2 June 2002
Satcoms
2-way Satellite Internet Offer for Remote Areas of Australia
Ethnet to Provide
DirecWay Broadband Services Throughout UK
Hughes Network Systems Sets
Performance Standards for Applications Over Satellite
Translucis and Kingston inmedia
Partner to Serve Video Entertainment to UK Bars and Clubs
XM Satellite Radio Collaborates With
Command Audio to Develop Advanced Data Applications Platform
Earth
Observation
DigitalGlobe Unveils Plans for Next-Generation System
ESA Selects New
Earth-Observation Missions
Navigation
Orbital Wins US$ 22 Million Transportation Management Contract in
Phoenix
Orbital
Wins Vehicle Location and Data Collection Contract in Waukesha County,
Wisconsin
Science
New ESA Science Programme
Launch
Services
Arianespace
to Launch Satmex 6
NASA Awards ELV Support Contract To Analex Corp
Business
Lockheed Martin to Divest Majority Stake in Comsat International
to World Data Consortium
Thomson to Acquire Grundig UK's Set-Top-Box
Activity
Products and Services
Airshow Previews New Multi-Region Airborne TV System
Magellan SporTrak
Pro Is First of New Family of Compact GPS Handhelds From Thales
Navigation
2-way Satellite Internet Offer for Remote Areas of
Australia
(28 May 2002) The latest round of the Telstra BigPond
Broadband 2-way Satellite Internet service offering now extends the low cost
Internet service to residents in a further 15 extended call zones in rural
Australia. Households and businesses in these remote areas are eligible for the
service, provided they have an existing-or ordered-telephone number in the
identified call zones.
Free satellite equipment and
installation is also available if the order is placed before 21 June 2002, and
a special offer on a computer upgrade is available for customers who order
before 7 June 2002.
The Telstra BigPond 2-way Satellite Internet
service will provide faster access to the Internet, free up the telephone line
and eliminate the need to 'dial-up' for a connection each time the Internet is
needed. This satellite Internet service will provide residents in remote areas
with an Internet service that is always available when the computer is turned
on, at prices broadly comparable with metropolitan areas.
The
initiative is part of the Commonwealth Government's Aus$ 150 million untimed
local calls project. The tender, funded from the proceeds of the partial sale
of Telstra, will upgrade about 40,000 services in the remote extended zones of
Australia.
Telstra was selected by the Government through a
competitive tender process to provide these services, but the offer is open to
all telecommunications users in the extended zone-not just existing Telstra
customers.
Ethnet to Provide DirecWay Broadband Services Throughout UK
(29 May
2002) Hughes Network Systems Europe (HNSE) has signed Ethnet to provide
DirecWay broadband services. Ethnet will now offer DirecWay two- way,
high-speed broadband access via satellite to small- and medium-sized businesses
throughout the UK with plans to develop European opportunities later this
year.
Installation will begin in early June.
Based in Royston, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, Ethnet offers Internet
broadband by satellite solutions to small-and medium-sized businesses as well
as to small-office/home-office audiences. The company was incorporated in mid
2001 to promote opportunities of broadband IP via satellite. Founded by
industry veterans, the company is also involved in the project management and
installation of VSAT networks for clients in the United Kingdom.
Hughes Network Systems Sets Performance Standards for
Applications Over Satellite
(28 May 2002) Hughes Network Systems Inc (HNS) has
announced today a new certification program to be implemented under the Hughes
Broadband Alliance.
Through the DirecWay Certified
program, HNS commits to test and validate performance of software applications
in advance, so that broadband corporate networks can be deployed faster, at
less cost, and with substantially higher levels of confidence.
The
DirecWay Certified program measures performance of software applications over
satellite networks. The program will save enterprises and their IT managers
considerable time and resources in selecting and evaluating applications
targeted to operate in a satellite network environment.
HNS has
organised the certification program to include the following initial
application categories: polling and remote management; browser-based, back
office support; remote control; OS and TCP/IP stacks; streaming media; and
e-learning. Each category is customised with a particular set of test processes
and performance criteria, which establishes the benchmark for operation in the
DirecWay environment and for achieving DirecWay-Certified status.
