9 April 2006
Satcoms
Globalstar Awards
Alcatel Alenia Space Study Contract to Replace Satellite Constellation
InterContinental Hotels Group Extends Satellite Network Contract
With Spacenet
Satellites Bring Sensor Data from MachineTalkers for Viewing on
the Qualcomm QTRACS System
ViaSat Wins Contract for Ground Based Beam Forming System
for Mobile Satellite Ventures
Broadcast
Direct 8 Inks Contract
with Eutelsat
DirecTV Now Offers First 24/7 Ukrainian Television Channel in
United States - Studio 1+1 International
XM Satellite Radio Tops
6.5 Million Subscribers
Science
Asteroids: Treasures of
the Past and a Threat to the Future
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance
Craft Begins Adjusting Orbit
Venus Within ESA Probe Reach
Manned Space
Space Adventures
Announces American Software Developer's Plans for Scientific Mission
Space-Shot.com Announces Launch - US$ 3 Internet Skill-Game Wins
Trip to Space
Technology
Actel FPGAs Enable
Advanced Understanding of the Red Planet
Ball Aerospace Wins Space
Test Satellite Contract
Starsys Awarded Two Air Force Research Laboratory
Contracts for Satellite Boom Structures
Swales Aerospace Delivers
Micro-Satellite for NASA's THEMIS Mission
Launch Services
Northrop Grumman
Proposes Space Missions to Go ... in 48 Hours or Less
Launches
Launch Schedule
Business
Alcatel and Lucent
Technologies to Merge
Alliance Spacesystems to Merge with Vision Composites
BAE Systems
to Bring Surrey Satellite Technology SmallSat Capability to United States
EADS Space
Services Takes 49% Stake in London Satellite Exchange
Nera to Sell DVB-RCS
Business to STM Group
Teal Mission Model 2006-2015 is Up 10.5%, to 1,450 Space
Payloads
Products and Services
Hemisphere Introduces
Outback BaseLine High-Definition GPS for Agriculture
Navman Introduces the iCN
750 - The World's First Image-Based Navigation Device
Navman Unveils Sleek New
iCN 530 Portable Navigation Device With Second-Generation SiRFstarIII
Trimble's
New Smart GPS Timing Antenna Takes Centre Stage for Network
Synchronisation
People
CapRock Appoints Tore
Hilde VP of European Operations to Head New Maritime Division
Sea Launch Transitions to
New Leadership
Wolfgang Keuntje Joins SES Astra
Satcoms
Globalstar Awards Alcatel Alenia
Space Study Contract to Replace Satellite Constellation
(4 April 2006) Globalstar has
awarded Alcatel Alenia Space a study contract for the design of a new satellite
constellation aiming at replacing Globalstar’s first generation
satellites.
more . . . .
InterContinental Hotels Group
Extends Satellite Network Contract With Spacenet
(3 April 2006) Six Continents Hotels, Inc. (SCH), a member of
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the world’s largest hotel group by
number of rooms, has extended its enterprise network services contract with
Spacenet Inc. through December 31, 2008.
more . . .
.
Satellites Bring Sensor Data from
MachineTalkers for Viewing on the Qualcomm QTRACS System
(3 April 2006) MachineTalker, Inc.,
developer of smart wireless security networks, has announced that the company's
MachineTalker units are now transmitting sensor data and security alerts that
can be monitored on the QTRACS website of communications technology giant
Qualcomm, Inc.
more . . . .
ViaSat Wins Contract for Ground
Based Beam Forming System for Mobile Satellite Ventures
(4 April 2006) ViaSat Inc. has been
awarded an initial contract valued at approximately US$ 57 million with options
for an additional US$ 15 million by Boeing to develop a ground-based beam
forming (GBBF) system for a new mobile communication network covering North
America.
more . . . .
Broadcast
Direct 8 Inks Contract with
Eutelsat
(3 April 2006) Direct
8, the new general entertainment channel launched on 31 March 2005 by the
Bollore Group through France's Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) network,
has concluded a multi-satellite agreement with Eutelsat Communications for
free-to-air broadcasting.
more . . . .
DirecTV Now Offers First 24/7
Ukrainian Television Channel in United States - Studio 1+1 International
(3 April 2006) DirecTV, Inc., the
USA's leading digital television service provider, now offers Studio 1+1
International, an international version of the Ukrainian television channel
from Central European Media Enterprises Ltd. (CME).
more . . .
.
XM Satellite Radio Tops 6.5 Million
Subscribers
(3 April 2006) XM
Satellite Radio, the USA's leading satellite radio company, has added more than
568,000 net new subscribers during the first quarter of 2006 for a total of
more than 6.5 million subscribers.
more . . .
.
Science
Asteroids: Treasures of the Past and
a Threat to the Future
(3 April
2006) If a large asteroid such as the recently identified 2004 VD17 - about 500
m in diameter with a mass of nearly 1000 million tonnes - collides with the
Earth it could spell disaster for much of our planet.
more . . .
.
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Craft
Begins Adjusting Orbit
(31
March 2006) NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has begun a crucial six-month
campaign to gradually shrink its orbit into the best geometry for the mission's
science work.
more . . . .
Venus Within ESA Probe Reach
(31 March 2006) After its
five-month, 400 million kilometre journey inside our solar system following its
lift-off on 9 November 2005, ESA's probe Venus Express will finally arrive on
11 April at its destination: planet Venus.
more . . .
.
