Microcom's Space Newsfeed 20 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 />Galaxy Chooses Tandberg TV and NDS<br />iDirect Helps Launch Broadband Services in SW Ireland<br />Optus to Deliver Learning Services Using Skystar 360E Broadband VSATs<br />Orbital Makes Final In-Orbit Delivery of BSAT-2c Satellite<br />PanAmSat and Liberty Foundation to Deliver Programming Across South Africa<br />Telefonica Data Signs Expansion Contract With HNS Europe<br /><br />Earth Observation:<br />Satellites Will Join Search For Source of Ebola Virus<br /><br />Navigation:<br />STARS Flight Tests Space-Based Tracking Methods<br /><br />Science:<br />Actel's RTSX-S FPGAs Selected for Herschel and Planck Scientific Space Missions<br />ESA to Build Deep Space Ground Station At Cebreros, Spain<br />SOHO Resumes Full Operation<br /><br />Manned Space:<br />NASA Extends Spacesuit Contract<br /><br />Technology:<br />ATK Thiokol Propulsion and IsoTruss Structures to Collaborate<br />Flight-Type Scramjet Completes Historic Test Series<br />HP iPAQ Pocket PCs to be Onboard TransOrbital's First Commercial Moon Mission<br />SpaceDev to Develop Nanosatellite Technology<br /><br />Launch Services:<br />SpaceDev Wins Small Launch Vehicle Contract<br /><br />Launches:<br />Rainbow 1<br /><br />Business:<br />Boeing Reassesses Launch and Satellite Businesses<br />Hughes, Boeing Settle Disputes in Sale of Satellite Manufacturing Operations<br />Loral Files for Bankruptcy<br />NASA Announces Independent Engineering And Safety Center<br /><br />Products and Services:<br />Secure Satellite Voice over IP and Internet Communication Service<br /><br />People:<br />Andrew Appoints New Chief Financial Officer<br />Geveden Named Marshall Deputy Director<br />Gilat Names Bill Gerety as New Spacenet CEO<br />Satlynx Appoints President and CEO<br />Wetmore Named Launch Integration Manager for Shuttle Program<br />Whitlow Named Kennedy Space Center Deputy Director<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 />Galaxy Chooses Tandberg TV and NDS<br /><br />(14 July 2003) Tandberg Television has been awarded a key contract in Asia to provide a complete transmission system for the region’s newest satellite pay-television service, Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting Limited. NDS will provide its VideoGuard conditional access security for Hong Kong pay-TV operations and a full-functioned electronic program guide (EPG).<br /><br />Tandberg Television will provide a complete compression and broadcast delivery system, as well as deploy its professional services expertise to manage the integration of third-party solutions such as conditional access, subscriber management, middleware and set-top-boxes.<br /><br />Tandberg Television will provide a multi-channel transmission solution with built-in expandability based on its evolution 5000 satellite delivery solutions including MPEG-2 compression, modulation, multiplexing and decoding. The company’s engineering and systems integration teams will work closely with Galaxy’s own technical experts to manage the integration of the entire system.<br /><br />NDS solutions chosen by Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting Limited include:<br /><br />* VideoGuard conditional access - the system that forms the basic pay-TV<br /> model of "payment for content" and enhances the ability to package and<br /> sell content.<br />* NDS Core is the fully featured middleware that helps network operators<br /> deploy cost-effective set-top boxes quickly and easily.<br />* Value@TV is the NDS interactive TV platform that enables broadcasters<br /> to build successful interactive TV applications such as the EPG.<br />* Customised EPG in English and traditional Chinese as a portal for<br /> pay-TV viewers to access program schedules and synopses of upcoming shows.<br /><br />NDS Asia Pacific brings Galaxy Satellite Broadcasting Limited the strength of its local operations and support facilities. The NDS Asia Pacific operations in Hong Kong and Seoul will be conducting systems integration for the set-top box and installing the NDS end-to-end systems at the TVB Tsueng Kwan O digital broadcasting center. NDS China operates a research and development facility in Beijing, which will be actively involved with designing the Galaxy EPG.<br /><br />Announced in February this year, the all-digital, multi-channel Galaxy service is jointly owned by Intelsat and Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) and will feature a range of premium Cantonese and other Chinese language programming exclusively supplied by TVB, including a 24-hour news channel. The high-quality Cantonese programming is targeted at the more than 90 percent of the Hong Kong population that speak the language. Galaxy subscribers will also receive a full spectrum of international news, documentary, information, movie and other entertainment channels. The Galaxy service will be uplinked from Galaxy's teleport in Hong Kong over an Intelsat VII series satellite and downlinked to roof-top receiving dishes. Existing in-building wiring will deliver the service to individual subscriber apartments.<br /><br />(source: Tandberg Television, NDS Asia Pacific)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />iDirect Helps Launch Broadband Services in SW Ireland<br /><br />(18 July 2003) iDirect Technologies has helped the South Western Region Authority (SWRA) of Ireland launch broadband services to local communities and enterprises.<br /><br />iDirect's NetModem II Plus terminal equipment was incorporated by ilDana, an indigenous Irish broadband service provider, into a network operated by Netdish, a telecommunications and data broadcasting provider for digital content distribution and connectivity over Internet Protocol (IP) networks.<br /><br />The SWRA Broadband Initiative, co-funded by the European Space Agency, is designed to evaluate, demonstrate and disseminate information on the use of satellite broadband for business development, government services, education and training and health and medical applications. iDirect's IP-over satellite technology is optimised to deliver these services to low-density areas. iDirect products are the first to be designed from the ground up to deliver the most efficient IP connections for two-way satellite communications. The technology consists of network equipment and specially developed software to make the most efficient use of available bandwidth, enabling more traffic and applications to be transmitted with greater reliability than other satellite- based solutions.<br /><br />(source: iDirect Technologies)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Optus to Deliver Learning Services Using Skystar 360E Broadband VSATs<br /><br />(15 July 2003) The Australian government has finalised an agreement with Optus to deliver learning services to small rural towns and isolated homesteads in New South Wales (NSW) and across the Northern Territory (NT) using Gilat's Skystar 360E broadband VSAT platform.<br /><br />Gilat has been selected by Optus to provide a 310-site, two-way satellite communications network to deliver broadband Internet services to these rural communities and 540 School of The Air (SOTA) sites.<br /><br />Gilat's Skystar 360E VSAT network is part of a new satellite infrastructure being deployed by Optus as part of the NT and NSW Interactive Distant Learning Initiative. The initiative was developed to establish a shared, broadband interactive distance learning (IDL) communications infrastructure for small rural communities and isolated homesteads in areas of NSW and the NT. The initiative is led by Optus, the NSW Department of Education and Training, the NT Department of Employment, Education and Training and the Australian government.<br /><br />The satellite-based infrastructure will deliver education services to distance education students, isolated indigenous communities and adults seeking vocational education. Services will be delivered to approximately 3,700 users, including 239 small, isolated schools. An IDL satellite hub is being installed in Sydney with backbone links to teaching studios in several other locations, in addition to the rollout of the VSAT network.<br /><br />The network will provide real-time streaming video, high-resolution graphics, full duplex audio, two-way data interaction and application sharing capabilities. The courses offered via the network will cover primary, secondary and vocational material, including courses that are difficult or impossible to offer currently in remote and rural settings.<br /><br />(source: Gilat Satellite Networks)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Orbital Makes Final In-Orbit Delivery of BSAT-2c Satellite<br /><br />(15 July 2003) Orbital Sciences Corporation has made the final in-orbit delivery of the BSAT-2c satellite to its customer, Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) of Japan.<br /><br />Based on the company's STAR platform, BSAT-2c is the third in a series of three geostationary (GEO) communications satellites that Orbital built for B-SAT since 1999. The BSAT-2c satellite was launched into orbit aboard an Ariane 5 rocket on June 11, 2003. Following the launch, a team of Orbital engineers conducted a thorough evaluation of the satellite's operating systems and its onboard communications payload and determined that it is functioning as expected. Operational control of the satellite system was transferred to B-SAT on July 15.<br /><br />The BSAT-2c satellite will operate in Ku band frequencies from its orbital location at 110° East longitude. The spacecraft is optimised for a 10-year design life and will provide additional capacity for B-SAT's satellite broadcasting service throughout Japan. BSAT-2c is the third Orbital-built GEO communications satellite to be put in service by customers in the past 12 months.<br /><br />(source: Orbital Sciences)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />PanAmSat and Liberty Foundation to Deliver Programming Across South Africa<br /><br />(17 July 2003) PanAmSat Corporation has teamed up with the Liberty Foundation, a South Africa-based company that supports education and skills training, to deliver healthcare and educational programming via satellite across all regions of the country.<br /><br />Hosted on PanAmSat's PAS-7 Indian Ocean Region satellite, the Liberty Foundation is initially supporting two channels with programming produced by Mindset Network. Set to launch in late 2003, the Mindset Network's healthcare channel will focus primarily on the AIDS epidemic. The goal is to educate patients and workers throughout the country's healthcare system on the AIDS virus, as well as other diseases and possible treatments. Individuals will be able to view the channel in thousands of the government's primary healthcare clinics.<br /><br />Activate, which debuted in February 2003, focuses on educating students in the country's senior high school system. The initial curriculum includes instructional lessons and tutorials in Math, Science and English. Initially, it is being broadcast through Mindset's subscriber network, with plans to eventually make it available to South African schools free of charge. The program is supported with weekly 'textbooks' in the national Sunday paper, as well as a website, a call centre and training for schools. Currently, a pilot program is being tested in over 300 schools in South Africa. Expected to be fully deployed in over 1,000 schools by the end of 2004, the network will air seven days a week and 12 hours a day.<br /><br />In addition to these two channels, future offerings will include a business channel that will focus on entrepreneurship and creating future business leaders.<br /><br />(source: PanAmSat)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Telefonica Data Signs Expansion Contract With HNS Europe<br /><br />(17 July 2003) Hughes Network Systems Europe (HNSE) has signed a contract with Telefonica Data, a leading Spanish telecommunications services provider, to expand its existing HNS Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) network with a new PES 5000 operations hub and 200 remote satellite terminals.<br /><br />Since 1992, Telefonica has been providing satellite communication services to Compania Logistica de Hidrocarburos (CLH), the leading petroleum transportation and storage company in Spain, utilising a shared hub and remote terminals supplied by HNS. The expansion contract calls for the supply of a dedicated operations hub and the latest version of PES terminals, which will increase overall network performance and service quality levels. CLH relies on the network to monitor its remote pipelines using SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) applications.<br /><br />Installation was completed at the end of June 2003.<br /><br />(source: Hughes Network Systems Europe)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Earth Observation<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Satellites Will Join Search For Source of Ebola Virus<br /><br />(16 July 2003) Microscopes are not the only tools available to study disease. A new ESA project employs satellites to predict and help combat epidemic outbreaks, as well as join the hunt for the origin of the deadly Ebola virus.<br /><br />Ebola haemorrhagic fever kills many people in Central Africa each year. It can cause runaway internal and external bleeding in humans and also apes. What remains unidentified is the jungle-based organism serving as the virus’s host.<br /><br />To assist search efforts, from next year detailed vegetation maps of Congo and Gabon will be created with satellite images as part of a new ESA Data User Element project called Epidemio, developing Earth Observation (EO) services for epidemiologists.<br /><br />The Gabon-based International Centre for Medical Research (CIRMF) will combine EO data with field results within a geographical information system (GIS). They hope to spot particular environmental characteristics associated with infected sites where either dead animals are found or local people have acquired Ebola antibodies.<br /><br />EO images will also be provided to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Public Health Mapping Programme, for import into WHO’s HealthMapper GIS software used by public health officials in more than 70 countries.<br /><br />Combating malaria - which affects 300 million people world-wide and kills up to 1.5 million people annually - is a particular focus of several different Epidemio users. Acquiring satellite-gathered meteorological data is of great interest. High humidity and rainfall levels often presage malaria outbreaks due to increased mosquito numbers.<br /><br />(source: ESA)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Navigation<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />STARS Flight Tests Space-Based Tracking Methods<br /><br />(15 July 2003) The recent Space-based Telemetry And Range Safety (STARS) flight demonstration is one in a series of eight tests comprising Flight Demonstration 1. The tests demonstrate the capability to utilise existing space-based platforms such as the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) to provide reliable communication, telemetry and tracking for Range Safety and Range Users.<br /><br />Range Safety support includes flight termination processing from both space and ground assets and vehicle tracking. Range User support includes high return-link data rates for voice, video and vehicle/payload data.<br /><br />STARS' methods surpass existing ground-based systems for maintaining tracking and communication with space launch vehicles. Current practices are outdated, and very expensive to operate and maintain, and estimates show that using these new methods could reduce costs by up to US$ 40 million per year.<br /><br />While the hour-plus flights occur at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), STARS work, which supports Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT), is managed by Kennedy Space Center. DFRC provides the aircraft, the range, the control room and the Range User hardware. Goddard Space Flight Center, Wallops Flight Facility and White Sands Complex also share STARS responsibilities along with other NASA centres.<br /><br />(source: NASA KSC)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Science<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Actel's RTSX-S FPGAs Selected for Herschel and Planck Scientific Space Missions<br /><br />(14 July 2003) Actel Corporation's RTSX-S radiation-tolerant field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) have been selected for extensive use on the Herschel and Planck space probes, which are scheduled for launch by the European Space Agency (ESA) in 2007. The Herschel and Planck probes will study infrared radiation and cosmic background radiation, respectively. The RT54SX32S and RT54SX72S parts will be used for many flight-critical functions on the space explorations, including interfacing and control, co-processing and data handling, as well as mission-critical functions within various scientific instruments.<br /><br />Actel's RTSX-S FPGAs were also chosen by Systems Engineering & Assessment Ltd (SEA) of Bath, United Kingdom, for SEA's cooler drive processor, which requires resistance to single-event upsets (SEUs) and tolerance to total ionising dose (TID). Incorporated in the high-frequency instrument (HFI) on the Planck space probe, the circuit maintains the radiation measuring and cooling equipment at a constant temperature of -269 degrees Celsius.<br /><br />The RTSX-S family ranges in density from 32,000 to 72,000 typical gates (16,000 to 36,000 equivalent ASIC gates) and offers system performance in excess of 250 MHz. Actel's RTSX-S family is the industry's first FPGA solution built on a foundation of hardened latches, which eliminates the need for triple-module redundancy (TMR). Traditional FPGAs, which do not use hardened latches, force the user to implement TMR using software or a large portion of the device's programmable logic. This process of majority voting, or redundancy, means that up to two-thirds of the density, or available logic, is consumed for redundancy and isn't available for the user's design.<br /><br />With densities up to 2-million equivalent system gates (approximately 250,000 ASIC equivalent gates), the space-optimized, single-chip RTAX-S devices provide inherent single-event latchup (SEL) immunity; greater than 37MeV-cm2/mg SEU capability; and total ionizing dose (TID) performance in excess of 200 Krads. The recently announced family also features embedded RAM with an upset rate of less than 1E-10 errors/bit-day with error detection and correction (EDAC). These features position the RTAX-S family, which is based on the AX architecture and scalable platform, as the only viable radiation-tolerant alternative to application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) that meets the density, performance and radiation-resistance requirements of many satellite applications.<br /><br />(source: Actel Corporation)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />ESA to Build Deep Space Ground Station At Cebreros, Spain<br /><br />(18 July 2003) Communicating with ESA's spacecraft such as Mars Express, or SMART-1, Rosetta and Venus Express - yet to be launched - will be even easier and more effective when the new Cebreros ground station, near Avila (Spain), becomes operational in September 2005.<br /><br />On 22 July, in Madrid, the Director General of ESA, Jean-Jacques Dordain, the Spanish Secretary of State for Defence, Mr Fernando Díez Moreno, and the Spanish Secretary of State for Science and Technology, Mr Pedro Morenés Eulate, will sign an agreement between ESA and the Kingdom of Spain that will pave the way for the installation of a new high-performance deep-space tracking station in Cebreros.<br /><br />Communicating with spacecraft over very long distances, probes that have to be controlled remotely, together with their on board instruments, at distances up to 900 million kilometres from Earth (more than six times the distance from Earth to the sun) require huge and powerful antennas.<br /><br />Through its control Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt (Germany), responsible for all spacecraft operations, ESA already has long experience of dealing with a large network of ground stations and antennas, including a 35 m deep-space antenna in New Norcia, north of Perth in Australia.<br /><br />Back in the 1970s, ESA signed an agreement with Spain to use a satellite tracking station located at Villafranca del Castillo (Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid). ESA/Villafranca has now become one of the most highly specialised spacecraft tracking stations in the world.<br /><br />To support the new project and allow ESA to take a further step towards a real European Deep Space Network, the Government of Spain will grant the European Space Agency a 75-year lease on two plots of land that belong to the Ministry of Defence. One plot will accommodate the space tracking facilities and the 35m diameter deep-space antenna. The other will serve for the calibration tower, used to simulate the signals transmitted by spacecraft for testing. Construction work is scheduled to start in September this year.<br /><br />The network of antennas in Spain (Cebreros (Avila), Villafranca del Castillo (Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid) and Robledo (Robledo de Chavela, Madrid, owned by NASA/JPL), will soon be one of the most important groups of satellite tracking stations world-wide, due to the optimum environment free of radio-electric disturbances, and will make a valuable additional contribution to the scientific and technological framework of European space activities.<br /><br />(source: ESA)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />SOHO Resumes Full Operation<br /><br />(16 July 2003) ESA/NASA's solar watchdog, SOHO, is back to full operation after its predicted 9-day-long high-gain antenna blackout. Engineers and scientists are now confident that they understand the situation and can work around it in the future to minimise the data losses.<br /><br />Since 19 June 2003, SOHO's high-gain antenna (HGA), which transmits high-speed data to Earth, has been fixed in position following the discovery of a malfunction in its pointing mechanism. This resulted in a loss of signal through SOHO's usual 26-metre ground stations on 27 June 2003. However, 34-metre radio dishes continued to receive high-speed transmissions from the HGA until 1 July 2003.<br /><br />Since then, astronomers have been relying primarily on a slower transmission rate signal, sent through SOHO's backup antenna. It can be picked up whenever a 34-metre dish is available. However, this signal could not transmit all of SOHO's data. Some data was recorded on board, however, and downloaded using high-speed transmissions through the backup antenna when time on the largest, 70-metre dishes could be spared.<br /><br />SOHO itself orbits a point in space, 1.5 million kilometres closer to the Sun than the Earth, once every 6 months. To reorient the HGA for the next half of this orbit, engineers rolled the spacecraft through a half-circle on 8 July 2003. On 10 July, the 34-metre radio dish in Madrid re-established contact with SOHO's HGA. Then on the morning of 14 July 2003, normal operations with the spacecraft resumed through its usual 26-metre ground stations, as predicted.<br /><br />With the HGA now static, the blackouts, lasting between 9 and 16 days, will continue to occur every 3 months. Engineers will rotate SOHO by 180 degrees every time this occurs. This manoeuvre will minimise data losses.<br /><br />(source: ESA)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Manned Space<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />NASA Extends Spacesuit Contract<br /><br />(18 July 2003) NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston, will exercise an option to extend the contract with Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International Inc (HSSSI) for work on spacesuits used for spacewalks. The "Option 3" on contract NAS 9-97150, modification number 460, is valued at US$ 26 million and is the last of the available annual renewal options.<br /><br />The contract, worth US$ 333 million over six years, was awarded through the competitive procurement process and was effective October 1, 1997. It included a four-year base effort and annual renewal options for an additional three years, potentially extending the period of performance to September 30, 2004.<br /><br />The work includes responsibility for the successful performance of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU), the US spacesuit used by spacewalkers; program and business management and engineering; design, development, certification, production and enhancement of the EMU and other spacewalking-related hardware; assured EMU availability program; field activities; safety; mission assurance; and reliability and quality assurance programs. The contract work is performed at JSC and at HSSSI's Windsor Locks facility.<br /><br />(source: NASA)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Technology<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />ATK Thiokol Propulsion and IsoTruss Structures to Collaborate<br /><br />(15 July 2003) ATK Thiokol Propulsion and IsoTruss Structures Inc have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding for collaboration on the analysis and distribution of composite lattice structures for commercial and military products.<br /><br />IsoTruss uses patented new geometric technology to create composite structures with extremely high strength-to-weight ratios. The new agreement will enable the two companies to provide application-specific solutions to customers in the military, international aerospace industry and commercial markets that rely on high-performance, lightweight structures.<br /><br />ATK will provide structural and complex composite analysis for IsoTruss, facilitating advanced technology development programs to produce new applications that could be utilised by IsoTruss.<br /><br />(source: ATK Thiokol Propulsion, IsoTruss Structures)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Flight-Type Scramjet Completes Historic Test Series<br /><br />(14 July 2003) Pratt & Whitney (P&W) Space Propulsion, teamed with US Air Force researchers under the Hypersonic Technology (HyTech) Program, has completed testing of a revolutionary scramjet engine. The Ground Demonstration Engine number one (GDE-1), which weighs less than 70 kg, was tested at speeds of Mach 4.5 and Mach 6.5 in hypersonic ground test facilities. GDE-1 was the world's first flight-weight, hydrocarbon-fuelled scramjet engine, and used standard JP-7 fuel to both cool engine hardware and fuel the engine's combustor.<br /><br />During numerous runs at Mach 4.5 and Mach 6.5 (September 2002 through June 2003), GDE-1 reliably produced significant net positive thrust, which is important because it demonstrates the ability to efficiently burn fuel and accelerate a vehicle at these speeds. The thermal characteristics and structural durability of the engine were validated at both speeds.<br /><br />The test series built upon the heavyweight, heat-sink Performance Test Engine (PTE) that completed testing in 2001. Following GDE-1, the next engine in this successful series will be Ground Demonstration Engine number two (GDE-2). This engine will also be hydrocarbon-fuelled and use flight-weight structure like the GDE-1; however, GDE-2 will feature a fully integrated fuel-system that will introduce control hardware and software that will enable the engine to run as a complete closed-loop system. GDE-2 will incorporate a Full Authority Digital Engine Controller (FADEC) to orchestrate fuel controls and transitions. It is expected to begin "full-up" engine testing next year.<br /><br />Applications for HyTech technology include access-to-space, global reach and fast-reaction, long-range air-to-surface missiles. The Air Force Research Laboratory's long-term vision for scramjet engines includes power for launch vehicles that can substantially reduce the cost of access to space and deliver aircraft-like operations. It also foresees applications for military and commercial aircraft that can span the globe in less than a few hours, and hypersonic missiles with Mach 6.5-plus-cruise capability that can fly hundreds of nautical miles in minutes.<br /><br />In 1996, P&W won the US$ 48 million contract, called Hydrocarbon Scramjet Engine Technology (HySET), under which this work is being accomplished. As a result of the program's success, the X43-C (a joint NASA/USAF program) has emerged. The goal of this program is to flight test a derivative of the HySET engine in 2007.<br /><br />(source: Pratt and Whitney Space Propulsion)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />HP iPAQ Pocket PCs to be Onboard TransOrbital's First Commercial Moon Mission<br /><br />(15 July 2003) HP plans to launch its HP iPAQ Pocket PCs into outer space onboard TransOrbital's TrailBlazer spacecraft, the first commercial mission to gain approval from US authorities to explore, photograph and land on the moon, later next year.<br /><br />With an early 2004 launch date approaching, TransOrbital looked to the newly introduced HP iPAQ Pocket PC h5550's innovative engineering, mobility, simplicity and ease of use to facilitate wireless communication within the satellite. The handheld device will integrate with the TrailBlazer systems on board the spacecraft to enable TransOrbital to effortlessly synchronise and share data while in space, during transit to the moon and while orbiting the moon.<br /><br />During subsequent launches, it is anticipated that the HP iPAQ Pocket PCs will be used for wireless communication with cameras that are tethered on the outside of the spacecraft to provide superior video streaming capabilities for display on Earth. Future applications for the devices also may include the ability to communicate via e-mail with the Trailblazer lunar orbiter while it is orbiting the moon and on the moon's surface.<br /><br />As the first and only private company to be licensed by the US Department of State and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration for moon travel, TransOrbital believes that important and affordable advances in science, medicine, communications and information technology can be achieved by forming strategic global corporate alliances for space exploration.<br /><br />TransOrbital's first moon mission will provide HDTV (high definition TV) views of equipment left behind from past Apollo and Russian landings. The mission also will deliver a time capsule containing personal cargo from Earth, including personal messages and artefacts. Media collected during the mission, including a "barnstorming" video filmed as the capsule reaches the lunar surface, will provide TransOrbital with an array of content vital to future scientific and exploratory endeavours, as well as educational and entertainment uses.<br /><br />In December 2002, TransOrbital successfully launched a test lunar satellite into earth orbit using the International Space Company (ISC) Kosmotras Dnepr rocket. TransOrbital also will use the ISC Dnepr rocket for the moon launch.<br /><br />(source: HP, TransOrbital)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />SpaceDev to Develop Nanosatellite Technology<br /><br />(15 July 2003) SpaceDev has been awarded a contract to develop micro- and nano-satellite bus and subsystem designs. This Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract will enable SpaceDev to explore the further miniaturisation of its unique and innovative microsat subsystems. It will also enable SpaceDev to explore ways to reduce the time and cost to build small satellites through further standardisation in order to help define de facto standards for payload hardware and software interfaces.<br /><br />SpaceDev began defining de facto standards when it designed and built the highly successful CHIPSat, which launched in January 2003. SpaceDev designed and built such miniature and modular systems as a 300 MIPS flight computer, modular power conditioning and distribution system, space qualified its S band transmitter and receiver, and programmed a modular general purpose microsat operating system and complimentary Internet-based mission control and operations system. All of these proven, innovative SpaceDev subsystems will be analysed for increases in performance while further reducing their size, weight and power requirements.<br /><br />(source: SpaceDev)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Launch Services<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />SpaceDev Wins Small Launch Vehicle Contract<br /><br />(18 July 2003) SpaceDev has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to design and begin the development of the SpaceDev Streaker small launch vehicle (SLV). SpaceDev Streaker will be designed to responsively and affordably lift up to 1,000 pounds to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).<br /><br />The SpaceDev Streaker SLV concept is based on a proprietary combination of technologies to increase the performance of hybrid rocket motor technology. Hybrid rocket motors are a combination of solid fuel and liquid oxidiser, and can be relatively safe, clean, non-explosive, and storable, and can be throttled, shut down and restarted. SpaceDev has developed small hybrid rocket motor technology for the National Reconnaissance Office, is working on a Shuttle and EELV compatible intelligent "space tug" based on hybrid technology, for the Air Force, and continues developing its larger hybrid motor in competition for Burt Rutan's historic private manned space program, SpaceShipOne.<br /><br />(source: SpaceDev)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Launches<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Rainbow 1<br /><br />Launched: 17 July 2003<br />Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida<br />Launcher: Atlas 5<br />Orbit: GEO, 61.5° W<br />International Number: 2003-033A<br />Name: Rainbow 1<br />Owner: Cablevision Systems Corporation<br />Contractor: Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems<br /><br />Rainbow 1 is a commercial communications satellite. The satellite will be used to deliver the Rainbow direct-to-home broadcast services to the contiguous United States.<br /><br />Rainbow 1 is based on Lockheed's A2100AX bus and carries 36 Ku band transponders which feed 22 programmable spot beams. It has a design life of 18 years.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Business<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Boeing Reassesses Launch and Satellite Businesses<br /><br />(15 July 2003) The Boeing Company has announced that as a result of continued weakness in the commercial space launch market, higher mission and launch costs on its Delta IV program, and cost growth in its satellite businesses, the company will recognise pre-tax charges of approximately US$ 1.1 billion, or US$ 0.87 per share, when it announces second quarter results on July 23.<br /><br />Approximately US$ 835 million, or US$ 0.66 per share, of the charges are attributable to the company's Delta IV program and primarily reflect the company's updated - and significantly lower - assessment of global demand for launch services. The lower program base reduces the profitability of currently contracted launches. The charges also reflect higher mission costs, primarily related to government launch requirements. Approximately US$ 265 million, or US$ 0.21 per share, reflects the loss to be reported by Boeing Satellite Systems for the quarter due to higher cost estimates to complete several satellite programs and write-downs of commercial inventory that recognises current market conditions.<br /><br />Approximately US$ 135 million of the total charges are non-cash depreciation and inventory adjustments, as noted in the detailed discussion below. The cash outlays associated with the remaining US$ 965 million of charges will be incurred over the next seven years as the affected launch vehicles and satellite programs are completed and delivered.<br /><br />When the company began the Delta IV program in the 1990s, demand for commercial satellites and related launch services, particularly for telecommunications, was robust. The company anticipated that strong commercial demand would help reduce the cost of launch vehicles for both commercial and government customers, and the company priced its vehicles accordingly.<br /><br />During this period, Boeing also made substantial incremental investments in a second launch site on the US west coast, a heavy-lift version of the Delta IV vehicle, and an all-new US rocket engine. These unique capabilities were developed to address US government requirements and positioned the company to capture additional business.<br /><br />However, over the last several years demand for commercial launches eroded while global launch capacity increased. In light of the continuing severe downturn in the commercial launch market, the company has determined that a meaningful recovery of demand and pricing is unlikely for the foreseeable future. As a result, in the second quarter of 2003 Boeing made a strategic decision to focus the Delta IV program on the government launch services market. In conjunction with that decision, the company updated - and reduced by nearly one-half - its estimate of long-term demand for Delta IV launch vehicles. This reduction eliminated nearer-term commercial launches previously forecast to occur over the next five years.<br /><br />As a result, the company estimates it will incur higher per-unit labour, materials and business infrastructure costs due to lower annual launch rates over the next five years. In addition, the company has experienced higher mission and launch costs, primarily to support government requirements, and has increased its estimates accordingly. Because currently contracted and awarded launches are in a loss position, Boeing will recognise charges totalling approximately US$ 835 million in the second quarter across its 24 currently contracted and awarded Delta IV (including Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program) launches. This estimate is based upon existing pricing in the company's contracted and awarded launches.<br /><br />Of the charges totalling US$ 835 million, approximately US$ 90 million are non-cash charges related to the higher per-unit depreciation and amortisation costs associated with the lower number of launches in the company's revised market outlook. The remaining costs will be incurred as the contracted and awarded vehicles are built and delivered over the next seven years.<br /><br />Boeing Satellite Systems continues to experience cost growth on certain satellites in its current backlog. Over the past two years, the company has continued to make management changes and implemented significant process improvements to reduce technical and cost risk on future satellite production. The company also recognised significant cost increases to complete currently contracted work based upon known requirements and previous experience. However, many satellites in the current backlog incorporate advanced technology and are the first of their kind to be built. These factors are driving cost growth at higher than previously estimated trend levels.<br /><br />As a result, the company is raising its estimates to complete and deliver in-process satellite backlog and will record charges totalling approximately US$ 265 million in the second quarter. Approximately US$ 45 million of this amount reflects a higher provision for obsolete inventory related to weak demand for commercial satellites, and is non-cash. The cash expenditures associated with the remaining charges will be incurred as satellites on the affected programs are completed over the next two years.<br /><br />Charges totalling approximately US$ 195 million will be recorded in the Launch and Orbital Systems segment; the remaining US$ 70 million is related to satellites for fixed-price military programs.<br /><br />(source: Boeing)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Hughes, Boeing Settle Disputes in Sale of Satellite Manufacturing Operations<br /><br />(15 July 2003) Hughes Electronics Corporation has reached a settlement agreement with The Boeing Company that resolves the outstanding purchase price adjustment disputes arising from Boeing's October 2000 acquisition of Hughes satellite manufacturing operations.<br /><br />A price adjustment procedure was provided under the purchase agreement when Boeing acquired the Hughes satellite systems manufacturing businesses in October 2000 for US$ 3.75 billion in cash. The operations were renamed Boeing Satellite Systems Inc (BSS).<br /><br />Under the terms of the agreement, Hughes will settle all outstanding purchase price adjustment disputes with Boeing by paying an aggregate US$ 360 million in cash. Boeing also will be released from its commitment to pay Hughes US$ 4.4 million over the next seven years in connection with Boeing's participation in the settlement with the US Department of State on China launch issues of the mid-1990s. As a result of the settlement, Hughes will take an after-tax charge of approximately US$ 8 million that will be accounted for under discontinued operations for the quarter ended June 30 2003.<br /><br />In connection with the settlement, Hughes Network Systems (HNS) agreed to extend the scheduled launch date for the first BSS-built SpaceWay satellite from the fourth quarter of 2003 until February 2004. HNS, a subsidiary of Hughes, and BSS also agreed to amend other terms of the contract. The modifications to the SpaceWay satellite contract are not expected to have a significant effect on HNS' plans for initiating SpaceWay services in 2004.<br /><br />(source: Hughes Electronics)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Loral Files for Bankruptcy<br /><br />(15 July 2003) Loral Space and Communications Ltd has reached a definitive agreement to sell its six North American telecommunications satellites to Intelsat Ltd. for up to US$ 1.1 billion in cash, subject to certain price adjustments related to Loral's ability to achieve specified operating parameters prior to the close. In conjunction with and as a precondition to this sale, Loral and certain of its subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions for reorganisation under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code.<br /><br />Loral intends to reorganise around its remaining fleet of five satellites and its satellite manufacturing operations, allowing the company to go forward as a viable enterprise with opportunities for future growth. The Chapter 11 filing, made in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, will enable Loral to sell the six North American satellites free and clear of any encumbrances.<br /><br />It was also announced that Intelsat has agreed to order a new satellite from Loral and will make a US$ 100 million down payment on that order upon closing of the sale of the North American satellites.<br /><br />Loral expects to use most of the proceeds from the sale of the North American satellites to repay all US$ 959 million of its outstanding secured bank debt. The transaction is expected to close within four to six months, pending Bankruptcy Court and regulatory approval. The agreement provides for the sale of Telstars 4, 5, 6 and 7, which are currently in orbit, as well as Telstars 13 and 8, which are scheduled to be launched later this year and in the first half of next year, respectively.<br /><br />The proposed acquisition of the Loral assets would complement Intelsat's global network, which includes capacity on 26 satellites, by adding complete coverage of the important North American market and by increasing Intelsat's customer base in the cable television and broadcasting segments. The total consideration for the assets may increase or decrease based on business performance and as provided for in the agreement. Intelsat would assume responsibility for launch and insurance-related costs for one of the satellites currently under construction.<br /><br />The assets to be purchased include the Telstar 4, Telstar 5, Telstar 6 and Telstar 7 satellites, which today provide North American coverage from the 89° W, 97° W, 93° W, and 129° W orbital locations. The agreement also includes two satellites currently under construction, Telstar 8 and Telstar 13. The Telstar 13 satellite, co-owned with EchoStar Communications Corporation, is expected to launch in early August and will be located at the 121° W orbital location. The Telstar 8 satellite is scheduled to launch into the 89° W orbital location in early 2004, at which time Telstar 4 will move to 77° W. The in-orbit satellites to be acquired currently carry traffic for premiere broadcasters, cable operators and private data network operators, such as CBS and Fox Broadcasting, and have a contracted backlog of approximately US$ 550 million. Collectively, the satellites have an average remaining orbital manoeuvre life of 13.7 years.<br /><br />Through its Skynet subsidiary, Loral will continue to operate an integrated fixed satellite and network services business using its fleet of five telecommunications satellites and its established VSAT/fibre global network infrastructure. The Loral fleet will consist of the Telstar 10, 11 and 12 satellites currently in orbit and Telstar 18/Apstar V and Telstar 14/Estrela do Sul, which are scheduled to be launched within the next nine months. This fleet serves markets in South America, Europe and Asia that the company believes are currently underserved and have potential for growth.<br /><br />Loral will also continue to own and operate Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a world-class leader in the design and manufacture of satellites and satellite systems for commercial and government applications and one of only five such manufacturers in the world.<br /><br />Loral believes that it currently has adequate cash on hand and cash flow from operations to continue normal operations and customer support. Accordingly, the company has decided not to obtain third-party debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing at this time. Loral will continue to evaluate its liquidity needs on an ongoing basis.<br /><br />On June 30, Loral announced that it had collected US$ 55 million in cash from Intelsat, resulting from an acceleration of a receivable for agreed-upon orbital performance payments. Separately, the company also announced on June 30 that it had reached a settlement with Alcatel resolving all outstanding issues between them including a contract dispute that had been in arbitration.<br /><br />Loral currently has approximately US$ 2.1 billion in long-term debt (including the US$ 959 million of bank debt), resulting mainly from its investments in Globalstar as well as the rapid build-up of its FSS fleet, which has demonstrated its value over time through its strong cash flow and EBITDA performance.<br /><br />In addition to the satellite order from Intelsat, SS/L recently was awarded a US$ 113 million contract to provide batteries and power systems for the International Space Station. Earlier this year, WildBlue Communications Corp ordered a restart from SS/L of its WildBlue-1 satellite program.<br /><br />The company believes that its plan to substantially reduce long-term debt and interest expense going forward should help address concerns customers and suppliers may have had about its financial condition. Moreover, one of the benefits of the Chapter 11 process is that the company's obligations to customers and suppliers made after the filing are treated more favourably under the Bankruptcy Code than similar obligations made before the filing.<br /><br />In conjunction with the Chapter 11 filing, Loral will file shortly a motion with the court seeking approval of procedures for the sale of the six North American satellites. In accordance with these procedures, the proposed transaction with Intelsat will be subject to higher and better offers. The company has also filed other customary "First Day Motions" to support its employees, customers and suppliers. The company expects that employees will continue to receive their customary salaries and benefits. Suppliers will be paid under normal terms for goods and services provided on or after the petition filing date of July 15, 2003. Loral today also began a similar legal proceeding in Bermuda, where it is incorporated.<br /><br />(source: Loral Space and Communications, Intelsat)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />NASA Announces Independent Engineering And Safety Center<br /><br />(15 July 2003) NASA has announced plans to create an independent Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) at the agency's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia., to provide comprehensive examination of all NASA programs and projects. The centre will provide a central location to co-ordinate and conduct robust engineering and safety assessment across the entire agency.<br /><br />The NESC is expected to draw on the talents of about 250 people throughout NASA and will report to former astronaut General Roy Bridges, Langley Center Director. Bryan O'Connor, also a former astronaut and Associate Administrator for the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance at NASA Headquarters in Washington, will have policy responsibility for the organisation. O'Connor's task will be to assure the effective use of all agency assets and expertise to derive the independent assessments.<br /><br />Planned activities of the new organisation include:<br /><br />* Independent engineering assessment and testing to support critical NASA<br /> projects and programs<br />* Engineering and safety review and evaluation through independent<br /> analysis, hazard and risk assessment, safety audit, and participation<br /> in mishap investigations<br />* A central location for independent trend analysis utilising<br /> state-of-the-art tools and techniques<br />* A structure to support engineering collaboration for problem resolution<br />* Central co-ordination of engineering and programmatic lessons learned,<br /> technical standards, and technical discipline expertise<br />* Independent inspection and validation of activities to ensure the constant<br /> maintenance of NASA safety standards<br /><br />(source: NASA)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Products and Services<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Secure Satellite Voice over IP and Internet Communication Service<br /><br />(14 July 2003) Verdisys Inc of Houston, Texas, a leading provider of patented lateral drilling oil services and satellite solutions for Energy Production Enhancement, and Reconstruction Data Group Inc have announced the availability of its new Voice Over IP (VoIP) and Internet Communication Service. These services are facilitated through Verdisys' own internal network where it has brought the critical technologies together to ensure its customers' mission critical information is neither corrupted nor compromised.<br /><br />The Verdisys VPN implementation is cost effective due to existing satellite connections, Wi-Fi and the Internet to provide voice and data communications virtually anywhere in the world. Using the largest available networks of Satellites, Verdisys is able to serve remote locations in North and South America, Europe and most of Africa.<br /><br />Verdisys, Inc. provides proprietary oil services and solutions for Energy Production Enhancement in the areas of Satellite Communications and patented Lateral Drilling Technologies. Verdisys has developed unique, high quality and cost effective satellite communication capabilities that provide Energy Companies access to remote sites. The Company's key focus is on monitoring and control of applications involving SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) implementations in the areas of oil and gas exploration, production, power distribution and other energy management applications. In the US and Canada, Verdisys provides oil and gas companies with a patented lateral drilling service utilising specially fabricated mobile drilling rigs.<br /><br />(source: Verdisys)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />People<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Andrew Appoints New Chief Financial Officer<br /><br />(17 July 2003) Andrew Corporation's Board of Directors have announced the election of Marty R Kittrell, currently the company's vice president of strategic planning, as Andrew Corporation's new Chief Financial Officer, effective October 1, 2003.<br /><br />Marty Kittrell joined Andrew Corporation in June 2002 and was formerly vice president and chief financial officer of Celiant Corporation, a company acquired by Andrew in June 2002. Prior to this, he held a number of financial executive posts with several public companies including, from 1989 to 1997, the position of vice president and chief financial officer at Exide Electronics Group Inc. Marty began his career with the public accounting firm of Price Waterhouse. He is a member of the Financial Executives Institute, the National Investor Relations Institute, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Institute of Management Accountants, and the Institute of Internal Auditors.<br /><br />It was also announced that, effective immediately, Gregory F Maruszak has been appointed to the newly created role of Chief Compliance Officer. In this position, Maruszak will be responsible for guiding the company through its implementation of requirements created by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other corporate governance and compliance matters. In his new role, Maruszak reports directly to the Audit and Human Resources/Governance Committees of the Andrew Board of Directors.<br /><br />Greg joined Andrew Corporation in 1982 and was appointed vice president and corporate controller in 1991 and named vice president, finance, in 1998. Prior to Andrew Corporation, Greg was a senior executive in the public accounting firm of Ernst & Young. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.<br /><br />In another move, Daniel J Hartnett, currently tax director, Andrew Corporation, was promoted to the new role of Vice President of Tax and elected as a corporate officer of Andrew. Dan has over 26 years of corporate tax experience. Prior to joining Andrew in 1997, he was tax director - international with Sara Lee Corporation in Chicago, Illinois, and Paris, France, and a tax manager with the public accounting firm of Touche Ross. He holds a JD and Master of Science in Taxation degree from DePaul University. Dan is a member of the Illinois Bar and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.<br /><br />(source: Andrew Corporation)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Geveden Named Marshall Deputy Director<br /><br />(14 July 2003) Rex D Geveden has been named as the new Deputy Director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Geveden will succeed David King, who became Center Director on June 15.<br /><br />As Program Manager for Gravity Probe B (GP-B) since 1996, Geveden led a government, industry and university team in developing a sophisticated payload designed to test two features of Einstein's General Relativity theory.<br /><br />Geveden has been serving as Deputy Director of the Science Directorate at Marshall where he leads 600 government, industry and university employees in scientifically diverse research and development projects in space science, materials science, biotechnology, earth science and space optics.<br /><br />Geveden also was Project Manager for the Lightning Im
