10 September 2000

Satcoms

Airia to Offer In Flight Television
Airia, a joint venture between Live Inflight Video Entertainment and Inmarsat Ventures Ltd, has announced that it will be the first to deliver live global in-flight entertainment. The new London UK and Annapolis, Maryland-based company is scheduled to bring live news broadcasts and sporting events to long-haul airline passengers in the third quarter of 2001.

The first of its kind in airline passenger entertainment service, Airia will initially enable airlines to receive live world news television from BBC World, the BBC's 24-hour international news and information channel, and a live sports channel carrying international sporting events designed by Trans World International (TWI). The company will be adding additional channels and content, along with broadband data services, in the future to meet passenger demand.

Airia's global live in-flight service will use Inmarsat's existing network of satellites and the Inmarsat Aero H/H+ satcom antennas, which are, as of April 2000, already installed on over 76% of modern long-haul, wide-bodied aircraft for safety and voice communications purposes.

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp will supply the avionics for Airia's new global service.

Boatracs to Develop Information Management System for Seabulk Offshore
Boatracs, a business unit of Advanced Remote Communication Solutions Inc, has reached an agreement to develop an integrated information management system for the Seabulk Offshore Gulf of Mexico workboat fleet.

The agreement calls for an information system that allows the crew to enter data directly into a database resident onboard the vessels. The data will then be transmitted via Satellite to Seabulk's offices and imported into a corresponding database. Initially the information system will allow Seabulk to receive daily master's logs, produce all payroll information, track and account for all fuel and lubricants, report all accidents and incidents and provide Seabulk customers with information via the Internet. Seabulk is beginning with a pilot program on eight vessels. Boatracs already has OmniTRACS satellite communication units on 78 vessels that operate in the Gulf of Mexico. This information management system software will utilise those units to meet Seabulk Offshore's current and emerging communications needs.

BroadLogic's Satellite Express XLT Selected by Alenia Spazio
Alenia Spazio will use the BroadLogic Satellite Express XLT receiver/router in its new SkyPlexNet "turn-key system."

Alenia Spazio is currently deploying a substantial number of BroadLogic's satellite receiver/routers for an Italian corporate customer using business TV applications.

BroadLogic's Satellite Express XLT product is a stand-alone Fast Ethernet receiver/router providing satellite-to-LAN connectivity. Designed to deliver IP multicast services for corporate and commercial broadcast data networks, it offers ease of integration and operational stability demanded by network administrators.

The Satellite Express XLT receiver/router is designed to deliver IP-based video, audio and data to corporate Virtual Private Networks (VPN), content providers and Kiosk applications. In addition, it increases satellite bandwidth utilisation via section packing. The product also includes built-in management features that enable remote monitoring and control over a LAN.

Alenia Spazio's SkyPlexNet aims to provide independent and flexible Satellite access for service providers using only small simple antennas - enabling those providers to reach many more customers at much lower collateral cost. The SkyPlexNet system guarantees quality of access, reliability of broadcast technology, high broadcast performance, competitive cost and the use of standard user terminals. The inclusion of the BroadLogic Satellite Express 2630 XLT product as standard in every SkyPlexNet installation deployed, ensures these targets are met with a consistent cost effective offer.

The SkyPlexNet service features a data rate from 384 kb/s to 2.2 Mb/s in TDMA access mode and up to 6 Mb/s in continuous access mode. Speeds which are facilitated both by Alenia Spazio's expertise in the satellite arena, and BroadLogic's knowledge of broadband receiver/router technology. The service will also offer thematic multi-casting, interactive video communication, and Business and Regional TV.

BroadLogic Supplies Satellite Express PCI+ Card for TV Files' IP Broadband Service
TV Files, a leading provider of end-to-end integrated systems and services for the fast and intelligent broadband distribution of rich multimedia and time-critical content, has chosen BroadLogic's Satellite Express PCI+ card for its horse racing coverage system for SNAI, the leading Italian sports betting chain.

BroadLogic's Satellite Express PCI+ card is a highly integrated satellite-to-PCI broadband receiver designed for DVB compliant satellite networks. Featuring unparalleled RF performance, high data throughput, and support for popular conditional access systems, the Satellite Express PCI+ delivers the flexibility and performance necessary for demanding desktop and server applications.

TV Files chose BroadLogic's receiver boards because of the superior performance, availability of an easy to use SDK and professional support for the Linux operating system. TV Files offers different kinds of satellite receivers equipped with BroadLogic's PCI+ boards. These are: set-top-box like receivers with high-quality MPEG-2 playback capability, infrared remote controller and PAL output; professional receivers with professional level MPEG-2 playback capability and SDI output; proxy servers for different protocols (HTTP, FTP, RTP/RTCP) to be installed on the TV Files customers' LAN; and interactive distance learning terminals.

EMS Technologies Wins SARSAT Payload Contract
EMS Technologies has won a firm fixed-price contract from Canada's Department of National Defense valued at more than Cdn$ 9 million to redesign the Search & Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) radio-frequency payload.

The SARSAT payload is a radio repeater that flies aboard meteorological satellites and receives distress signals from Emergency Locator Transmitters (ELT) on downed aircraft, from Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacons on board ships, and from Personal Locator Beacons carried by hikers and campers.

