24 June 2001

Satcoms

Air Canada to Offer Tenzing Service
Tenzing Communications Inc has, announced that it will deploy its in-flight email and Web service across the entire Air Canada fleet of aircraft.

From November 2000 to May 2001, Air Canada participated in the first-ever commercial airline passenger trial of in-flight email and Web content and, with enthusiastic passenger response, decided to implement the program fleet-wide.

Passengers during the trial were able to connect laptops to existing seat-back phones and send and receive email and surf selected Web content from 33,000 feet. The Tenzing system is installed on five aircraft used for the trial and will be rolled out across the remaining aircraft during 2002. The Air Canada fleet consists of more than 200 aircraft.

The Tenzing system is compatible with PCs, Macs, and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). Tenzing has negotiated with several US and international carriers regarding implementation of the Tenzing Global system. Tenzing will begin full deployment of the Tenzing System on Air Canada, Cathay Pacific Airways, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Atlantic in 2001.

Alcatel Repeater for MTSAT-2
Alcatel Space won the contract to develop the aeronautical communications repeater for the Japanese satellite MTSAT-2.

The MTSAT-2 satellite is being developed by prime contractor Mitsubishi Electric on behalf of the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. MTSAT-2 will carry two repeaters: the aeronautical communications repeater, for which Alcatel Space is in charge of design and production; and a meteorological repeater.

The aeronautical communications repeater, operating in L, Ku and Ka bands, uses 1,750 W of power. It is designed to support the new CNS/ATM (communications, navigation, surveillance/air traffic management) environment.

Fourth Airline Customer for Connexion
Connexion by Boeing has signed its fourth airline customer, Deutsche Lufthansa, for its inflight Internet service.

Lufthansa will have Connexion's equipment installed on 80 of its long haul jets. The first installation will be on a 747 aircraft which will be used for a three month test and development programme, after which the rest of the installations will be performed.

Last week, Connexion announced deals with three US airlines - American Airlines, United and Delta Airlines. Each of these three will install Connexion equipment of 500 planes and will become shareholders in Connexion. Lufthansa will only be a customer, not a shareholder as well.

Global Crossing Provides Broadband Comms for British Embassies
Loral CyberStar has been awarded a multiyear contract to provide very small aperture terminal (VSAT) services to Global Crossing, one of the world s largest telecommunications service providers, in support of Global Crossing's contract to develop a virtual private network (VPN) for British embassies worldwide.

Global Crossing will implement and support the UK government s Foreign and Commonwealth Offices (FCO) telecommunications network (FTN) and provide managed voice, data, and messaging services to approximately 10,000 users in 240 British embassies, consulates, high commissions, and diplomatic missions worldwide. To ensure universal access to broadband, integrated and flexible communications, CyberStar's VSAT solution will allow all British embassies to have the same high-quality, secure and reliable communications.

CyberStar's multiplexed network provides secure, resilient, and cost-effective connectivity for both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint communications with no intervening terrestrial links. Its high rate of availability ensures support for critical communications and its dedicated bandwidth can be increased from 64 kb/s to 320 kb/s without expensive and time-consuming equipment changes.

Globecomm Announces Contracts
Globecomm Systems Inc has been awarded a contract to provide network support services in the United States and two contracts to develop satellite earth station infrastructures in Gibraltar and Hong Kong with an aggregate value of approximately US$ 2.4 million.

Globecomm Systems has been selected by a global financial communications company, to provide operations, maintenance, fault clearance, technical support and engineering for a major network hub, located at the customer's earth station in Hauppauge, New York. The customer is a subsidiary of the world's largest provider of financial information, which broadcasts news and data services throughout the Americas. Globecomm will begin providing services in the first quarter of 2002.

Globecomm Systems Europe, a wholly owned subsidiary of Globecomm Systems will design, install and commission a C band 11-meter tracking, telemetry and command (TT&C) earth station in Gibraltar. This terminal will provide optimal access to track, monitor and command one of the client's fleet of transoceanic satellites, located in strategic orbits over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Installation is expected to begin in October, 2001, and the terminal should be operational the following month.

Globecomm Systems will provide a turnkey earth station in Hong Kong, including C band equipment and station monitor and control systems for operation with the Asia Sat-35 satellite. This will enable the client to increase their voice and data/Internet connectivity services throughout Asia. Installation is expected to begin in September, 2001, and will be operational by October, 2001.

