24 December 2000

Satcoms

Deutsche Telekom Uses Scopus Encoders in DSNG Project
Deutsche Telekom has selected Scopus' Codico E-1100 digital broadcasting encoders in a major DSNG (Digital Satellite News Gathering) project. Monetary details were not released.

Scopus is providing a series of E-1100 encoders to be installed in Deutsche Telekom's news gathering vehicles that will be deployed by various German news organisations throughout Europe. Deployment of the E-1100 will enhance news coverage throughout Europe by Deutsche Telekom's broadcasting partners. The platforms will be installed in ND Satcom vehicles and used in conjunction with Newtec modulators and up-converters.

The E-1100 Professional Encoders purchased by Deutsche Telekom operate at 50 Mbit/ second and handle the new EBU scrambling standard (BISS). The E-1100 supports both MPEG-2 4:2:0P@ML and 4:2:2P@ML encoding levels. The E-1100, housed in a single unit rack mounted enclosure, uses an advanced video pre-processor to deliver flexible encoding capabilities and high quality pictures at any given bit rate and with a very low delay.

e-Bird and Two New Hot Birds for Eutelsat
Eutelsat's Board of Signatories has given the go-ahead to finalise negotiations for the fast delivery of the first in a new generation of satellite optimised for IP access networks with satellite return link capabilities. The Board also approved the release of an RFP for two new Hot Bird satellites.

Called e-Bird and to be positioned at 25.5° E, the new Internet-optimised satellite will introduce capacity into the market that is optimised for carrying IP access networks with satellite return link capabilities. A total of 20 transponders operational simultaneously, of which 16 with 36 MHz bandwidth for the forward link, and four with 108 MHz bandwidth for the return link, will be fully optimised to accommodate the asymmetric nature of Internet access. Coverage of the European region will be provided by multiple spotbeams that will be accessible with small transmit terminals.

At 13° E, Hot Birds 8 and 9 will complete the replacement of existing Hot Bird capacity. Additional features will include multiple service areas and on-board processing.

Radyne Comstream Supplying Digital Audio to Department Stores
Radyne ComStream has been awarded an initial US$ 1.6 million contract by Elektra and its subsidiary, Salinas & Roche, two of the major department store chains in Mexico. In addition to supplying the equipment, Radyne ComStream will perform the integration and installation of a dual-uplink digital satellite audio network to serve their 900 stores located across Mexico and Central and South America.

The Elektra network will transmit music, advertising and product announcements to all of its store locations. This is the first phase of a contract, which is expected to exceed 1,400 locations in the next year. Shipping and installation of the network components will commence immediately.

Terrasat Awarded Broadband Transceiver Contract
Terrasat Inc, a subsidiary of Herley Wireless Technologies Inc, has received a US$ 2.7 million contract from a leading European satellite equipment manufacturer.

Terrasat will supply the company with microwave transceivers used for broadband I/P data, voice and video transmissions. Initial deliveries are expected to begin during the first half of calendar year 2001.

Earth Observation

Aerojet Selected to Provide Meteorological Instrument
NASA's Office of Earth Sciences has awarded Aerojet a US$ 206.6 million contract to build the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS), a next generation, satellite microwave instrument for use in weather forecasting and climate change research.

The new instrument measures microwave energy emitted and scattered by the atmosphere. When combined with observations from an infrared sounder, ATMS will provide daily global atmospheric temperature, moisture, and pressure profiles.

Scheduled for delivery in 2004, ATMS will be about one-third the size and weight of existing microwave sounding instruments. The first ATMS will fly on the NPOESS Preparatory Project mission, a joint effort between NASA and the NPOESS program office. NPOESS is a tri-agency program, including NASA, NOAA and the US Air Force.

Navigation

Baltimore Snowploughs Using Orbtrac Tracking System
The City of Baltimore, Maryland has selected Orbital's Orbtrac-100 satellite-based automatic vehicle location (AVL) and two-way messaging system to help track and manage a portion of its road maintenance fleets. Under the contract, the Orbtrac-100 system will be initially installed on 75 snowploughs, with phased installations of the entire 500-vehicle fleet over the next two to three years. The contract represents the first system installation of this size in a major Northeast US city.

The Orbtrac-100 system was designed and developed by Orbital's Transportation Management Systems (TMS) Division, located in Columbia, Maryland. Using Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite technology, the system will track the location and status of vehicles, dispatching snowploughs where they are most needed during major storms and identifying sections of roadways that have been serviced. It will also capture and store data for post-service analysis to assist in reducing the overall cost of future operations. The system will utilise Baltimore's existing communications infrastructure for vehicle-to-dispatch communications.