Each
certified application receives a Certification Statement and rights to the
DirecWay-Certified brand marking. A Test Results document detailing performance
against the pre-defined criteria will also be available to HNS customers. With
this approach, IT professionals who are considering solutions for company
networking requirements, such as remote access or other secure communications
needs, can be assured that DirecWay-Certified applications have been vigorously
tested and meet a pre-defined set of performance criteria.
Translucis and Kingston inmedia Partner to Serve Video
Entertainment to UK Bars and Clubs
(27 May 2002) Translucis has chosen Kingston
inmedia to be its satellite content delivery and technology partner for the
Translucis Magnetic channel, the next generation in-outlet entertainment and
advertising medium.
The two companies also announce that
the Kingston inmedia's satellite service is up and running at trial sites in
Central London and that under the terms of the contract the two companies are
now working together to roll-out by the end of July to most of the over 200
bars and clubs in the Translucis entertainment network. The Magnetic Channel is
a mixture of entertainment, advertising and venue specific messaging, which is
aimed at young adults who are in environment where they are ready to have fun
and spend money.
Kingston inmedia distributes video content via
satellite dish to the hard drive of the Magnix 'in-bar' entertainment server,
where the content is de-coded and stored. The content is then played out as
detailed by the schedule already devised for the venue. As part of Kingston
inmedia's solution the Magnix box is controlled and managed through a VPN
across the Internet.
Translucis is pioneering a new entertainment
medium called digital media networks that broadcasts to plasma screens in bars
and clubs, offering a mix of visually exciting entertainment and compelling
advertising that appeals to 18-24 year olds. The ads are programmed centrally
and delivered by satellite, appearing as part of a mix of visual montages, with
editorial material tailored to each outlet and links to electronic tills
(EPOS). The Translucis network is available in over 280 outlets across the UK,
including chains and stylish, urban, independent bars and clubs delivering 1.3
million viewers a week.
XM Satellite Radio Collaborates With Command Audio to
Develop Advanced Data Applications Platform
(30 May 2002) XM Satellite
Radio and Command Audio Corporation have entered into a licensing agreement for
Command Audio's advanced application audio technology. With this technology, XM
will develop a data applications platform for future generations of XM radios.
XM broadcasts 100 channels of music, sports, news and talk programming to
listeners across the USA.
The Command Audio technology
will enable XM to provide subscribers enhanced national information services
currently in the early development phase dedicated to rural, trucking and other
markets.
Command Audio owns and licenses a portfolio of intellectual
property critical to the transmission, navigation and presentation of stored
media. Founded in 1995, Command Audio pioneered the development of on-demand
interactive audio. Command Audio's intellectual property broadly covers the
audio aspects of consumer devices and services that store broadcast media for
playback at the consumer's convenience. Command Audio is a privately held
company backed by strategic investors Macrovision, Motorola and Texas
Instruments and leading financial investors, including Canaan Partners,
Franklin Resources, Granite Ventures, JP Morgan Capital Partners, St Paul
Venture Capital and Paul Allen's Vulcan Ventures.
DigitalGlobe Unveils Plans for
Next-Generation System
(30 May 2002) DigitalGlobe has announced plans to
launch its next-generation remote sensing system - M5. The company has been
working with Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp and ITT Industries for the
past two years to develop M5 with the first satellite in the M5 constellation
scheduled to be operational in early 2006.
The M5
constellation will consist of four satellites, each of which will collect
five-meter resolution multispectral data over a 185 kilometre-wide area. Images
will provide visible, near-infrared and short wave-infrared spectral ranges.
The first M5 satellite is scheduled to be operational in the first quarter of
2006, and all four by the third quarter of 2007.
The full M5 system
will collect images of the Earth's land surface plus coastal regions every four
days at nadir. Nadir refers to the satellite's ability to collect images by
pointing the camera directly over the area to be imaged, ensuring the highest
resolution possible. M5's off-nadir pointing capability - collecting images
from an angle - will give DigitalGlobe the ability to revisit any point on the
Earth's surface multiple times per day. This will be valuable for
time-sensitive applications such as natural disaster assessments.
DigitalGlobe will maintain a permanent archive of its M5 data, enabling
powerful change detection capabilities, wide-area coverage and timely delivery
of products to customers.
Data from M5 will complement DigitalGlobe's
current offerings of sub-meter resolution images from its QuickBird satellite
and lower resolution images through the company's exclusive reseller agreement
with SPOT Image Corp. in North America. The M5 images will enable DigitalGlobe
to further support a number of market areas world-wide for applications such as
agricultural assessments, environmental monitoring and disaster management.
