24 August 2003
Satcoms
Alpha Spacecom Signs Agreement with China Film Group to
Distribute Digital Content
EMS Technologies to Supply Advanced Satellite Antenna to
Astrium
Tachyon
Continues Support for US Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Earth
Observation
Artemis Assists Emergency Services to Fight Portuguese Fires
Boeing Team
Selected for Next Stage of NIMA Softcopy Search Program
Science
Boeing EDD Awarded Electric Propulsion Contract for NASA
Mission
Manned
Space
Pratt & Whitney Delivers First Overhauled Space Shuttle
Oxidiser Turbopump
Technology
Space Flight Demonstrator Completes Design
Certification
Launch
Services
Brazilian
Launcher Explosion Kills 21
Launches
Cosmos 2400,
Cosmos 2401
Launch Schedule
Business
DirecTV Announces Commencement of Exchange Offer
EchoStar's Board Authorises up to
US$ 1 Billion Buyback of Notes
Intelsat Shareholders Approve Acquisition of Loral NA
Satellite Assets
Loral Confirms EchoStar Offer
Plenexis Boosts Shareholding in
Russian Satellite Partner
StarBand Files Plan of Reorganisation to Exit Chapter
11
Products and Services
Swedish Microwave Launches New Low Cost
PLL-LNB
People
Cameron Hunter Appointed Norsat President and CEO
NASA Selects
International Space Station Program Scientist
Wegener
Adds Key Management Members
Alpha
Spacecom Signs
Agreement with China Film Group to Distribute Digital Content
(21 August 2003) Alpha
Spacecom Company Limited has signed an agreement with China Film Group
Corporation (CFG) to create a satellite digital cinema and home distribution
platform for the presentation of major Western and domestic motion pictures.
The motion pictures, as well as other content, will be delivered through
digital projection cinemas and a satellite pay-per-view system (SPPV) over the
course of the project.
Under the agreement, Alpha
Spacecom will form a joint venture entity with CFG, owned 51% by CFG and 49% by
Alpha Spacecom, that will reconstruct and upgrade movie theatre complexes to
digital projection format and implement a home pay-per-view system, both of
which will receive digitised content via satellite transmission. Currently CFG
is the leading entity in China authorised by that country’s government to
import, export and license filmed and other entertainment content and will
inject RMB 200,000,000 in the form of cash, existing systems and equipment, and
specially authorised operations licenses against an Alpha Spacecom investment
of US$ 30,000,000.
The joint venture will invest in the reconstruction
and conversion of two hundred select locations to the digital cinema format,
and will establish a satellite hub to provide satellite transmission services
for the distribution of digital entertainment. Content distribution and digital
cinema box office receipts will be the primary revenue drivers of the joint
venture.
The new system will effectively address piracy issues that
have plagued China by providing digitally delivered encrypted signals to
cinemas and SPPV subscribers, creating a robust and mutually beneficial
operations environment for this burgeoning service.
(source: Alpha
Spacecom)
EMS
Technologies to Supply
Advanced Satellite Antenna to Astrium
(20 August 2003) EMS Technologies Inc's Montreal Space
Division has received an authorisation to proceed (ATP) to begin work on a
Navigation Antenna for the Anik F1R spacecraft, currently in production at
Astrium. As contract signature is expected in the third quarter of this year,
financial details were not disclosed.
Anik F1R will be
based on Astrium's Eurostar 3000 bus, with a mass of about 4 metric tons when
launched. It will carry 24 C band and 32 Ku band transponders. The satellite
will be positioned at 107.3° W, and will be owned and operated by Telesat
Canada, Gloucester, Ontario. The Navigation Antenna will feature an L band
multi-element direct radiating array. Delivery of the antenna is expected in
2004; the satellite is due for launch in 2005.
(source: EMS
Technologies)
Tachyon Continues Support for US Naval Criminal Investigative
Service
(20 August
2003) The US Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is to continue its
deployment of Tachyon Quick Deploy portable satellite services.
The NCIS, which investigates crimes against or involving
Navy and Marine Corps personnel, needs to be able to quickly set up high-tech
operations centres at major crisis scenes. In 2000, for example, the NCIS
probed al-Qaeda's bombing of the destroyer USS Cole in Yemen. With today's
focus on preparing for and preventing similar terrorist attacks domestically or
abroad, the NCIS' Washington DC-based Mobile Crisis Response Team staged a mock
car bombing at a training facility in a closed tunnel in West Virginia. Called
"Operation Rubble Pile," the scenario involved teams of emergency and NCIS
personnel combing through the smoke and destruction of a collapsed
building.
