Microcom's Space Newsfeed - 25 September 2005

Globalstar Breaks Ground for Alaska Satellite Gateway
(21 September 2005) Globalstar LLC, the world's most widely-used handheld satellite phone provider, have begun construction of a new satellite gateway in Wasilla, Alaska, to enhance satellite voice and data services, including e-mail, internet access and enterprise data solutions in Alaska and the Yukon.

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Globecomm Infrastructure to Expand Digicel’s Caribbean GSM Network
(20 September 2005) Globecomm Systems Inc., a global provider of end-to-end value-added satellite-based communications solutions, has been awarded multiple contracts from Digicel Group, the fastest growing mobile telecommunications company in the Caribbean.

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Globecomm Receives Further US Government Order
(19 September 2005) Globecomm Systems Inc., a global provider of end-to-end satellite-based communications solutions, has received a fifth award under an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract from a U.S. Government customer valued at US$ 2.6 million.

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GMPCS Prepositions Satellite Equipment in Texas in Preparation for Hurricane Rita
(23 September 2005) GMPCS Personal Communications has pre-positioned satellite communications specialists equipped with mobile satellite phones and accessories to the vicinity of Houston, Texas, in the event they are required in response to Hurricane Rita.

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Hughes Readies Satellite Equipment and Installation Teams in Anticipation of Hurricane Rita
(23 September 2005) In anticipation of Hurricane Rita, Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HNS) is pre-positioning satellite terminals and installation teams near areas likely to be affected.

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Inmarsat Announces Enhanced Capacity to Assist Government Authorities in Advance of Rita
(23 September 2005) Global voice and data satellite communications provider Inmarsat has optimised the allocation of available channels on its fleet of satellites to further enhance capacity across the U.S. region, with specific focus on the Gulf Coast.

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Intelsat Wins Contract with the African Virtual University to Provide Internet Bandwidth Services
(23 September 2005) Intelsat has been selected by the African Virtual University (AVU) as its strategic communications partner in an initiative to establish a higher education bandwidth consortium which will make Internet bandwidth more widely accessible to African universities.

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PanAmSat Launches Emergency Response Team
(22 September 2005) PanAmSat has formed an Emergency Response Team (ERT) focused on quickly restoring lifeline telecommunication services to government agencies and private industry affected by natural and man-made disasters.

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Telenor Contracts with Orbital to Build Thor II-R Communications Satellite
(20 September 2005) Telenor ASA and Orbital Sciences Corporation have signed a contract for delivery of a new geosynchronous (GEO) communications satellite.

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Broadcast

DISH Network Adds ESPNU to Channel Line-up
(22 September 2005) EchoStar Communications Corporation and its DISH Network satellite TV service have announced an agreement with Disney and ESPN Media Networks to add ESPNU, a new 24-hour college sports network, to DISH Network's "America's Top 180" programming package.

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New Urdu Channel ‘TV One’ Signs on AsiaSat 3S
(20 September 2005) Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat) and Airwaves Media (Pvt) Ltd. of Pakistan have signed a lease agreement for C-band capacity on AsiaSat 3S for digital free to air distribution of a new Urdu television channel, TV One, to Pakistan and over 50 countries and regions in the Asia Pacific.

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SBC Communications, EchoStar Reach New Strategic Pact
(20 September 2005) SBC Communications Inc. and EchoStar Communications Corporation have announced an extension to their strategic agreement to continue marketing the co-branded SBC | DISH Network satellite television services.

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SES Astra to Broadcast Digital Bouquet of Polish Public Broadcaster TVP
(22 September 2005) SES Astra, an SES Global company, has gained the Polish public TV broadcaster TVP (Telewizja Polska SA) as a new customer on its Astra Satellite System.

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Earth Observation

Orbimage Receives ClearView Orders From National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
(22 September 2005) Orbimage Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Orbimage Holdings Inc. has received new orders totalling US$ 6.1M under its ClearView contract with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).

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Radarsat-1 Used in Development of Integrated Pipeline Hazard Monitoring Service

(22 September 2005) With the support of the Canadian Space Agency's Earth Observation Application Development Program (EOADP), MDA's Geospatial Services is undertaking a two year project to develop and commercialise an integrated pipeline hazard monitoring service.

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Navigation

LogicaCMG Embarks on Six Million Euro Location Based Services Project for Galileo
(19 September 2005) LogicaCMG will work on a project initiated by the Galileo Joint Undertaking (GJU), valued at around six million Euros.

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Mapflow and DTO Announce Dublin Satellite Tolling Study
(19 September 2005) Queues at toll booths could be a thing of the past following a feasibility study into the use of satellite technology to monitor road usage in Dublin.

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Washington Transit Agency Uses GPS to Track Vehicles
(21 September 2005) Radio Satellite Integrators, Inc. (RSI), a global provider of customized GPS-based vehicle tracking and mobile data systems, has announced that the Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) has gone live with a new Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) system for their Specialized Transportation fleet.

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Military Space

Ball Aerospace Awarded National Air & Space Intelligence Center MASINT Contract
(19 September 2005) The National Air & Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) has awarded Ball Aerospace a US$ 28 million task order to develop the Integrated Overhead Non-imaging Infrared (ONIR) Tasking, Processing, Exploitation, & Dissemination (TPED) System (IOTS) as part of Ball's larger Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT) Exploitation contract.

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DISA Awards Marshall Communications DVB-RCS Contract for USCENTCOM
(19 September 2005) The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) of the United States Department of Defense (DOD) has selected Marshall Communications Corporation as its systems integrator of choice to lead the effort in providing a unique, first-of-its-kind Digital Video Broadcasting-Return Channel Satellite (DVB-RCS) system for USCENTCOM.

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Harris Awarded Contract for Large Aperture Multiband Deployable Antennas
(19 September 2005) Harris Corporation has been awarded a US$ 16 million contract by the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM), Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey, for the first production lot of Large Aperture Multiband Deployable Antennas (LAMDAs) for use by the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps.

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US Army Orders L-3 Communications’ Phoenix Terminal
(19 September 2005) L-3 Communications’ Communication Systems-West division (L-3 CS-West) has been awarded an US$ 82 million contract modification from U.S. Army Communication- Electronics Life Cycle Management Command, Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, NJ for the production of its quad-band, High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV)-mounted, 2.4 meter Phoenix SATCOM terminal (Phoenix).

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ViaSat Awarded US$ 5.2 Million MIDS Tactical Network Terminal Lot 6 Add-on Order
(21 September 2005) ViaSat Inc., a satellite and wireless communication technology provider to government and commercial markets, has been awarded an add-on order valued at more than US$ 5.2 million for Multifunctional Information Distribution System terminals from The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), San Diego.

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Science

Mars Express Mission Extended
(22 September 2005) ESA’s Mars Express mission has been extended by one Martian year, or about 23 months, from the beginning of December 2005.

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Manned Space

NASA Releases Plans For Next Generation Spacecraft
(19 September 2005) NASA Administrator Michael Griffin has released the results of the agency's exploration architecture study - a blueprint for the next generation of spacecraft to take humans back to the moon and on to Mars and other destinations.

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Technology

Key Tests For Vega Igniters
(20 September 2005) ESA’s Vega launcher passed an important milestone last week with the successful completion of key tests on the solid rocket motor igniters.

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Technology Transfer

Motorcyclists Keep Their Cool
(22 September 2005) A motorcycling jacket using space technology is on hand to chill MotoGP riders racing this weekend in Malaysia and next weekend in Qatar, should the heat require it.

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Launch Services

CryoSat Launch Will Be Blast From the Cold War Past
(23 September 2005) CryoSat's 8 October flight atop its Rockot launcher will be of historical significance in more ways than one.

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In Orbit

SAT Corp Delivers Automated Digital SATCOM Spectrum Analyser to Northrop Grumman
(21 September 2005) SAT Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Integral Systems, Inc., has delivered its digital spectrum analyser, SAT-DSA, to Northrop-Grumman. SAT-DSA is a state of the art digital spectrum analyser tailored for the SATCOM industry.

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Launches

STP-R1 (Streak)

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Business

Motient Announces Transaction with Owners of Mobile Satellite Ventures and TerreStar Network
(22 September 2005) Motient Corporation and Mobile Satellite Ventures LP (MSV), have announced that Motient had executed a non-binding letter of intent with SkyTerra Communications Inc. and TMI Communications & Company, among others, to consolidate the ownership of MSV and TerreStar Networks Inc. within Motient.

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ViaSat Gains Lead in China Market Share According to CCID Consulting Company Report
(21 September 2005) ViaSat Inc. has risen to the top of the China market for two-way satellite data systems through the first six months of 2005, capturing a 43% market share according to a report published by CCID Consulting Company, Ltd.

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Products and Services

Low-Power Tuner from Zarlink Targets Satellite PayTV Systems
(20 September 2005) Zarlink Semiconductor has launched the ZL10037 satellite tuner for SD (standard definition) and HD (high definition) digital satellite television receivers used in PayTV systems.

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Orion Shines, u-Nav Launches Breakthrough GPS Software
(22 September 2005) u-Nav Microelectronics, developer of the world's smallest and ultra low power Global Positioning System (GPS) chipsets, has announced the availability of its Orion Navigation and SDK Software package.

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Events

MERIS/AATSR Workshop: Focus on Envisat Sensors Measuring Heat and Light
(16 September 2005) ESA's Envisat satellite has been continuously observing the Earth with a suite of ten instruments for the last three and a half years.

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People

Bruce Anderson Named COO of National Space Science and Technology Center
(18 September 2005) Bruce H.S. Anderson has been named chief operating officer of the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) in Huntsville, Ala.

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DigitalGlobe Names New Senior Director, US Defence Business Development
(21 September 2005) DigitalGlobe has named Thomas A. Hennig senior director of U.S. Defence Business Development.

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DirecTV Appoints Paul Guyardo Executive VP and Chief Marketing Officer
(22 September 2005) DirecTV, Inc., the USA's leading digital television service, has announced that Paul Guyardo has been named Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer.

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Mobile Satellite Ventures Appoints Mark W. Faris Chief Operating Officer
(20 September 2005) Following the FCC's decision allowing hybrid (satellite-terrestrial) wireless service, MSV advanced its national hybrid network rollout by hiring Mark Faris, a thirty-year veteran network operator.

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NASA Announces New Glenn Centre Director
(22 September 2005) NASA Administrator Michael Griffin has announced Woodrow Whitlow Jr. will be the next director of NASA's John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.

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NASA Names Assistant Associate Administrator
(21 September 2005) NASA Associate Administrator Rex Geveden has named Christyl Johnson as the agency's assistant associate administrator in the Office of the Administrator.

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NASA Names Roe New Langley Centre Director
(20 September 2005) Lesa B. Roe has been named director of NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., the nation's first civilian aeronautical research facility and NASA's oldest field centre.

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NASA Names Scolese New Chief Engineer
(23 September 2005) NASA Administrator Michael Griffin has named Christopher Scolese as the agency's chief engineer, replacing Rex Geveden who recently was named associate administrator.

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NASA Selects New Space Shuttle Program Manager
(20 September 2005) NASA has announced the selection of N. Wayne Hale Jr. as manager of the Space Shuttle Program.

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