25 August 2002
Satcoms
Connexion by Boeing Leases Intelsat 709 for N Atlantic
Coverage
Gilat
Lowest Bidder for 3,000-Site Compartel Telephony Network in Colombia
MTV Networks Installs
Motorola PurePixel Digital Compression Technology to Expand MTV Suite
PanAmSat Expands in
Brazil Through Multi-Year Agreement with Telespazio
Quake Global Awarded Design and
Development Contract by Shanghai Aerospace
SpeedCast Chooses LinkStar VSATs
for Pan-Asian Broadband Services
Navigation
Thales Navigation Provides MicroZ GPS Receivers for
Polish Reference Station Network
Zyfer Receives US$ 550,000 Order for GPS SAASM-Enabled
Systems
Military
Space
CECOM Awards Titan
Contract to Develop U.S. Army's Next Generation of Satcom Terminals
Missile Defense
Agency Awards SBIRS Low Contract to TRW
TRW Awarded NPOESS Satellite Contract
Science
Contour
Update
NASA
Selects Investigations for Solar Dynamics Observatory
Launches
Hot Bird 6
EchoStar VIII
Business
Globalstar Completes Acquisition of Service Provider Operations in
US and Caribbean
Intelsat to Buy Shares from Teleglobe
Liberty Satellite Authorises Stock
Purchase Program
New Satcom Development, Integration and Test Facility to Support
Raytheon Customers
Orbital Closes US$ 135 Million Financing Transaction
Scientific-Atlanta Cuts Workforce
Products and Services
Stratos Launches Seamless Prepaid Service for
Mini-M
Connexion by Boeing Leases Intelsat 709 for N Atlantic Coverage
(22 August 2002)
Connexion by Boeing has signed a contract with Intelsat for transponder
capacity onboard the Intelsat 709 satellite, supporting the provision of
airborne broadband connectivity to commercial jetliners in route between Europe
and North America.
Terms of the agreement, which were
not announced, call for the leasing of two transponders - one each for transmit
and receive - onboard the satellite, which is located at 55.5° W.
The addition of the Intelsat 709 satellite capacity supports advance system
testing and bolsters satellite coverage for service demonstrations commencing
in January 2003 for Lufthansa and one month later for British Airways.
Connexion by Boeing will use transponders onboard the Brazilian Estrela do Sul
1 satellite, scheduled for launch in early 2003, for long-term service support
in the North Atlantic region.
As part of its global service expansion,
Connexion by Boeing will integrate the leased capacity onboard the Intelsat 709
transponders into the growing list of satellite operators that are contributing
to the delivery of the first true broadband Internet and data connectivity
service for air travellers during flights over the North Atlantic - a key
commercial airline service route between the US and Europe.
Gilat Lowest Bidder for 3,000-Site Compartel Telephony Network
in Colombia
(20
August 2002) Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd has announced it is the lowest bidder
in the Colombian government's Compartel II project for a 3,000-site fixed rural
satellite telephony network. Gilat is also the sole bidder for installation and
operation of telecenters that will provide Internet connectivity and telephony
services in 500 cities and towns throughout Colombia. Compartel is the program
of social telecommunications, financed by the Communications Fund in
Colombia.
Gilat has requested a total subsidy of
approximately US$ 65 million from the Colombian government's total budget of
approximately US$ 100 million for both, Telecenters and Telephony Compartel
projects. If awarded, the VSAT network is expected to be completed by the 4th
quarter of 2003.
Being the lowest bidder, or the sole bidder, does not
guarantee that the Colombian government will award the final contracts to
Gilat. However, the status as lowest bidder is material to the decision-making
process. Gilat will release further information on this project, as it becomes
available.
Earlier this year, Gilat's bid for the installation and
operation of the telecenters was declared as deserted by the previous Colombian
administration. Gilat will appeal that decision to the new administration on
August 21. There can be no assurance that the appeal process will be successful
or completed in a timely manner.
