27 April 2003
Satcoms
CompUSA Partners With SkyFrames for e-Learning Initiative
Satlynx Enables Roll
Out of Tiscali Sat in Czech Republic
Navigation
SSTL Supplies GPS Receivers for NASA DART Rendezvous
Mission
Military
Space
ViaSat UHF Satcom
Systems Will Support DISA Teleport UHF Project
Manned
Space
Boeing Studies Keep ISS Humming
Launch
Services
SpaceDev
Announces Streaker Launch Vehicle
Launches
Cosmos 2397
Soyuz TMA-02/6S ISS Expedition 7 Crew
Launch Schedule
Business
Alcatel Space Announces Further Restructuring
Measures
Radyne ComStream Makes Unsolicited Offer for Wegener
Spacehab Completes
Next Phase in Revitalisation Plan
US$ 156 Million Investment
in WildBlue Closes
Products and Services
Chelton Announces Two New Aero Satcom Antennas
People
Helius Appoints Ron Heinz as President and Chief
Executive Officer
New Director of Launchers Named at ESA
Tenzing Names Alex Duff as CFO
XM Promotes Key
Executives
CompUSA Partners With SkyFrames for e-Learning Initiative
(23 April 2003)
SkyFrames Inc has partnered with CompUSA to deliver e-Learning Content
throughout North America. CompUSA has access to vast quantities of distance
learning content and courseware. SkyFrames will provide the content to its
Value Added Resellers and Channel Partners to expand the product offering
available to rural communities.
Over 20,000 rural
communities in the US are devoid of Broadband connectivity. SkyFrames'
Broadband Satellite Technology allows these rural communities to
cost-effectively bridge the connectivity void by providing the "pipe" to the
Internet.
CompUSA Inc, "Where America Buys Technology", is the USA's
leading retailer and reseller of personal computer-related products and
services. Founded in 1984, it now operates approximately 225 stores in 90 major
metropolitan markets. These Superstores serve retail, corporate, government and
education customers and include technical service departments. CompUSA's
inventory includes all major brands of computers and information products
including Apple, Compaq, Epson, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Lotus, Microsoft, Toshiba
and more. CompUSA also carries more than 2,000 software titles. Many of the
stores include classroom training facilities.
Satlynx Enables Roll Out of Tiscali Sat in Czech Republic
(23 April 2003)
Satlynx’ customer, Tiscali CR has launched its interactive Internet
service via satellite on 15 April 2003. Companies and residential end-users in
Czech Republic, located beyond the reach of ADSL, in suburban and rural areas
can now get a two-way broadband satellite connection to the Internet, with
download speed up to 400 kb/s.
Tiscali already provides
two-way satellite broadband connectivity services to consumers, SOHOs (Small
Offices Home Offices) and SMEs (Small & Medium Enterprises) throughout most
of Europe, as part of its Internet access portfolio. Tiscali two-way satellite
Internet service also provides customers with the ability to download rich
media, audio and video.
Tiscali Czech Republic, forms part of Tiscali
SpA., headquartered in Cagliari, Italy. Tiscali is the number one provider of
Internet access for Czech consumers and a leader in Internet-based data, voice
and audio/video services for Czech businesses. Tiscali provides Internet
connectivity via dial-up, leased line, satellite and wireless systems.
Tiscali Sat is available in: Norway, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Switzerland,
Austria and Czech Republic. The service is targeted for Small and Medium
Enterprises, which are out of ADSL reach. Tiscali is the first Pan-European
Internet Service Provider to have a two-way satellite service available in its
broadband portfolio. Tiscali is supported by Satlynx that provides the services
on the satellite as well as the management of the Satellite network.
SSTL Supplies GPS Receivers for NASA DART Rendezvous
Mission
(25 April
2003) SSTL has successfully delivered three SGR-10 space GPS receivers to
Orbital Sciences in support of the NASA-sponsored DART Rendezvous mission.
The SSTL flight receiver will be used to guide a Pegasus
upper-stage towards a rendezvous with another Orbital Sciences satellite.
SSTL is now commencing a follow-on contract to undertake a demanding
qualification test programme on one of the receivers.
ViaSat UHF Satcom Systems Will Support DISA Teleport UHF
Project
(24 April
2003) ViaSat Inc has been awarded a US$ 5.4 million, firm-fixed-price contract
for UHF Demand Assigned Multiple Access (DAMA) satellite communications
terminals and engineering support for the Defense Information Systems Agency
(DISA) teleport project. The order includes six UHF DAMA satcom terminal
systems, one UHF DAMA satcom test bed system and engineering site surveys for
Phase I of the Teleport UHF Project. The contract is scheduled for completion
by November 2003.
