17 June 2001

Satcoms

DBS Industries Demos Energy Control System
DBS Industries Inc has demonstrated satellite technology that is designed to help meet the current and future energy needs of the state of California.

The demonstration, held at the Arden Fair Mall in Sacramento, showcased the DBSI Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite-based energy control system, which automatically turned off one of the common area air conditioning units within the mall. Minutes later the same satellite system was used to reactivate the mall's air conditioning unit.

By installing a transceiver on the rooftop, typically where such air conditioning units are located, an automatic temporary shutdown from space can be accomplished in a manner that minimises patron discomfort. It is anticipated that the same transceiver units could be placed in government and other large retail spaces throughout the state. These large cooling units are major electricity consumers, representing over 3,000 MW of California's 2001 peak summer demand.

New Near Field Test Range at TRW
TRW has inaugurated use of its new, state-of-the-art near-field antenna facility designed to test complex, multibeam satellite antennas.

The facility's first application is for testing antennas that are a part of the payloads TRW is building for Astrolink International LLC. TRW is building the communications payload under contract to Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, Astrolink's space segment provider.

Operational since January, TRW's Near-Field Measurement Facility is testing its first unit, an engineering model of the eight-aperture Astrolink antenna. The tests will validate and characterise the design and construction of the facility, paving the way for the first flight production unit.

TRW's Near-Field Measurement Facility boasts several distinguishing features:

• Size: Believed to be the largest facility of its kind, it is capable of testing eight fully deployed antennas in a 9 m by 12 m horizontal scan plane.
• Speed: Equipped with a high-speed receiver, it can measure many multiple beams with one scan. Following acquisition, data is processed and evaluated by TRW's state-of-the-art software.
• Frequency Range: Capable of measuring a frequency range of 1 GHz to more than 50 GHz.
• Flexibility: Can measure active and passive antennas, as well as record measurements at both carrier and intermediate frequencies.
• Scan Plane Accuracy: The corrected scan plane accuracy is one-thousandth of an inch, which allows for extremely accurate measurements.
• Scanning: Capable of moving in numerous scan trajectories, which provides greater flexibility during measurements and diagnostic evaluations.

Teleglobe Providing ChinaSat Internet Access
Teleglobe has announced an agreement with China Telecommunications Broadcast Satellite Corporation (ChinaSAT), a Tier 1 Internet Service Provider (ISP) in The People's Republic of China, to provide high-speed satellite-based Internet access services for its customers.

Under the agreement, while ChinaSAT continues to upgrade and expand its facilities, Teleglobe's DVB/IP (Digital Video Broadcast/Internet Protocol) satellite service will supplement and extend ChinaSAT's national backbone network and provide the main connectivity between North America and China for ChinaSAT's customers.

In addition, Teleglobe and ChinaSAT also will work together to develop and deploy new Internet-based services. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Military Space

Spacelink Selects Globecomm Systems for Services in Asia
Globecomm Systems Inc has been selected by Spacelink International to provide shared VSAT and data broadcast services from the Los Angeles facilities of McKibben Communications to remote terminals in the Pacific region.

These services are the first task order under the Defense Information Systems Agency's (DISA) DISN Satellite Transmission Services - Global (DSTS-G) program and were awarded to Spacelink International LLC.

This project will extend the services which NetSat Express, a wholly owned subsidiary of Globecomm Systems Inc, has been providing since May 1999. This contract will enable the customer to continue to provide a variety of digital communications services without service interruption. In addition to providing VSAT and data broadcast services, Globecomm and Spacelink are responsible for securing the space segment and providing ongoing support services. The support services will be provided through Globecomm's subsidiary, NetSat Express.

US$ 300 Million USAF Contract for Harris Corp
Harris Corporation has been awarded a seven-year, US$ 300 million contract by the US Air Force Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts, for the Ground Multi-band Terminal (GMT) program.

The next-generation SATCOM terminal, accessing both commercial and military satellites, will provide military commanders with improved command, control and communications capabilities critical to supporting the full spectrum of deployed US military operations worldwide.