In March 2002, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
and the US Geological Survey (USGS) announced that the DigitalGlobe team was
one of two contract winners for the Formulation Phase of the LandSat Data
Continuity Mission. The contract was based on a novel technical approach in
which DigitalGlobe, Ball Aerospace, and ITT Industries, will provide NASA and
USGS with high-quality data based on the M5 imagery.
ESA Selects New Earth-Observation Missions
(28 May
2002) For its second cycle of the Earth Explorer Opportunity Missions, the
European Space Agency (ESA) has selected three proposals to enter feasibility
study: ACE+, an Atmosphere and Climate-Explorer; EGPM, the European
contribution to Global Precipitation Mission, and SWARM, a constellation of
small satellites to study the dynamics of the Earth's magnetic field and its
interactions with the Earth system.
Following a call for
proposals in June 2001, ESA received 27 responses, which encompassed all
science and application oriented disciplines of Earth Observation remote
sensing. In January 2002, 25 were submitted for evaluation to scientific Peer
Teams for an in-depth scientific and engineering review. The review was then
analysed by the Earth Science Advisory Committee (ESAC) which established a
shortlist of six missions. Finally, on May 15-16, ESA's Programme Board for
Earth-Observation selected three missions to undergo feasibility study.
The first Earth Explorer Opportunity Mission selection took place in 1999
and resulted in the selection of Cryosat and SMOS. Cryosat, to be launched in
2004, will study ice sheets and sea ice, while SMOS, scheduled for launch in
2006, will measure soil moisture and ocean salinity. The first Earth Explorer
Core Mission selection of 1999, saw the birth of the Earth Gravity field and
Ocean Circulation (GOCE) mission and the Atmospheric Dynamics Mission
(ADM-Aeolus) to be launched in 2005 and 2007 respectively.
Unlike the
larger Earth Explorer Core Missions, which are ESA-led research missions,
Opportunity Missions are smaller, have a larger degree of industrial
implication and are not necessarily ESA-led. Their cost-to-completion ranges in
the order of 110 Meuro.
The three candidate opportunity missions
recently selected will complement areas of research currently under development
in the Earth Explorer programme. Once the feasibility studies are complete, two
of the three missions will be retained for implementation, with the launch of
the first envisaged for 2008.
ACE+: The principal goal of ACE+ is to
measure variations and changes in global atmospheric temperature and water
vapour distribution and so provide valuable data for monitoring climate change.
ACE+ will also be used to improve weather forecasting. The mission will use
four satellites in orbits between 650 and 850 km altitude. Each will carry an L
band receiver for GPS/Galileo sounding and a multi-frequency X-K band
transmitter or receiver for satellite-to-satellite cross-link measurements.
The areal coverage of the mission must be such that the profiles are
globally and homogeneously distributed. The proposed constellation of 4
satellites will produce around 7000 humidity and temperature soundings per
month, which will be appropriate for use in climate monitoring. Approximately
5000 refractivity soundings per day from GPS/Galileo radio occultations will
also be produced and will be assimilated into weather forecasting systems.
EGPM: This mission is a major European contribution to the Global
Precipitation Mission (GPM), which is an international initiative to ensure the
delivery of global precipitation fields 8 times per day. GPM is based on a
satellite constellation and is the successor of the NASA/NASDA Tropical
Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM).
Since availability of fresh water
is so vital for life on Earth and human development, the scientific reasons and
the justification for a precipitation-measuring mission are self-evident.
Almost all aspects of meteorology, climate studies, hydrology, economy and
society are directly influenced by the presence or absence of
precipitation.
EGPM is a mission consisting of a single satellite in a
sun-synchronous low Earth orbit and carries a precipitation microwave
radiometer, which will provide global rainfall observations. It is an element
of the joint NASA-NASDA GPM mission proposal, which comprises a 'core'
satellite, carrying a precipitation radar and a precipitation radiometer, and a
number of smaller satellites with only a precipitation radiometer on each.
EGPM extends the proposed GPM mission by providing data that are needed at
high latitudes (such as Europe and Canada).
SWARM: The objective of
the SWARM mission is to provide the best survey ever of the geomagnetic field
and its temporal evolution, and gain new insights into improving our knowledge
of the Earth's interior and climate.
