TheNewsGuru

Tag: Satellite

  • Amazon’s first internet satellite liftoff suffers setback

    Amazon’s first internet satellite liftoff suffers setback

    The launch of Amazon’s first internet satellite aimed at challenging Elon Musk’s Starlink network has been postponed due to bad weather.

    Amazon was to launch the internet satellite through service provider, United Launch Alliance (ULA) as reported late on Wednesday.

    “A new launch date will be announced when approved,” ULA said.

    The satellite is part of Amazon’s Project Kuiper, which aimed to provide internet coverage via a constellation of around 3,200 satellites in the coming years.

    The planned launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida was set to carry 27 satellites into space aboard a ULA Atlas V rocket.

    Amazon has already secured rocket capacity for dozens of future launches to meet regulatory deadlines.

    Under its operating license, the company must deploy at least 1,600 Kuiper satellites by mid-2026.

    Rival company SpaceX, founded by Tesla boss,  Musk, was already a major player in satellite internet with its Starlink network.

    Satellite internet is attracting interest, not only from consumers and the military but also from airlines and telecom companies looking for affordable connectivity in remote or sparsely populated areas.

    Remote areas would not have to invest on costly ground-based infrastructure.

  • Nigeria set to launch Satellite II, III into space – Defence Space Boss

    Nigeria set to launch Satellite II, III into space – Defence Space Boss

    The Chief of Defence Space Administration, Air Vice Marshall Ayo Jolasinmi, has noted that Nigeria will launch Satellite II and III into space very soon.

    According to him, his agency is better placed to use the space products that the first satellite offer.

    This revelation was made known by the Minister of Defence Major General Bashir Magashi (retd), in Abuja as contained in a statement by the Special Assistant to the Minister on Media and Publicity, Mohammad Abdulkadri on Friday.

    According to him, the orbit was working perfectly, adding that it would need the support of the ministry to service its frequency.

    The statement partly read, “The Chief of the Defence Space Administration thanked the Minister for approving his appointment and for ensuring the timely release of intervention funds which he said is cushioning the effects of the minimal budgetary allocation.

    “Jolasinmi said DSA is better positioned to use Space products with the Launch of the first Satellite while Satellite two and three will be launched soon.

    The Chief of the Defence Space Administration briefed the Minister that the Orbit is working well while the servicing of its frequency has been a work in progress requiring continuous support by the Ministry.”

    Speaking, the Minister of Defence also challenged the new management of the Defence Space Administration to raise the bar of technological advancement to tackle national insecurity.

    He urged the DSA to deploy new technology to unlock space resources and satellites to compete favourably with the advanced technologies around the World.

    He, however, assured the management of his continuous support towards mitigating the challenge of funding facing DSA.

  • FG to launch 2 additional Satellites

    FG to launch 2 additional Satellites

    The Federal Government on Monday said all is set to launch two additional Satellites by the Nigeria Communication Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Limited.
    The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, disclosed this during a facilities tour and interaction with Management team of NIGCOMSAT in Abuja.
    The Newsmen reports that the satellites are: NigComSat-2 and NigComSat- 3.
    “As I earlier said, 2022 has been dedicated to NigComSat and NIPOST and I want to do the best I can to improve what we have achieved in the previous years.
    “I recently approved two subsidiaries of NIGCOMSAT LTD and I am here to supervise what they have been doing.
    “I have discovered some areas where we need to work to improve their performance significantly,” he said.
    Pantami also said that for the agency not to be considered for privatisation again it must provide quality service and generate good revenue.
    “The efforts made to stop the privatisation of NIGCOMSAT is for the good of the company and for the good of the country.
    “You need to turn things around through the Unique and effective service you are able to provide and revenue you generate for government.
    “It is a difficult task to revive an institution and make it very successful. The challenge of reviving NIGCOMSAT is not just a necessity, but an obligation for all the staff,” he said.
    The Minister also said that the purpose of his visit was to address the major challenges that required the attention of the Federal Government.
    Pantami said the visit was to motivate and encourage the staff members on core values which were the guiding principles that must be adopted without compromise to ensure that the organisation succeeded.
    Director-General NIGCOMSAT Abimbola Alale appreciated the efforts of the Federal Government at ensuring that NIGCOMSAT functioned in its full capacity.
    “We appreciate the Minister for the increase in the budgetary allocation for the company that needs capital after overhead.
    “He stood for us and insisted there must be something good in NIGCOMSAT. Because he is a man who believes that we can actually turn around NIGCOMSAT,” she said.
    The Managing-Director also promised the Minister of the agency’s readiness to deliver quality service and generate revenue to justify his efforts in revitalising the agency.
    “This year, the Minister has given us many challenges and I know we are ready to meet the challenges. The subsidiaries are self funding and sustaining.
    “This year, Nigerians needs new significant changes that will make them know that NIGCOMSAT is a new company,”she said.
    Newsmen reports that some of the places visited included in the Facility Tour were the Satellite Control centre (SCC) Network Operations Centre (NOC) and others.
  • Nigeria to acquire 2 more satellites by 2025

