19 November 2000

Satcoms

Auctioning Cattle by Satellite
Sat-Tel Corporation has signed a contract with The Canadian Satellite Livestock Auction (CSLA) to broadcast 20 auctions annually on Bell ExpressVu.

To view the events, customers will require a Bell ExpressVu 45 cm dish and a subscription provided by Sat-Tel Corporation. Customers have the option of a Can$ 25.00 monthly subscription or a Can$ 149.00 annual package.

CSLA will pay Sat-Tel Corporation for satellite bandwidth and technical logistics, which includes fibre optic delivery to Bell ExpressVu. Sat-Tel will process subscriptions and annual renewals and co-ordinate an upgrade programme for customers currently viewing using C band. Sat-Tel will host the broadcast at its building, and provide a single point of contact for subscribers.

There are approximately 54,400 cattle farmers in Western Canada, 36,940 of which are located in Alberta. Each auction can sell from 5,000 to 18,000 head of cattle in a matter of hours. Cattlemen may participate by gathering at pre-determined auction sites, or by using Bell ExpressVu from their own homes.

Cinema by Satellite
The Boeing Company, Miramax Films, AMC Theatres, EnergyDigital, QuVIS, Texas Instruments and Williams Communications have unveiled a satellite-based system designed to revolutionise motion picture film distribution.

The unveiling was at the AMC Empire Theatre in New York, where for the first time a major movie, "Bounce," starring Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow, was delivered via satellite direct to a cinema screen, using a Boeing-developed service called Cinema Connexion by Boeing.

AMC Theatres has outfitted two of its auditoriums in the Empire 25 Theatres in Times Square with digital projection, and has installed a satellite dish and all the software and hardware to securely receive, store and then project a movie digitally.

Boeing provided encryption and satellite transmission of the movie ("Bounce"), video segments and movie trailers via its new content management and transmission system, Cinema Connexion by Boeing. This open architecture system allows the secure transmission of movies to thousands of cinemas simultaneously.

EnergyDigital designed and orchestrated the event. It specialises in the convergence of the wide range of companies, content and technologies needed to make digital cinema possible.

Miramax Films provided the movie ("Bounce," starring Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow), which opened in cinemas across the USA on November 17. The AMC Empire will play the film exclusively in digital format.

QuVIS designed and manufactures the QuBit, the video server that provides three essential functions for this project including in-theater storage, compression and control of digital movies.

Texas Instruments provided the digital projectors that out-perform film for the first time - especially after a movie's first week, when torn film, fading and scratches significantly reduce viewing quality.

Williams Communications Vyvx Services provided secure fibre-optic transmission for the digital movie through its network operations centre and satellite uplink support.

Contracts for Gilat
Gilat has announced four major new VSAT deals.

Gilat has signed a letter of intent with Telefonos de Mexico (TelMex) to provide a satellite-based rural telephony network covering nearly 2000 sites for use in public call offices throughout Mexico. The network, based on Gilat's FaraWay Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) product is expected to begin deployment immediately following execution of a binding contract.

Gilat's China office has confirmed the sale of a 1,000-site satellite network to Shanghai Jianhua Satellite Networks Corp. The network, which is based on Gilat's SkyBlaster product, is currently being deployed. SkyBlaster is Gilat's two-way PC-based satellite solution for broadband Internet applications. Jianhua intends to serve as a network operator and to use the SkyBlaster network to provide satellite-based Internet services to Chinese consumers and businesses.

Gilat's Spacenet subsidiary will soon begin the rollout of a 500-site network for a prominent non-profit organisation. Under the recently signed contract, the network, which is expandable to 1,000 sites, will provide a private data network for administrative and other communications needs across the continental United States. Spacenet will provide an end-to-end networking solution, including network design, system installation and ongoing operations and maintenance. The network is expected to be deployed by the fourth quarter of 2001.

Spacenet also announced its selection by CHSI Corporation to provide a Skystar Advantage VSAT network to 500 independent and small-chain pharmacies nationwide. CHSI is an Application Service Provider that provides integrated technology solutions that enable small-chain and independent pharmacies to obtain certain functionality, such as adjudication and Internet access, enjoyed by large pharmacy chains. Network implementation is expected to begin in early 2001.

Globalstar do Brasil Installs Phones in Inter-City Buses

Globalstar do Brasil has signed a contract with Itapemirim, the largest passenger transportation company in Brazil, to install Globalstar phone units in the company's inter-city buses. These buses are a vital transport link between major cities and through remote areas where virtually no cellular service is available.

Globalstar phones are now being installed on 43 buses operated by Itapemirim and Penha, two companies in the Itapemirim Group, with commercial service starting on December 1. Phones will also be installed on all new buses added to both companys' fleets in the future. Passengers will be able to make calls using pre-paid smart cards virtually anywhere the buses travel around the country.

HNS Selects CacheFlow to Speed Delivery Over DirecPC
Hughes Network Systems (HNS) has deployed CacheFlow content acceleration appliances to speed Internet performance in its DirecPC satellite-based, broadband Internet delivery service.

CacheFlow was selected by HNS because its solutions cut Web response times for business and consumer subscribers and reduced wide-area network (WAN) bandwidth utilisation more than other caching systems tested.