The SWARM concept consists of a
constellation of four satellites in two different polar orbits between 400 and
550 km altitude. Each satellite will provide high-precision and high-resolution
measurements of the magnetic field. Together they will provide the necessary
observations for the global high-precision survey of the geomagnetic field that
is needed to model its various sources.
Magnetic fields play an
important role in physical processes throughout the Universe. The magnetic
field exerts a very direct control of the electrodynamic environment, on
thermospheric dynamics, and possibly even on the evolution of the lower
atmosphere.
SWARM will provide important new knowledge of the
expanding and deepening South Atlantic Anomaly, with its serious implications
for low-Earth orbit satellite operations. Geographically, the recent decay of
the Earth's magnetic dipole is largely due to changes in the field in that
region. The geomagnetic field models resulting from this mission will have
practical applications in many different areas, such as space weather and
radiation hazards as well as furthering our understanding of atmospheric
processes related to climate and weather.
Orbital Wins US$ 22 Million Transportation Management Contract in
Phoenix
(30 May 2002) Orbital Sciences Corporation’s
Transportation Management Systems division (Orbital TMS) has been selected by
the City of Phoenix Transit Department, a Valley Metro member, to supply
in-vehicle components and control centre software solutions for its new Vehicle
Management System (VMS). Valley Metro is the system identity for the 11 Phoenix
metro-area transit agencies.
The US$ 22 million contract
includes an initial US$ 14.8 million to install system components in
approximately 740 fixed-route buses, paratransit and service vehicles, as well
as to install the VMS's main software platform in the Phoenix Valley Metro
Transit System's operations control centre. The contract also provides for US$
7.2 million in options for system upgrades to include a new cost-effective
Motorola radio communications infrastructure solution in support of Valley
Metro's short- and long-term operational requirements.
Orbital's
system is fully integrated, using real-time, satellite-delivered Global
Positioning System (GPS) information, together with pre-programmed fixed route
vehicle schedules and two-way mobile communications capabilities to track and
manage the day-to-day operations of the Phoenix area's transit vehicle fleet.
Under the contract, Orbital TMS will supply its state-of-the- art Mobile Data
Terminal (SmartMDT) control unit for approximately 740 vehicles, which the
operator will use to communicate with dispatchers, transfer data and monitor
vehicle equipment status. Orbital TMS will also install its ORBCAD-NT Computer
Aided Dispatch and Automatic Vehicle Location (CAD/AVL) software system in
Valley Metro Transit's central dispatch and system control centre, allowing
system dispatchers to monitor schedule adherence and vehicle status with
real-time information.
Orbital Wins Vehicle Location and Data Collection Contract in
Waukesha County, Wisconsin
(29 May 2002) Waukesha County, Wisconsin has selected
the Orbital Sciences’ Orbtrac.com system to help track and manage a
portion of the County's fleet of highway maintenance vehicles. The planned
roll-out of the system calls for immediately equipping 56 County snow ploughs
with in-vehicle units and completing the installation of additional units in
the remaining 150 highway maintenance vehicles in 2003. Financial terms of the
contract were not disclosed.
The Internet-based
Orbtrac.com system is fully integrated, using real-time satellite-delivered
Global Positioning System (GPS) information and two-way mobile communications
capabilities. It provides the capability to track vehicle location and status,
as well as to identify sections of roadways that have been serviced. Orbital's
system also provides post-service analysis tools to help customers improve the
efficiency and reduce the cost of future operations.
Orbital's newly
designed touch-screen Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) will be installed in Waukesha
County vehicles for use by the operator to communicate with the control centre,
transfer data and monitor vehicle equipment status. Orbital's system will also
incorporate the County's existing wireless communications infrastructure for
vehicle-to-dispatch communications.
New ESA Science Programme
(28 May 2002) Following the
outcome of Council of Ministers in Edinburgh in November 2001, the European
Space Agency’s Director of Science undertook a complete reassessment of
the ESA Science Programme. This was done in close collaboration with the
science community, represented by the Space Science Advisory Committee,
industry and ESA Member States delegations.
