The February issue of Space News journal featured its Top Five Companies to Watch List, with three satellite communications providers making it on the top.

SpaceX, the first in the list, is about to launch its Dragon capsule this year atop Falcon 9 in fulfillment of its NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract.

Orbital Science comes next, followed by NewSat, Australia's independently owned satellite communications carrier. Two imaging satellite firms, Digital Globe and GeoEye, completed the list. The two were contracted by Geospatial-Intelligence Agency to deliver satellite imagery solutions and services worth $7.3 billion. The contracts support the agency's Enhanced View project.

Space News said its panel subjectively selected the Top 5 Companies to Watch, but generally those that have made it to the annual list have great growth and financial prospects.

As NewSat continues to sign payload capacity and satellite service deals with various customers and business partners, the teleport and satellite operator is confident that it can convince banks to finance its ambitious satellite communications project. NewSat's Jabiru contractors, Lockheed Martin and Arianespace , are also involved in the financing, with Lockheed Martin seeking a deal with US Export-Import Bank of the US, and Arianespace tapping on loans from French firm Coface.

NewSat hopes to complete 75% of the financial requirements of the satellite communications project through export-credit agency financing, while the rest would be provided by shareholders. The company has until June 30 to get loans, otherwise the construction and launching of Jabiru 1 may be delayed. Jabiru 1, the first of the five communications satellite to be independently operated by NewSat, is scheduled to launch in 2014.

For more details on NewSat's satellite communications contracts, visit
www.newsat.com/Quotes/ast-australia-satellite-communicati...

NewSat is a locally owned teleport and satellite communications provider with headquarters in Australia.

Level 4, 6 Riverside Quay
Southbank, Victoria 3006
Australia
Telephone: +61 3 9674 4644

This release was published on openPR.