Really Rocket Science

Last month, we read on Pink Tentacle about a company in Japan offering weddings in space via Kistler’s RocketPlane.

Today we read in The Australian they’re accepting reservations:

Each happy couple will spend 240 million yen ($A2.4 million) for the ceremony in a small space vessel, which will shoot up 100km into the sky.

During the hour-long flight, the couple will spend several minutes in zero gravity during which they will exchange their vows with up to three guests present, said Taro Katsura, a spokesman for Japanese firm First Advantage.

The couple would perform most of the ceremony before takeoff "so that they can say their vows and look out the window," Mr Katsura said.

The firm is offering the space marriages in a tie-up with US-based Rocket Plane, which will conduct the flights from a private airport in Oklahoma. From the spaceship, the couple would probably be able to see the outline of the Earth although they will not be far enough into space to allow complete floating, Mr Katsura said.

Despite launching the offer in Japan, the company said it expected most of its customers to be from China or Arab Gulf nations. There are currently no plans to start the space weddings in the United States, Mr Katsura said.

Sure, I’ll look out the window for a few minutes. Other newlywed activities may be more interesting for most people — especially rocket scientists.

I can almost hear Frank Sinatra singing the song now…

Hundreds of shipping containers have been arriving from China to ports all over this planet, presumably packed with new iPhones. 

Don’t miss your boat: Apple’s announcing a new iPhone on Monday, 9 June 2008 at 17:00 GMT — tape your "go away" signs to your doors and follow it on Engadget, which reported firmware details last night:

• Infineon PMB6952 / S-GOLD3 six-band UMTS / HSDPA transceiver (as we’d heard)
• Murata LMRX3JCA-479 tri-band amplifier (we’re assuming for the 3G)
• Sony SP9T antenna switch for GSM / UMTS dual mode
• ARM 1176JZF-S – Main CPU (same as in 1st gen iPhone)
• Skyworks 77427 chip – UMTS / HSDPA tx 1900MHz, rx 2100MHz
• Skyworks 77414 chip – UMTS / HSDPA 1900MHz Skyworks 77413 chip – UMTS / HSDPA 850MHz
• Internal build model number: n82ap (1st gen iPhone was model m68ap)
• UMTS Power Saving option – on or off
• Hooks for Global Locate Library (GLL), software that handles A-GPS related commands for the host processor

Otherwise, we have no shortage of rumors. Check Engadget, Gizmodo and FierceWireless. There are sure to be some surprises, and I’m hoping for live TV reception via A-VSB. Getting DVB-H, DVB-T or DVB-SH may be a stretch, but maybe next year.

I’ll be watching/following the Apple WWDC any way I can. MacWorld reports this is one of the most important in years:

“This is a hugely significant WWDC for Apple because they are bringing out a new platform,” said Michael Gartenberg, vice president and research director at research firm JupiterResearch. “This is the coming out party for the iPhone.”

We’ll miss Harvey Korman, the actor/comedian who passed away recently. He was the voice of The Great Gazoo on The Flintstones.

We blogged about the character before, although we got the name wrong (oops).

As reported in the Wall Street Journal and Aviation Week, among other major publications, China is importing “ITAR-free” satellites and other space technologies from a European company, thereby evading U.S. export controls that are intended to safeguard our national security. China is also developing its Long March 5 rocket that will be capable not only of delivering people to the moon, but also landing nuclear payloads anywhere in the United States.

That’s from a Senate Hearing (webcast) earlier this month. For those unfamiliar, ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) is a set of regulations that prohibit Americans or American companies from sharing or selling information or materials pertaining to defense and military related technologies. There is a balance to be found here: since lots of American technology is adapted from military technology, it can be difficult to sell non-militay products internationally (like satellite launch vehicles) and to collaborate with International partners on products that include proprietary military technology. Wikipedia does a nice job describing the controversy:

There is an open debate between the Department of State and the industries and academia regulated by ITAR concerning how harmful the regulatory restrictions are for U.S. businesses and higher education institutions. The Department of State insists that ITAR has limited effect and provides a security benefit to the nation that these sectors must bear. Every year the Department of State can cite multiple arrests of ITAR violators by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. However, many companies and institutions within the affected areas argue that ITAR is stifling U.S. trade and science. Companies argue that ITAR is a significant trade barrier that acts as a substantial negative subsidy, weakening U.S. industries’ ability to compete [4]. U.S. companies point to announcements in Europe by EADS and Alcatel promoting their “ITAR-free” satellites and defense items.[5] Higher education institutions argue that ITAR prevents the best international students from studying and contributing in the U.S. and prevents cooperation on international scientific projects.

