The FCC order last week that gave earth stations aboard aircraft (ESAA) co-primary status made a few other rule adjustments, which include applying the rules to U.S.-flagged aircraft anywhere in the world, a telecom lawyer said. The commission clarified a technical provision requiring automatic shut-off if certain things go wrong, Fletcher Heald attorney Mitchell Lazarus said in a blog post (http://bit.ly/1nEtONg). It also clarified a provision on the reliability of the mechanism that points the antenna at the satellite, he said: “Other co-primary users and ESAA must all protect one another on equal terms.” The FCC released a second report and order last week (CD April 21 p17).

Harris Corp. got a $133 million U.S. Navy contract to provide broadband satellite communication terminals. The terminals will give crews access to high-bandwidth voice and data communications, Harris said in a news release (http://bit.ly/1jrOowc). Harris will provide up to 120 terminals, it said. The contract adds to the 70 terminals delivered under an existing indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract, Harris said. It brings the total potential value to more than $250 million, it said.

The FCC granted primary status for earth stations aboard aircraft (ESAA) in the 14.0-14.5 GHz band, it said in a second report and order (http://bit.ly/1lfGkFD). The commission agreed with commenters in the proceeding that primary status would promote regulatory and operational certainty, which “would help services being offered in this band to continue to grow and improve,” it said. When the commission adopted the rules in the initial order, the rules erroneously said the targeted satellite operators should certify that the proposed ESAA operations “have the potential to receive harmful interference,” it said. The rules are revised to require satellite operators to certify that the proposed operations have the potential to “create” harmful interference, it said.

Lockheed Martin integrated a solar ultraviolet imager instrument with the next-generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The new solar analysis payload will help scientists measure and forecast space weather, “which can damage satellites, electrical grids and communications systems on Earth,” Lockheed said in a news release (http://bit.ly/1pe8ToJ). Timely forecasts of severe space weather events “would help satellite operators and electrical grid technicians mitigate potential damage to such systems,” it said.

ATK signed an agreement to build composite launch vehicle structures for United Launch Alliance. The $178 million contract will help ULA meet the terms of its contract with the Air Force for Phase I Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles, ATK said in a press release (http://bit.ly/1f6gtby). The initial contracting period includes large composite structures with deliveries beginning this year and continuing into 2018, it said. The equipment will be manufactured for the Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles, it said.

DirecTV again said the FCC lacks authority to require closed captioning of video clips delivered via IP. If the commission imposed such a requirement, certain types of video clips should be exempt, DirecTV said in an ex parte filing in docket 11-154 (http://bit.ly/1iTZYBs). NFL Sunday Ticket Max from DirecTV provides highlight clips within minutes or hours of the time the plays happen in live games, DirecTV said. Breaking the game feed into video clip highlights “can cause the captioning to become garbled and unrecognizable,” it said. Recreating or restoring that captioning to an acceptable level would require a new, separate captioning session for each clip, it said. It also would introduce delays and render the time-sensitive products no longer commercially viable, the direct broadcast satellite company said. At a minimum, DirecTV should be permitted to distribute the video clips without captioning, “so long as it replaces that content with a captioned version within twenty-four hours,” it said.

The Federal Aviation Administration completed its installation of a key component of a nationwide satellite-based next-generation aircraft tracking system. The installation of the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) radio network “supports a satellite-based surveillance system that tracks aircraft with the help of GPS,” FAA said in a press release Monday (http://1.usa.gov/1kYFMQ0). “This provides more accurate aircraft location information than the current radar system.” Air traffic controllers can begin using ADS-B to separate aircraft nationwide, FAA said.

The FCC Satellite Division granted DirecTV’s application to modify its authorization to operate the DirecTV RB-2A satellite at 102.765 degrees west, it said in public notice (http://bit.ly/1sMycNP). It granted SES permission to modify its authorization for the AMC-2 satellite at 80.85 degrees west. SES plans to reorient the satellite away from South America and toward North America, said the bureau. In a separate application, Intelsat requested permission to launch and operate Intelsat 31, a C- and Ku-band satellite, at 95.05 degrees west. The satellite is scheduled for a 2015 launch and will be collocated with another new satellite, Intelsat said (http://bit.ly/R9Pcj5).

Boeing and Gogo signed a technical services agreement to evaluate expanding their joint in-flight connectivity efforts by working on Gogo’s technology solutions on the planemaker’s aircraft. Gogo aims to have line-fit evaluations completed for its ATG-4 system in 2015 and its ATG-4 satellite solutions in 2016, it said in a news release Thursday (http://bit.ly/1eoZAhp). Having line-fit of the solutions is crucial “so each aircraft comes off the line with Gogo connectivity already installed and ready for service,” it said. Gogo already has an agreement with Boeing for line-fit provisions on 737NG aircraft, it said.

Gogo started its first trans-Atlantic connectivity service with SES satellite capacity, SES said in a news release Tuesday (http://bit.ly/1e8dKmt). Gogo’s Ku-band-delivered in-flight service relies on the SES-1, SES-4 and SES-6 satellites, it said. It said SES-1 services passengers flying over the U.S., SES-6 provides coverage over the North Atlantic and SES-4 serves Europe.