Under terms of the GMT contract, Harris is responsible for program management, system development, integration, production, and logistics support for up to 200 ground terminals. Once fielded, the terminals will provide military X and Ka band, and commercial C and Ku band access for satellite-based, voice, video, and data communications. GMT offers significantly greater reliability than the previous generation of terminals, as well as six times the communications capacity, or throughput. The terminals are designed to be modular and configurable for various types of missions, including humanitarian, disaster relief, and regional conflicts.

Work on the GMT program will be performed by engineers and technicians at Harris GCSD's Palm Bay, Florida facility. Harris GCSD expects to hire additional employees for the GMT program as it builds momentum.

Science

NASA Selects First Mars Scout Concepts For Further Study
NASA has selected the ten most promising mission concepts, of the 43 proposed for possible launch to Mars in 2007, to receive funding for six months of continued studies.

Included in the ten concepts selected for study are missions to return samples of Martian atmospheric dust and gas, networks of small landers, orbiting constellations of small craft, and a rover that would attempt to establish absolute surface ages of rocks and soils.

NASA plans to evaluate the ten innovative concepts using rapid six-month studies as a means for jump-starting the identification of new Mars Scout missions that will compete for a possible launch in 2007. The proposals were submitted to NASA's Mars Exploration Program in the Office of Space Science in Washington, DC, in response to a call for proposals in March 2001. Those selected will receive up to US$ 150,000 each for the study.

The selected mission concepts are:

• SCIM (Sample Collection for Investigation of Mars): this innovative mission would sample atmospheric dust and gas using aerogel and use a "free-return trajectory" to bring the samples back to Earth.
• KittyHawk: a mission involving three gliders would explore the composition and stratigraphy of the walls of Valles Marineris in ways not possible for orbiters and landers.
• Urey: a surface rover would allow the absolute ages of geological materials to be remotely determined for the first time on any planet.
• MACO (Mars Atmospheric Constellation Observatory): a network of micro-satellites as a constellation around Mars would characterise the 3-D structure of the atmosphere, giving a new look at Martian climatology.
• Artemis: three small landers and micro-rovers on the Martian surface, with two directed to the polar regions, would explore the surface and shallow subsurface for water, organic materials and climate.
• MEO (Mars Environmental Observer): this science orbiter would intensively explore the role of water, dust, ice and other materials within the Martian atmosphere to understand parts of the hydrologic cycle.
• Pascal: a network of 24 weather stations on the Martian surface would provide more than two years of continuous monitoring of humidity, pressure and temperature and other measurements.
• Mars Scout Radar: an orbiter mission would use Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging to map the surface geomorphology and very shallow subsurface (three to five meters deep), to detect buried water channels and other features.
• The Naiades: four landers will explore for subsurface liquid water using a novel low-frequency sounding method.
• CryoScout: this mission, designed to use heated water jets to descend through Martian polar ice caps, could potentially probe to depths of tens to hundreds of meters while measuring composition and searching for organic compounds.

Technology

Intelligent Optical Systems to Develop Fibre Optic Hydrogen Leak Detection System
Intelligent Optical Systems Inc (IOS), a privately held R&D company specialising in the design and development of proprietary optical communications, monitoring and signal processing technologies, has received a US$ 600,000 contract from the NASA Stennis Space Center to continue its development of a fibre optic hydrogen leak detection system for space launch vehicles.

On May 14, 2001, The Boeing Company, in a world first, successfully demonstrated IOC's fibre optic hydrogen leak detection system during a static fire test on a Delta IV orbital rocket at the NASA Stennis Space Center.

The project was initiated at IOS by an earlier contract from the NASA Stennis Space Center, complemented by funding from Boeing. With this contract, IOS has received approximately $1,000,000 in corporate and US government funding to develop a safe, efficient system for detecting potentially catastrophic leaks from cryogenic tanks and tubing containing liquid hydrogen and other high-energy propellants.

IOS's solution for the problem of real time hydrogen leak detection inside and outside of the launch vehicle uses a multi-point fibre optic sensor system composed of a low-cost light source, standard telecommunications-grade optical fibre as the transmission medium and easy-to-manufacture optrodes with temperature sensitive indicators.

Unlike electrochemical technology, optoelectronic sensors require no power at the sensing point, eliminating the possibility of faulty wiring causing a spark. Optical sensors are immune to electromagnetic interference and operate effectively in a wide variety of media. Optical fibre is flexible and resistant to temperature extremes and many caustic chemicals.

Current leak detection system utilise electrochemical sensors connected to multiple monitoring units by copper wiring increases payload weight, power consumption and the potential for explosion caused by electromagnetic interference or a spark.

Tecstar to Develop 40% Efficient Solar Cell for Concentrator Arrays
Tecstar Inc has been selected by NASA Glen Research Center to develop a 40% efficient solar cell for concentrator arrays.

The central objective of the research is to develop and demonstrate critical technology elements of a 40% efficient, lightweight solar cell. Under concentration these cells will enable more than 1000 W/kg specific power, with techniques that are employed to significantly reduce mass and cost.

The project will have a duration of 36 months and will investigate both the device physics, advanced structure designs, and deliver prototype solar cells for testing.

Launch Services

Taurus Rocket to Launch ROCSAT-2
Orbital Sciences Corporation's Taurus rocket has been selected by the Republic of China's National Space Program Office (NSPO) to launch the ROCSAT-2 remote sensing satellite.

The primary objective of the ROCSAT-2 satellite mission, scheduled for 2003, is to observe and monitor via satellite the terrestrial and marine environment and natural resources throughout Taiwan, its remote islands and surrounding ocean for civil applications. In addition, the ROCSAT-2 satellite also carries a 'Sprites Imager' scientific instrument to study the electrodynamical coupling between thunderclouds and the upper atmosphere by taking images of lightening discharges.

Neither party disclosed the value of the award, which is subject to final contract execution.

For the ROCSAT-2 mission, Orbital will provide the higher-performance XL version of the Taurus rocket. The Taurus XL incorporates the first and second stages of the Pegasus XL vehicle as compared to the original Taurus configuration, which incorporates the first and second stages of a standard Pegasus rocket.

Volvo Aero Wins Major Space Contract
FiatAvio and Volvo Aero have signed a contract covering the manufacture of LOX turbines for an additional four Vulcain 1 and 19 Vulcain 2 engines.

Deliveries will begin during 2001 and are scheduled to be completed in 2003.

Including this agreement, Volvo Aero has received orders for 17 nozzles and turbines for the Vulcain 1 engine and contracts covering development and manufacture of nozzles and LH2 and LOX turbines for the Vulcain 2 engine.

The Vulcain engine powers the main stage of the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. A heavy launcher version of the Ariane 5 will be launched during 2002 with an upgraded Vulcain 2 engine. The Vulcain 2 will increase the maximum lift of the Ariane 5, adding more than 800 kilograms of payload capacity to the launcher's geostationary transfer orbit.

Launches

Astra 2C

Launched: 16 June 2001
Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launcher: Proton
Orbit: GEO, 19.2° E
International Number: 2001-025A
Name: Astra 2C
Owner: Société Européenne des Satellites
Contractor: Boeing Satellite Systems

Astra 2C is a commercial communications satellite.

Based on Boeing Satellite Systems BS 601 HP bus, the satellite had a lift of mass of 3,643 kg and will generate 8,500 W of power. It carries a 40 transponder Ku band payload of which 32 will be active initially, falling to a minimum of 28 after 5 years. Astra 2C has a design lifetime of 15 years.

Initially, Astra 2C will be located in SES's first geostationary slot at 19.2° E as a back up for other SES satellites until Astra 1K is launched early next year. Astra 2C will then be moved to its permanent slot at 28.2° E.

Business

Airbus Buys Stake in Tenzing
Aircraft manufacturer Airbus Industrie has bought a 30% stake in Tenzing, a Seattle based provider of in-flight Internet access.

The agreement, which makes Tenzing the preferred supplier of in-flight Internet equipment to Airbus, values Tenzing at US$ 148 million.

Tenzing is reported to already have deals with three airlines - Virgin Atlantic, Cathy Pacific and Singapore Airlines - and is expected to announce three more agreements next week. Installation will commence later this year with equipment fitted to 50 planes by year end, increasing to 200 planes by the end of 2002 and 500 planes at the end of 2003.

Tenzing's service allows users to connect using their own notebook computers to view limited Internet content and to access e-mails. Tenzing currently has 8,000 subscribers signed up on a trial basis.

The connection speed is limited at 2.4 kb/s on international flights and 9.6 kb/s on flights within the USA. This is misleading, though, because an on-board server caches web content continuously, allowing a much higher throughput for users.

Connexion Announces Airline Deals
Connexion by Boeing has announced a deal with three major airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines, to provide high speed Internet services to some 1,500 planes.

The service will provide high speed Internet access and e-mail to 500 aircraft from each carrier using a satellite link. Installation will begin in the middle of next year. Initially, the service will only be available on flights within the USA.

The in-flight Internet service will be priced at approximately US$ 20 per hour.

Boeing will share ownership of Connexion by Boeing with the three airlines, with Boeing having the major shareholding and will retain the main management responsibility.

To use the service, passengers will use their own notebook computers which will be plugged into an on-board LAN in each aircraft. The aggregate data rates over the satellite link to each aircraft will be 5 Mb/s inbound and 1 Mb/s outbound. The data rates available to individual users will depend on the number of passengers online at any one tim, but will be a minimum of 56 kb/s.

RMS Networks Cancels IPO
RMS Networks Inc, which operates a broadband satellite network providing advertisers with a platform to direct ads at customers, has cancelled plans for an Initial Public Offering of its stock.

Citing unfavourable market conditions, the company has withdrawn the registration statement in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

RMS Networks hoped to raise US$ 75 million from its IPO.

Shanghai Bell to Distribute Vipersat VSATs in China
NeTrue Communications Inc has announced it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Shanghai Bell to distribute NeTrue's Vipersat VSAT network solutions in Greater China.

The LOI calls for Shanghai Bell to purchase an initial VSAT demonstration system valued at US$ 500,000 and includes the parties' intention to sign a definitive Private Labeling agreement by June 30, 2001.

In conjunction, BeTrue, a joint venture between NeTrue and Shanghai Bell, and 51% owned by NeTrue, will enter into a support agreement to provide systems integration, project implementation, technical support, consulting, and training to the end customers purchasing VSAT IP products and services from Shanghai Bell.

NeTrue and Shanghai Bell have also agreed to evaluate additional co-operation agreements including in-country manufacturing arrangements.

Shanghai Bell Ltd, is a joint venture operation between Huaxin Post and Telecommunications Economic Development Center of China, Alcatel Bell and the Belgian Administration for Development Cooperation.

People

International Datacasting Adds Two to Management Team
International Datacasting has added two new members, Ron MacGillivray and Michele Le Saux, to its senior management team.

Ron MacGillivray has joined the company as Vice President, Manufacturing. Mr MacGillivray will be responsible for the day-to-day activities of IDC's Manufacturing Group, which includes assembly, quality control, inventory, and purchasing, as well as operations for IDC's Ottawa teleport.

Michele Le Saux has been appointed to the new position of Director of Advanced Development, where she will be responsible for the development of new business in the area of broadband and advanced technologies.

New Director, Spaceport Engineering And Technology At KSC
James R Heald has been named director of the Spaceport Engineering and Technology organisation at Kennedy Space Center (KSC).

In this position, Heald is responsible for leading the centre's efforts for integrated engineering and spaceport technology development. Also, he will lead KSC's spaceport engineering and technology organisational efforts in building KSC into a premier spaceport science and engineering organisation.

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