Microcom's Space Newsfeed 6 June 2004<br />Space Industry News from Around the World<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Web resources from Microcom Systems:<br /><br />Satellite Industry Links: the largest 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 post your CV or job specification here<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Handbook of Satellite Services in Europe<br /><br />This unique publication provides detailed information on all aspects of the European satellite scene including extensive data on service providers, national regulations, satellites used in Europe as well as background on satellite communications technology. http://www.microcomsystems.co.uk/pubs/ssie.html<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Advertise on Microcom's websites and reach over 25,000 space and satellite industry professionals each month. http://www.spacenewsfeed.co.uk/ratecard.html<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Contents<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Satcoms:<br />BT Broadcast Services Selects Intelsat to Support New Satellite Broadband Service Launch<br />Fazoli’s Italian Restaurants Selects Connexstar Spacenet's Service<br />Globalstar Improves Service Coverage in the Caribbean<br />Globecomm Systems Awarded Afghan Contract<br />Globecomm Systems Enters Ethnic Broadcasting Video Distribution Business<br />Intelsat Partners with BMW WilliamsF1 Team<br />MTN Expands Relationship with Intelsat<br />Orbcomm Receives US Coast Guard Contract to Develop Satellite Technology<br />Shiron and VeriSat to Develop Advanced DVB-RCS Test Platform<br />ViaSat Adds All Havertys Furniture Locations to Immeon Services<br /><br />Earth Observation:<br />Three Firms to Formulate Next Generation of GOES Instruments<br /><br />Science:<br />A "Swarm" of Satellites for a Unique Look Inside the Earth<br />Cassini Will Unlock Saturn's Secrets<br />NASA Considering Robotic Servicing Mission To Hubble<br /><br />Technology:<br />NASA Awards Contract for Aerospace Testing<br /><br />Launch Services:<br />SpaceShipOne Launch Planned for June 21<br /><br />In Orbit:<br />AIAA Becomes Secretariat for the International Committee on Technical Interchange for Space Mission Operations and Ground Data Systems<br /><br />Business:<br />Space Foundation Opens Florida Office<br /><br />Products and Services:<br />Faster and Cheaper Online Browsing via Easy Accelerator<br />Ya.com to Offer Satellite Broadband Internet Services<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />EEBC 2004 - Eastern Europe Broadband Convention - 13-15 October 2004, Kiev, Ukraine.<br /><br />Exhibition, Conference, Technical Training and Round Table Discussion of Industry Organisations will be devoted to progress trends in the broadband industry of Central and Eastern Europe.<br /><br />All industry organisations and companies are welcome to participate and investigate possibilities of making business in the CEE market! For full details see www.eebc.com.ua<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Military Satellites Applications, 15th - 16th July, The Thistle Marble Arch Hotel, London.<br /><br />A two-day conference highlighting applications of satellite systems for the military and an unmissable pre-conference site visit on 14th July to EADS Astrium. Examine recent programmes and technologies on Earth Observation, Satellite Communications, Navigation and Space Launch through presentations from an exceptional international speaker panel.<br /><br />For further information and to book online please visit http://www.iqpc-defence.com/GB-2232/MIC<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 presentation http://www.satelliteonthenet.co.uk/ads/SAR_Solutions_and_Strategies.pdf<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Space Bookshop - books for space professionals.<br />http://www.satelliteonthenet.co.uk/bookshop.html<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Satcoms<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />BT Broadcast Services Selects Intelsat to Support New Satellite Broadband Service Launch<br /><br />(2 June 2004) Intelsat has announced the commercial launch of BT’s new satellite broadband service using the Intelsat system. The service will be an integral part of BT’s overall broadband strategy to bring competitively priced two-way, high-speed services to users throughout the United Kingdom. The Intelsat service was developed for Internet service providers (ISPs) and other licensed operators focused on meeting the broadband needs of home offices and small and medium enterprise offices.<br /><br />BT Broadcast Services has selected Intelsat as its provider of choice for the service, which will deliver complete UK coverage.