The new plan
contains the following missions, listed by production groups:
Astrophysics
Group 1: XMM-Newton (1999), INTEGRAL (2002). X and Gamma
Ray Observatories (studying the 'violent' universe)
Group 2: Herschel,
exploring the infrared and microwave universe; Planck, to study the cosmic
microwave background; Eddington, searching for extra-solar planets and studying
the stellar seismology. (The three missions will be launched in the 2007-2008
timeframe.)
Group 3: GAIA, the ultimate galaxy mapper (to be launched
no later than 2012). Missions will follow in the same group after 2012.
Solar System Science:
Group 1:Rosetta, a trip to a comet (2003);
Mars Express, a Mars orbiter carrying the Beagle2 lander (2003); (Venus
Express, a Venus orbiter, would have been in this group.)
Group 2:
SMART-1, which will demonstrate solar propulsion technology while on its way to
the Moon (2003); BepiColombo, a mission to Mercury, Solar Orbiter, a mission to
take a closer look at the Sun (missions to be launched in 2011-2012).
Fundamental Physics missions: (one group only)
STEP (2005) the
'equivalence principle' test, SMART2, a technology demonstration mission (2006)
for LISA, a joint mission with NASA, searching for gravitational waves
(2011).
In addition the Agency is committed to co-operation with NASA
in NGST (the Next Generation Space Telescope), the successor of the Hubble
Space telescope, with launch in 2010. STEP (2005), the mission to test of the
nature of mass and the basis of mechanics, relies on a decision by NASA, the
major partner.
The production groups are more than scientific
groupings. Missions within each will be built synergistically using common
technologies and engineering teams where possible.
Such a scenario is
going to rely on specific commitment to new ways of working:
Arianespace to Launch Satmex 6
(30 May 2002) Mexican
operator Satélites Mexicanos SA de CV (Satmex) and Arianespace have
signed the launch contract for the Satmex 6 satellite which is to be launched
by an Ariane 5 from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana in the
first quarter of 2003.
Currently under construction at
Space Systems/Loral, Satmex 6 is based on SS/L's 1300 geostationary satellite
platform, which has an excellent record of reliable operation. The satellite
will weigh approximately 5,700 kg at lift-off and will be positioned at
109.2° W. Satmex 6 will carry 36 C band and 24 Ku band transponders. Satmex
will use the Satmex 6 satellite to bolster its telecommunications and Internet
transmission capacity for all of Mexico, as well as other parts of North
America and Latin America.
NASA Awards ELV Support Contract To Analex Corp
(28 May
2002) NASA's John F Kennedy Space Center has awarded Analex Corp the Expendable
Launch Vehicle Integrated Support (ELVIS) contract. This is a new
performance-based, fixed-price/cost-plus-award-fee contract to perform various
integrated support services for the NASA Expendable Vehicle (ELV) Program
Office located at Kennedy.
Under the ELVIS contract,
Analex will provide a broad range of ELV support services for NASA requirements
at Kennedy; Cape Canaveral Air Force Station; Vandenberg Air Force Base and
other launch site locations. This includes management, operation and
maintenance of facilities, systems and equipment, as well as specified
technical and administrative capabilities.
The contract covers
responsibility for furnishing engineering services; performing safety and
mission assurance functions; and providing communications, data and telemetry
support. In addition, at Vandenberg Analex will also be responsible for
maintenance of NASA's administrative, launch support and spacecraft facilities,
mission support planning, and customer support for payload processing
activities.
The contract has a one-month phase-in period beginning
June 1, 2002, to be followed by a three-year, three-month basic period of
performance. There are two options of three years each for a potential
nine-year, four-month contract term. The contract value for the basic
performance period is US$ 4 9 million. The potential contract value including
all priced options over nine years, four months is US$ 163.7
million.
Ofek 5
Launched: 28 May 2002
Site: Palmahim air force base,
Israel
Launcher: Shavit
Orbit: LEO, apogee: 758 km, perigee: 357 km:
inclination: 143.5°
International Number: 2002-025A
Name: Ofek
5
Owner: Israeli Space Agency
Contractor: IAI/MBT
Ofek 5 is an
Israeli built and launched military surveillance satellite.
Provides
Israel with a dedicated optical surveillance capability, taking over from Ofek
3 which re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere about a year ago. Ofek 4 was
launched in January 1998 to replace Ofek 3, but it failed to reach orbit due to
a problem with the launch vehicle.