The SAR repeaters currently in service have played a major role in saving more than ten thousand lives in over 3,000 separate SAR incidents over the last fifteen years. The distress signals, once received by the repeater, are returned to earth via one or more of the 35 Local User Terminals operated by search and rescue authorities in 20 countries.

EMS Technologies designed and manufactured the six repeaters currently in service on board orbiting satellites. The re-design of this equipment is required to match various operational parameters of the new platform. For example, the current frequencies of 121.5 MHz and 243 MHz will be phased out in the future. The 406 MHz frequency, also currently in use, will remain as the principal distress frequency.

The current contract includes the system concept study, the repeater concept, and detailed designs and qualification model manufacturing and testing. Flight repeaters, due for launch in 2008, are not covered by this contract. This contract runs until early 2003.

Eutelsat and Nera Enter Strategic Broadband Partnership
Eutelsat and Nera have announced a strategic partnership for the development of broadband access via satellite. At the core of this agreement is a contract to build a pilot satellite network based on the new international open standard DVB-RCS (Return Channel over Satellite).

Recently approved by the DVB Organisation, the DVB-RCS standard establishes an open specification for a new generation of versatile and low-cost broadband satellite terminals. These terminals are capable of receiving multimedia content at bit-rates up to 50 Mb/s, and can transmit up to 2 Mb/s IP data via a satellite return channel. The partnership between Eutelsat and Nera will ensure the availability of DVB-RCS equipment at both Ku and Ka band and support the foothold of the DVB-RCS standard in the market, worldwide.

In their common project, Nera will develop and deliver to Eutelsat a complete DVB-RCS network, including both hubs and terminals. Eutelsat will contribute satellite capacity. The partnership between Eutelsat and Nera underpins the strategy of both players to increase the market share of satellite networks in the provision of multimedia and broadband access services.

Eutelsat and TV Files Promote Delivery of Multimedia Content
TV Files has announced a partnership agreement with Eutelsat to supply integrated solutions for the distribution of rich multimedia content using Internet protocols via satellite.

TV Files has gained extensive experience in the Business-to-Business market of broadband IP services, bundling delivery services with software or hardware to offer a full range of Internet broadcasting products and services, meeting the content distribution needs of large corporations and media companies. TV Files can provide video and data communication services to business users through its proprietary satellite infrastructure, allowing them to offer their employees and customers services such as Interactive Distance Learning (IDL), Videoconferences, Interactive Business Television, Webcasting and Multimedia Content Delivery.

TV Files and Eutelsat have agreed to establish a common platform for marketing and developing multimedia applications, products and services targeting to serve Content Providers, Internet Service Providers, as well as large corporations. These include substantial technological co-operation between experts of both TV Files and Eutelsat, to develop innovative satellite solutions and applications under the IP protocol.

TV Files and Eutelsat will also be jointly investigating business opportunities in Asia and Latin America to enlarge their product and service offering in these regions in partnership with local companies.

It is expected that Eutelsat will participate in TV Files next equity financing.

FCC Authorises Comtech to Provide Commercial Data Services
Comtech Mobile Datacom Corp, has been granted authority by the FCC to provide satellite-based packet data communications services in the United States on a commercial basis.

The Special Temporary Authority authorises Comtech to provide services through up to 5,000 mobile terminals. An application for a blanket license for service through up to 25,000 mobile terminals is pending.

Comtech will use the satellite and earth station services of TMI Communications under a five-year lease agreement with the Canadian company. The contract with TMI represents the first in a series of agreements to be established with operators of satellites for mobile services throughout the world. Tests and demonstrations are underway or planned in Europe and South East Asia, in anticipation of concluding leasing agreements for satellite access in those regions by early next year.

Comtech's proprietary network and operating system is designed to offer secure, global, satellite-based tracking and messaging services through customer controlled virtual private networks. Comtech recently received its first order for US$ 3.1 million under an eight-year US$ 418 million contract awarded in June 1999 with the U.S. Army to supply their Movement Tracking System for global messaging and position reporting.

Gilat to Home Chooses Telstar 7 for Capacity
Gilat-To-Home Inc (GTH) is to provide two-way high-speed Internet services directly to consumers' homes via Loral Skynet's Telstar 7 satellite.

GTH, America's first consumer two-way satellite high-speed Internet service provider will launch the service in the autumn of 2000 and is expected to be especially attractive to consumers in markets that are not served by cable modem or DSL technology. Last month GTH successfully completed the first phase of its nationwide field trials with thousands of users.. The agreement for the 14 Ku band transponder lease on Telstar 7 will commence immediately. GTH is now preparing for its nationwide commercial launch this autumn.

Telstar 7, located at 129° W, is a Space Systems/Loral satellite and began service in November 1999. It consists of twenty-four 36 MHz C band transponders and twenty-four 36 MHz Ku band transponders providing coverage of the Continental US, the area where the GTH service will be offered, as well as Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, and into Canada and Latin America.