<br /><br />With Intelsat as the preferred provider for BT Broadcast Services’ UK SME broadband offering, BT Retail will offer small and medium businesses and small office/home office users a high-quality, "always-on” service that will enable end-user applications such as email, web browsing, file transfer and related services. While the broadband service will initially be available across the United Kingdom, BT Broadcast Services has the option to expand its offering into Western Europe and possibly other regions where Intelsat already offers two-way managed broadband services.<br /><br />Intelsat will manage the turnkey network, which includes capacity on Intelsat’s satellites and use of its teleport in Germany. BT Broadcast Services will manage the wholesale product, customer installation and helpdesks and market the services on a wholesale basis.<br /><br />(source: Intelsat)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Fazoli’s Italian Restaurants Selects Connexstar Spacenet's Service<br /><br />(1 June 2004) Spacenet Inc has been chosen by Fazoli’s Management Inc to provide a Connexstar broadband satellite network to Fazoli’s restaurants in 33 states US-wide.<br /><br />Under the terms of the three-year agreement, Spacenet will deploy its Connexstar service at 150 Fazoli’s corporate restaurant sites. The network will support a range of retail networking applications, including point-of-sale polling, fast credit authorisation, Xcellenet remote systems management tools and corporate intranet applications.<br /><br />Connexstar provides commercial-grade, always-on broadband connectivity to multi-site enterprises of any size. The service supports a wide range of business applications, including high-speed credit authorisation, in-store licensed music, distance learning, content multicasting and secure private networking services - all through a single, compact, remote access device incorporating advanced networking and routing functionality.<br /><br />(source: Gilat Satellite Networks)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Globalstar Improves Service Coverage in the Caribbean<br /><br />(2 June 2004) Globalstar's service quality in the high-traffic Caribbean region has been dramatically improved, following the installation of a fourth antenna at its regional gateway at Las Palmas, Puerto Rico.<br /><br />The new, additional antenna gives the gateway greater capability and flexibility in maintaining uninterrupted, high-quality radio links with the constantly moving constellation of Globalstar satellites. As a result, users in the region's existing coverage area should now see substantially greater reliability.<br /><br />Earlier this year, Globalstar announced a two-phase plan to improve and augment its Caribbean service coverage. This plan called for the installation of a fourth antenna at Las Palmas and for the construction of an entirely new gateway in Florida. The first phase of this plan has now been completed, and work on the new Florida gateway has already begun, with completion expected in early 2005.<br /><br />(source: Globalstar)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Globecomm Systems Awarded Afghan Contract<br /><br />(1 June 2004) Globecomm Systems Inc has been awarded a contract valued at US$ 14.7 million from the Ministry of Communication, Islamic Transitional State of Afghanistan to design, deliver, install and maintain a modern hybrid broadband communications network. The contract is scheduled to begin immediately, and will be implemented and significantly completed within the Company's fiscal year ending June 30, 2005. The contract is fully funded through the World Bank.<br /><br />The network will provide voice, data, Internet and video conferencing services to 38 ministries within the capital of Kabul and 31 provincial capitals throughout Afghanistan and provide an international gateway to the global Internet and Public Switch Telephone Network utilising a combination of satellite communication links, microwave, wireless links and fibre connections. The contract also includes continuing maintenance and operations services, as well as supplying the related satellite capacity. Upon completion, the ministries and capitals throughout Afghanistan will be fully interconnected with a robust 21st century telecommunications solution bringing together the most modern technologies available in the marketplace.<br /><br />(source: Globecomm Systems)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Globecomm Systems Enters Ethnic Broadcasting Video Distribution Business<br /><br />(1 June 2004) Globecomm Systems Inc has entered the ethnic programming video business by launching a direct-to-home video platform into Europe the Middle East and Africa.<br /><br />The video distribution platform offers a full range of video distribution capabilities, including program origination, video turnaround, advertising insertion, a full spectrum of state-of-the-art video equipment, complete billing and collection services and conditional access.<br /><br />The service is broadcasted and supported by a teleport located at Globecomm's world headquarters. The teleport includes the recently upgraded world-class network operations centre to support global video distribution to the home, enterprises and cable head-ends and is operated on a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week basis for real-time monitoring capabilities.