Science

Beagle 2 Landing Site Selected
The Mars Express lander, Beagle 2, will land on Isidis Planitia, a large flat region that overlies the boundary between the ancient highlands and the northern plains. The choice of site was announced last week at a meeting of the Mars Express science working team in ESTEC, Noordwijk, the Netherlands.

The region appears to be a sedimentary basin where traces of life could have been preserved, if primitive life really did exist at some time on Mars.

Isidis Planitia lies between 5 and 20° N. The specific site chosen lies close to 10° N, which is the maximum latitude for a site to be warm enough for Beagle 2 to function properly during early spring, the season at which it is due to land on Mars. The number of rocks on the surface seems to be about right - not too many to threaten a safe landing, but enough to provide an interesting landscape for the experiments. The site is also at a low enough elevation to allow the parachutes sufficient atmosphere to brake the lander's descent, has few steep slopes down which the tiny probe may have to bounce as it lands, and doesn't seem to be too dusty.

NASA Seeks Pluto Mission Proposals
NASA is seeking proposals from principal investigators and institutions around the world to develop the first mission to Pluto.

This Announcement of Opportunity marks the first time the Office of Space Science has solicited proposals for a mission to an outer planet, such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, to be selected on a competitive basis similar to the agency's Discovery Program. That program features lower cost highly focused missions with rapid development of the scientific spacecraft. The proposals are due to NASA Headquarters by March 19, 2001.

Dr. Colleen Hartman, currently the Deputy Director of the research Division for the Office of Space Science, has been selected as Outer Planets Program Director, and will be the single point of contact at NASA Headquarters for budget, content and policy direction.

The Announcement of Opportunity will solicit proposals for investigations that require the development of a complete mission to the Pluto-Charon system and the Kuiper Belt beyond, including expendable launch vehicle and spacecraft, its bus and systems, and the science instrumentation package.

Following peer-review, NASA will select two or more of the top proposals for more detailed study and will "downselect" the winning proposal in August 2001.

There are no restrictions on the launch date but there is a goal to reach Pluto by 2015. NASA will cap the cost of the Pluto mission at US$ 500 million in FY 2000 dollars.

NASA is sponsoring a two-and-a-half-day workshop for scientists, engineers, technologists, and others from academia, NASA centres, federal laboratories, the private sector, and international partners to be held in early February. The workshop will provide an open forum for presentation, discussion, and consideration of various concepts, options, and innovations associated with a strategy for Outer Planet exploration to encourage new ideas, including use of in-space propulsion, technical soundness, timeliness of science return, and science merit.

Manned Space

Spacehab Awarded Another Shuttle Research Mission Contract
Spacehab Inc has announced that NASA has exercised a US$ 30.9 million contract option for the company to conduct a new Space Shuttle research mission.

This Shuttle mission, designated STS-112 (formerly R2) and currently scheduled to launch in spring 2002, will use Spacehab's Research Double Module (RDM) as a laboratory for experiments to be conducted by astronauts. STS-112 will be the second flight of the RDM. The inaugural flight of the RDM will be Shuttle research mission STS-107, scheduled to be launched in late 2001.

Spacehab is marketing a portion of space on the RDM to commercial users, including other national space agencies. The company already has contracted with the National Space Development Agency of Japan and the German Aerospace Center to provide US$ 8 million of payload accommodation services on STS-112.

STS-112 also will be the second dedicated Shuttle research mission to be flown by NASA following the commencement of International Space Station (ISS) assembly. The US Congress has asked NASA to fly one Shuttle research mission every year, "in order to maintain the continuity and quality of microgravity research" until the ISS is ready to operate as a full-fledged laboratory facility.

Spacehab's RDM, measuring 5.6 m long and 4.1 m in diameter, adds approximately 62.4 cubic metres of pressurised volume to the Space Shuttle, more than quadrupling the living and working area for astronauts onboard. Astronauts will be able to move between the Shuttle's middeck area and the RDM through a pressurised access tunnel. The RDM can accommodate up to 4,000 kg of research equipment.

Spacehab has flown a smaller Research Single Module (half the size of the RDM) on five Shuttle missions, the last being STS-95 in October 1998.

NASA exercised the STS-112 flight option on its fixed-price Research and Logistics Mission Support contract with Spacehab. This contract, established in 1997, enables NASA to manifest new Shuttle research flights or International Space Station resupply missions as needed.

Technology

SS/Loral Orders Emcore Solar Cells
Emcore Corporation has received an additional US$ 12 million order from Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) for high efficiency, triple-junction solar cells. The solar cells will be used by SS/L to provide power in space for advanced communications satellites.

