17 February 2002
Satcoms
Intelsat Connects World Bank's Field Offices
Telesat to Deliver New Broadband
Services to Ontario First Nations Communities
Three ISPs from Former
Yugoslavia Sign for Additional New Skies Satellite Capacity
Earth
Observation
Radarsat-2/3
Tandem Mission Feasibility Study Extended
RSI to Support Sustainable Development in Southern
Thailand
Navigation
Farmers Let Trimble GPS Technology Do the Driving
Military
Space
Signal
Corporation Awarded US Navy Contract
Technology
Aerojet Hydrogen Peroxide Engine Test Facility
Operational
Business
Globalstar Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection
KVH Industries and Thrane
& Thrane Partner to Sell Inmarsat Products in USA
Products and Services
KVH Industries Introduces the eTrac Satellite Maritime E-mail
System
New KVH
Tracphone F77 Helps Mariners Stay On-line Worldwide
People
Dr Shannon Lucid Selected as NASA Chief Scientist
Jefferson Davis
Howell Jr Named as Johnson Space Center Director
Qualcomm Appoints Senior
Officers
Intelsat Connects World Bank's Field Offices
Intelsat has signed a 10-year contract to provide a
global VSAT solution connecting the World Bank Organisation headquarters in
Washington DC to regional offices in 64 different countries within Africa,
Central America, South America and the Middle East.
Intelsat's global solution primarily provides videoconferencing services and
allows the World Bank to host nearly 700 videoconferences per month between
regional offices and their headquarters. The network also supports voice and
data applications.
The World Bank will join the existing customers on
the Intelsat 901 satellite at 18º W, which became operational last
November. This spacecraft was the first of a nine-satellite campaign to be
launched by Intelsat by 2003 to meet increasing customer needs.
Telesat to Deliver New Broadband Services to Ontario First Nations
Communities
First Nations communities in Northern Ontario can look
forward to affordable access to multimedia services - such as high-speed
Internet access, tele-health and tele-education - thanks to a new partnership
announced between a First Nations regional broadband network, the federal
government and Telesat.
Telesat is making two
transponders on its new Anik F3 satellite available for the federal government
to use to serve public institutions in remote areas of Canada. The two
transponders will provide for enhanced multimedia connections to hundreds of
remote communities. In advance of the launch of Anik F3, Telesat has made
C-band capacity available on the existing Anik E2 satellite.
K-Net
worked with Telesat and staff from Industry Canada's FedNor and SchoolNet
programs to prepare a proposal so that the Fort Severn and Slate Falls First
Nation could begin using this available satellite data channel as soon as
possible. As more communities were identified as potential partners in the use
of this service, K-Net proposed to work with the various partners to share in
this resource.
K-Net is a regional broadband network linking First
Nations and their service organisations using video conferencing, IP telephony,
on-line forums, e-mail, and other web-based communication tools. K-Net became
Industry Canada's Aboriginal Smart Demonstration project in May
2000.
Three ISPs from Former Yugoslavia Sign for Additional New
Skies Satellite Capacity
New Skies Satellites NV has increased the satellite
capacity it is providing to three Internet Service Providers based in the
former Yugoslavia by between 41% and 120% because of growing demand for their
services. The ISPs are: Sezampro from Belgrade (120% increase), Kosovo-based
IPKOnet (33%) and Macedonia Online of Skopje (41%).
New
Skies' IPsys satellite service connects customers to the US Internet backbone
using the NSS-K satellite located at 21.5° W and routes the links via New
Skies' Washington DC mediaport.
Multi-homing satellite links enable
ISPs to offer their customers one-hop connections from the global Internet
backbone, thus reducing latency and IP packet loss. The IPsys service makes use
of direct peering with Tier 1 Internet backbone providers for more direct and
thus more robust connections.
Radarsat-2/3 Tandem Mission Feasibility Study Extended
The
Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has announced the extension of a contract with
MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd of Richmond, British Columbia,
extending the Mission Feasibility study for the proposed Radarsat-2/3
Topographic Mission. The total extension value is Cdn$ 1.1 million.
MDA is currently under contract to the CSA as the prime
contractor for Radarsat-2, Canada's next-generation Earth Observation
satellite. The CSA has already funded specific modifications to the Radarsat-2
spacecraft to support a proposed tandem mission with Radarsat-3.