    Nigeria to acquire 2 more satellites by 2025

    The Federal Government (FG) of Nigeria will acquire two more satellites by the year 2025, the Nigerian Communication Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Ltd has revealed.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NIGCOMSAT, Mr Abimbola Alale made this known on Thursday.

    Mr Alale made this known in his address at the organization’s stakeholder forum held at the Providence Hotel, Ikeja, under the theme: “NIGCOMSAT Ltd, The Present and the Future”.

    Alale said that it was targeting 2025 for the acquisition of two additional satellites to boost its global profile as a satellite operator.

    He posited that the future of the organisation was bright as it enjoyed immense support from the supervising ministry, hence the inspiration to perform better.

    “For us at NIGCOMSAT Ltd, the future is bright. The support we have enjoyed from our ministry has inspired us to do more.

    “l am pleased to inform you of our desire to acquire more satellites between now and 2025 with the NigComSat-2 Hight Throughput Satellite, due for launch in 2023, and the NigComSat-3 that will be launched in 2025.

    “This will not only inspire confidence in our customers and channel partners, but also place NIGCOMSAT Ltd in the front line of communication satellite operators with a fleet of satellites in orbit,” he said.

    “I specially acknowledge the relentless efforts of Prof. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, the Hon. Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, on the strategic vision to building a digital Nigeria.

    “He is also repositioning the Ministry, Departments and Agencies (MDA) under his supervision, to be among the major contributors to the nation’s economy, as well as his support to NIGCOMSAT Ltd in the growth of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    “Our bid to provide an advance satellite communication solution as our modest contributions to the nation’s digital economy service infrastructure cannot be overemphasized; as one of the key players recognized by the Nigeria National Broadband Plan (NNPB 2020-2025).

    “As part of VSAT/TVRO capacity development programme, NIGCOMSAT has trained 600 youths across the six geo-political zones in the country,” he said.

    Alale said that the trained personnel would be actively involved in the digital economy and thus bringing the desirable results to the country.

    “These youths have been equipped with tools to participate in growing the digital economy’s timely achievement of NIGCOMSAT’s roles as specified in the National Broadband Plan 2020-2025.

    “Satellite communications is a technology that is rapidly changing. In view of this, NIGCOMAT has continued to build capacity that matches global trends and requirements.

    Last year, NIGCOMSAT with the support of some of the stakeholders, sponsored four teams, Astromania, Floews, Future Generations, and Pyloops, to compete in the ActInSpace® international innovation contest of 100 cities across five continents.

    “Nigeria won the audience award, which was based on the popularity of the video created by Team Astromania to provide information about their solution,” he said.

    Alale also reviewed other achievements of NIGCOMSAT, such as procurement of DIALOG HUB with 5IF for the satellite broadband Ka services.

    “Quality of service and customer experience are very important in service delivery. NIGCOMSAT has acquired the latest DIALOG HUB with 5IF for the satellite broadband Ka services, as well as built a stronger relationship with our channel partners.

