27 January 2002
Satcoms
Harris Corporation Delivers Unfurlable Mesh Reflector for
Japanese Mobile Communications Satellite
Norsat Ships New Line of Satellite Transmitters
Rabobank Launches
In-Store Promotion Powered by Xantic's New File Delivery Service
STM's Broadband System
Selected by CTTNet
TV Globo Selects Tandberg Solution for National Distribution
Network
Earth
Observation
NASA Posts US
Topography Data
Space Imaging Eurasia Starts Direct Tasking of Ikonos
Satellite
Space Imaging Introduces Ikonos Satellite Stereo Imagery
Products
Military
Space
NIMA Does Not Renew
Afghan Imaging Contract
Launch
Services
Integral Systems Announces Upgrade to GOES N-Q Ground
System
Business
Analytical Graphics Opens European Office
Juggling Shareholdings in
Hispasat
Products and Services
STM Wireless Releases Two New VSAT Products
People
Nick Moren to Retire from Loral
SkyStream Appoints Sales Manager
for Central Europe, Eastern Europe and Middle East
StarBand Names Chief Financial
Officer
Tandberg
Television Names Chief Operating Officer
XM Promotes Three Key Executives
Harris Corporation Delivers Unfurlable Mesh Reflector for
Japanese Mobile Communications Satellite
Harris Corporation has
delivered a sophisticated antenna reflector and support boom for the N-STAR c
mobile communications satellite. The N-STAR c satellite, scheduled for launch
in mid-2002, will provide mobile telephony and data services throughout
Japan.
The reflector was manufactured at Harris
facilities in Palm Bay, Florida, as part of the N-STAR c geo-synchronous
satellite's C and S band antenna system. The 5.1-meter diameter reflector
structure and its support boom weigh only 31 kilograms. The reflector, attached
to the satellite bus by the boom, includes a gold mesh reflective surface and
is stowed for launch like a simple umbrella. Once the satellite achieves
operational orbit 22,000 miles above Earth, ground controllers send a command
signal to the satellite to unfurl the reflector using an electronic motor.
The N-STAR c satellite is being procured by NTT Mobile Communications
Network Inc, NTT DoCoMo, Tokyo, Japan, which provides digital cellular
communications to most of Japan. Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems,
Newtown, Pennsylvania, is the satellite prime contractor, integrator and
communications payload supplier. Orbital Sciences Corporation, Dulles,
Virginia, provides its STAR satellite bus for the project.
Norsat Ships New Line of Satellite Transmitters
Norsat
International Inc has completed the initial delivery of the first significant
order for its newly released line of satellite transmitter products. The new
product line was just announced in December 2001.
The
order, worth approximately US$ 500,000, included an undisclosed number of
two-watt transceiver units, a bundled solution that integrates Norsat's new
transmitter with its long-established receiver products. The transceivers will
be used as a core infrastructure component of a satellite network that monitors
data from a gas pipeline.
Norsat's new line of Ku band transmitters
and integrated transceivers are ideal for satellite network applications such
as retail point of sale, information or data distribution, tele-education, and
DVB network return paths. The new transmitters offer a compact, light-weight
solution with temperature compensated gain control for consistent performance
in dynamic conditions, a single cable interface for easy installation, a power
efficient advanced MMIC design for greater reliability, and a built-in lock
detector that automatically shuts off the transmitter to safeguard against a
system failure.
Rabobank Launches In-Store Promotion Powered by Xantic's New File
Delivery Service
One of the Netherlands' leading financial
institutions, the Rabobank, has selected MCM as the preferred supplier of a
content delivery network powered by Xantic. The bank will use Xantic's new File
Delivery Service as the platform for distributing in-store promotional content
via satellite to as many as 500 locations.
This new deal
offers further evidence of the increasing importance given to in-store
advertising across Europe. Xantic will work in close co-operation with MCM, a
Scala reseller to deliver an end-to-end solution for the Dutch banker. MCM is
responsible for the concept and audio-visual implementation, which is based on
its Dynamic Viewpoint technology.
Xantic's File Delivery Service is
part of the company's Broadband Multimedia portfolio, which also includes IP
Streaming and High Speed Internet services. File Delivery enables large
quantities of multimedia content to be sent in a fully controlled manner from a
single point to any number of recipients. All data is routed via Xantic's
DVB/IP satellite platform.