The
analysis performed as part of the Radarsat-2/3 Feasibility Study announced on
February 20, 2001 demonstrated the capability of the mission to produce
detailed 3-D images. Initial results indicated the need for more detail on the
actual implementation process.
Depending on the results of the
feasibility study and following the securing of government approval and
funding, plans are to launch Radarsat-3 a few years after Radarsat-2, and fly
the two satellites in tandem, gathering detailed data about the terrain and
elevation characteristics of the Earth's surface. This would represent the most
advanced space-borne land information and mapping mission ever conceived.
Data produced by the Radarsat-2/3 tandem mission would support government
and commercial applications requiring land information including natural
resource exploration, civil engineering, land use planning, air traffic
navigation, flood monitoring, rescue missions, disaster relief and
telecommunications site planning.
RSI to Support Sustainable Development in Southern
Thailand
The ICT Dev Group of Radarsat International (RSI) has
been awarded a contract for the first phase of its Andaman Environmental
Resource Information Network (AERIN) project in Southern Thailand.
This phase involves a feasibility study that will examine
and assess the potential design and implementation of AERIN as well as
technology transfer and training. Awarded by the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA), the contract is valued at Cdn$ 585,000.
AERIN will be conducted in partnership with Versatile Mobile Systems (VMS -
Vancouver) and Thailand's National Electronics and Computer Technology Center
(NECTEC).
Increasing economic development and tourism in the Phuket
region of southern Thailand has caused degradation to the environment and
coastal resources. AERIN will provide Government of Thailand stakeholders a
means to monitor and manage the development of the Phuket environment in a
sustainable manner.
The interface of AERIN will be a web portal, which
will provide access to a geographic information system (GIS) where various data
from local and national agencies, the Internet, and Earth-observation
satellites will be stored.
This multilingual platform will have
layered access levels to information and decision support tools. Custom
applications will be created for key project stakeholders and include pollution
and coastal zone monitoring, and land use sustainability.
This project
was undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided
through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
Farmers Let Trimble GPS Technology Do the Driving
Trimble
has introduced its new AgGPS Autopilot DGPS system. This automated steering
system uses Differential Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to guide
agriculture vehicles in consistent rows for tilling, spraying and applying
fertilisers.
The new DGPS system is a product line
extension based on Trimble's AgGPS Autopilot system, which uses real-time
kinematic (RTK) GPS technology. The new DGPS system uses the same advanced
technology but eliminates the need for a base station and radio connection,
making it more affordable for farmers to put their operations on autopilot to
improve productivity and profitability.
The driver, with hands-free
operation, can concentrate on the task at hand such as material application,
rather than driving and the task. Automated steering allows machines to operate
more hours in a day with considerably less stress on the operator. This
technology breakthrough translates into increased productivity for the farmer
through more efficient utilisation of tractors and extended working hours.
Trimble's AgGPS Autopilot DGPS system connects to the vehicles steering
system to automatically guide it in consistent rows - pass after pass. A
lightbar or field computer inside the cab allows the operator to select field
patterns and display operating parameters. The in-cab display also is used to
guide the tractor on path at the beginning of a row. Once on a row, the driver
engages the AgGPS Autopilot DGPS system with the touch of a button to perform
and oversee field operations.
At the heart of the system is a
high-performance Trimble GPS navigation controller. Attached to the controller
is an AgGPS differential receiver (AgGPS 114, 124 or 132 receiver), lightbar
and remote keypad. For operators that may need increased accuracy in the
future, the Autopilot DGPS system is fully upgradeable to RTK-level
performance.
The AgGPS Autopilot DGPS system is expected to be
available in the second quarter of 2002 through Trimble's Agricultural reseller
network.
Signal Corporation Awarded US Navy Contract
Signal
Corporation has been awarded a 3-year contract from the US Navy valued at US$
28.6 million to install, maintain, test, evaluate, repair, and support
satellite communications.
Work will be performed mainly
in Charleston, South Carolina; Tidewater, Virginia; Dahlgren, Virhinia; as well
as various other navy installations. Work will focus on Engineering and
Technical Services required to support Satellite Communications for Navy ships
and shore activities. Work is slated to begin this month and is expected to be
completed by February 2005.
