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by Alan Simpson
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Summary Table
Note:
Links in the table
below navigate to Alan's satellite data on the COMLINKS.COM
website. The data was current
as of 2002. Later, as Alan updates the data files we will mirror
them on MILNET. We have also, from time-to-time, run across
updates on our own and added those to the data store as well.
Look for the 
symbol to
find updates.
symbol to
find updates.| Name |
Description |
Financiars/Partners |
Nations |
As Of |
ACES
 |
Uses a Garuda geostationary satellite incorporating state-of-the-art design and production techniques to maximize communications capability. The Garuda satellite provides 11,000 simultaneous telephone channels and is capable of supporting up to 2 million subscribers. Lockheed Martin is likely to take a 25-32% stake in ACeS. |
|
Indonesia Philippines Thailand U.S. |
2002 |
| Africom | The service offered was to be mobile telephony using handheld sets. |
|
Various
African U.S. |
2002 |
AMSC |
American Mobile Satellite Corporation completed its
acquisition of ARDIS in March of 1998, then shortly thereafter changed
its name to Motient. See Motient below [update by MILNET] |
2006 |
||
| APMT | Cancelled Hughes Satellite System for cell phones, was to be placed in
geo-sync over (APMT) and Africa (Agrani, see below). Hughes wound
up paying cancellation fees and lost a large lawsuit. |
|
India U.K. U.S. |
2002 |
| ASC
(Agrani) |
Originally
the system used Hughes
satellites (See APMT above), but now has signed with Lockheed
Martin. Will provide cell phone
coverage for India. Reported to use low cost handheld cell phone units. Actual
coverage area for both satellites spans Turkey to Singapore, Sri Lanka
to Russia. |
|
India U.S. U.K. U.S. |
2002 |
AsiaSat
 |
Geo-Synch satellite over Asia, provides coverage for Asia, the Middle East, Australasia and the C.I.S. serving radio and TV broadcasters; aviation, finance, travel services, and print media organizations; and telecommunications providers |
|
Hong
Kong France U.S. |
2002 |
| Astra | Geo-Synch satellite over Europe |
Société Européenne des Satellites (SES) | France |
2002 |
| Astrolink | International Wireless Broadband Telecom providing broadband multimedia services to customers in the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East |
|
U.S. U.S. U.S. |
2002 |
| Celestri | 63 LEO and nine GEO satellites planning to introduce a space based broad band communications system which will also feature laser coms relay between satellites in line of sight. |
|
U.S. French/U.K. |
2002 |
| Constellation | 12 satellites to be manufactured by Orbital represent the first of two phases of satellites capable of providing telephony services to more than one million subscribers located within a band spanning the Earth between 23 degrees north latitude and 23 degrees south latitude. These countries include Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Australia and dozens more in Asia, South and Central America, Africa and the Middle East |
|
U.S. U.S. U.S. U.S. |
1998 |
| Cyberstar | Satellite telecommunications broadcast services throughout
China utilizing 3 GEO satellites |
|
U.S. France P.R.C. |
2002 |
| Earth Satellite | Worldwide
geo-spatial products and earth or space-based information solutions. |
Earth
Satellite Corp now renamed to MDA Federal, Inc. |
United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. | 2005 |
| EAST | Africa, Middle East and parts of Europe, focusing on rural voice, with some data, with Internet access utilizing a new standard: GMSS (Geostationary Mobile Satellite Standard) |
|
France/U.K. Norway Cyprus U.S. |
2002 |
Ellipso |
Merges Internet, cell and national telephone systems using
other's hardware systems. The system is now planned as a merge
into the ICO system, with the Ellipso 2G Constellation to include three
planes of
five satellites were to be inclined elliptical orbits, a fourth plane
to have six satellites in a circular equatorial orbit, and a fifth
plane have five satellites in an elliptical equatorial orbit.