In the Rabobank case, content used for its
Rabobank Viewpoint, promotional displays is multicast from a centralised point
to multiple bank outlets across the Netherlands. A mini-antennae satellite dish
is installed at the bank outlets to enable reception of the content.
The Rabobank uses in-store audio visual messaging to increase customer
awareness of financial services, provide business news and help clients decide
on which Rabobank services to select. The overall concept is to create a more
pleasant and compelling banking experience. As many as 500 Rabobank locations
could be using this service over the next three years.
Xantic was
formed by the merger between Station 12, Telstra Global Satellite, SpecTec and
KPN Broadcast. The shareholders are KPN (65%) and Telstra (35%). Xantic
operates two Land Earth Stations - one in Burum, The Netherlands, the other in
Perth, Australia.
STM's Broadband System Selected by CTTNet
STM
Wireless Inc has announced the initial deployment of a US$ 1.3 million
broadband network ordered by China Transport & Telecommunication Broadband
Network Service Co Ltd. (CTTNet). The inauguration was attended in Beijing by
several senior members of leading Chinese public institutions and members of
China's Ministry of Transport and Communication (MTC), a joint venture partner
in CTTNet.
The inauguration was led by Mr Yang, Chief
Executive Officer of CTTNet, a former senior officer of the Satellite &
Wireless Communications Department of China Electronic System Engineering
Company (CESEC), who participated in China's earliest satellite communications
development plan. Mr Yang is one of the founding members of CTTNet, a new joint
venture between China's MTC and several other government and private
institutions. CTTNet intends to become one of the leading providers of public
Internet access and private IP network solutions in China. CTTNet will
initially focus on several organisations affiliated with the founding partners
who have already committed to the use of CTTNet's services and will then
gradually expand into other market segments.
TV Globo Selects Tandberg Solution for National Distribution
Network
Tandberg Television has announced that Brazilian
broadcaster TV Globo, a subsidiary of the Globo Group and a leading broadcaster
in the Latin American market, has purchased a complete end-to-end Tandberg
Television solution for nationwide digital distribution.
The system, scheduled for launch in summer 2002, will replace the network's
analogue network for national distribution from its Rio de Janeiro studios to
Rede Globo´s affiliate stations throughout Brazil. It will deploy
Tandberg Television developed satellite modulation solutions, which will enable
TV Globo to save bandwidth and lower the satellite transponder costs for the
network.
The heart of the system is a Tandberg Director network
management and control system, which provides complete security of all network
distribution from a single NT platform. The fully redundant video compression
system comprises of Tandberg Television E5720 encoders, MX5620 multiplexers and
SM5600 8PSK satellite modulators.
NASA Posts US Topography Data
Displaying spectacular new
3-D images and animations of California from space, sNASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory (JPL) announced the release of high-resolution topographic data of
the continental United States gathered during the February 2000 Shuttle Radar
Topography Mission (SRTM) - a mission that is creating the world's best
topographic map.
With today's release, gigabytes of
digital elevation-model data, sampled at an interval of one measurement every
30 meters, are now available to selected science investigators, with 90-meter
sample imagery available to the general public. Processing and distribution of
validated US digital topographic data will continue on a regular basis, with
completion expected this spring.
When completed in fall 2002, more
than 12 terabytes of data encompassing nearly 1 trillion measurements will have
been processed, representing 80% of Earth's land mass between 60° north and
56° south of the equator. The areas mapped are home to approximately 95% of
the world's population.
The centrepiece of the release is the
California mosaic, a colour-shaded relief elevation map. The image depicts
California at a data-sample interval of 3 arc-seconds (approximately 90
meters). The map depicts changes in height as colours, with blues and greens at
the lower elevations, rising through yellows and browns to white at the highest
elevations.
As processing of each continent is finished, data will be
sent to NIMA for final quality checking and copies sent to the United States
Geological Survey's EROS Data Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for final
archiving and distribution.
The SRTM was flown aboard Space Shuttle
Endeavour Feb. 11-22, 2000. It used modified versions of the same instruments
that comprised the Space Shuttle Imaging Radar-C/X band Synthetic Aperture
Radar that flew twice on Endeavour in 1994.
The mission collected 3-D
measurements of Earth's land surface using radar interferometry, which compares
two radar images taken at slightly different locations to obtain elevation or
surface-change information. To collect the data, engineers added a 60-meter
mast, installed additional C band and X band antennas, and improved tracking
and navigation devices.