Aerojet Hydrogen Peroxide Engine Test Facility Operational
Aerojet
has completed construction of a state-of-the-art engine test facility that will
enable effective, hands-on development of rocket engines containing
environmentally friendly hydrogen peroxide propellants.
Aerojet will use the facility to test subscale components of the hydrogen
peroxide Advanced Reusable Rocket Engine (ARRE) it is developing for the Air
Force's Space Maneuver Vehicle. Other uses of the facility include testing the
Liquid Booster System - a pump-fed, peroxide engine Aerojet is developing for
Army target vehicles.
Aerojet's facility can test engines with high
concentrations of hydrogen peroxide at sea level pressure. Future enhancements
will enable altitude testing, which simulates operation in space, using both
pressure-fed and pump-fed engine designs at up to 100,000 pounds of thrust.
Aerojet's ARRE is a non-toxic, hydrogen peroxide engine that utilises
advanced injection concepts, fabrication processes and chamber materials. The
Air Force's Space Maneuver Vehicle is an unmanned space vehicle envisioned as a
reusable satellite bus. The ARRE also has applications on the Space Launch
Initiative, NASA's effort to develop technologies for a second-generation
reusable launch vehicle.
Iridium
Launched: 11 February 2002
Site:
Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
Launcher: Delta 2
Orbit: LEO,
apogee: 628 km, perigee: 611 km: inclination: 86.6°
International
Number: 2002-005A to 005E
Name: Iridium
Owner: Iridium Satellite
This launch placed five Iridium satellites into orbit to be used as spared
for the Iridium LEO satellite constellation. The satellites were all placed in
plane E.
Globalstar Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection
Globalstar LP has reached agreement with several of
its major creditors to restructure the company's debt and, in order to
facilitate the timely completion of the restructuring, has filed a voluntary
petition under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code in the US Bankruptcy Court
in Delaware.
Normal company operations and customer
support will continue uninterrupted while Globalstar operates under Chapter 11
protection, and the company intends to continue providing its
telecommunications services in the normal course.
Bankruptcy has been
forced on Globalstar because the system could not attract enough subscribers,
it currently has only 66,000, to cover its high operating costs, let alone
service its debt burden.
The proposed restructuring plan, which will
be submitted for Court approval, calls for the establishment of a new
Globalstar company which will take ownership of all of Globalstar LP's existing
assets, including its satellite constellation and related operations. In
addition, the new company will acquire all equity stakes in three of its
service providers - Globalstar USA, Globalstar Caribbean, and Globalstar Canada
- that were originally held by Vodafone Group Plc and Loral Space &
Communications. Acquisition of equity in Globalstar USA and Globalstar
Caribbean are subject to FCC and other regulatory approvals.
Under
this plan, the new company will initially be owned by Globalstar LP's existing
bondholders and other unsecured creditors, with the option later to issue
additional shares for sale to gateway operators outside of the US and Canada
who may wish to invest in the new company.
The reorganisation plan
also calls for the cancellation of all existing partnership interests in
Globalstar LP, including partnership interests held by the publicly traded
Globalstar Telecommunications Limited (GTL). As the company has cautioned
earlier in public announcements and SEC filings, this action will likely leave
shares in GTL with very little or no value. The restructuring plan also
contemplates a rights offering to common shareholders in GTL and to GLP
creditors which could give them the option to purchase shares in the new
company. There can be no assurance at this time whether such a rights offering
can be achieved, and it would in any case be subject to review and approval by
Globalstar's creditors and the bankruptcy court.
As part of the
agreement with its major creditors, Globalstar said it will begin implementing
a new business model, which will broaden its business opportunities and
accelerate the acquisition of new customers. Initial steps of the new business
plan include:
As part of Globalstar's work to develop its restructuring plan over the past several months, it has substantially reduced its operating expenses. As a result, the company today has approximately US$ 46 million of cash on hand, significantly more than its original projections from a year earlier. The final restructuring will likely require some new investment to provide enough funds to carry the company through to a cash flow breakeven point, although the company's new lower cost structure calls for substantially less additional funding than would have been necessary under the company's earlier business model. The company is currently in discussions with possible investors to meet this investment requirement, although there can be no assurance as to the timing, likelihood or amount of any such investment.
