15 October 2000

Satcoms

Cyberstar Provides High Speed Internet to India's Caltiger.com
Caltiger.com, a leading ISP in India, will use CyberStar s high-speed, satellite-based WorldCast Premier Internet access service to speed up Internet content delivery to its end users. The contract will provide Caltiger with 100 MB of bandwidth and Internet gateways in 10 cities across India.

Caltiger.com plans to add an additional 30 gateways by March 2001.

Caltiger.com was launched nationally on March 31, 2000 to provide free Internet access across India, and by June 2000, the company had a total subscriber base of more than 200,000 in six cities. Caltiger has a current subscriber acquisition rate of 1500-2000 per day and projects up to 4000 per day as operation starts in additional cities. Caltiger has plans to roll out its service to about 100 cities by the end of 2000.

WorldCast Premier is a highly reliable satellite-based Internet access service that supports high-speed, asymmetric, hybrid and multicast traffic. It offers a totally flexible network solution that can be customised to meet the specifications of any ISP or enterprise user of Internet services. Worldcast Premier provides a multicast TCP/IP network with committed information rates (CIRs) that can be configured as a satellite-only network using very small aperture terminals (VSATs) or as a hybrid network integrating a one-way satellite link with existing terrestrial networks.

DirecTV Goes Interactive
DirecTV Inc, Wink Communications Inc, and Thomson Multimedia have announced the launch of DirecTV Interactive Powered by Wink.

During the rest of this month, more than 1 million DirecTV customers who own a Wink-capable RCA DirecTV receiver will receive a software download bringing them free of charge the new DirecTV Interactive service Powered by Wink - making this the largest interactive TV deployment in the United States. DirecTV Interactive uses Wink's end-to-end system for interactive television, and allows customers to interact with the programs and commercials offered by programmers and advertisers.

Thomson Multimedia - manufacturer and marketer of RCA consumer electronics products - was the first manufacturer of Wink-capable DirecTV receiver systems and has been the primary manufacturer to market such receivers to retailers since late 1999. DirecTV expects to have the DirecTV Interactive Powered by Wink service operating in over 5 million DirecTV customer homes by the end of 2001.

All DirecTV customers who own an RCA-brand Wink-capable DirecTV System will receive a software upgrade/download transmitted through DirecTV's satellite broadcast to their digital receiver, which will enable the activation of the DirecTV Interactive service, delivered using Wink's technology. The Wink-enhanced interactive broadcasts are free of charge to DirecTV customers and are available on more than 1,500 hours of programming.

Wink Enhanced Broadcasting gives viewers a free and convenient way to interact with programs and advertisements while they continue to watch TV. Wink's technology solution enables programmers and advertisers to enhance TV with on-screen interactive data overlays related to the TV program, that appear as viewer-controlled text and graphics. When DirecTV Interactive is available to a DirecTV customer, a small symbol appears on the viewer's TV screen, indicating that the show or commercial is Wink enhanced. The viewer can choose to interact with the show or advertisements by using their remote control. DirecTV Interactive Powered by Wink is free to the user, requiring no infrastructure upgrades or additional hardware in the home for viewers with Wink-capable digital satellite receivers.

Europe Online Drops Out of Internet by Satellite
Europe Online, a leading European provider of high-speed Internet services via satellite, is relaunching itself as an interactive broadcaster after concluding that the technology cannot be used for Web surfing.

The company currently uses an Astra satellite to beam Internet content to 15,000 customers across Europe.

Europe Online has found that download speeds slow considerably as the number of users rises negating the advantage of having a high speed broadcast channel available. Further slowing response times, the service was constrained by using a normal dial up modem for the return connection.

Luxembourg based Europe Online is to relaunch itself on November 1 as an Internet-based multimedia entertainment network, starting in Germany and then in France. It will beam television broadcasts, including programmes from its own studio, to computers connected to a 60 cm satellite dish. Later it plans to provide services through set-top television boxes. The company hopes to have 50,000 customers by the end of the year.

Worldspace Enters Internet Market
WorldSpace Corp is about to become the first company to provide datacasting through portable digital satellite receivers.

Worlspace's service will be launched on October 18 and will be delivered through a multimedia data port on WorldSpace receivers that can be connected to the computer to download content from any of WorldSpace's three geostationary satellites. The service must be expected to dramatically improve Internet connection speeds that are very poor, especially in Africa and the Middle East. Accessed will be on a subscription basis.

The service will also not allow Internet users to bypass ISPs but will require a return path through a conventional modem via an ISP.

Military Space

Upgrading the USAF's Ground Control Centres
The US Air Force has selected Lockheed Martin to sustain and upgrade its ground control centres that operate mission critical research satellites.