Beyond the advantages of delivering data to and from a
crisis site, the NCIS believes that satellite connectivity can fill several
needs including the relaying of surveillance video from sites that need to be
monitored live.
In addition to surveillance, NCIS plans to use Tachyon
satellite connectivity to provide Internet access to its agents in remote
locations. Special Agents on protective details in the Middle East can be
provided with e-mail and other communications vehicles. Ideally, Tachyon
broadband satellite networks would be deployed to forward locations. The NCIS
would then set up the portable solutions in mobile command post trailers when
they need them at major crime scenes or incidents. The trailers would have a
local area network with computers and instant secure connectivity to the
Internet through Tachyon.
The "Rubble Pile" exercise took place at the
Center for National Response, a new counter terrorism training facility based
in West Virginia's closed Memorial Tunnel, which has been sealed at both ends.
The facility was built with different "sets" that can simulate different kinds
of weather and crises such as a highway tunnel accident, a subway disaster, the
rubble left by a massive explosion, or a chemical agent laboratory. NCIS set up
two pan-tilt-zoom IP video cameras at the attack scene, which were connected to
a video server and a Tachyon Quick Deploy LAN and satellite dish.
Once
the cameras were set up and sending video data, the NCIS team had several
options. Tachyon's transportable Quick Deploy unit allowed NCIS to send
real-time streaming video from cameras mounted at the scene back to the
agency's Washington headquarters. Tachyon also enabled NCIS staff to access
high-speed Internet and Intranet data on their laptops from the "attack site"
as they gathered evidence and began a mock investigation with other law
enforcement agencies.
(source: Tachyon)
Artemis Assists Emergency Services to Fight Portuguese Fires
(19 August 2003) Fire
fighters tackling the blazes that have ravaged Portugal are doing so with the
aid of a satellite data-link.
For the first time,
ESA’s satellite Artemis has been used to support an emergency request
under the International Charter on “Space and Major Disasters”.
Portugal’s civil protection unit (SNBPC) was able to receive
information and groups of images that showed the scope of the fires. The data,
transmitted from ESA’s Earth observation satellite, Envisat, via the
Artemis data-relay spacecraft in geostationary orbit, were received in near
real-time at the ESA data processing centre, located at ESRIN near Rome.
On 4 August ESA’s Earthwatching service requested a full resolution
MERIS (Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer) acquisition over the areas in
Portugal affected by the fire. The Portuguese Civil Protection then requested
emergency planning on 6 August, through the Charter. The first acquisition was
made via Artemis on 7 August.
The Charter is an international
collaboration to combine international satellite resources to assist
participating rescue authorities and other civil protection agencies. ESA
participates in the Charter together with Argentina , Canada, France, India and
USA.
Use of Artemis for data relay offers Earth observation missions
greater visibility and reduces delays in image reception. Artemis has been
providing a data relay service to Envisat and the French national mission SPOT
4 since March of this year.
(source: ESA)
Boeing
Team Selected for Next
Stage of NIMA Softcopy Search Program
(20 August 2003) Boeing leads the team selected for
the next stage of the Softcopy Search development program managed by the
National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA).
The
objective of the Softcopy Search development program is to demonstrate a
technology solution that can be used to efficiently search and manage national
and commercial digital imagery that has been collected from wide geographic
areas. Using softcopy image search tools, NIMA and other government agencies
will be able to easily manage, utilise and disseminate digital softcopy imagery
in support of national security.
For the Phase II development, the
Boeing team is demonstrating an integrated solution that combines proven
commercial data management products with off-the-shelf software integration and
imagery analysis tools. The Boeing team is comprised of Boeing Space and
Intelligence Systems; Sensor Systems Inc and PAR Government Systems Corp.
The Boeing team participated in the Phase 1 demonstration effort that
concluded in February 2003 and then advanced to Phase II, Spiral 1. The team
completed Spiral 1 in July and now advances to the next stage, Spiral 2, which
continues through February 2004.
The Boeing team's solution
incorporates Boeing's DataMaster and SQS data management products, RemoteView,
an imagery analysis tool from Sensor Systems Inc, and PAR Government Systems
Corp's GeoWare geospatial analysis tools.
(source: Boeing)
Boeing
EDD Awarded Electric
Propulsion Contract for NASA Mission
(18 August 2003) Boeing has been awarded a contract by
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to provide the electric propulsion
system to be used on the Dawn spacecraft.