Emcore's gallium arsenide (GaAs) triple-junction solar cells provide more power than current technology without increasing spacecraft weight by converting more of the spectral energy into electrical power. The Company's solar cells achieve a BOL (beginning of life) efficiency of 26%, while degradation after 15 years of orbit is only 8%, compared to 15% degradation that is typical of silicon-based solar cells. Additionally, Emcore's solar cells accomplish end of life (EOL) efficiencies of approximately 24%, which are the highest EOLs in the solar cell industry.

Launch Services

Delta 2 to Launch Mars Rover
NASA is to exercise a contract option with the Boeing Company for a Delta II vehicle to launch the Mars Exploration Rover 2 (MER-B).

The spacecraft is scheduled for launch at the beginning of a 21-day planetary window that opens on June 27, 2003. This firm-fixed price option is covered under the NASA Launch Services contract (NAS10-00-001) officially awarded by NASA's Kennedy Space Center on June 16,2000 to Delta Launch Services Inc.

NASA's total launch services budget for the MER-B campaign is approximately US$ 68 million dollars.

The goals of the Mars Exploration Rover 2003 mission are to land a roving vehicle on Mars for science observations that will help determine the water, climatic and geological history of a site on Mars where conditions may have been favourable to the preservation of evidence of life or associated pre-biotic processes.

ESA Approves Vega Launcher and P80 Solid Booster
The European Space Agency's (ESA) Vega Small Launcher Development programme and the P80 Advanced Solid Propulsion Stage Demonstrator programme were formally approved on 15 December by the participating States.

Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland (Spain's decision still pending) have decided to proceed with full development of the Vega small launcher. Developed and manufactured by European industry, Vega will complete the range of European launch services and offer the international market a competitive vehicle for small payloads of up to 1500 kg (polar earth orbit missions at 700 km).

Belgium, France, Italy and the Netherlands have decided to finance the P80 advanced solid propulsion stage demonstrator. This development programme is designed to meet two objectives:

• demonstrate most of the technologies required to improve Ariane 5 solid-propellant booster performance and competitiveness,
• develop and ground-qualify an advanced-technology first stage for the Vega launcher.

The development milestones for the P80 are consistent with the schedule for developing Vega, whose maiden flight is planned in end-2005.

15 December also marks a major milestone in the development of the Zefiro solid rocket motor, which will serve as second stage for the Vega launcher. The motor successfully completed its third static firing by Fiat Avio on the teststand at Salto di Quirra, Sardinia. Two further test firings are planned, in order to qualify the motor in its final configuration as Vega's second stage.

SNECMA and SNPE in Joint Venture
SNECMA and SNPE (Societe Nationale des Poudres et Explosifs) have announced their intention to merge their rocket and missile propulsion and propellant activities.

Both companies will hold an equal shareholding in the new company.

SNPE is a specialist in solid propellant while SNECMA manufactures nozzles and structures. The activity range of the new company will stretch from space, strategic and tactic propulsion to powder, explosives, pyromechanisms and composite material. It will be created during 2001.

Starsem to Launch Metop Satellite
Eumetsat's two METOP satellites will be put into orbit by the Euro-Russian company Starsem, following an agreement signed on Monday December 18.

A third optional launch is also planned in this agreement.

The METOP satellites will be the first European system in polar orbit dedicated to operational meteorology and climate monitoring. They will operate from a polar orbit at an altitude of 840 km. These new satellites will provide physical data as well as images and will ensure coverage of the whole Earth.

Built by Astrium, they will be launched in 2005 by Soyuz/ST launchers from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Unique Space Frame Aids Amsat Launch
One Stop Satellite Solutions Inc (OSSS) used advanced fabrication technology to assist with the recent launch of Amsat Phase 3D as a secondary payload on an Ariane from Kourou, French Guiana.

This Phase 3D satellite was launched as a secondary payload from an Ariane 5 into a low earth orbit and contains equipment that provides increased radio frequency bands in orbit for amateur radio operators worldwide. The final orbit will be highly elliptical which will allow amateur radio operators around the world to communicate with each other on almost every amateur band from very low to very high frequencies.

A unique feature of this satellite is a specially designed space frame needed to support a large 1,135 kg satellite on top of it. Built by the Center for AeroSpace Technology at Weber State University, Ogden, Utah, the space frame had to be as light as possible and still support the weight of the other satellite. In order to accomplish this task, the space frame was constructed utilising a unique design of precision formed sheet aluminium plates so that it weighed only 32 kg. Many of the engineers involved with this construction are now principals in OSSS.

