Microcom's Space Newsfeed 15 June 2003<br />Space Industry News from Around the World<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Published by Microcom Systems Ltd, consultants in satellite communications since 1985. http://www.microcomsystems.co.uk<br /><br />Publishers of the Handbook of Satellite Services in Europe, the definitive guide to European satellite communications: http://www.microcomsystems.co.uk/pubs/ssie.html. April 2003 issue now available. Also available online - get a temporary password to review the Handbook by sending a blank email to review@satelliteonthenet.co.uk.<br /><br />Other web resources from Microcom Systems:<br /><br />Satellite Industry Links: the largest free satellite and space industry directory on the web http://www.satellite-links.co.uk<br /><br />Satellite on the Net: white papers, industry events, launch information and space bookshop http://www.satelliteonthenet.co.uk<br /><br />Jobs in Space: space industry recruitment http://www.space-jobs.co.uk<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Advertise on Microcom's websites and reach over 20,000 space and satellite industry professionals each month. http://www.spacenewsfeed.co.uk/ratecard.html<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Important Notice<br /><br />Over the next two weeks we will be upgrading the system we use to distribute this email newsletter. We will send you one or two test messages and should begin using the new distribution system for the next issue of this newsletter. If you do not receive the next issue, please contact Microcom at info@microcomsystems.co.uk.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Contents<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Satcoms:<br />Alcatel Space to Supply Koreasat 5<br />HNS Launches Broadband Offering for Shopping Centres and Malls Across US<br />Motorola Provides Digital Transmission Solutions to The Inspiration Networks<br />PanAmSat and Starz Encore Group Add High Definition and High Resolution Services to Galaxy IX<br />Stratos and Satcom Direct Partner to Provide Secure High-Speed-Data<br />WPCS to Resell SkyFrames Satellite Broadband<br /><br />Earth Observation:<br />Space Imaging Awarded NIMA Research Contract<br />War Zone Aid Workers Rely On ESA Map from Space<br /><br />Military Space:<br />Com Dev Awarded Military Satellite Contract<br />SGI Systems Helps USAF Space Command Detect, Track, Identify And Catalogue Man-Made Objects<br /><br />Science:<br />First Soybeans Grown in Space Similar to Earth-Grown Crops<br />Lockheed Martin Team Receives Design Study Contract for Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter<br />Spectrum Astro Completes PDR for NASA's GLAST Satellite<br />Webb Spacecraft Science and Operations Center Contract Awarded<br /><br />Technology:<br />Ball Aerospace to Develop Aerocapture Technology Under NASA Propulsion Research Study<br /><br />Launch Services:<br />Aerojet Announces Licensing and Manufacture of Spontaneous Monopropellant Catalyst S-405<br />Air Liquide America and NASA Sign Nitrogen Contract<br /><br />Launches:<br />Progress 11P<br />Thuraya 2<br />Mars Exploration Rover A (Spirit)<br />BSat-2C, Optus and Defence C1<br /><br />Business:<br />Lockheed Martin Files Lawsuit Against The Boeing Company<br />Sirius Completes Common Stock Offering<br />Spectrum Astro and OHB-System Form Alliance<br /><br />Products and Services:<br />90 W C Band GaAs FET for Satellite Communications<br />Ground Control Releases Software-Based Satellite Phone Service for DirecWay<br />Harmonic Adds New Integrated Receiver Decoders<br />Highest Output Power Ku Band GaAs FET for VSAT Applications<br />Mitsubishi Electric Launches 24 W GaAs FET for Ku Band VSAT<br />Stratos Launches Swift64 Service<br />Toshiba Expands 60 W C Band GaAs FET Product Line<br /><br />People:<br />General Roy D Bridges Named Langley Center Director<br />Marcelo Sant'Anna Named General Manager of Loral Skynet do Brasil<br />Sirius Appoints New Chief Financial Officer<br />SpaceX Opens Washington DC Office<br />Tenzing Communications Hires Vice President of Marketing<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />The Australian GPS Society Inc is proud to host SatNav 2003 - The 6th International Conference on Satellite Navigation Technology Including Mobile Positioning and Location Services. This is being held at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne from 22-25 July 2003. Please go to http://www.gps-society.org for further information and free membership of the Society.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />EEBC 2003<br /><br />The broadband event demanded by the industry in Central and Eastern Europe. Aims to harmonise and accelerate growth throughout the region to achieve the full triple-play services of video, data and telephony for Cable and Wireless TV systems. Will include Technical Training, Seminars, Industry Conference, Exhibition, Forum of Program Providers, Congress of CATV Organisations. www.eebc.com.ua<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Bolton Associates - Corporate Strategies applies 21st. Century thinking for the Earth Observation, SatCom and Environment Industries that penetrate new markets using creative commercial Risk models and innovation.<br /><br />Visit us at http://www.BoltonAssociates.com and/or download our Power Point presentation http://www.microcomsystems.co.uk/ads/EOConsult.ppt [131Kb]<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Space Bookshop - books for space professionals.<br />http://www.satelliteonthenet.co.uk/book.html<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Satellite Internet access in Africa, Europe and the Middle East<br />http://www.satelliteonthenet.co.uk/internet1.html<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Satcoms<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Alcatel Space to Supply Koreasat 5<br /><br />(10 June 2003)Alcatel Space has signed a Euro 148 million contract with KT Corporation (formerly Korea Telecom) and the Korean Agency for Defense Development (ADD) to build South Korea's first civil and military communications satellite, Koreasat 5. Alcatel Space will supply both the multimission satellite and its ground control system, along with launch and early operations phase (LEOP) support.<br /><br />Based on the new-generation Spacebus 4000 platform from Alcatel Space, Koreasat 5 will feature a state-of-the-art broadband payload, including new technologies developed within the scope of the Syracuse III program.<br /><br />With 36 transponders in Ku band, C band (civil) and SHF band (military), Koreasat 5 will deliver advanced broadband multimedia and digital television transmission services, along with conventional telecom services to operators in the Asia-Pacific region.<br /><br />(source: Alcatel Space)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />HNS Launches Broadband Offering for Shopping Centres and Malls Across US<br /><br />(9 June 2003) Hughes Network Systems Inc has announced a new satellite broadband program that will enable tenants of shopping centres and enclosed malls access to the power of "always on" DirecWay broadband connectivity. HNS also announced the first participating mall owner in the program, Simon Property Group Inc the USA's largest owner, developer and manager of market- dominant retail real estate.<br /><br />Simon Business Network, the business-to-business division of Simon Property Group, has entered into an agreement with HNS as the first shopping centre developer in the new program. Simon Property Group, a member of the S&P 500, currently owns or has an interest in 240 properties with over 3,900 tenants.<br /><br />Under the new program, HNS will provide one terminal per customer, allowing HNS to offer its DirecWay services at a price closer to that which non-mall based retailers are paying - pricing that is highly competitive with commercial DSL services. The simplified architecture also means that customers will enjoy improved overall quality of service and increased bandwidth available at each individual store.<br /><br />With demand for 'always-on' broadband service continuing to grow, satellite has become an increasingly important delivery medium for companies of all sizes. In the past, shopping centres relied primarily on "shared" satellite systems, where tenants used the same antenna. However, under its new program, HNS will be able to install one satellite terminal per subscribing retail tenant, thereby significantly reducing costs and enhancing the service offering.<br /><br />Tenants who subscribe to DirecWay broadband satellite service will be able to take advantage of a variety of operational benefits made possible through satellite connectivity including managed content delivery services, and interactive employee training capabilities.<br /><br />Currently, HNS provides services in approximately 80% of the USA's 1,182 enclosed malls and is working with some of the nation's top retailers including Footlocker, Rack Room Shoes, Walden Books and Sterling Jewelers.<br /><br />This program will be offered US-wide through Hughes Network Systems direct sales channel as well as through its value-added resale partners.<br /><br />(source: Hughes Network Systems)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Motorola Provides Digital Transmission Solutions to The Inspiration Networks<br /><br />(9 June 2003) Motorola Inc Broadband Communications Sector was selected by The Inspiration Networks to deploy edgeband digital satellite services. The Inspiration Network will add two digital television services to the edge of an existing analogue video satellite transponder.<br /><br />Edgeband satellite transmission techniques were developed to allow one or more digital television services to share the same transponder with an existing analogue television service. It allows existing analogue cable programmers to launch new television programming without the cost of leasing additional transponder space.<br /><br />The Inspiration Networks will use Motorola DigiCipher II encoding equipment to create a narrow band digital multiplex of MPEG-2 compressed television services to be introduced to the upper or lower band edge of a 36 MHz satellite transponder. The existing analogue television service will remain intact.<br /><br />To receive i-Lifetv and other digital television services, cable affiliates will use the Motorola DSR-4402X 1RU commercial IRD, which includes two stereo audio outputs, cue tone output, contact closures and a DVB-ASI MPEG-2 transport stream output.<br /><br />(source: Motorola)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />PanAmSat and Starz Encore Group Add High Definition and High Resolution Services to Galaxy IX<br /><br />(9 June 2003) Starz Encore Group LLC has expanded its use of PanAmSat Corporation's fleet to launch its new high definition and high resolution feeds of STARZ! and the Hi-Def service Sharper Movies HD. Scheduled to be launched by the end of 2003, these new services will make PanAmSat's Galaxy IX, and its successor Galaxy XIII, the premier US satellite neighbourhood for premium high definition programming.<br /><br />Starz Encore will use two transponders on Galaxy IX to distribute the new advanced video east and west coast feeds of STARZ! HD and STARZ! Hi Res, as well as Sharper Movies HD, a new Hi-Def channel designed for the entry-level HDTV tier. STARZ! Hi Res will provide a bandwidth-efficient alternative to the Hi-Def feeds of STARZ! HD.<br /><br />Starz Encore Group LLC (Starz Encore) is the largest provider of premium movie services in the United States with approximately 143 million pay units. Starz Encore offerings include the Starz Super Pak, with up to 13 digital movie channels and about 800 movies per month, Starz On Demand, the only on-demand pay TV subscription service available on cable, satellite, and broadband platforms, and a suite of advanced video offerings, including STARZ! HD, STARZ! Hi Res, Sharper Movies HD, and Starz On Demand HD. Starz Encore is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation.<br /><br />(source: Starz Encore Group)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Stratos and Satcom Direct Partner to Provide Secure High-Speed-Data<br /><br />(12 June 2003) Stratos has announced its partnership with Satcom Direct to provide Stratos Swift64 to the US and Canadian governments, including its military organisations, and the business aviation market globally. Swift64 is a fully global High-Speed Data (HSD) ISDN service designed specifically for the aviation market that allows data connectivity for in-flight communications. With this service, users are able to stay connected with the same ease as in normal land office facilities through email, fax, and video conferencing. Low speed secure and un-secure voice services are also available through Stratos Swift 64 service.<br /><br />Stratos is the only provider of secure low-speed Swift64 service globally. Stratos Swift64 is available as either a Leased or an on-demand configuration.<br /><br />Satcom Direct, a leading provider of aeronautical satellite communications, packages its patented Global One Number service with Stratos Swift64. Satcom Direct's Global One Number technology combines both the aeronautical satellite and terrestrial communications systems into one 10-digit number. With Global One Number, the same one number can reach all of an aircraft's satellite and cellular channels-including Swift64 ISDN-anywhere in the world.<br /><br />Swift64 has proven particularly important to the US government and its military operations, as the service utilises both Stratos' proprietary STU III technology to provide secure encrypted communications and Satcom Direct's patented Global One Number.<br /><br />Swift64 is also proving to be widely popular among corporate business aircraft, where many Fortune 500 companies take advantage of its high-speed- data capabilities to allow their executives to remain connected, securely and reliably, while travelling. Swift64 also enables integration with existing corporate aviation 'office on board' systems providing up to 128 kb/s connectivity to aircraft.<br /><br />(source: Stratos Global)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />WPCS to Resell SkyFrames Satellite Broadband<br /><br />(12 June 2003) WPCS is to resell SkyFrames' Satellite Broadband services in the rural American communities with a variety of government and enterprise applications.