1 July 2001

Satcoms

People's Daily of China Selects Norsat DVB Data Hub
Norsat International Inc has signed an agreement with People's Daily, China's largest daily newspaper, to supply a SpectraWorks DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) Data Hub to be operated out of Beijing.

The network will be used to provide private Internet Protocol (IP) data services, primarily for the electronic satellite transport of newspaper editions of People's Daily to urban centres across China and other parts of Asia for local printing and distribution. Norsat will also be supplying a number of satellite terminals for the initial network. Delivery and installation are scheduled for completion by August 2001.

The People's Daily, with a circulation of 3 million, is the largest newspaper in China, and according to UNESCO, it is among the 10 largest newspapers in the world. The People's Daily features the latest news dispatches of policy information and resolutions of the Chinese Government and major domestic news and international news releases. Ten newspaper and six magazine subsidiaries are also published by the People's Daily.

Telesat's Nimiq 2 Satellite
Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS) has been awarded a contract by Telesat Canada to build an A2100 geosynchronous satellite, with launch on an Atlas V rocket provided by International Launch Services (ILS), backed up by a Proton. The Ku/Ka-band satellite, designated Nimiq 2, will provide direct broadcast services across Canada following its scheduled launch in the fourth quarter of 2002.

Nimiq 2, a high power Ku/Ka-band satellite, will be located at 91° West. The spacecraft features 32 active 24 MHz Ku band transponders with 120 W power amplifiers, and also has a Ka band payload that will provide broadband services. Nimiq 2 will be an A2100AX satellite, manufactured by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, with a minimum service life of 12 years. The satellite's name - chosen from 36,000 submissions in a national contest in 1998 - is an Inuit word for any object or force that unites things or binds them together.

Telesat has concluded an agreement with Bell ExpressVu, the Canadian direct-to-home television provider that uses DBS frequencies, for capacity on the new satellite

Tiscali and Gilat To Introduce European Consumer, Two-way Internet Service
Tiscali SpA and Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd have entered into an agreement to provide a pan-European consumer, two-way satellite broadband Internet service. The service will offer always-on, high-speed Internet access to consumer markets and small office/home office (SOHO) users throughout Europe.

Under the agreement, Gilat will serve as the wholesale provider of Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) satellite communications equipment and operations support for the service. Tiscali has started a trial of the new, two-way satellite Internet service with selected numbers of users and expects to launch a commercial service in the autumn. The service is expected to be available all over Europe by the end of the year.

Powered by Gilat technology, Tiscali's two-way satellite service will exceed the geographic limitations of xDSL-based technology by reaching areas not wired for high-speed telephone connections in Europe. The service will also provide customers with the ability to download rich media, audio and video.

Tiscali expects the new service to offer users Internet access speeds up to 10 times higher than normal modem speeds in Europe. Two-way satellite service offers significant benefits for consumers, including a persistent or "always on" connection that saves time when connecting to the Internet and eliminates the need for a telephone line dedicated for Internet use. The service will also support multi-PC connectivity for SOHOs in Europe.

Tiscali expects to announce pricing and performance immediately before the commercial launch of the service.

WildBlue Selects ViaSat to Build Satellite Modem Termination Systems (SMTS)
WildBlue Communications Inc has selected ViaSat Inc to build the company's satellite modem termination systems (SMTS). This contract is valued at approximately US$ 17 million and covers development and production of satellite modem termination systems to support all six gateway earth stations for WildBlue's launch of service.

WildBlue's satellite modem termination systems (SMTS) will serve the same purpose as a cable modem termination system (CMTS) or DSLAM (DSL Access Multiplexer or modem termination system). Located at each WildBlue gateway location, the SMTS will provide the interface between the terrestrial Internet backbone and the WildBlue subscribers.

The SMTS will manage the traffic for each subscriber satellite terminal, including allocating bandwidth to each subscriber, directing traffic flow based on multiple classes of service, as well as managing the power and modulation formats to optimise transmission of data over the satellite link.

Science

Alcatel to Build Herschel and Planck Satellites
The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded a consortium led by Alcatel Space a 369 million Euro contract for the construction of two scientific satellites, Herschel and Planck. This is the largest contract ever awarded by ESA for a space science project.

Alcatel Space will be the prime contractor for both scientific satellites. Subcontractor Alenia Spazio will supply the two platforms. Astrium will provide the payload module and perform the integration of the Herschel satellite. Alcatel Space will also build the payload module and perform the integration of the Planck satellite.

Herschel is the follow-on to the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO), launched in 1995, for which Alcatel Space was also prime contractor. Herschel will enable astronomers to study the formation and evolution of galaxies and stars since the creation of the Universe. Herschel will be the largest spaceborne telescope constructed and will have a primary mirror measuring 3.5 m in diameter. It will have a design life of 3.5 years.

Planck will measure fluctuations in the temperature of cosmological background radiation (CBR) with unprecedented resolution and sensitivity. It has a design life of 1.5 years.

Herschel and Planck will be launched together in 2007 on an Ariane 5. They will be injected into separate orbits around the Earth's second Lagrangian point (L2) at an average distance of 1.5 million km from the Earth.

John Hopkins Wins US$ 600 Million Contracts for Solar Research
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has awarded a contract to Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory for assigned research, design, development, mission operations and related technology development as part of the agency's Sun-Earth Connection, Living With a Star (LWS) and Solar Terrestrial Probes (STP) programs.

The cost-plus-fixed-fee, 12-year contract has a maximum estimated value of US$ 600 million.

The Solar Terrestrial Probes program is a continuous sequence of flexible, cost-capped missions designed to study the Sun-Earth connection. STP missions will obtain information to answer two fundamental questions: how and why does the Sun vary, and how do the Earth and planets respond? NASA plans to begin this unprecedented study of the Sun and its influence on Earth with the launch of the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesophere, Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) mission later this year.

The Living With a Star program will allow comprehensive study of the cause-and-effect relationships between events at the Sun and their effects in geospace that influence life on Earth and humanity's technological systems. The LWS program will employ a series of spacecraft - ranging from large and sophisticated observatories to observe the Sun and track disturbances originating there, to constellations of small satellites located in key regions around the Earth to measure downstream effects.

Living With a Star will quantify the physics, dynamics and behaviour of the Sun-Earth system over the 11-year solar cycle and improve understanding of the effects on terrestrial climate change of solar variability and disturbances. It will also provide data and scientific understanding required for advance warning of energetic-particle events that affect human safety. In addition, LWS will give scientists a detailed characterisation of radiation environments useful in the design of more reliable electronic components for air and space transportation systems.

The work will be performed at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, as well as selected contractor facilities.

Rescue Plan for Saturn Probe
The European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA have announced a revised plan to work around a telecommunications problem and avoid loss of scientific data after the Cassini spacecraft releases the Huygens probe to descend to the surface of Titan, Saturn's biggest moon, in 2005.

The new plan will change the planned release date and geometry for the part of the mission in which the Huygens probe will parachute into the thick atmosphere of Titan. The new date will be January 14, 2005, seven weeks later than originally planned. The plan will also position the Cassini orbiter farther away during that descent.

After six months of analysis by the European Space Agency (ESA)-NASA joint Huygens Recovery Task Force, senior management from both agencies and members of the Cassini-Huygens scientific community have endorsed the mission modifications. The analysis was undertaken after the Huygens probe telecommunications problem was identified last autumn.

The Cassini-Huygens mission was launched in 1997. Engineers last year identified a design flaw in the Huygens communications system. Without a change in flight plans, the Huygens receiver would be unable to compensate enough for the Doppler shift in radio frequency between the signal emitted by the probe and the one received by the orbiter. A Doppler shift happens when the distance between a transmitter and receiver is changing, and Cassini originally would have been rapidly approaching Titan during Huygens' descent. This would have resulted in the loss of important data from the probe during its trip through Titan's atmosphere.

When Cassini arrives at Saturn in July 2004, it will, within the first seven months, complete three flybys of Titan instead of two as originally planned. Then, in February 2005, Cassini will resume the rest of its four-year prime mission as originally planned, studying the planet and its rings, moons and magnetic environment. The changes to the mission plan will use about one-fourth to one-third of Cassini's reserve supply of propellant. The reserve supply is carried for unforeseen needs such as this and for possible use if the mission were to be extended beyond 2008.

To reduce the Doppler shift in the signal from Huygens, Cassini will fly over Titan's cloud tops at an altitude of about 65,000 km, more than 50 times higher than formerly planned. The new plan also calls for several modifications to ensure maximum efficiency of the Huygens communications system. These include pre-heating the probe to improve tuning of the transmitted signal, continuous commanding by the orbiter to get the best possible performance by the receiver, and changes in the probe's on-board software.

Manned Space

Radiation on the International Space Station
The first series of radiation data collected inside the International Space Station (ISS) has been transmitted from space to scientists on Earth eager to assess its potential biomedical impacts and implications for future research.

The data were collected in May by radiation detectors on the ISS known as thermoluminescent detectors (TLDs). An onboard electronic reader read the data earlier this month and ISS astronaut James Voss transmitted it to scientists on Earth. The TLDs are part of a set of radiation-monitoring hardware known as the Passive Dosimeter System (PDS), which was developed by the Space Station Biological Research Project at NASA Ames Research Center and the Hungarian Space Office. The ability to accurately measure and monitor radiation exposure is important both to crew health and to future scientific research on the ISS.

Each TLD, which resembles a fat fountain pen, contains calcium sulfate crystals inside an evacuated glass bulb. The crystals absorb energy from incident ionizing radiation (protons, neutrons, electrons, heavy charged particles, gamma rays and x-rays) as the radiation passes through them. This process results in a steady increase in the energy level of the electrons in the crystal.

The Passive Dosimeter System is a flexible, easy-to-use radiation monitoring system that is available for use by researchers from the U.S. or ISS partner nations. It complements existing dosimeters used in routine ISS operations. The dosimeters can be placed anywhere in the ISS to provide an accurate measurement of the radiation levels at their locations.

NASA scientists expect to receive a preliminary interpretation soon of the radiation dose onboard the ISS from the Hungarian Space Office. A complete picture of the space station's radiation environment will not be available until a second type of dosimeter, known as Plastic Nuclear Track Detectors (PNTDs), is returned to Earth on an August space shuttle flight. The data from the TLDs will be combined with the data from the PNTDs and other radiation monitors as part of the Dosimetric Mapping Experiment (DOSMAP) to characterise the space radiation environment on board the space station. The DOSMAP experiment is being conducted by Dr. Guenther Reitz and is managed by the Space and Life Sciences Directorate at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston.

The PNTDs - thin sheets of plastic similar to the material used for some eyeglass lenses - were delivered to the ISS last April. The PNTD surface becomes pitted with tiny craters as heavy charged ions pass through it. After the detectors are returned to Earth, the plastic will be etched to enlarge the craters, which will be counted and their shapes and sizes analysed using a microscope. This information is used to improve the accuracy of the radiation dose the TLDs have recorded and to improve the estimate of the biological effects of the radiation. Eril Research developed and will analyse the PNTDs.

Launch Services

Delta IV to Launch DSCS III A3 Satellite for USAF
The US Air Force has assigned a second launch of a Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) satellite to a Boeing Delta IV rocket.

The DSCS III A3 satellite will be deployed by a Boeing Delta IV Medium expendable launch vehicle. The launch is scheduled for the second quarter of 2003 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

The US Air Force Space Command operates 10 Phase III DSCS satellites providing defence officials and battlefield commanders secure voice and high rate data communications. The DSCS III system also transmits space operations and early warning data to various systems and users.

Inmarsat to Provide Transfer Orbit Support for ISRO
Inmarsat has signed a contract with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to provide tracking, telemetry and command (TT&C) transfer orbit support services to ISRO's satellites.

The contract initially covers a minimum of three geosynchronous missions, but includes options for further launches.

Launch support will be provided through Inmarsat's three TT&C stations at Fucino (Italy), Beijing (China), and Lake Cowichan (Canada). Ground network operations co-ordination and control will be carried out from Inmarsat's satellite control centre (SCC) in London, UK.

Integral Systems Wins Eumetsat Contract
Integral Systems Inc has been awarded a contract by Alcatel Space Industries for the provision of the primary and backup control software for the METOP satellites of the Eumetsat Polar System (EPS).

These satellites are part of the joint program between Eumetsat and NOAA to provide weather data using
polar satellites. Integral's software will perform real-time command and control, offline trending, and operations automation for the satellites.

This will be the first project performed by Integral's new Toulouse based European subsidiary, Integral Systems Europe.