The DirecPC network provides "Turbo Internet" service with download speeds of up to 14 times faster than a standard 28.8 modem. CacheFlow appliances accelerate the service by intelligently storing and serving the Internet content most often requested by DirecPC subscribers, while simultaneously monitoring the source of that content for changes. About 54% of DirecPC user requests are served from CacheFlow appliances at the DirecPC network operations centre (NOC) in Germantown, Maryland. The content is relayed from the NOC to the satellite, transmitted to the user's DirecPC satellite dish, and then delivered to the user's personal computer.

New Satellites for Canada
Industry Canada is to authorise the development of Canada's geostationary slot at 118.7° W. It has also authorised additional satellites for Telesat Canada, ExpressVu and StarChoice.

Industry Canada is to publish a Call for Applications for the licence to use the slot at 118.7° W. The licence, when issued, will allow the holder to provide telecommunication services to all regions of Canada, including northern Canada.

Telesat Canada has been authorised to launch a second Direct Broadcasting Satellite (DBS) to provide satellite capacity for satellite broadcasting services permitting Telesat to launch and operate a satellite to provide restoration capacity for its Nimiq satellite currently providing DTH services in Canada.

ExpressVu and Star Choice have also received authorisations to allow them to develop their existing satellite orbital positions by deploying Ka band satellites which will be co-located with their existing DTH satellites.

Star Choice and ExpressVu will be allowed to compete using new and existing facilities in all market segments which are accessible to conventional cable operators, including the provision of high-speed, broadband access for interactive multimedia services, broadband Internet access, Digital and High Definition TV and interactive TV.

Industry Canada expects that these satellites will be launched and in service early in 2004.

Sattel and Capwire Form Joint Venture for Philippines Network
Sattel Global Networks, a manufacturer of satellite systems for public switched telephone and data networks, has signed a five-year joint venture agreement with Capwire Telecommunications Inc of the Philippines.

Under the Agreement, Capwire will install Sattel satellite terminals at key locations in its nationwide network. The first of these satellite terminals has been shipped to Capwire and will be installed at the Federal Express regional facility in Manila, a Capwire customer. Sattel's advanced technology will make possible enhanced domestic and international telephone and Internet services to Capwire's extensive customer base.

In addition, Sattel will provide satellite bandwidth for Capwire's network, and international traffic termination for the network through its Los Angeles traffic hub and worldwide carrier agreements. Sattel will also provide network administration and technical support services for the network.

Sattel and Capwire will share net operating revenues generated by the network over the life of the agreement. Based on current and projected traffic volumes and network expansion plans, Sattel estimates its share of operating revenues resulting from this Agreement will be in excess of US$ 50 million over the five-year life of the agreement.

The Capwire network serves an extensive subscriber base through approximately 100 Company installations in the Philippines. Capwire chose Sattel's technology to improve its network reliability and reduce circuit operating costs. Sattel's technology and international hub services will help to position Capwire to provide large corporate customers such as Federal Express with modern Internet services. The Agreement benefits Sattel as well, by extending its existing international hub and carrier network into new markets in Southeast Asia.

Sattel and Optel Team For Guatemalan Rural Network
Sattel has signed a major ten-year joint operating agreement with Optel SA of Guatemala. The activities on this program will be carried out by Sattel's wholly-owned subsidiary, Sattel de Guatemala.

Based on current and projected traffic volumes and network expansion plans, Sattel estimates total operating revenues generated by this contract to be in excess of US$ 75 million over the ten-year program.

Optel currently owns and operates a telecommunications network consisting of fibre and satellite links to key communities in Guatemala, which it uses to deliver telephone and ISP services to its extensive subscriber base. Under the new agreement Optel and Sattel will jointly implement and operate Optel's expanded rural satellite network that will serve up to 1,000 locations throughout the country.

In addition, Sattel will provide domestic connectivity for the network through a new hub in Guatemala City, and carry international traffic for the network through its Los Angeles traffic hub and worldwide network. Sattel will also perform network technical supervision and support to the expanded network.

Sattel and Optel will share net operating revenues generated by the network on a 50-50 basis over the ten-year life of the agreement just signed.

Earth Observation

Lockheed Reviews Space Imaging Investment
In a US Securities and Exchange Commission filing Lockheed has revealed that it is reviewing its US$ 160 million, 46% stake in Space Imaging.

Space Imaging operates the Lockheed-built imaging satellite Ikonos, which offers an optical resolution of one meter.

Lockheed's filing states "As a result of continued competitive pressures in the commercial imaging market and financial market conditions related to space-based information systems, Space Imaging's business and financing plans are currently under review by its investors." As well as Lockheed, Space Imaging's investors include Raytheon and Eastman Kodak.

Space Imaging, along with its competitors, is suffering from a common problem amongst companies trying to operate in new satellite markets - there are fewer customers than their business plans require. To counteract the lack of commercial customers, they have been trying to pressure US government agencies, particularly the military, to buy more of their imagery to supplement the high resolution imagery available from military spy satellites.

Navigation

Boeing Wins Second Next Generation GPS Study Contract
The US Air Force has awarded a US$ 16 million firm fixed price contract to the Boeing Global Positioning System (GPS) III industry team to perform a comprehensive 12-month GPS III architecture study.

GPS III is a new initiative by the USAF that will look at the next-generation GPS and how requirements for the satellite-based navigation system will evolve over the next 30 years. The GPS III architecture study will assess the mission needs and requirements of the existing system, and will validate their achievability by developing innovative architecture recommendations.