The technology for both this large space frame and small satellite construction developed at the Center for AeroSpace Technology at Weber State University, was transferred to One Stop Satellite Solutions, Inc. (OSSS), a private company headquartered in Ogden.

Launches

Astra 2D, GE-8, LDREX

Launched: 20 December 2000
Site: CSG Kourou, French Guiana
Launcher: Ariane 5

Name: Astra 2D
Orbit: GEO, 28.2° E
International Number: 2000-081A
Owner: Societe Europeenne des Satellites (SES)
Contractor: Boeing Satellite Systems

Name: GE-8 (Aurora III)
Orbit: GEO, 139° W
International Number: 2000-081B
Owner: GE Americom and AT&T Alascom
Contractor: Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems

Name: LDREX
International Number: 2000-081C
Owner: NASDA
Contractor: Toshiba Corporation

Astra 2D is a commercial communications satellite that will be used primarily for direct to home television broadcasts to the UK.

The spin stabilised Astra 2D carries 16 active Ku band transponders each with a 39 W travelling wave tube amplifier (TWTA). The satellite is based on the Boeing 376 bus and has a launch mass 1,445 kg; in orbit it will weigh 824 kg. With its antennas and cylindrical solar array skirt deployed, Astra 2D will be 8 m tall and 2.16 m in diameter. At beginning of life it will generate 1,600 W falling to 1,400 W at end of life.

GE-8 is a commercial communications satellite that will be used to provide telecommunications services for the USA, particularly remote areas such as Alaska. It carries a C band payload with 24 transponder each with a 20 W SSPA. It is based on Lockheed Martin's A2100 bus. GE-8 will replace Satcom C-5.

AT&T Alascom will use most of the C band communications payload to carry its interstate and intrastate telephony, voice and digital services for customers throughout the state of Alaska.

LDREX is a technology demonstration satellite which carries a half scale mock up of the large deployable reflector antenna that will be used on the ETS-8 technology satellite. LDREX had a launch mass of 182 kg. Deployment is reported to have been carried out successfully.

Beidou 01B

Launched: 20 December 2000
Site: Xichang, Sichuan,China
Launcher: Long March 3A
Orbit: GEO
International Number: 2000-082A
Name: Beidou 01B
Contractor: Research Institute of Space Technology

Beidou 01B is a Chinese navigational satellite. It is the second in the series to be launched.

Business

ACeS Signs Distribution Agreements in Brunei and Malaysia
Asia Cellular Satellite (ACeS) has signed initial distribution agreements in the Southeast Asian nations of Brunei and Malaysia, paving the for them to become the 5th and 6th nations to begin offering ACeS service to the consumer market, by early 2001.

In Malaysia, ACeS has signed a non-exclusive agreement with Sifortel Solution Sdn Bhd, a well established market leader in that country's telecommunications industry. Sifortel Solution is a member company of WYWY Group, the fastest growing conglomerate in the region providing products ranging from office automation, telecommunications, lifestyle retailing, family entertainment, financing, servicing and advertising. Sifortel will offer Ericsson-manufactured ACeS handsets through its 60 retail outlets, 8 branches and 500 dealers nationwide covering both peninsular and East Malaysia.

In Brunei, ACeS has signed a non-exclusive distribution agreement with Integrated Communications Sdn Bhd (Incomm). Incomm is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Data Stream Technology Sdn Bhd (DST), a GSM 900 operator.

Both Sifortel and Incomm have placed an initial order for ACeS handsets - the Ericsson R190 Satellite mobile phone - and for prepaid SIM Cards provided by Pasifik Satelit Nusantara (PSN), ACeS' largest shareholder.

Service in these countries will be provided through the existing AceS Indonesia gateway in Jakarta.

SES Takes a Stake in ND Satcom
Société Européenne des Satellites has acquired a 10% stake in ND Satcom GmbH of Friedrichshafen, Germany). The remaining 90% of ND Satcom, until now 100% owned by Nortel Dasa Network Systems, is being acquired by Augusta Technologie AG.

ND Satcom is a leading supplier of turnkey satellite-based communications networks as well as fixed or mobile earthstations. ND Satcom's customers include public and private broadcast companies, satellite and network operators, service providers, international corporations and organisations as well as government agencies.

ND Satcom has over 20 years of experience in the satellite networks and systems business. The company's business includes Broadcast (mobile and fixed satellite terminals), satellite-based systems solutions for military applications, Corporate Networks and IP Networks.