KVH Industries and Thrane & Thrane Partner to
Sell Inmarsat Products in USA
KVH Industries is to be the primary US
distributor of marine satellite communications products for Thrane &
Thrane, one of the leading manufacturers of Inmarsat global satellite
communication systems.
Under the terms of this
agreement, KVH will distribute Thrane & Thrane's full line of existing
Inmarsat maritime products through KVH's nationwide dealer network. In
addition, KVH and the Denmark-based Thrane & Thrane will work together to
introduce new products geared toward supporting high-speed, two-way data
communications in the US maritime market.
KVH's Tracphone product line
provides access to phone, fax, e-mail, and data services via Inmarsat's mini-M
satellite network. Since 1997, Thrane & Thrane has been the exclusive
supplier of the Tracphone's transceiver unit. Through this expanded arrangement
with Thrane & Thrane, KVH will soon be offering a variety of new systems
designed to provide access to other Inmarsat services, including Inmarsat-C,
Inmarsat mini-C, and the recently announced Inmarsat Fleet family of satellite
communications services.
Thrane & Thrane, founded in 1981, is one
of the world's leading manufacturers of terminals and land earth stations for
global mobile satellite communication via the Inmarsat system. The company
provides equipment for land-based, maritime, and aeronautical use. Thrane &
Thrane has manufactured approximately 35% of the Inmarsat- compatible systems
in use worldwide. Thrane & Thrane has also been selected by Inmarsat to
design, develop, and manufacture the ground infrastructure that will be used by
Inmarsat's next generation of satellites, scheduled for launch in
2004.
KVH Industries Introduces the eTrac Satellite
Maritime E-mail System
The compact KVH eTrac offers mariners a combination of
global e-mail access via the new Inmarsat mini-C system and real-time GPS
position reporting, creating a great standalone communications centre for
leisure craft and an invaluable business tool for any commercial vessel.
Standing less than 15 cm high and weighing only 1 kg., the
eTrac antenna is a fully integrated unit, containing a transceiver, antenna,
and a 12-channel GPS receiver. Brought to market in co-operation with Thrane
& Thrane, the system offers e-mail, position reporting and polling, fax,
telex, X.25, mobile-to-mobile communications, non-SOLAS emergency alerting,
reception of weather charts, and electronic chart correction. With minimal
power requirements and a rugged design, eTrac is the ideal solution for e-mail
communication, fleet management, and monitoring. Access to information is made
easy through either on-board computers or the optional eTrac Message
Terminal.
New KVH Tracphone F77 Helps Mariners Stay On-line
Worldwide
KVH Industries has unveiled the new Tracphone F77
marine satellite communication system. Brought to market in co-operation with
Thrane & Thrane, the leading designer of Inmarsat equipment, the KVH
Tracphone F77 is fully compatible with Inmarsat's new Fleet F77 service, which
provides high-quality voice connections as well as data connections at speeds
up to 64 kb/s.
Vessels equipped with the Tracphone F77
can remain connected at all times around the globe to e-mail services, the
Internet, corporate intranets, and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) using
Inmarsat's new Mobile Packet Data Service (MPDS), which bills users based on
the amount of data transmitted and received rather than connection time.
Tracphone F77 can switch between two different channels - MPDS and mobile
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) - to meet a variety of communication
needs while providing the most cost-effective options available. Designed for
short-burst data transmissions, MPDS is perfect for receiving e-mail, logging
onto and working within a company intranet, or browsing the web. And with its
"pay per megabit" pricing, users are charged only for the amount of the data
sent and received, not by connection time. As a result, a vessel can remain
connected via e-mail or the Internet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at no
additional cost. The high-capacity mobile ISDN channel provides a constant data
stream at speeds as fast as 64 kb/s, making it ideal for phone and fax service,
video conferencing, and transmitting large files and images. ISDN usage is
charged on a per-minute basis.
Tracphone F77 is prepared for the
implementation of the International Maritime Organisation's latest distress and
safety specifications of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
(GMDSS), supporting the accreditation of vessels' systems and ensuring that all
distress and safety needs are met. Furhtermore, the Tracphone F77 was designed
to ensure that the antenna was compatible not only with the existing Inmarsat
satellites but also the next-generation satellites that will be activated in
2004.
With its fully stabilised antenna and high-impact dome,
Tracphone F77 is equipped to withstand the rigorous conditions of life at sea.