GTH's pilot program was comprised of individuals associated with GTH's four joint venture partners, Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd, Microsoft Corp, EchoStar Communications Corp and ING Furman Selz Investments. In addition to these consumer trials, GTH has also initiated the rollout of the RadioShack demo network, which will serve as GTH's initial retail distribution channel and provide interactive training for sales personnel. GTH expects to have 3,000 RadioShack stores capable of providing live customer demos when its consumer high-speed Internet service is launched.

Hughes to Supply Asiasat 4
The construction of AsiaSat 4 has formally commenced following the conclusion of a satellite procurement contract between the Asia Satellite Telecommunications company Limited (AsiaSat) and Hughes Space and Communications International Inc (Hughes).

AsiaSat 4 is scheduled for launch in the first half of 2002.

The satellite will be positioned at 122° E. It will be a Hughes HS601HP satellite and will carry 28 C -band and 20 Ku band transponders. It will have an operational life of 15 years.

The C band payload is designed to offer pan-Asian coverage, similar to that of the company's two other satellites, AsiaSat 2 and AsiaSat 3S.

The Ku band payload, offering high power and spot beams for selected areas, will consist of 16 Ku band transponders operating in the FSS (Fixed Satellite Service) frequency band and four designed to operate in the BSS (Broadcast Satellite Service) frequency band.

More Hotbirds for Eutelsat
Within the next year, Eutelsat plans to order two new craft, Hot Bird 8 and Hot Bird 9 as replacements for Hot Bird 1 and Hot Bird 2.

Although Eutelsat has no plans for specific Ka band spacecraft, Hot Birds 8 and 9 would each have some Ka band capacity, complementing that already planned for Hot Bird 6. The satellites will be located along with the other Hot Bird satellites at 13° E.

N-STAR c Control Contract Goes to Integral Systems
Orbital Sciences Inc has awarded Integral Systems Inc a contract to provide the Primary and Backup SSCE (Satellite Supervisory and Control Equipment) for the NTT DoCoMo's N-STAR c program.

The N-STAR c satellite will provide mobile communications capabilities to Japan.

Orbital is responsible for the systems engineering, satellite bus, Satellite Supervisory and Control Equipment and Launch services for the N-STAR c program. The N-STAR c satellite is scheduled to be launched in December 2001 into a geosynchronous slot over Japan.

Under this contract, Integral Systems will provide the complete software and hardware solution for the Main SSCE and a backup SSCE in Japan. The N- STAR c SSCE will incorporate all elements of Integral Systems' EPOCH 2000 product line, providing complete real-time command and control, orbital analysis and manoeuvre planning, and off-line trending functions. Additionally, Integral Systems will provide software upgrades to Orbital's EPOCH 2000 command and control systems that support the spacecraft's ground integration and test and Mission Control Center.

STMicroelectronics and Nera to Jointly Develop Consumer Interactive Broadband Solutions
STMicroelectronics is working with Nera to jointly develop competitive solutions for the emerging interactive digital communications market.

The companies plan to develop chipsets and related software for providing turnkey interactive broadband solutions for satellite digital set-top boxes (STBs). The companies also plan to promote together the rapid adoption of these solutions. A variety of access technologies will be supported, including two-way satellite communications, high-speed Internet delivery via satellite and others such as terrestrial wireless point-to-multipoint (MDS, LMDS, PMP) and ADSL.

Both companies are active within the DVB organisation and have participated actively in the development of the new DVB Return Channel via Satellite (DVB-RCS) standard. The standard, recently approved by the DVB Organisation, establishes an open specification for a new breed of versatile low-cost satellite terminals. These terminals are capable of receiving digital TV and IP data at bit-rates up to 50 Mb/s, and can transmit up to 2 Mb/s IP data via a satellite return channel.

Tandberg Selected by Telesat for Nationwide Upgrade
Tandberg Television has been selected by Telesat Canada as a project partner to manage, furnish and install the world's most advanced digital video compression (DVC) technology for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

Under the terms of the agreement, Tandberg Television will supply an MPEG-2 4:2:2 digital video system employing 8PSK modulation for the distribution of the CBC's English Television Network programming to the CBC's regional production centres and transmitter stations across Canada. The total purchase, valued in excess of US$ 3 million, will replace the CBC's current analogue distribution system and is believed to be the first of its kind to utilise 8PSK modulation. It will be ready for operation on August 31, 2000 with total completion scheduled for November, 2000.

The compression uplink equipment being provided by Tandberg Television is part of its newest evolution 5000 system and consists of 8 E5611 encoders (six primary and two redundant,) MX5640 multiplexers, MD5480 8PSK modulators, and an NDS DirectorT network management and receiver control system. All uplink equipment is supported with hot redundant units that can be automatically switched on in the event of a failure. In addition, the system is pre-wired for expansion to a 12+2 channel system.

These new Tandberg Television 8PSK solutions will be formally launched to the international market at the IBC exhibition.

For reception Telesat Canada purchased almost 600 Tandberg Television Alteiaplus digital satellite receivers with 8PSK demodulation, all of which will be installed in CBC regional production centres and transmitter stations across Canada.