Boeing
Electron Dynamic Devices Inc (EDD), located in Torrance, California, will be
responsible for the production of three xenon ion thrusters and two power
processor units (PPUs) to be used NASA's latest Discovery program.
This electric propulsion system will provide the primary propulsion for the
Dawn mission as it travels to Vesta and continues on to Ceres. NASA scientists
are hoping to discover how planets are formed and find additional clues as to
the origins of the solar system.
The ion thrusters and PPUs for the
Dawn spacecraft will be identical to the NSTAR equipment that was qualified and
flown on the highly successful NASA Deep Space One mission. The DS1 flight
spare ion thruster has achieved more than 30,000 hours of operation and
processed more than 235 kg of xenon in a life test at JPL. This demonstrates
that the NSTAR ion thrusters could meet the Dawn mission requirements of 19,000
hours and 150kg of propellant throughput per thruster.
The Dawn ion
thrusters and PPUs will be produced and tested at the EDD facility in Torrance
with delivery by late 2004. The Dawn mission is currently scheduled for launch
in May 2006.
(source: Boeing)
Pratt
& Whitney Delivers
First Overhauled Space Shuttle Oxidiser Turbopump
(22 August 2003) The first overhauled Space
Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) high-pressure liquid oxidiser (LOX) turbopump, which
flew on six space shuttle flights during seven years of service, was delivered
to NASA's primary SSME contractor, Boeing, by Pratt & Whitney (P&W)
Space Propulsion, following a meticulous overhaul and repair process.
Periodic overhauls, in addition to the design and hardware
characteristics, allow turbopumps to operate during 30 or more shuttle flights.
The specified service duration before overhaul is required for P&W's LOX
turbopump is the equivalent to 11 shuttle missions. This pump, known as LOX
8015, completed five ground tests in addition to its shuttle flights,
accumulating more than 5,000 seconds of operation.
During the 15-month
overhaul and repair process, the turbopump was completely disassembled and
inspected. Where needed, components were refurbished, upgraded or replaced, but
most major parts were re-used, producing substantial lifecycle-cost benefits to
the program.
Three pairs of high-pressure turbopumps (three hydrogen
fuel turbopumps and three liquid oxidiser turbopumps) serve as key components
of the upgraded Block II SSMEs on each of the orbiters. The small but powerful
turbopumps each transmit 76,000 horsepower to deliver liquid hydrogen or 26,800
horsepower to deliver liquid oxygen to the shuttle engines' main combustion
chambers for ignition. The turbopumps operate in extreme temperatures that
range from minus 420 degrees to 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit.
(source:
Pratt and Whitney)
Space Flight Demonstrator Completes Design Certification
(21 August 2003) The
Demonstration for Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART) spacecraft, recently
completed design certification review for the Orbital Space Plane (OSP)
program. The OSP is a NASA initiative to develop a crew rescue and transfer
vehicle for the International Space Station.
DART is a
space flight demonstrator designed to test technologies required for the OSP to
locate and rendezvous with the Station. The DART is designed for autonomous
operations. DART is controlled by computers, and it does not have a pilot. DART
is NASA's first completely computer controlled, rendezvous capable
spacecraft.
The design certification review is a lengthy technical
analysis to verify the vehicle design with regard to safety, performance and
functional requirements. The review evaluates the results of the project's
planning and analysis throughout manufacturing, integration, and testing. The
review is conducted when the vehicle design and drawings are complete.
Developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation, the DART will be launched on a
Pegasus rocket from an L-1011 jet aircraft. At approximately 40,000 feet over
the Pacific Ocean, the Pegasus will be released with the DART spacecraft.
Once the DART vehicle is launched, some of the hardware and software
tested will enable it to travel from a parking orbit around the Earth to
rendezvous, or manoeuvre close to, a target satellite in space. When DART
reaches the satellite, it will perform several close proximity operations. The
entire 24-hour mission will be performed without a human pilot.
The
DART is the first of three flight-testing demonstrators. Other demonstrators
for the OSP program include the X-37 flight demonstrator developed by Boeing
Expendable Launch Systems, and the launch pad abort demonstrator developed by
Lockheed Martin Corporation.
(source: NASA)
Brazilian Launcher Explosion Kills 21
(22 August 2003) Brazil's third VLS-1
launcher has exploded on the launch pad at the Alcantara Space Centre killing
many technicians who were working on the rocket at the time. Details are
currently unclear, but the probable death toll is 21 with about 20 injured,
some very seriously.