Gilat's cost estimate to complete the
Compartel telecenters and telephony projects is based on the simultaneous
installation of the two networks - and also on the current operation of the
Gilat installed Compartel I VSAT network, consisting of 7415 telephony and 670
internet sites. The Compartel I VSAT network initiated in 1999, was installed
by Gilat and has been in operation during the past two years. Gilat received a
subsidy of approximately US$ 40 million for the Compartel I network and
generates revenues of approximately US$ 2.5 million per year from that
network's operation.
MTV Networks Installs Motorola PurePixel Digital Compression
Technology to Expand MTV Suite
(20 August 2002) Motorola Broadband Communications
Sector has installed 12 channels of PurePixel-equipped high-quality DigiCipher
II video compression encoders at the MTV uplink in Happauge, New York.
The DigiCipher II encoding system, which will distribute the
MTV suite of digital programming services, accepts full-bandwidth video and
audio inputs and provides compression and multiplexing features to form a
broadcast multiplex of services. The new PurePixel technology improves video
compression efficiency to allow more programming to be carried on existing
satellite transponders.
Before adding the two new channels to their
existing multiplex, MTV performed extensive tests to ensure that viewers' video
quality was being maintained. In a number of instances, the video quality of
programs in the new 12-channel lineup actually exceeded that in the former
10-channel suite.
The Motorola PurePixel processing option adds
sophisticated dual-pass compression analysis, temporal and spatial filtering,
and new scene detection techniques to the Motorola DigiCipher II MPEG-2
compression process. This additional processing is tightly coupled with
Motorola's statistical multiplexing capabilities to add more services to
existing fixed- bandwidth digital transmission paths, and to enhance the video
quality of existing program line-ups.
PanAmSat Expands in Brazil Through Multi-Year Agreement with
Telespazio
(19
August 2002) Telespazio Brasil, a leading provider of network communications
services in Latin America, has selected the PAS-1R Atlantic Ocean Region
satellite to support its VSAT services throughout the region.
Telespazio Brazil will use PAS-1R to facilitate and improve
long-distance transactions and inventory control through its VSAT network for
financial institutions.
Telespazio Brasil is affiliated with the
Telespazio aerospace and telecommunications companies located in Italy.
Headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Telespazio Brasil has offices in Sao Paulo and
several other Brazilian cities, as well as in Argentina and Mexico. The company
is focused on providing state-of-the-art telecommunications equipment to
customers across Latin America, including low data rate satellite
communications as well as broadband solutions and Internet training
applications.
Quake Global Awarded Design and Development Contract by
Shanghai Aerospace
(20 August 2002) Quake Global Inc has been awarded a
design and development contract from Shanghai Aerospace Satellite Application
Co Ltd (SASA), a Shanghai based company involved in the development of the
satellite industry in the People's Republic of China.
SASA will use the Quake product to collect weather and seismic data from remote
ground stations across China. The Quake modem will communicate with an existing
Ku band geostationary communication satellite network. The contract will be
delivered over a one-year period.
SpeedCast
Chooses LinkStar VSATs
for Pan-Asian Broadband Services
(20 August 2002) SpeedCast Ltd is launching two-way
broadband service throughout Asia using LinkStar Very Small Aperture Terminal
(VSAT) equipment from ViaSat Inc.
The two-way broadband
service will deliver broadband Internet access and VPN (Virtual Private
Network) service to enterprises with download speeds of up to 1.5 Mb/s and
upload data at maximum speed of 1.1 Mb/s.
The service will enable
remotely located sites such as resorts, factories, schools and retail outlets
to enjoy true high speed two-way Internet access.
In addition,
multinational corporations can use SpeedCast as a single network to
inter-connect their Asian offices via satellite, allowing high-speed
communications and data transmissions via a VPN.
SpeedCast Ltd, a Hong
Kong-based company, is focused on becoming the leading Broadband Internet and
Multimedia Service Provider in Asia. SpeedCast offers three Satellite-Enabled
Broadband Services: The SpeedCast service will be delivered via the AsiaSat 3S
satellite, with a geographical footprint covering more than two thirds of the
world's population. SpeedCast plans to develop partnerships with key players in
all major Asian countries to heavily promote the service. Via Communication
Network Sdn Bhd (VCN) in Malaysia and Micom in Mongolia are the first
organisations to join the SpeedCast's Partners Network.