The satellite is reported to have
cost US$ 60 million.
Cosmos 2389
Launched: 29 May 2002
Site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome,
Russia
Launcher: Kosmos-3M
Orbit: LEO, apogee: 1003 km, perigee: 936
km: inclination: 83.0°
International Number: 2002-026A
Name: Cosmos
2389
Cosmos 2389 is a Russian military satellite.
Lockheed Martin to Divest Majority Stake in Comsat International
to World Data Consortium
(30 May 2002) Lockheed Martin has entered into an
agreement with World Data Consortium LLC under which the Corporation will
divest an 81% ownership position in its Comsat International operations in
Latin America to World Data. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed but
will not be material to Lockheed Martin. The divestiture is subject to
regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions, and it is anticipated it
will be completed in four to six months.
Comsat
International is a leading provider of data and voice services to corporations
and telecommunications carriers in major Latin American markets, including
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. Operating in Latin
America since 1990, Comsat International maintains a fully integrated managed
fibre, wireless and satellite network, over which it provides domestic,
regional and international telecommunications services.
World Data
Consortium LLC is a privately held telecommunications investment firm based in
Washington DC. The firm focuses on creating value through the acquisition,
integration and operation of advanced telecommunications service businesses in
Latin America and other regions of the world.
Comsat International
originally was a component of Comsat Corporation, which Lockheed Martin
acquired in 2000 through its Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications unit.
When Lockheed Martin determined it would exit the global telecommunications
services business in December 2001, it indicated it would divest itself of
certain telecommunications assets, including Comsat International.
While Lockheed Martin and World Data secure requisite regulatory approvals from
US and Latin American government bodies, Comsat International will continue to
function as a Lockheed Martin business. Comsat International employs some 470
personnel in the US and in six Latin American countries.
Thomson to Acquire Grundig UK's Set-Top-Box Activity
(30 May
2002) Thomson and Grundig AG have signed a definitive agreement for Thomson to
acquire 100% of the Digital Intermedia Systems (DIS) business, Grundig's
set-top box activity.
Under this agreement, Thomson will
acquire Grundig's high quality set-top-box manufacturing operations located
near Cardiff (Llantrisant, United Kingdom), and its set-top-box hardware and
software development divisions. The transaction is subject to regulatory
approval. Financial details are not disclosed.
Through its Broadband
Access Products and Systems (BAPS) activity, Thomson develops and markets cable
modems, DSL modems and digital set-top boxes as well as digital video headend
equipment and integration services. BAPS delivers broadband solutions for every
type of network, including satellite, cable, telecommunications and terrestrial
networks. The proposed transaction enhances Thomson's leadership in broadband
access products by expanding its product and customer portfolio.
Grundig's DIS business has established a leadership position in the UK market
through its relationship with BSkyB, the leading provider of digital TV in
Britain and Ireland. The transfer of this relationship, supported by BSkyB,
consolidates Thomson's world-wide leadership in satellite set-top boxes by
adding BSkyB to its client portfolio. BSkyB is a key player in the European
digital TV market with 5.9 million subscribers and targets 7 million
subscribers in 2003. In addition, this agreement incorporates Thomson's supply
of set top boxes for Grundig's key retail market.
The proposed
acquisition will also expand Thomson's set-top-box portfolio with new
free-to-air products. These emerging markets are rapidly growing in Europe and
will be an important element of set-top-box market economics in 2003. Already
the leader in digital television, Thomson will leverage its position in the
retail CE market to be a key player in this new category.
Airshow Previews New Multi-Region Airborne TV System
(28 May 2002) Airshow Inc has confirmed that it is nearing
completion of a new satellite TV system for multi-region airborne service.
Airshow also announced that it has secured a launch customer for the new TV
system and that it is working with Jet Aviation of Basel, Switzerland, for
installation, system testing, and FAA certification on a wide body business
jet.
The new system will be called Tailwind 550 Airborne
TV System, the latest in a line of satellite TV products from Airshow. The
Tailwind 550 is specifically designed for multi-region satellite reception.
Airshow has relationships with major content providers in the U.S. and Europe,
and will soon add programming service for the Middle East. The Tailwind 550
will be marketed to VIP and private business aviation operators.
