The Satellite Industry Association applauded the passage of HR-3547, The Consolidated Appropriations Act, which included a provision to extend the commercial space launch indemnification. The three-year extension “ensures the continuation of a long-standing provision needed to help ensure the global competitiveness of U.S. companies,” SIA said in a news release Friday (http://bit.ly/1b8GRz1). The provision continues a risk management regime requiring launch service providers to acquire private launch insurance against the possibility of third party damages in the event of a failure involving government or commercial satellites, it said. But it offers government indemnification “for any such damages in excess of the required private launch insurance limits,” SIA said.

International Launch Services plans a 2015 launch of the Eutelsat 9B satellite. Eutelsat 9B is a high-capacity Ku-band satellite, ILS said in a news release (http://bit.ly/1j7EvZk). It will have 66 transponders that will deliver to Eutelsat enhanced performance for broadcasting at the established 9 degrees east location, it said. The satellite also will host the first data relay payload for the European Data Relay Satellite System, ILS said.

The Weather Channel became unavailable for DirecTV subscribers Tuesday, due to a carriage agreement dispute. The network “offered DirecTV the best rate for our programming, and I am shocked they have put corporate profits ahead of keeping a trusted channel that subscribers rely on every day,” said Weather Channel CEO David Kenny in a statement (http://bit.ly/1eQwfrp). “We are not looking for a large fee increase.” DirecTV will continue providing weather news and information on competing channel WeatherNation, it said in a statement (http://bit.ly/1fryPZs). “Most customers don’t want to watch a weather information channel with a forecast of a 40 percent chance of reality TV,” it said referring to some of the original programming on the Weather Channel. The DBS company said it’s in the process of “discussing an agreement to return the network to our line-up at the right value for our customers.” Kenny referred to WeatherNation as “a cheap startup that does weather forecasting on a three-hour taped loop, has no field coverage, no weather experts ... and no experience in severe weather emergencies.”

Boeing applied new anti-jamming technology to an existing military satellite. Boeing sent a government-developed, protected signal through the sixth Wideband Global Satcom (WGS-6) satellite last month, Boeing said in a news release Monday (http://bit.ly/1eDEecR). “Engineers confirmed that the signal met all targets for accuracy and strength.” The demonstration shows the technology “offers an affordable option for enhancing anti-jam communications using existing commercial and U.S. government satellites and terminals,” it said. Boeing plans to continue developing and testing the technology for compatibility with other terminals and systems this year, it said.

DirecTV requested a modification of its operating authority to reorient the DirecTV 5 satellite. The satellite is located at 110.1 degrees west and it operates in the 12.2-12.7 GHz and 17.3-17.8 GHz bands, the FCC International Bureau said in a public notice (http://bit.ly/KJFLD1). LightSquared is seeking a modification of its Msat-2 satellite authorization. The satellite is located at 103.3 degrees west, the bureau said. LightSquared wants to extend the license term by one year “to continue service to its customers not transitioning to its second-generation space station, SkyTerra-1, as well as to provide a backup for that satellite,” it said. Intelsat applied for a 180-day special temporary authority to continue providing fixed satellite service at 43.10 degrees west using the 3700-4200 MHz, 5925-6425 MHz, 11.45-11.70 GHz, 11.7-12.2 GHz, and 14.0-14.5 GHz bands, it said.

Comtech Systems received a $4.4 million contract for a satellite system for end use by the Brazilian military. The military will receive an upgrade to its satellite network, Comtech said in a press release (http://bit.ly/1hzJPUD).

EchoStar plans to pursue international direct-to-home (DTH) opportunities, continue going after video and broadband possibilities and focus on international growth, a Citi Research note said (http://citi.us/1eqJT3L). The note recounts a presentation this week by David Rayner, EchoStar chief financial officer, at the Global Internet, Media and Telecommunications Conference in Las Vegas. EchoStar is pleased with Hughes broadband subscriber growth, the note said. Gross subscriber additions were split 50-50 between wholesale and retail, it said. Most consumers opt for the lower-level 10 Mbps service plan and the customers are somewhat price-sensitive, it said. On the failed attempt at a joint venture with Vivendi’s GVT to offer DTH service in Brazil (CD Dec 16 p20), Rayner said Vivendi “was the one that walked away from the deal.” EchoStar “could look to different economic models from the 50-50 JV model but it is unlikely to accept a deal whereby the partner does not hold some economic interest,” it said. Hughes is targeting a 2016 launch of EchoStar 19, the note said.

EchoStar requested renewal of a series of special temporary authorities for the EchoStar 16, EchoStar 12 and EchoStar 3 satellites and an earth station. It wants to operate the satellites in the 61.5 degrees west cluster on channels 1 and 2, it said in applications to the FCC International Bureau (http://bit.ly/1cWCIC8, http://bit.ly/Kw0kCU, http://bit.ly/1cWEL9s). EchoStar also requested a 180-day STA renewal to operate its transmit/receive earth station E020248, to provide tracking, telemetry and command for EchoStar 3, it said (http://bit.ly/1cWEL9s).

The Indian Space Research Organisation launched its GSAT-14 satellite. The satellite was lifted from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on a geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle, GSLV-D5, ISRO said in a news release (http://bit.ly/1aBHf8O). “All the important flight phases, namely, the core stage and strap-on stage propulsion, payload fairing separation, second stage propulsion, cryogenic stage propulsion and spacecraft separation, were executed as planned,” it said.

Thales Alenia and Astrium signed a contract to develop the control electronics on the upper-stage engine steering system on the Ariane 5 Midlife Evolution launcher. The Vinci engine manufactured by Snecma offers multiple restart capability, “greatly increasing the launcher’s satellite orbital positioning capabilities,” Thales said in a news release (http://thls.co/Kx9Nue).