The CBC, which conducted exhaustive research on modulation and encoding systems prior to making its final decision, actively participated in testing the system with Telesat at Tandberg Television's UK engineering laboratory. For this system, Tandberg Television offered its state-of-the-art 8PSK modulation capability as opposed to QPSK to allow the CBC to fit between 65 and 68 Mbit/s of information into the available transponder capacity. This compares to the 45 Mb/s maximum bit rate that would have been possible with QPSK

The E5611 encoder produces high-quality 4:2:2 pictures at extremely low bit rates and allows the use of ReflexTM statistical multiplexing for even greater bit rate flexibility. This, combined with the 100 Mb/s output rate of the evolution 5000 multiplexer, will allow the CBC to maximize the number of channels carried in each multiplex without sacrificing video quality.

Terayon and Tadiran Scopus to Deliver Digital TV Solutions
Terayon Communication Systems Inc and Tadiran Scopus have announced that Tadiran Scopus intends to distribute Terayon's CherryPicker digital video management system to broadcasters, satellite and cable operators in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.

Tadiran Scopus plans to offer CherryPicker as a critical component of its MPEG-2 and DVB (Digital Video Broadcast) end-to-end digital television delivery system. With the addition of CherryPicker to its product offerings, Tadiran Scopus can enable its customers to customise their programming line- ups to generate maximum revenue from their digital service deployments. Tadiran Scopus plans to offer CherryPicker in addition to its own encoders, multiplexers, scramblers and professional IRD (Integrated Receiver Decoder).

The CherryPicker digital video management system gives network operators unprecedented flexibility in managing their digital video content. For instance, operators can "cherry pick" to create custom channel line-ups using content from a variety of sources -- such as satellite broadcast and local servers -- to better serve their subscribers.

In addition to its programming customisation capabilities, CherryPicker can also be used to manage Near Video-on-Demand (NVOD) services and to insert local advertisements into digital channels. The CherryPicker digital video management system is completely interoperable with digital video products from most major manufacturers.

More than 700 CherryPickers have been deployed worldwide by such leading cable television operators are Adelphia, Cablecom, Charter, Cogeco, Cox, Suburban, Time Warner and Videotron.

Terayon Selected for Skyline's PowerSat Service
Terayon Communication Systems' data-over-satellite system has been selected by Skyline International for its PowerSat service, which delivers high-speed Internet access via a standard satellite television dish. Skyline is currently marketing PowerSat to businesses and individuals in Greece and Turkey, and the company plans to expand into the Balkans and the Middle East.

To offer its PowerSat service, Skyline is deploying Terayon's WebStream data gateway at its satellite uplink facility and is providing its customers with Terayon's SatStream PC receiver cards and NetStream2000 routers. The entire system allows PowerSat users to receive Internet content delivered at several megabits per second over Eutelsat DVB (Digital Video Broadcast) satellite transponders.

Terayon's end-to-end data-over-satellite system is composed of a WebStream2000 gateway located at an uplink and a SatStream receiver card in an end-user's PC or a NetStream2000 router in a corporate LAN. The system supports downstream data rates up to 53 Mb/s with upstream communication provided by telephone or other terrestrial network. The system complies with the international DVB standard and was developed by ComBox, which Terayon recently acquired in order to expand its line of broadband access systems.

Virtual Onboard Switching To Dramatically Improve Internet Performance
eSAT Inc has successfully completed alpha-testing phase for its new Virtual Onboard Switching satellite technology platform.

VOS has demonstrated significant capabilities to dramatically improve the Internet performance of networks using geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) satellites.

Virtual Onboard Switching systems were designed to provide carrier-class Internet exchange services to Internet service providers (ISPs), telecommunication companies and broadband operators. The marketing focus for these systems will be in international regions where fibre optic transmission lines are either filled to capacity or limited in availability. In these situations, traditional satellite technologies like SCPC (Single Channel Per Carrier) and TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) have previously been utilised to provide basic telecom infrastructure, but are currently less than effective at handling the growth of the Internet and the unique demands of packet-switched networks.

The VOS system was designed by eSAT in response to the need to create a high performance, fault-tolerant network using traditional "bent pipe," high orbit GEO satellites. The system offers aggregate network speeds up to the full capacity of a given satellite, or more than 1,000 times the capacity and speed of a business T1 line. VOS uses a combination of hardware and software, which is designed to increase bandwidth efficiency by 50% or more. The VOS system is managed centrally from a network operation centre (NOC), where each VOS node maintains simultaneous single-hop connectivity to all other VOS nodes in a network. This configuration reduces signal delay and allows for dynamic, real-time management of data traffic.

While several projects involving satellites with complex on-board processing electronics are under evaluation, eSAT believes VOS will quickly establish itself as a preferred technology using existing high-orbit satellites.

The next phase in the development of VOS will be independent testing of the system's data-handling capacities and verification of performance characteristics. First deployments of the system are scheduled to take place in early 2001.

Technology

NASA Selects Research Proposals
NASA has selected 110 promising research proposals from 97 firms negotiation of phase-2 contract awards for its Small Business Innovative Research program. The total value of the awards is expected to be more than US$ 66 million.

A total of 267 proposals were submitted by contractors completing phase-1 projects as part of their 1999 awards. All proposals were peer reviewed for both technical merit and commercial potential.

Phase-2 continues development of the most promising projects selected from the first phase of the competition. Selection criteria include scientific and technical merit, future importance and eventual value of the innovation to NASA, company capabilities and commercial potential.