Products and Services

Comsat Mobile Launches Prepaid Service
Comsat Mobile Communications (CMC), a unit of Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications, has commercially launched its new Prepaid Calling Card Service for satellite calls, designed to make card use easier and to reduce customer costs.

The new system offers cost-saving features such as six-second decrement billing, off-peak calling, and global rates for callers. Six-second decrement billing makes call charges more precise than the full minute decrements used by other satellite service providers.

Off-peak calling gives callers the flexibility to make calls during cheaper calling periods and global rates are available for M4 and Mini-M users.

Additionally, one CMC prepaid card can be used on all of Inmarsat's land, sea and air mobile satellite voice technologies including A, B, M, Mini-M, M4 and Aero-H (aeronautical service), making this the most convenient prepaid card in the market.

The new prepaid service is also designed to make satellite calling easier. It incorporates enhanced calling features that include call continuation, card recharging and simplified dialling. Call continuation is a convenient feature that allows a caller to continue a call from one prepaid card to another.

A caller will receive a warning when one minute of call time remains. The caller can then enter a new six-digit authorisation number for a new card and continue the call. Customers can also recharge their CMC calling cards for any amount. To recharge a calling card, customers need only to have either a major credit card or CMC account.

As an introductory promotion, CMC is offering a 250 unit (US$ 50 value) bonus card to each customer who purchases and activates a pack of 10 cards between now and March 31, 2001. Packs come in 250 and 500 unit card denominations.

Globalstar Introduces Data Services
Globalstar USA, Globalstar Caribbean, and Globalstar Canada have jointly launched Globalstar Data Services with Internet Access. This marks the first packet data service available through the Globalstar network and opens a range of possible consumer and industrial applications.

Globalstar Internet Access, the first commercial application of this data service, makes it possible to use the Globalstar phone like a wireless modem when away from a traditional landline or out of cellular range. The current model Globalstar GSP-1600 phone by Qualcomm attaches via data cable to a laptop computer or a personal digital assistant (PDA), enabling remote access to applications such as Internet sites, search engines, most consumer email and instant messaging. The service runs through the user s existing software and applications with no change of e-mail address, passwords, browser or home page necessary.

Programming modifications have been made to the gateways in Smith Falls, Ontario, Canada; High River, Alberta, Canada; Clifton, Texas, United States; and the new gateway in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. These modifications allow the gateways to recognise and transmit packetised data in addition to voice through Globalstar satellite systems. Globalstar Data Service transfers data at 9.6 kb/s.

Internet Access data service is billed at the same rate per minute as voice service, with no additional monthly charge. Data specific billing programs will be considered as the service develops.

Improved Broadband Receivers from International Datacasting
International Datacasting Corporation (IDC) has announced a new release of its SR2001-series DVB satellite receivers, introducing features that enhance the speed, performance, functionality, and manageability of SuperFlex datacasting networks.

The new features include:

• Extremely high-speed data throughput: optimal performance greater than 50 Mb/s.
• Increased to 16 simultaneous PIDs out the Ethernet port, with an additional 11 PIDS for customised options and legacy services.
• Dual PCMCIA format Common Interface (CI) modules supporting multiple Conditional Access (CAS) systems.
• Improved Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) support for MIB-II operation in addition to IDC's registered enterprise MIB. SNMP is a set of protocols for managing complex networks.
• Improved Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) support - IGMP is used to initiate, monitor and terminate (prune) multicast transmissions automatically in response to client requests for service.
• New terminal mode support to permit installers to connect their PCs/laptops via COM port.
• New monitoring capabilities using a Multi Router Traffic Grapher (MRTG). MRTG is used for monitoring IP traffic on the SuperFlex family of satellite receivers.
• Improved Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) network integration - DHCP is a communications protocol that allows Network Administrators to centrally manage and automate the assignment of Internet Protocol (IP) configuration.
• More powerful Java Status and Control GUI interface.

IDC's SuperFlex is a digital satellite networking system designed to distribute broadband multimedia content (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 users include: Cyberstar, British Telecom, NonStopNet, SkyOnline, Akamai, Kingston TLI, Telefonica, GTE, Hutchison, ITESM, ILCE and General Dynamics.

People

Management Changes at Spacehab
Spacehab Inc has announced that David A. Rossi, Spacehab's President and a Director, has elected to resign these positions to pursue other interests. Michael E. Kearney, Senior Vice President of Business Development, has been named President of Spacehab.

Mr. Kearney has been with Spacehab for six years, during which time he has led the Company's new business development activities since 1998 and has been instrumental in establishing new product lines and strengthening international partnerships.

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