Manned Space
Space Adventures Announces American
Software Developer's Plans for Scientific Mission
(3 April 2006) Space Adventures, Ltd., the world's
leading space experiences company, has announced that Charles Simonyi has
signed a contract for a future orbital spaceflight.
more . . .
.
Space-Shot.com Announces Launch -
US$ 3 Internet Skill-Game Wins Trip to Space
(3 April 2006) Space-Shot.com has announced the launch of their
much anticipated internet skill-game, offering winners a trip to space aboard a
Rocketplane.
more . . . .
Technology
Actel FPGAs Enable Advanced
Understanding of the Red Planet
(4 April 2006) Actel Corporation has announced that its
radiation-tolerant and radiation- hardened field-programmable gate arrays
(FPGAs) perform critical functions throughout several ongoing Mars missions,
including the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), the Mars Express probe and the
Mars Exploration Rovers - Spirit and Opportunity.
more . . .
.
Ball Aerospace Wins Space Test
Satellite Contract
(31 March
2006) Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has been selected as the prime
contractor by the United States Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center for
the Space Test Program's Standard Interface Vehicle (STP-SIV).
more .
. . .
Starsys Awarded Two Air Force
Research Laboratory Contracts for Satellite Boom Structures
(4 April 2006) Starsys Inc., a
SpaceDev Company has been awarded two contracts totalling US$ 2.45 million from
the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Space Vehicles Directorate, for
continued development of deployable boom structures for satellites.
more .
. . .
Swales Aerospace Delivers
Micro-Satellite for NASA's THEMIS Mission
(3 April 2006) Swales Aerospace has delivered the second of five
THEMIS micro-satellite spacecraft busses.
more . . .
.
Launch Services
Northrop Grumman Proposes Space
Missions to Go ... in 48 Hours or Less
(3 April 2006) The U.S. Air Force would be able to launch
satellites or deliver special purpose payloads in as little as 48 hours using a
new, rapid-turnaround launch system proposed by Northrop Grumman
Corporation.
more . . . .
Business
Alcatel and Lucent Technologies to
Merge
(2 April 2006) Alcatel
and Lucent Technologies have entered into a definitive merger agreement to
create the first truly global communications solutions provider with the
broadest wireless, wireline and services portfolio in the industry.
more .
. . .
Alliance Spacesystems to Merge with
Vision Composites
(2 April
2006) Two respected Southern California aerospace innovators - each with active
hardware on Mars - have announced an agreement to merge.
more . . .
.
BAE Systems to Bring Surrey
Satellite Technology SmallSat Capability to United States
(3 April 2006) BAE Systems has
begun partnering with Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) to bring the U.K.
technology firm's small-satellite technology and processes to the U.S.
market.
more . . . .
EADS Space Services Takes 49% Stake
in London Satellite Exchange
(4
April 2006) The acquisition will strengthen EADS Space Services’
one-stop-shop strategy of providing satellite capacity and services, including
non-military capacity, to Government customers.
more . . .
.
Nera to Sell DVB-RCS Business to STM
Group
(3 April 2006) Nera and
STM Group, USA (STM) have entered into an agreement to transfer Nera's DVB-RCS
business to STM.
more . . . .
Teal Mission Model 2006-2015 is Up
10.5%, to 1,450 Space Payloads
(4 April 2006) Teal Group announced the completion of its
Worldwide Mission Model: 2006-2015 during the US Space Foundation's 22nd
National Space Symposium.
more . . . .
Products and Services
Hemisphere Introduces Outback
BaseLine High-Definition GPS for Agriculture
(3 April 2006) Hemisphere GPS, a designer and manufacturer of GPS
products used in more than 50 countries, has announced the introduction of
Outback BaseLine - high-definition GPS for agricultural applications that is
much more accurate than standard GPS, and much more affordable than RTK
GPS.
more . . . .
Navman Introduces the iCN 750 - The
World's First Image-Based Navigation Device
(3 April 2006) Navman, a leading designer and manufacturer of
world-class Global Positioning System (GPS), communication and marine products,
has announced the latest addition to its line of innovative in-vehicle
navigation devices, the iCN 750.
more . . .
.
Navman Unveils Sleek New iCN 530
Portable Navigation Device With Second-Generation SiRFstarIII
(3 April 2006) Navman, a leading
designer and manufacturer of world-class Global Positioning System (GPS),
communication and marine products, has announced the addition of another
powerful device to its innovative in-vehicle navigation line.
more .
. . .
Trimble's New Smart GPS Timing
Antenna Takes Centre Stage for Network Synchronisation
(3 April 2006) Trimble has
introduced the latest in a long line of Global Positioning System (GPS) timing
receivers - the Acutime Gold GPS smart antenna.
more . . .
.
People
CapRock Appoints Tore Hilde VP of
European Operations to Head New Maritime Division
(4 April 2006) CapRock Communications, a leading global
satellite communications provider to remote locations, has appointed Tore Hilde
as vice president of European operations.
more . . .
.
Sea Launch Transitions to New
Leadership
(3 April 2006) In a
move toward ensuring the continuity of leadership and a smooth transition,
Robert Peckham has been named Interim President and General Manager of the Sea
Launch Company, LLC, effective March 30, 2006.
more . . .
.
Wolfgang Keuntje Joins SES Astra
(3 April 2006) SES Astra, an SES
Global company, has, with immediate effect, appointed Wolfgang Keuntje to be
managing director of the new SES Astra subsidiary tasked with establishing a
digital infrastructure in Germany.
more . . .
.