Space Imaging Eurasia Starts Direct Tasking of Ikonos
Satellite
Space Imaging Eurasia, located in Ankara, Turkey, has
started direct tasking and data collection of high-resolution imagery from the
Ikonos satellite. Space Imaging Eurasia is the newest Regional Affiliate of
Space Imaging.
The Ikonos satellite is the world's first
commercial high-resolution Earth imaging satellite. The regional operation
centre and ground station is able to collect imagery directly from the Ikonos
satellite as it passes through a 4,600 km diameter communications circle
centred over Ankara. Space Imaging Eurasia is selling Ikonos-based imagery
products and services to commercial and government clients in the Eurasia
region and exclusively in Turkey. Space Imaging Eurasia, also known as INTA
Space Systems, is a partnership of Çukurova Holding, one of the largest
conglomerate corporations in Turkey, and Uydusan Inc.
Space Imaging
Eurasia is a member of the growing Space Imaging Global Network (SIGN), a
worldwide network of Regional Affiliates capable of tasking, processing and
selling IKONOS products. Regional Affiliates are also located in Seoul, Korea
(Space Imaging Asia), Tokyo, Japan (Japan Space Imaging), and Dubai, United
Arab Emirates (Space Imaging Middle East).
Space Imaging Introduces Ikonos Satellite Stereo Imagery
Products
Space Imaging is now offering one-meter resolution,
stereo imagery from its Ikonos satellite to the commercial marketplace. These
products were previously offered only to government customers.
Stereo products consist of two Ikonos satellite images of
the same location on Earth, taken from two different perspectives during one
orbital pass. The pair of images is collected in-track, or on the same ground
path just moments apart, to maintain the tonal consistency between each image,
enabling better interpretability. One of the two images is taken at a high
elevation angle of greater than 72°, which can be used to make a highly
accurate orthorectified image.
The primary advantage of stereo imagery
is the ability to extract cultural and geographic features in three dimensions
such as buildings, roads and elevation contours. Stereo imagery is especially
important for global markets where accurate elevation data is not readily
available. Many commercial markets will benefit from stereo imagery including
mapping, telecommunications, exploration and mining, transportation,
environmental, urban planning and forestry. For example, airport officials can
use stereo imagery for navigation and simulation; the telecommunications
industry can develop 3-D line-of-sight models to identify potential locations
for wireless towers; the exploration and mining industries can visualise and
measure the geographical features of a site; urban planners can extract GIS
vector layers to update and map geographic information; and forestry managers
can determine marketable timber and even calculate the amount of timber lost
due to fire, natural disasters or illegal harvesting.
Space Imaging's
stereo imagery product also includes an Image Geometry Model (IGM) file, a
mathematical way to express the complex sensor model of Ikonos. By
incorporating the IGM and stereo pair images into commonly used commercial
imagery software suites, users will now be able to create their own digital
elevation models (DEMs) and orthorectify the high-angle image with superior
accuracy. Software packages supporting Ikonos stereo imagery include: BAe
Systems' Socet Set, Erdas' Stereo Analyst and OrthoBASE, PCI's OrthoEngine, Z/I
Imaging's ImageStation and SSK.
Stereo products can be purchased as
11-bit or 8-bit data and are offered in the same accuracy levels as other
Ikonos products:
Precision 1m Stereo has a horizontal accuracy of up
to four meters with 1:4,800 NMAS for an area of interest (AOI) within North
America (1:5000 for AOIs outside North America) and a vertical accuracy of five
meters.
Reference 1m Stereo has a horizontal accuracy of up to 25
meters with 1:50,000 National Map Accuracy Standard (NMAS) and a vertical
accuracy of 22 meters.
NIMA Does Not Renew Afghan Imaging Contract
The US
National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) has decided not to renew an
exclusive contract with Space Imaging for all high resolution satellite images
from its Ikonos satellite of Afghanistan and the surrounding region.
NIMA signed the contract in October for a one month period
and renewed it for a further month in November. Now that the main conflict in
Afghanistan has now finished, NIMA has now decided not to renew the contract
for a second time.
The contract was reported to be worth US$ 2 million
per month to Space Imaging.