The launch vehicle was due to be
launched on the 25th August, carrying two Brazilian National Institute for
Space Research satellites to orbit.
Initial reports indicate that one
of the rockets four engines ignited, triggering the explosion. As a result of
the explosion, the launch platform collapsed.
The dead, all
technicians from the Aerospace Technical Centre (CTA) in São José
dos Campos, were believed to have been working on the launch platform at the
time of the explosion.
Cosmos 2400, Cosmos 2401
Launched: 19 August 2003
Site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia
Launcher:
Kosmos 3M
International Number: 2003-037A
Orbit: LEO, apogee: 1489
km, perigee: 1453 km: inclination: 82.5°
Name: Cosmos 2400
Owner:
Russian Ministry of Defence
International Number: 2003-037B
Orbit:
LEO/GEO, apogee: 1486 km, perigee: 1453 km: inclination: 82.5°
Name:
Cosmos 2401
Owner: Russian Ministry of Defence
Cosmos 2400 and
2401 are Russian military satellites. No details have been released.
DirecTV Announces Commencement of Exchange Offer
(22 August 2003)
DirecTV Holdings LLC and DirecTV Financing Co Inc. (collectively, "DirecTV")
have commenced an offer to exchange an aggregate principal amount of up to US$
1.4 billion of DirecTV's newly issued 8 3/8 percent Senior Notes due March 15,
2013, the "Registered Notes," which have been registered under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, for a like principal amount of DirecTV's outstanding 8
3/8 percent Senior Notes due March 15, 2013, the "Original Notes," from the
registered holders thereof, that have not been so registered. The Exchange
Offer, which is being made to holders of the Original Notes pursuant to a
Prospectus, is not subject to any minimum amount of Notes being exchanged.
DirecTV will accept for exchange any and all Original Notes
validly tendered and not withdrawn prior to the expiration date. The expiration
date of the Exchange Offer is 5:00 p.m., New York City Time, on Monday,
September 22, 2003, unless extended.
The Registered Notes will be
DirecTV's general senior unsecured obligations and will rank senior to
DirecTV's subordinated debt. The Registered Notes will effectively rank junior
to any of DirecTV's secured debt to the extent of the value of the assets
securing that debt and to any debt and other liabilities of DirecTV's
subsidiaries that are not guarantors. The Registered Notes are guaranteed by
all of DirecTV's domestic subsidiaries on a senior unsecured basis.
Any Registered Notes issued in the Exchange Offer will bear interest at 8 3/8%
per annum from the date of issuance, payable semi-annually on March 15 and
September 15 of each year, commencing on March 15, 2004. DirecTV will have the
option to redeem some or all of the Registered Notes at any time prior to March
15, 2008 by paying a "make whole" premium and at any time thereafter at stated
redemption prices, in each case, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the date
of redemption.
(source: DirecTV)
EchoStar's Board Authorises up to US$ 1 Billion Buyback of
Notes
(15 August
2003) EchoStar Communications Corporation's Board of Directors has authorised
the repurchase, from time to time, of outstanding debt securities of EchoStar
and/or its subsidiary, EchoStar DBS Corporation, up to an aggregate of US$ 1
billion principal amount.
The timing and terms of any
purchases, and the debt securities and principal amount of debt actually
purchased, will be determined by EchoStar based on market conditions and other
factors. Purchases are expected to be made in the open market or through
negotiated transactions.
EchoStar DBS Corporation previously redeemed
all of its 9 1/4% Senior Notes due 2006 effective Feb. 1, 2003, and recently
announced the redemption of US$ 245 million principal amount of its 9 1/8%
Senior Notes due 2009 effective September 3, 2003.
(source: EchoStar
Communications)
Intelsat Shareholders Approve Acquisition of Loral NA Satellite
Assets
(15 August
2003) Intelsat Ltd's shareholders have approved its proposed acquisition of six
satellites and orbital location rights from Loral Space and Communications
Corporation. Shareholder approval of the transaction was required under
Intelsat's Bye-laws.
The proposed acquisition of the
Loral assets would complement Intelsat's global network, which includes
capacity on 26 satellites, by adding complete coverage of the important North
American market and by increasing Intelsat's customer base in the cable
television and broadcasting segments.
Intelsat's shareholders approved
and adopted the asset purchase agreement relating to the proposed acquisition,
which is expected to occur at the conclusion of an auction process under
Section 363(b) of the US Bankruptcy Code. If approved by the bankruptcy court,
the transaction will be subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals and the
satisfaction of other conditions.