<br /><br />This service now rounds out the capabilities matrix of NetSat Express, Globecomm Systems wholly owned subsidiary, offering full turnkey solutions for Internet Protocol, video, voice over Internet Protocol and data.<br /><br />(source: Globecomm Systems)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Intelsat Partners with BMW WilliamsF1 Team<br /><br />(1 June 2004) The BMW WilliamsF1 Team has chosen the Intelsat system to transmit mission-critical information during all European Grand Prix races and testing days.<br /><br />Beginning this year, Intelsat’s 905 satellite at the 25º W orbital location will carry telemetry information about the Formula One race car’s performance including heat output, revolutions and engine performance, fuel consumption rates, tire performance and other important data. Additionally, Intelsat will provide a virtual private network and onsite database replication to support the BMW WilliamsF1 Team.<br /><br />During race weekends and test days, WilliamsF1 and BMW will alternately have trucks located on-site at the race track and will relay and process telemetry information received directly from the car to the IS-905 satellite. Information regarding chassis and engine performance will then be sent for analysis to Oxfordshire, UK and Munich, Germany, where WilliamsF1 and BMW are respectively based.<br /><br />WilliamsF1 is one of the world’s leading Formula One teams. Formed in 1977 by Frank Williams and Patrick Head, the company has secured 16 FIA Formula One World Championship titles. Nine of these titles have been won in the Constructors’ Championship in association with Cosworth, Honda and Renault. The remaining seven titles are Driver’s Championships, won with Alan Jones, Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve.<br /><br />Today WilliamsF1 employs around 500 personnel at a 40ha technology campus based in the heart of the UK’s ‘Motorsport Valley’ in rural Oxfordshire. The company’s core competencies are the design and manufacture of Formula One race cars, and the deployment of this expertise in running the team’s entries into the Grand Prix each season.<br /><br />(source: Intelsat)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />MTN Expands Relationship with Intelsat<br /><br />(3 June 2004) Maritime Telecommunications Network (MTN) and Intelsat have signed a new five-year contract under which Intelsat will provide MTN with additional capacity to expand the range of satellite-based services MTN provides to its maritime customers, including the world’s largest cruise lines.<br /><br />The added capacity, which Intelsat will provide on its IS-805, IS-903 and IS-906 satellites, will enable MTN to offer a comprehensive suite of on-board services such as automated teller machine (ATM) transactions, daily delivery of up to 150 newspapers, high-speed Internet access and cellular telephone services to passengers and crew members sailing in the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean and Mediterranean.<br /><br />(source: Intelsat)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Orbcomm Receives US Coast Guard Contract to Develop Satellite Technology<br /><br />(3 June 2004) Orbcomm Inc has been awarded a contract by the US Coast Guard (USCG) to develop and supply Automatic Identification System (AIS) capability over the Orbcomm satellite network.<br /><br />AIS is a shipboard broadcast system that transmits a vessel's identification and position to aid navigation and improve maritime safety. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has mandated the use of AIS on all Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) vessels. Current terrestrial based AIS systems provide limited coverage and are not able to feasibly provide the expanded coverage capability desired by the USCG. By using Orbcomm's satellite system, the USCG will be able to collect and process AIS data well beyond the coast of the United States in a cost effective and timely fashion.<br /><br />(source: Orbcomm)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Shiron and VeriSat to Develop Advanced DVB-RCS Test Platform<br /><br />(2 June 2004) Shiron Satellite Communications, a leading provider of broadband IP over satellite solutions, and VeriSat, a provider of DVB-RCS protocol test equipment, have announced the joint development of an advanced test platform for DVB-RCS systems.<br /><br />Shiron will supply VeriSat with a special edition of its DVB-RCS terminal, which will be integrated into VeriSat’s Terminal Population Emulator (TPE) product. The TPE is a powerful tool for hub development and verification, network verification, scalability, performance testing and advanced trouble-shooting applications.