Thales Navigation Provides MicroZ GPS Receivers for Polish
Reference Station Network
(22 August 2002) Thales Navigation is providing
Ashtech MicroZ CGRS reference stations to Poland for a pilot GPS CORS
(continuously operating reference station) network in the Polish province of
Silesia. MicroZ CGRS is one of the most powerful permanent GPS reference
station available, designed for continuous use and effective collection of high
quality data.
The Polish CORS network will provide
critical GPS data for geodetic applications to regional users such as
geodesists and civil engineers. The reference stations are being developed,
installed and managed by INS, a GPS surveying firm based in Krakow, Poland. INS
is initially installing six MicroZ CGRS receivers, which it will manage through
Ashtech Geodetic Base Station Software (GBSS) and Ashtech Micro-Manager
software.
The reference stations will be installed inside local
municipal government buildings located in small towns throughout Silesia,
placed approximately 80 km apart. The CORS Master Control Center will
communicate with the reference stations using TCP/IP protocol, and the data
will be processed and distributed to users via the Internet in HTTP, FTP and
e-mail formats.
Micro-Manager software is designed to support the
Ashtech MicroZ CGRS reference station, enabling users to inspect receiver
health and status; configure receiver parameters; download data files; and
upload firmware to the MicroZ. GBSS provides additional features to help users
use and share GPS data, including post download commands for the manipulation
of data.
Zyfer Receives US$ 550,000 Order for GPS SAASM-Enabled
Systems
(22 August
2002) Zyfer Inc, a wholly owned subsidiary of Odetics Inc and leading provider
of systems for network timing and synchronisation, has received an order valued
at US$ 550,000 for GSync, their newest SAASM GPS-aided product.
SAASM, the Selective Availability Anti-Spoof Module,
represents the latest in military GPS receiver technology that secures
continuous operation of communication terminals in case of threats to the
availability of the GPS signals. When the SAASM technology is applied to
communications time and frequency systems, it secures synchronisation of
critical links and networks.
GSync is used in mobile satellite
terminals that provide voice, video, data and command/control communications.
Delivery of the order is expected to be completed during the third fiscal
quarter ending December 2002.
Zyfer designs, develops and manufactures
precision time/frequency generation and synchronisation systems for
communications, computer networks and military command/control terminals. The
company focuses on high performance and the security aspects of the electronic
data traffic over ground and satellite links, as well as computer
networks.
CECOM Awards Titan Contract to Develop U.S. Army's Next
Generation of Satcom Terminals
(19 August 2002) The Titan Corporation has won a
competitive contract from the US Army for the development and integration of
the Ka band Satcom Augmentation Terminals (KaSAT), slated to be the Army's
first generation of Ka band terminals for satellite communications.
Awarded by the Communications and Electronics Command
(CECOM) headquartered at Ft Monmouth, New Jersey, the contract calls for the
development of new KaSAT terminals to augment existing satellite communications
that do not have Ka band capability, as well as vehicle-mounted terminals for
stand-alone operations in the military Ka band range (30-31 GHz uplink; 20-21
GHz downlink).
Missile Defense Agency Awards SBIRS Low Contract to TRW
(16 August 2002) TRW
has received an US$ 868 million cost-plus award fee contract from the
Department of Defense (DoD) Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to begin development
of the Space-Based Infrared System Low (SBIRS Low) missile defence system
element.
In April 2002, TRW was named to lead an
industry team that includes Spectrum Astro, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman. The
contract defines the effort associated with the first cycle of the SBIRS Low
spiral development that provides the initial space and ground segment assets.
Plans call for launch of the first satellites in 2006-2007, integrating SBIRS
Low as part of the Ballistic Missile Defense System Test Bed. Funding is also
provided for the advancement of emerging technologies and for the initial
conceptual design of more capable satellites based on those technologies.