The goals of the SBIR program are to stimulate technological innovation, increase the use of small business (including women-owned and disadvantaged firms) in meeting federal research and development needs, and increase private sector commercialisation of federally funded research results. Eight of the companies being announced today are disadvantaged firms and 12 are women-owned firms.

The NASA SBIR Program Management Office is located at Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, with executive oversight by NASA's Office of Aerospace Technology, NASA Headquarters, Washington DC. Individual SBIR projects are managed by NASA's field centres.

Launch Services

ARC Monopropellant Thrusters Selected for Boeing X-37
Atlantic Research Corporation (ARC) Liquid Propulsion has been selected by The Boeing Company to provide reaction control thrusters on the Future-X Pathfinder flight demonstration.

Future X Pathfinder is an unpiloted, autonomously-operated, reusable test vehicle being developed by Boeing as a technology test bed for demonstrating advanced airframe, propulsion, and operations technologies in support of multiple space system architectures.

ARC will supply hydrogen peroxide monopropellant thrusters, a modification of a flight qualified design developed in the 1960's that traces its heritage from peroxide thrusters used on the X-1, X-15, Mercury, and Centaur programs. Nineteen ARC thrusters will provide primary attitude control for the Future-X Pathfinder vehicle. The thrusters will also be capable of performing a de-orbit back-up manoeuvre.

The first flight test is planned for early 2002 on the Space Shuttle. The Future-X Pathfinder, which is capable of speeds up to Mach 25 while demonstrating aircraft-like operations, will be the first-ever experimental vehicle of its type to be flown in both orbital and re-entry environments.

Launches

Sirius 2

Launched: 5 September 2000
Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launcher: Proton/Block DM
Orbit: LEO/GEO, apogee: km, perigee: km: inclination: °
International Number: 2000-051A
Name: Sirius 2
Owner: Sirius Satellite Radio
Contractor: Space Systems/Loral

Sirius 2 is a geostationary communications satellite which will be used to broadcast digital radio to North America

Eutelsat W1

Launched: 6 September 2000
Site: CSG Kourou, French Guiana
Launcher: Ariane 44P
Orbit: GEO, 10° E
International Number: 2000-052A
Name: Eutelsat W1
Owner: Eutelsat
Contractor: Astrium

Eutelsat W1 is a communications satellite equipped with 28 Ku band transponders. It is based on Astrium's EuroStar 2000+ bus and it will have a launch mass of approximately 3,250 kg. It will take over the traffic currently being carried by Eutelsat II F4 and which consists of Internet backbone connections, corporate networks including intranets and extranets, automatic file transfer, distribution links for TV stations interconnectivity between Europe and Africa.

Note: the original Eutelsat W1 was destroyed by an accident during testing at the manufacturer's facilities. This satellite was never delivered to Eutelsat. To add confusion, a replacement for Eutelsat W1, to be called Eutelsat W1R, was planned before the original Eutelsat W1 was destroyed.

STS 106 - 4th ISS Flight

Launched: 8 September 2000
Site: Kennedy Space Center, California
Launcher: Shuttle Atlantis (STS-106)
Orbit: LEO, apogee: 328 km, perigee: 328 km: inclination: 51.6°
International Number: 2000-053A
Name: Shuttle Atlantis (STS-106), ISS 2A.2b (Spacehab Double Module)
Owner: NASA

This shuttle mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will complete service module support tasks on orbit, transfer supplies and outfit ISS for the first long-duration crew - Expedition One - scheduled for launch aboard a Soyuz rocket in late October to begin permanent human habitation of the station.

Mission duration will be 11 days. Atlantis docked with the ISS on September 10.

Atlantis carries a crew of 7: Commander Terrence Wilcutt, Pilot Scott Altman, and Mission Specialists Dan Burbank, Ed Lu, Richard Mastracchio, Yuri Malenchencko, and Boris Marukov.

Business

Contract For Goddard Space Center Support Awarded
Space Systems and Applications Inc (SSAI) of Lanham, Maryland, has been selected by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center to provide engineering, science, and technology support for the Space and Earth Science Directorates at Goddard. The contract is valued at US$ 204.5 million over a period of five years.

Two other Maryland firms are major subcontractors on the effort. They are Global Science & Technology Inc of Greenbelt and SM&A of Largo.

The services required under this contract support a broad range of science disciplines including: solar and space plasma physics, astrophysics and astronomy, planetary studies, atmospheric science and climatology, oceanography, land processes, geodynamics, and solid earth geographics. Research and information technology services include scientific data analysis, modeling and simulation of physical processes, development of flight project data systems and large scale data management, archival and delivery systems, systems analysis, and programming.

Work under the Cost-Plus-Award-Fee type contract will be done at Goddard, NASA's Center of Excellence for scientific research.

Ducommun's US$ 4.6 Million Battery Housing Deal
Ducommun subsidiary Aerochem Inc (ACI) has signed a Long Term Agreement (LTA) with Hughes Space and Communications Company to provide battery cell housings for Hughes satellites. The LTA is valued at approximately US$ 4.6 million and continues through June 2002.

The cell housings are incorporated into the battery assemblies, which provide power storage for satellites while in orbit. The battery assemblies are completed at the Hughes facility in Torrance, California.