Harris Awarded Wideband Gapfiller Satellite Antenna Contract
Harris Corporation has been awarded a contract by Boeing Satellite Systems to provide the Ka band spot antennas for the US Department of Defense (DoD) Wideband Gapfiller Satellite (WGS) program.

WGS is a high-capacity satellite system, jointly funded by the US Air Force and US Army, to support the warfighter with newer and far greater wideband communications capabilities than provided by current systems. The WGS contract for Harris could reach US$ 30 million by 2006 if the US Government exercises options for up to six satellites.

Under terms of the WGS antenna contract, Harris engineers and technicians will design, develop, produce and test the complete Ka band spot antenna systems for the satellites, ultimately delivering two sets of five antenna and feed systems per satellite. The two antenna sets will be delivered to Boeing for satellite integration. The 10 steerable, solid graphite offset antennas provide the critical communications link to ground stations, enabling WGS satellites to securely transmit and receive digital-quality voice, data and imagery. The WGS Ka band antennas will be ready to integrate onto the Boeing 702 satellites, providing a relatively simple plug-and-play interface.

In January 2001, Boeing awarded Harris a US$ 300,000 contract to begin engineering and technical support work to ensure that existing ground terminals will be compatible with new WGS satellite communications payloads. The ground segment work for Harris could increase to US$ 7 million over the next five years as options for six additional satellites are exercised, bringing the potential overall value of WGS system-related contracts for Harris to US$ 37 million by 2006.

The WGS program will augment DoD communications services currently provided by the Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS), which provides Super High Frequency (SHF) wideband communications, and the Global Broadcast Service (GBS), which uses direct broadcast satellite technology to provide critical information to US military and allied forces. With an initial launch in early 2004, WGS will serve as a bridge to the Advanced Wideband Satellite system, a high-capacity tactical communications system currently planned for 2009.

Net-36 Adds Rights Management and Pay Collection Applications
NET-36, a PanAmSat company and provider of satellite-based Internet broadcast services, has announced the immediate availability of digital rights management, subscription and pay-per-view (PPV) services.

With these new services, NET-36 has added secure, low-cost turnkey solutions for content rights holders seeking to introduce PPV material as well as manage the distribution of their video and audio assets on the Internet.

NET-36's subscription, PPV and digital rights management solutions are designed specifically for entertainment content streamed over the Internet. Through the security features now offered on NET-36, content rights holders can now profit from the secure distribution of their content to consumers, whether they choose to make the content available to select viewers for promotion purposes, or choose to collect payment for access to their content.

NET-36's content distribution controls enable rights holders to limit distribution by zip code, broadband service provider, demographic marketing area, the frequency with which viewers may access content as well as a suite of customer defined business rules.

NET-36 now provides turnkey subscription management services for both one-time pay events as well as on-going subscription services. Content rights holders with subscription and PPV operations that wish to expand their fee-based content access business from traditional media to Internet streaming will find that the NET-36 satellite-based Internet broadcast network is easily integrated with any third-party subscription management system already in place.

Telesat Awarded Licence for New Satellite
The Canadian government has accepted a Telesat proposal to design, build and launch a new communications satellite that would deliver a wide range of telecommunications, broadcasting and Internet services to Canadians from coast to coast. The new satellite is to be launched by 2003.

As part of its proposal, Telesat will make two channels on a new satellite available - at no cost - for the federal government to use to serve public institutions in remote and/or underserved areas of Canada. Telesat's new satellite will be located at Canada's orbital position at 118.7° W.

Earth Observation

Radarsat-2 Readied to Support Proposed Tandem Mission With Radarsat-3
The Canadian Space Agency has awarded two contracts totalling Cdn$ 6.7 million to MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. MDA will, under the first contract for a total amount of Cdn$ 5.7 million, implement specific modifications to the RADARSAT-2 spacecraft to support a proposed tandem mission with RADARSAT-3. The second contract, worth Cdn$ 1 million, provides for the implementation of the second phase of a Mission Definition Study including the preparation of a detailed implementation plan for RADARSAT-3.

The RADARSAT-2 and 3 tandem mission will provide the capability to capture high-resolution three-dimensional images of the Earth's surface on an ongoing basis, and will maintain Canada's leadership in the application of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology.

The launch of RADARSAT-2 is now expected for late 2003.

