The troubled Irish-based mobile satellite communIcations firm Solaris has been purchased by Echostar Corp from European satellite operators SES and Eutelsat. Solaris’ business plan failed when an antenna failed to unfurl properly on the Eutelsat W2A (now called Eutelsat 10A) spacecraft reducing the signal strength received on the ground. Echostar is expected to further develop its S-band communications business using its new acquisition. The firm already has an S-Band asset in orbit via its Terrastar 1 satellite which ita acquired from the bankrupt Terrastar firm and is expected to launch its Terrastar 2 satellite in 2015.