<br /><br />The market has shifted from an end user's perspective. Wireless solutions are quickly becoming the most popular and inexpensive way to communicate data between locations. SkyFrames allows WPCS to quickly install rural communities and meet the increasing demands of state, local and federal government resulting from the reliance on web services applications.<br /><br />(source: SkyFrames)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Earth Observation<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Space Imaging Awarded NIMA Research Contract<br /><br />(10 June 2003) Space Imaging has won a contract from the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) to evaluate a new technology enabling the rapid search of large imagery databases for specific elements such as vehicles, buildings, weapon systems and geographical landmarks. Evaluation of the technology started in April and will be finished in August 2003.<br /><br />The technology, created by Look Dynamics of Longmont, Colorado, combines optical and digital processing to build intelligent shape and pattern-based databases. These databases can be quickly and easily searched for specific structures, objects and terrain features. Under its contract with NIMA, Space Imaging will evaluate the technology for national security applications.<br /><br />Look Dynamics Inc has developed an optical processing engine and associated shape characterisation technology for use with Earth imaging, multimedia, and medical data. Look's image engine allows for rapid, economical, and intuitive searching of shapes in imagery.<br /><br />(source: Space Imaging)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />War Zone Aid Workers Rely On ESA Map from Space<br /><br />(13 June 2003) The few Médecins Sans Frontières personnel who work on in the besieged Liberian capital Monrovia - as well as outside MSF logistics planners - are using an ESA-provided city map based on satellite images.<br /><br />The West African state of Liberia was stricken by a devastating civil war throughout much of the 1990s. More recently the conflict resumed after a few short years of peace. Within the last week Government troops have been fighting rebels less than ten miles from the edge of Monrovia, although a cease-fire has just been announced.<br /><br />The fighting has caused the last working hospital in Monrovia to be closed. Currently only an emergency three-person MSF team plus local Liberian staff remain in the capital, supplying five outpatient clinics as well as a facility in the city stadium to serve displaced persons. Meanwhile an MSF cargo plane carrying medical and logistics supplies has arrived in neighbouring Sierra Leone.<br /><br />With up-to-date maps of the area otherwise non-existent, MSF is relying on a city map of Monrovia prepared by the ESA-funded Humanitarian Mapping Service (HUMAN). Run for ESA by the Belgian firm Keyobs sa, HUMAN makes use of satellite data to prepare accurate maps of remote areas for humanitarian organisations.<br /><br />HUMAN's city map of Monrovia was prepared from high-resolution QuickBird images taken in March 2002, and processed the following December. The maps are made available both as paper documents and digital maps distributed by CD-ROM and email.<br /><br />The map-making process uses three sources of information: archive maps, satellite images and field observation. Archive maps are scanned and digitised to be used as a support for map creation. The satellite images are geo-referenced, showing roads, rivers, swamps and buildings. Field information - locations of important buildings such as pharmacies, warehouses and embassies and the names of main districts and roads - is added at the end.<br /><br />HUMAN is currently providing a prototype service covering sub-Saharan Africa, with world-wide coverage due to begin next year. Humanitarian users can activate the service 365 days a year by fax or telephone call.<br /><br />The service provided offers different delivery times. The first product is delivered in 48 hours, basically a compilation of existing data, a 'best-of' product for a troubled area. Detailed city products are available in about 12 days, and specific thematic products giving operational information on health and humanitarian infrastructures being provided in three weeks.<br /><br />The HUMAN project is funded by ESA under the Data User Programme, developed by a consortium headed by Keyobs and composed of Intecs HRT, Créaction Int and the Centre Spatial de Liège, with MSF Belgium as the user partner. The long-term intention is to build HUMAN into a self-sufficient service for NGOs and public organisations.<br /><br />(source: ESA)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Military Space<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Com Dev Awarded Military Satellite Contract<br /><br />(11 June 2003) Com Dev International Ltd has been awarded a US$ 3.5 million (approximately Cdn$ 4.7 million) authority to proceed (ATP) against an anticipated military satellite contract that is expected to be formalised in the next few months.<br /><br />The total value of the contract, for which final terms are still being negotiated and which is subject to final program funding decisions, could be worth up to US$ 26 million (approximately Cdn$ 35 million). ATPs are frequently used in the satellite industry to permit subcontractors to commence work ahead of the contract signing, when the contract details are complex but the program is subject to a tight schedule.<br /><br />Products to be delivered comprise mostly standard Com Dev products built to operate at military frequencies. The contract work will be carried out at Com Dev's facilities in Cambridge, Ontario and Aylesbury in the UK and will be delivered over 36 months. Details will be provided following the contract signing and customer approval of the announcement expected sometime in the next three months.<br /><br />(source: Com Dev)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />SGI Systems Helps USAF Space Command Detect, Track, Identify And Catalogue Man-Made Objects<br /><br />(10 June 2003) With thousands of tons of space debris orbiting the Earth, the important task of monitoring the whereabouts of operating and now-defunct spacecraft rests with the Air Force Space Command's 1st Space Control Squadron (1SPCS), Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Colorado. To help compile and analyse more than 300,000 daily observations and to maintain a database of more than 10,000 Earth-orbiting space objects, 1SPCS relies on SGI high-performance computing and storage technology to ensure the right information gets into the hands of decision makers at the right time.<br /><br />1SPCS is the focal point for US military and civilian organisations, such as United States Strategic Command and NASA, that need vital, up-to-the-minute information on space debris, which can be anything from fragments of an exploded rocket to an entire derelict spacecraft. 1SPCS commands and controls the world-wide Space Surveillance Network of operational sensors designed to detect, track, identify and catalogue positional data for all man-made objects in the Earth's orbit. This data is forwarded to 1SPCS for compilation and analysis on SGI high-performance computing and storage systems.<br /><br />1SPCS maintains an SGI high-speed Fibre Channel storage area network combined with SGI CXFS - the highest performance shared filesystem in the industry - which enables groups of computers to simultaneously access large amounts of data, providing a single filesystem view of the current computerised catalogue of all orbiting man-made objects. Based on this shared data, 1SPCS charts pre-set positions, plots future orbital paths, and forecasts where and when objects might re-enter the Earth's atmosphere.<br /><br />Since the launch of Sputnik in 1957, over 26,000 man-made objects ranging from debris the size of a baseball to the Mir Space Station have been catalogued, many of which have since re-entered the atmosphere. This information is analysed by 1SPCS to determine potential impacts on US and allied space assets so that timely warnings and recommendations for suitable countermeasures can be made. Information on objects moving out of stable orbit that are ready to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere is forwarded by 1SPCS to US Space Command 14 days before an object is projected to re-enter the atmosphere.<br /><br />One important protection mission the 1SPCS conducts on a regular basis is collision avoidance analysis for the space shuttle and the International Space Station. 1SPCS constructs a theoretical box around a high-priority object, such as the space shuttle, and projects the flight path for 36 to 72 hours. If any of the 10,000-plus catalogued objects intersects this theoretical box, 1SPCS will forward the analysis to NASA, which will determine whether to change the flight path of the shuttle. Since the inception of this mission in 1981, NASA has moved the space shuttle 12 times and the International Space Station five times based on analysis from 1SPCS.<br /><br />(source: SGI)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Science<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />First Soybeans Grown in Space Similar to Earth-Grown Crops<br /><br />(10 June 2003) DuPont scientists have discovered that soybeans grown in space are similar to earth-grown crops - unleashing the ability to sustainably grow vegetation to support long-term human presence in space. Soybeans are one of the most consumed crops in the world today.<br /><br />During a DuPont research mission that concluded with the return of Space Shuttle Atlantis in October, soybean seeds planted and nurtured by DuPont scientists germinated, developed into plants, flowered, and produced new seedpods in space aboard the International Space Station. The 97-day growth research initiative was the first ever to complete a major crop growth cycle in space - from planting seeds to growing new seeds.<br /><br />With 83 space-grown soybean seeds on earth since October, DuPont conducted several analytical studies on the harvested seeds. The space-grown seeds were manually split - with one part of the seed sowed to grow and the other half grounded to examine its biological characteristics. The space-grown seeds and their subsequent plants were compared to a variety of independent earth-grown soybean seeds and plants. After several months of analysis, DuPont researchers discovered that the space-grown soybeans - when compared to earth-grown soybeans - were similar in physical and biological characteristics, developmental rate, morphology, and seed yields. Scientists, who will continue to monitor the initiative, noted the space-grown seeds were higher in sugar content, but lower in oil and amino acid content, presumably due to the higher carbon dioxide levels on the International Space Station.<br /><br />The soybeans returned to earth in October aboard the Atlantis. The prior June, DuPont subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc, with the Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics (WCSAR) - a NASA Commercial Space Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison - launched the soybean seed experiment on Space Shuttle Endeavour. As part of the research mission, Pioneer brand soybean seeds grew in a specialised enclosed and environmentally controlled growth chamber developed by WCSAR. Pioneer and WCSAR scientists monitored the soybeans' growth daily and provided adjustments to facilitate growth. Through video monitoring and data telemetry sent from the International Space Station, scientists also examined the effects of zero- gravity and other elements in space regarding plant growth.<br /><br />According to the United Soybean Board, soybeans are the largest single source of protein meal and vegetable oil in the human diet. Domestically, soybeans provide 80% of the edible consumption of fats and oils in the United States. In 2000, 54% of the world's soybean trade originated from the United States with soybean and product exports totalling more than US$ 6.6 billion. The world's largest seed company, Pioneer is also the brand leader in soybeans with more than 100 product varieties on the market.<br /><br />(source: DuPont)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Lockheed Martin Team Receives Design Study Contract for Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter<br /><br />(10 June 2003) NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has awarded a Lockheed Martin team one of three US$ 6 million concept design study contracts for the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO). JIMO would be the first outer planets mission to fly under NASA's Project Prometheus Program.<br /><br />Project Prometheus was established in 2003 as part of NASA's Nuclear Systems Initiative to develop technology and conduct advanced studies for space nuclear power and electric propulsion, for the peaceful exploration of the solar system. NASA's Office of Space Science's Nuclear Systems Initiative is planning to develop radioisotope space electric power sources for use where solar energy is too weak, as well as the new fission reactor power sources for much higher power requirements. Project Prometheus would demonstrate that a reactor could be operated safely and reliably in space for use by propulsion and other spacecraft systems to explore the solar system and return science that is otherwise unachievable.<br /><br />The design studies will evaluate many different technologies for the reactor, power conversion, electric propulsion, and other aspects of the JIMO spacecraft and follow-on missions. Once the technologies are selected, the studies will prepare conceptual design and development planning for the JIMO mission. NASA is planning to select an industry prime contractor in the August 2004 timeframe to develop, launch and operate the spacecraft.<br /><br />The abundant power available from the reactor would drive an electric propulsion system on JIMO, which is required to achieve the mission science objectives of orbiting the three icy moons of Jupiter - Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa. NASA's previous mission designs to Jupiter's moons required gravity assists from planets, severe constraints of spacecraft and instrument power, and limited exploration of the moons during flybys. JIMO would maintain maximum flexibility in its launch opportunities, would observe each of the moons for long periods then move to the next, and would make unprecedented electrical power available to its instrument suite.<br /><br />To explore the universe and search for life is central to the mission of NASA. Jupiter's large icy moons appear to have three ingredients considered essential for life: water, energy, and the necessary chemical elements. As such, the JIMO mission has three top-level science goals:<br /><br />1. Evaluate the potential for sustaining life on these moons. This would include determining whether the moons do indeed have subsurface oceans; mapping where organic compounds and other chemicals of biological interest lie on the surface; and determining the thicknesses of ice layers, with emphasis on locating potential future landing sites.<br /><br />2. Investigate the origin and evolution of these moons. This would include determining their interior structures, surface features and surface compositions in order to interpret their evolutionary histories (geology, geochemistry, geophysics) and how this illuminates the understanding of the origin and evolution of the Earth.<br /><br />3. Determine the radiation environments around these moons and the rates at which the moons are weathered by material hitting their surfaces. Callisto, Ganymede and Europa all orbit within the powerful magnetic environment that surrounds Jupiter. They display varying effects from the natural radiation, charged particles and dust within this environment. Understanding this environment has implications for understanding whether life could have arisen on these distant moons.<br /><br />NASA will choose the final suite of scientific instruments that would carry out the JIMO mission objectives through a competitive process open to proposals from scientists world-wide. Two highly probable ones are a radar instrument for mapping the thickness of surface ice and a laser instrument for mapping surface elevations. Others would likely include a camera, an infrared imager, a magnetometer, and instruments to study charged particles, atoms and dust that the spacecraft encounters near each moon. A generous electrical power supply available from the onboard nuclear system could run higher-powered instruments than have flown on other spacecraft and would boost the data-transmission rate back to Earth.<br /><br />To allow sufficient development and ground-testing time, the JIMO mission is not proposed for launch before the year 2011. A heavy lift expendable launch vehicle would lift the spacecraft into high Earth orbit. The ion- propulsion thrusters would spiral the spacecraft away from Earth and then on its trip to Jupiter. After entering orbit around Jupiter, the spacecraft would then orbit Callisto, then Ganymede, and finally Europa. The intensity of the radiation belts at Europa limits how long a spacecraft's electronics are able to operate in orbit around Europa, even with advances in radiation-resistant electronics that would be used on this mission. The instruments onboard the spacecraft would take uniform measurements, using the same complement of instruments, of all three moons. Special attention would be paid to identifying high-potential future landing sites.<br /><br />(source: Lockheed Martin)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Spectrum Astro Completes PDR for NASA's GLAST Satellite<br /><br />(10 June 2003) Spectrum Astro's spacecraft design for NASA's Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) has successfully completed the program's Preliminary Design Review (PDR). At the PDR, Spectrum Astro demonstrated that the system design for the spacecraft and flight software met the GLAST program requirements and is ready to proceed to detailed design.<br /><br />The GLAST PDR took place at Spectrum Astro's Headquarters in Gilbert and was attended by NASA officials, including review teams from NASA Headquarters and Goddard Space Flight Center.<br /><br />GLAST is part of the Structure and Evolution of the Universe science theme within NASA's Office of Space Science. This unique endeavour will bring together the space astrophysics and particle physics communities and NASA is teaming with the US Department of Energy and institutions in Germany, Japan, Italy, France, and Sweden. The launch is scheduled for September 2006.<br /><br />GLAST is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, for the Office of Space Science, Washington, DC.<br /><br />(source: Spectrum Astro)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Webb Spacecraft Science and Operations Center Contract Awarded<br /><br />(6 June 2003) NASA has awarded the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) the contract to manage the James Webb Space Telescope Science and Operations Control Center.<br /><br />AURA is a non-profit consortium of educational institutions formed to operate astronomical observatories.<br /><br />The contract is for products and services required to prepare the science program; develop ground systems; provide science and engineering support; provide integration and test support; perform educational and public outreach; perform flight and science operations during the launch and commissioning of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).<br /><br />AURA will manage the Science and Operations Control Center at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. The total estimated contract value is US$ 162.2 million. This procurement will result in a cost-plus-fixed-fee type contract. The period of the contract is from now through launch, plus one year.<br /><br />The JWST is scheduled for launch in 2011 aboard an expendable launch vehicle. It will take about three months for the spacecraft to reach its destination. The JWST will reach an orbit approximately 1.5 million km in space, called the second Lagrange Point (L2), where the spacecraft is balanced between the gravity of the sun and the Earth.<br /><br />To see deep into space, the JWST will carry instruments sensitive to the infrared wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum. The new telescope will carry a near-infrared camera, a multi-object spectrometer and a mid-infrared camera/spectrometer. Infrared capabilities are required to help astronomers understand how galaxies first emerged after the rapid expansion and cooling of the universe, a few hundred million years after the big bang.<br /><br />(source: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Technology<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Ball Aerospace to Develop Aerocapture Technology Under NASA Propulsion Research Study<br /><br />(12 June 2003) NASA recently selected Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp to pursue advances in ballute aerocapture, an in-space propulsion innovation. Ball Aerospace was one of 15 organisations chosen to pursue 22 propulsion technology research proposals totalling US$ 20 million that NASA says could revolutionise exploration and scientific study of the solar system. These awards are part of the In-Space Propulsion Technologies, Cycle 2, which is designed to increase the efficiency of space missions and enable new missions that are impossible or impractical with current propulsion technologies.<br /><br />Aerocapture uses atmospheric drag to slow down an incoming satellite so that it enters an orbit around a planetary body more efficiently. Like a drag racer's parachute, the satellite is equipped with a "ballute," a combination of balloon and parachute, which slows the satellite enough to go into orbit around the target planet. Attached ballutes also protect the satellite and its payload from the extreme environment encountered while entering the orbit by deflecting heat. The most important advantage of aerocapture is that it reduces the amount of propellant required to send a satellite into its proper orbit. This lowers launch costs and allows more room on the spacecraft for scientific payloads.<br /><br />Because of the fuel savings and lower-cost launches, aerocapture techniques will allow scientists to study more types of planetary bodies, including Neptune, and Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. The technique chosen for the NASA contracts leverages previous, successful aerocapture work contracted to Ball Aerospace over the past few years. The new contract includes concept development and hypersonic testing of materials.<br /><br />(source: Ball Aerospace and Technologies)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Launch Services<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Aerojet Announces Licensing and Manufacture of Spontaneous Monopropellant Catalyst S-405<br /><br />(12 June 2003) Aerojet has announced the licensing of the Shell 405 catalyst production process from Shell Chemical Company, and has begun manufacturing alumina-based iridium catalysts under the S-405 name. Shell has discontinued manufacture of the catalyst. Aerojet will sell S-405 for world-wide spacecraft and launch vehicle applications.<br /><br />Key NASA and aerospace industry representatives recently approved the S-405 for production. NASA provided funding for the license transfer and much of the transition process. Aerojet's Redmond, Washington, facility will manufacture S-405.<br /><br />Shell 405 catalyst was developed in the 1960s for use on launch vehicle upper stages and spacecraft. It is used in durable monopropellant hydrazine thruster and gas generators for such applications as the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft (launched in 1977 and still operating). The catalyst is also used on the Space Shuttle gas generators for the Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) and interplanetary probes and landers. Aerojet's long history manufacturing 10,000 flight monopropellant hydrazine thrusters for a variety of applications makes the production of the S-405 a particularly strong complement.<br /><br />(source: Aerojet)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Air Liquide America and NASA Sign Nitrogen Contract<br /><br />(11 June 2003) Air Liquide America LP has reached an agreement with NASA to provide nitrogen via pipeline and related operation, inspection and maintenance services to support activities at the Florida Spaceport. Under the contract, Air Liquide America will provide gaseous nitrogen and operation and related services to high-pressure nitrogen and helium pipeline systems supplying government and commercial aerospace activities.<br /><br />The pipeline system supports NASA at Kennedy Space Center and the US Air Force at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Air Liquide America has been a major NASA partner since 1968, providing nitrogen as well as data acquisition, monitoring and remote control of multiple user-stations along the pipelines to support various laboratory, payload preparation and space launch operations.<br /><br />(source: Air Liquide America)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Launches<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Progress 11P<br /><br />Launched: 8 June 2003<br />Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan<br />Launcher: Soyuz<br />Orbit: LEO, apogee: 386 km, perigee: 386 km: inclination: 51.6°<br />International Number: 2003-025A<br />Name: Progress 11P<br />Owner: Rosaviakosmos<br /><br />This was an unmanned Progress cargo vessel carrying 2.3 tonnes of food, fuel, water, oxygen and equipment for scientific experiments to the International Space Station. Progress 11P docked with the ISS on Wednesday 11 June.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Thuraya 2<br /><br />Launched: 10 June 2003<br />Site: Sea Launch's Odyssey platform in the Pacific Ocean<br />Launcher: Zenit 3SL<br />Orbit: GSO, 44° E, inclination 6.3°<br />International Number: 2003-026A<br />Name: Thuraya 2<br />Owner: Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications<br />Contractor: Boeing Satellite Systems<br /><br />Thuraya 2 is a commercial mobile communications satellite. It is the second Boeing GEM (geomobile) satellite and is based on the Boeing 702 platform. It has a design life of 12 years.<br /><br />The communications payload uses an enhanced active phased-array antenna design in combination with a digital signal processor for beam forming, channel formation and switching. Digital signal processing is used to create more than 200 spot beams that can be re-directed on orbit, allowing Thuraya to immediately adapt to user demands. The system can handle 13,750 simultaneous calls and allows calls to be routed handset to handset, or to a terrestrial network.<br /><br />Thuraya transmits and receives calls through a single 12.25 m reflector with an L band feed array. The reflector weighs 78 kg which, in its launch configuration folds to only 1.3 m diameter by 3.8 m. Power is generated by two solar arrays of four panels each with dual-junction gallium arsenide solar cells. In orbit, the satellite measures 34.5 m in length and 17 m in width, and weighs 3,200 kg. Launch mass was 5,117 kg.<br /><br />The ground segment includes terrestrial gateways plus a co-located network operations centre and a satellite control facility in the United Arab Emirates.<br /><br />Thuraya offers regional mobile coverage to over 100 countries spanning the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, central Asia, north and central Africa and Europe. Services include dual-mode (satellite and GSM) handsets, as well as fixed, vehicular and payphone terminals.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Mars Exploration Rover A (Spirit)<br /><br />Launched: 10 June 2003<br />Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida<br />Launcher: Delta 2<br />Orbit: interplanetary trajectory to Mars<br />International Number: 2003-027A<br />Name: Mars Explorer Rover A (Spirit)<br />Owner: NASA<br />Contractor: Jet Propulsion Laboratory<br /><br />This is the first of two identical Martian rovers that NASA is sending to Mars this month. It is scheduled to reach Mars on 4 January 2004 when it will touch down in the Gusev Crater, 15 degrees south of the Martian equator. This crater has, apparently, a dried up river bed flowing into it and so is seen as a potential site to search for signs of past life.<br /><br />Following re-entry through the Martian atmosphere, the lander will be slowed by a parachute and will be protected during landing by a giant air bag. After coming to rest the air bag will deflate, the lander will right itself and protective panels will deploy, releasing the rover.<br /><br />The rover will have a primary mission lasting at least three months on the Martian surface during which time it will travel several hundred metres across the surface.<br /><br />Remote sensing instruments will be mounted on a rover mast including high-resolution colour stereo panoramic cameras and an infrared spectrometer for determining the mineralogy of rocks and soils. When interesting scientific targets are identified, the rover will drive over to them and perform detailed investigations with instruments mounted on its robotic arm.<br /><br />Rover instruments include a microscopic imager, to see micron-size particles and textures; an alpha-particle/x-ray spectrometer, for measuring elemental composition; and a Moessbauer spectrometer for determining the mineralogy of iron bearing rocks. Each rover will carry a rock abrasion tool, the equivalent of a geologist's rock hammer, to remove the weathered surfaces from rocks and analyse their interior.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />BSat-2C, Optus and Defence C1<br /><br />Launched: 11 June 2003<br />Site: CSG Kourou, French Guiana<br />Launcher: Ariane 5G<br /><br />International Number: 2003-028A<br />Orbit: GEO: 110° E<br />Name: BSAT 2C<br />Owner: Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation<br />Contractor: Orbital Sciences Corporation<br /><br />International Number: 2003-028B<br />Orbit: GEO: 156° E<br />Name: Optus and Defence C1<br />Owner: SingTel Optus, Australian Department of Defence<br />Contractor: Mitsubishi Electric<br /><br />BSAT 2C is a commercial communication satellite. It is based on Orbital's Star-1 platform. It carries 4 Ku band transponders and will provide direct TV broadcast services throughout Japan over its design life of 10 years. It weighed 1,275 kg at lift-off.<br /><br />Optus and Defence C1 is a commercial communications satellite which also carries a defence payload.<br /><br />Optus and Defence C1 carries a total of 16 antennas that will provide 18 beams across Australia, New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as global beams covering from India to Hawaii. The advanced communications payload operates in four different frequency bands - commercial services at Ku band, and military communications at UHF, X and Ka bands. The Ku band payload (24 transponders) will be used to distribute video, direct-to-home TV, and telephony and Internet connections to remote areas. The Ka band payload (4 transponders) will provide high-data-rate broadcast coverage for video, and voice and data communications. The X band payload (4 transponders) will provide medium- to high-data-rate voice and data for land and maritime applications. The UHF payload (6 channels)will provide secure low-rate voice and data communications to mobile platforms.<br /><br />Optus and Defence C1 is based on Space Systems/Loral's 1300 platform. It has a design life of 15 years and weighed 4,725 kg at lift-off.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Business<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Lockheed Martin Files Lawsuit Against The Boeing Company<br /><br />(10 June 2003) Lockheed Martin Corporation has filed a lawsuit against The Boeing Company and three of Boeing's former employees. The 23-count complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Orlando, alleges that Boeing and its employees committed violations of Federal and Florida law resulting from their solicitation, acquisition, and use of Lockheed Martin proprietary information during the competition for launch contract awards under the US Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. This proprietary information included extremely sensitive and detailed cost and technical data regarding Lockheed Martin's EELV proposal.<br /><br />The complaint alleges that Boeing and the individual defendants, together with other Boeing employees, actively participated in the misappropriation of Lockheed Martin's proprietary information and then "covered up" their activity by misrepresenting to both Lockheed Martin and the Air Force that the individuals and documents involved were limited in number and that no Lockheed Martin proprietary information was used by Boeing in the EELV competition. The complaint alleges that the acts committed by Boeing, the defendants, and other Boeing employees constituted violations of the Federal and Florida Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, Federal and Florida antitrust law, the Procurement Integrity Act, Florida's Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act, unfair competition, conversion of property rights, fraud, misrepresentation, and tortious interference with Lockheed Martin's business.<br /><br />The complaint seeks compensatory damages, including triple and punitive damages, consequential damages, costs, return of all proprietary information, and injunctive relief against all defendants.<br /><br />(source: Lockheed Martin)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Sirius Completes Common Stock Offering<br /><br />(10 June 2003) Sirius has announced the closing of its recently announced offering of common stock. In addition to the initially announced 75 million shares, the underwriters, Morgan Stanley and UBS Warburg, exercised their over-allotment option to purchase an additional 11.25 million shares, for a total offering of 86.25 million shares, all priced at US$ 1.80.<br /><br />Sirius intends to use the total net proceeds of approximately US$ 146 million for general corporate purposes, including the marketing of its satellite radio service, accelerating the distribution of Sirius radios in the retail aftermarket and through automakers, and enhancing its service through the addition of live programming and other entertainment content.<br /><br />(source: Sirius)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Spectrum Astro and OHB-System Form Alliance<br /><br />(9 June 2003) Spectrum Astro and OHB-System have signed an Agreement To Co-operate (ATC) to support international space programs and opportunities, specifically in the area of missile defence.<br /><br />Through this agreement, two of the world's most innovative and cost-effective aerospace and missile defence companies are forming a business alliance that will provide an effective and productive mid-tier alternative to the larger international aerospace alliances.<br /><br />Since its founding in 1988, Spectrum Astro has had a very successful history of performance in the manufacture and systems integration of a number of space and missile defence programs. The company is the principal contractor for the Near Field Infrared Experiment (NFIRE) for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). Spectrum Astro is also providing system engineering and spacecraft bus development for the MDA's Space Tracking and Surveillance System (STSS).<br /><br />In January 2003, the company launched Coriolis, a complex, fully redundant satellite for the Department of Defense (DoD) Space Test Program and Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command. Coriolis was the seventh unique, high-performance satellite designed and manufactured by Spectrum Astro. All seven missions have successfully operated on-orbit. The company is currently performing on four all-new space missions including the Swift and Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) missions for NASA; the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) for the DoD's Space Test Program; and NFIRE.<br /><br />OHB-System is one of Europe's most progressive and innovative aerospace companies. Since 1985, OHB has participated in a number of key German and European satellite programs, including the German Ministry of Defence's SAR Lupe Program. OHB-System has completed the SAR-Lupe Program's critical design review and is now producing a five-satellite synthetic aperture radar constellation.<br /><br />OHB-System AG is a medium-sized very prosperous space systems company belonging to the European OHB Technology AG group, which is largely privately held. It employs more than 300 employees in the areas of space technology and security, telematics and satellite services.<br /><br />OHB-System AG specialises in space and security applications. The company's headquarters at the Bremen Technology Park are home to highly qualified scientists and engineers working on numerous national and international projects related to small satellites, manned space flight as well as security and reconnaissance technologies. The experience and knowledge gained from numerous projects enables OHB-System for the responsibility over large and complex civil, commercial and defence space programs like SAR-Lupe.<br /><br />Spectrum Astro is a privately held, rapidly growing high technology company, specialising in the design, development, integration, test, and production of high performance satellites and space-based satellite systems and subsystems for sophisticated defence, science, and commercial opportunities. The company is headquartered in Gilbert, Arizona and maintains additional offices in Los Angeles CA, Pasadena CA, Tucson AZ, Colorado Springs CO, Herndon VA, and Washington D.C.<br /><br />(source: Spectrum Astro)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Products and Services<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />90 W C Band GaAs FET for Satellite Communications<br /><br />(10 June 2003) Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc (TAEC) has announced the industry's first 90 W C band gallium arsenide field effect transistor (GaAs FET). Developed by Toshiba Corp, the TIM5964-90SL features output power of 49.5 dBm (typical) at a frequency range of 5.9 to 6.4 GHz, currently the highest output power of any commercially available C band GaAs FET. The new device is targeted for use in solid-state power amplifiers (SSPA) for base-station or earth-station satellite communications (SATCOM) and radar applications, as well as for microwave digital radios for terrestrial communications.<br /><br />The TIM5964-90SL GaAs FET is implemented in Toshiba's Heterojunction Field Effect Transition (HFET) process technology and employs Toshiba's cutting edge ion plantation technology to enable development of the higher output FET. The HFET process is ideal for high power microwave devices because of its high carrier concentration that enhances output power and gain.<br /><br />90 W C band GaAs FET product specifications<br /><br />Part Number TIM5964-90SL<br />Frequency 5.9 - 6.4 GHz<br />Output Power (P1dB) 49.5 dBm (typ.)<br />Gain (G1dB) 7 dB (typ.)<br />Drain Current (IDS) 18.0 A (typ.)<br />N add 30% (typ.)<br />IM3 -40dBc (typ.) @ 43.5 dBm S.C.L<br /><br />Samples of the TIM5964-90SL 90W C-Band GaAs FET will be available in third quarter, 2003, with prices beginning at US$ 1,500 each.<br /><br />(source: Toshiba America Electronic Components)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Ground Control Releases Software-Based Satellite Phone Service for DirecWay<br /><br />(11 June 2003) Ground Control, a service provider of DirecWay 2-way mobile and fixed satellite systems, has released IG-VoIP, the first-ever non-hardware-based voice-over-Internet (VoIP) solution that helps a DirecWay satellite subscriber make a voice phone call to anyone in the world for pennies a minute. In the past, voice communication over satellite was heavy with disconnections, static and other annoyances that until now have made transmitting a clear voice over satellite next to impossible. IG-VoIP was developed for satellite voice communication so what you hear is a crystal clear voice.<br /><br />With rates starting at 7.9 cents per minute for calls to the US, Ground Control's IG-VoIP service allows anyone to call from anywhere in the world to anywhere in the world using their DirecWay Satellite Internet service. Calls are free when placed from one IG-VoIP phone to another IG-VoIP phone.<br /><br />When IG-VoIP is used in conjunction with the Mobile DirecWay "DataStorm" dish, what you have is a mobile satellite telephone and broadband Internet connection anywhere you drive. This mobile application of IG-VoIP is ideal for backup communications from an emergency vehicle to a bookmobile to an RV.<br /><br />(source: Ground Control)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Harmonic Adds New Integrated Receiver Decoders<br /><br />(11 June 2003) Harmonic Inc has added new integrated receiver decoders (IRDs) to its ProView product line which supports a wide range of applications from program origination to broadband delivery over cable, satellite, telco and terrestrial broadcast networks.<br /><br />The ProView family of products, including DVB-compliant IRDs and TSDs (transport stream descramblers), is part of a larger Harmonic solution deployed from one end of the content delivery chain to the other. For example, program originators can use Harmonic's DiviCom encoders to convert their content into high quality, low bit rate, MPEG digital video for efficient transport. In distribution applications, ProView IRDs are used by broadband service providers to acquire digital video content either off-the-air from a terrestrial broadcaster or via a satellite dish from a program originator.<br /><br />The standards-based ProView systems are MPEG-2 and DVB compliant ensuring interoperable solutions for applications such as digital turnaround; distribution in broadcast, cable, telecom and satellite networks; and decryption for transport stream re-multiplexing. The systems support DVB SimulCrypt and Multicrypt, offering multiple channel decryption up to the full incoming transport stream. The ProView product family supports a variety of front-end options - QPSK, 8PSK, 16QAM, QAM, G.703, STM-1/OC-3, DS-3 - and support for all of the leading DVB conditional access systems.<br /><br />(source: Harmonic)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Highest Output Power Ku Band GaAs FET for VSAT Applications<br /><br />(10 June 2003) Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc (TAEC) has developed a 30 W internally matched Ku band power gallium arsenide field effect transistor (GaAs FET) that touts the highest power output currently available. Designated TIM1414-30 and developed by Toshiba Corp, the new device features a power output of 44 dBm (typical) at a frequency range of 14.0 to 14.5 GHz. The new device is designed for Solid State Power Amplifiers (SSPA), which are used in earth or base stations for satellite communication applications such as Very Small Aperture terminals (VSAT).<br /><br />The TIM1414-30 GaAs FET is implemented in Toshiba's Heterojunction Field Effect Transition (HFET) process technology and employs Toshiba's cutting edge ion plantation technology to enable development of the higher output FET. The HFET process is ideal for high power microwave devices because of its high carrier concentration that enhances output power and gain.<br /><br />30W Ku band GaAs FET product specifications:<br /><br />Part Number TIM1414-30<br />Frequency 14.0 - 14.5 GHz<br />Output Power (P1dB) 44 dBm (typ.)<br />Gain (G1dB) 6 dB (typ.)<br />Drain Voltage 7 V<br /&