older weather-monitoring satellite program.
[Executive Biz – 10/01/2010]

The Society of Satellite Professionals International honors three outstanding young satellite professionals with its 2010 Promise Awards.
[SatNews – 09/30/2010]

Harris Corp and Atlas Telecom  launch joint venture to deliver intelligence solutions and geospatial 3-D visualization for the United Arab Emirates.
[Satellite Today – 09/30/2010]

Cobham SATCOM’s Sea Tel Product and Uplogix announce new levels of automated control and recovery for maritime VSAT IP networking devices.
[SatNews – 09/30/2010]

LightSquared is donating up to 2,000 satellite phones and service to Indian Health Service (IHS), a federal agency that serves the health needs of the country’s American Indian and Alaska Native populations.
[Wireless Week – 09/30/2010]

Hylas-1 to be shipped to French Guiana in preparation for November launch following extensive testing in India.
[SatNews – 09/29/2010]

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency successfully injects MICHIBIKI satellite into quasi-zenith orbit above Japan.
[SatNews – 09/29/2010]

NASA EPOXI exploration satellite successfully performs its 20th trajectory correction maneuver as it speeds toward comet Hartley 2.
[SatNews – 09/29/2010]

LightSquared, building hybrid satellite-terrestrial mobile broadband network, faces significant financing challenges and difficult competitive market.
[Wireless Week – 09/29/2010]

Military terrestrial satcom market projected to peak in 2014 according to recently published Strategy Analytics Advanced Defense Systems forecast.
[Space Daily – 09/29/2010]

China’s satellite navigation system struggles as delayed release of decoding files for access limits early use of the system.
[Market Watch – 09/29/2010]

Two Russian companies plan to build first commercial low-earth-orbit space station.
[Universe Today – 09/29/2010]

Harbinger Capital’s Phil Falcone’s latest bet – bold move by LightSquared and SkyTerra to launch nationwide satellite/terrestrial broadband network.
[Bloomberg – 09/29/2010]

Glowlink rolls out capability to locate satellite interference emitters using a single satellite.
[SatNews – 09/28/2010]

ORBCOM partners with OHB and LuxSpace to build and launch two AIS enabled satellites.
[Business Wire – 09/28/2010]

Integral Systems to expand existing satellite fleet control system to support four Boeing 702 satellites already in orbit.
[Market Watch – 09/28/2010]

New surveillance satellite designed to detect and monitor debris and space objects that could be threat to national security and communications is launched from Vandenberg AFB, California.
[AP – 09/27/2010]

MTN Satellite Communications announces signing of MNESCO Limited as authorized reseller in Korea.
[SatNews – 09/27/2010]

ViaSat gets add-on order worth $5.5M for Multifunctional Information Distribution System – Low Volume Terminals and spares from the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command.
[SatNews – 09/27/2010]

The Russian Satellite Communications Company signes contracts with Information Satellite Systems and Thales Alenia Space for three new satellites.
[Broadband TV News – 09/27/2010]

AT&T now selling satellite-enables smart phone, the TerreStar Genius.
[Online Athens – 09/26/2010]

Globecomm Systems awarded one-year contract worth $4M from a U.S. Government agency for Ku-band space segment and bandwidth management; with four options the contract could reach $20M over 5 years.
[Sat PR News – 09/26/2010]

Direct-to-Home (DTH) growth and consolidation over past year culminates in market with 113 operators at end of 2009, reaching more than 130 million subscribers in over 85 countries.
[NSR Report – September 2010]

WBMSAT PS satellite communications systems services

Satmex 5 next potential target of interference from Galaxy 15 as the rogue satellite continues to drift out of control with the communications package still operating.
[Space – 09/17/2010]

Rascom-QAF1R aand Nilesat 201, launched on Ariane 5 ECS rocket from French Guiana August 4, are now in operation.
[Satnews – 09/17/2010]

Artel is selected by GSA and DISA as first winner under $5 billion satellite services contract vehicle.
[PR Newswire – 09/17/2010]

Hughes Communications inaugurates its third India satellite hub at Hyderabad to enhance its offerings to its clients and serve as a disaster recovery back-up site.
[Telecom Tiger – 09/17/2020]

Spacenet Integrated Government solutions now operates Raysat Antenna Systems U.S. Division, recently acquired by Spacenet’s parent company, Gilat.
[TMCnet – 09/17/2010]

NASA announces awards for NASA Launch Services II contract, to the tune of $15B.
[SatNews – 09/16/2010]

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is stepping up its production to launch eight spacecraft a year in order to meet increasing demand.
[Satellite Today – 09/16/2010]

KVH announces new airtime rate plans for its mini-VSAT broadband service and hardware, including seasonal rate for subscribers not using vessels year-round.
[SatNews – 09/16/2010]

ViaSat releases software enhancements for its LinkWayS2 satellite network system adding mobile communication capabilities and network control center operating system options.
[SatNews – 09/16/2010]

FCC refuses to extend deadline for Globalstar to come in compliance with commission rules so its mobile spectrum can be used by partner Open Range in delivering broadband to remote users, directly impacting Open Range’s plans.
[Fierce Broadband Wireless – 09/16/2010]

RapidEye successfully passes Operational Readiness Review for the European Space Agency.
[SatNews – 09/16/2010]

Astrium wins new compe\itetive contract from European Space Agency as follow-up to the Next Exploration Science and Technology study to develop a Lunar Lander.
[Satellite Today – 09/16/2010]

WTA white paper "Ka-Band and the Teleport" examines how the coming wave of Ka-band satellite capacity may transform the business of companies that create and deliver services via satellite today.
[SatNews – 09/16/2010

Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) is supporting Change the Equation (CTEq), a CEO-led initiative to cultivate widespread literacy in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
[SatNews – 09/16/2010]

Pactel International establishes a new satellite link between their US Hub and the Cocos Islands, using Newtec’s DVB-S2 technology.
[SatNews – 09/16/2010]

Kepler’s prediction begins to be realized as rings build around earth formed by space junk, such as remains of the collision between a Russian satellite and an Iridium satellite in 2009.
[New Scientist – 09/15/2010]

Ghana-base triple-play provider K-NET uses Newtec’s Sat3Play to extend the reach of their services throughout West Africa.
[SatNews – 09/15/2010]

Marlink and Vizada institute significant expansion of Marlink’s contract with one of world’s largest shipping companies – AP Moller-Maersk.
[SatNews – 09/15/2010]

According to the sify news website, Bangladesh will soon launch a new satellite for improvement of information and communication technology, a government statement said.
[SatNews – 09/15/2010]

Russia to fully rebuild its network of weather forecasting and monitoring satellites by 2030 under a state program for the development of meteorology.
[SatNews – 09/15/2010]

Air Force program "BATMAN" aims to modernize gear that commandos take with them on covert missions; latest capabilities include being able to manually switch from terrestrial to satellite communications
[MSNBC – 09/14/2010]

Astrium Services has signed a 10-year partnership with the Russian research and development center ScanEx for the reception and distribution rights on the upcoming SPOT 6 and 7 satellites.
[SatNews – 09/15.2010]

Integral Systems subsidiary SAT Corporation chosen by Hispasat to upgrade Monics carrier monitoring and interference detection to Hispasat’s 1E satellite.
[Market Watch – 09/14/2010]

A Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS) Demonstration program satellite shows increased set of capabilities by detecting and tracking another satellite.
[SatNews – 09/14/2010]

KVH mini-VSAT coverage for Internet and Voice to be expanded into new South American region as KVH signs agreement with Star One for capacity on C-1 to serve Brazil.
[Market Watch – 09/13/2010]

New Chinese broadcast satellite Sinosat-6, launched on September 5, faces shortened life as leak develops in its helium-pressurization system.
[Space – 07/13/2010]

Rockwell Collins has teams with ND SatCom to integrate the SkyWAN 7000 series modem into the SWE-DISH CommuniCase(r) Technology (CCT) platform.
[SatNews – 09/13/2010]

Mobile Satellite Services and the Need for Speed – NSR webinar October 13 to discuss demand for connectivity on land, in the air, or at sea, coupled with drive to give customers faster download speeds at cheaper prices.
[NSR Webinar October 13, 2010}

WBMSAT PS satellite communications systems services

Using a giant electromagnetic rail system to launch scramjets to near-space, after which a second-stage type engine fires to reach orbit, is something we can expect to see after further development get it a practical level. If this type of system reduces overall launch costs, it would be a very good thing, as rocket-based launch systems can concentrate on getting bigger payloads into geo.

 An early proposal has emerged that calls for a wedge-shaped aircraft with scramjets to be launched horizontally on an electrified track or gas-powered sled. The aircraft would fly up to Mach 10, using the scramjets and wings to lift it to the upper reaches of the atmosphere where a small payload canister or capsule similar to a rocket’s second stage would fire off the back of the aircraft and into orbit. The aircraft would come back and land on a runway by the launch site.

Engineers also contend the system, with its advanced technologies, will benefit the nation’s high-tech industry by perfecting technologies that would make more efficient commuter rail systems, better batteries for cars and trucks, and numerous other spinoffs.

