MICROCOM'S SPACE NEWSFEED 28 July 2002<br />Space Industry News from Around the World<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Brought to you 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. July 2002 issue now available. Also available online.<br /><br />Check out other web resources from Microcom Systems:<br /><br />Satellite Industry Links: the largest free satellite and space industry directory on the web http://www.satellite-links.co.uk<br /><br />Satellite on the Net: white papers, industry events, launch information and book reviews http://www.satelliteonthenet.co.uk<br /><br />Jobs in Space: space industry recruitment http://www.space-jobs.co.uk<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />CONTENTS<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />SATCOMS:<br />Connexion by Boeing Adds Eutelsat for European Coverage<br />Globalstar, Mykotronx Introduce Unsurpassed Data Security for Satellite Communications<br />Japan Airlines Agrees to be Asian Launch Customer for Connexion by Boeing<br />Tandberg Television Leads Digitisation of Russian Satellite Distribution Network<br />UK Grants License for Connexion by Boeing<br /><br />NAVIGATION:<br />SSTL GPS Receiver Selected for DART Mission<br /><br />MILITARY SPACE:<br />Analytical Graphics to Provide Geospatial Components of NIMA Commercial Joint Mapping Toolkit Software Contract<br /><br />MANNED SPACE:<br />Andrews Space & Technology Wins US$ 2.9 Million Contract from NASA<br />XCOR and Space Adventures Announce New Sub-Orbital Spacecraft<br /><br />TECHNOLOGY:<br />Frequency Electronics Receives Contract for NASA Space Timing<br />Loral Skynet Granted Its First-ever Patent for Innovative Transponder Performance Measurement System<br /><br />LAUNCH SERVICES:<br />Arianespace to Launch Helios IIA<br /><br />LAUNCHES:<br />Arkon/Cosmos 2392<br />Launch Schedule<br /><br />BUSINESS:<br />ESA and Eurocontrol Sign Co-operation Agreement on Using Space Technology for Civil Aviation<br />STM Wireless to Open Sales Office for Latin America<br /><br />PRODUCTS AND SERVICES:<br />EMS Technologies Granted Inmarsat Type Approval for HSD-128 Airborne Two-Channel High-Speed Data Terminal<br /><br />PEOPLE:<br />Bill Parsons New Stennis Center Director<br />Former NASA Space Station Program Director Becomes CSI "Alternate Access To Station" Program Manager<br /><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 /><br />SATCOMS<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Connexion by Boeing Adds Eutelsat for European Coverage<br /><br />(25 July 2002) Connexion by Boeing has contracted with Eutelsat to use the Eutelsat IIF4 satellite to provide additional transponder capacity that will provide real-time connectivity for airborne travellers en route between North America and Europe. Two transponders - one each for transmit and receive - are being leased on the satellite which is located at 12.5° W.<br /><br />Plans for Connexion by Boeing to use transponders onboard the Brazilian Estrela do Sul 1 satellite, scheduled for launch in early 2003, for long-term service support in the North Atlantic region, remain intact. However, the addition of the Eutelsat IIF4 satellite supports advance system testing and bolsters satellite coverage for the commencement of commercial service demonstrations in January 2003 for Lufthansa and in February 2003 for British Airways.<br /><br />Connexion by Boeing is also using the Eutelsat Atlantic Bird 2 satellite located at 8° W to support airline service demonstrations aboard the Connexion One 737 flying laboratory at the Farnborough International Air Show. Using the satellite capability, leading airline industry executives are able to experience first-hand the tremendous power and added value that real-time broadband connectivity can provide to passengers and to airline operations in the air and on the ground.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Globalstar, Mykotronx Introduce Unsurpassed Data Security for Satellite Communications<br /><br />(25 July 2002) Type-1 data encryption - the U.S. government's highest level of security for data transmission - is now available over Globalstar phones using Mykotronx encryption equipment.<br /><br />The Rainbow Mykotronx KIV-7HSB data encryption device, which has a proven record in providing top level data security across a wide range of applications and installations, has been successfully tested and integrated by Rainbow Mykotronx with the Globalstar Qualcomm GSP-1600 satellite phone. The integration offers Globalstar users the same high assurance security protection of the US National Security Agency's (NSA) strongest level of encryption.<br /><br />The Rainbow Mykotronx KIV-7HSB's compact configuration is ideal for desktop, embedded, or rack installations, yet it also offers a broad variety of features, including removable Crypto Ignition Key protection of internally stored keys, user-friendly menu-based interfaces, and compatibility with both DS-101 and DS-102 electronic keying devices.<br /><br />The Globalstar Qualcomm GSP-1600 is one of the smallest and most versatile satellite phones available today, allowing users to stay in touch from virtually anywhere with a clear, reliable CDMA-quality signal. It is also available with a growing number of add-on accessories for use in aviation, maritime and other applications in demanding physical environments.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Japan Airlines Agrees to be Asian Launch Customer for Connexion by Boeing<br /><br />(22 July 2002) Japan Airlines (JAL) and Connexion by Boeing have signed a Letter of Intent that will make the Asian carrier a significant new customer for the high-speed mobile information services provider.<br /><br />The agreement calls for the broadband communication service to be installed on 10 of JAL's long-haul aircraft as part of the first step, with additional aircraft options for future expansion of the service. While model types for the initial service installations and their timing have yet to be determined, the primary focus for the initial installations will be the Japan-to-Europe route. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.<br /><br />JAL executives have been active participants in the Connexion Working Together meetings where 15 global airlines have directly contributed to the development of an intuitive, customer-focused and service-ready connectivity solution for airline passengers world-wide. In the months ahead, Connexion by Boeing will work closely with JAL to define the level of services that will be offered to their international airline passengers.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Tandberg Television Leads Digitisation of Russian Satellite Distribution Network<br /><br />(24 July 2002) Tandberg Television, a leading provider of open solutions for digital broadcasting and broadband, today announced that it is providing an end-to-end, fully integrated digital solution to the Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC), a satellite services provider owning Russia’s largest collection of geo-stationary communication and broadcasting satellites.<br /><br />Tandberg Television, working in partnership with Russian distributor Elogar, is providing compression equipment, ATM transmission, modulation, filtering and monitoring solutions - the first end-to-end solution of it’s kind for the RSCC. This system will provide the country’s federal broadcasters with the means to transmit high quality, multi channel digital transmissions alongside commercial broadcasters who have already made the move into digital.<br /><br />Using the Tandberg Television solution, the RSCC will start the process of broadcasting all of Russia’s federal television and radio channels via digital satellite alongside existing analogue transmission in September this year. The first stage of the deployment project will transfer federal and regional programs into digital format in the European and Far Eastern federal areas, and will then be rolled out to the rest of the country once national broadcaster Russian TV and Radio Network Company, completes its upgrade of the existing terrestrial network.<br /><br />The system will include a number of Tandberg Television’s latest technological innovations designed to provide the RSCC with the most efficient and flexible solutions on the market. These include MA5300 MPEG/ATM adapters and SM5600 satellite modulators, as well as the E5710 1U encoders, part of Tandberg Television’s latest generation of encoding solutions which combine the highest performance compression with flawless picture quality at low bit rates.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />UK Grants License for Connexion by Boeing<br /><br />(24 July 2002) The British government has given the regulatory approval for Connexion by Boeing to provide airlines and passengers broadband in-flight access to the Internet, corporate intranets, email and other data services.<br /><br />By authorising The Boeing Company's use of a range of radio frequencies, the satellite network operator license granted by the United Kingdom's Radiocommunications Agency helps lay the foundation for three-month demonstrations of the Connexion by Boeing service by British Airways and Lufthansa on routes between Europe and the United States, which are scheduled for first quarter 2003.<br /><br />Connexion by Boeing is a mobile information services provider bringing high-speed Internet, email, intranet, data and entertainment connectivity to aircraft in flight.<br /><br />The new license is the most recent regulatory achievement for Connexion by Boeing. Authorisations also have been received from similar agencies in Germany, Canada and the United States, laying the foundation for the beginning of commercial airline service in early 2003.<br /><br />Connexion by Boeing currently is available to the executive services market in the United States, which includes operators of private and government aircraft. In June, British Airways announced plans for a three- month trial of Connexion by Boeing. The British Airways service demonstration will begin in February 2003, one month after the start of a similar demonstration by Lufthansa German Airlines. Both service demos will involve trans-Atlantic flights between Europe and the United States. This week, Japan Airlines announced it had signed a Letter of Intent to equip 10 of its long-range jetliners with Connexion by Boeing on routes between Asia and Europe.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />NAVIGATION<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />SSTL GPS Receiver Selected for DART Mission<br /><br />(23 July 2002) Surrey Satellite Technology Limited has been selected by Orbital Sciences Corporation to provide an SGR-10 GPS receiver for the Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART) mission.<br /><br />This is part of NASA's Space Launch Initiative (SLI), and will see the DART vehicle being launched and manoeuvred to approach an existing target satellite, converging to within about 5 metres using a new advanced video guidance sensor before manoeuvring away again.<br /><br />Surrey's Space GPS Receiver (SGR) is a 24 channel C/A code multi-antenna receiver designed for positioning, timing and orbit determination of low Earth orbiting spacecraft. The SGR is able to initialise itself in orbit within four minutes from a cold start, and determines position to an accuracy of 10 metres. The SGR has been used on a number of satellites, including ESA's PROBA mission, and several of Surrey's own small satellites. It has been selected for Surrey's Disaster Monitoring Constellation, and the first of these satellites, AlSAT-1, is scheduled for launch in autumn 2002.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />MILITARY SPACE<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Analytical Graphics to Provide Geospatial Components of NIMA Commercial Joint Mapping Toolkit Software Contract<br /><br />(25 July 2002) Analytical Graphics Inc (AGI) will provide dynamic geospatial and three-dimensional software components for the Commercial Joint Mapping Toolkit (C/JMTK) contract recently awarded by the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA).<br /><br />The program will develop a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) version of NIMA's Joint Mapping Toolkit to provide military and intelligence agencies a common suite of imagery software. NIMA selected Northrop Grumman Corporation's Information Technology (IT) sector to lead the 11-year, US$ 72-million contract along with a team composed of AGI, ESRI and Leica Geosystems/ERDAS.<br /><br />C/JMTK software will provide the mapping foundation for the defence information infrastructure common operating environment (DII COE) supporting DoD C4ISR. Phase I of the C/JMTK program will insert COTS geographic information systems (GIS) components into the DII COE and associated Joint and Service C4ISR systems using technology components from AGI's Satellite Tool Kit (STK) software suite integrated with ESRI's ArcGIS software. Mission application developers will also be able to use STK off the shelf as part of Phase II of the program. Overall, this new system will provide the warfighter with a comprehensive range of mapping utilities, analysis tools, and visualisation to support real-time situational awareness, track management, terrain analysis, multi-intelligence fusion, and other important geographically based functions.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />MANNED SPACE<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Andrews Space & Technology Wins US$ 2.9 Million Contract from NASA<br /><br />(22 July 2002) Andrews Space & Technology (AS&T) has been awarded a US$ 2.9 million contract by NASA to develop an integrated system solution for delivering supplies to the International Space Station as part of NASA's Space Launch Initiative (SLI).<br /><br />The twelve-month study will focus on developing an effective commercial re-supply service to transport up to 13,600 kg of food, equipment, and experiments per year to the International Space Station. AS&T will evaluate innovative technologies including recoverable, reusable and expendable systems as well as ballistic and winged re-entry designs. The project builds on previous innovations submitted by AS&T to NASA.<br /><br />Supporting AS&T on the project are leading aerospace firms including: Alenia Spazio of Turin, Italy will study pressurised cargo module accommodation and design; Northrop Grumman Corporation's Integrated Systems sector will perform structural feasibility assessments; and Spacehab Inc will focus on ground and space operations required to process and transfer cargo.<br /><br />This is the third contract AS&T has been awarded under the Space Launch Initiative in the past 14 months. In May 2001, the Company was awarded approximately US$ 3 million to assess the feasibility of its Alchemist Air Collection and Enrichment System, a 2nd Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle propulsion technology. AS&T also won a US$ 1.8 million contract from Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems in January 2002 to support 2nd Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle architecture design studies.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />XCOR and Space Adventures Announce New Sub-Orbital Spacecraft<br /><br />(22 July 2002) XCOR Aerospace and Space Adventures Ltd have announced a marketing agreement that enables Space Adventures to offer the first 600 flights to 100 km altitude aboard XCOR's Xerus sub-orbital vehicle, designed specifically for space tourist flights.<br /><br />The Xerus vehicle project has begun preliminary design including development of XCOR's next-generation rocket engine and propulsion system using non-toxic propellants. The Xerus will be capable of flying one pilot and one Space Adventures paying passenger on a one-hour sub-orbital space flight. At the peak of its parabolic trajectory, passengers will experience several minutes of weightlessness and see the Earth from space.<br /><br />According to a recent study commissioned by Space Adventures, the sub- orbital space tourist market could generate revenues of over US$ 1 billion annually. Space Adventures has over 100 sub-orbital reservations and is currently accepting bookings for sub-orbital flights at US$ 98,000.<br /><br />Completion of the Xerus is conditional on securing financing. Assuming full funding, XCOR expects that it will take eighteen months to begin flight tests and three years before entering revenue service.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />TECHNOLOGY<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Frequency Electronics Receives Contract for NASA Space Timing<br /><br />(24 July 2002) Frequency Electronics Inc's wholly-owned subsidiary, FEI Government Systems Inc, has been awarded a US$ 1.2 million initial contract from Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL) to develop the next generation of timing systems for NASA's interplanetary space missions and deep space probes.<br /><br />The new timing systems will be based on FEI's precision quartz technology and unique legacy of success in developing and building timing systems for space applications. The Company also announced that since fiscal 2001 its backlog for government programs has risen from US$ 2 million to US$ 8 million, including this JPL contract.<br /><br />Frequency Electronics Inc is a world leader in the design, development and manufacture of high-technology frequency, timing and synchronisation products for satellite and terrestrial voice, video and data telecommunications.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Loral Skynet Granted Its First-ever Patent for Innovative Transponder Performance Measurement System<br /><br />(25 July 2002) Loral Skynet has received its first-ever patent for a unique transponder plot measurement, storage and distribution system that allows Skynet's engineers to clearly see a customer's satellite signal integrity, power levels and possible interference problems directly from a desktop computer in real time.<br /><br />Transponder plots - essentially a snapshot in time of the radio frequency spectrum on a given transponder - are generally drafted on paper at a satellite operator's control centre and faxed to engineers and the satellite's end-users. Skynet's electronic plot system allows its engineers to supply customers with a clear and professional quality plot of their signal(s) on Loral Skynet satellites quickly and efficiently. The information can also be sent to customers electronically as a JPEG file.<br /><br />The software gives Skynet engineers a consistent and flexible electronic plot format that allows for analysis, annotation and distribution with no loss in the professional presentation quality. In its electronic format, over a year's worth of plots can be archived on a single CD ROM.<br /><br />The transponder measurement system was developed by Loral Skynet engineers Derwin Skotch and David McDowell in May 2000.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />LAUNCH SERVICES<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Arianespace to Launch Helios IIA<br /><br />(25 July 2002) An Ariane 5 will launch the Helios IIA satellite into a sun-synchronous polar orbit during the second half of 2004 from the Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana. Helios IIA will weigh about 4,200 kg at launch.<br /><br />Helios IIA is the first second-generation satellite in the defence/security observation system operated by France in collaboration with other European countries. The French defence procurement agency DGA (Delegation pour l'Armement), part of the Ministry of Defence, is in charge of the program, and has named CNES system architect and contracting authority for the space segment. The program organisation is very similar to that chosen in 1986 for the Helios I production phase.<br /><br />The space segment covers both the satellites and ground control facilities. Two satellites are being built by Astrium as prime contractor. It leads a number of European subcontractors, including Alcatel Space which is responsible for the high-resolution imaging instrument. CNES is in charge of the development and operation of the satellite control centre, located at the Toulouse Space Centre.<br /><br />The control centre monitors the satellites via CNES's network of tracking stations. In addition, it generates and transmits commands using the working program prepared by the Main Helios Control Centre in Creil (near Paris). The Helios IIA satellite is the 19th military payload for the Ariane launcher.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />LAUNCHES<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Arkon/Cosmos 2392<br /><br />Launched: 25 July 2002<br />Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan<br />Launcher: Proton K<br />Orbit: MEO, apogee: 1836 km, perigee: 1500 km: inclination: 64.4°<br />International Number: 2002-037A<br />Name: Arkon/Cosmos 2392<br />Owner: Russian Ministry of Defense<br />Contractor: NPO Lavochkin<br /><br />This is reported to be a military and civil imaging satellite of the Arkon class. The satellite has an expected lifetime of 3 years and has a mass of 2600 kg.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Launch Schedule<br /><br />delayed: EchoStar 8 on a Proton K from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan: delayed indefinitely - spacecraft problems<br />delayed: Spacehab research laboratory (Freestar) on the Shuttle Columbia (STS-107) from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida: delayed following discovery of cracks in fuel line liner<br />August: Astra 1K on a Proton from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan<br />August: Hot Bird 6 on an Atlas 5 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida maiden flight of Atlas 5<br />Q3: Intelsat 906 on an Ariane from CSG Kourou, French Guiana<br />delayed: ISS 9A/BA, ITS S1 on the Shuttle Atlantis (STS-112) from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida: delayed following discovery of cracks in fuel line liner<br />August 27: Atlantic Bird 1, MSG-1 on an Ariane 5 from CSG Kourou, French Guiana<br />August 31: Kypros Sat 1 on an Ariane from CSG Kourou, French Guiana<br />September: GPS 2R-8 on a Delta 2 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida<br />September 10: Data Relay Test Satellite W on an H-2A from Tanegashima Space Center, Japan<br />September 10: Progress M-47 (9P) on a Soyuz-U from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan<br />September 18: Hispasat 1D on an Atlas 2AS from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida<br />delayed: Orbview 3 on a Pegasus XL from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California<br />October 1: Helios 2A on an Ariane from CSG Kourou, French Guiana<br />October 6: DMSP-16 (5D-3-F16) on a Titan II from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California<br />delayed: ISS 11A, ITS, P1 on the Shuttle Endeavour (STS-113) from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida: delayed following discovery of cracks in fuel line liner<br />October 9: Eutelsat W5 on a Delta 4 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida: first EELV launch<br />October 17: GALEX on a Pegasus XL from Canaveral Spaceport, Florida<br />October 17: Integral on a Proton from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan<br />October 22: Soyuz (ISS 5S) on a Soyuz U from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />BUSINESS<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />ESA and Eurocontrol Sign Co-operation Agreement on Using Space Technology for Civil Aviation<br /><br />(26 July 2002) A five-year renewable Agreement for Co-operation has been signed in Brussels by the Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), Antonio Rodotà, and the Director General of Eurocontrol, Victor M Aguado.<br /><br />The Agreement establishes a general framework for co-operation and support between the two organisations regarding the use of space technology for civil aviation purposes in areas of common interest such as satellite navigation, telecommunications and the environment.<br /><br />Under the Agreement, the parties will exchange information regarding programmes and projects, research results and publications, and will co-ordinate research and development programmes.<br /><br />Specific arrangements will be implemented, spelling out the technical and operational interfaces between the respective activities and the roles and responsibilities of the parties. Each party will bear the cost of work to be done, without funds being exchanged.<br /><br />One such arrangement will cover the safety regulation process for GNSS with exchanges of information on the methodologies to be employed, sharing of results obtained from R&D and technical projects and joint participation in on-going projects. Operational validation will also be taken into account by working together on all phases of flight: en-route, standard non-precision approach and airport surface movements.<br /><br />A Joint Committee of ESA and Eurocontrol representatives will be responsible for the administration of the Agreement and for ensuring its implementation, by examining potential areas for concrete co-operation, evaluating the status of ongoing activities, identifying specific action required and reviewing its general functioning.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />STM Wireless to Open Sales Office for Latin America<br /><br />(25 July 2002) STM Wireless Inc has announced its plans for expanding its Latin American sales efforts through the establishment of a new sales office to be located in the Miami, Florida, area.<br /><br />In support of its sales effort, STM also announced the establishment of a new maintenance and installation facility. Located in Bolivia, the new facility has been equipped and staffed for after-sales technical support, as well as a depot for support of customers on a regional basis.<br /><br />STM already has an extensive installed base of rural telephony VSATs throughout Latin America in use by phone companies in Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, Guatemala and Mexico.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />PRODUCTS AND SERVICES<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />EMS Technologies Granted Inmarsat Type Approval for HSD-128 Airborne Two-Channel High-Speed Data Terminal<br /><br />(24 July 2002) EMS Technologies has been granted full type and unrestricted access approval from Inmarsat for the HSD-128 and HSD-64 High Speed Data Terminals. EMS is the first avionics manufacturer to obtain this unrestricted approval from Inmarsat.<br /><br />This supersedes the case approval of EMS' HSD-128 that was granted by Inmarsat in April 2002.<br /><br />While the EMS HSD-128 high-speed data terminal is targeted at corporate and commercial transport aircraft, a single-channel 64 kb/s version of the system has been flying routinely on US military aircraft since last November.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />PEOPLE<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Bill Parsons New Stennis Center Director<br /><br />(24 July 2002) Roy S Estess, centre director for NASA's John C Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, today announced plans to retire after 42 years in government service, 37 with NASA. Administrator Sean O'Keefe named William (Bill) W Parsons Jr, the current Center Operations and Support Director at Stennis, as Estess' successor, effective August 25th.<br /><br />Estess first joined NASA in 1966 as a test engineer on the Saturn V second-stage test program. He later served as head of the Applications Engineering Office, deputy of the Earth Resources Laboratory and director of the Regional Applications Program. From 1980 to 1988, he served as Stennis' Deputy Director and was named Center Director in 1989.<br /><br />In 1992, Estess was temporarily assigned to NASA Headquarters in Washington as a special assistant to the Administrator and served two consecutive NASA Administrators. From February 2001 to April 2002, Estess was temporarily assigned as acting director of the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston.<br /><br />Parsons is a veteran of the US Marine Corps and decided to join NASA after watching a space shuttle launch while on a Florida vacation. He joined the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in 1986 and transferred to the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in 1990.<br /><br />Parsons met Estess in 1994 at KSC and decided to move to Stennis in 1997 where he served as Chief of Operations for all propulsion test operations. In 1998, Parsons was named Deputy Director of JSC, where he was later reunited with Estess. He moved back to Stennis in 2001.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Former NASA Space Station Program Director Becomes CSI "Alternate Access To Station" Program Manager<br /><br />(22 July 2002) Constellation Services International Inc (CSI) has announced that Thomas L Moser, who served as NASA's highest executive in the Space Station Freedom program, has been appointed as the Program Manager for CSI's "Alternate Access to Station" (AAS) Phase 1 effort to study its LEO Expres Space Cargo System for launching supplies to the International Space Station (ISS).<br /><br />The AAS program, managed by NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), is a multi-year effort enabling commercial re-supply services for the ISS to supplement the Space Shuttle and other nations' ISS delivery vehicles.<br /><br />During 25 years at NASA, Mr Moser held a number of senior management positions, including Deputy Associate Administrator and Program Director for Space Station (1987-1989). Before that, Moser served as NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Flight (1986-1987), and as Johnson Space Center's Director of Engineering (1983-1986). After retiring from NASA, Mr Moser served under then-Governor George W. Bush as the Executive Director of the Texas Aerospace Commission (1998-2000).<br /><br />CSI was awarded a US$ 2.3 million AAS contract by NASA/MSFC on 12 July 2002 to validate and refine CSI's patent-pending LEO Express Space Cargo System. The system will use off-the-shelf technology to create standardised containers that can be launched on a broad variety of existing and future launch vehicles. Over the last 50 years, standardised containers have transformed cargo transportation across the entire surface of the Earth.<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 http://www.spacenewsfeed.co.uk<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />To subscribe and unsubscribe go to: http://www.spacenewsfeed.co.uk/subscribe.html<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Copyright 2002 Microcom Systems Ltd. All rights reserved.<br /><br />Microcom's Space Newsfeed may be freely distributed on condition that it is distributed complete, not edited in any way, and that no fee is charged. All copies must contain this copyright notice.<br /><br />Microcom Systems Ltd<br />PO Box 21<br />Haverhill<br />Suffolk CB9 0NZ<br />United Kingdom<br /><br />info@microcomsystems.co.uk<br />http://www.microcomsystems.co.uk