Ellipso and ICO created a jointly owned subsidiary ESBH to manage the
operation. Then on March 14, 2001, a joint announcement
fromCO-Teledesic Global and Ellipso staed that the groups would
collaborate on building a mobile satellite system " will collaborate on technical, financial, business and regulatory issues related to the deployment of spectrum-efficient satellite systems capable of providing a broad array of telecommunications services on a global basis" - Ellipso Press Release |
2006 | ||
| E-Sat | Reduced to what is essentially a reseller of services
using other's equipment |
Affiliated
with Inmarsat, Iridium, Thuraya, Globalstar satellite technology and
VSAT fixed base communications facilities |
2002 | |
Eutel |
23 satellites in five series (Hot Bird -Europe;
Eurobird-Europe;W and SESAT Series-Western Asia, Africa; Atlantic
Bird-Easter U.S. and Europe |
Eutelsat
operates with affiliates Alcatel Elena Space, SkyLogic, and Viasat |
2006 | |
| Express | In July 1997 GM Hughes filed an application with the FCC for a $3.9 billion project using 14 GEO satellites on V and Ku band frequencies for global provision of high speed data services. | Hughes Satellite | U.S. | 2002 |
Faisat |
In August of 1999 Final Analysis selected General Dynamics for overall system engineering and integration of FAISAT satellite system. 32 LEO satellites in 6 orbit planes, plus 6 on-orbit spares. Polyot will launch the FAISAT satellites from Russia using its COSMOS light-class launch vehicles. Raytheon building the global ground network, including the global network control center, network operations centers, ground stations, satellite control center, terrestrial backbone and the retail and wholesale billing system. General Dynamics to provide overall system engineering, integration, testing and assembly of the network, and is accountable for the entire global system. Supports applications such as messaging, data acquisition, control and monitoring, and asset management |
After the VITAsat 1 was destroyed 160 secs into its launch, VITA contracted with Faisat to use transponders for their program (See VITAsat below). [Update by MILNET] |
U.S. Russia U.S. U.S. U.S. U.S. |
2006 |
| Gemnet | 38 LEO satellites in 1000km circular orbit for tracking & monitoring, email and paging. | Orbital Sciences (CTA Inc) | 2002 | |
| GEStar | Nine GEO satellites from Alcatel which will offer multimedia services that handle Internet traffic, video broadcasting, satellite news gathering, telemedicine and other applications |
|
U.S. France |
2002 |
| Globalstar | High-quality GSM satellite phone service using Qualcomm cell phone.l Globalstar constellation will have 47 satellites in operation with one on-orbit spare. Main coverage area is U.S. however in 2002 announced expansion of service coverage throughout Central Asia, including Afghanistan. Globalstar service is already being used extensively in this region to support medical and humanitarian programs. Finalization of plans to ship and construct a second gateway in China. In March of 2002, AeroAstro, one of the world's leading providers of small satellites and related technology products, are now developing a new, very low cost simplex data modem for remote sensing and asset tracking via satellite |
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U.S. U.S. U.S. PRC Germany S. Korea France U.S. |
2002 |
| GStarsys | Was a $170 million project utilizing 24 satellites in 4
planes at 1067km, for messaging, asset tracking and paging. In
1997 the company returned its license and appears to have ceased
operation. |
General
Electric |
2002 | |
ICO
 |
Ten operational satellites and two on-orbit spares operating in intermediate circular orbit. Will provide low-cost and high-quality digital voice and data services worldwide utilizing unique and patented elliptical orbits, |
|
U.K. |
2002 |
Inmar |
Operates three series of InmarSat satellites:
Inmarsat I-4 for broadband services for Indian and Atlantic ocean
regions, with coverage extending across North and South America,
Europe, Africa, Asia and the Far East.; Inmasat I-3 generates a
global beam and a maximum of seven spot-beams. Inmarsat I-3 F1 w
launched in 1996, covers Indian Ocean Region. F2 entered service
over Atlantic Ocean Region-East, F3 (Pacific Ocean Region), F4
(Atlantic Ocean Region-West) and F5 (limited services on a single
spot-beam, back-up and leased capacity); Inmarsat-2, a purpose built
quartet Launched in the early 1990s, the four second-generation
satellites were built to Inmarsat specification by an international
group headed by British Aerospace (now BAE Systems). <> The
three-axis-stabilized Inmarsat I-2s were designed for a 10-year life.