<br /><br />The resulting platform will be the first test equipment to use a real RF transmission to validate operation of a DVB-RCS satellite communication system’s Network Control Center.<br /><br />(source: Shiron)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />ViaSat Adds All Havertys Furniture Locations to Immeon Services<br /><br />(3 June 2004) ViaSat Inc is to expand Immeon shared-hub services to all Haverty Furniture Company locations under a new four-year agreement. Havertys, an Immeon customer since 2001, is rolling out the satellite communication network services to 114 retail stores, six distribution/delivery centres and its headquarters, to provide a variety of business continuity, email, and content delivery services. Installation for the additional sites is scheduled for June.<br /><br />Immeon will provide 768 kb/s outbound channels to store locations and 256 kb/s return channels to the Immeon shared hub. In addition to content delivery of video, catalogue updates and email, Havertys will use the service for business continuity, backing up its terrestrial Frame Relay network.<br /><br />The Immeon shared-hub service uses LinkStar broadband VSAT system and is a hub-based satellite network that provides efficient and fast two-way, broadband-on-demand services. The LinkStar system is capable of sending IP data to remote sites at up to 60 Mb/s, while remote terminals can transmit back to the hub at data speeds up to 2.5 Mb/s. Since its introduction in September 2001, over 60 LinkStar hubs and more than 20,000 subscriber terminals have been installed world-wide.<br /><br />(source: ViaSat)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Earth Observation<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Three Firms to Formulate Next Generation of GOES Instruments<br /><br />(1 June 2004) NASA has awarded three US$ 20 million contracts for the formulation phase work on the Hyperspectral Environmental Suite (HES) of instruments for the next generation of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES), operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).<br /><br />These formulation studies are Phase 1 of a Phased Acquisition using progressive down select. When these formulation studies are completed, a single contract will be awarded for instruments that will provide infrared and visible environmental data observation capabilities for the GOES-R Series of geosynchronous satellites to replace and augment the GOES N Series Sounder.<br /><br />Under the terms of the firm-fixed price contracts, each company will study the minimum HES operational performance (threshold) tasks, as well as goal performance requirements and tasks. The period of performance for each of the contracts is 24 months. The firm-fixed price for the three contracts is US$ 20 million each.<br /><br />The HES sensor will be a primary instrument on NOAA's Advanced Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) beginning with the GOES-R mission in 2012. The HES instrument will provide vertical atmospheric profiles that National Weather Service forecasters will use for critical storm watches. In addition, HES will provide wind vector profiles surrounding the warm core of cyclones and hurricanes revealing steering winds and storm direction. This will greatly improve forecasters' ability to predict where and when severe storms will strike.<br /><br />The prime contractor awardees are: BAE Systems, Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation and ITT Industries. Work will be performed at contractor sites.<br /><br />The GOES Program is managed by NOAA, which establishes requirements, provides funding, and distributes environmental data for the United States. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center procures and manages the acquisition of the GOES satellites for NOAA.<br /><br />(source: NASA, ITT Industries)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Science<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />A "Swarm" of Satellites for a Unique Look Inside the Earth<br /><br />(3 June 2004) ESA's Earth Observation Programme Board has just decided which of the six Earth Explorer candidate missions, presented earlier in April at the User Consultation Meeting, will be developed and launched. Swarm, an Earth Explorer Opportunity Mission, is a constellation of satellites which will study the Earth's magnetic field.<br /><br />A further selection between the Earth Explorer Core Missions EarthCARE (Earth Clouds Aerosols and Radiation Explorer) and SPECTRA (Surface Processes and Ecosystem Changes Through Response Analysis) has been deferred to November 2004 allowing clarifications to be made for both missions. It was recommended that the EGPM (European contribution to Global Precipitation Measurement) mission should be furthered within the ESA Earth Watch framework.