The new contract reflects the DoD's capabilities-based approach and
follows the MDA's evolutionary acquisition philosophy - allowing the SBIRS Low
program to focus on early development and deployment, and enabling system
capability to evolve as technology advances. On-orbit evaluation will identify
opportunities to insert advanced technologies downstream.
TRW Awarded NPOESS Satellite Contract
(23 August 2002) A US$
4.5 billion contract has been awarded to TRW to build and deploy the USA's
future environmental satellite system, NPOESS.
The
contract is for the Acquisition and Operations (A&O) phase of the National
Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS). NPOESS
merges the meteorological and earth observation functions of three US
government agencies - NOAA, Department of Defense (DoD) and NASA. The program
provides polar-orbiting remote sensing capability, while achieving cost savings
by converging existing government satellite programs.
As directed by
the tri-agency Integrated Program Office (IPO), TRW will be the prime
contractor for Shared System Performance Responsibility to accomplish the
A&O and program. TRW will develop, fabricate, and deliver the NPOESS
satellite and ground systems as well as provide launch support, operations, and
support services for the system through Initial Operational Capability. The IPO
will provide timely funding; clearly defined requirements; mutual participation
of instrument development teams; and executive reviews.
In turn, the
Raytheon Company has been awarded a contract for work on the system by prime
contractor TRW. The value to Raytheon is approximately US$ 1 billion over the
life of the program, under terms of the engineering and manufacturing
development (EMD), production, and operations and support (O&S)
contract.
Raytheon is slated to provide the entire ground system for
NPOESS, including the Command, Control, and Communications Segment (C3S) and
the Interface Data Processing Segment (IDPS). Raytheon's IDPS software
architecture will deliver massive amounts of data to produce weather analyses
and information products in support of forecasting, scientific research and
tactical users. Raytheon's C3 Segment manages the overall mission, including
active operation and accounting of mission data, delivery of sensor data to the
IDPS, and satellite command and control.
Raytheon is also developing
and manufacturing the NPOESS primary electro-optical imaging sensor, the
Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), at its Santa Barbara
facility, awarded under a separate contract.
NOAA has overall
responsibility for the converged system, as well as satellite operations and
interactions with the civil and international user communities. The Department
of Defense has the lead agency responsibility for major systems acquisitions,
including launch support. NASA has primary responsibility for facilitating the
development and incorporation of new cost-effective technologies into the
converged system. Representatives from NOAA, DOD, and NASA participated in the
NPOESS A&O source selection, which was held in Silver Spring,
Maryland.
Contour Update
(21 August 2002) NASA's Contour comet probe appears to
be lost as a Spacewatch telescope detects two small objects close to where the
spacecraft should be.
Ground controllers lost contact
with the probe after it fired a solid fuel engine that was intended to boost
Contour from earth orbit to an interplanetary trajectory. The controllers were
out of touch with Contour when it performed its burn low over the Indian Ocean
on Thursday because of the low elevation from their tracking stations. They
were, however, expecting to regain communications about an hour after the burn
using NASA's Deep Space Network.
The presumption now is that the solid
fuel motor suffered a catastrophic failure towards the end of its burn,
critically damaging the spacecraft after placing it in an orbit close to the
intended one.
NASA
Selects Investigations
for Solar Dynamics Observatory
(19 August 2002) NASA has selected three proposals for
implementation for the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) mission. The SDO is the
first in a series of missions in the Living With a Star (LWS) Program. SDO
flight instruments will be flown on a NASA-supplied Sun-pointing spacecraft in
geosynchronous orbit that NASA intends to launch in August 2007 for a prime
mission of five years.
The LWS initiative addresses
aspects of the Sun-Earth system that affect life and society. The primary goal
of the SDO mission is to understand and, ideally, predict the solar variations
that influence life on Earth and humanity's technological systems. SDO will do
this by determining how the Sun's magnetic field is generated and structured
and how this stored magnetic energy is converted and released into the
heliosphere and geospace in the form of solar wind, energetic particles, and
variations in the solar brightness.