The satcom systems will provide
connectivity to the teleport Defense Information System Network, via 5 kHz and
25 kHz non-DAMA operations, 5 kHz DAMA and 25 kHz DAMA services. The systems
are comprised of ViaSat RT-1828 multi-channel terminals, UHF satcom high power
amplifiers, antennas, and associated RF equipment.
DISA is a combat
support agency responsible for planning, developing, fielding, operating, and
supporting command, control, communications, and information systems that serve
the needs of the President, Vice President, the Secretary of Defense, the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, the Combatant Commanders, and the other Department of Defense
(DOD) Components under all conditions of peace and war.
Boeing
Studies Keep ISS
Humming
(25 April
2003) Boeing engineers have provided a number of studies to help NASA keep the
International Space Station (ISS) viable for the foreseeable future, relying
upon Russian vehicles, Soyuz and Progress, to transport cargo to the
station.
Engineers at Boeing NASA Systems in Houston,
many from the ISS Vehicle Integrated Performance and Resources (VIPeR) team,
studied ways to maintain a safe and operable ISS. The team was asked by NASA
immediately after the space shuttle Columbia accident to study a number of
options, taking into account the delay of the unique cargo ferrying
capabilities of the space shuttle.
The Boeing ISS team's primary
assessment effort focused on a smaller ISS crew size and assessed the
consumables used by the station and its crew and the need for spare hardware.
The ISS team is relying upon the Russian vehicles as the only means of
transporting cargo to the ISS until the shuttle returns to flight and/or the
European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle is available.
The
team tracked the primary consumables used by the station and its crew and
worked closely with NASA's ISS Mission Integration group. Boeing conducted
various analyses to minimise ISS supply and return requirements while
optimising the ISS vehicle performance and research.
The VIPeR team
first focused on the issue of propellant on board the station, which is used to
keep the ISS in the proper orbit and orientation and has been one of the most
critical consumables in past studies. They concluded that currently planned
Progress launches would meet propellant re-supply needs.
The next
critical consumable is the water necessary to support the crew and system
needs. Each crewmember uses about two kilograms of water a day for drinking,
food and oxygen generation. The team looked at how water could be brought up
while also examining ways to reduce water needs. Without the space shuttle, it
was quickly determined by all involved that a three person crew could not be
sustained..
Although there would be some limits, a two-person crew
could also continue to do scientific research. The Boeing teams, including a
strong effort by the safety community, looked at the risks associated with a
smaller two-person crew and concluded that there were no significant safety
concerns. A two- person crew not only keeps research going but also maintains
support for preventative and corrective maintenance, anomaly investigation and
response, and other ISS System Operations needs that can best be done by an
on-orbit crew.
Boeing and NASA engineers have studied the impact of a
two-person crew on future science research.
The Boeing ISS team
reassessed the manifests for several planned shuttle launches. The team came up
with a prioritised shopping list and looked at what they could take up without
the space shuttle. The NASA/Boeing ISS team evaluated the amount of propellant,
water, gas, and dry cargo that is needed to the support the ISS and its crew.
The ISS subsystem teams, including the logistics and maintenance team, played a
critical role in defining the shopping list of needed items.
The
Environmental Control and Life Support System group identified the selector
valve and filter for the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly and the Internal
Thermal Control System group identified the Pump Package Assembly as essential
spares to be manifested on the upcoming Russian Soyuz and Progress flights.
The Soyuz is the ISS crew escape vehicle used in case of emergency and is
certified for 200 days of life and is rotated every 180 to 190 days. They are
normally taken to ISS by a "taxi crew" who then bring the "old" one back. The
Progress vehicle is unmanned and carries crew supplies and hardware spares to
help maintain the life of ISS. There are normally 3 Progress flights a
year.
SpaceDev Announces Streaker Launch Vehicle
(22 April 2003)
SpaceDev has created a propulsion program that includes the SpaceDev Streaker -
a low-cost small launch vehicle - an orbital transfer space tug -- and other
propulsion products based in part on SpaceDev's development of a hybrid rocket
motor related to the SpaceShipOne vehicle announced by Scaled Composites on
April 18, 2003.