ACI is the world's largest independent chemical milling company and is able to chemically mill a wide variety of metals including aluminium, titanium and steel. ACI offers the expertise to provide complex parts and subassemblies to commercial, military and aerospace markets.

Integral Systems Acquires SAT Corporation
Integral Systems Inc has acquired SAT Corporation. SAT is a privately held company and worldwide supplier of automatic signal monitoring systems and networks for satellite and terrestrial monitoring applications.

Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, Integral issued 650,000 shares of its common stock to Mr. Herbert Pardula, SAT's Chief Executive Officer and sole shareholder, in a transaction valued at approximately US$ 10.0 million. Integral intends to account for the acquisition using the pooling of interests method of accounting. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2000, SAT earned US$ 7.9 million in revenue and posted US$ 450,000 of income before taxes (unaudited).

Name Change for Kingston TLI
Kingston TLI, the international satellite and broadcasting arm of the Kingston Communications Group, has announced that the company will in future be known as Kingston MediaStream.

The change aims to refocus Kingston TLI's brand, bringing it more into line with its current way of working.

Products and Services

Belgacom Offers Internet Over Satellite
Belgacom, the leading Belgian telecom operator, has announced the launch of its new service, Internet Over Satellite.

Aimed at ISPs and corporate users located in areas with poor terrestrial infrastructure, the new service will offer high-speed Internet connectivity via Eutelsat satellites.

With the Belgacom solution, customers connect their remote communication equipment via Eutelsat to the Belbone, the Belgacom Internet Backbone in order to access the Global Internet.

Operating from Belgacom's earth station complex at Liedekerke (Brussels), the service utilises Eutelsat II-F3 at 21.5° E. This satellite offers wide coverage via capacity in slightly inclined orbit, enabling Belgacom to offer a reliable service at a cost-effective price.

Internet connectivity is provided through Belbone, Belgacom Internet backbone, which is directly connected to the two main Internet backbones in the USA, to the major Europeans POPs and to Asia via Singapore Telecom.

In a first phase, the service is designed to provide up to 45 Mb/s on the forward link (from the backbone to the ISPs) and up to 8 Mb/s on the return link.

For users looking for higher access speeds, Belgacom can provide tailor made solutions. A US$ 10 million deal with SkyVision has just been implemented, offering a complete 155 Mb/s solution for their high-speed Internet connectivity requirements to Israel and several other countries in the region.

The Belgacom Internet Over Satellite Service will be operational in October 2000.

Broadband Datacasting Receivers from International Datacasting
International Datacasting Corporation has added three new DVB multimedia satellite receivers to its SuperFlex product line.

The receivers, which variously distribute data, audio and video services, are targeted at broadband, IP satellite datacasting markets such as Internet, Enterprise Networks, Distance Learning and Multimedia Content Distribution.

IDC's SuperFlex is a digital satellite networking system designed to distribute broadband content (i.e. Internet services, multimedia data, streaming media) by satellite in point-to-multipoint applications. The system incorporates advanced technology using Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB), Internet Protocol (IP) and MPEG international standards. SuperFlex is currently used by world leading organisations such as: Cyberstar, British Telecom, NonStopNet, Kingston TLI, Telefonica, GTE, Hutchison, ITESM, ILCE and General Dynamics.

The new receivers are:

• The SR2001B is a DVB satellite datacasting receiver that can operate at rates from 2 MS/s to 45 MS/s, allowing for full transponder bandwidths. It is DVB transport format compatible up to 78.75 Mb/s, provides Async, Sync, Ethernet (10/100base-T) outputs, and has two Conditional Access (CA) Common Interface (CI) slots and two option card slots. The SR2001B, currently in use by Cyberstar, is geared at commercial customers who want to reliably and securely distribute large amounts of data in point-to-multipoint applications, such as the caching of Internet content at edge servers.
• The SR2060 is a DVB compliant, set-top video and audio satellite receiver designed for commercial and enterprise applications. It is fully remotely manageable by NetManager, IDC's proven network management system. The unit is well suited for broadcast PAL & NTSC video applications including distance education and corporate training.
• The SR2010 is a rack mounted professional video receiver with IDC's Network management system, NetManager, built-in. The unit supports SCPC/MCPC operation with full compliance to DVB-S standards. The SR2010 is designed to receive MPEG-2 MP@ML compliant transport streams and provide broadcast quality video and audio. The SR2010 is well suited for cable head-ends, private networks and distance education/business television applications.

Broadband Data Solution for Carriers and CLECs from ViaCast
ViaCast Networks Inc, a leader in end-to-end broadband IP satellite solutions, has announced the addition of a new DC-powered version to its industry leading IP-Companion product line, part of ViaCast's complete line of Advanced BroadMedia Solutions.

The new IP-Companion allows Carriers and Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) to become new-media companies by enabling them to easily and cost effectively deliver rich media broadband content to customers. Using ViaCast's bypass satellite technology, the new IP-Companion, in tandem with ViaCast's Forte line of DVB/IP encapsulators, can seamlessly complement and overlay existing carrier network infrastructures to support broadband IP delivery.

