MobilityWire

• SES AMERICOM today announced the debut of satellitewiki.com, a wiki devoted to the satellite industry.  The timing of the debut coincides with the 50th anniversary of the launch of Explorer 1, the first U.S. satellite.
• Using the same style and software used to power Wikipedia, satellitewiki.com lets visitors explore the history of man-made satellites, definitions of satellite terms and learn about how satellites impact a wide range of industries from oil and gas to television.
• Satellites have making news recently with many major airlines offering inflight broadband to their passengers. The maritime industry utilizes high-speed Internet connectivity delivered via satellite technology, enabling cruise ship passengers to make voice over Internet (VoIP) phone calls from ship to shore or check email from the middle of the ocean.
• From the first U.S. satellite’s bleep in 1958 to modern satellites with their own neighborhoods, users exploring the wiki can find interesting facts, download imagery and discover how satellites work. With input from other users and readers, information can be updated, changed and added, as well.
• Want to know the difference between ‘carrier frequency’ and “Geostationary transfer orbit”? Or when the best time to look up in the night sky to see a satellite buzzing your neighborhood? Log on at http://satellitewiki.com.

SES AMERICOM and U.S. satellite historical timeline

1958 - The first U.S. Satellite, Explorer 1 launched is launched, January 31.

1960 - Trios 1 weather satellite launched.

1962 - Telstar 1 completed first transatlantic telecast.

1962 - Mariner 2 flies past Venus into solar orbit.

1969 - Mariner 7 returns images of Martian surface southern hemisphere.

1971 - RCA buys the Alaskan Communications System (later renamed RCA Alascom) from the federal government. The need to modernize the system drives RCA to satellite based services. RCA files with the FCC to construct and launch a four satellite system at a cost of $256 million to serve Alaska, Hawaii and the Continental United States.

1972 - Pioneer 10 designed to familiarize alien life with humans, returns with close ups of Jupiter 1973. United States adopts an “Open Skies Policy” to encourage private industry to enter the satellite business.

1976 - HBO inaugurates cable programming distributed in the U.S. via satellite by AMERICOM, airs  “Thrilla from Manila” heavyweight boxing match using satellites. Ted Turner debuts America’s first superstation.

1981 - RCA AMERICOM auctions seven leases on Satcom F3R at Sotheby’s for $90 million. The transaction, later voided by the FCC, is still used today as a business school case study.

1982 - AMERICOM establishes premiere radio neighborhood at 139° West and introduces DATS industry standard.

1985 - RCA AMERICOM launches its first Ku-band satellite, Satcom K2, onboard the space shuttle.

1986 - AMERICOM becomes a part of GE with acquisition of RCA.

1992 - Satcom C3 and Satcom C4 launched with dedicated C-band payloads for cable programmers.

1998 - GE AMERICOM introduces high-powered, Ku-band services throughout Europe in partnership with NSAB, now an SES GLOBAL affiliate.

2000 - GE AMERICOM adds four satellites to its fleet, acquires Atlantic and Pacific transoceanic capacity to complete global connections, and begins to deliver services in Asia.

2001 - SES ASTRA acquires AMERICOM from GE. SES GLOBAL formed to become world’s largest commercial satellite operator.

2002 - SES AMERICOM announces a major initiative to serve the direct broadcast industry, AMERICOM2Home.

2003 - SES AMERICOM enters into its first service agreement with EchoStar to provide capacity on AMC-2 and future AMC-15.

2004 - SES AMERICOM launches HD-PRIMETM, America’s Cable Neighborhood.

2005 - SES AMERICOM launches AMC-12, the Atlantic Ocean Region’s most powerful C-band satellite ever — completing an unprecedented series of campaigns that saw five launches in a 12 month period.

2006 - Major trials and development of IP-PRIME lead to an innovative turnkey IPTV solution that leverages both cutting-edge distribution and encoding technologies and long-standing relationships with the world’s leading programmers.

2007 - Major airlines begin offering in-flight broadband and Wi-Fi using satellite technology.

2008 - SES AMERICOM launches SatelliteWiki.com