RS-68 Rocket Engine Ready for Launch
The first Rocketdyne RS-68 flight engine has completed its flight acceptance hot-fire test series at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

The engine was developed by the Rocketdyne Propulsion & Power business of The Boeing Company for the first-stage booster of the Boeing Delta IV family of launch vehicles. The Boeing Delta IV is part of the US Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. This test success paves the way toward its use on the first Delta IV EELV flight in early 2002.

The final test in a series of three was completed on June 23, with all test objectives met.

To date, the RS-68 program has accumulated more than 16,000 seconds of test time across the program.

With the acceptance testing now concluded, the RS-68 flight engine will undergo final system checks and then be moved to the Delta IV assembly facility in Decatur, Alabama, where it will be mated with a Delta IV common booster core. From there, the vehicle will be shipped to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, where it is expected to be launched in the spring of 2002.

Launches

Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP)

Launched: 30 June 2001
Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Launcher: Delta 2
Orbit: Earth-Sun L2 Lagrange point
International Number: 2001-027A
Name: Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP)
Owner: NASA

NASA's Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) is a scientific probe which is designed to capture the afterglow of the Big Bang.

About a month after its launch MAP will swing past the Moon, boosting its orbit to the second Lagrange Point, or L2. After a two month journey, MAP will begin to chart the faint microwave glow from the Big Bang and will take about 18 months to perform a full sky survey.

Business

Telesat Increases WildBlue Stake
Telesat Canada is increasing its investment in WildBlue Communications Inc to approximately 20%.

WildBlue is developing a next generation Ka band spot beam satellite broadband system for high speed Internet service.

Telesat CEO Larry Boisvert was also named to the WildBlue board of directors.

Telesat will provide telemetry tracking and control services for WildBlue's first satellite, WildBlue 1, to be launched in 2002, and WildBlue will use the US portion of the Ka band capacity on Telesat's Anik F2 satellite, slated for launch in early 2003.

WildBlue plans to roll out affordable two-way broadband services via satellite direct to homes and small offices throughout the contiguous United States in 2002. The company will then expand service to Canada and Latin America. WildBlue plans to be the first to launch the Ka-band spot beam satellite technology designed to lower the cost of providing high-speed Internet access via satellite.

Titan to Acquire Datron Systems
The Titan Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Datron Systems for approximately US$ 16.00 per Datron share or US$ 51.2 million in Titan common stock.

The purchase price represents approximately 0.8x Datron's fiscal 2001 revenues of US$ 62.3 million. In addition to reducing Titan's overall debt by approximately US$ 9 million, the transaction is expected to be accretive to Titan's earnings once the integration of Datron into Titan is completed later this year. The acquisition will be accounted for as a purchase and is expected to close by the end of the third quarter.

Founded in 1969 as a defence contractor, Datron has pioneered the development of antennas to track airborne rockets, missiles, weaponry, and spacecraft. Datron has developed expertise in remote sensing, image processing, satellite tracking and antenna manufacturing with products including remote sensing satellite earth stations, image processing software, tracking systems, and voice and data communication radio products.

More recently, Datron has developed the leading technology for bringing broadband voice, video and data communications to commercial airlines and the lowest profile direct broadcast satellite TV antenna available for land and marine markets. Datron is also positioned to capture potential business from the federal public safety wireless network market through the development of its line of digital radios.

People

Erwin Hudson Named President of WildBlue
WildBlue Communications Inc has announced the promotion of Erwin Hudson to President.

Hudson was formerly the Vice President of the Space Segment at WildBlue, responsible for creating the world's first high capacity commercial Ka-band satellite infrastructure, including design and construction of the satellites, securing launch vehicles, development of low cost Ka-band subscriber antennas and transceivers, and building the gateway earth stations. In his new role as President of WildBlue, Hudson will add responsibility for developing WildBlue's entire service infrastructure and operations, including the network operating centre, customer service, billing and the IP backbone to connect subscribers to the Internet.

Scopus Names New President for United States Operations
Scopus, a leading supplier of digital compression technology to the broadcast industry, has appointed Steven Bonica as president with full responsibility for overall Scopus marketing and sales activities in North America.

Before joining Scopus, Bonica served as CEO and member of the board of directors at Tiernan Communications Inc.

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