News

ThorGroup’s Chairman and President, Dr. John B. Sheldon, explores the role of space in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 recently announced economic and social reform programme. He argues that Vision 2030 is a golden opportunity for Saudi Arabian space. Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the son of King Salman and Deputy Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, …

More details are emerging of Iran’s launch of its Simorgh missile on Tuesday, 19 April, 2016. Most experts are unable to agree whether it was a failed space launch or a successful test of a new booster stage, with a few analysts are now suggesting that the Simorgh launch was …

China has announced that it intends to launch the core module of its space station by 2018, with the aim of having the manned space-based facility operational by around 2022. A spokesman for the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, Mr. Wang Zhongyang, told Xinhua News Agency that the core …

Kratos Integral Systems Europe (ISE), a subsidiary of San Diego, California-based Kratos Defense and Security Solutions, Inc., successfully completed the critical design review (CDR) for the Sultanate of Oman’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) Advanced Space Radio Monitoring System. Oman’s TRA led the CDR supported by Kratos ISE personnel, and its …

In a clear reaction to collapsed relations with the Russian Federation, both Turkey and Ukraine have announced their intention to cooperate with each other in the development and manufacture of satellites, as well as collaboration on other strategic technologies. The announcement has come as a surprise to analysts, many of …

Eutelsat, headquartered in Paris, France, has selected Israeli company Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. to provide technology to power its new satellite broadband services throughout Western Russia in July 2016. Using Gilat’s SkyEdge II-c hub with X-Architecture and SkyEdge II-c small user terminals, Eutelsat plans to deliver broadband services using the …

The social media app and website Telegram has deleted the channel used by Yemen’s Al-Masirah satellite television station, an entity thought to be affiliated with the Houthi’s, who are fighting the Saudi Arabian-backed coalition in Yemen. The action by Telegram took place over the weekend of 16-17 April 2016, and …

SES S.A., the Luxembourg-based commercial satellite communications provider, and Global Eagle Entertainment (GEE), announced on 19 April 2016 further agreements to provide Ku-band capacity to provide enhanced in-flight Internet connectivity for airline passengers in the Middle East and other parts of the world. Los Angeles, California-based GEE is a worldwide …

There are no borders seen from space…that such beauty can be discerned from a part of the world – the Cradle of Civilization – where so much tragedy and suffering occurs is perhaps the cruelest of ironies. From space the political unrest in Egypt, the ongoing conflict between the Palestinians …

Spacecom, the Israeli commercial satellite communications provider that operates the fleet of AMOS satellites, is linking up with Encompass, the global technology services company dedicated to advancing innovation between broadcast and digital media industries, to build a new European TV distribution platform. The new service will be distributed throughout Europe, …