Military Space

US Air Force Reviews Lockheed Martin SBIRS Ground Station
The US Air Force has begun comprehensive testing of the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) ground station that will replace three legacy Defense Support Program (DSP) control centres.

The Air Force Operation Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC), an independent evaluation arm of the Air Force, will review the ground station's performance at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado for 90 days. The goal of the AFOTEC test is to estimate the prospective system's operational effectiveness and suitability in as realistic an operational environment as possible.

The SBIRS Mission Control Station (MCS), recently accepted by the Air Force to begin the round of testing, is the first of three elements that Lockheed Martin is designing and developing for the SBIRS program. The new ground station is expected to begin assuming DSP's daily duties in the fall once AFOTEC reports its findings from the test - referred to as Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E). The DSP stations will be phased out after the SBIRS ground station achieves Initial Operational Capability. The phase-out is expected to be complete in early 2002.

Military personnel who will run the operational system are testing the MCS to verify it can accurately and timely detect and report missile launches and that its design complies with Air Force maintenance standards.

Lockheed Martin officials are confident the system will perform well in the AFOTEC review because the company modelled its in-house tests after military procedures.

The company is responsible for the SBIRS "high" component, which includes four Geostationary Earth Orbit satellites, two Highly Elliptical Orbit satellites and ground assets including a MCS, a backup MCS, a mobile MCS, and overall element integration between SBIRS "high" and "low."

US Sets Up Space Squadrons
Lt. Gen. Edward Anderson, deputy commander in chief of the US Space Command has reported to Congress that the USA has established two US Air Force squadrons dedicated to defending commercial satellites and other US spacecraft from attack.

The Air Force Space Command's 527th Space Aggressor Squadron's role is to copy the known capabilities of possible enemies. During war games involving space assets, this unit would act the part of an enemy. The unit is based at Shriever Air Force Base in Colorado.

The Air Force Space Command's 76th Space Control Squadron is to develop "space control technologies". It is based at Peterson Air Force, Colorado.

Manned Space

Moog Awarded Shuttle Contract
United Space Alliance LLC (USA) of Cape Canaveral, Florida has awarded Moog Inc a five-year long-term contract for US$ 48.2 million to refurbish the flight control hardware for the Space Shuttle.

USA is a Limited Liability Company jointly owned by the Boeing Company and
Lockheed Martin Corporation. Established in 1996, USA is NASA's prime
contractor for the Space Shuttle program.

The Shuttles have been in service for over 20 years and have flown 103 missions. The upgrades process will ensure continued safe Shuttle operations through the end of this decade, and provide assurance that the Shuttle could operate into the next decade, if needed. The refurbishment begins in August of 2001 and will continue through September of 2006. Under a separately funded program, Moog is responsible for the ongoing refurbishment of the motors for the solid rocket boosters which are recovered after launch.

Technology

ATK to Study Composite Technology for NASA Space Launch Initiative
ATK (Alliant Techsystems) has been awarded a basic contract with options totalling a potential US$ 11 million by Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas Corporation to study technology concepts for a composite cryogenic fuel tank that could be used on a next-generation reusable launch vehicle (RLV) under development by NASA in the first phase of its Space Launch Initiative (SLI).

SLI is a five-year program to develop technologies and the business case for a new RLV that will dramatically lower the cost of access to space while substantially increasing safety and reliability. In May, Boeing was awarded a US$ 136 million SLI contract from NASA to study airframe, vehicle subsystems, operations, and propulsion concepts that could lead to advanced technologies for eventual application to a specific RLV design.

ATK's composite technology study work under its three-year contract will be conducted by ATK Aerospace Composite Structures Company at its facilities in Clearfield, Utah, and Iuka, Mississippi.

Eurostar 3000/2000 Satellite Control Center Solutions
L-3 Communications subsidiary Storm Control Systems (L-3 Storm), Astrium, and Inmarsat Limited have signed multiple strategic contracts.

Under these awards, L-3 Storm will define, design, build and offer Satellite Control Center (SCC) software and related services for future Astrium Eurostar 3000/2000 satellite customers, including Inmarsat for its new I-4 satellites. Inmarsat will contribute its extensive operations expertise of over 11 years, as well as telemetry and telecommand kernel software capabilities.