The three selected proposals were
judged to have the best science value among the eight proposals submitted to
NASA in January 2002 in response to the SDO Announcement of Opportunity. Each
selected investigation will work with the SDO office at NASA's Goddard Space
Flight Center (GSFC) to finalise the spacecraft's accommodation of the
instrument sets. Total cost of the payload to NASA from development through
five years of operation is about US$ 123 million. The SDO spacecraft is being
provided by GSFC.
The investigations selected by NASA for SDO
are:
Hot Bird
6
Launched: 21 August 2002
Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Launcher: Atlas 5
Orbit: GEO, 13° E
International Number: 2002-038A
Name: Hot Bird
6
Owner: Eutelsat
Contractor: Alcatel Space
Hot Bird 6 is a
commercial communications satellite which is owned and operated by
Eutelsat.
Hot Bird 6 is based on the Alcatel Spacebus 3000B3 platform
and carries 28 Ku and 4 Ka band transponders along with 8 Skyplex units for
onboard multiplexing. The spacecraft weighs about 3,900 kg at launch. It will
have a beginning-of-life electrical power of 10.5 kW, and a design life
exceeding 12 years.
EchoStar
VIII
Launched: 22 August 2002
Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launcher: Proton K/Block DM
Orbit: GEO, 110° W
International Number: 2002-039A
Name: EchoStar
8
Owner: EchoStar
Contractor: Space Systems/Loral
EchoStar 8
is a commercial communications satellite which will be used to broadcast
digital TV to the United States and Puerto Rica.
EchoStar 8 is based
on a Loral 1300 platform and has a service life of 15 year. It carries 16
high-power national transponders each with a 250 W HPA and 25 spot beam
transponders distributed among 16 beams.
Globalstar Completes Acquisition of Service Provider Operations in
US and Caribbean
(20 August 2002) Globalstar has completed the
acquisition of all Globalstar-related assets previously owned by Vodafone
Americas Inc, in the US and the Caribbean, including gateways and sales
operations.
This transaction follows Globalstar's
acquisition of similar assets and operations from service providers in France,
announced last month, and in Canada, completed late last year. As a result,
Globalstar is now working to consolidate all sales and technical operations
across North America and much of Europe, allowing the company to achieve
greater efficiencies and better co-ordination of sales activities in these
regions.
A preliminary agreement between Globalstar and Vodafone for
the transfer of US and Caribbean assets was signed in December 2001, subject to
approval by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to transfer
ownership of Vodafone's US operating license for mobile satellite services to
Globalstar. Approval was granted by the FCC earlier this month, allowing the
transaction to be completed. Vodafone continues to retain Globalstar franchise
interests and operations in other parts of the world.
Intelsat
to Buy Shares from
Teleglobe
(21
August 2002) Intelsat Global Sales & Marketing Ltd has entered into an
agreement to purchase the equity interest (nearly 3.8%) in Intelsat Ltd held by
Teleglobe Inc.
In addition, Intelsat and Teleglobe have
revised their commercial arrangements. Teleglobe leases satellite capacity from
Intelsat and is a shareholder of Intelsat Ltd.
The agreement was
reached following Teleglobe's 15 May 2002 filing for creditor protection in
Ontario, Canada. Under the agreement, Intelsat will acquire Teleglobe's shares
in Intelsat Ltd for US$ 65 million. The shares will be held by an escrow agent
until they are subsequently resold or otherwise distributed. Intelsat will
receive all proceeds from the sale of the Intelsat Ltd shares up to a specified
amount, after which Teleglobe would be entitled to receive the remaining
proceeds.
The closing of the share purchase transaction is subject to
the approval of the monitor of the Canadian insolvency proceedings, the
approval of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the expiration of all rights
of appeal from the Court's decision to approve the transaction and the
satisfaction of certain other conditions. The transaction is expected to close
in September 2002.
Liberty Satellite Authorises Stock Purchase Program
(22 August 2002) The
Board of Directors of Liberty Satellite & Technology Inc has authorised the
purchase of up to 3,000,000 shares, or approximately 7%, of Liberty Satellite's
Series A and Series B Common Stock from time to time in open market purchases,
block trades and privately negotiated transactions (the "Repurchase
Program").
