The Asia Pacific Satellite Communications Council (“APSCC”)  announced the launch of a Youth Development Satellite Workshop to be held concurrently with the annual APSCC conference.  The Workshop has been designed to provide a platform for the brightest up-and-coming engineering students to connect with leading satellite and space industry experts and learn more about the opportunities in the sector. The inaugural workshop will be held in collaboration with the APSCC 2016 Satellite Conference and Exhibition at Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 4-6 October 2016. 

Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) today initiated the process of divesting its stake in Hispasat by exercising the put option granted in 2008 by Hispasat’s majority shareholder, the Abertis Group. Eutelsat holds a 33.69% stake in Hispasat through its subsidiary, Eutelsat Services und Beteiligungen GmbH. Under the terms of the put option agreement, the value of the Hispasat stake will be determined by an independent expert.

The transaction will proceed subject to Spanish government consent.

Spacex successfuly launched the EUTELSAT 117 West B satellite. and the ABS-2A satellites. The satellite was ferried into space by a Falcon 9 rocket that took off from SpaceX’s Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral at 10.29 ET (14.29 UTC) and parked EUTELSAT 117 West B in a supersynchronous orbit after a 30-minute flight. The first telemetry from the new satellite has been confirmed and processed at Boeing’s Mission Control Centre in El Segundo, California.

The Kudelski Group announced today the acquisition of 100% of NexGuard Labs BV (formerly Civolution BV), a leader in digital content watermarking solutions. This move expands the Kudelski Group’s portfolio of end-to-end content protection security solutions, enriching the existing offer to content owners and pay-TV operators.

The emergence of new technologies in the satellite industry, including the arrival of HTS GSO and NGSO systems, is prompting the industry to embrace a substantial shift – from offering one-size-fits-all capacity to creating value propositions better tailored to customers’ fast-growing, diverse demand and the price pressures in dynamic economic circumstances. This was a key focus at CASBAA Satellite Industry Forum 2016, attended by close to 200 industry leaders yesterday at Pan Pacific Singapore.

Satelite operator Intelsat S.A. today announced that its subsidiary, Intelsat Jackson Holdings S.A. (“Intelsat Jackson”), has extended the early tender date for its previously announced tender offers (the “Tender Offers”) to purchase its 6 5/8% Senior Notes due 2022 (CUSIP No. 45824TAM7) (the “2022 Notes”), 5½% Senior Notes due 2023 (CUSIP No. 45824TAP0) (the “2023 Notes”) and 7½% Senior Notes due 2021 (CUSIP No.