The first operational use of the SCC will be for Inmarsat's I-4 series of spacecraft. The SCC will be used by Inmarsat to operate their new I-4s planned for launch in 2003, as well as their existing Inmarsat-2 and Inmarsat-3 spacecraft. In addition, Astrium will use and offer the SCC for all satellites based on Eurostar 2000 and 3000 platforms. With a full suite of software products for telemetry, tracking and control (TT&C), the E3000/E2000 SCC provides system automation tools that are powerful, platform independent and flexible. The systems will also feature a highly advanced integrated Java graphical user interface (GUI), providing extensive capabilities for managing a fleet of satellites. In addition, the SCC will support the monitoring and control of numerous other types of satellite platforms.

TRW Awarded Contract to Develop Innovative Propulsion Technology
TRW Inc has received a US$ 15.5 million contract under NASA's Space Launch Initiative (SLI) to develop technologies that will dramatically increase the safety, reliability and affordability of next-generation reusable space launch and transportation vehicles.

TRW will develop a new class of reaction control thrusters using non-toxic propellants and will continue the development of a 1 million-pound, liquid oxygen-rocket propellant thrust booster engine. Both are based on TRW's advanced pintle injector concept and share heritage with TRW's reliable Lunar Module Descent Engine and the 100-pound thrust engine used to insert NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory into a highly elliptical orbit.

NASA's SLI is a research and development effort designed to substantially improve safety and reduce the cost of the second generation of launch and space transportation vehicles, beyond the Space Shuttle. The effort is designed to produce propulsion technology that will reduce cost by a factor of 10, increase reliability by a factor of 10 and increase safety by a factor of 100.

Launch Services

Inmarsat Selects Launchers for Fourth Generation Satellites
Mobile satellite operator, Inmarsat, has chosen International Launch Services and Arianespace to launch its next generation, Inmarsat-4, satellites.

International Launch Services (ILS) is in the final stages of contract negotiations with Inmarsat to launch at least one of the Inmarsat-4 satellites, during 2003/2004 using the Atlas V rocket. The contract includes options for additional launches. Financial terms were not disclosed. Once signed, the contract would make Inmarsat the sixth commercial customer to sign up for the Atlas V, which is scheduled to make its debut launch next year.

Arianespace and Inmarsat Ventures plc have also signed a letter of intent for the launch of at least one Inmarsat-4 satellites on an Ariane 5 from Kourou in French Guiana, during 2003/2004.

Inmarsat has ordered three Astrium Eurostar 3000 model satellites for its Inmarsat-4 series. Weighing about 6 metric tons, the spacecraft will be used for Inmarsat's Broadband Global Area Network (B-GAN).

Integral Systems to Provide Satellite Control Software For Telstar 8
Loral Skynet has awarded Integral Systems Inc a contract to provide the primary and backup control software for the Telstar 8 satellite.

The contract also requires for Integral to provide software responsible for autonomous operations for the planning and execution of daily ion propulsion manoeuvres. Telstar 8 will be the first of Space Systems/Loral's new model 1300S series of satellites. This will be the seventh Telstar satellite operated with Integral's EPOCH 2000 satellite control products.

PanAmSat Places Three Launches With Arianespace
PanAmSat has once again chosen Arianespace, to launch three new satellites: Galaxy 12 and PAS Light 2 and 3.

Galaxy 12 will be launched by an Ariane 5 or Ariane 4 at the end of 2002 from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. PAS Light 2 and 3 are scheduled for Ariane 5 launches during the second half of 2003 and in 2004, respectively.

All three satellites, Galaxy 12, PAS Light 2 and 3, will be built by Orbital Sciences Corporation of Dulles, Virginia, using the Star 2 platform. Weighing about 1,700 kg at launch, they will be positioned at 99°, 125° and 133° W, respectively. Each is fitted with 20 C band transponders and will provide coverage of North America.

Rosetta to Launch on Ariane
Arianespace will launch the Rosetta spacecraft on its 8-year journey to rendezvous with the comet 46P/Wirtanen. Rosetta is one of the European Space Agency's Planetary Cornerstone missions.

Rosetta will be launched by a dedicated Ariane 5 in mid-January 2003 from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, into a liberation point orbit. This mission will benefit from the extended coast phase provided by the Ariane 5 EPS upper stage.