(source: Intelsat)
Loral Confirms EchoStar Offer
(19 August 2003) Loral Space and
Communications has confirmed that, in addition to reaching agreement with
Intelsat on July 15, 2003 for the sale of Loral's six North American
satellites, Loral has received an informal offer for those assets from EchoStar
Communications Corp, subject to due diligence. EchoStar also has indicated an
interest in acquiring the balance of Loral's FSS fleet and its satellite
manufacturing assets.
Consistent with the bidding
procedures approved by the Bankruptcy Court on August 18, 2003, Loral will
evaluate any such bid it may receive from EchoStar in accordance with the
bidding procedures.
(source: Loral Space and
Communications)
Plenexis Boosts Shareholding in Russian Satellite Partner
(22 August 2003)
Plenexis has increased its majority shareholding in Moskovsky Teleport by a
further 10%. The shares were acquired from Moscow City Telephone Network
(MGTS), a joint stock company providing telecommunication services in Moscow.
MGTS sold the shares in order to concentrate on its core business, the
provision of fixed line telephony. The acquisition is part of a world-wide
drive by Plenexis to increase investment in satellite communications.
The share purchase is considered mutually beneficial to both
Plenexis - headquartered in Germany - and Moskovsky Teleport. Moskovsky
Teleport will benefit from the know-how and international status of the German
company, Plenexis will be guaranteed a partner operating to the highest
international telecommunications standards with in depth local knowledge of the
Russian and CIS markets. As a result of the acquisition, Moskovsky Teleport
will gain access to strategic and financial support to fuel expansion. With the
acquisition Plenexis Group increases its majority shareholding in Moskovsky
Teleport. The Plenexis Group consists of six nationally based satellite
communications businesses spanning a range of European countries from Sweden to
Turkey including the UK and Sweden.
Moskovsky Teleport specialises in
the construction of corporate and multimedia networks and the creation of
satellite links to the terrestrial network including the Internet. The company
serves approximately 270 VSAT stations in Russia and CIS countries and has all
the licenses necessary for operation within the Russian Federation.
Moskovsky Teleport, a Russian-based satellite service provider, was established
in 1992 by several private investors and State Scientific Institutions. In
1997, part of Moskovsky Teleport shares were acquired by Romantis, a
German-based specialist providing VSAT technology in the CIS states. Later that
year, Romantis and several other satellite communications companies, were
brought together under the umbrella of DeTeSat, a fully-owned subsidiary of
Deutsche Telekom. In 2002 DeTeSat became Plenexis, now an independent company
with the majority shareholding belonging to British investor 3i.
(source: Plenexis)
StarBand Files Plan of Reorganisation to Exit Chapter 11
(15 August 2003) StarBand, the US
consumer high-speed, two-way satellite Internet provider, has filed its
reorganisation plan with the US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. The confirmation
of the plan expected by the end of 2003 will allow StarBand to emerge from
bankruptcy.
The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on
May 31, 2002. Subsequent to this filing, StarBand expanded a new US sales
channel now comprised of over 2,400 independent dealers, improved its network
performance and reliability, and launched its fourth generation product line,
the StarBand 480 Pro. The new StarBand 480 Pro service offers high-speed
downloading at up to 1 Mb/s and 100 kb/s Turbo Mode uploading speeds. The new
StarBand 480 Pro modem includes a built-in four-port Ethernet router and is
'plug and play' compatible with most operating systems including Windows,
Macintosh, Unix, and Linux.
The company's capital structure has
significantly improved with the conversion of approximately US$ 113 million of
bank debt to equity. In addition, approximately US$ 90 million of debt to Gilat
Satellite Networks Ltd will convert to equity and a US$ 14 million
post-emergence note. Further, StarBand and Gilat have entered into a new
technology and hardware supply agreement including US$ 7 million in additional
financing.
(source: StarBand Communications)
Swedish
Microwave Launches New
Low Cost PLL-LNB
(20 August 2003) Swedish Microwave is releasing a new
low cost PLL-LNB, in a small and light design, at IBC in Amsterdam 12-16
September. The new PLL-LNB is available with different LO frequencies from 9.75
to 11.475 GHz including, as first on the market, a LO of 10.6 GHz.
In demanding applications such like Satellite Data, Digital
Video and Digital Audio where DRO-LNBs (Dielectric Resonator) are widely used
today, you will now find it attractive to use the new PLL-LNBs (Phased Looked
Loop) which are superior to DRO-LNBs regarding short- and long term
stability.