Over the last three years SpaceDev has
worked to design a practical, expendable small launch vehicle named SpaceDev
Streaker. SpaceDev Streaker will be capable of putting 1,000 pound payloads -
CAVs and one or more microsatellites - into low earth orbit at a price expected
to be less than existing or planned small launch vehicles.
The
SpaceDev Streaker will use patented High Performance Mass Fraction hybrid
common core boosters that will equal the performance of solid rocket motors and
some liquid rocket motors while remaining safe, responsive and affordable. The
rocket motors burn HTPB (tire rubber) and Laughing Gas (nitrous oxide), and
will be augmented by existing technologies to produce performance significantly
above traditional hybrid motors. Those boosters will form the base of a family
of SpaceDev propulsion products, including sounding rockets, strap-on boosters,
targets, payload accelerators, and for other commercial and military
applications.
As part of this SpaceDev propulsion program, SpaceDev is
designing and building a previously announced highly innovative and unique
Shuttle - and EELV secondary compatible orbital transfer "space tug" under a
contract with the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL). The SpaceDev MTV (orbital
Maneuvering and orbital Transfer Vehicle) and the space tug both use hybrid
rocket motors fuelled by Plexiglas (PMMA) and Laughing Gas (nitrous oxide). A
SpaceDev MTV can accelerate from zero to over 3,000 MPH in under four minutes.
The SpaceDev space tug for AFRL will be capable of raising or lowering a small
payload by hundreds of miles, while SpaceDev MTVs will be capable of raising
and lowering payloads by thousands of miles.
Cosmos
2397
Launched: 24 April 2003
Site:
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launcher: Proton-K/Blok-DM2
Orbit:
GEO
International Number: 2003-015A
Name: Cosmos 2397
Contractor:
NPO Lavochkin?
Cosmos 2397 is a Russian military satellite. It is
rumoured to be a 71Kh6 US-KMO geostationary early warning satellite.
Soyuz
TMA-02/6S ISS
Expedition 7 Crew
Launched: 26 April 2003
Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launcher:
Soyuz
Orbit: LEO
International Number: 2003-016A
Name: Soyuz
TMA-02/6S
Owner: RSA
This Soyuz mission carries a caretaker crew
of one Russian and one American to the International Space Station (ISS). It
will dock with the ISS on 28 April where it will replace the Soyuz TMA-01
lifeboat which is currently docked to the ISS. After about a week Soyuz TMA-01
will return to Earth carrying the current ISS expedition 6 crew.
Crew:
Yuri Malenchenko and Ed Lu.
Alcatel
Space Announces Further
Restructuring Measures
(25 April 2003) Alcatel Space has notified its workers
council that further restructuring measures should be required due to the
continuing weakness of the space market.
As a result,
the currently ongoing cost reduction program will be intensified and staff
numbers will be reduced to reflect market conditions. The restructuring
measures will lead to 650 redundancies world-wide in 2003. In France further
restructuring, affecting 350 people, also needs to be agreed.
Furthermore, Alcatel Space in Denmark, which employs 100 people, and Alcatel
Space in Norway, which employs 130 people, will be closed down by end 2003.
Alcatel Space in Switzerland, which employs 70 people, is expected to be sold
in the near future.
These plans were presented to employee
representatives at the concerned sites.
Alcatel Space currently has
6,000 employees, including 4,800 in France.
Radyne
ComStream Makes
Unsolicited Offer for Wegener
(21 April 2003) Radyne ComStream Inc has announced its
intent to make a cash tender offer for all of the outstanding shares of common
stock of Wegener Corporation for US$ 1.55 per share. The offer price represents
over a 70% premium to the value of Wegener's average closing stock price during
the past 30 trading days. Depending upon the number of shares purchased by
Radyne ComStream, following completion of the tender offer, Radyne ComStream
intends to consummate a second-step merger in which all remaining Wegener
stockholders would receive the same cash price paid in the tender offer.
Based on the latest publicly available information, Wegener
has approximately 12.3 million shares outstanding on a fully diluted basis,
which would give Radyne ComStream's proposal a total equity value of
approximately US$ 19.1 million. The acquisition is expected to be accretive to
Radyne ComStream's earnings per share.
On April 1 2003, Radyne
ComStream claim to have made an offer to the Wegener board of directors to
acquire through a merger all the outstanding shares of Wegener for US$ 1.55 per
share in cash. Radyne ComStream claim the merger offer was ignored by the
Wegener board.