Work is scheduled to begin immediately in Seal Beach, California, and will be managed out of Boeing Government Information & Communications Systems (GI&CS) headquarters in Anaheim, California.

Team members include Boeing Satellite Systems, formerly Hughes Space and Communications Company, of El Segundo, California; Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) of Rockville, Maryland; Lockheed Martin Management and Data Systems (M&DS) of Gaithersburg, Maryland; and Raytheon Company of El Segundo, California. Boeing Satellite Systems will have responsibility for the space element. CSC, along with Boeing and Lockheed Martin M&DS will support the ground element. Raytheon Company will lead the user element with support from Boeing.

The GPS III architecture study, the first of a three-phase program, will conclude in late 2001. Two contracts will then be awarded following open competition for the two-year program definition and risk reduction phase, which will lead to the selection in 2004 of one contractor who will develop and have total systems responsibility for the next-generation navigation system.

A parallel contract has also been awarded to Lockheed Martin as was reported last week.

Military Space

Refining Space-Based Lasers
Team SBL-IFX, a joint venture comprising TRW, Lockheed Martin and Boeing, is using results from a recent test of the TRW-built Alpha chemical laser to validate and refine the software models being used to design and predict the performance of the high-energy laser required for an experimental space-based missile defence system proposed by the Air Force and the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization.

The test is the latest in a string of successes the team has had in reducing the potential size, weight and cost of the Space-Based Laser Integrated Flight Experiment (SBL-IFX), expected to be launched in 2012.

The six-second test of the megawatt-class Alpha was conducted Oct. 12 at TRW's Capistrano Test Site in Southern California. It demonstrated that discrete variations in the laser's chemical flow rates could be used to tailor the laser's chemical efficiency and output power, and the uniformity of its beam. The test also validated a new diagnostic tool used to calculate the laser's output power during testing.

Team SBL-IFX conducted the Alpha test as part of its US$ 240 million development contract with the Air Force and the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization. The SBL-IFX project will use a cylindrical, hydrogen-fluoride chemical laser like Alpha as its baseline, but will take advantage of engineering advances in the design and fabrication of laser hardware since Alpha was designed in the mid-1980s.

The Alpha test follows several other recent developments by Team SBL-IFX that will reduce the SBL-IFX laser's size, weight and cost, and enhance its performance. The list of successes includes:

• Development of a new, self-cooling laser nozzle (device that feeds chemical reactants into lasing cavity) that allows the laser to extract 30% more output power from a given amount of laser reactants;
• Development and demonstration of a faster, more reliable way to fabricate the nozzles into rings that form the SBL-IFX laser's primary combustion chamber, known as the gain generator; and
• Development of the manufacturing processes required to produce and coat uncooled, single-crystal silicon optics used for the mirrors in the SBL-IFX lasing cavity. The use of uncooled optics will eliminate the significant weight and complexity of "plumbing" systems required by traditional water-cooled laser systems.

Team SBL-IFX will couple data from the Alpha test with data from small-scale hardware based on the new nozzle design to refine the computer-based model of the megawatt-class SBL-IFX laser. That model will become the basis for the SBL-IFX laser payload design.

Team SBL-IFX's risk-reduction activities are focused on maturing the component technologies required to produce, integrate and perform a ground-based demonstration of a full-scale SBL-IFX integrated test unit before the end of the decade. The objective of the SBL-IFX project is a lethal, on-orbit demonstration of SBL-IFX's defensive capabilities against a live, boosting missile target, expected in 2013.

Team SBL-IFX comprises TRW Space & Electronics Group, Redondo Beach, California; Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space Operations, Sunnyvale, California; and Boeing Space & Communications Group, Seal Beach, California.

Science

NASA's UV Science Mission to End
After eight years on orbit, more than twice its planned lifetime, NASA will terminate operations of the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) spacecraft in December.

The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) spacecraft surveyed the universe by observing extreme ultraviolet light.

Eventually, aerodynamic drag on the 3,200 kg spacecraft will cause it to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. Current predictions put EUVE's reentry sometime in late 2001 or early 2002.

Unlike the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, which had a propulsion system to allow for its controlled reentry earlier this year, EUVE has no method for directing its impact to a specific entry point. However, extensive analysis by NASA reveals the amount of debris likely to survive reentry is extremely small and will likely fall harmlessly into the ocean.

EUVE was launched on July 7, 1992, aboard a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral, Forida. EUVE was originally slated for three years of science observations, but NASA twice extended its mission.

Manned Space

Mir to Burn Up in February
The Russian Cabinet has approved a plan to safely return the Mir space station to Earth in February, allowing it to burn up over the Pacific Ocean.

A few months ago the Russian government allocated US$ 27 million for two cargo which could carry fuel to Mir to lower the orbit of the space station. The first of these is already docked to Mir with the second scheduled for a January launch. There are also provisional plans for a final manned mission in January.

The intention is now to crash Mir into the Pacific Ocean, some 1,500 to 2,000 east of Australia, on 27 or 28 of February. Debris from Mir is expected to fall over an area 10,000 km long by 200 km wide. During re-entry the 150 tonne station will break up into a large number of fragments, some of which, weighing up to 700 kg, will survive re-entry and will fall into the Pacific.