The new IP-Companion satellite receiver/router supports the common -48 volt DC power main supplies of central offices around the world. In addition to -48V DC power support, ViaCast is currently engaged in securing the stringent Network Equipment Building Specifications (NEBs I) certification often necessary for carrier central office installations. Just like the other IP-Companions, the new -48v version is rack-mountable for central office rack installations.

Continuing ViaCast's philosophy of building easy to use, high performance broadband network appliances, the IP-Companion satellite receiver/router is a stand-alone satellite receiver that connects directly via an L band interface to a common low-cost satellite dish outdoor unit or LNB. Specifically designed for the "mediacasting" market, the IP-Companion is fully Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) compliant and supports the high-speed 10/100BaseT Ethernet interface to connect to a PC, enterprise LAN or Internet headends.

BroadLogic's Satellite Express Broadband Access Gateway
BroadLogic Network Technologies has introduced the Satellite Express XR1/GW, which is to offer users a complete two-way Internet connection. It provides up to 68 Mb/s of satellite-to-LAN bandwidth (10 Mb/s of TCP/IP, 68 Mb/s of UDP) with a suite of integrated applications to simplify and automate the set-up of hybrid satellite-terrestrial networks.

In addition, the broadband access gateway combines high-speed satellite downlink and terrestrial return channels to facilitate transparent access to the Web, e-mail, FTP, and NNTP news. The return channel also serves as an out-of-band link for remote network control and monitoring.

Designed for flexible use, the Satellite Express XR1/GW incorporates BroadLogic's TCP/IP acceleration technology for high-performance broadband access. It can also support PPTP-based VPN packages with an UDLR (UniDirectional Link Routing) mechanism for asymmetrical satellite network architecture.

BSkyB to Launch Personal Video Recorder on UK Market
British Sky Broadcasting has announced that Europe's first integrated Personal Television Recorder - which will combine an enhanced digital satellite set-top decoder with a 40 Gbyte advanced hard-disk recording facility - would go on sale to the general public in the UK in early 2001.

Sky's integrated Personal Television Recorder will allow for the recording of up to 40 hours of programming - in the original digital quality - and will enable viewers to:

• Pause live digital satellite television broadcasts - viewers will no longer miss crucial moments when they are interrupted in the middle of a programme
• Record current and future programmes for later viewing at the touch of a button - no need to set the clock or search for a spare videotape
• Automatically record every episode of a series - viewers will never miss their favourite programmes again
• Control all recorded programmes just like a VCR (pause, rewind, fast-forward)

In another first, Sky's integrated Personal Television Recorder will include two digital satellite tuners, meaning that digital satellite television viewers in the UK will be able to watch one live digital programme (or a previously recorded digital programme) while simultaneously recording another for viewing at a convenient time.

The recorder will utilise an extended version of SkyGuide, the electronic programme guide currently in use in 3.8 million Sky digital homes, allowing viewers to record programmes across the next seven days at the touch of a single button. In addition, the fully integrated system means that the all the functionality is incorporated in one single set-top box, using a single remote control.

Unlike other recording devices, Sky has chosen a technology that will record the original encrypted digital signal, ensuring both the quality of the digital recording and the security of the system.

Sky's integrated Personal Television Recorder is the culmination of two years' development work by Sky and its technology partners NDS, NEC, Open TV and Pace Micro Technology. The unit incorporates NDS's XTV technology, which enables personalised TV services as well as encrypted recording of all content to be stored on the hard disk, ensuring that decryption of that content remains under the control of the NDS conditional access system.

OpenTV has developed a new multi-pipeline operating system for the device that includes extensions for the hard disk functionality and control of twin digital satellite tuners.

The recording functionality has been integrated into a Sky digibox using hard disk interface and indexing hardware developed by NEC, and the NEC `EMMA' single chip set-top box solution. The hard disk drive and dual tuner integration has been completed by Pace, which will also manufacture the integrated Personal Television Recorder.

The branding and price to consumers of Sky's integrated Personal Television Recorder, an unsubsidised premium product, will be announced in the lead up to the consumer launch.

DTH Multimedia Service for French Polynesia
GlobeCast, France Telecom's broadcast services division, and the Office des Postes et Telecommunications of French Polynesia (OPT) are using the Intelsat 701 satellite at 180° E to operate the first multimedia - video and Internet - satellite DTH service for French Polynesia.

One 72 MHz transponder, using the Ku band Spot 3 beam of the Intelsat 701, is being used to cover all the islands that constitute French Polynesia. This is the first digital DTH service dedicated to French language programming in this area of the world that mixes video and Internet services.

GlobeCast is broadcasting this digital bouquet from Paris. Programs are multiplexed in the MPEG-2/DVB format and transmitted via a digital link to Los Angeles. There the signal is uplinked from GlobeCast North America's Sylmar earth station to the Intelsat 701 satellite. The service bouquet contains 12 video channels and 3 audio channels as part of the Tahiti Nui Satellite digital package to French Polynesia.

Tahiti Nui TV, a new French Polynesian local channel, is part of the service bouquet. This contribution signal is uplinked by France Cable et Radio, an affiliate of France Telecom, back to Los Angeles via the Intelsat 701. From there it goes to Paris over cable, where it is multiplexed into the overall digital bouquet for turnaround back to the Polynesian audience.