The Rosetta spacecraft will be built by Astrium. A box type structure measuring 2.8 x 2.1 x 2.0 m, it will weigh approximately 3,000 kg at launch. The upper part of the spacecraft will be equipped with the payload instruments, while subsystems will be installed in the base. Two solar panels, each covering 32 m², will give this interplanetary craft a total "wingspan" of more than 32 meters.

Rosetta will swing by the Earth twice, and Mars once, using their gravity to provide the energy needed for its long voyage and send it on the right path. During its eight year voyage, Rosetta will perform flybys of two asteroids, Otawara and Siwa. The duration of the mission will require the onboard instruments to be placed into hibernation for long periods.

Rendezvous manoeuvres with the comet 46P/Wirtanen are planned for November 2011. Rosetta's primary mission is to study the comet's nucleus and environment. In 2012, a lander carried by the spacecraft will actually land on the surface of the comet.

Russia's Reusable Booster
The Khrunichev Space Centre has been showing off a mock up of its Baikal reusable booster at the Paris Air Show.

The booster, which Khrunichev hopes will make its maiden flight in 2004, will carry 110 tonnes of fuel and will be used as the first stage of a launcher, powering the flight to an altitude of some 60 km when a second stage will take over.

Once its job is over, the Baikal will separate from the second stage, deploy wings and returns to its base powered by its own, on board, jet engine. Although the configuration is novel, the existing qualified components will be used for the major systems on the rocket - the rocket engine will be the RD191, the landing gear will be from the Yak 42 and the jet engine will be the RD33.

The launcher will be 27.1 m long and will provide 196 tonnes of thrust, enabling the booster to place 1.9 tonnes into low Earth orbit. Increased payload capability can be achieved by strapping boosters together. A four booster launcher would be capable of launching 22 tonnes to LEO or 3.2 tonnes to geostationary orbit.

Savings of up to 30% of conventional launch costs are expected.

Syracuse III to Launch on Ariane
Alcatel Space has chosen Arianespace to launch France's new Syracuse III military communications satellite.

Syracuse III will be launched by an Ariane 5 in the fourth quarter of 2003 from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.

The Syracuse III spacecraft is a third-generation military communications satellite. After its launch, it will serve the operational needs of the French Ministry of Defence.

Built by Alcatel Space on a Spacebus 3100 platform, Syracuse III will deliver the armed forces with significantly higher performance in terms of data throughput, operational flexibility and resistance to countermeasures and attack. Its launch mass will be approximately 1.7 tons.

Volvo Aero, Astrium And DLR Co-Operate to Develop Thrust Chamber Technology
Volvo Aero, Astrium and DLR have decided to co-operate in order to develop thrust chamber technology. The aim of the co-operation is to gain experience and knowledge for the further development of thrust chambers for main-stage engines of space launch vehicles. The parties will run a series of hot-firing tests, preparing for future thrust chambers with considerably higher expansion ratios than today.

The space industry is constantly striving to develop launch vehicles with better performance, allowing for higher lift capacity at a lower cost. Ariane 5 is no exception, where the aim is set for future versions with even better performance than today. This is the background for a need of longer nozzles with altitude compensation, also known as Flow Separation Control.

Longer nozzles bring a number of technical challenges, like higher pressure loads, vibrations and heat. During the launch, the pressure inside the nozzle exhaust is lower than ambient air at low altitudes and the supersonic exhaust flow separates from the wall. In the area where the separation takes place, the thermal loads are the highest. The engineers of Volvo Aero, Astrium and DLR will conduct tests to find out how to master these problems.
Testing of sub-scale combustors and nozzles will take place at the DLR facilities in Germany. They are to be concluded by the end of year 2002. The results will be used for the further development of the Ariane 5 main engine, Vulcain.

Launches

ICO A1

Launched: 19 June 2001
Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Launcher: Atlas 2AS
Orbit: MEO, apogee: 10,111 km, perigee: 10,111 km: inclination: 45°
International Number: 2001-026A
Name: ICO A1
Owner: ICO Global Communications
Contractor: Boeing Satellite Systems

ICO A1 is a commercial communications satellite. It is the first of a constellation of 10 satellites being launched by ICO. It will be used in the testing and integration of the ICO space and ground segments.

The satellite is based on a modified Boeing 601 bus. It carries an integrated C and S band payload able to support 4,500 simultaneous telephone calls. An onboard narrow band digital processor will perform channelisation, routing and beam-forming of the S band payload.