This raises interesting questions about the plans of MirCorp, which is leasing the Mir space station from its Russian owners.

MirCorp currently has a contract to take space tourist Dennis Tito to Mir next year. Tito, who is undergoing training in Star City, close to Moscow, has said that he now expects to spend his space holiday on the International Space Station beginning at the end of April next year.

NBC was also expecting to launch a reality gameshow, "Destination Mir" next year in which contestants would train to become astronauts with the winner actually flying to Mir for a short stay. Having been beaten badly recently in TV ratings wars by gameshows on other networks, NBC was prepared to pay US$ 40 million for the rights to Destination Mir and is still enthusiastic that the show can go ahead in some form.

Technology

Integral Systems to Develop Next Generation Spacecraft Test System for Boeing
Integral Systems Inc has been awarded a contract by Boeing Satellite Systems to develop the next generation I&T (Integration and Test) system designed to test Boeing spacecraft during manufacturing. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Based on Integral's Epoch 2000 telemetry and command product line, the new system will offer a "plug and play" environment that will operate with any of Boeing's spacecraft models and ground test equipment. Under the contract, Integral has agreed to deliver a turnkey "Common Test Executive" (CTE) in Spring of 2001. Integral had previously delivered a partial prototype of the system to Boeing under an earlier contract.

Upon its completion, Integral believes that the CTE will represent the state of the art in spacecraft test systems. Its development has been assigned to Integral's I&T Division.

Lockheed Martin Demonstrates Satellite Control Over the Internet
Lockheed Martin's Consolidated Space Operations Contract (CSOC) has successfully demonstrated its OpStar prototype. This new mission services delivery approach promises significant mission operations cost reduction by delivering mission operations capabilities, such as spacecraft commanding and control, over the Internet as commercial services.

OpStar technology allows scientists to access scaleable hardware and software solutions over the Internet and literally command their spacecraft safely from anywhere, using laptop computers or handheld devices, instead of being tied to large computing centres. Scientists can also mix and match services from numerous providers spanning the full spectrum of mission services, from planning and scheduling to science data delivery.

The real-time demonstration of OpStar took place on Johnson Space Center's Campus using a laptop computer and a wireless handheld device to send real-time commands to the WIRE spacecraft. CSOC employed a small business, Banywhere, to provide wireless application development support. Two of CSOC's Data Services providers, Honeywell's Datalynx division and Universal Space Network, provided space/ground connectivity to the WIRE spacecraft. Two other CSOC technology partners, Compaq and Sun Microsystems, provided client and server computing platforms for the demonstration.

Satellites for the Masses
One Stop Satellite Solutions has developed technology which enables high-quality, small space satellites to be launched for the first time for as little as US$ 45,000, compared to a cost of about US$ 3 million to US$ 5 million using current alternatives.

The CubeSat satellites, which measure only 10 x 10 x 10 cm and weigh about 1 kg, have been developed by Stanford University and California Polytechnic State University. They will be launched on One Stop Satellite Solutions' Multi-Payload Adaptor.

One Stop Satellite Solutions has launched its satellites on former US Minuteman missiles and will launch future satellites on former Russian ICBM missiles. In January 2000, the company had a successful launch aboard the first Minotaur Missile (a Minuteman missile converted launch vehicle) in its Joint Air Force Academy-Weber State University Satellite program. The first launch of the CubeSat satellite is scheduled for November 2001, when 18 to 24 of the tiny satellites will be placed in orbit. Kosmotras is working with One Stop Satellite Solutions to provide decommissioned ICBM launch vehicles in Russia for CubeSat satellite programs. Kosmotras and Thiokol Propulsion, of Brigham City, Utah, along with One Stop Satellite Solutions, have entered into an agreement, which calls for Kosmotras to provide relatively inexpensive launch opportunities using the Dnepr Launch Vehicle, supported by the governments of Russia and the Ukraine. One Stop Satellite Solutions will provide management and integration of small satellites into a single payload module utilising the company's multi-payload adapter. Thiokol will provide organisational and legal support for the joint program as a marketing agent of Kosmotras.

The technology that will be used by One Stop Satellite Solutions in the launch of its CubeSat satellites, was first developed at the Center for Aerospace Technology at Weber State University, Ogden Utah. Weber State was the first university to have a payload launched on a NASA shuttle. In a prelude to the development of CubeSat, the university launched WEBERSAT in 1990, a mission experts said could not be accomplished using only off-the-shelf commercial parts.

The satellite, made by a team of Weber State faculty and students and AMSAT-NA engineers, was expected to have a lifespan in space of two years. Today, 10 years later, three of the four satellites launched on that mission are still in orbit and operating. Technology developed at Weber State was transferred to One Stop Satellite Solutions, and forms the basis for the company's space launch program.

Launch Services

SpaceDev Successfully Fires Hybrid Motor
SpaceDev Inc has successfully test fired its first hybrid rocket motor. The small hybrid motor design will be incorporated into a prototype orbital Maneuvering and Transfer Vehicle (MTV) by the end of the year.

The 13 cm diameter, 30 cm long motor was fired in SpaceDev's newly constructed motor test facility, financed by a recent grant from the California Space and Technology Alliance (CSTA). The motor was then disassembled for inspection and evaluation. A new improved motor will undergo multiple test firings over the next two months as part of a SpaceDev contract with the National Reconnaissance Office to demonstrate hybrid motor technology for the MTV.

SpaceDev will use their motor test results in conjunction with the rocket motor test firing data produced by the late American Rocket Company (AMROC). Using the combined results, SpaceDev intends to produce the motor for three sizes of MTVs, and to produce a larger size for manned sub-orbital space planes.

Launches

PAS 1R, STRV 1C, STRV 1D, Amsat Phase 3D

Launched: 16 November 2000
Site: CSG Kourou, French Guiana
Launcher: Ariane 5

Name: PAS-1R
Orbit: GEO: 45° W
International Number: 2000-072A
Owner: PanAmSat
Contractor: Boeing Satellite Systems

PAS 1R is a commercial communications satellite. It will replace PanAmSat's first satellite, PAS 1 and will deliver video, data and Internet services to the Americas, Europe and Africa.

PAS-1R is a Boeing 702 spacecraft. With a lift-off mass of 4,795 kg and a deployed span of 45.6 meters, PAS 1R is the largest commercial communications satellite of its type. It carries 72 active transponders: 36 in Ku band and 36 in C band. The 36-transponder C band payload uses 34 W solid state amplifiers and 55 W travelling wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs) for general telecommunications traffic such as voice, data and television relay. The 36 Ku band transponders employ 125 W and 140 W TWTAs for direct-to-user services. PAS-1R will have 14.3 kW of power at end of life

Name: STRV 1C
Orbit: GTO, apogee: 39,245 km, perigee: 590 km: inclination: 6.5°
International Number: 2000-072B
Owner: DERA (Defence Evaluation and Research Agency), United Kingdom
Contractor: DERA (Defence Evaluation and Research Agency), United Kingdom

STRV-1C is a research and technology satellite weighing 100 kg.

STRV-1C will perform accelerated life testing of new components and materials in the high radiation environment of GTO.

Name: STRV 1D
Orbit: GTO, apogee: 39,245 km, perigee: 590 km: inclination: 6.5°
International Number: 2000-072C
Owner: DERA (Defence Evaluation and Research Agency), United Kingdom
Contractor: DERA (Defence Evaluation and Research Agency), United Kingdom

STRV-1D is a research and technology satellite weighing 100 kg.

STRV-1D carries a camera, and technology and computer experiments.

Name: Amsat Phase 3D
Orbit: GTO, apogee: 39,245 km, perigee: 590 km: inclination: 6.5°
International Number: 2000-072D
Owner: AmSat Deutschland
Contractor: AmSat Deutschland

Amsat Phase 3D is a 630 kg amateur radio satellite carries receivers for the uplink on 21 MHz, 145 MHz, 435 MHz, 1.2 GHz, 2.4 GHz and 5.6 GHz, retransmission is provided on 145 MHz, 436 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 10.5 GHz and 24 GHz.

The satellite generates 600 W of onboard power.

Amsat Phase 3D serves as a platform to test a number of new technologies, such as

• momentum wheels with magnetic suspension, which allow a significant improvement of the reliability of three-axis controlled spacecraft;
• an SBS adapter, which enables low-cost and space-saving secondary payload launches;
• an electrical plasma motor (arcjet) to be used for primary propulsion the first timer.

Amsat Phase 3D also carries a number of experiments:

• Two redundant GPS-receivers allow precise position determination as well as three-axis attitude determination;
• a camera which will provide pictures of the spacecraft separation after the launch and will later be used for navigation;
• an infrared laser to provide digital communications from the satellite to the ground;
• the CEDEX radiation experiment which will provide data on the radiation environment of the highly-elliptical orbit to improve present prediction models.
• a couple of dedicated computers for digital store and forward communication. These units will also store and manage data created by other spacecraft experiments;
• acceleration sensors and a microphone will be used to record various events during spacecraft separation and during various in-orbit manoeuvres.

Progress M1 04

Launched: November 2000
Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launcher: Soyuz U
Orbit: LEO
International Number: 2000-073A
Name: Progress M1 04 supply ship to the ISS

This is a supply mission for the ISS. It carried 2,420 kg of water, food, technical items, fuel, oxygen and spare parts for radio and television transmitter units.

It was docked manually with the ISS with Station Alpha on Saturday, following problems with the automatic docking system.

Business

American Millennium Corp Announces Private Placement
American Millennium Corporation Inc has announced that it has entered into a capital agreement with two private investors.

Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, the investors will have right to purchase from the Company options and warrants up to an aggregate of 2,833,334 newly issued shares of the Company's common stock at a price of US$ .90/share (ninety cents) per share. If the investors were to elect to exercise such purchase and warrant rights in full, the total proceeds to the Company under the agreement would be US$ 2,550,000. The investors have funded US$ 675,000 this date for their first option.

AMCI is a provider of wireless and wire-line solutions for tracking and monitoring of mobile and fixed assets utilising Low-Earth-Orbit Satellites (LEOs), Geo-Stationary Satellites (GEOs), and terrestrial wireless and wireline technologies. The company has installed satellite communication systems in the field for tracking, monitoring, and reporting data on oil wells, natural gas compressors, rail cars, and trucks. AMCI is currently providing satellite-based services to General Motors, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chevron, Signa Engineering, The Hanover Company, Compressor Systems, Inc (CSI), Cabot Oil & Gas, Cross Timbers Oil & Gas, among others. In addition to hardware sales, AMCI generates monthly revenues from airtime sales. AMCI is an applications service provider (ASP), providing data access, tracking, and analysis packages for customers via the Internet.

Ball Aerospace Buys Vexcel Stake
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp has announced that it has acquired a minority interest in Vexcel Corporation.

This investment is part of Ball Aerospace's long-term strategy to be a leader in the field of radar remote sensing. Ball Aerospace's space systems heritage and Vexcel's ground systems expertise combine to provide end-to-end radar systems capabilities and information products that are unmatched in the industry.

Vexcel, based in Boulder, Colorado, is an internationally recognised supplier of remote sensing data processing systems, with special emphasis on synthetic aperture radar (SAR). The company has provided support to major national SAR missions and initiatives, including the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), Discoverer II, and LightSAR, and is currently under exclusive contract to provide the ground processing system for Japan's PALSAR satellite.

Vexcel's business activities include SAR satellite mission design, algorithm development for image formation and information extraction from SAR data, turnkey remote sensing ground stations, and the production of value-added information products from both SAR and high-resolution optical remote sensing data. Customers include international space agencies, research organisations, and commercial vertical markets, such as telecommunication companies that rely on information products created from remote sensing data.

Ball Aerospace provides imaging, communications and information products and services for commercial and government customers. Optical and radar remote sensing systems are a core focus of this business. Ball Aerospace's participation in radar remote sensing projects includes the SAR antennas for NASA's SRTM, that recently created precise topographic maps of the Earth, the bus for Canada's Radarsat and many other SAR development activities.

Vexcel Corporation is a privately held company that has grown to approximately 100 employees since its founding in 1985.

Bitcentral to Market Cross Technologies Satellite Product Line
Online broadband technology and services marketplace bitcentral.com has entered into a sales agreement with Cross Technologies Inc to offer the company's line of satellite communications and broadcast products on the bitcentral.com web site.

Cross Technologies' products are designed for the satellite communications, broadcast, CATV, microwave and general telecommunications industries. The firm's area of expertise includes audio, video, data, digital and analogue modulation, alarm and control, and radio frequency converters and switches to 3.0 GHz.

Galaxy Latin America Renamed
Galaxy Latin America LLC, (GLA) which provides the DirecTV service to Latin America and the Caribbean, has changed its name to DirecTV Latin America LLC (DirecTV LA). The new company name is effective immediately.

The new company name is part of a re-branding under way within Hughes Electronics Corporation, majority owner of DirecTV LA, aimed at giving all parts of Hughes a common corporate theme.

DirecTV LA has approximately 1.2 million customers in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Gilat Completes Tender Offer for ZapMe! Shares
Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd has successfully completed its tender offer to acquire up to 51% of the outstanding shares of ZapMe! Corporation for US$ 2.32 per share.

Based upon preliminary results of the tender offer, approximately 16.6 million shares of ZapMe! have been tendered pursuant to the tender offer which expired at 12:00 Midnight, Eastern Daylight Time, on November 14, 2000. Gilat intends to accept for payment all shares that have been validly tendered. The tendered shares, together with the shares of ZapMe! Gilat beneficially owned, will provide Gilat with ownership of approximately 38% of the outstanding shares of ZapMe!.

Gilat intends to exercise its option under the tender offer agreement with ZapMe! and certain principal stockholders of ZapMe!, to purchase approximately 5.8 million shares from such principal stockholders, at the tender offer price. The purchase of these additional shares, together with the shares properly tendered in the offer, will provide Gilat with ownership of 51% of the outstanding shares of ZapMe!.

Iridium Sold, Or Is It?
Iridium Satellite LLC, which had submitted a bid to the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York for the purchase the operating assets of Iridium LLC and its subsidiaries issued a statement that the Court had approved its offer.

Under the agreement, the statement said, Iridium Satellite LLC will purchase all of the existing assets of Iridium LLC, including the satellite constellation, the terrestrial network, Iridium real property and intellectual property owned by Iridium LLC. Iridium Satellite LLC will then continue to provide commercial satellite communications to the US government and plans to re-launch affordable satellite communications services to those industry segments that have a particular need for satellite communications (government, military, humanitarian, heavy industry, maritime, aviation, adventure) within 60 days.

The Chairman of Iridium Satellite is Dan Colussy, a veteran of the aviation industry. Colussy's previous senior leadership positions include Chairman, President and CEO of UNC; Chairman, President and CEO of Canadian Pacific Airlines and President and COO of Pan American World Airways.

The statement finished by saying that Iridium Satellite LLC has contracted with the Boeing Company to operate and maintain the satellite constellation and that Motorola has agreed to continue to provide subscriber equipment on commercially acceptable terms.

However . . . a few hours later Iridium Satellite LLC retracted its statement. The reality is probably not particularly dramatic - it just looks like the statement was made a few days before agreements were finalised.

The outcome will probably be that Iridium will become a service for the US government, particularly the military, who were one of Iridium's largest supporters before its bankruptcy and probably has continued to feed money to Motorola since the bankruptcy to keep the system operational. Just keeping the satellites operational and in controlled orbits was reported to have been costing Motorola several million dollars per month and yet, with no apparent buyer and permission from the courts to de-orbit the satellites, not one satellite has yet been taken from its operational orbit - someone has been paying to keep the system running. The US military have also a large financial stake in the Iridium system having spent about US$ 100 million for their own secure gateway earth station in Hawaii as well as having financed the development of specialised Iridium terminals for, for example, military aircraft.

The price being paid for the purchase of the Iridium system and assets of Iridium and its subsidiaries is reported to be US$ 25 million. The deal is expected to be concluded by the end of this month.

L-3 Communications Announces Intended Offering of Convertible Bonds
L-3 Communications plans to offer US$ 250 million in Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes due 2009 in a private placement. The Company also plans to offer an over allotment option to increase the issue size by up to 20%. The notes will be convertible into the company's common stock.

The company will offer these securities in a private placement to qualified institutional buyers in the United States pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933.

L-3 Communications intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to repay existing debt under its Senior Credit Facilities and for general corporate purposes, including potential acquisitions.

Loral Purchases Globalstar Credit Facility and Cancels Related Guarantee
Loral Space & Communications has purchased all of a bank credit facility under which Globalstar had borrowed US$ 500 million and which was guaranteed by Loral. The purchase was financed by a new US$ 500 million three-year secured credit facility which Loral arranged with a group of banks.

This new facility is secured by the same collateral that had been used to secure Loral s guarantee of the Globalstar credit facility.

The terms and conditions of the Globalstar facility purchased by Loral remain unchanged.

This new arrangement resolves the obligation of Loral s guarantee and does not diminish Loral s existing capabilities or resources.

NDS to Open Technology Centre in Bangalore
NDS Group plc, a News Corporation company, and a leading provider of conditional access systems and interactive applications for digital pay TV, has announced its plans to invest in a new media technology research and development center in India.

This follows a recent contract to supply NDS Open VideoGuard to Doordarshan, India's national public service broadcaster.

The NDS Bangalore based R&D centre will focus on developing interactive TV applications and broadband technologies, and will be an additional resource for the NDS R&D centres worldwide. All NDS research centres work together on projects and share competencies. Thus the R&D centre in Bangalore has the potential to reach the 20 million pay TV subscribers worldwide, who already benefit from NDS technology.

The group will initially consist of around 30 highly qualified engineers, who will report to Dr Saini. NDS is currently recruiting on a local and national basis. Although it will be operational by the end of the year, the official inauguration of the centre is expected to take place during the first quarter of 2001 when it will be co-located with News Corporation's New Media Group offices.

NDS recently won a key contract to become the exclusive supplier of digital conditional access to Doordarshan, the Indian national television network. This will create a platform for Doordarshan's next generation of digital entertainment and interactive TV services.

Encrypted at Doordarshan's broadcast centre in New Delhi, the signal is sent to set top boxes in over 6,000 cable headends. The first digital encryption of a Doordarshan broadcast signal was its sports channel which went live on September 14, 2000.

Open TV and Motorola in Interactive TV Joint Venture

OpenTV has entered into a multiple-year, strategic relationship with Motorola's Broadband Communications Sector. The two companies have signed a series of definitive agreements dedicated to accelerating interactive television (ITV) deployments worldwide.

OpenTV and Motorola have agreed to several business initiatives, including the formation of a new joint venture entity to assist digital ITV deployments. The new joint venture's services will include cable and satellite integration, testing, and development.

In addition, Motorola has named OpenTV a preferred ITV software and development partner. As part of this relationship, OpenTV has licensed its Device Mosaic Web browser, the most widely deployed browser in the US cable TV industry, for use on Motorola digital set-top terminals. OpenTV also will port to Motorola's model DVi-4000, an advanced DVB-compliant interactive digital set-top targeted for the European market. Having already successfully ported to Motorola's mass-market DCT-2000, the two companies will work together to port OpenTV's software to the next-generation set-top terminal, the DCT-5000+.

Also as part of their new alliance, OpenTV and Motorola will reach out to cable and satellite operators through collaborative market efforts and by leveraging each other's current industry relationships and networks. Specifically, Motorola has agreed to make referrals and recommend the services of the new joint venture, when appropriate, to Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and broadband network operators considering interactive software deployments.

Under a separate agreement, OpenTV announces that it has acquired the business of CableSoft Corporation in a stock for stock transaction in exchange for 1,556,324 shares of OpenTV's common stock. CableSoft is a leading provider of "on-demand information" software solutions for broadband network operators. Motorola was one of CableSoft's primary shareholders.

Under a further separate agreement, Motorola is to purchase OpenTV's equity interest in the Acadia Application Integration Center, taking Motorola's ownership up to 100%. This transaction is anticipated to close in January 2001, subject to satisfaction of certain closing conditions. Acadia assists Motorola's Horizon Developer Program ITV companies with technical support, training, testing, and deployment planning on the Motorola interactive digital system.

Raytheon Sells Optical Systems Business to BFGoodrich
Raytheon Company has agreed to sell its optical systems business to The BFGoodrich Company. The parties expect to
finalise the sale by the end of the year. Other details of the transaction were not disclosed. Raytheon will use proceeds from the sale to reduce its debt.

Headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut, Raytheon Optical Systems (ROS) is a leading producer of large optical and sensor systems, precision optics, reconnaissance systems and laser warning systems for military and civil space programs. The unit supplies systems for use in the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, Apache and SuperCobra attack helicopters, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory. ROS employs about 700 people at facilities in Danbury, Lexington, Massachusetts, Albuquerque, New Mexico., and San Jose, California. In 1999, ROS had sales of US$ 152 million.