Wegener claim that they received correspondence from
Radyne on April 2, 2003, stating that Radyne had 'the ability to offer a cash
price of US$ 1.55 per share. Subsequent to this the CEOs of the company's met
and Wegener claim to have informed Radyne ComStream that a board meeting would
be called to discuss the matter. This board meeting was later scheduled for 21
April. Wegener claim that they were shocked that Radyne announced a tender
offer prior to learning the results of that board meeting.
Snell and
Wilmer LLP is acting as legal counsel to Radyne ComStream.
Radyne
ComStream's offer will be subject to typical tender conditions and customary
regulatory approvals, but will not be conditioned upon financing or completion
of due diligence. Radyne ComStream has sufficient cash on hand to fund its
offer for all of the outstanding shares of Wegener.
Wegener's initial
position is that an offer of US$ 1.55 per share would be inadequate in light of
the value of the Wegener's assets, its balance sheet, and its business plan and
prospects.
As a defence against hostile take-over, Wegener has in
place various anti-take-over measures permitted under Delaware law, including,
specifically, a provision in its Certificate of Incorporation which would
prohibit Radyne from consummating a merger with Wegener without the
recommendation of the Wegener board, unless holders of not less than 80% of
Wegener's common stock vote to approve the merger.
Spacehab Completes Next Phase in Revitalisation Plan
(22 April 2003)
Spacehab Inc has announced that it has completed the next phase of its
corporate reengineering activities to enhance its operating plan and
competitive position.
In January 2001, Spacehab
implemented a multi-faceted plan to stabilise the Company and improve its
financial health. The continuous successful execution of this plan has resulted
in an improved financial position, satisfactory operating margins and costs,
and a reduction in debt obligations. Spacehab has recently taken additional
steps to implement a new organisation structure, reduce excess staffing levels,
and streamline sales, general, and administrative expenses.
Spacehab
has reorganised its Johnson Engineering subsidiary to optimise the Company's
ability to perform government cost-type contracts, particularly new business
opportunities in support of the International Space Station program. Now doing
business under the name of Spacehab Government Services (SGS), this business
unit successfully provides high-value engineering and related aerospace
services primarily to NASA's Johnson Space Center.
Mr Dan A Bland, who
is currently Spacehab's Senior Vice President of Space Flight Services, will
expand his responsibilities to include leadership of the SGS business unit. In
this role he will oversee Spacehab's commercial and government contracts and
new business pursuits. Within SGS, an Advanced Programs group has been created
to lead the execution of new programs, such as Orbital Space Plane, that build
on Spacehab's existing core competencies and develop a 'bridge' to future
business.
Furthermore, Business Development has been centralised and
combined under the Strategic Programs organisation in order to facilitate a
coherent approach for pursuing future involvement in space flight markets. This
strategic organisation, led by Mr Karol "Bo" Bobko, Spacehab Vice President and
former NASA astronaut, encompasses the business development process, strategic
planning, and all research and development activities.
US$ 156
Million Investment in
WildBlue Closes
(22
April 2003) Liberty Satellite & Technology, Inc.
(LSAT)(OTC:LSTTA)(OTC:LSTTB), Intelsat, National Rural Telecommunications
Cooperative (NRTC), Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and David Drucker,
WildBlue's chairman, have invested $156 million in the WildBlue Communications.
Liberty Satellite, Kleiner Perkins and David Drucker are existing shareholders.
Intelsat and NRTC are new investors in WildBlue and will join the board of
directors as part of this investment. This transaction was previously announced
in December 2002.
WildBlue will deliver affordable
two-way wireless broadband services via satellite, direct to homes and small
offices, throughout the contiguous United States in 2004. WildBlue is expected
to be the first to launch the Ka band spot beam satellite technology designed
to lower the cost of providing consumers high-speed Internet access via
satellite. The WildBlue system also will leverage proven terrestrial cable
modem technology, resulting in lower customer equipment and installation costs,
a critical requirement in satellite-based consumer services. WildBlue's service
should be especially appealing to the millions of homes and small offices that
lack access to DSL or cable modem service.
WildBlue initially will
offer its services using its license for the US Ka band payload aboard Telesat
Canada's Anik F2 satellite, being built by Boeing and scheduled to launch in
late 2003 into the 111.1° W orbital location. Based on future financing,
WildBlue plans to subsequently launch its own satellite, WildBlue-1, being
manufactured by Space Systems Loral, into WildBlue's 109.2° W orbital
location.