The ICO satellites are 25% taller than the typical Boeing 601s, bringing the new design to roughly 5 m high. The added height accommodates the innovative transmit and receive antennas. The satellites also have a pair of four-panel solar wings, with dual-junction gallium arsenide solar cells. The solar arrays will provide 8,900 W of end-of-life power. Mass in orbit is 2696 kg.

Business

Eutelsat Partners With Sitcom
Eutelsat and Sitcom, the content production and distribution company, have signed a strategic agreement to develop Sitcom's international business activities and its portfolio of broadband multimedia services.

Eutelsat will also enter into the capital of Sitcom SpA and into Sitcom Multimedia SpA. The two companies have agreed to pool their resources in content production and technology in order to extend the distribution networks of the Sitcom channels and products, to expand the range of language versions of Sitcom's five television channels and to develop new editorial products. They will also jointly develop and commercialise satellite delivery of Internet video portals for broadband Internet users through Eutelsat's Open Sky multimedia platform.

Created in 1997 as an independent content provider for the digital television market in Italy, Sitcom today produces five thematic television channels: Marcopolo (travel and adventure), INN (news), Nuvolari (motoring), Alice (lifestyle and cooking) and Leonardo (style). The company produces multi-language content in Italy and has built international distribution in Germany, Switzerland, Turkey, Greece, Poland and Luxembourg. Eutelsat brings to the partnership its considerable satellite infrastructure that opens opportunities for network expansion in Europe, as well as Africa, Asia and the Americas. With its Open Sky multimedia entertainment platform Eutelsat is also confirming its commitment to developing solutions for satellite access of rich multimedia content.

Inmarsat Ventures Completes Credit Facility
Inmarsat Ventures plc has completed syndication of a new 5 year unsecured revolving credit facility. The transaction was arranged and fully underwritten by Barclays Capital, the investment banking division of Barclays Bank plc, and ING Barings.

The facility was oversubscribed and increased to US$ 610 million after attracting support from a 15-strong bank syndicate. In addition to the two lead arrangers, the facility is being provided by Bank of America NA, BNP Paribas, HSBC Bank plc, IBJ (Mizuho), Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau, Lloyds TSB Bank plc, Natexis Banques Populaires, Scotia Capital and Societe Generale as arrangers, Morgan Stanley as lead manager and Allied Irish Banks plc, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Banque et Caisse d'Epargne de L'Etat SA as managers.

The facility completes a major element of Inmarsat's capital structuring plan and, together with operating cash flows, is expected to substantially fund the Company's next generation of satellites and services.

Integral Systems Teams With Agilent Technologies
Integral Systems Inc has become an Independent Solutions Supplier (ISS) for Agilent Technologies for the satellite Integration and Test (I&T) marketplace.

Independent Solution Suppliers are selected by Agilent in specific markets. Agilent supports its partners with co-operative marketing planning, referrals, and access to Agilent's worldwide sales force. Agilent and Integral have recently been jointly marketing testing solutions for communications satellites; the recognition of Integral as an Independent Solutions Supplier now formalises the relationship. Integral will add value as a leading provider of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) satellite and payload integration systems. The systems use the EPOCH 2000 product line, which has supported the entire satellite test lifecycle from satellite component testing to the testing of the entire satellite system.

New Bus From Alcatel and Astrium
Alcatel Space and Astrium NV are to jointly develop a new generation satellite platform, the @BUS.

The venture, which will require European Union approval, will allow the companies to compete more effectively with platforms from Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Space Systems/Loral.

The companies have allocated a budget of 500 million Euros to the project.

New Name for Kingston MediaStream
Kingston MediaStream, the satellite service providing subsidiary of Kingston Communications, is changing its name to Kingston inmedia.

The new name is intended to reflects the company's broad range of services covering media creation, manipulation, storage and distribution and is in line with parent company, Kingston Communications' re-branding of its eight operating divisions.

STMicroelectronics Joins EuroSkyWay Consortium
Alenia Spazio and STMicroelectronics have announced an agreement to co-operate in the field of interactive broadband satellite networks for multimedia applications.

Under the terms of the agreement, STMicroelectronics will become a partner in Alenia's EuroSkyWay project, presently under development within the ESA (European Space Agency) Artes 3 program, which aims to provide a new generation of satellites for Internet and Interactive TV services.