The five-year, US$ 31 million contract, awarded by the Air Force's Space Test and Evaluation Program Office, is for engineering, development and sustainment activity, and could grow in value if additional tasks are assigned.

The control centres, located at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico and Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, operate research satellites that are used to prove new spacecraft and ground system technologies.

The contract also provides for sustainment and operation of the Air Force's deployable antenna systems at the Kirtland base. These antennas are deployed to remote locations worldwide and are often the only systems able to collect telemetry data vital to understanding the health of new satellites and boosters during critical phases of launch and early orbit.

Science

ESA Announces Six Major Science Missions
The European Space Agency has announced plans for six major scientific space missions to be launched over the next fifteen years.

The six projects are:

• the BepiColombo unmanned probe to Mercury. It will carry three probes and will investigate the internal structure of the planet Mercury, its atmosphere and will determine whether it has polar ice deposits. Launch is scheduled for 2009.
• the GAIA satellite which will carry a pair twin telescopes and a spectrometer. It will perform a stereoscopic survey of more than a billion stars (approximately 1% of the stellar population of our galaxy), detect possibly more than 20,000 extrasolar planets, perform a census of asteroids in the Solar System and test General Relativity with unprecedented accuracy. Launch is scheduled for 2012.
• the Next Generation Space Telescope is the successor to Hubble. This will be built with NASA by 2010. It will be an all-purpose observatory, but its main mission will be to explore faint light outside the galaxy to reveal more about the formation of the universe.
• LISA, the Laser Interferometry Space Antenna, will also be a joint project with NASA. Its will consist of three satellites which will orbit the sun in a triangle formation five million kilometres apart, continually measuring their relative distances by laser. Small fluctuations in their separation will allow the detection and observation of gravitational waves from massive black holes and galactic binary stars. Launch is scheduled for 2008.
• Solar Orbiter will orbit 30 million kilometres from the sun in a sun-synchronous orbit. It will return images of the solar surface and will measure the solar wind and particles. It is scheduled for launch after 2009.
• Eddington will use a one-metre telescope to look for small oscillations in the brightness of stars, caused by extrasolar planets passing in front of them.

French Approve COROT Mission
The Board of Administration of the French National Center of Space Studies (CNES) has given the go-ahead for the COROT science mission.

COROT (COnvection, ROtation and planetary Transits) is a high-precision stellar photometry mission with two science objectives: the study of the internal structure and dynamics of stars by observing their natural oscillation modes (asteroseismology) and the search for extrasolar planets (exoplanets).

The COROT instrument is a white light photometer with a reflector telescope, a dioptric imaging objective and large defocused CCD sensors. COROT will offer pointing accuracy on the order of one hundredth of a degree. It will be placed into a circular orbit at an altitude of 850 kilometers.

The mission is currently scheduled for launch in 2004 and expected to end in 2007. COROT is the third mission of CNES's low-cost mission program built around PROTEUS bus.

Tracking Jaws by Satellite
The Association for the Study and Preservation of Selachii (APECS) has developed a transmitter, which will enable scientists to follow the migration of basking sharks using Argos satellites.

The basking shark is the second largest fish in the world and mostly visible in spring and summer, but scientists have tended to ignore where it spends autumn and winter. During these periods, the basking shark cannot be followed by the Argos satellite positioning system, which only detects surface movements.

APECS have therefore developed, in partnership with two engineering schools and the French Research Institutes for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER), a transmitter which will record the migration movements of the fish during these periods. This transmitter can operate autonomously for one-year and is designed to be placed at the base of the shark's fin. At the end of its mission, the transmitter detaches itself from the shark, floats to the surface and then transmits its recorded data to an Argos satellite.

Manned Space

L-3 and EMS Technologies Supply Updated Comms For ISS
The current Space Shuttle mission, STS-92, to the International Space Station will install communications equipment supplied by L-3 Communications and EMS Technologies. L-3 Communications is also providing attitude control equipment for the ISS.

L-3's Communication Systems-East division is providing the Ku band communication subsystem, the S band communication subsystem, and the external video subsystem.

The Ku band communication subsystem will be used for high-speed transmission of video and scientific data to earth. The S band communication subsystem will allow for transmission of two-way voice communication and telemetry data. The external video subsystem provides visual surveillance of exterior Space Station areas to help monitor assembly operations, payload integration and astronaut safety during space walks.

The current mission will install components of both the Ku band and S band communication subsystems.

Products designed and manufactured by L-3's Space and Navigation business include the Control Movement Gyros which provide attitude control for the ISS.

EMS Technologies Inc is providing a Ku band communications antenna. The 1.9 m diameter gimballed Ku band Cassegrain antenna has been designed to provide primary high-data-rate uplink and downlink communications between the International Space Station and NASA ground stations. The Ku band antenna is capable of automatically tracking NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System communication satellites (TDRSS) while transmitting at data rates of up to 75 Mb/s.

This Shuttle flight also carries a gimballed S-Band horn and omni-directional antenna from EMS Technologies, both of which have been pre-installed on the Z1 truss. These antennas will provide the voice communications and the telemetry tracking and control communications. All of these antennas should be activated in January 2001 when the US Laboratory (Unity) is scheduled to be launched.

MirCorp: IPO and Burn?
MirCorp, which has leased time for commercial use on Russia's Mir space station has announced that it intends to go to the stock market for US$ 117 million.

Netherlands based MirCorp will do an initial public offering in February 2001 of 9% of the company. The shares will be listed on the US Nasdaq exchange, in London and in Singapore.

The money raised by the IPO will be used to make improvements in the current core module, including new computers, software and solar panel and to keep it flying.

Energia, which owns Mir and has a 60% shareholding in MirCorp, is less than enthusiastic about the IPO. The Russian government has, reportedly, given Energia the money and a launch vehicle to send an unpiloted Progress supply ship to Mir next week. The Progress mission will temporarily boost the space stations orbit but may also be used to deorbit Mir.

If Mir is deorbited it may well be early next year. The big question appears to be which will happen first, the IPO or Mir's deorbiting.

Launches

HETE-2

Launched: 8 October 2000
Site: Kwajalein Missile Range, Pacific Ocean
Launcher: Pegasus XL
Orbit: LEO, apogee: 640 km, perigee: 592 km
International Number: 2000-061A
Name: High Energy Transient Explorer (HETE-2)
Owner: NASA
Contractor: MIT

HETE-2 is a gamma ray observatory that is designed to gamma ray bursts and other high energy cosmic phenomenon so that astronomers can point ground based instruments to objects of interest almost immediately an event occurs. It can detect up to 1000 events per year and will have a lifetime of four years.

HETE-2 will be able to provide accurate positional and spectral information to ground based observers within a minute of a burst commencing.

The spacecraft carries three main instruments and a computer network that transmits data to other observatories. The French Gamma Telescope (FREGATE), built by CESR, will detect gamma-ray bursts and very bright (higher energy) X-ray transients. The Wide-Field X-ray Monitor (WXM), built by RIKEN and Los Alamos National Laboratory, detects light slightly lower in energy than the FREGATE does. The WXM therefore will detect fewer gamma-ray bursts than FREGATE, but because of its superior resolution, will be able to locate the FREGATE-detected bursts to within 10 arc minutes. The Soft X-ray Camera (SXC), built by MIT, replaces the ultraviolet cameras on the original HETE. The SXC covers the lowest-energy band of the three instruments. It also provides the best angular resolution, resulting in a location accuracy of about 10 arc seconds, more than an order of magnitude finer that any previous gamma-ray burst instrument.

The HETE-2 satellite will continuously broadcast the burst information. On the ground, an array of listen-only "burst-alert" stations receives the data and transmits it to the MIT Control Center. From there, burst information will immediately be relayed to the Gamma Ray Burst Co-ordinate Distribution Network at Goddard for distribution to interested ground observers.

STS 92 - 5th ISS Flight

Launched: 11 October 2000
Site: Kennedy Space Center, California
Launcher: Shuttle Discovery
Orbit: LEO, inclination: 51.6°
International Number: 2000-062A
Name: Shuttle Discovery (STS-92) ISS 3A (Z-1 truss)
Owner: NASA

The main purpose of this mission is to take and attach the SS Truss Z1 to the International Space Station. The mission will also deliver and install communications equipment and the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 which will be attached to the Unity module. The adapter forms a new docking port for the ISS. The Z1 truss provides a structural backbone for the Station, with four Control Moment Gyroscopes that will be used to maintain the Station's attitude in space. The truss also houses key communications gear. The truss assembly will support the large solar arrays that will be delivered during the next Shuttle mission, STS-97.

The crew consists of: Commander Brian Duffy, Pilot Pam Melroy and Mission Specialists Leroy Chiao, Bill McArthur, Jeff Wisoff, Mike Lopez-Alegria and Koichi Wakata.

Uragan

Launched: 13 October 2000
Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launcher: Proton K/Blok DM
International Number: 2000-063A/B/C
Name: Uragan (3 satellites)

The three Uragan satellites will be used to complement the Russian Glonass satellite navigation system.

Business

Astro Research Becomes OSSS Agent in Japan
Astro Research has signed a memorandum of understanding with One Stop Satellite Solutions Inc (OSSS) to become its authorised agent in Japan.

The preliminary agreement also calls for joint marketing efforts for small satellites in Japan and Asia and the potential for OSSS to work with Astro Research to integrate payloads onto an OSSS multi-payload adapter satellite.