Intelsat offers telephony, corporate network, video and
Internet solutions in approximately 200 countries via capacity on 26
geosynchronous satellites and a global terrestrial network. Liberty Satellite
pursues strategic opportunities worldwide in the distribution of Internet data
and other content via satellite and related businesses. NRTC supports more than
1,000 rural utilities in delivering telecommunications and information
technology solutions to their communities. Kleiner Perkins is a leading venture
capital partnership. David Drucker is the chairman of WildBlue and is making
his investment as an individual.
In addition to the new investors,
WildBlue's strategic investors include TeleSat; EchoStar; Gemstar - TV Guide;
TRW; and Arianespace.
Chelton Announces Two New Aero Satcom Antennas
(24 April 2003) Chelton
has announced two new Aero Satcom antennas. The new IGA-3000 Intermediate Gain
conforms to Inmarsat specifications for use with Aero-M satcom systems, while
the IGA-5000 fully supports Aero-I applications.
Both
the IGA-3000 and IGA-5000 use the next-generation phased-array technology and
sophisticated electronic steering techniques pioneered in the HGA-7000 High
Gain Antenna’s revolutionary design.
Projected availability is
fourth quarter 2003 for both the IGA-3000 and IGA-5000. In addition to new
satcom installation sales, Chelton plans to offer upgrade kits for the
installed base of Aero-M and Aero-I satcom system operators using their current
mechanically-steered Intermediate Gain Antenna.
Helius Appoints Ron Heinz as President and Chief Executive
Officer
(23 April
2003) Helius Inc has appointed technology veteran Ron Heinz as president and
CEO. In a parallel move, former Helius CEO Myron Mosbarger will assume the
chairman and chief technology officer roles for the company.
With more than two decades in the technology business, Heinz
was the former CEO of Phobos Corp, a Utah-based technology company that was
acquired by SonicWALL of Sunnyvale, California (SNWL) in December 2000. Since
the merger, he has served as a chief operating officer and senior vice
president with SonicWALL. Prior to Phobos, Heinz spent 12 years at Novell Inc,
serving as a corporate officer and senior vice president his last four years.
Prior to Novell, Heinz was employed at Xerox Corp. He holds a bachelor of
science in finance from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and an MBA in finance
from American University. He has also participated in postgraduate work at the
Harvard Kennedy School of Government and at Northwestern Kellogg
Management.
New
Director of Launchers
Named at ESA
(25
April 2003) ESA's Council has appointed Mr Antonio Fabrizi to the post of
Director of Launchers, for a four-year term.
Antonio
Fabrizi, 55, graduated in Mechanical Engineering at "La Sapienza" University in
Rome. From 1975 to 1989 he held several positions at BPD, including
responsibility for feasibility studies on Ariane boosters.
In 1990 he
was appointed Commercial Manager at FiatSpazio in charge of new initiatives
development. In 1993 he became head of the Space Transportation Systems
Business Unit at BPD. Between 1997 and 1999, within FiatAvio/UBS, he continued
in the same responsibilities, including the Cyclone and Vega programmes.
Since 2000 Mr Fabrizi has been Vice-President, Space Business Unit, at
FiatAvio and responsible for all space activities. In addition he holds several
directorships (including Europropulsion, Regulus and Arianespace) and is
President and Director General of Vegaspazio.
Mr Fabrizi will succeed
Mr Jean-Jacques Dordain, the current Director of Launchers, who takes up his
new duties as ESA Director General on 1 July.
Tenzing Names Alex Duff as CFO
(24 April 2003) Tenzing Communications has announced
the addition of Alexander W Duff to the management team in the position of
Chief Financial Officer. Duff, known as Alex, was most recently a Vice
President at Fremont Communications, a venture capital firm which is a division
of The Fremont Group.
Prior to joining Fremont, Duff was
an investment banker with Morgan Stanley and Co, where he was a member of the
firm's corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions practices. He graduated
cum laude from Duke University with an AB in History and is a CFA charter
holder.
Tenzing also announced plans to move its corporate offices to
225-108th Avenue NE in Bellevue in mid-May, in order to accommodate the
increased staff at the company, which is expected to grow 30% in the next
twelve months.
XM
Promotes Key
Executives
(25
April 2003) XM Satellite Radio has promoted a number of key executives.
The promotions are:
