American Airlines hired ViaSat to provide in-fight connectivity to the Boeing 737 Max fleet, ViaSat said in a news release Friday. It said the jets will use ViaSat's existing Ka-band capacity from ViaSat-1 and ViaSat-2, with ViaSat-3 -- expected to launch in 2019 -- adding to that.
The number of functional satellites in orbit as of the end of 2015, at 1,381, was up 39 percent from 2011, with the average number of satellites launched per year in 2011-2015 up 36 percent over the previous five-year span, the Satellite Industry Association said Thursday in a report. For the year, 202 satellites were launched, roughly the same as 2014, with more than half of those being cubesats, SIA said. Overall satellite industry revenue in 2015 rose 3 percent from 2014, to $208.3 billion, with the U.S. claiming roughly 43 percent of that, SIA said. The biggest piece was in satellite services -- $127.4 billion, up 4 percent, driven largely by satellite-TV services growth, which is seeing particular subscriber growth in emerging markets, SIA said. That was followed by ground equipment -- $58.9 billion, up 1 percent -- and satellite manufacturing -- $16.6 billion, up 4 percent -- it said. The one down area was launches, which at $5.4 billion was down 9 percent, a reversal of the 9 percent growth in 2014, SIA said. The overall 3 percent growth in 2015 was the sixth straight year of single-digit industry growth, after double-digit growth for a number of years in the previous decade, SIA said. It said 33 launch orders were placed in 2015, up from 22 in 2014, and at least 17 low earth orbit-capacity launch vehicles are under development worldwide.
The FCC International Bureau will demonstrate its new Schedule S software, which incorporates changes to Part 25 rules, 10 a.m.-noon June 14 at FCC HQ in Conference Room 6-B516, it said in a public notice Wednesday. There also will be a hands-on demo for participants to try the software 1-3 p.m., the PN said. It said the demo will cover creation and management of Schedule S forms, which are filed when applying for or amending satellite licenses or applications, as well as the review of available instructions and the submission of forms. To register, call 202-418-2222 or email ibfsinfo@fcc.gov by June 9.
Orbital ATK could be a step closer to resuming cargo logistics missions to the International Space Station (ISS) in July, after a full-power "hot fire" test Tuesday of the upgraded first stage propulsion system of its Antares medium-class rocket, the company said in a news release. The rocket employs RD-181 main engines, and the company said early results from the testing indicate the upgraded propulsion system worked with the integrated first stage as planned. Orbital ATK said Tuesday it has done five cargo delivery missions to ISS and is under contract with NASA for 11 cargo missions through 2018.
ViaSat said it backs the FCC Connect America Fund Phase II auction framework "inviting new service providers" to bid on rural broadband subsidies (see 1605250046 and 1605260034). ViaSat lauded the FCC for listening to various parties "and taking an important first step toward expanding beyond legacy technologies and creating a technology neutral competition to provide the best available broadband access universally," said CEO Mark Dankberg, in a release emailed Wednesday and dated last Friday. "ViaSat stands ready to participate in the proceeding and auction by offering future-ready satellite internet solutions that will help fill the broadband gap in the United States with a high-quality, high-performance broadband and voice service to the target households."
ViaSat wants to add the 27.5-28.1 GHz and 17.7-18.3 GHz frequencies to the market authorization for its soon-to-be-launched ViaSat-2 geostationary orbit (GSO) satellite. In an FCC International Bureau filing Friday, ViaSat said ViaSat-2 is almost built, is scheduled to launch in Q1 2017 and the company is seeking to modify the satellite application before it files applications for the earth stations that will operate in ViaSat-2's band segments. The company said adding those frequencies will help give ViaSat-2 more than double the throughput of ViaSat-1, which went into operation in 2011, and speeds in excess of 100 Mbps. ViaSat-2 is authorized to use the 18.3-19.3 GHz and 19.7-20/2 GHz downlink band segments and the 28.1-29.1 GHz and 29.5-30.0 GHz uplink band segments, the company said, saying no other GSO satellite is authorized to operate within two degrees of 69.9 degrees west on the 27.5-28.1 GHz and 17.7-18.3 GHz frequencies.
SES' Astra 3A satellite is relocating from 176.85 degrees west, and is expected to arrive at its new orbital spot at 86.85 degrees west on or about Aug. 15, SES said in a pair of FCC International Bureau filings Friday (see here and here). The move will save fuel for 3A and extend the satellite's lifespan, SES said. While not seeking U.S. market access for Astra 3A, SES said it sought an earth station license modification to let one of its earth stations provide tracking, telemetry and command services to support the relocation.
Inmarsat wants to add a new earth station terminal type, Atom 99, to its Global Xpress Ka-band land blanket earth station license, and to add the Inmarsat-5 F3 satellite as a point of communication to all the Global Xpress terminals covered by the license as well as to the Atom 99 terminal. The Atom 99, made by Skyware Technologies, will operate on the same frequencies as the currently licensed Global Xpress terminals -- 19.7-20.2 GHz for downlinks and 29.5-30.0 GHz for uplinks, Inmarsat said in an FCC International Bureau filing Friday. It said the modification to add Inmarsat-5 F3 would let the company expand its Ka-band land service to provide coverage in the U.S. and U.S. territories not covered by Inmarsat-5 F2.
Bayer plans to use Planetary Resources satellite imagery to create new agricultural products and improve its existing ones, the satellite company said in a news release Tuesday about a memorandum of understanding.
OneBeacon Insurance's argument that a U.S. District Court jury was wrong in awarding exemplary damages and additional damages "is an odd argument considering it was OneBeacon that insisted on allowing the jury to award both ... rather than only one or the other," said Wade Welch and Wade Welch & Associates in a reply (in Pacer) Thursday in the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. OneBeacon is appealing a 2014 jury verdict in favor of Welch, who was sued by OneBeacon after Dish Network separately received a $13 million judgment against the Welch firm for malpractice in its representation of Dish in a different civil claim altogether. OneBeacon's argument that its only mistake was in not accepting Dish's 2011 demand "oversimplifies the trial record and misstates its duty to its insured," said Welch the individual and the firm: The insurer's misconduct also includes its post-claim underwriting, "the deception it employed" in rejecting the Dish settlement "and its continued failure to effectuate a fair and reasonable settlement" after rejecting Dish's. The Welch entities said OneBeacon is offering a "frankly preposterous argument that a finding of 'gross negligence' under [Stowers Furniture Co. v. American Indemnity] is 'exactly the same' as a finding under [Texas Insurance Code] Section 541 that an insured acted 'knowing' the wrongfulness of its conduct." The Welch entities said that beyond rejecting the Dish settlement demand, OneBeacon "knowingly engaged in deceptive and unfair conduct to avoid effectuating a fair settlement of [the satellite company's] claim against Welch." Since the wrongful acts were separate, and subject to different standards of proof, "nothing prohibits two awards of punitive damages under these circumstances" and the court should restore the jury's $5 million award for gross negligence under the Stowers claim, the Welch entities said. OneBeacon didn't comment Friday. The insurance coverage dispute began with a 2003 Dish suit filed by Russian Media Group, which claimed Dish interfered with assets such as cable distribution contracts that RMG bought from SkyView World Media.