Space Economy

By John B. Sheldon Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi is expected to sign a US$1.2 billion arms deal with French President François Hollande when the leader of France visits Cairo on April 18, according to French newspaper La Tribune. Among the items in the deal is a military communications …

In recent weeks, the Russian Government has provided Algerian and Tunisian authorities with intelligence and military aid to strengthen counterterrorism efforts in the fight against Islamic State terrorists operating in the region. The counterterrorism aid package includes the supply of Russian high-resolution satellite imagery of key Algerian border crossings with …

Eutelsat Communications has entrusted Space Systems Loral (SSL) with the manufacture of a high-power broadcast satellite to serve markets in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Turkey. Called EUTELSAT 7C, the new satellite will be located at 7 degrees East, a position that already broadcasts more than 370 channels. To …

  Gilat Satellite Networks announced on March 17 the appointment of Yona Ovadia as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective from March 31. Ovadia will replace current interim CEO Dov Baharav, who will stay on at Gilat as Chairman of its board of directors. Baharav took over as interim CEO …

A Russian press report dated March 16 suggests that Roscosmos, the Russian state corporation responsible for space activities, has offered launch services to Morocco’s Royal Centre for Remote Sensing, should the North African country seek to “resume” its remote sensing satellite programme. The Russians launched Morocco’s Maroc-TubSat from the Baikonur …

According to Iranian and Azerbaijani press reports, Iran and Turkey, along with other member states of the Chinese-based Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) agreed on March 11 to proceed with the design and construction of a remote sensing satellite. The decision follows the Fiscal Year 2015 APSCO Audit Commission meeting …

Building and launching a satellite is one thing, but keeping the costs down is another. Satellite operators are constantly looking for ways in which they can get more for their money and deliver a satellite of the highest quality but at lower cost. The use of electric propulsion can provide …

The desperate plight of refugees fleeing their lives in the war-ravaged and unstable countries of the Middle East has reach epic proportions. The crisis has brought into sharp focus the families torn apart and the extreme conditions that migrants are facing on a daily basis. Even when they reach their …

The EUTELSAT 9B satellite has been fully powered up and is now providing TV services to homes across Europe. The satellite has replaced EUTELSAT 9A to broadcast more than 350 channels, of which, 100 are in HD. The channels are being broadcast to cable, DTH and DTT homes. The new satellite …

SpeedCast, a global satellite communications and network service provider, has been appointed by NEDA Telecommunications to build a satellite-connected secured private network for one of the ministry offices of the Government of Afghanistan. Founded in 2003, NEDA is the first licensed Internet service provider in Afghanistan. Under this multi-year service agreement, SpeedCast …