Integral Systems Announces Upgrade to GOES N-Q Ground System
Integral Systems Inc has been awarded a significant
contract modification to the GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental
Satellites) N-Q Program to upgrade a number of ground command and control
subsystems.
Integral is a subcontractor to Boeing
Satellite Systems (BSS), prime contractor to NASA's Goddard Space Flight
Center, for the development and manufacture of the GOES satellites.
GOES N-Q is the next generation of GOES environmental satellites. The primary
purpose of the GOES mission is the continuous monitoring of the Earth's weather
systems, producing imaging data products that are a primary source of
meteorological data for the Western Hemisphere. In addition, GOES includes
instruments to monitor the space and solar environments. GOES satellite
operations are conducted by NESDIS (National Environmental Satellite, Data, and
Information Service) of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
Integral Systems has been a key supplier for the NOAA GOES program since 1984
and this new contract modification extends Integral's involvement through
2003.
This system upgrade will be accomplished with three additional
system build deliveries scheduled beginning in December 2001 and ending in
November 2002 in time for the scheduled GOES-N launch in early 2003. The
additional scope of work includes: system engineering support, new command
validation functionality for the orbit/attitude subsystem to ensure
compatibility with new spacecraft flight software processes; scheduler
execution enhancements for the ground shadow and ground execution schedules;
real-time event log display with enhanced filtering capabilities; provision for
additional T&C subsystems for one of Boeing's subcontractors; and provision
for additional NASCOM interfaces at the operational facilities.
Insat 3C
Launched: 23 January 2002
Site: CSG Kourou,
French Guiana
Launcher: Ariane 42L
Orbit: GEO, 74° E
International Number: 2002-002A
Name: Insat 3C
Owner: Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO)
Contractor: Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO)
Insat 3C is an Indian communications satellite. It has 2 S
band, 24 C band and 6 extended C band transponders for telecommunications and
television as well as an SSM transponder for mobile communications. It will
replace Insat 2C which will reach the end of its seven year service life in
March 2002.
Analytical Graphics Opens European Office
Analytical Graphics Inc (AGI) has opened an office in
Madrid, Spain, to support its growing aerospace and defence business efforts in
Europe.
Emmet Fletcher, who has served as a Satellite
Tool Kit (STK) technical consultant on the Continent for four years, will head
the facility. The new European field office can be reached at:
Analytical Graphics Inc.
Paseo de la Castellana 141, 8 planta
28046
Madrid
Spain
tel: +34 91 572 6808
fax: +34 91 572 6621
e-mail: [email protected]
Fletcher will co-ordinate STK sales efforts in
Europe, including support of current value-added resellers.
Juggling
Shareholdings in Hispasat
Eutelsat has just increased its shareholding in
Hispasat from 21.15% to 27% and EADS has bought a 5% shareholding in the
Spanish satellite operator.
Eutelsat signed an agreement
with Hispasat in August 2001 to enter into the capital of the company with the
potential to enlarge its investment. The increased stake takes Eutelsat's
representation on Hispasat's Board of Shareholders from two to three seats.
EADS also invested capital in Hispasat as well as purchasing shares from
shareholders Auna, Grupo Admira Media (a Telefonica subsidiary) and Banco
Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria.
STM Wireless Releases Two New VSAT Products
STM
Wireless Inc has announced the release of its latest lines of VSAT products.
The new lines of products are intended to enhance STM's competitive position in
the emerging markets, particularly in the rural telephony and non-consumer
broadband applications, which have been the Company's primary focus.
The two new lines of VSATs are designed to gradually merge
the current generation of Data and Telephony products, both from a customer
application perspective as well as from a manufacturability point of view. The
first of the new line called Solante, which went into limited production in the
fourth quarter of 2001, is a mesh DAMA telephony VSAT designed for use by phone
companies in rural telephony or other applications. The product maintains the
all-outdoor design, which has been a feature of STM's Subscriber Earth Station
product. The new features of the Solante family, which maintains all of the
latest features of STM's mesh DAMA product, include the following:
The other VSAT product line concurrently introduced for broadband and IP applications is called the SpaceWeb Olante. This VSAT uses the same L band interfaces as the Solante with the same outdoor packaging. The unit operates with DC power input and an Ethernet Interface. The Olante VSAT is compatible with existing SpaceWeb hubs and has the following features:
Nick Moren to Retire from Loral
Loral Space &
Communications has announced that Nicholas C Moren, senior vice president and
treasurer, will retire from the company on February 15, 2002. An officer of the
company since 1991, Mr Moren is relocating with his family to Australia.
