AVANTI ACQUIRES ESA'S ARTEMIS
On December 16, Avanti Communications Group PLC announced that it won a competition to acquire the Artemis satellite and attendant frequency spectrum rights to the 21.5°E orbital location from the European Space Agency. Avanti plans to use Artemis during its expected 3 years of remaining operational life to offer a range of new Ka-band services, including highspeed data transfer, and to commercially develop the satellite's S- and L-band payloads and navigation payload, and contemplates replacing Artemis with several follow-on satellites.
ECHOSTAR PURCHASES SOLARIS
On January 6, Eutelsat Communications S.A. (Eutelsat) and SES S.A. announced that they completed the sale to EchoStar Corporation (EchoStar) of 100% of Solaris Mobile Ltd. (Solaris), a company that had been jointly owned by Eutelsat and SES to develop next-generation mobile satellite services (MSS) in Europe. The terms of the sale were not disclosed. Solaris currently operates an in-orbit S-band payload, which EchoStar has committed to supplement by deployment of a new next-generation MSS satellite to cover Europe.
EUTELSAT AND SES SETTLE DISPUTE
On January 30, Eutelsat Communications S.A. (Eutelsat) and SES S.A. (SES) announced the settlement of their dispute over the 28.5°E orbital location. The companies agreed that SES will continue to operate its satellite at 28.5°E while Eutelsat will have the right to commercialize certain associated frequencies. Eutelsat also entered into an agreement with SES for long-term satellite capacity, consisting of 20 total transponders, on three SES satellites positioned in the 28.2/28.5°E neighborhood. In unrelated developments, on January 2 Eutelsat closed its acquisition of Satélites Mexicanos, S.A. de C.V. and on January 29 announced the signing of an MOU with the Afghanistan Ministry of Communications & Information Technology (MCIT) pursuant to which Eutelsat will deploy an in-orbit satellite, to be designated AFGHANSAT 1, to the 48°E orbital location for use by the MCIT for various applications, including broadcasting, mobile telephony backhaul and IP connectivity.
JANUARY LAUNCHES
January 5 – The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched its GSAT-14 satellite on a version of its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) with a domestically-manufactured cryogenic upper stage, marking the first successful mission of ISRO's fully indigenous GSLV. GSAT-14 will be positioned at the 74°E orbital location.
January 6 – Space Exploration Technologies Corp. successfully launched the THAICOM 6 satellite for THAICOM Public Company Limited on a Falcon 9 launch vehicle. Manufactured by Orbital Sciences Corporation based on its GEOStar-2 platform, THAICOM 6 will be positioned at the 78.5°E orbital location.
THALES AND ILS CHOSEN FOR YAMAL-601
On January 22, JSC Gazprom Space Systems (GSS) selected Thales Alenia Space to manufacture the Yamal-601 satellite based on the Spacebus 4000C4 platform, and International Launch Services Inc. to launch Yamal-601 on a Proton launch vehicle in 2016. To be equipped with 18 C-, 19 Ku- and 26 Kaband transponders, Yamal-601 will provide fixed communications, broadcast and Internet access services to users in Russia and adjoining regions from the 49°E orbital position.
JANUARY LAUNCH SERVICES ORDERS
January 9 – Sea Launch AG announced that it was selected by Energia Logistics Ltd. (Energia) to launch the AngolaSat and Energia 100 satellites, both manufactured by Energia, in a dual launch in the first half of 2016.
January 10 – Space Exploration Technologies Corp. announced that it was selected by SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation to launch the JCSAT- 14 satellite on a Falcon 9 launch vehicle in the second half of 2015.
January 14 – International Launch Services Inc. (ILS) announced that the Intelsat DLA- 2/Intelsat 31 satellite was assigned to the first launch under its existing two-launch agreement signed with Intelsat S.A. in March 2013. The satellite is expected to be launched in 2015 on a Proton launch vehicle.
January 15 – ILS announced that it was selected by Eutelsat Communications S.A. to launch the EUTELSAT 9B satellite on a Proton launch vehicle in 2015.
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