The Tracphone F77 package includes the antenna, a transceiver, and a telephone
handset and cradle. The system's transceiver serves as the hub for all on-line
communication via the ship's telephone networks and fax machines. Connected to
an IP router, Tracphone F77 can link all shipboard computers to onshore
web-based systems, including e-mail and Internet services. With its "always
on-line" MPDS capability, Tracphone F77 can turn a ship into a fully
operational node in a company's worldwide network.
Dr Shannon Lucid Selected as NASA Chief Scientist
NASA
Administrator Sean O'Keefe has selected Dr Shannon W Lucid as the agency's next
Chief Scientist.
Lucid currently supports Space Shuttle
and International Space Station missions as spacecraft communicator.
She will be responsible for ensuring the scientific merit of the agency's
programs and will report for duty as soon as she fills her responsibilities as
Capcom for STS-109.
She replaces Dr Kathie Olsen, whom the President
has announced his intention to nominate as the Associate Administrator for
Science in the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the Executive
Office of the President.
A veteran of five Space Shuttle flights,
Lucid was among the first six women ever selected to become an astronaut and
she currently holds the United States single mission flight endurance record as
a result of her mission to the Russian space station Mir in 1996.
She
was selected by NASA in 1978 and became an astronaut in August 1979. Lucid has
flown as a mission specialist on STS-51G in 1985, STS-34 in 1989, STS-43 in
1991 and STS-58 in 1993. In 1996, she was flown to Mir during STS-76, where she
served as an engineer and conducted numerous life science and physical science
experiments during her stay in orbit.
Jefferson Davis Howell Jr Named as Johnson Space Center
Director
Jefferson Davis Howell Jr has been named Director of
the Johnson Space Center effective April 1. Howell, a retired US Marine Corps
Lieutenant General, is only the eighth person to serve as Director in the
centre's 40-year history.
Howell currently serves as
Senior Vice President and Program Manager for the Safety, Reliability, and
Quality Assurance contract at JSC. The contract focuses on safety and mission
assurance for the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs. He is
employed by Science Application International Corporation (SAIC). He earned a
bachelor's degree in Political Science and a master's degree in Economics at
the University of Texas.
Howell has been with SAIC since February
1999, when he first served as Deputy Program Manager of the safety contract. He
was named Program Manager in August 1999. Howell manages more than 525 people
in support of a contract focused on safety and mission assurance in support of
the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs.
Howell
replaces Roy S Estess who has been the centre's acting director since February
23, 2001. Estess will return to his position as Center Director at the John C.
Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
Qualcomm Appoints Senior Officers
Qualcomm Inc's Board of
Directors has approved the appointments of Anthony S Thornley as president and
chief operating officer (COO) and William E Keitel as senior vice president and
chief financial officer (CFO).
Mr Thornley has served as
Qualcomm's CFO since joining the Company in 1994. He will retain his current
position as chief operating officer in addition to his new responsibilities as
president. Mr Keitel joined the Company in 1996 and has worked in senior
management roles within corporate finance, serving as senior vice president and
corporate controller since 1998.
Mr Thornley will continue to report
to Dr Irwin Jacobs as a member of Qualcomm's Office of the Chairman. In
addition to Dr Irwin Jacobs and Mr Thornley, the Office of the Chairman
executive team includes Dr Paul Jacobs, group president, Qualcomm Wireless
& Internet Group; Don Schrock, group president, Qualcomm CDMA Technologies
Group; Dr Roberto Padovani, executive vice president and chief technology
officer; Steve Altman, executive vice president and president of Qualcomm
Technology Licensing; and Daniel L Sullivan, executive vice president of human
resources. Mr Keitel will continue to report directly to Mr Thornley.
Prior to joining Qualcomm, Mr Thornley was employed at Nortel Networks for 16
years in various financial and information systems management positions,
including vice president finance of public networks, vice president of finance
World Trade and corporate controller, Nortel Limited. Mr Thornley received his
bachelor of science in Chemistry from the University of Manchester,
England.
Mr Keitel began his career at PepsiCo in 1980 and served in
senior finance roles at Nortel from 1983 until 1996. He holds a master's in
business administration from Arizona State University and bachelor's in
business administration from the University of Wisconsin.