The
key component of the Tailwind 550 is a new high-tech antenna designed to mount
on the fuselage of Boeing, Airbus and McDonnell Douglas wide- and narrow-body
aircraft, as well as Boeing Business Jets. The antenna uses a new horn-arrayed,
sculpted polymer lens technology to ensure maximum satellite signal reception
for the system. It was jointly developed with AeroSat Avionics LLC of Temple,
New Hampshire. Airshow announced an alliance with AeroSat in December of 2001,
and has exclusive rights to sell systems using AeroSat antenna technology in
the business aviation and air transport markets world-wide.
When
the Tailwind 550 TV system begins delivery later this year, significant new
benefits will be realised, including the following:
The Tailwind 550 TV system will consist of four major LRUs. The Digital Antenna Unit (DAU) which is mounted on the aircraft's fuselage is connected to a System Signal Processor (SSP), then to an IF Multiplexer Unit (IMU), and then to one or more Receiver Decoder Units (RDU). Each RDU contains two receivers that are configured to specific program offerings, and connect to the cabin audio/video system. Up to four RDUs can be included on board, providing as many as eight viewing options.
Magellan SporTrak Pro Is First of New Family of Compact GPS
Handhelds From Thales Navigation
(30 May 2002) Thales
Navigation, global provider of Magellan consumer and Ashtech professional GPS
solutions, has announced the availability of the Magellan SporTrak Pro, the
first of the new SporTrak series of three handheld GPS receivers, including the
SporTrak Map and SporTrak.
The premium SporTrak Pro
delivers the convenience of a compact, lightweight design without compromising
superior performance and robust functionality. WAAS-enabled for positioning
accuracy of three-meters or better, SporTrak Pro is the only navigation device
in its price category offering 32 MB of built-in memory with an extensive
database of maps, marine navigation aids and points of interest. SporTrak Pro
helps active consumers get where they're going with confidence and find their
way back with ease, making it ideal for summer adventures in the city, the
wilderness or on water.
Available from major sporting goods and
consumer electronics retailers, SporTrak Pro has a stylish casing that's
rugged, waterproof, and even floats. Whether backpacking, camping, hunting,
fishing, climbing, kayaking, mountain biking or travelling off-road, the
pocketsize Magellan SporTrak Pro has advanced features users can depend on in
all conditions, including a quadrifiler helix antenna that provides superior
satellite tracking even in densely covered areas. Its 9 MB built-in map
database includes major roads, highways, waterways, parks and airports, as well
as buoys, marinas, lighthouses, wrecks and obstructions for travelling
offshore. It also has 23 MB of available memory for downloading street detail,
points of interest or topographic maps from Magellan MapSend software.
Easy to carry at just 175 g and only 3.3 cm deep, the SporTrak series is
designed for versatility and simplicity. SporTraks feature a new nine-key
keypad for easy access to nine navigation screens and a large, easy-to-read,
high-contrast, backlit display. They direct users toward their destination
while displaying bearing, heading, distance, speed, remaining time to
destination, cross-track error and more.
An advanced search function
quickly locates landmarks, cities and roads. Mariners will appreciate the
anchor, arrival and cross track alarms as well as a resettable trip odometer. A
sunrise and sunset calculator keeps users on schedule, and the
best-hunting-and-fishing-time calculator helps users make the most of outdoor
adventures. Users can also save up to 500 of their favourite locations and 20
reversible routes with up to 30 legs, information that the memory retains even
if the receiver loses power. In addition, the waypoint-messaging feature allows
users to create notes with each landmark they save while a backtracking feature
records the user's path with up to 2,000 trackpoints to create easily
retraceable routes.
Available June 2002, the versatile SporTrak Map
and the affordable SporTrak will also offer advanced features not usually found
on competitively priced units. SporTrak Map features a built-in 2 MB database
of major roads, highways, parks, waterways, airports and cities, with an
additional 4 MB of memory for downloading navigation information from MapSend
software. The SporTrak receiver will deliver a world-wide database of major
cities, points of interest and 1 MB of built-in memory for downloading data
from Magellan DataSend software - including cities, campgrounds, parks, marine
navaids and more.
SporTrak Pro, SporTrak Map and SporTrak all ship
with a PC cable, user manual and quick start guide. Optional accessories
include vehicle, bike and swivel mounting brackets, a canvas carrying case and
a variety of power and PC data cables, including a cigarette lighter
adapter.