Alenia Spazio will be the satellite network architect and STMicroelectronics will be responsible for the design and development of the satellite's user platform, including the critical PHY (physical) and MAC (Media Access Control) chips. Based on a programmable approach, the user platform will be optimised according to the DVB RCS (Digital Video Broadcasting Return Channel System) standard while maintaining compatibility with the EuroSkyWay system and future evolving specifications.

The two companies will also co-operate in the further development of their existing 8PSK (8-Phase Shift Keying) Turbo Code advanced modulation techniques as well as in the development of reduced cost ODUs (Out-Door Unit).

Products and Services

AccuWave GPS Antennas From e-tenna
e-tenna Corporation has launched its new AccuWave GPS antenna product line. AccuWave is designed to improve the performance and reduce the size and cost of global positioning system (GPS) antennas for high-precision applications.

AccuWave employs e-tenna's Artificial Magnetic Conductor (AMC) technology, which isolates antennas from nearby influences that could degrade performance. In the case of GPS, signals transmitted by the GPS satellites often arrive at the user via various paths; directly from the satellite, but also via bounces off the ground or from obstructions such as nearby buildings. This results in a phenomenon called multipath, that reduces the GPS's ability to accurately determine location - simply because it cannot tell which signal arrived directly from the satellite.

AccuWave-enhanced GPS antennas use AMC technology to filter out and greatly reduce these bounced signals. AMC attenuates multipath, thus creating a near-perfect antenna groundplane and significantly improves the accuracy of GPS systems, which is critically important for high precision applications like surveying.

In addition, AMC technology is realised using thin and low-cost printed circuit boards, rather than today's standard method of placing the antennas on a machined aluminium groundplane. This results in antennas that are lighter, smaller, and more flexible than today's antennas, thus enabling engineers to incorporate GPS functionality into a wider range of products.

Gilat Launches SkyBlaster 360 Modem
Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd have announced the official market introduction of the SkyBlaster 360 consumer satellite modem.

The SkyBlaster 360, which Gilat had been testing with hundreds of users earlier this year, is to be deployed by StarBand Communications Inc in the United States, as well as by other broadband, two-way satellite Internet services in the consumer and small office/home office markets worldwide. Those services include Star One in Brazil and Internet service providers (ISPs) and information service providers in Europe.

The SkyBlaster 360 features scalable throughput of up to 52.5 Mb/s downstream and 153.6 kb/s for the satellite return channel, with 307.2 kb/s planned for future releases under development. The product can be used with either an Ethernet connection or a USB port, and is compatible with Windows 98SE, Windows 2000 and WindowsMe. Furthermore, the SkyBlaster 360 platform incorporates Gilat's proprietary TCP and web-page acceleration technologies.

Hughes Launches DirecWay Broadband Service
Hughes Network Systems has announced DirecWay, its latest package of two-way broadband services for small businesses and homes.

The services aims to provide delivery speeds comparable to cable or DSL broadband services, but to be universally available across the United States unlike terrestrial solutions which will only ever be available to customers in areas of high population. The service will be provided through service provider partners including America Online, Earthlink, Juno Online and Pegasus Solutions.

The cost for the basic DirecWay service will be US$ 500 for the equipment including dish, US$ 200 for installation, with a monthly subscription charge of between US$ 60 to US$ 70.

IP Service from Inmarsat
Inmarsat is to launch a Mobile Packet Data Service (MPDS) based on its Global Area Network (GAN), allowing always-on access to email, the Internet and file transfer services over 64 kb/s connections.

The service, which launches at the end of this month, complements Inmarsat's wireless ISDN service, typically used by broadcasters to deliver video and audio content from outside teams.

MPDS is based on standard Internet Protocol (IP), delivering data in packets optimised for use over Inmarsat's geostationary network of satellites.

GAN terminals can be set up and left connected to Inmarsat's satellite network 24 hours a day, seven days a week, enabling the user to surf the web and send and receive emails and documents anywhere in the world except the polar regions.

L-3 Communications Debuts MARS Series of Satellite Momentum and Reaction Wheels
L-3 Communications' Space and Navigation division has developed a new family of versatile, low-cost, high reliability wheels designed to stabilise and control the next generation of satellites. Designated the MARS Series, this family of wheels is radiation hardened with a 15 year life expectancy, and can address both Reaction Wheel and Momentum Wheel missions.