<br /><br />Based upon the recommendations made by the Earth Science Advisory Committee and the ESA Director of Earth Observation, the choice of Swarm for full implementation was unanimously agreed upon as a result of its scientific excellence. ESA has successfully moved to the next round of missions that explore our environment and the Earth as a system. Together with the decision expected in November for an additional Core Explorer, ESA is at a point where the next generation of scientific missions can be initiated. In this context the Agency is planning a Call for Mission<br />Proposals in September 2004.<br /><br />The objective of the Swarm mission is to provide the best ever survey of the geomagnetic field and its temporal evolution, in order to gain new insights into the Earth system by improving our understanding of the Earth's interior and climate. The mission is scheduled for launch in 2009. After release from a single launcher, a side-by-side flying lower pair of satellites at an initial altitude of 450 km and a single higher satellite at 530 km will form the Swarm constellation. High-precision and high-resolution measurements of the strength, direction and variation of the magnetic field, complemented by precise navigation, accelerometer and electric field measurements, will provide the necessary observations that are required to separate and model various sources of the geomagnetic field. This results in a unique "view" inside the Earth from space to study the composition and processes in the interior. It also allows the analysis of the Sun's influence within the Earth system. In addition, practical applications in many different areas, such as space weather, radiation hazards, navigation and resource exploration, benefit from the Swarm concept.<br /><br />(source: ESA)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Cassini Will Unlock Saturn's Secrets<br /><br />(3 June 2004) The international Cassini-Huygens mission is poised to begin an extensive tour of Saturn, its majestic rings and 31 known moons. After nearly a seven-year journey, Cassini is scheduled to enter orbit around Saturn at 10:30 p.m. EDT, June 30, 2004.<br /><br />Cassini was launched October 15, 1997 on a journey covering 3.5 billion km, Cassini is the most instrumented and scientifically capable planetary spacecraft ever flown. There are 12 instruments on the Cassini orbiter and six on the Huygens probe. The mission represents the best technical efforts of 260 scientists from the United States and 17 European nations. The Cassini mission cost approximately US$ 3 billion.<br /><br />The Cassini/Huygens mission is a four-year study of Saturn. The 18 highly sophisticated science instruments will study Saturn's rings, icy satellites, magnetosphere, and Titan, the planet's largest moon.<br /><br />The spacecraft will fire its main engine for 96 minutes during the critical Saturn Orbit Insertion (SOI) manoeuvre. The manoeuvre will reduce Cassini's speed, so Saturn can capture it as an orbiting satellite. Cassini will pass through a gap between the planet's F and G rings, swing close to the planet, and begin the first of 76 orbits around Saturn's system. During the mission, it will have 52 close encounters with seven of Saturn's 31 moons.<br /><br />There are risks involved with orbit insertion, but mission planners have prepared for them. There is a backup in case the main engine fails, and the path through the ring plane was searched for hazards with the best Earth and space-based telescopes. Particles too small to be seen from Earth could be fatal to the spacecraft, so Cassini will turn to use its high gain antenna as a shield against small objects.<br /><br />Saturn is the sixth planet from the sun, and it is the second largest in the solar system, after Jupiter. Saturn and its ring system serve as a miniature model for the disc of gas and dust that surrounded the early sun, which formed the planets. Detailed knowledge of the dynamics of interactions among Saturn's elaborate rings and many different moons will provide valuable data for understanding how the solar system's planets evolved.<br /><br />The study of Titan, Saturn's largest moon, is one of the major goals of the mission. Titan may preserve, in deep-freeze, many of the chemical compounds that preceded life on Earth. Cassini will execute 45 flybys of Titan within approximately 950 km of the surface. This will permit high-resolution mapping of the moon with the Titan radar-imaging instrument. The radar can see through the opaque haze of Titan's upper atmosphere.<br /><br /><br />On December 24, 2004, Cassini will release the wok-shaped Huygens probe for its journey to Titan. Huygens is the first probe designed to descend to the surface of the moon of another planet, and the most distant descent of a robotic probe attempted on another object in the solar system. On January 14, 2005, after a three-week ballistic freefall, Huygens will enter Titan's atmosphere. It will deploy parachutes and begin 2.5 hours of intensive scientific observations. The Huygens probe will transmit data to the Cassini spacecraft, which will relay the information back to Earth.<br /><br />JPL designed, developed and assembled the Cassini orbiter. A team at the European Space Technology and Research Center in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, managed the development of the Huygens probe. The Italian Space Agency provided the high-gain antenna, much of the radio system and elements of several of Cassini's science instruments. JPL manages the overall program for NASA's Office of Space Science.<br /><br />(source: NASA)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />NASA Considering Robotic Servicing Mission To Hubble<br /><br />(1 June 2004) NASA is to pursue the feasibility of a robotic servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). NASA initiated the first step toward enabling such a mission with the release of a Request for Proposals today. The due date for proposal submissions is July 16, 2004.<br /><br />Although the primary goal of a robotic mission is to install a deorbit module on the HST, NASA is studying the feasibility of performing other tasks. The tasks could include installing new batteries, gyros and possibly science instruments that would enhance the observatory's ability to peer even more deeply into the universe. The final decision about specific robotic tasks will be made after all proposals have been thoroughly reviewed.<br /><br />(source: NASA)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Technology<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />NASA Awards Contract for Aerospace Testing<br /><br />(2 June 2004) NASA's Ames Research Center (ARC) will award a contract valued at more than US$ 48 million to Jacobs Sverdrup. The cost-plus-incentive-fee/award-fee, performance-based contract will provide a wide range of support services for aerospace testing and facilities maintenance and operations at ARC. Facilities serviced by this contract include the thermophysics testing complex, wind tunnels and other aerospace testing complexes.<br /><br />Under the terms of this contract, Jacobs Sverdrup will provide testing services for major NASA programs including the Space Shuttle Return to Flight, X-37, Mars Space Lander, Crew Exploration Vehicle and Space Science initiatives. The facilities operated under the contract also support a wide variety of testing requirements for other government agencies including the Departments of Defense, Energy and Homeland Security. These facilities also provide significant testing services to meet the needs of industry and other nongovernment entities.<br /><br />The five-year contract will have a period of performance of two years (base period) and will include a one-year and a two-year option.<br /><br />(source: NASA)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Launch Services<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />SpaceShipOne Launch Planned for June 21<br /><br />(2 June 2004) Scaled Composites is planning to launch its SpaceShipOne spacecraft on its first sub-orbital flight on June 21 from the Californian desert.<br /><br />If successful, SpaceShipOne will become the world’s first commercial manned space vehicle and the first non-governmental flight to leave the earth’s atmosphere.<br /><br />The flight will be to an altitude of 100 km and will be made from the Mojave Civilian Aerospace Test Center, a commercial airport in the California desert.<br /><br />(source: Scaled Composites)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />In Orbit<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />AIAA Becomes Secretariat for the International Committee on Technical Interchange for Space Mission Operations and Ground Data Systems<br /><br />(4 June 2004) The International Committee on Technical Interchange for Space Mission Operations and Ground Data Systems (SpaceOps Organization, also known as the SpaceOps Committee) has entered into a co-operative agreement with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). This agreement will designate AIAA as the secretariat for the SpaceOps Organization and will serve as a foundation for associated services to be identified in the future. Through this arrangement, AIAA will provide secretarial, treasurer, and promotional services for the SpaceOps Organization.<br /><br />SpaceOps is an international and multi-disciplinary organisation dedicated to exploring all aspects of space mission operations and their ground-based systems, and in promoting and maintaining an international community of experts from government, academia and industry.<br /><br />The space agencies that are members of the SpaceOps include: Canadian Space Agency, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fur Luft und Raumfahrt, European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, European Space Agency, Indian Space Research Organisation, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, Italian Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Russian Space Agency. Various academic institutions and industrial companies participate in the SpaceOps Organization as well.