Currently, officials at the Department of State dismiss the burden on industry and educational institutions as minor compared to the security provided by ITAR. They also view the announcements of “ITAR-free” items as anecdotal and not systemic.

Now that we’ve got the background, back to the Senate hearing: China is importing “ITAR-free” space technology from European countries. It’s a perfect example of the controversy: the U.S., worried about national security implications, limits technology sharing/selling to China. But, when Europe fills the gap, it just cuts at traditional U.S. superiority in the space/satellite technology market. Just this Tuesday, with the Berlin Air Show as the backdrop, OHB presented the European Space Agency with a plan (subscription-only) to develop ITAR-free spacecraft:

BERLIN — European governments have agreed that a new commercial telecommunications satellite design they are financing will permit customers to order a version without U.S.-built parts covered by the now-infamous U.S. technology export regime known as ITAR, government and industry officials said here May 27.

Officials said that while the first Small GEO platform, being tailored for Spanish satellite-fleet operator Hispasat, will feature U.S. parts, future versions that are not subject to ITAR, or U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations, will be available upon customer request. ITAR rules treat satellites and many of their components as weapons for export-control purposes and allow the U.S. State Department to veto those who can purchase the satellite, and where it can be launched from.

“Customers will be able to choose which version they want, although the ITAR-free version will be a little bit more expensive,” said Manfred Fuchs, founder and president of OHB System of Bremen, Germany, which is prime contractor for the Small GEO program.

Led by Germany and Spain, nine European Space Agency (ESA) governments — France notably is absent — are contributing 190 million euros ($299 million) to design the Small GEO and develop the first model. Hispasat is the first customer and has agreed to spend more than 50 million euros of its own to pay for the satellite’s launch and insurance. The first Small GEO model, called Hispasat AG1, will be fitted with a Ku- and Ka-band telecommunications payload and is scheduled for launch in 2012. OHB and Hispasat signed a preliminary contract for the satellite May 27 here at the Berlin air show, ILA 2008. A final construction contract is expected to follow in September.

Industry and government officials said OHB presented ESA with a list of components and technologies that would be needed for the Small GEO platform and asked which were available in Europe. All major subsystems will be built by European contractors. But several individual components will be purchased in the United States.

“It was more a matter of cost and time than anything else,” a European industry official involved in the selection said. “This is a new satellite design and we already have enough challenges without adding the complication of making it ITAR-free from the outset.”

European governments have agreed that a new commercial telecommunications satellite design they are financing will permit customers to order a version without U.S.-built parts covered by the now-infamous U.S. technology export regime known as ITAR, government and industry officials said here May 27.

Officials said that while the first Small GEO platform, being tailored for Spanish satellite-fleet operator Hispasat, will feature U.S. parts, future versions that are not subject to ITAR, or U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations, will be available upon customer request. ITAR rules treat satellites and many of their components as weapons for export-control purposes and allow the U.S. State Department to veto those who can purchase the satellite, and where it can be launched from.

“Customers will be able to choose which version they want, although the ITAR-free version will be a little bit more expensive,” said Manfred Fuchs, founder and president of OHB System of Bremen, Germany, which is prime contractor for the Small GEO program.

The results are in for the American Customer Satisfaction Index for cable and satellite television providers (link):

Customer satisfaction among subscribers to cable and satellite television improved three percent to a score of 64 in the first quarter of 2008, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

But, at the same time, Comcast, Charter, and Dish Network are losing ground in the satisfaction of their customers. Comcast is down four percent to 54, an all-time low for the largest cable provider in the country.

Rapid growth may have contributed to difficulties in operations as Comcast continues to add cable subscribers, often through acquisitions of companies in smaller markets, says Professor Claes Fornell, director of the National Quality Research Center at the University of Michigan.