It might read as the latest in a series of science fiction articles, but NASA’s Stan Starr, branch chief of the Applied Physics Laboratory at Kennedy, points out that nothing in the design calls for brand-new technology to be developed. However, the system counts on a number of existing technologies to be pushed forward.

"All of these are technology components that have already been developed or studied," Starr said. "We’re just proposing to mature these technologies to a useful level, well past the level they’ve already been taken."

We love the scramjet, wihich will likely beat out other ideas, such as the "space gun."But wait a minute. Didn’t Prof. Potts experiment with rail launchers? Indeed, here it is…

We were about to write about GCI‘s loss of Internet access for 35,000 users in Alaska, as their service on Galaxy-18 was about to be interfered with by G15, the world’s favorite zombie satellite.

As many as 35,000 people in rural Alaska may lose Internet access, long-distance phone service or both for hours at a time this week because of a "zombie" satellite that has wandered off course and is expected to scramble the signals of the Bush’s main telecommunications provider.

"Almost every single person out in rural Alaska uses one of those services somehow," said David Morris, spokesman for General Communication Inc.

GCI is airing radio ads, posting fliers and plans to send text messages to cell phone customers warning residents in roughly 100 communities — mainly in Western and Northern Alaska — of the potential outages.

The disruptions to GCI service are expected to begin Wednesday morning and continue until Saturday morning in blocks of time that will last 90 minutes to 5 1/2 hours, mostly in the morning and at night.

Picture the YouTube droughts. The silent cell phones and unanswered e-mails. Virtual "FarmVille" gardens withering and neglected on Facebook.

For Gordon Brower Jr., the 19-year-old son of a whaling captain, the outages mean exile from the online battlefields of what he calls Barrow’s favorite Xbox game — "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2."

"It makes me a couch potato anyways," Brower said.

Instead, we hear news of a deadly plane crash near Dillingham, AK. On board the aircraft, owned by GCI, was former Senator Ted Stevens and former NASA administrator Sean O’Keefe. Five of the nine people were killed, and KTUU is reporting that one of them was indeed Ted Stevens…

Dave Dittman, a former aide and longtime family friend of former Sen. Ted Stevens, says Stevens was killed in a plane crash near Dillingham Monday night. Dittman says he received a call overnight Monday that said the former senator was dead, but no official confirmation has been made.

Nine people were on board, including former NASA Chief Sean O’Keefe. Five people were killed in the crash, but other identities were not known, nor are the conditions of the survivors.

GCI released a statement Tuesday morning that confirmed it owned the plane that went down, but did not confirm or deny any fatalities.

Late through the night rescue crews were battling bad weather conditions to reach the scene, where Good Samaritans had already arrived and were providing medical assistance, said Air National Guard spokesperson Maj. Guy Hayes.

A military C-130 and a Pave Hawk helicopter were waiting in Dillingham for the weather to break and reached the site just after 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.

The Air Guard received the call about the crash 17 miles north of Dillingham at about 7 p.m. Monday night.

Many will remember Mr. Stevens for what he did for Alaska while he served in the U.S. Senate. I’ll always remember him from the time I worked for the Smithsonian. Sen. Stevens, a harsh critic of the Enola Gay exhibit, lashed out at Smithsonian Secretary Adams in 1992: "I’m going to get people to help me make sense of what you’re saying."

Stevens received the Distinguished Flying Cross for flying behind enemy lines, the Air Medal, and the Yuan Hai Medal awarded by the Chinese Nationalist government. Peace.
 

Has it been a month since the last post? I reckon it has. Spent three weeks sleeping in a tent in North Collins, N.Y. During that time, when we didn’t get a chance to read a newspaper, there was a total solar eclipse. Thanks to today’s Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD), we see what it was like from Easter Island…

 As the New Moon’s shadow slid across the southern Pacific on July 11, people gathered along the white, sandy Anakena Beach on the north side of Easter Island to watch a total solar eclipse. The experience was captured in this tantalizing composite image, constructed from a sequence of 50 consecutive exposures. At their center is the totally eclipsed Sun surrounded by a shimmering solar corona. From the well chosen viewpoint, palm trees appear in silhouette against a darkened sky and the faint light reflected in the water. Of course, towering above the onlookers, at the boundaries of land, ocean, and sky are Moai, the island’s mysterious monolithic statues.