Richard Mastoloni, vice president and assistant treasurer,
has been elected to succeed Mr Moren as treasurer. Mr Mastoloni, 37, joined
Loral's treasury department in 1997 and has participated extensively with Mr
Moren in the company's equity and debt offerings, the structuring of bank
loans, and the development of relationships with numerous financial
institutions.
Prior to joining Loral, Mr Mastoloni spent 11 years with
Chase Securities where he was vice president of its media and
telecommunications investment banking group, executing corporate finance and
merchant banking transactions for wireless and telecommunications clients.
Before that, he was a vice president in the bank's global mergers and
acquisitions group.
Mr Mastoloni holds a master's in business
administration from Columbia University where he was a member of Phi Beta
Kappa. He earned his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of
Vermont.
SkyStream Appoints Sales Manager for Central Europe,
Eastern Europe and Middle East
SkyStream Networks has announced the
appointment of Andreas Binderlehner as Regional Sales Manager for Central
Europe (covering Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland), Eastern Europe and the
Middle East.
Based in Munich, Germany he will be
responsible for working with direct customers and channel partners throughout
the regions, distributing SkyStream's networking infrastructure equipment and
content delivery solutions. He joins SkyStream Networks from EMC Media Solution
Group, and previously worked for Scientific Atlanta and the Grass Valley Group
- Tektronix Video & Networking Division.
StarBand Names Chief Financial Officer
StarBand, America's leading
consumer high-speed, two-way satellite Internet provider, has named James M.
Craig as its Chief Financial Officer reporting to StarBand Co-Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer Zur Feldman.
Craig, 45, is a
telecommunications veteran who has extensive experience in mergers and
acquisitions, investor relations, corporate financing, securities and
regulatory matters. Craig is also a certified public accountant. At StarBand,
Craig will be a member of the senior management team leading all financial,
accounting and investor relations matters as the company expands its sales
channels, service footprint and subscriber count.
Prior to StarBand,
Craig held senior level financial positions with three telecom start-ups -
Washington, DC-based Pathnet, Maryland-based Omnipoint and Texas-based UniSite
from 1996 to 2002.
For more than ten years, beginning in 1984, Craig
held progressively responsible senior management positions at MCI helping
launch the company's wireless communications services and creating corporate
merger and alliance transaction strategies.
A native of upstate New
York, Craig began his finance career with Buffalo, New York-based Cowper
Construction and Touche Ross & Company.
Tandberg Television Names Chief Operating Officer
Tandberg Television has announced the promotion of
Eric Cooney, its current Vice President and General Manager Americas, to the
position of Chief Operating Officer. Eric Cooney will retain ultimate
responsibility for the Americas business unit and in his new role as COO, will
oversee the company's world-wide engineering, research and development, product
management and business development.
In progressively
senior management positions with Tandberg Television since 1997, Eric has
successfully lead the Americas team through a period of success and expansion,
growing its share in satellite, terrestrial broadcast, telecommunications, and
cable market segments. Eric holds a Masters Business Administration (MBA) from
the University of Southern California and a Masters in Nuclear Engineering from
the United States Navy.
Eric Cooney has been with Tandberg Television
since 1997, starting out as western regional sales manager, then moving into
the Director of Sales position prior to becoming VP & General Manager of
the Americas in February 2001. Eric will divide his time between the US
headquarters in Orlando and the company's management headquarters in the
UK.
At the same time it was announced that Al Nunez, formerly Director
of Sales, Tandberg Television Americas, has been promoted to Vice President of
Sales and Operations Americas and that Joe Greene, formerly Operations Manager,
Tandberg Television Americas, is now the Director of Operations for the
Americas.
XM Promotes Three Key Executives
XM Satellite Radio has
promoted three key executives who have made major contributions to its launch
success and being named "Product of the Year" by Fortune Magazine.
Stephen R Cook, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing,
is being promoted to Executive Vice President.
Steven P Gavenas,
Senior Vice President, Programming & New Business Development, is being
promoted to Executive Vice President.
Dr Stellios J Patsiokas, Senior
Vice President of Technology and Engineering, is being promoted to Executive
Vice President.