Inmarsat-2 F1 was launched in 1990 and is now located over the Pacific,
providing lease capacity. F2, launched in 1991, is over the western
Atlantic, providing leased capacity and backing up Inmarsat I-3
F4. Also orbited in 1991, F3 over the Pacific Ocean
decommissioned in early 2006. A fourth backup is over the Indian Ocean,
launched in 1992. |
Four offices located in : | 2006 | |
Intelsat |
The "New" Intelsat Corporation. 50+ Satellites whose ground stations connect to the GSX Telecom fiber optic network. The company is in the process of changing the names of their satellites...Telstars 5,6,7 and 13 will be renamed to Galaxy 25,26, 27 and 23, the IA-8 bird will be renamed to Galaxy 28 and the PAS satellites will be renamed to Intelsat retiaining the original numerical designation. "The network includes 6 major stations around the globe with a variety of antennas and systems for a broad range of monitoring services." |
Intelsat
corporation is afilliated with the GSX Telecom Corporation. The company recently purchased all the assets of PanAmSat. |
Headquartered in Pembroke, Bermuda and has major operations in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Georgia, and London, and the UK. | 2006 |
Iridium
 |
66 satellites in low earth orbit, plus spares, targets industrial, government and individual customers with a clear need for remote communications capabilities where no other form of communication is available. In December 2000, Iridum Satellite LLC purchased the assets of the former bankrupt company Iridium LLC | Iridium Satellite LLC | U.S. | 2002 |
| iSky - now WildBlue | See WildBlue Below |
2002 | ||
| Kastar - now WildBlue | See WildBlue Below | 2002 | ||
| Leo One | 48 LEO satellites arranged in 8 orbital planes from dBX Corp. Aimed at the low cost vehicle tracking, status monitoring, paging, and emergency alerting niches. | Leo
One Corporation |
U.S. |
2002 |
| M2A | GEO satellite for Pasifik Satelit Nasantara (PSN) aimed at the Asia Pacific Region, primarily Indonesia. Boeing launcher (Delta IV). The satellite will provide a wide variety of telecommunication services throughout the Asia-Pacific region. |
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Indonesia U.S. U.S. |
2002 |
Motient |
American
Mobile Satellite Corporation completed its acquisition of
ARDIS in March of 1998, then shortly thereafter changed its name to
Motient. Motient operates a single GEO (geosynchronous earth orbit) satellite above with its terrestrial network of more than 2,100 base stations below to provide two-way wireless mobile data, Internet, and voice services covering all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and US coastal waters |
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U.S./
Worldwide |
2006 |
| Movisat | 3 GEO satellites
Solidaridad 1,2 and Morelos 2 bringing mobile services, rural
telephony, and messaging to Mexico, southern USA, Caribbean and Latin
America. All 3 sats are operational. |
Satelites Mexicanos SA | 2002 | |
M-Sat
 |
Covers North and Central America, for mobile and fixed voice, mobile telephone, radio, facsimile, paging, position location, and data communications for users on land, at sea, and in the air. Each satellite has the capacity to support up to 2000 simultaneous radio channels, depending on the type of antenna used and bandwidth allocated. Communications between the mobile users and the satellites are accomplished in L-band; terrestrial feeder stations use Ku-band to communicate with the satellite and with one another. |
|
Canada Canada U.S. Canada |
2002 |
| M-Star | Expected to become part of the new Celestri project, now
incorporated into Teledesic.
