Microcom's Space Newsfeed 13 July 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. The July 2003 issue is 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
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http://www.spacenewsfeed.co.uk/ratecard.html<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Contents<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Satcoms:<br />BySky to Provide Two-Way Broadband Services in Belgium and Netherlands<br />Netsystem Signs Additional Transponder On Astra 19.2° East<br /><br />Earth Observation:<br />Imaging Vineyards from Space Will Benefit Europe's Wines<br /><br />Navigation:<br />Galileo: Contracts for the First Satellites<br /><br />Manned Space:<br />Space Station Replacement Battery Contract Awarded<br /><br />Launches:<br />Mars Exploration Rover B (Opportunity)<br /><br />Business:<br />EMS Technologies to Sell Montreal Commercial Space Division<br />Orbital Closes Two Major Financing Transactions<br /><br />Products and Services:<br />Motorola Unveils Accurate GPS Timing Module to Offer Precision Timing<br />Stratos Adds 5th Satellite for Leased Inmarsat Services in Asia-Pacific Region<br /><br />People:<br />EMS Technologies Appoints Alan L Haase as Senior VP for Space & Technology<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 />BySky to Provide Two-Way Broadband Services in Belgium and Netherlands<br /><br />(7 July 2003) BySky, a satellite service provider based in Ruinen, The Netherlands, has signed a volume reseller agreement with Satlynx to deliver two-way broadband satellite services to SMEs, Public and Educational Sectors in Belgium and The Netherlands.<br /><br />BySky already provides two-way Internet high-speed connections across The Netherlands. The service is independent of any terrestrial infrastructure. It is also very easy to install and deploy even in the most remote locations.<br /><br />The contract with Satlynx enables BySky to provide high quality, two-way broadband services, such as broadband internet connectivity, to SMEs and public entities located in geographically dispersed environments.<br /><br />(source: Satlynx)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Netsystem Signs Additional Transponder On Astra 19.2° East<br /><br />(10 July 2003) Italy's leading Internet via Satellite provider to expand service following contract with Telecom Italia<br /><br />Netsystem and SES Astra have entered into a new long-term agreement for the use of a second transponder on the Astra<br />satellite system at 19.2° E. This follows a separate agreement between Netsystem and Telecom Italia to offer residential satellite Internet services in Italy under the Telecom Italia brandname "AliceSat".<br /><br />According to the latest Astra Satellite Monitor, some 1.4 million households in Italy already receive services from Astra. At the same time, the overall Italian Internet audience grew by 47% to reach 9 million households. This represents an Internet growth rate double that of the European average.<br /><br />Netsystem is Italy's leading Internet via Satellite provider. Founded in 2000 by Arturo Artom, Netsystem successfully introduced ADSL via satellite into the Italian market, a simple and user-friendly technology that allows customers to enjoy high speed Internet even in those areas non-reached by the terrestrial connections. Netsystem's industrial and strategic partner is SES Astra, Europe's leading Direct-to Home satellite service provider. Having gained tens of thousands of retail customers all over Italy and across Europe in a few months, Netsystem launched in mid-2002 its wholesale offer, which consists in a turn-key solution that allows the local Telco operator to reach all the customers in its market area: in December 2002, Telecom Italia, the former Italian monopolist, announced a wholesale contract with Netsystem, that allows Telecom to override the digital divide in Italy by covering 100% of the country. In May 2003, following the Netsystem contract, Telecom Italia launched its new "Alice SAT" offer.<br /><br />(source: SES Astra)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Earth Observation<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Imaging Vineyards from Space Will Benefit Europe's Wines<br /><br />(7 July 2003) Space data are set to become an added ingredient in future European wines. ESA is contributing Earth observation data and expertise to a European Commission-backed project called Bacchus.<br /><br />The aim is to chart the continent's vineyards in unprecedented detail, and provide vine growers with information tools to improve production management and guarantee grape quality.<br /><br />From Bordeaux to Frascati, there is good reason why wines are always known for their home region. As any connoisseur will explain, a grape's distinctive flavour is derived from localised characteristics such as soil type, microclimate, altitude and the slope of the ground. So wine-growing regions (and sub-regions within them) are legally demarcated as an assurance of quality - known as Controlled Origin Denominations (Appellation d'Origine in France, Denominazione d'Origine Controllata in Italy).<br /><br />Europe is the most important wine producer in the world, and the Common Market Organisation for Wine (CMO) requires all wine-producing EU states to keep a register of vine production. However there is no standardised way of doing this: it is variously - and painstakingly - done by a combination of fieldwork, vine producer interviews and photo-interpretation of aerial photography.<br /><br />In an attempt to create a more standardised alternative, the part-EC-funded Bacchus consortium has been started by some 14 public and private bodies from four wine-producing countries: Italy, France, Spain and Portugal.<br /><br />In Spain and Portugal the users are governmental organisations involved in applying EC policy, while in France and Italy users belong to the wine production sector. The French GeoDASEA offers technical support to grape producers at a regional level. The Italian users are consortia of the Controlled Origin Denomination areas for Prosecco and Frascati, and the last user is a private French organisation which federates 2200 wine co-operatives.<br /><br />The intention behind Bacchus is to use georeferenced aerial and satellite images to create a specialised geographical information system (GIS) tool for use in vine production. As well as enabling improved record keeping and statistics, this GIS tool will also help with land management. All relevant data on any given wine-growing region - vine inventories, administrative boundaries, slope angle relative to the Sun - can be made integrated into GIS and made easily accessible to vineyard managers. Meteorological data can also be added to the system.<br /><br />For improved vineyard management, all these distinct data sets can be digitally combined together - a process like overlaying maps on top of one another - to obtain new and useful information, such as locating optimal areas for particular vine types, or where best to expand a given Controlled Origin Denomination's boundaries, or conversely identifying the least productive land so it can be grubbed up.<br /><br />French research institute Cemagref has the demanding role of developing pattern recognition technology for the automatic recognition of vineyards within satellite or aerial images.<br /><br />The Bacchus project began earlier this year with a survey of pilot sites, including Italy's Frascati vineyards, where vines have been cultivated since Roman times - now home to ESA's Earth Observation centre ESRIN. The sites are being regularly re-imaged to acquire data on how vineyards develop through the growing season.<br /><br />High-resolution multispectral satellite images of up to 0.65 m resolution are being acquired, as well as aerial photographs at higher resolution still - simulating next generation Earth Observation satellite data soon to become available. The aerial cameras are fitted with GPS so their photos can be precisely geo-referenced for integration within GIS systems.<br /><br />The Frascati Controlled Origin Denomination consortium represents some 700 grape producers and 30 wine makers in the area.<br /><br />For ESA the Bacchus project represents the agency's first involvement in the emerging precision farming area, using Earth Observation data to improve agricultural efficiency.<br /><br />(source: ESA)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Navigation<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Galileo: Contracts for the First Satellites<br /><br />(11 July 2003) The contracts for the first Galileo satellites were signed on Friday 11 July at ESTEC, the European Space Agency’s research and technology centre.<br /><br />The contracts are for two experimental satellites, forerunners of the system’s in-orbit validation phase with one to be launched during the second quarter of 2005, to secure the frequencies reserved for the Galileo system with the International Telecommunications Union; the signals have to be sent by June 2006 at the latest in order to retain the priority allocated when the frequencies were applied for.<br /><br />One contract, worth Euro 27.9 million, has been awarded to Surrey Space Technology Limited (SSTL). The main task of this test satellite, which will have a mass on lift-off of 400 kg, is to transmit the Galileo signals from one of the orbits to be used by the constellation.<br /><br />This demonstrator satellite, called the "Galileo System Test Bed v2A (GSTB-v2A)", will provide the first Galileo navigation signal from space, measure the radiation environment in the proposed Galileo orbit and assist with international radio regulation issues. Using GSTB-v2A, to be launched into a 23,616 km circular 56° inclination medium Earth orbit, ESA will be able to obtain an early experimental signal for the demonstration of Galileo technology and have an opportunity to test key European technologies in the harsh space environment that the operational Galileo satellites will encounter. The results from the GSTB-v2A mission will be taken into account in the follow-on projects that will develop the full Galileo constellation of 30 satellites. Having an in-orbit test bed satellite will greatly reduce the technical risks in the development of the full constellation.<br /><br />In order to minimise risks of delays, launch failure, etc. a contract to build another test satellite has also been placed with the consortium Galileo Industries. This contract is worth Euro 72.3 million.<br /><br />This satellite, which will have a mass of 525 kg on lift-off, will be more representative of the four to be used to validate the Galileo system in orbit. With a payload very similar to that of the satellites that will form the complete constellation, it will serve to validate all the technologies to be flown. It might also be used in the system validation phase itself.<br /><br />Both satellites are expected to be launched by Starsem, the company which markets the Soyuz launcher from Baikonur.<br /><br />The Galileo system will be built around 30 satellites (27 operational and three in reserve) stationed on three circular medium-Earth orbits at an altitude of 23,616 km and inclined at 56° to the equator. This configuration will provide excellent coverage of the entire planet. Two Galileo centres will be set up in Europe to control satellite operations and manage the navigation system.<br /><br />(source: ESA, Surrey Satellite Technology)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Manned Space<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Space Station Replacement Battery Contract Awarded<br /><br />(11 July 2003) NASA has awarded a contract to The Boeing Company, Houston, for the procurement of 40 International Space Station replacement battery units. The contract facilitates the fabrication, assembly, testing and delivery of these battery units in advance for the replacement of on-orbit batteries.<br /><br />Each of four power element truss structures on the Space Station, P6, P4, S4, and S6, is designed with 12 batteries that store power generated by solar arrays and provide 22 kilowatts of power. The batteries, which are one meter wide, 94 cm long and 48 cm high, are designed to last for about six-and-a-half years and can be replaced while in orbit. Boeing is presently under contract to deliver replacement batteries for the P6 truss. This new contract requires the purchase of replacement batteries for the P4, S4 and S6 elements, with an additional four batteries as spares.<br /><br />Based on the current life of the batteries and baseline launch dates, the batteries on P4, S4 and S6 will need to be replaced between 2009 and 2011. P6's first replacement set of batteries is currently in production. A second set of replacement batteries will not be required before 2013.<br /><br />The firm-fixed-price contract, valued at US$ 145 million, covers work from February 20, 2003, through September 30, 2010. A Boeing subcontractor, Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), will perform the fabrication and assembly work under a US$ 103 million contract.<br /><br />SS/L's seven-year contract with Boeing NASA Systems calls for the delivery of 40 battery Orbital Replacement Units (ORUs), in addition to the 21 ISS battery ORUs that SS/L is currently on contract to deliver to Boeing over the next two years. The initial delivery of production units for this contract will be early 2006 with required lead-time for manufacture, assembly and test.<br /><br />SS/L's advanced nickel-hydrogen batteries are used to store electrical energy for use during the 16 solar eclipse periods that the ISS encounters during its daily orbits around the earth. The eclipses, which occur about every 90 minutes, can require the ISS to run on battery power for upwards of 35 minutes continuously.<br /><br />Since 1994, SS/L has manufactured more than 50 batteries for the final on-orbit configuration of the Space Station. SS/L's first batteries were carried to the Space Station on November 30, 2000, aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor.<br /><br />As the prime contractor for the ISS, Boeing is responsible for design, development, construction and integration of the ISS and assisting NASA in operating the orbital outpost. Boeing built all of the major US elements. In addition, Boeing oversees thousands of subcontractors around the globe and works with NASA and 16 international partners on the project.<br /><br />(source: NASA, Loral Space and Communications, Boeing)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Launches<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Mars Exploration Rover B (Opportunity)<br /><br />Launched: 8 July 2003<br />Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida<br />Launcher: Delta 2<br />Orbit: interplanetary trajectory to Mars<br />International Number: 2003-032A<br />Name: Mars Explorer Rover B (Opportunity)<br />Owner: NASA<br />Contractor: Jet Propulsion Laboratory<br /><br />This is the second of two identical Martian rovers that NASA has sent to Mars over the last month. It is scheduled to reach Mars on 25 January 2004 when it will touch down on Meridiani Planum, 2 degrees south of the Martian equator. This region of Mars has a high concentration of grey haematite, a mineral which normally forms in the presence of liquid water on Earth.<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 />Business<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />EMS Technologies to Sell Montreal Commercial Space Division<br /><br />(11 July 2003) EMS Technologies Inc has announced that its board of directors has approved a formal plan to sell the Company's commercial space division, based in Montreal.<br /><br />Alfred G Hansen, president and chief executive officer, commented, "With world-class facilities, and outstanding technical ability in antennas and power components, our Space & Technology/Montreal division has long been established as a leading supplier to the commercial space industry. This division has played a key role in a long list of successful programs, including Intelsat, Radarsat, ANIK, and International Space Station.<br /><br />"However like all competitors in the space industry, the financial performance of our Montreal division has been volatile, and has been significantly affected by the current period of slow orders activity. While it is inevitable that current satellites will someday need to be replaced and new services will spur demand for more satellites, the timing of this future business is uncertain.<br /><br />"Running the Montreal division during this period has required considerable investment of management's time and energy, as well as the Company's capital. At the same time, our four other main divisions - Space and Technology/Atlanta, LXE, EMS Wireless and Satcom - have experienced a period of vigorous, profitable activity, with new opportunities presenting themselves practically everyday. We have concluded that selling our commercial space division would allow the Company to focus its resources and energies, both now and in the future, toward capitalising on the considerable momentum that we have in our other businesses.<br /><br />"As for the future of the Montreal division, we believe that its impressive engineering capabilities and superb facilities, its strong base of annual revenues ($70 million in 2002), and its unique role in Canada's international space activities should make the division attractive to a larger participant in the commercial space business.<br /><br />"To support our sales efforts and to manage the transition process, we have assembled strong teams both at Montreal and at EMS corporate. We will be working diligently to conclude the sales process within a year, and we have retained Needham & Company to serve as investment banker on this transaction.<br /><br />"The only part of our Montreal operations that we expect to retain rather than sell is the Satellite Networks (SatNet) division. This startup operation is not yet material to the Company's financial statements, but we believe it could make a major contribution in the future. SatNet's hubs and terminals are based on the industry-standard DVB-RCS architecture that EMS helped develop. The SatNet initiative will also support the development of broadband capabilities in our other businesses."<br /><br />As a result of this decision, the Company expects that in the third quarter of 2003 it will recognise a charge to discontinued operations of approximately US$ 20 million for the loss anticipated upon disposal of the Space and Technology/Montreal division. This charge is based on management's preliminary estimate of the fair value of the assets held for sale, as well as the opinion of management and its advisors concerning a reasonable price under current market conditions. The actual charge to be recognised may vary from this estimate depending upon the results of further analysis. After recording this charge, the net assets held for sale would be approximately US$ 34 million. There could be additional charges in the future if it became clear that the Company would not be able to realise at least US$ 34 million in net proceeds from the sale of the Space and Technology/Montreal division.<br /><br />(source: EMS Technologies)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Orbital Closes Two Major Financing Transactions<br /><br />(10 July 2003) Orbital Sciences Corporation has closed two financing transactions to replace the company's existing debt structure. The new arrangements provide Orbital with lower interest rates, longer-term maturities, improved terms and increased borrowing availability.<br /><br />In the first transaction, Orbital issued US$ 135 million of new 9% Senior Notes due 2011, the net proceeds of which will be used, together with cash on hand, to repurchase and redeem Orbital's existing US$ 135 million 12% of second priority secured notes due 2006.<br /><br />Orbital also closed a new four-year, US$ 50 million revolving credit facility with Bank of America serving as the Lead Arranger in the syndicated line of credit. The Bank of America credit facility replaces the company's former US$ 35 million revolving line of credit with Wells Fargo/Foothill Capital Corporation.<br /><br />The company estimates that annual interest expense, including amortisation of debt discount and deferred financing costs, will be reduced by over 40%, or more than US$ 10 million per year, as a result of the new debt structure.<br /><br />Following the retirement of Orbital's 12% second priority secured notes and replacement of the company's former revolving line of credit, during the third quarter of 2003 the company expects to record a debt extinguishment charge of approximately US$ 39 million, including approximately US$ 32 million of non-cash charges to write off unamortised debt discount and deferred financing costs.<br /><br />(source: Orbital Sciences)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Products and Services<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Motorola Unveils Accurate GPS Timing Module to Offer Precision Timing<br /><br />(9 July 2003) Motorola Inc, the inventor of the low-cost, high performance Global Positioning System (GPS) timing module has announced the availability of the M12+ Timing Oncore. The new GPS timing module surpasses industry Six Sigma averages in accuracy by utilising the latest timing algorithms developed by Motorola.<br /><br />Banks, cellular network operators and airports are a few examples of the businesses that rely on accurate GPS timing for a variety of applications. Accurate GPS timing provides a fundamental building block needed to co-ordinate data and information flow securely through various systems, on a daily basis. By tagging data packets with a time and date stamp, it's transmission time and hence integrity can be monitored.<br /><br />Motorola's M12+ Timing Oncore enables industries that rely on GPS disciplined timing to have increased confidence in the accuracy and stability of their application. The product can be used in a system to monitor the accuracy of a clock over a certain length of time to become familiar with its patterns. By doing so, the customers' application can then readjust, reset and compensate for any potential timing errors that may occur within the clock. This is known as "disciplining" and Motorola's M12+ Oncore's low noise performance enables fast and accurate disciplining to occur.<br /><br />The low noise performance of 2 NanoSeconds (2nS) One Sigma holds tangible benefits in a clock disciplining application. The time taken to reach accuracy is substantially reduced, and 'held over' time extended, which allows the clock to 'free run' without support or maintenance which can provide better system performance while reducing costs.<br /><br />Motorola's M12+ Timing Oncore can be easily integrated into a variety of applications to improve performance. For example, within Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), the M12+ Timing Oncore enables higher accuracy position measurements from the LMU (Location Measurement Unit) overlay. Within any cellular system, real time synchronisation establishes faster handovers for speech and data services.<br /><br />Features and Benefits of Motorola's M12+ Timing Oncore<br /><br />Exceptional stability: The low noise performance of 2 NanoSeconds (2nS) represents advancement in GPS technology, offering our customers the ability to reduce timing jitter to less than two thousandths of a millionth of a second. Specifically, the product offers 1 Pulse per Second (PPS) performance of 2nS One Sigma noise average and 12nS Six Sigma while in position hold mode. The product is ideal for quickly disciplining quartz, rubidium and caesium clocks in a variety of applications.<br /><br />Fault Detection: Motorola's Timing Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (T-RAIM) software can detect and isolate faulty satellites providing base stations with an enhanced level of timing solution confidence.<br /><br />Low Power Consumption: Consuming only 185mW at 3v while simultaneously tracking up to 12 satellites, the M12+ Timing Oncore also features software controlled 1 or 100 PPS output.<br /><br />Reduced Installation Costs: The low noise performance, made possible by an Advanced Clock Granularity message, enables the M12+ Timing Oncore to significantly reduce the time required for clock disciplining. The automatic site survey feature also eliminates the need for expensive and time-consuming land surveying.<br /><br />Available for production now, the M12+ Timing Oncore is fully supported with Windows driver software, hardware evaluation kits and antennas.<br /><br />The Motorola's M12+ Oncore measures 40 mm x 60 mm x 10 mm and is capable of supporting 3v and 5v antennas. Overall system level performance is maximised when used with the Motorola Timing 2000 antenna.<br /><br />(source: Motorola)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Stratos Adds 5th Satellite for Leased Inmarsat Services in Asia-Pacific Region<br /><br />(8 July 2003) Stratos will provide Inmarsat leased services through a 5th satellite located at 143.5° E with immediate effect. This satellite will enable global voice and data communication services to all of Asia-Pacific, extending as far east as India and as far west as the tip of Alaska. The addition of this satellite now means that Stratos is the only Land Earth Station Operator (LESO) with access to the complete Inmarsat lease satellite constellation.<br /><br />Stratos will make available on 143.5° E its suite of Inmarsat-B leased services and value-added technologies. 143.5° E is a Generation 2 satellite and will provide approximately 50 dedicated channels that can be used for Inmarsat-B CN-17, 128K, and point-to-multipoint services. The satellite will be down linked to Stratos' Auckland Land Earth Station (LES) in New Zealand.<br /><br />In a time of increased satellite communications traffic globally, leased channels, which provide guaranteed bandwidth availability, are becoming increasingly important, particularly to the military. Stratos anticipates 143.5° E will be of significant importance to satellite users in the covered region, including but not limited to government and military organisations.<br /><br />Stratos is currently the number one provider of leased services globally, and major customers of these services include the US Navy and Coast Guard, the Canadian Navy and Department of National Defence, the UK Ministry of Defence, the Australian Defence Force, and the New Zealand Defence Force.<br /><br />(source: Stratos Global Corporation)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />People<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />EMS Technologies Appoints Alan L Haase as Senior VP for Space & Technology<br /><br />(8 July 2003) EMS Technologies Inc has announced the appointment of Alan L Haase as senior vice president and general manager for EMS Space and Technology/Montreal Division, effective July 28, 2003.<br /><br />Haase will report directly to Al Hansen, president and CEO, and will be responsible for leading the operations of the Montreal space organisation, which supplies advanced products and systems for commercial space applications.<br /><br />EMS also is announcing that Gerald S Bush, formerly president and general manager, Space and Technology Group, will now assume a new executive position as special assistant to the CEO. More details on Mr Bush's responsibilities will be announced at a later date.<br /><br />Donald F Osborne, senior vice president and general manager, Satellite Networks, is also reporting directly to Al Hansen, and will continue to lead EMS Satellite Networks, a division formed from Space and Technology/Montreal in September 2002 to leverage EMS's leadership role in developing the DVB-RCS hub and terminal product line.<br /><br />Haase joins EMS as a senior executive with more than 20 years experience in business development, sales and operations for both domestic and international technology companies. Most recently, he served as president and CEO as well as chief strategy officer for SkyCross Inc, a Melbourne, Florida-based wireless RF supplier for the wireless handset, wireless data and telematics markets. At SkyCross, Mr Haase led the company's strategy development and venture capital funding efforts.<br /><br />Prior to SkyCross, Haase was group president of Communication Products at Andrew Corp, where he led seven global business units and manufacturing operation in five countries representing annual sales of more than US$ 300 million. Haase spent 10 years at Ericsson Inc, where he served in key positions such as vice president of Wireless Professional Services and director of GSM Strategic Sales, Marketing and Technical Support. He also directed Ericsson's then-new PCS business in Canada. Haase has an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas, and a Masters in Electrical Engineering from Southern Methodist University.<br /><br />(source: EMS Technologies)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Press releases should be sent to: newsfeed@microcomsystems.co.uk<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Microcom makes no charge for this service and makes no payments for the use of material. Microcom makes no warranties about the quality of this free service and accepts no liability for mistakes and errors. Use of this service is taken as confirmation of acceptance of these conditions.<br /><br />If you require further information contact Microcom by email: info@microcomsystems.co.uk<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />This newsletter, and archives dating back to January 2000, can be viewed on the web at
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