<br /><br />The SpaceOps Organization serves as a central forum and catalyst for facilitating the sharing and dissemination of managerial and technical information in the field of space operations. SpaceOps holds biennial conferences that are hosted and organised by a selected space agency. The first conference was held in 1990 and sponsored by ESA. The most recent conference was held in Montreal in May 2004 and sponsored by the Canadian Space Agency. The 2002 conference was an associated event of the AIAA- organised World Space Congress. As part of the co-operative agreement in the future, AIAA could serve as event planner and management organisation for the Space Ops conferences and exhibits in co-operation with the selected host space agency.<br /><br />Other areas of co-operation include co-ordination and integration of activities between the SpaceOps Organization and the Space Operations and Support Technical Committee (SOSTC), one of AIAA's 67 technical committees that cover the various aerospace disciplines. The SOSTC addresses issues associated with space operations and space transportation systems, including technology development and integration into existing systems.<br /><br />(source: AIAA)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Business<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Space Foundation Opens Florida Office<br /><br />(1 June 2004) The Space Foundation has opened a Florida office to better serve its mission and customers on the Space Coast.<br /><br />The office is located at 707 Mullet Drive, Suite 201, in Port Canaveral. The Space Foundation is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and also maintains a presence in Washington DC.<br /><br />The Space Foundation has named Jim Banke, director of communications, to head the Florida office. Banke also leads the Foundation's Coalition for Space Exploration, a collaborative effort whose mission is to ensure the United States will remain a leader in space, science and technology through promotion of the Vision for Space Exploration.<br /><br />(source: Space Foundation)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Products and Services<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Faster and Cheaper Online Browsing via Easy Accelerator<br /><br />(2 June 2004) Xantic has announced the launch of Easy Accelerator, an innovative application that makes browsing the Internet via satellite faster and cheaper than ever before.<br /><br />Available free of charge from Xantic’s website, Easy Accelerator optimises Internet and intranet usage by reducing the size of the selected web page content. A proxy computer located at a Land Earth Station ‘downsizes’ pictures, for example, by up to 80 percent, depending on the settings chosen. Audio files and text can also be reduced. As a result, browsing is much faster and the user’s satellite costs can be decreased by as much as 90 percent.<br /><br />Inmarsat has co-financed the development of this new service.<br /><br />(source: Xantic)<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Ya.com to Offer Satellite Broadband Internet Services<br /><br />(3 June 2004) Ya.com Internet Factory, owned by T-Online International AG (subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom) and SES Astra, have signed a collaboration agreement to launch, for the first time in Spain, “Yacom Satélite”, the new broadband Internet access services through satellite, targeted at over five million Spanish people who do not have access to ADSL.<br /><br />“Yacom Satélite” provides broadband access to the Internet with speeds of between 256 kb/s and 768 kb/s depending on the offer chosen, and a return channel through the switched telephone network. The service also includes 10 e-mail accounts of 50 MB; 1 e-mail account of 100 MB, an anti-virus and anti-spam service and 50 MB of space for personal/commercial pages, in the pack called “Banda Ancha Sat Home 24 h” (Broadband Sat Home 24 hr). The service also offers 120 free-to-air television channels from Astra on computer screens. Yacom Satélite is currently undergoing pilot testing and the commercial launch to the residential and business market is planned for next quarter.<br /><br />One of the attractive differentiating factors of this service is the price, which will be less than 17 Euros a month for the “Banda Ancha Sat Home” (Broadband Sat Home) package, slightly less than the current prices for this type of services, and also less than the current basic ADSL fee. Also, this service is independent from the flat rate provider or free access provider of clients (it is not necessary to change e-mail accounts, etc.)<br /><br />(source: SES Astra)<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 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 to this email newsletter go to: http://www.spacenewsfeed.co.uk/subscribe.html. You can also unsubscribe from the same page.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Copyright 2004 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