This month’s cover reveals an artistic rendition of NASA’s New Horizon satellite, rather appropriate given the theme for this issue, New Applications. What is the New Horizon project?

Former Space Foundation Chairman of the Board, the Honorable Jaime Oaxaca, frequently encouraged us to test our plans and intentions against our mission statement and strategic plan, saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”

By now you have all probably seen heart breaking, high resolution satellite imagery of the destruction in Haiti. The speed with which GeoEye and DigitalGlobe disseminated these images around the world was truly amazing. With extensive databases of recent imagery, these companies were even able to provide side by side pictures of before and after.

The past few weeks have seen some major progress in terms of an international roll out for pay-radio. SatMagazine has faithfully followed the news from Ondas Media and its plans for a European pay-radio roll out by satellite.

Ofcom “does not understand the market” Solaris Mobile is the 50/50 joint venture between Eutelsat and SES Astra, designed to bring pay-TV services to phones, other handhelds, as well as in-car video and audio entertainment, by satellite. The Company has been busy showcasing its new developments at Barcelona’s giant Mobile World Congress exhibition. They are super-sexy.

Despite a tough economic environment, innovation continues to be observed in satellite services and a number of new applications are emerging. The current development cycle appears to be driven by an increase in diversity but also in the quality of TV broadcasting, along with growing needs for mobility and broadband services in satellite-based communications.

Internationalization and B2B meetings were the keys for this show’s success. The third edition of SAT Expo Europe 2010 held at Rome Fair has ended. Over 6,000 visitors, more than 2,000 business meetings, and 20 foreign delegations, were present over the three days of the exhibition. SAT Expo Europe successfully achieved its objective of presenting itself as a Mediterranean benchmark for the market of space services and applications.

The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) concluded its annual India Satellite Industry Forum in New Delhi on 22nd March. Themed “On the Digital Edge — Where Broadband HITS The Streets”, the Forum featured three policy addresses from government departments, as well as high-level inputs from global industry specialists.

There’s always something to talk about at the annual Washington satellite show, this year held at the impressive Gaylord National Harbor site about a million miles out from downtown DC. Two topics dominated the commercial satellite sector: interference issues and the lack of a 3rd launcher. Delegates gave a warm welcome to ‘new boy’ Michel de Rosen, CEO at Eutelsat, who acquitted himself with confidence at the important opening CEO ‘gang of four’ session.

Canadian freelance journalist Amanda Lindhout was in Mogadishu, Somalia, reporting how violence and famine affected refugees from armed conflict when she, Australian photographer Nigel Brennan, two drivers, and a translator were kidnapped by gunmen in August of 2008.