The timing of purchases, prices paid and
actual number of shares of common stock to be purchased will depend on market
conditions and the discretion of management. The Repurchase Program does not
require Liberty Satellite to acquire any specific number of shares and may be
terminated at any time. Shares of Liberty Satellite acquired through the
Repurchase Program will be held as treasury shares and will be available for
issuance under Liberty Satellite's stock option plan and for other general
corporate purposes.
Liberty Satellite & Technology Inc, known as
LSAT, pursues strategic opportunities world-wide in the distribution of
internet data and other content via satellite and related businesses. Liberty
Satellite is a consolidated subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation, which
currently owns Series A and Series B Common Stock of Liberty Satellite
representing approximately 84% of Liberty Satellite's common equity and 99% of
its total voting power. If Liberty Satellite purchases the maximum number of
shares of its own common stock authorised to be purchased under the Repurchase
Program, the reduction in number of shares outstanding will increase Liberty
Media's common ownership percentage in Liberty Satellite to 91%.
New
Satcom Development,
Integration and Test Facility to Support Raytheon Customers
(22 August 2002) Officials from
Raytheon Company, the Department of Defense and local government dedicated a
US$ 14 million Raytheon Company facility at Marlborough, Massachusetts. The new
70,000 square foot Satellite Communications, Integration and Operations Center
is designed to promote hands-on customer involvement in jointly developing new
satellite communication (SATCOM) systems and in improving existing systems.
The state-of-the-art building features a wide array of modern diagnostic
equipment, environmental test labs, modelling and simulation systems, roof-
mounted SATCOM antennas and functional high-bay test areas which will
accommodate nine vehicular communication systems simultaneously. All increase
Raytheon's ability to meet customer requirements for systems integration and
product testing.
Within the building's controlled environment,
Raytheon hopes to advance the science of satellite communications. The facility
supports experimentation with new ideas, testing their potential, modifying
them as needed and conducting the work before new Satcom systems are built. In
this light, the facility is anticipated to be an incubator for innovative ideas
that address emerging customer needs in force and requirements
transformation.
Orbital Closes US$ 135 Million Financing Transaction
(22 August 2002)
Orbital Sciences Corporation has closed a private sale of US$ 135 million of
12% second priority secured notes due in 2006 and 135,000 warrants to purchase
approximately 16.5 million shares of common stock, with an exercise price of
US$ 3.86 per share, which represents a 10% premium to the closing price of
Orbital stock on August 8, 2002.
The company stated it
will use the net proceeds to repay the company's US$ 100 million convertible
bonds due on October 1, 2002 and to prepay a US$ 25 million term
loan.
Scientific-Atlanta Cuts Workforce
(16 August 2002) Scientific-Atlanta has announced that
it will reduce its workforce by approximately 400 positions, or about 6% of the
company's total.
Most of the reductions are effective
immediately, although some will occur over the next several months. The
positions being eliminated are from every sector and function world-wide. All
affected employees will receive a severance package and outplacement services
such as job networking, resume assistance, access to job opportunity sites, and
coaching.
Scientific-Atlanta expects these actions to reduce its costs
and expenses by approximately US$ 40 million on an annual basis, starting in
the second half of fiscal year 2003. The company expects to take a one-time,
pre-tax charge of approximately US$ 15 million, or US$ 0.06 per share, in the
first half of the fiscal year, with the larger component in the first fiscal
quarter.
The cable industry has been through a very difficult year, in
which all of the largest cable operators experienced drastic declines in their
market capitalisations, and one has filed for bankruptcy protection. These
customers have reduced their capital expenditures as they focus on achieving
positive cash flow.
Stratos Launches Seamless Prepaid Service for Mini-M
(19 August 2002)
Stratos has launched seamless prepaid airtime services for Inmarsat Mini-M
global satellite communications. This service is unlike any other offered in
the industry today. Often an Inmarsat Mini-M owner or user would like to prepay
for service rather than receive monthly airtime bills. This allows them to
manage their airtime expenditures.
In addition to being
an effective management tool, Stratos Seamless Prepaid Airtime for Mini-M has
many other benefits. Some of these benefits include:
