Microcom's Space Newsfeed 1 June 2003<br />Space Industry News from Around the World<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Published by Microcom Systems Ltd, consultants in satellite communications since 1985.
http://www.microcomsystems.co.uk<br /><br />Publishers of the Handbook of Satellite Services in Europe, the definitive guide to European satellite communications:
http://www.microcomsystems.co.uk/pubs/ssie.html. April 2003 issue now available. Also available online - get a temporary password to review the Handbook by sending a blank email to review@satelliteonthenet.co.uk.<br /><br />Other web resources from Microcom Systems:<br /><br />Satellite Industry Links: the largest free satellite and space industry directory on the web
http://www.satellite-links.co.uk<br /><br />Satellite on the Net: white papers, industry events, launch information and space bookshop
http://www.satelliteonthenet.co.uk<br /><br />Jobs in Space: space industry recruitment
http://www.space-jobs.co.uk<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Contents<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Satcoms:<br />Lufthansa and Boeing Sign Broadband Service Agreement<br />SES Americom to Expand DigitalC Platform on AMC-10 & AMC-11 Satellites<br />ViaSat Provides LinkStar Network to IP Access International for Multiemedia in Australia<br /><br />Earth Observation:<br />Satellite Imagery Improves Agriculture Techniques<br /><br />Navigation:<br />First EGNOS Signal in Space<br />Galileo Becomes a Reality for Europe<br /><br />Science:<br />New Destination for Rosetta, Europe's Comet Chaser<br />Scientists Eager to Get On Board ExoMars<br /><br />Manned Space:<br />NASA Opens Applications for New Astronaut Class<br />SAIC Wins NASA Orbital Space Plane Contract <br /><br />Technology:<br />Uni-Solar Awarded US$ 11.5 Million Contract by USAF Research Laboratory<br /><br />Launch Services:<br />Securing Europe's Access to Space, Now and For the Future<br /><br />Launches:<br />Beidou 1C<br /><br />Business:<br />California Amplifier Announces Restructuring Actions<br /><br />Products and Services:<br />Actel Introduces 1553B Bus Controller Core for Military, Space and Avionics Markets<br />Actel's Space FPGAs Break 1-Million Gate Barrier<br />Square Peg Communications Extends Physical Layer Tester Product Line To Inmarsat BGAN<br /><br />People:<br />Allen Flynt Named AMES Deputy Center Director<br />DigitalGlobe Names New President<br />Steve Doering Named EVA Project Office Acting Manager<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 /><br />EEBC 2003<br /><br />The broadband event demanded by the industry in CE 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 /><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 />Space Bookshop - books for space professionals.<br />
http://www.satelliteonthenet.co.uk/book.html<br /><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 />Lufthansa and Boeing Sign Broadband Service Agreement<br /><br />(27 May 2003) Lufthansa and Boeing have signed a definitive service agreement that solidifies the European air carrier's position as the launch customer for the Connexion by Boeing mobile information service and a leader in bringing broadband connectivity to passengers in flight.<br /><br />The agreement calls for the Connexion by Boeing service to be installed on Lufthansa's fleet of approximately 80 long-haul aircraft, including Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft, beginning in early 2004.<br /><br />While financial terms of the service agreement were not disclosed, executives from both companies believe the advent of high-speed connectivity will be a significant benefit for airline passengers and for airline operators world-wide.<br /><br />In preparation for the commercial service introduction, Connexion by Boeing and Lufthansa are working on a host of payment options that will allow passengers to enjoy full access to the Internet including the use of Miles and More bonus miles or payment of a nominal service access fee.<br /><br />In addition to the agreement with Lufthansa, Connexion by Boeing also signed an agreement with Lufthansa Technik AG to support the installation of the mobile information service on the Lufthansa fleet. Based on the terms of the agreement, Lufthansa Technik will support Connexion by Boeing in the design, planning and installation of the service and also produce a corresponding installation kit and supporting service bulletins that will be provided to the Boeing team.<br /><br />(source: Connexion by Boeing)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />SES Americom to Expand DigitalC Platform on AMC-10 & AMC-11 Satellites<br /><br />(28 May 2003) SES Americom has announced the planned expansion of its DigitalC cable programming distribution service to its premier cable neighbourhood, aboard the AMC-10 and AMC-11 satellites, in early 2004. By offering DigitalC aboard these next generation spacecraft, small and large programmers can take advantage of cost-effective, customised solutions to improve their programming delivery capabilities, regardless of digital platform, bandwidth, format requirements or geographic location.<br /><br />SES Americom's premier cable neighbourhood, which currently reaches every cable household aboard the Satcom C-3 and C-4 satellites, will get a boost in power, redundancy, and reach once it moves to the AMC-10 and AMC-11 C band satellites at orbital slots 135° and 131° W. More than half of the capacity aboard the two state-of-the-art spacecraft is already under contract 10 months before launch.<br /><br />Each transponder aboard AMC-10 and AMC-11 will have 20 watt SSPAs, an increase over predecessors Satcom C-3 and C-4. In addition, a higher level of on-board redundancy plus an in-orbit protection satellite, AMC-7, currently operating at 137° W., will provide an enhanced level of protection for programming services.<br /><br />(source: SES Americom)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />ViaSat Provides LinkStar Network to IP Access International for Multiemedia in Australia<br /><br />(28 May 2003) ViaSat Inc has won a contract from IP Access International for a fully redundant LinkStar hub to be deployed for Multiemedia Ltd in Australia. IP Access International along with sister companies Advanced Projects International and Kavera Software will be providing an application distribution system for Multiemedia for service throughout Australia and greater Asia.<br /><br />Kavera software enables users to buy service applications and bandwidth on a pay-as-you-use basis, tracking service use so customers pay only for the service they need.<br /><br />IP Access International (IPA), based in Petaluma, California, is part of the Cornisica family of companies, which also includes Advanced Projects International and Kavera. IPA was delivers high-performance, end-to-end networking for wireless voice, video, and data over satellite.<br /><br />(source: ViaSat)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Earth Observation<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Satellite Imagery Improves Agriculture Techniques<br /><br />(28 May 2003) Bowles Farming, an agriculture customer in Los Banos, California, is using 30 foot resolution SPOT satellite imagery from DigitalGlobe for precision farming applications, land acquisition assessment, and improved crop quality, asset and nutrition management. In addition to providing the imagery, DigitalGlobe worked closely with Bowles Farming to train company representatives on the use and interpretation of digital satellite imagery.<br /><br />Bowles Farming is a 12,000-acre family farm producing cotton, alfalfa and small grains crops. In April 2002, Cannon Michael, business operations manager for the farm, noticed that 45 acres within a 141-acre field of cotton were producing poor yields due to leakage from an irrigation canal that was causing salt build-up in the soil.<br /><br />The initial proposed solution was to install tile along the entire length of the canal to provide adequate drainage and divert excess water. This solution would cost US$ 127,000 for the purchase of 9,700 feet of tile and two pumps. After examining DigitalGlobe's AgroWatch maps produced from SPOT imagery captured in August 2002, Cannon determined the size of the total affected area was less than half of what he initially anticipated - 4,250 feet rather than 9,700 feet. Once the actual extent of the drainage problem was identified through satellite imagery, Cannon determined that he required only 4,250 feet of tile and one pump, saving the farm US$ 69,000 on materials alone. The anticipated revenue increase on the yield is expected to be US$ 17,150 after the first year.<br /><br />Bowles Farming views precision agriculture and other new technologies as a way to achieve production goals while maintaining a commitment to providing high-quality crops at lower production costs. In addition to identifying trouble areas, the company is using AgroWatch maps to optimise the number of acres farmed. The short-term use of these information products includes understanding field variations, identifying opportunities and implementing remediation where possible. In the long-term, Bowles Farming will use the imagery to improve crop quality, nutrition and asset management, as well as assess land acquisitions.<br /><br />AgroWatch products are produced from satellite imagery by DigitalGlobe to meet information needs of the agricultural community. The AgroWatch Green Vegetation Index aids growers and consultants in making quicker and quantitative scouting and land management decisions. ScoutAide shows the absolute amount of vegetation change and is most valuable for identifying problem areas where the crop is changing faster than expected or validating the result of changing production practices. The AgroWatch Soil Zone map provides users insight into the influence of surface soil characteristics on vegetation health. Combined, these maps are critical for improving production practices over time.<br /><br />DigitalGlobe has exclusive rights to sell SPOT satellite imagery products and services to customers in the US agriculture and defence markets. SPOT products are used by government and commercial clients in the agriculture market to provide very rapid and current information on crop conditions both locally and world-wide for market forecasting, disaster response and long-term planning.<br /><br />(source: DigitalGlobe)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Navigation<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />First EGNOS Signal in Space<br /><br />(26 May 2003) After several years of initial definition, detailed design, production and deployment activities, the EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) system started its first signal transmission tests in April.<br /><br />This system is Europe's first venture into satellite navigation and by early next year will deliver the first European Satellite Navigation service. It will augment the two military satellite navigation systems now operating, the US GPS and Russian GLONASS, making them suitable for many mass market applications such as car navigation, bus and truck fleet management, but also for specific applications such as assisting blind people when walking in an unknown area. In addition, after a certification process, EGNOS will be used for safety-critical applications such as flying aircraft or navigating ships through narrow channels.<br /><br />When completed, EGNOS will consist of three geostationary satellites and a network of ground stations that will transmit signals containing information on the reliability and accuracy of the positioning signals sent out by GPS and GLONASS. It will enable users in Europe and beyond to determine their position within 2 m compared with about 20 m with GPS. Since 2000 a prototype of the system (the EGNOS System Test Bed, ESTB) has been providing test signals, fully demonstrating its worth and validity.<br /><br />By spring 2004 the full network needed for this augmentation system will have been deployed all around Europe and beyond. It will comprise monitoring stations, called RIMSs (Ranging and Integrity Monitoring Stations), and several Master Control Centres, the first of which is already installed in Langen, Germany.<br /><br />Altogether, nearly 40 stations will be deployed.<br /><br />This installation phase includes the testing of all equipment. This necessitates the availability of a signal in space and that is why the first signal is so important.<br /><br />EGNOS is a joint project of the European Space Agency, the European Commission and Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation. It is Europe's contribution to the first stage of the global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and is a precursor to Galileo, the full global satellite navigation system under development in Europe.<br /><br />This "first signal in space" of the satellite system will be relayed from the first EGNOS master control centre in Europe, located in the DFS air traffic control centre in Langen, near Frankfurt, Germany.<br /><br />(source: ESA)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Galileo Becomes a Reality for Europe<br /><br />(26 May 2003) The European Space Agency (ESA) is now able to finalise the conditions for participation in the Galileo navigation programme and to approve the Galileo Joint Undertaking foundation act to be soon signed by ESA and the European Union.<br /><br />The agreement reached among ESA member states clears the way for the official launch of the legal entity which will have the task of co-ordinating ESA and EU involvement in Galileo, the European initiative to develop a global satellite navigation system.<br /><br />The Galileo Joint Undertaking, to be headquartered in Brussels, has a key part to play in implementing the various phases of the programme. This unique organisational structure will pave the way for the entity that will in due course operate the Galileo system. It will be responsible for the Galileo development and validation phase and also for preparations for system deployment and operations.<br /><br />The founding members of the Galileo Joint Undertaking are the European Space Agency and the European Union, represented by the European Commission.<br /><br />Galileo will complement the existing satellite navigation system, which presently relies entirely on GPS, the American Global Positioning System. Developed by ESA and the EU on the basis of equal co-funding, Galileo is designed to provide a complete civil system. Scheduled to be operational by 2008, it will offer the citizens of Europe and the world an accurate and secure satellite positioning capability.<br /><br />A broad range of applications will be supported by the system : control of road, rail and sea traffic, synchronised data transmission between computers, and many others. Projections point to very significant economic benefits, with a return on investment of 4.6 and creation of over 140,000 jobs.<br /><br />Galileo is the first instance of a project carried out jointly by the European Space Agency and the European Union.<br /><br />The Galileo system will be built around 30 satellites (27 operational and 3 reserve craft) occupying three circular earth orbits, inclined at 56° to the Equator, at an altitude of 23,616 km. This configuration will provide excellent coverage of the planet. Two Galileo control centres will be established in Europe to control satellite operations and manage the navigation system.<br /><br />(source: ESA)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Science<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />New Destination for Rosetta, Europe's Comet Chaser<br /><br />(28 May 2003) Comet-chasing mission Rosetta will now set its sights on Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko. During its meeting on 13-14th May, ESA's Science Programme Committee decided Rosetta's new mission baseline. The spacecraft will be launched in February 2004 from Kourou, French Guiana, using an Ariane-5 G+ launcher. The rendezvous with the new target comet is expected in November 2014.<br /><br />The choice of a new comet has required intensive efforts, including observations by telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the ESO Very Large Telescope to ensure that as much as possible is known about the new target. The cost of the Rosetta launch delay is estimated at round 70 million Euros. The ESA Ministerial Council has resolved the financial issue by approving financial flexibility at Agency level.<br /><br />Scientists will now investigate an alternative launch to this comet, in February 2005, as a back-up plan. Rendezvous with the comet is expected in November 2014.<br /><br />(source: ESA)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Scientists Eager to Get On Board ExoMars<br /><br />(26 May 2003) For centuries, mankind has wondered whether alien life exists on another planet in our solar system. One of the most promising places to discover signs of life beyond Earth is the planet Mars, and scientists around the globe are clamouring for an opportunity to participate in ExoMars, an exobiology mission which is being planned as part of ESA's pioneering Aurora Programme.<br /><br />Earlier this year, ESA issued a call for ideas for the Pasteur instrument payload that will be carried on the ExoMars rover. The response has been remarkable, with some 580 investigators from 30 countries expressing the desire to participate in this exciting mission.<br /><br />Over the next few months, the flood of proposals will be subjected to a rigorous peer review in order to select the most appropriate technologies to achieve the mission objectives. Working groups of scientists from the teams that put forward the most promising proposals will then be given the opportunity to define the composition of the Pasteur payload that will eventually travel to Mars.<br /><br />ExoMars, the first Flagship mission in ESA’s long-term Aurora Programme, is currently scheduled for launch in 2009.<br /><br />The primary objective of ExoMars will be to search for signs of life, past or present, on the Red Planet. Secondary objectives will be to identify potential surface hazards to future human missions, to determine the distribution of water on Mars and to measure the chemical composition of the surface rocks.<br /><br />These studies will be undertaken by a large (230 kg), high-mobility rover equipped with a comprehensive suite of scientific instruments - the Pasteur payload. The instrument mass of this payload is anticipated to be around 30 kg.<br /><br />The final decision on ExoMars will be taken at the ESA Ministerial Council meeting in late 2004.<br /><br />(source: ESA)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Manned Space<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />NASA Opens Applications for New Astronaut Class<br /><br />(27 May 2003) NASA is accepting applications for mission specialist and pilot astronaut candidates to join the 2004 Astronaut Candidate Class.<br /><br />Typically, successful applicants for the mission specialist astronaut positions have significant qualifications in engineering or science, while pilot candidates must have extensive experience flying high-performance jet aircraft.<br /><br />Following an intensive six-month period of evaluation and interviews, the final selections will be announced in early 2004. Astronaut candidates will report to the Johnson Space Center during the summer of 2004 to begin the basic training program to prepare them for future spaceflight assignments.<br /><br />The application deadline is July 1, 2003. Applications received after July 1 will not be considered for the 2004 class but will remain on file for subsequent selection cycles.<br /><br />The Astronaut Candidate Class of 2004 also will include educator astronauts, teachers who will join NASA's astronaut corps and encourage students to pursue studies in math and science. The Educator Astronaut Program (EAP) was announced in January, and applications closed April 30. More than 1,100 EAP applications have been processed.<br /><br />(source: NASA)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />SAIC Wins NASA Orbital Space Plane Contract <br /><br />(27 May 2003) Science Applications International Corporation's (SAIC) Space, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (SEAS) Group has announced a four-year, US$ 48 million contract award to provide professional and engineering services to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on the Orbital Space Plane (OSP) project.<br /><br />The OSP is a next generation system of space vehicles that will be designed under the Space Launch Initiative program to safely and efficiently transport crew to and from orbit and to provide crew rescue and logistical support to the International Space Station. Under the terms of the contract, technical services will be performed at the Johnson Space Center, Orbital Space Plane Project Office, in Houston, Texas, by SAIC's Assurance Engineering Operation (AEO).<br /><br />SAIC will be responsible for providing technical services in the areas of vehicle engineering, crew survival and escape, and systems engineering. SAIC also will provide management services to include schedules, configuration management, risk management, and financial planning and cost control.<br /><br />Members of the SAIC-led team include Muniz Engineering Inc, headquartered in Houston, Texas; GeoControl Systems Inc, Houston, Texas; W de Y Associates Inc, Houston, Texas; and Prairie View A&M University, based in Prairie View, Texas.<br /><br />(source: SAIC)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Technology<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Uni-Solar Awarded US$ 11.5 Million Contract by USAF Research Laboratory<br /><br />(28 May 2003) United Solar Systems Corp (Uni-Solar), the world leader in thin-film amorphous silicon solar technology and a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Conversion Devices Inc (ECD Ovonics) has been awarded an $11.5 million, 18-month contract to develop new solar cell technology to be used in space and airship vehicles addressing defence and homeland security applications by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. AFRL has an option to fund the company an additional US$ 7.8 million.<br /><br />The contract builds upon the success of earlier contracts with the Air Force and will fund research activities to develop ultra-lightweight solar arrays as the next-generation solar power technology for Air Force missions using advanced materials and innovative manufacturing technology. It will be administered by the Advanced Space Power Generation Group in the Space Vehicles Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory.<br /><br />Uni-Solar space photovoltaic (PV) products offer an ultra-light, low- cost alternative to conventional space PV modules made of crystalline silicon or gallium arsenide. The Uni-Solar triple-junction modules, originally developed for terrestrial applications, are made of amorphous silicon based thin-film alloys which are deposited on a 5-mil flexible stainless steel substrate. By utilising a polymeric or a thinner stainless substrate, new space cells will be developed that have a specific power density greater than 600 watts per kilogram (W/kg). This is significantly higher than what is currently available. A high specific power density is required for airship application and, considering the high launching cost of satellites, lightweight cells also are economically attractive for space application. Furthermore, the radiation hardness and superior high-temperature performance of amorphous silicon make it an attractive material for space application.<br /><br />(source: Uni-Solar)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Launch Services<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Securing Europe's Access to Space, Now and For the Future<br /><br />(27 May 2003) Ministers in charge of space affairs in Europe have agreed on steps to put Ariane 5 back on track and set up development of future launchers within a reorganised launcher sector, free funds for the International Space Station and strengthen relations between ESA and the European Union, while Galileo has become a reality for Europe.<br /><br />The Ministers responsible for space matters in ESA's fifteen Member States and Canada have held a one-day meeting at the Agency's Paris headquarters. This was a follow-on from the ministerial gathering that took place in November 2001 in Edinburgh, where they had taken a number of important decisions on current programmes and new initiatives, with the overarching ambition to place space at the service of European citizens. Whereas the Edinburgh decisions had been implemented, new decisions were required now to help ensure that Europe remains at the forefront of space, especially in the field of launch systems, and that space is fully recognised as a key to efficient implementation of major European policies in such areas as transport, the environment, science, and security in the broadest sense.<br /><br />The decisions taken are critical to safeguarding Europe's guaranteed access to space. The Ministers have helped ESA restore the competitiveness of Europe's launcher system, restructure its launcher sector and prepare the future generation of launchers. In addition, they decided to unblock funds for exploitation of the International Space Station and reaffirmed their commitment to closer co-operation with the European Union.<br /><br />In particular, the Ministers decided to support Europe's commercial launch operator, Arianespace, in the resumption of production of the "generic" version of Ariane 5 in order to guarantee continuity in launcher operations. At the same time they decided to support the qualification of the new and more powerful version (ECA, for a 10t lift-off capacity) by means of two flights in 2004 and to reduce production costs further. In order to sustain Europe's guaranteed access to space, the Ministers also agreed on a specific programme over the period 2005-2009 aimed at intensifying the institutional use of Ariane 5.<br /><br />In addition to this first set of measures to overcome present difficulties in the launcher sector, which is undergoing a severe world-wide crisis, structural measures have been taken to secure the robustness of the overall European launcher sector, demonstrating political will to strengthen the sector.<br /><br />First, the Ministers supported the need to reorganise the launcher sector so as to establish a strong link between production and development. They also decided to prepare for development of the next generation of launchers, thereby improving Europe's competitiveness in the field, and to build up international co-operation. This co-operation, initially with Russia, includes operation of the Russian Soyuz launcher by Arianespace from the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana, as from 2006.<br /><br />Through the decisions taken by the Ministers and the related exceptional and structural measures, Europe's guaranteed access to space will be restored and its future will be secured.<br /><br />Another subject dealt with by the Ministers was Europe's exploitation of the International Space Station. At the previous Ministerial meeting, in Edinburgh, part of the funds necessary for European exploitation of the Space Station had been blocked pending confirmation that the American partner would honour commitments it had given previously, showing that Europe was indeed willing to co-operate, but not at any price. The Ministers now agreed to unblock a first part of the ISS Exploitation Programme funds, to cover time-critical activities mainly related to the availability of ESA's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) and to the European ISS ground segment. Timely availability of the ATV will help to make up for a reduced Shuttle fleet after the Columbia accident. The Ministers also addressed the relationship between ESA and the European Union, which has become a regular feature of the meetings at ministerial level. The first Resolution adopted at the Edinburgh meeting in November 2001 had reflected a very positive outcome with respect to this relationship, calling in particular for a framework agreement to formalise co-operation between the two organisations. Since then, this subject has received attention at the highest political level, as seen in the co-operation between the European Commission and ESA on drafting the Green Paper on European Space Policy and also in the possible inclusion of space matters in the revised mandate of the European Union, currently under consideration by the European Convention.<br /><br />New steps have therefore been taken towards a closer relationship between ESA and the Union. The Ministers expressed their wish to see it deepened and developed further, and urged the Agency to complete, before the end of 2003, the framework agreement to form the basis on which ESA and the EU will work together permanently.<br /><br />In addition, the Ministers noted that Europe is now in a position to finalise the conditions for participation in the Galileo navigation programme. The agreement reached among ESA Member States clears the way for the official launch of the Joint Undertaking between ESA and the European Union, the legal entity that will have the task of co-ordinating their co-operation on Galileo, the European initiative to develop a global satellite navigation system.<br /><br />On the space science programme, the Ministers welcomed ESA's Science Programme Committee's decision on Rosetta's new mission baseline: the spacecraft will be launched in February 2004 from Kourou, French Guiana, using an Ariane 5 launcher. The rendezvous with the new target comet, Churyumov-Gerasimenko, is expected in November 2014.<br /><br />The cost of the Rosetta launch delay has created a cash-flow problem for the science programme, which is currently operating under tight budgetary restrictions, but this problem will now be resolved by the ESA Council, through approval of financial flexibility at Agency level. <br /><br />(source: ESA)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Launches<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Beidou 1C<br /><br />Launched: 24 May 2003<br />Site: Xichang, Sichuan province, China<br />Launcher: Long March 3A<br />Orbit: GEO<br />International Number: 2003-021A<br />Name: Beidou 1C<br /><br />Beidou 1C is a Chinese navigational satellite. It is the third and final satellite launched for the system. The previous two satellites were launched in late 2000.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Business<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />California Amplifier Announces Restructuring Actions<br /><br />(30 May 2003) California Amplifier Inc has announced that it has taken certain restructuring actions in response to a substantial reduction in orders from the primary customers of its Satellite business unit.<br /><br />In response to this downturn in its Satellite business, during the fiscal 2004 first quarter ending May 31, 2003, the Company reduced its workforce by approximately 50%, which reductions included approximately 225 contract workers. After giving effect to these reductions, the Company has approximately 285 employees. In addition, the Company is in the process of consolidating its two satellite dish antenna manufacturing operations in Wisconsin into a single facility.<br /><br />The Company has been advised by these Satellite customers that the principal reason for the order reductions is because the customers have accumulated excess inventory levels. The Company believes this situation will adversely affect its sales and results of operations for at least the first two quarters of fiscal 2004. The Company believes that this significant decline in Satellite product orders is a temporary condition. However, the Company is currently evaluating other potential restructuring actions that it may undertake in the event the downturn in its Satellite business persists longer than is currently expected.<br /><br />(source: California Amplifier)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Products and Services<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Actel Introduces 1553B Bus Controller Core for Military, Space and Avionics Markets<br /><br />(26 May 2003) Actel Corporation has developed a MIL-STD-1553B bus controller core for space, avionics and military applications in which high-reliability and system redundancy are essential.<br /><br />Designed for use with Actel's field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), including the new space-qualified RTAX-S products the Core1553BBC intellectual property (IP) core is the only single-chip, FPGA-based, radiation-tolerant MIL-STD-1553B bus controller currently available. The second core in Actel's MIL-STD-1553B product offering, the Actel solution speeds time to market and reduces design and assembly costs when compared with available fixed-semiconductor 1553B products that require separate board components. The company also introduced a fully validated Core1553BBC evaluation board to help simplify design execution and test.<br /><br />The second core in Actel's MIL-STD-1553B product offering, the Core1553BBC is a complete dual-redundant bus controller that can interface to standard external transceivers. Actel's new bus controller solution provides low-power operation at 12, 16, 20 and 24 MHz. Delivering a complete solution, Actel provides everything needed to incorporate a 1553B bus controller into a system design, including an evaluation board, development tools, documentation and software.<br /><br />Since reliability is essential for this application, the core has been thoroughly verified in simulation and on a certified MIL-STD-1553B evaluation board. Programmed with both CorePCI and Core1553BBC functionality, the Core1553BBC evaluation board is a PCI add-in card with a dual-coaxial connection, which allows the personal computer to communicate via the 1553B bus. Included on the evaluation board are an Actel FPGA, synchronous SRAM memory, a 1553B transceiver, two 1553B transformers and a serial port.<br /><br />Pricing for the Core1553BBC is US$ 9,995 for a single-use netlist. The Core1553BBC evaluation board is priced at US$ 1,800 and is expected to be available in June 2003.<br /><br />(source: Actel Corporation)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Actel's Space FPGAs Break 1-Million Gate Barrier<br /><br />(26 May 2003) Actel Corporation has unveiled its next-generation, radiation-tolerant RTAX-S field-programmable gate array (FPGA) offerings.<br /><br />With densities up to 2-million equivalent system gates (approximately 250,000 ASIC equivalent gates), the new space-optimised, high-density, single-chip devices offer key features, such as hardened registers that offer practical single-event upset (SEU) immunity and, for the first time, usable error-corrected onboard RAM. These features position the RTAX-S family 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. Actel's RTAX-S devices will allow the company to aggressively target bus and payload applications in low-, mid- and geosynchronous-earth orbit satellites.<br /><br />The RTAX-S devices offer inherent single-event latchup (SEL) immunity; >37MeV-cm2/mg SEU capability; and total ionising dose (TID) performance in excess of 200 Krads. The family also features embedded RAM with an upset rate of less than 1E-10 errors/bit-day with error detection and correction (EDAC). With 2-million system gates, the largest device in the family, the RTAX2000S, contains support for up to 288k bits of embedded SRAM; 684 user I/Os; and 10,752 SEU-hardened registers.<br /><br />Based on Actel's AX architecture and scalable platform, the RTAX-S devices include several key architectural advancements: an embedded FIFO controller; a fully fracturable SuperCluster that allows high logic module utilisation; a core tile structure that provides tighter clock skew across the device; and a flexible clock structure with eight global clocks available equally across the chip, eliminating the need for clock floorplanning and easing design migration.<br /><br />To complement the high densities and performance of the RTAX-S family, Actel offers a new MIL-STD-1553B bus controller intellectual property (IP) core, the company's second MIL-STD-1553B offering. The Core1553BBC is a complete dual-redundant bus controller that can interface to standard external transceivers. Actel's new bus controller solution provides low-power operation at 12, 16, 20 and 24 MHz. Delivering a complete solution, Actel provides everything needed to incorporate a 1553B bus controller into a system design, including an evaluation board, development tools, documentation and software.<br /><br />To enable board-level functional verification and simulation of production-qualified solutions, Actel is offering RTAX-S prototyping capability via hardware adapters that leverage the company's commercial Axcelerator FPGAs, which are also based on the AX architecture. Additionally, Actel's RTAX-S prototyping solution includes software support for error detection and correction IP, which mitigates SEUs in the user memory.<br /><br />The RTAX-S family is supported by the Actel Libero integrated design environment and Actel Designer tool suite, which includes place and route, timing analysis and memory generation functionality. Additional support for the family is provided by hird-party tools from Model Technology, Mentor Graphics, Synplicity, Cadence Design Systems and Synopsys.<br /><br />Prototyping capability for the first members of the RTAX-S family, the RTAX1000S and RTAX2000S, which offer 1-million and 2-million equivalent system gates, respectively, is currently available with production scheduled to begin in 2H 2004.<br /><br />(source: Actel Corporation)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Square Peg Communications Extends Physical Layer Tester Product Line To Inmarsat BGAN<br /><br />(27 May 2003) Square Peg Communications Inc (SPCI) has extended its Physical Layer Tester (PLT) product line to support equipment being developed for the Inmarsat Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) service.<br /><br />BGAN will allow Inmarsat to deliver Internet and intranet content and solutions, video-on-demand, video conferencing, e-mail, LAN access at speeds up to 432 kb/s as well as voice communications to approximately 70% of the world’s surface via notebook or palm top computers. A variety of terminal types, ranging from fixed-mounted to notebook (A4) size or pocket (A5) size will be supported.<br /><br />SPCI’s equipment supports the testing and qualification of both User Terminal (UT) and Radio Access Node (RAN) implementations. It includes a comprehensive satellite channel simulator, which enables the introduction of impairments into the transmitted signal, and signal analysis software, which allows the performance of the transmitter under test to be automatically compared with SDM specifications. It also includes fully compliant modulators and demodulators for physical layer evaluation and over-the-air testing.<br /><br />Square Peg currently manufactures Physical Layer Testers for all of the modern Inmarsat networks, including mini-M, Global Area Network Mobile ISDN and Mobile Packet Data, Inmarsat-Aero, Fleet F77/F55 and Swift64.<br /><br />(source: Square Peg Communications)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />People<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Allen Flynt Named AMES Deputy Center Director<br /><br />(30 May 2003) G Allen Flynt has been named deputy director at NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, effective August 3. Flynt comes to Ames from the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston where he served as manager of the Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) Project Office.<br /><br />As Manager of JSC's EVA Project Office, Flynt developed hardware, integration standards, capabilities, services, techniques, templates, and other information necessary to provide spacewalking services to the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs. More recently, Flynt was among the senior NASA officials tasked to help direct debris recovery efforts for the Space Shuttle Columbia in Lufkin, Texas.<br /><br />Flynt began his NASA career in 1986 as an analyst in the National Space Transportation System program control office at JSC. He next worked as an analyst in the Orbiter Project Office before moving on to serve in the Space Shuttle program control arena. He managed the extra-vehicular activity mobility unit project from 1992 until 1995 and has held various leadership and management roles in the International Space Station Program and EVA Project offices.<br /><br />Flynt holds a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from Texas A&M University, College Station.<br /><br />(source: NASA AMES)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />DigitalGlobe Names New President<br /><br />(27 May 2003) DigitalGlobe has announced that Henry Dubois has been promoted to serve as president, in addition to his role as COO and CFO, for DigitalGlobe. Herb Satterlee remains as CEO and chairman of the board.<br /><br />Dubois joined DigitalGlobe in September 1999 as CFO and COO, responsible for all financial and commercial business aspects of the company. Dubois has over 18 years of experience in strategic, financial and operational management. Previously, Dubois led a telecommunications and multimedia company in Indonesia as CEO and CFO, led strategic planning and business development functions for Asian conglomerates, provided strategic and operational consulting advice as a consultant for Booz, Allen, Hamilton (BAH), established and managed financial and administrative operations for BAH's offices in Asia, managed accounting units and handled internal audit assignments for Exxon Corporation.<br /><br />(source: DigitalGlobe)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Steve Doering Named EVA Project Office Acting Manager<br /><br />(30 May 2003) Steve Doering has been named acting manager of the Extravehicular Activities Project Office at the Johnson Space Center.<br /><br />Doering replaces Allen Flynt, who has accepted an assignment as deputy director of NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California. The EVA Project Office at JSC oversees all areas of spacewalk activity, including planning, training, integration and operations. The office also oversees the development of spacesuits, spacewalking systems, support equipment and advanced spacesuit technology.<br /><br />A 20-year veteran aerospace engineer, Doering began his career at JSC as a flight activities flight controller in Mission Control. He has supported human space flight in a variety of positions as both a contractor and civil servant, including subsequent flight control positions within Mission Control overseeing environmental control and life support and EVA systems. Doering has served as deputy manager of the EVA Project Office since 2001.<br /><br />(source: NASA JSC)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Press releases should be sent to: newsfeed@microcomsystems.co.uk<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Microcom makes no charge for this service and makes no payments for the use of material. Microcom makes no warranties about the quality of this free service and accepts no liability for mistakes and errors. Use of this service is taken as confirmation of acceptance of these conditions.<br /><br />If you require further information contact Microcom by email: info@microcomsystems.co.uk<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />This newsletter, and archives dating back to January 2000, can be viewed on the web at
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