|
Motorola |
U.S. |
2002 |
Odyssey
 |
Uses 12 satellites to bring wireless cellular telephony to the "populated land masses" and use seven ground stations. | Odyssey
Telecommunications, Inc. |
U.S. |
2002 |
| OPTUS | GEO satellites from
Hughes offering
fixed and mobile voice, fax, data and paging targeted at Australia, New
Zealand and Indonesia, providing Australia and New Zealand with
broadcast, voice and data communications. System is operational |
Cable
& Wireless Optus Hughes Satellite (now Boeing) |
Australia U.S. |
2002 |
| Orbcomm | 28 satellites in orbit. In April 98 the FCC allowed an increase from 28 to 48 satellites. ) (user terminals), to other SCs, Internet mail, fax machines, and pagers. The ORBCOMM System is the world's first low-Earth orbit satellite system to provide high availability, low-cost, two-way, on-the-move communications over the entire globe. Provides worldwide geographic coverage. The SCs are light-weight and pocket-sized. | Orbicom
(partnership of
|
U.S. |
2002 |
| Satphon | Mobile and fixed voice to the Middle East, Northern Africa and the Mediterranean |
|
U.S. |
2002 |
| Skybridge | Alctael plans to use capacity on existing geostationary
satellites to provide broadband IP services by satellite to service
providers. Plans are to market with Cyberstar (See Cyberstar
above) |
|
France U.S. Japan Japan Canada France Belgium Japan Canada |
2002 |
Spaceway  |
Hughes Communications Corporation operates nine Boeing
manufactured HS702 Satellites that
provide "high-performance,
onboard digital processing, packet switching and spot-beam technology
to offer direct site-to-site connectivity at rates of from 512 Kbps up
to 16 Mbps" |
Hughes
Communications Corp. |
U.S./
Worldwide |
2006 |
Teledesic
 |
30 total (12 satellites will be deployed first, providing
continuous
coverage in several areas of the world; 18 additional satellites will
enable global coverage). The Italian company Alenia Spazio will
manufacture the satellites. History incllues a cancelled
agreement with Motorola for the satellites and an ended merger with
ICO.Global. Broadband data and voice services. Number has
expanded to numbers in excess of 800 satellites, count not confirmed. |
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U.S. Italy |
2002 |
| Thuraya | Geostationary satellite, which has a lifespan of 12 to 15 years Will operate a regional mobile telecommunication via satellite (GMPCS) system to help meet the need for affordable, high-quality mobile phone services the most populous region of the world. Coverage area of 99 countries spanning Europe, North and Central Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Its hand held terminals and vehicular terminals will allow dual mode use that integrates GSM with satellite services. The primary gateway in Sharjah UAE will serve the entire coverage area, and plans are underway to establish additional gateways at other locations as necessary. Services: Voice, data, fax, short messaging and location determination (Global Positioning System-GPS). |
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UAE U.S. |
2002 |
| VITAsat | On August 15, 1995, the Vitasat I satellite was destroyed
along with its Athena launch vehicle by Vandenburg AFB range safety 160
seconds into the flight. However, VITA, Inc. reprogrammed their
project and secured transponders on the FAISAT satellite network.
The VITA effort aims to provide satellite communications systems to the
world's developing nations. |
See
Faisat above. |
2002 | |
| WildBlue | Fixed geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) locations above the
United States, Canada and Latin America., providing satellite Internet
service, providing high-speed Internet connections
to homes and small businesses in communities in the continental U.S.
not currently served, or underserved, by other high speed
providers. Eventually being offered by over 280 rural electric
and telephone companies. 2-way wireless high-speed data in both
directions. Will use a 26-inch satellite mini-dish equipped with
both a transmitter
and receiver for two-way satellite connectivity to the Internet.
Echostar and WildBlue are also co-developing a single equipment
solution for a bundled DISH TV and WildBlue broadband data
service. Note orbital slot allows WildBlue to be offered both by
DirecTV and DishTV utilizing a single dish for the Satellite TV and
Internet. |
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U.S. U.S. U.S. U.S. U.S. U.S. U.S. |
2002 |
Other Commerical Satellite Info on MILNET
Military Satellites
Info on MILNET© Copyright 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, Alan Simpson
Used with the Author's Permission