OSSS has commercialised the technology under development for 15 years at the Center for Aerospace Technology (CAST) at Weber State University, USA. OSSS and CAST have successfully designed, engineered and manufactured eight low earth orbit (LEO) satellites in the 50 to 250-kg class.

Cidera Completes WAVO Acquisition
WAVO Corporation has completed the transaction to sell its satellite delivery division to Cidera Inc for US$ 14.5 million.

Terms of the deal include the sale of WAVO's FM and satellite network assets for US$ 12 million in cash, US$ 2.5 million in Cidera common stock and the assumption of certain liabilities. In addition, Cidera has entered into a US$ 1.2 million, renewable service agreement with WAVO to utilise WAVO's MediaXpress service to provide Internet-based delivery for select Cidera customers.

StarBand Registers IPO
StarBand Communications Inc ("StarBand") has filed a registration statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering of common stock lead managed by Merrill Lynch & Co., with Credit Suisse First Boston, Salomon Smith Barney, CIBC World Markets and ING Barings as co-managers.

StarBand, launching US wide service in the fourth quarter 2000, is a provider of two-way, always-on high-speed Internet access via satellite to residential and small office/home office customers across the United States.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective.

Verestar to Acquire InterPacket Networks
Verestar Inc has announced the execution of a definitive agreement to acquire InterPacket Networks Inc, a leader in providing international Internet Service Providers (ISPs) high-speed, low cost Internet access via a global satellite overlay network.

The acquisition is expected to close by year end and is subject to customary governmental approvals.

In addition to a sales and distribution network that offers international ISPs reliable connectivity to the US backbone in over 100 countries, InterPacket's three Network Operations Centres (NOCs) in California, Europe and Asia provide its customers with 24x7 operations. The company also has third party access to over eleven geostationary satellites.

InterPacket's customer base includes ISPs that need high speed Internet backbone connectivity and value added Internet business services. Content distributors and aggregators that need to populate edge caching services around the world are also a key customer segment. InterPacket also offers corporations, universities and other enterprises, backbone connectivity and innovative ways to obtain greater value from the Internet.

Products and Services

Arnav Systems Selects Globalstar Service
Arnav Systems Inc, has announced an agreement with Globalstar to provide satellite-based voice and data communication for the Arnav Aeronautical Network (AAN).

Serving the general aviation (GA) market which includes regional jets, smaller air transport, and private aircraft Arnav will offer cockpit satellite telephony and data services of WxLink graphical weather services, flight following, e-mail messaging, engine trend monitoring and reporting, and cockpit Internet connection for aircraft management services.

Arnav is announcing two Globalstar product offerings. The R-COM1000 is a voice telephony and packet data link system, comprised of a Qualcomm Mobile Phone, a phone docking station, an aircraft satellite antenna, and a cockpit integration module which interfaces the phone into the audio panel, aircraft power supply, and avionics display. Airborne phone access is accomplished via the avionics panel and the pilot headset(s). The phone can be undocked and used on the ground as a mobile satellite or cellular phone. The R-COM1000 will be offered at US$ 9,995.00 (manufacturer s suggested retail price) with telephony service plans as low as US$ 1.65 per minute. The basic telephone service provides voice, voicemail, and short messaging service (SMS). SMS allows a variety of services such as delivery of news, weather, travel plans, and directory browsing. Facsimile and other services will be offered later in 2001. The Globalstar current service coverage includes Alaska, Canada, USA, Mexico, Central America, South America, North Atlantic, Europe, and Australia.

As a data-only offering, Arnav will also introduce the R-COM50 packet data satellite transceiver. Data services offered will be WxLink weather services, e-mail, Out-Off-On-In (OOOI) messages (used to report aircraft operation data), automatic aircraft position reporting, engine trend monitoring and reporting, and dispatch management through the AAN Internet Gateway. The R-COM50 will be offered at US$ 6,995.00 with on-demand cost projected at US$ 2.00 per combined data services message.

The R-COM1000 and R-COM50 will meet or exceed DO160D specifications, FAA Certified under STC and PMA, FCC and ITU approved for airborne application. The systems are currently in testing. Arnav expects delivery of the R-COM1000 during the second quarter of 2001 with delivery of the R-COM50 to follow later that year.

People

David Lillington Named President of Spectrolab
Dr David Lillington has been appointed president of Spectrolab Inc, the world's leading manufacturer of spacecraft solar cells.

He is responsible for all operations and financial matters for the company. Lillington has been acting president since his predecessor, Dieter Zemmrich, retired earlier this year. Lillington will report to Joseph M DeSarla, executive vice president at Boeing Satellite Systems in El Segundo, California. Spectrolab is one of three businesses acquired by The Boeing Company last week from Hughes Electronics Corporation.

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