Courtesy of Bill McDonald…

Arianespace postpones launch of ArabSat-5A and the follow-on Coms satellite as an anomaly occurs in the Ariane 5’s launcher subsystem during final countdown.
[Satellite today – 06/28/2010]

U.S. Air Force announces that U.S. Strategic Command has operationally accepted command and control of its third Wideband Global SATCOM satellite, WGS-3.
[SatNews – 06/25/2010]

Satellite firm Intellectual Ventures, having bought many patents of satellite technology from Motorola and Teledesic, sells some to Thales Alenia Space on the heels of the Thales deal with Iridium to build the next generation of its satellites.
[Wall Street Journal – 06/25/2010]

Harris wins five year $140m contract to redesign satellite ground system for NASA.
[Zacks – 06/25/2010]

Thales Alenia wins contract to build W6A satellite for Eutelsat.
[marisys – 06/25/2010]

NASA has selected Orbital Sciences to launch the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) mission in February 2013 aboard a Taurus XL 3110 rocket from Vandenberg’s U.S. Air Force Base, California.
[Satellite Today – 06/24/2010]

Boaters can now watch the the 2010 FIFA World Cup soccer games in 3D while on the water, thanks to the TracVision(r) HD7 from KVH.
[SatNews – 06/24/2010]

Anticipation of the peak of the solar 11 year cycle coming in 2013 sparks predictions of serious consequences to electronics and communications systems, including satellite communications.
[msnbc – 06/24/2010]

CapRock Communications signs three-year contract with BW to deploy its SeaAccess service onboard its fleet of approximately 100 vessels that include Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas Carriers (LPGCs).
[SatNews – 06/24/2010]

Astrium is awarded a contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop key technologies for new re-ignitable upper stages for new launchers.
[SatNews – 06/24/2010]

FCC takes steps to free spectrum from within S band currently available only for mobile satellite companies to build mobile applications to complement their satellite services, so it can be used by mobile broadband companies.
[BroadbandBreakfast – 06/24/2010]

Vietnam Telecom International picks Gilat’s Skyedge II for broadband satellite network.
[Sat PR News – 06/24.2010]

CASBAA concludes 10th annual forum in Singapore, as attendees attest to a vibrant Asian satellite industry.
[Market Watch – 06/24/2010]

First attempt to launch South Korea’s first weather satellite is delayed as pressure problems develop in the launch vehicle.
[Korea Times – 06/24/2010]

June 19, During the International Economical Forum in St. Petersburg, Roscosmos and Arianespace signed a contract which cover 10 additional missions of Russian Soyuz-ST rocket from Guiana Space Center (CSG).
[SatNews – 06/23/2010]

Spacenet introduces new emergency communications service by satellite with pay as you use service options.
[Market Watch – 06/23/2010]

OmniAccess S.L., a leading communications provider to super- and mega-yacht owners, has completed the launch of its Balearic Teleport and successfully upgraded its maritime broadband satellite network to iDirect’s Evolution platform.
[SatNews – 06/23/2010]

Israel launches spy satellite Ofek 9.
[Al Jazeera – 06/23/2010]

CapRock Government Solutions announces the award of four multimillion dollar contracts to provide managed network services and more than 400MHz of commercial satellite capacity to four separate U.S. Government agencies.
[SatNews – 06/23/2010]

Annual Ham Field Day on weekend of June 26-27 gives public chance to meet and talk with ham radio enthusiasts showing off the newest digital and satellite capabilities and voice communications, as well as historic Morse code.
[The Press News – 06/23/2010]

GlobeCast Australia has announces that GlobeCam — a specialist provider of live, miniature camera technology in the world today — has conducted successful trials of 3D coverage for V8 Supercars Television.
[Satnews – 06/23/2010]

Telecommunications experts from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) are establishing emergency communications centers equipped with satellite-based phone, internet and radio lines along borders of Kyrgyzstan.
[UN Dispatch – 06/23/2010]

New iPhone application developed by Skobbler, teaming up with Apple and OpenStreetMap, will ensure that satellite navigation will become cost effective and easily used by most iPhone users.
[SatNews – 06/22/2010]

Integral Systems Europe (ISE) has been awarded a satellite ground station contract from British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) for Harlequin 1, Sky’s state-of-the-art broadcast facility.
[Satellite Today – 06/22/2010]

Iridium expands reach with South African license.
[Market Watch – 06/22/2010]

EchoStar launches DishHD, a premier satellite pay-TV service, in Taiwan.
[Satellite Today – 06/22/2010]

Polaris Wireless and Globecomm Systems partnership will allow U.S. wireless operators to quickly, easily and cost-effectively meet Federal Communications Commission E911 Phase II requirements.
[TMCnet – 06/22/2010]

SES WORLD SKIES announces its SES-1 satellite has entered commercial service at the orbital location of 101 degrees West.
[SatNews – 06/21/2010]

WBMSAT PS satellite communications systems services