The new PLL-LNB is made for the Ku band and comes as
standard with the LO stability ± 300 kHz, very low phase noise, low
noise figure, F- or N-connector, wide frequency range and a two-year
warranty.
Options include customised gain, customised LO, separate DC
power input, extended frequency range and SMA output connector.
All
LNBs are individually hand tuned to get the very best performance available for
each unit. Quality and long-term reliability is also essential. All LNBs are
tested according to a very extensive test program, which includes heating,
cooling, waterproof testing and rigorous electrical testing.
(source:
Swedish Microwave)
Cameron
Hunter Appointed Norsat
President and CEO
(15 August 2003) The Board of Directors of Norsat
International Inc has announced the appointment of Cameron Hunter to the
position of President, CEO and Director of Norsat, effective immediately. Mr.
Hunter had been a Vice President at Norsat.
Yutaka Ueda
has announced his decision to return to Tokyo, Japan and will continue to work
on a contract basis with Norsat to develop the Japanese market. Accordingly, he
has resigned his positions as an officer and director of the company.
Mr Ueda will apply his extensive knowledge of the Japanese market to focus on
developing some promising opportunities for the company.
With 11 years
of international marketing and sales experience in the wireless, telco and
satellite communications sectors, Mr Hunter joined Norsat in January 2003.
Previously, he held several positions in Sky Stream Networks in Hong Kong,
including Senior Director of International Sales and Senior Director of Global
Solutions Partners. He has additional telecommunications experience as regional
sales manager for the Harris Microwave Communications Division in Italy and
Indonesia and as operations manager for Nortel Networks in Vietnam. He has a
Bachelors degree in political studies from Queen’s University and a
post-graduate diploma from the Asia Pacific Management Cooperative at Capilano
College.
(source: Norsat International)
NASA
Selects International
Space Station Program Scientist
(18 August 2003) NASA has named Dr. Donald A. Thomas
as the new International Space Station Program Scientist for the agency.
As International Space Station Program Scientist, Thomas
will be based at Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston. He will work with
principal investigators and the Station program office to ensure scientific and
engineering requirements are clearly communicated among the participants. He
will serve as the science spokesman for the Program to the scientific and
international research communities and the general public.
A veteran
of four space flights, Thomas came to NASA from Lockheed Engineering and
Sciences Company in Houston. His responsibilities involved reviewing materials
used in Space Shuttle payloads. In 1988 he joined JSC as a Materials Engineer.
His work involved projections for advanced composite materials for use on Space
Station Freedom. He was also a Principal Investigator for the Microgravity
Disturbances Experiment, a middeck crystal growth experiment that flew on the
Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-32) in January 1990.
Thomas became an
astronaut in July 1991. Three of his four flights were on Spacelab research
missions. In July 1994, on Columbia (STS-65), the second International
Microgravity Laboratory mission, the crew conducted more than 80 experiments
focusing on materials and life sciences research in microgravity. As a mission
specialist during the Microgravity Science Laboratory Spacelab mission, he
focused on materials and combustion science research in microgravity.
He has served in the Safety, Operations Development and Payloads Branches of
the Astronaut Office, and was Director of Operations for NASA at the Gagarin
Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia.
Thomas will succeed
Neal Pellis, the first International Space Station Program Scientist.
(source: NASA)
Wegener Adds Key Management Members
(18 August 2003) Wegener Corporation has made
key management additions and changes to the company's sales, marketing, and
engineering departments.
Wegener has appointed Jay
Batista to the newly created position of Vice President, Corporate Development.
Batista comes to Wegener from Harris Corporation's Broadcast Communications
Division where he led a Sales and Marketing team of four Sales Directors and
over sixty sales people to consistent increases in sales volume. In his new
position Batista is responsible for creating and implementing a new corporate
sales strategy.
Batista holds a BA from Miami University of Ohio, and
an MA in Broadcast Management from Ohio University.
Kamy Merithew
joins Wegener as Vice President, Marketing. Merithew comes from
Motorola/General Instrument where she served as Product Line Manager for
professional satellite video receivers used in the broadcast and cable
industries. Merithew will use her product development and marketing strategy
experience to both help Wegener develop the right new digital products and
market the benefits of those products to Wegener customers.
Merithew
holds a BS, General Engineering from Harvey Mudd College, and an MS in
Electrical Engineering from the University of California at San Diego.
Jeff Simyon has been named Vice President, Control Systems Engineering. Simyon
has managed Wegener's Compel Network Control Group.
Simyon holds a
BSEE from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
(source:
Wegener Corporation)