World Associates Invests in Vanguard Space
World Associates Inc and Vanguard Space Corporation (Vanguard) have announced their agreement transferring rights, titles and interests to patents and intellectual properties regarding advanced space vehicle remote control technology.

A private corporation lead by former NASA astronaut and Apollo 15 Commander David R. Scott, Vanguard Space Corporation, has developed the technology to control unmanned vehicles remotely in space which can be used in a variety of applications.

WAIV will acquire 15% of Vanguard in exchange for one million shares of its common stock. Additionally, Vanguard and Dr. David Scott will transfer patents and technology to International Space and Technology Inc (IST), a Nevada corporation formed by the parties. Vanguard will also continue to "contribute and/or deliver other management, technical expertise and contracts to IST." David Scott will receive 49% of IST and a proxy to vote 2% more, and WAIV will receive 51% of IST.

WAIV will raise US$ 2,000,000 of working capital to advance the technology. The agreement also calls for IST to license the acquired patents to Vanguard in exchange for contracts, royalties and other consideration related to the area of remote cockpit operations.

Products and Services

Comsat Argentina Launches Phone Service
Comsat Argentina, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications (LMGT), has launched long distance telephone services in Argentina.

This service will be targeted at the company's present customers and new customers with similar requirements. Comsat Argentina provides a full range of integrated communications services for enterprise customers including: corporate Internet access, e-commerce solutions, web hosting and farming, virtual private networks, international links, data transmission and long distance telephony. Comsat Argentina currently has more than 900 customers.

Pegasus to Launch Broadband Internet Service
Pegasus Communications has announced that its Broadband division is scheduled to launch the Pegasus Express Powered by DirecPC broadband satellite Internet service in the first quarter of 2001.

The service will offer high-speed Internet access to consumers across the continental US by means of a two-way broadband, always-on satellite connection.

Pegasus Express will provide customers with high-speed web browsing, streaming data and unique video multicasting opportunities currently unachievable with terrestrial Internet services, such as cable and DSL. Through the use of multicasting, Pegasus Express will enable satellites to beam down multi-megabits per second of streaming full-screen video and high-fidelity audio to all subscriber homes simultaneously. In doing so, customers will be assured that whenever there's an event on the web of broad consumer interest, such as a major sporting or news event, they will receive full access to the program with no possibility of being "locked out" of the webcast due to terrestrial network congestion.

The Pegasus Express system is comprised of a DirecPC Internet/satellite TV dish antenna, satellite modem, software, plus additional hardware and accessories. In addition to high-speed Internet service, the system's hybrid dish also enables customers to receive DirecTV digital television broadcasts (a DirecTV subscription and receiver are required for DirecTV service).

The introduction of Pegasus Express marks the beginning of a number of planned Internet-related strategies aimed at expanding Pegasus' broadband business while maximising synergies with the company's successful existing satellite TV operations. The Pegasus Broadband division will eventually offer a broad range of advanced PC-based and TV-centric set-top Internet appliances, including models with smart-home networking capabilities, massive hard-drive entertainment storage capacity and DVD movie playback capability.

Pegasus Express will be available through Pegasus Communications' 3,500-plus network of US-wide retailers and installers. The launch date for the service is scheduled for the first quarter of 2001. Pricing for the various plans will be announced at the time of launch.

Sky TV Launches in Argentina
Sky, the number one satellite television service in Latin America, with more than 1.3 million subscribers in the region, launched its service in Argentina on November 17.

Sky will begin its Argentine service in the Tierra del Fuego region, which has not been served by satellite television. Sky will then deploy an expansion plan that will allow it to offer its service throughout Argentina within the next four months.

With the Argentina launch, Sky will provide service in all major markets in Latin America through its three stand-alone platforms: NetSat in Brazil; Innova in Mexico; and Sky Multi-Country Partners in Chile, Colombia and Argentina.

People

Boeing Makes Two Senior Appointments
Boeing Satellite Systems Inc (BSS), the world's largest manufacturer of commercial communications satellites, has appointed two people to top management positions. BSS is a unit of The Boeing Company.

Chris Stephens Jr. has been named Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for BSS. Dr. William Ballhaus is now General Manager of Boeing Electron Dynamic Devices Inc (EDD).

Stephens is responsible for all financial management activities of BSS and its Electron Dynamic Devices and Spectrolab companies.

Ballhaus is responsible for leading EDD as a strategic core business for BSS.

Intellicom Expands Management Team
Intellicom, a leading provider of two-way satellite-based Internet services for Internet Service Providers (ISPs), telecommunications carriers, corporations and schools, has announced the expansion of its management team.

Lou Lucibello joins Intellicom as chief operating officer (COO), Michael Arth has been appointed the company's chief financial officer (CFO), and Richard Swiers has been named vice president, marketing. All three positions will report directly to Carol Sorrick, Intellicom's president.

As COO, Lou Lucibello will oversee the day-to-day operations of Intellicom, including equipment manufacturing, customer installation, and network operations.

Michael Arth, Intellicom's CFO, will assume responsibility for budgeting, purchasing, long range forecasting, auditing, and mergers and acquisitions for Intellicom.

Richard Swiers, as vice president of marketing, will be responsible for product development, product management, marketing communications and strategic planning.

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