The MARS Series is derived from a common flexible modular design that can handle both the wide torque range (up to 0.75 Newton-meters) and a wide momentum range (5 to 160 Newton-meter-seconds) required by the next generation of Communication and high performance Reconnaissance/Resource Monitoring satellites. Product features include low noise performance for superior pointing stability, the capability to operate from multiple bus voltages, and digital and analogue output. MARS qualification testing will be completed by the first quarter of 2002.

StarBand Launches New Two-Way Modem for Internet Service
StarBand Communications Inc has announced the availability of its next generation product, the StarBand Model 360 satellite modem, to consumers throughout the continental US and Alaska.

The StarBand Model 360 satellite modem can be used with either an Ethernet connection or a USB port and is compatible with Windows 98, Windows 98SE, Windows 2000 and WindowsMe. The system requires 64 Mbytes of RAM and home networking is available through a partnership with Ositis, the maker of WinProxy software.

The product is also multicast-enabled and consumers will be able to receive multicast-encoded data streams initially of up to 3 Mb/s in addition to their high-speed Internet browsing. In the future, the multicasting capacity will grow to up to 48 Mb/s.

The StarBand Model 360 system can be purchased, together with the necessary outdoor equipment at a suggested retail price of US$ 499.99 and the monthly fee for unlimited high-speed Internet access and multicasting remains at US$ 69.99. The StarBand service can still be bundled in a one-dish solution with satellite TV from DISH Network for an additional charge.

The StarBand Model 180 satellite modem, StarBand's second-generation product was introduced to the marketplace in the fourth quarter of 2000. Beta testing of the StarBand Model 360 satellite modem began earlier in this quarter and nearly 1,000 pilot testers across the USA have stress tested the service.

The StarBand Model 360 satellite modems are currently being shipped to distribution partners and will be available to consumers over the next 4-6 weeks.

Thuraya to Begin Commercial Service
Thuraya, the satellite-based regional mobile communications system, will begin launching commercial service to more than 20 countries in July.

Thuraya held a successful soft service launch in May with limited trial service in the United Arab Emirates that has since expanded to Italy, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania and Sudan. This came a month after a call was placed successfully between Morocco and Bangladesh, the two farthest points within the Thuraya coverage area. More markets are due to come on line in the weeks leading up to the full service launch beginning in July.

The company expects to see demand for about 400,000 handsets in the first year of service of which 235,000 will be delivered by the end of 2001.

Thuraya will ultimately provide satellite-based mobile communications to a region encompassing approximately 2.5 billion people in 100 countries across the Middle East, North and Central Africa, Europe, the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. The Thuraya service will be delivered through service providers throughout its coverage region. Currently, Thuraya has about 40 service providers and 77 roaming partnerships.

Thuraya's dual-mode service enables callers to use terrestrial GSM service any time in local networks or to automatically switch to satellite mode whenever the user is outdoors and out of local terrestrial reach. The service integrates satellite, GSM and GPS all in one handset. Each handset offers, voice, data, fax and GPS location determination.

By using a single high-power geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) satellite, Thuraya requires only one spacecraft and one gateway to serve its regional target markets. The Thuraya-1 satellite was launched in October 2000 aboard a Sea Launch rocket. A second Thuraya satellite has been built as a ground spare or to expand the capacity of the system. Thuraya also has an option for a third BSS satellite.

The satellite is equipped with an innovative 12.25-meter L band transmit-receive reflector provided by TRW Astro Aerospace. The large reflector is combined with Boeing's on-board digital signal processing to create an active phased-array antenna that allows the spacecraft to create more than 200 spot beams and handle 13,750 simultaneous phone calls.

Under a US$ 960 million contract signed in September 1997, BSS is responsible for the manufacture of two high-power GEM satellites, launch of the first spacecraft, insurance, the primary gateway, and user handsets. The second satellite is a ground spare, and there is an option for a third. The Thuraya primary gateway includes a collocated network operations centre, communications gateway and satellite control facility in the UAE. The dual-mode GEM/GSM mobile phones, network operations centre and communications gateway are provided by HNS.

People

Iridium Satellite Names New VP
Iridium Satellite LLC has announced the appointment of Don Thoma as vice president, data business development.

Thoma will manage the development of advanced data related products and services to be sold to existing and new vertical markets and will oversee the creation of industrial applications for machine-to-machine data communications solutions.

Web spacenewsfeed.co.uk