Programming on Tahiti Nui Satellite includes the following video channels: Teletoon, Infosport, Odyssée, LCI, M6Music, M6, Cinestar 1, CineFAZ, Serieclub, Cinetoile, Matavision and Tahiti NUI TV, as well as the radio channels: Radio Nostalgie, Rire et Chansons, Europe 2.

GlobeCast also implemented three different Internet applications through this bouquet: the first one, MCast Direct, for high speed (100 to 400 kb/s) Internet access; the second, MCast Thematic, to push Internet content; and the third, MCast Mail which alerts subscribers of new e-mail messages, even when off-line. These services are designed to improve response time and avoid congestion on the Internet for end-users.

Ka Band Earth Station Antenna from Andrew Corporation
Andrew Corporation is adding a new 5.6-meter Ka Band antenna to its extensive range of Earth Station Antennas.

At Ka Band, this antenna gives excellent Gateway Station performance for high-density data, mobile voice communications networks and television broadcast video distribution applications.

The 5.6-meter Ka Band antenna is a second-generation antenna with superior gain. This antenna permits communications system integrators and designers to bring their Ka Band gateway systems on-line rapidly and economically. It is compliant with Astra, Eutelsat, Intelsat, ITU, and US FCC regulations.

The new Ka Band antenna has a uniquely formed dual-reflector Gregorian optics system coupled with close-tolerance manufacturing techniques for accurate surface contour, high gain, efficiency, and closely controlled pattern characteristics. A newly designed rain deviator ensures that the feed window remains dry, even in high wind conditions. The rugged low backlash mount construction provides 200 km/hr wind survival and accounts for low values of beam radial pointing errors during tracking modes.

For extended product life, the antenna's ground mount assembly is manufactured from hot-dipped galvanised steel. Stainless steel hardware provides maximum resistance against corrosion. Equipment options, including hub mounted equipment enclosure, anti-icing equipment, and pressurisation systems, are available for cost effective system expansion.

Terayon Introduces Its NetStream2000 Router
Terayon Communication Systems Inc has introduced its NetStream2000 router, which enables organisations to support high-speed Internet access and other data services via satellite.

Intended for Internet Service Providers (ISPs), satellite network operators and corporations, NetStream2000 receives data at up to 53 Mb/s via a standard satellite television dish and then routes the information directly to an organisation's Local Area Network (LAN). This allows an organisation to support fast Internet access, multiple simultaneous multicast services, such push/data broadcast services as Video-over-IP, and other data services.

NetStream2000 supports advanced IP routing features including Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) and Network Address Translation (NAT), and can be remotely managed, monitored and configured using standard network management stations.

ViaCast Offers High Speed Multimedia Solution for SOHO Market
ViaCast Networks Inc, a leader in end-to-end broadband IP satellite solutions, has announced today the addition of its new One.to.One USB-based satellite router.

The One.to.One is targeted towards small to medium enterprise (SME) and small-office-home-office (SOHO) customers for the delivery of rich media data content to the user's desktop.

The One.to.One is the newest member of ViaCast's Advanced BroadMedia Solutions, which offer an end-to-end broadband satellite solution that includes a comprehensive line of encapsulator/gateways and multimedia receivers and software.

Continuing ViaCast's philosophy of building easy-to-use, high performance broadband network appliances, the One.to.One satellite router is a stand-alone satellite receiver that sits alongside a user's PC, much like a standard external DSL, cable or dial-up modem. The One.to.One is fully Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) compliant and connects directly via an L-band interface to a common low-cost satellite dish outdoor unit or LNB. Specifically designed for the "mediacasting" market, the One.to.One output supports the industry standard USB interface now commonly found on desktop PCs around the world.

By delivering rich-media content to the user's PC at speeds up to 2 Mb/s, the One.to.One complements ViaCast's world-class line of enterprise and Internet infrastructure receivers that currently support rich media content delivery at speeds up to 80 Mb/s. ViaCast's current line of multimedia receivers, specifically the IP-Companion satellite receiver/router and Quantum-MSR multimedia satellite receiver are designed for high-speed enterprise LAN environments, as well as Internet infrastructure applications. Typical Internet infrastructure applications include the feeding of Internet content to the edge of the network in order to bypass congested multi-router terrestrial lines for Internet headends such as ISPs, cable headends, DSL headends and other telecommunication service providers.

People

New VP, Engineering for Boeing Space and Communications
The Boeing Company has announced the appointment of Dr. Thad Sandford as vice president, engineering at its Space and Communications (S&C) Group in Seal Beach.

Sandford, who will be responsible for technical excellence throughout the US$ 7-billion, 34,000-person S&C organisation, succeeds Ron Duncan, who has announced his intention to retire after 33 years of company service. In his new position, Sandford will oversee the S&C Engineering Council and will provide executive management of the engineering process development program, establishment of engineering best practices, oversight of engineering skills development and staffing processes, and ensuring engineering execution across Boeing's fastest-growing business group. In addition, Sandford will continue his responsibilities as Phantom Works Site Leader for Southern California to ensure a seamless leveraging of Phantom Works assets in support of all Boeing businesses in Southern California.

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