    “Our business processes are seamless in accordance with International Standard Organisation’s (ISO) certification.

    “NIGCOMSAT, in its bid to achieve its ambition as the leading satellite communication solutions provider in Nigeria and Africa, obtained approval early in 2020 to form two subsidiary companies (SUBCOs) the Satellite Infrastructure Company SIC.

    “They are to provide satellite upstream services such as Transponder leasing, and In-Orbit-(IOT) services, Carrier Spectrum Management (CSM) services, and the Satellite Broadcasting and Broadband Company (SBBC) to provide satellite downstream services, such as broadband internet services, Broadcasting (DTH) services etc,” he said.

    Alale added “The SUBCOs were formed to carry out commercial businesses on behalf of NIGCOMSAT with strategic partners and expand its business operations in the information and communications technology space.

    “NIGCOMSAT realises the need to strategically position its subsidiaries for potential opportunities and risks, put in place by operational structures to facilitate its business aspirations.

    “Accordingly, the Minister has given the company a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that are linked to the development of a strategic document, which identifies the key market opportunities and risks in the Nigerian market as well as to define the SUBCO’s operational framework.

    “More importantly, as apart of the Government-to-Government Business, through some of you, the stakeholders.

    “The Special Project Office of NIGCOMSAT Ltd has successfully deployed modest and ubiquitous services to the health sector by providing an e-platform for automation of work processes at the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) offices across the country,” he said.

    Alale revealed that NIGCOMSAT Ltd had in 2020 provided satellite connectivity services via NigComSat-1R for the live broadcast of the virtual commissioning of the Ajaokuta, Kaduna and Kano (AKK) gas pipeline project by President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR.

    “Another milestone was the achievement, in September 2020, of our collaboration with Thales Alenia Space of France, and the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA).

    “This is to provide a Satellite-based Augmentation System (SBAS) using NigComSat-1R Navigational services for the first time over Africa and the Indian Ocean.

    “The demonstration of real SBAS flight in Lome (Togo) using fixed wing Aircraft and Duoala (Cameroun), using Rotor Aircraft. Demonstration was also done in Brazzaville (Congo).

    “Apparently, the stakeholder forum is part of our efforts to rub minds with you on areas you may need our expansion and improvement, in line with our core mandate and our core values,” he said.

  • Viasat to provide Nigerians with cost effective Internet connectivity via satellite

    A strategic boost to Federal Government’s plan to deepen digital culture came on Monday when Viasat, a commercial satellite operator, visited the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to give an update on its readiness to deploy satellite broadband services in Nigeria.

    The Viasat team was received by Engr. Augustine. Nwalunne, Director, Spectrum Administration at NCC, on behalf of Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission.

    According to Nwaulune, the Monday meeting with Viasat team was a sequel to an earlier meeting with the EVC on March 4, 2019, when Viasat came to discuss its plans to get regulatory supports for entry into the commercial satellite communications market in Nigeria.

    At the meeting, Viasat sought the Commission’s encouragement and approval to reserve and use the 28 GHz KA frequency band in the country to provide cost-effective Internet connectivity and high throughput satellite connectivity through its incorporated Nigerian subsidiary, Viasat Nigeria.

    The company also informed the Commission of its plan to conduct a Proof of Concept (PoC) test in Abuja in 2020. Thereafter, Viasat plans to roll out in a community, and subsequently extend the services across a state and then proceed to extend its broadband satellite services nationwide by 2022.

    The Viasat’s GTH satellite services is targeting homes, governments, schools as well as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), among others.

    The company expressed confidence that its services will be really beneficial to unserved and underserved areas of Nigeria.

    Viasat said it has, over the years, invested over $2.2 billion globally on geostationary satellite services, with footprint in the Nigerian space towards bridging extant digital divide in the country.

    Originally a satellite operator but now a satellite operator and satellite services provider, Viasat declared readiness to effectively provide cost effective Internet connectivity via satellite and to provide high throughput satellite connectivity services in Nigeria.

  • Rwanda launches its 1st satellite to improve Internet service

    Rwanda launches its 1st satellite to improve Internet service

    Rwanda in partnership with a UK based communications company OneWeb on Wednesday successfully launched the country’s first satellite into space, Rwandan Ministry of ICT and Innovation said on Thursday.

    The satellite has been successfully sent to space, Gordon Kalema, Director-General of Digital Transformation at the ministry said while briefing reporters about the launch in Rwandan capital Kigali.

    The successful deployment of Rwanda’s first ever satellite “Icyerekezo,” which means “vision” in English, is an exciting milestone, said Kalema.

    The satellite will enable the Rwandan government to connect internet to more remote schools across the country, providing better education and creating new opportunities for innovators, he said.

    Rwanda plans to launch another satellite into the orbit before the end of this year in partnership with Japanese government, according to the ICT ministry.

     

  • Finally, SpaceX launches long-awaited military GPS Satellite

    After some major setbacks, SpaceX has finally launched into space a rocket carrying much-awaited GPS Satellite for US Military.

    The rocket blasted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral on Sunday, marking the space transportation company’s first national security space mission for the United States.

    The Falcon 9 rocket carrying a roughly $500 million GPS satellite built by Lockheed Martin Corp lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 8:51 am local time (1351 GMT).

    Four previous scheduled launches in the last week, including one on Saturday, were cancelled due to weather and technical issues.

    The successful launch is a significant victory for billionaire Elon Musk’s privately held rocket company, which has spent years trying to break into the lucrative market for military space launches dominated by Lockheed and Boeing Co.

    SpaceX sued the US Air Force in 2014 over the military’s award of a multibillion-dollar, non-compete contract for 36 rocket launches to United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Boeing and Lockheed.

    It dropped the lawsuit in 2015 after the Air Force agreed to open up competition.

    The next year, SpaceX won an $83 million Air Force contract to launch the GPS III satellite, which will have a lifespan of 15 years.

    The satellite is the first to launch out of 32 in production by Lockheed under contracts worth a combined $12.6 billion for the Air Force GPS III program, according to Lockheed spokesman, Chip Eschenfelder.

    The launch was originally scheduled for 2014 but has been hobbled by production delays, the Air Force said.

    The next GPS III satellite is due to launch in mid-2019, Eschenfelder said, while subsequent satellites undergo testing in the company’s Colorado processing facility.

     

  • FCC fines start-up of former Google, Apple engineers for unauthorized satellite launch

    FCC fines start-up of former Google, Apple engineers for unauthorized satellite launch

    The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has fined Swarm Technologies, a California-based start-up founded by former Google and Apple engineers in 2016, for unauthorized satellite launch.

    Swarm will pay a $900,000 fine for launching and operating four small experimental communications satellites that risked “satellite collisions” and threatened “critical commercial and government satellite operations”.

    The former Google and Apple engineers also agreed to enhanced FCC oversight and a requirement of pre-launch notices to the FCC for three years, according to the commission on Thursday.

    Swarm launched the satellites in India last January after the FCC rejected its application to deploy and operate them, citing concerns about the company’s tracking ability.

    It said Swarm had unlawfully transmitted signals between earth stations in the state of Georgia and the satellites for over a week.

    The investigation also found that Swarm performed unauthorized weather balloon-to-ground station tests and other unauthorized equipment tests prior to the satellites’ launch.

    Swarm aims to provide low-cost space-based Internet service and plans eventually to use a constellation of 100 satellites.

    Swarm won permission in August from the FCC to reactivate the satellites and said then it is “fully committed to complying with all regulations and has been working closely with the FCC,” noting that its satellites are “100 percent trackable”.

    Swarm co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Sara Spangelo said in a statement on Thursday that the company accepts the FCC decision “and appreciates the FCC’s ongoing support for Swarm’s mission”.

    Earlier this month, SpaceX launched three more satellites for Swarm on a Falcon 9 rocket after winning FCC approval.

    FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly said the size of the penalty “is probably not significant enough to deter future behaviour” but that the “negative press coverage is likely to prevent this company and others from attempting to do this again”.

    O’Rielly said an initial fine negotiated by FCC staff was rejected by some commissioners, which led to reopening settlement talks.

     

  • SpaceX halts launch of $500 million GPS satellite

    Elon Musk’s SpaceX halted Tuesday’s launch of a long-delayed navigation satellite for the U.S. military, postponing for at least a day the space transportation company’s first designated national security mission for the United States.

    SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket was due to take off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral shortly after 9:30 a.m. local time (1730 GMT) but was stopped minutes before takeoff.

    It is carrying a roughly $500 million global positioning system (GPS) satellite built by Lockheed Martin Corp.

    “This abort was triggered by the onboard Falcon 9 flight computer,” a SpaceX official narrating the launch sequence said, adding that SpaceX would attempt the launch on Wednesday morning.

    SpaceX later tweeted that the Falcon 9 and payload remain healthy and cited an “out of family” reading on the rocket’s first stage sensors for the delay.

    U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who traveled to Florida to watch the launch, announced afterward that President Donald Trump would direct the Pentagon to establish a Combatant Command to oversee America’s activities in space.

    The Space Command, the 11th such Combatant Command in the U.S. military, comes as the United States seeks to grow its military footprint in space.

    A successful launch would be a significant victory for Musk, a billionaire entrepreneur who spent years trying to break into the market for lucrative military space launches, long dominated by Lockheed and Boeing Co.

    SpaceX sued the U.S. Air Force in 2014 in protest over the military’s award of a multibillion-dollar, non-compete contract for 36 rocket launches to United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Boeing and Lockheed.

    SpaceX dropped the lawsuit in 2015 after the Air Force agreed to open up competition, according to SpaceX’s website.

    The next year, SpaceX won an 83 million dollars Air Force contract to launch the GPS III satellite, which will have a lifespan of 15 years, Air Force spokesman William Russell said by phone.

    Tuesday’s launch was to be the first of 32 satellites in production by Lockheed under contracts worth a combined 12.6 billion dollars for the Air Force’s GPS III programme Lockheed spokesman Chip Eschenfelder said.

    “Once fully operational, this latest generation of GPS satellites will bring new capabilities to users, including three times greater accuracy and up to eight times the anti-jamming capabilities,” said Russell.

    The GPS satellite launch was originally scheduled for 2014 but has been hobbled by production delays, the Air Force said.

    The next GPS III satellite will launch in mid-2019, Eschenfelder said, while subsequent satellites undergo testing in the company’s Colorado processing facility.

    The launch marks SpaceX’s first so-called National Security Space mission as defined by the U.S. military, SpaceX said.

    In 2017, the Hawthorne, California-based company launched payloads for the Department of Defense that were not designated as a National Security Space missions.

     

  • China sends 5 satellites into orbit via single rocket

    China sends 5 satellites into orbit via single rocket

    China on Tuesday launched a new space environment research satellite and four nanosatellites on a Long March-2D carrier rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China.

    According to the centre, the satellites have successfully entered their pre-set orbit.

    Shiyan-6 will be used for conducting space environment exploration experiments.

    The term nanosatellite refers to a small artificial satellite, weighing between one kg and 10 kg.

    Among the four nanosatellites, Tianping-1A and Tianping-1B will be used for equipment calibration on ground control stations, while Jiading-1 is the first satellite of the Xiangyun satellite constellation in low earth orbit.

    A software-defined satellite, developed by the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, will be used for conducting experiments on open-source satellite software research and development on Android platforms.

    Compared to traditional satellites, a software-defined satellite is more flexible and reconfigurable.

    A report says it enables its operator to capture diverse markets with its ability to change things like frequency band and coverage areas on demand.

    It is the 292th mission of the Long March carrier rocket series.