Really Rocket Science

Ya, that’s German for "Galileo is a stupid idea." Who said it? The CEO of the prime contractor to build the system, OHB Technology. How’s he doing today? Fired. That’s right, Berry Smutny was quoted by Wikileaks via the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten…

"I think Galileo is a stupid idea that primarily serves French interests."

"…doomed to failure…"

"…waste of EU taxpayers’ money…"

That was in October, 2009. They were awarded the contract about a year ago (January, 2010).

They’re doing a fine job in Europe. Galileo was to cost $4.5 billion, but now approaches $26 billion. Outstanding.

Glad SES is "contributing" to this fine system.

Perhaps the honesty by-product of the whole Wikileaks thing is good for business.

 Nice piece by Frank Roylance in the Baltimore Sun on Voyager-1. Love the closing…

Sometime around 2025, the two craft will fall silent. In 40,000 years, Voyager 1 will sail as Earth’s ambassador among the stars of the constellation Camelopardalis — the Giraffe — in the northern sky. Voyager 2 is headed for Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. It should arrive in 296,000 years.

Awesome.

Satellite operators have dreamed of refueling their nearly end-of-life spacecraft for years, especially once they’ve experienced the positive cash flows from fully-depreciated, fully-booked spacecraft. Universally, a straight-line depreciation is used and based on the spacecraft’s design life, typically 15 years. With modern missions projected to operate up to 23 years, a CFO’s eyes pop in positive amazement. Now, imagine extending the spacecraft service life for another ten years via in-orbit refueling.

Last year, the folks at MDA in Canada proposed such a system at the World Space Risk Forum in Dubai, even going so far as to hint of signing a customer (probably Telesat). The pitch…

In a presentation here to the World Space Risk Forum, Duffield said the company has spent some $3 billion over the years on robotics, with a quarter of that investment applicable to in-orbit servicing missions.

As explained by Duffield, the refueling vehicle would dock at the target satellite’s apogee-kick motor, peel off a section of the craft’s thermal protection blanket, connect to a fuel-pressure line and deliver the propellant. MDA officials estimate the docking maneuver would take the communications satellite out of service for about 20 minutes.

The business model, which is still evolving, could ask customers to pay per kilogram of fuel successfully added to their satellite, with the per-kilogram price being a function of the additional revenue the operator can expect to generate from the spacecraft’s extended operational life, Duffield said.

The servicing robot would have an in-orbit life of about five years, and would carry enough fuel to perform 10 or 11 satellite-refueling or orbital-cleanup missions. Duffield declined to disclose the approximate cost of the mission. 

 Last week, rocket scientists the world over were presented with a new company, ViviSat, that would get into this type of service. A joint venture between ATK and U.S. Space LLC, ViviSat aims to please:

ViviSat’s Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV) is designed to dock with the orbiting satellite, securely latch on to it, and serve as a back-up propulsion system.  This enables a mission extension for satellites which have run out of maneuvering fuel yet still have plenty of electrical power to operate their payloads.  ViviSat services include rendezvous and docking without interruption of satellite operation, long-term station-keeping and attitude control, relocation to different orbits or orbital slots, de-orbiting, and rescue and re-orbiting of satellites stranded in incorrect orbital slots.

The people running the business are very good at what they do and have a refreshing, old-school approach to delighting their customers. Technically, it’s an immensely complicated business model, but I think they can get it done.

Remember the gasoline service stations from way back? Clean your windshield, check your oil? Absolutely!

LightSquared wireless network plan could interfere with systems such as Defense Department communications according to a U.S. agency that manages federal use of airwaves.
[Reuters =- 01/14/2011]

A radical new US military drone aircraft, able to fly for days in the stratosphere while providing satellite-like communications, completes test flight on hydrogen fuel.
[The Register – 01/14/2011]

Launch of ViaSat’s first high-capacity broadband communications Ka-band satellite to be delayed several months after receiving damage while being moved inside a factory in California,
[Spaceflight Now – 01/14/2011]

As recovered "Zombie satellite" Galaxy 15 undergoes tests and company officials consider placing it back into service, investigators now blame a build-up of static electricity for the failure.
[Spaceflight Now – 01/14/2011]

GMV Space Systems is selected as part of General Dynamics team to modernize NASA’s TDRS satellite constellation’s ground system.
[SatNews – 01/14/2011]

T-Hrvatski Telekom (T-HT) Selects Eutelsat’s 16 Degrees East Neighbourhood to Roll-out MAXtv Pay-TV Platform to Viewers Across Croatia.
[PR Newswire – 01/14/2011]

Sun Direct leases two additional Measat-3 Ku-band transponders.
[Satellite today – 01/14/2011]

Lines of communication between the U.S. Government and the commercial satellite communications industry deteriorate, contrary to spirit of the National Space Policy.
[SIGNAL – 01/13/2011]

Eutelsat’s KASAT satellite successfully on station at 9 degrees East and undergoing in-orbit tests.
[PR Newswire – 01/13/2011]

Iran plans to put into orbit a new domestically manufactured satellite named Fajr (Dawn) in the current Iranian calendar year, which will end on March 20 this year.
[Tehran Times – 01/13/2011]

Russia to launch oceanography satellite in March to keep track of vast amount of data to improve weather, climate, and ocean forecasts.
[SatNews – 01/13/2011]

SES WORLD SKIES U.S. Government Solutions wins two new contract vehicles through the FCSA that broaden government access to the company’s global satellite bandwidth and services.
[Business Wire = 01/13/2011]

Intelsat S.A. borrows $3.75 billion from a consortium of banks and securities in an effort to reorganize its assets and simplify operations.
[Satellite Today – 01/13/2011]

U.S. Space LLC and ATK announce creation of ViviSat, a new satellite life extension venture whose services can add several years to revenue-producing life of a satellite.
[SatNews = 01/13/2011]

Astrium Reports Modest Growth in 2010; Plans Military Focus in 2011
[Satellite Today – 01/13/2011]

Shocking disaster images dominating news bulletins and major global sporting events combine to create an unprecedented demand for live transmissions from Australia to the World in early 2011.
[SatNews = 01/13/2011]

Space Tourism Company to Sell Three Russian Soyuz Seats to International Space Station.
[Satellite Today – 01/13/2011]

Mayflower Communications is awarded patent for "Antijam Filter system and Method for high Fidelity High Data Rate Wireless Communication" that can filter out interfering signals.
[Satellite Spotlight – 01/12/2011]\

Hughes HX broadband satellite system enables remote monitoring of forest fires in Russia.
[PR Newswire = 01/12/2011]

Thrane & Thrane’s Aviator 200 Wi-Fi Service Certified for Cessna Aircraft.
[Satellite Today – 01/11/2011]

British earth station at Goonhilly, once the world’s largest, whose satellite communications operation shut down in 2006, to be refurbished and used for space radio telescopes.
[Space Business and Industry – 01/11/2011]

Morgan Stanley analysts expect the satellite industry’s strong 2010 overall performance to continue in 2011.
[Satellite Today – 01/11/2011]

Spirit Wireless of Portland, OR, provides critical satellite communications devices for hunters.
[AmmoLand – 01/11/2011]

Frequency Electronics, Inc. is awarded a follow-on contract of approximately $12 million for a U.S. Government high capacity, secure communications satellite program.
[Globe Newswire – 01/11/2011]

Avanti established as credible operator in broadband satellite communications as growth is forecast to be substantial, and it moves forward with HYLAS-2 and HYLAS-03.
[Sharecast = 01/11/2010]

Orbital-Built Glory Earth Science Satellite Arrives at Vandenberg Air Force Base Launch Site.
[Business Wire – 01/11/2011]

Key elements of Ariane 5 launcher arrive in Korou as preparations go forward for its second launch of 2011, to carry the Yahsat 1A and Intelsat New Dawn satellites into orbit.
[SatNews – 01/10/2011]

iDirect Government Technologies forges partnership with Integral Systems in order to help the U.S. Coast Guard modernize its large cutter fleet.
[TMCnet – 01/10/2011]

Central & Eastern European Video Markets Continue Strong Gains.
[NSR Report – January 2011]

WBMSAT PS satellite communications systems services

Clooney-sponsored Satellite Sentinel Project to monitor election proceedings in volatile Sudan.
[CBN News – 01/07/2011]

New Israeli military technology speeds up warfare, harnessing digital and satellite technology to enable response to battlefield changes in seconds.
[msnbc – 01/07/2011]

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. wins contract from the European Space Agency to provide spectrometer as part on instrumentation for Sentinel 5 Precursor atmospheric monitoring mission.
[Satellite Today – 01/07/2011]

GeoEye wins contact from Republic of the Maldives for vessel monitoring system for fisheries management and safety.
[SatNews – 01/07/2011]

Colorado Springs military contractor Infinity Systems Engineering wins $17.4M 5 1/2 year contract from Air Force Space Command for communications and engineering support on three military communications satellite systems.
[Colorado Springs Gazette – 01/07/2011]

EchoStar Advance Technologies acquires Utah-based Moved Networks, a technology innovator delivering advanced solutions for large scale streaming of quality video on the internet.
[SatNews – 01/07/2011]

Newcom International of Miami is ranked fourth fastest growing teleport in the world for 2010 by the World Teleport Association.
[Satellite Spotlight – 01/07/2011]

ARTEL wins first contract award for satellite services under the new $5B General Services Administration and Defense Information Services Agency joint-contract vehicle.
[PR Newswire – 01/06/2011]

Spot Connect lets Bluetooth phones communicate with satellites.
[Mobile Magazine – 01/06/2011]

Comtech wins $27.2M order to provide satellite communications equipment to U.S. Army.
[M2M – 01/06/2011]

Shares of Gilat Satellite Networks surge after contracts with Colombia’s Ministry of Information Technology and Communications are extended.
[Bloomberg – 01/06/2011]

Albania’s DigitAlb pay-TV platform extends to 2020 its satellite capacity at Eutelsat’s 16 degrees East neighborhood.
[PR Newswire – 01/06/2011]

Iridium’s Direct Internet software package makes it easier and faster to connect to the Internet using the 9555 and 9505A satellite phones.
[SatNews – 01/05/2011]

RapidEye signs partnership agreement with NiK Insaat Ticaret of Turkey to add the company to its distributor team in Turkey.
[SatNews – 01/05/2011]

ISRO plans to launch at least two large communications satellites this year to mitigate shortage of transponders due to failure of two consecutive GSLV missions.
[Economic Times – 01/05/2011]

Integral Systems Inc. wins $10M five-year IDIQ contract to modernize U.S. Coast Guard’s satellite communications for its large cutters.
[Satellite Spotlight – 01/05/2011]

DTH and the drive towards Hybrid – even though terrestrial networks seem to be the more logical source, there is not dearth of satellite-enabled solutions.
[NSR – 01/05/2011]

GlobaLogix acquires Blast Energy Services satellite division, adding fully integrated satellite services to its comprehensive suite of services supporting recovery and analysis of data for its energy industry customers.
[Business Wire – 01/05/2011]

Lubbock County Texas plans to integrate Spacenet’s satellite equipment and services into its mobile command vehicle that is used across state to maintain data, voice, and video communications during emergency situations.
[TMCnet – 01/05/2011]

Lockheed Martin Space Systems wins sole source contract from NASA for Systems Engineering for In-Space Servicing.
[SatNews – 01/04/2011]

Thales Alenia Space signs contract with French space agency CNES to produce Surface Waves Investigation and Monitoring instrument for teh China France Oceanography Satellite.
[SatNews – 01/04/2011]

Voice of Russia reports plans for about 50 space launches from three launching pads and 10 combat training and test launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles in 2011.
[SatNews – 01/04/2011]

Globecomm Systems wins $7.3M managed services contract from a Government prime contractor.
[TMCnet – 01/04/2011]

Blue Marble Network announces new Maritime VSAT service for Asia Pacific market.
[SAT PR News – 01/04/2011]

Perla Group International procures $4.5M of satellite and teleport infrastructure and plans to build world class teleport in the Mediterranean, likely in Cyprus.
[Marketwire – 01/04/2011]

Intelsat plans to immobilize "Zombiesat" Galaxy 15 following communications shutdown and equipment reset caused by loss of power – considers moving it to one of Intelsat’s orbital slots and fully testing the satellite’s communications capabilities.
[Aviation Week – 01/04/2011]

Indian developer Tripura launches Geo-Spatial 3D satellite-based imagery system to track terrorists and curb crime.
[Satellite Today – 01/03/2011]

Failure of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle on December 25 caused by snapped connectors.
[Spaceflight Now – 12/31/2010]

Orbital-built KOREASAT-6 launched from European space center in French Guiana.
[BusinessWire – 12/30/2010]

Charles Ergen of Echostar and Dish Network accumulates debt of bankrupt satellite operators TerreStar Networks and DBSD North America in challenge to Harbinger Capital, pursuing broadband spectrum owned by the bankrupt companies.
[The Wall Street Journal – 12/30/2010]

ILS to launch Satmex 8 in 2012.
[Satellite Today – 12/30/2010]

ImageSat settles spy satellite dispute with Serbia.
[Satellite Today – 12/30/2010]

India’s NRSC plans to launch 30 satellites by 2020.
[Satellite Today – 12/29/2010]

Turkey’s test satellite 3USAT debut set for September 2011.
[Satellite Today – 12/29/2010]

Satellite optimization enhances service delivery in a 4G world.
[TMCnet – 12/29/2010]

Upcoming NSR webinar – The Satellite Industry Year in Review . . . and a Look Ahead to 2011.
[gotomeeting.com]

WBMSAT PS satellite communications systems services

This is just cool to watch…

SM-3 Launches from JS Kirishima (DDg 174) in October, 2010.

The vision that was IP-PRIME is now being preached by none other than Cisco. Is it real or just a dream at CES? Everything you want in video and communications. Delivered everywhere, any time.

What the Internet did to the telephone? Dude.

The details…

For consumers, Videoscape delivers:

• Immersive experiences. Access to vast entertainment content sources, including broadcast channels, pay TV and the Web, integrating the Internet, social media, communications and mobility. The result is an experience that offers:
• Ease of use. Videoscape provides easier access from multiple devices to content from multiple sources.
• More entertainment possibilities on-screen, as content is delivered from a greater range of sources, including broadcast channels, on-demand TV, DVR and the Web.
• More social and interactive features that integrate popular social networking websites and Cisco Telepresence video conferencing technology to allow you to show, share and engage with others through the TV.
• More choices for content on the go, enabling consumers to take their TV experiences with them, viewing multiple forms of content over a wide range of mobile devices and smart phones.
• Cisco quality-of-experience. Videoscape has network intelligence built in to enhance Internet video on the TV and to deliver the premium quality necessary for a higher-resolution experience instead of "best-effort" quality.

For service providers, Videoscape offers:

• Expanded business models. Videoscape differentiates service provider video offerings from the competition and extends service opportunities for revenue generation. New models could include capabilities such as application delivery, home Telepresence, in-video e-commerce and more.
• Extended service reach. Videoscape enables service providers to monetize activities outside their own network or traditional device footprints. For example, a service provider can offer a branded and personalized experience to its customers, regardless of their location or method of accessing content.

Enhance Internet video? Forget it, Mr. Phelps. That’s just impossible.

 Think you can build cool things in Lego? Ha!

Apple engineer Andrew Carol just wrecked your thinking. He built a working Lego replica of the famous Antikythera Mechanism, created by ancient Greeks in 100 B.C. as a way of predicting astronomical events like eclipses, and probably the oldest known analog computer.

My machine uses about 110 gears, and 7 complete differentials, to do most of what the original one did. But their calendar and ours are completely incompatible, so I also had to add complexity to make the eclipse predictions understandable. My machine has two extra indicators: one for the decade and one for the year. That way, as you turn the crank on the machine, you can read the dials and say "OK, a solar eclipse will happen in April of 2024."

New Scientist reported on a recreation a couple of years ago. Here’s that video…

Via Intelsat’s Galaxy-15 update…

On 23 December, the power from the Galaxy 15 battery completely drained during its loss of earth lock and the Baseband Equipment (BBE) command unit reset, as it was designed to do. Shortly thereafter Galaxy 15 began accepting commands and Intelsat engineers began receiving telemetry in our Satellite Operations center. We have placed Galaxy 15 in safe mode, and at this time, we are pleased to report it no longer poses any threat of satellite interference to either neighboring satellites or customer services.

After completing initial diagnostic tests, we will load updated commanding software to the satellite. We expect to relocate the satellite to an Intelsat orbital location where engineers at our Satellite Operations Control Center will initiate extensive in-orbit testing to determine the functionality of every aspect of the spacecraft.

 An insurance claim wasn’t filed, so no messy accounting to look after.

Last week’s on-target Ariane 5 launch occurred at sunset in French Guiana, providing an excellent view of the vehicle’s ascent – including the separation of its two solid boosters at an altitude of some 67 km., and the payload fairing’s jettisoning at 106 km.    Estimated orbital parameters at the injection of its cryogenic upper stage:
– Perigee: 249.4 km. for a target of 249.4 km.
– Apogee: 35,922 km. for a target of 35,907 km.
– Inclination:  2.99 deg. for a target of 3.00 deg.