Satellite TV provider Dish Network is down three percent to 65 and Charter is down two percent to 54, sharing the lowest score in the industry with Comcast.

The reason for the industry’s overall uptick is the large improvement among smaller cable TV providers such as Cablevision and RCN, Fornell says.

The category of "all other" cable TV companies is up five percent to lead the industry with an all-time high of 69, well ahead of the large competitors.

DirecTV is, once again, the king:

For the eighth consecutive year, DIRECTV has topped the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) in the Pay TV category.

DIRECTV is American satellite television service provider, serving more than 17 million customers. It has played a major role in the industry-wide switch to high definition (HD) programming, and currently offers 95 HD channels nationally.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) is an economic indicator that measures the satisfaction of U.S. consumers. It is produced by the National Quality Research Center (NQRC) at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The ACSI generally interviews about 80,000 Americans annually and asks about their satisfaction with the goods and services they have consumed.

DIRECTV posted an index score of 68 at the ACSI against the overall cable and satellite industry score of 64. Customers surveyed by the ACSI in the first quarter of 2008 were also asked about such issues such as perceived quality and value, and their expectations prior to making a purchase. The ACSI also measures customer loyalty and retention.

Comcast – not so much, unfortunately:

Customer satisfaction ratings for Comcast Corp. fell this year to an all-time low and rank at the bottom of cable and satellite TV providers, according to a survey released on Tuesday.

Mars Madness is on the rise in Tucson, the Arizona Daily Star reports. That’s because on May 25th, NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander is scheduled to touch down on the red planet. The event is significant in Tucson because the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Lab team is leading the mission’s science and built some of the instruments.

But the fever is spreading well beyond Arizona for this risky mission:

Fewer than half of attempts to land on Mars have succeeded, but planetary scientists leading the Phoenix Mars mission are cautiously optimistic. So far, all looks good, they say.

Public events to celebrate the landing are planned for at least 110 sites around the world, including London and Paris. There’s even a virtual landing bash planned, in Second Life, which is a virtual social world on the Internet.

Just how risky and difficult is it to put a lander on the surface of Mars? To answer that question, check out this excellent video from NASA’s Jet Propulsion laboratory. (NASA has done a fantastic job promoting the mission and landing in the style of a summer movie blockbuster):

The Phoenix Mars Mission website provides additional detail:

At 125 km (78 miles) above the surface, Phoenix will enter the thin martian atmosphere. It will slow itself down by using friction. A heat shield will protect the lander from the extreme temperatures generated during entry. Antennas located on the back of the shell which encases the lander will be used to communicate with one of three spacecraft currently orbiting Mars. These orbiters will then relay signals and landing info to Earth.

After the lander has decelerated to Mach 1.7 (1.7 times the speed of sound), the parachute is deployed. Shortly after the parachute is deployed, the heat shield is jettisoned, the landing radar is activated, and the lander legs are extended. The lander continues through the Martian atmosphere until it comes within 1 km (.6 miles) of the Martian surface. At this point, the lander separates itself from the parachute. It then throttles up its landing thrusters and decelerates.

When Phoenix is either at an altitude of 12 m (39 ft) or traveling at 2.4 m/s (7.9 ft/s), the spacecraft begins traveling at a constant velocity. The landing engines are turned off when sensors located on the footpads of the lander detect touchdown.

As we’ve mentioned, only half of all international attempts to land on Mars have succeeded. Back in 1999, the Mars Polar Lander (MPL) went missing as it entered Mars’s atmosphere, and its fate has been a mystery ever since. But now there is a chance for a member of the public to locate the missing spacecraft and help work out what went wrong, thanks to a new "Spot the Spacecraft" challenge: 

The High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), based at the University of Arizona in Tucson, has a raft of images of the MPL’s projected landing area, but scans of the huge images came up blank.

So now, the HiRISE team’s blog has published 18 images, and has challenged the public to find the lost lander.

Can you find the MPL? The images can be viewed here. 

We’ll report more on the landing of the Phoenix Mars Lander after the 25th. 

We’ve long been fans of inflight broadband, ever since Ed blogged two years ago about his experience watching TV at 35,000 feet while  reflecting on the use of Connexion by Boeing.

Way back in September of 2006, when Boeing shut down Connexion, we reported that Panasonic was looking to get onboard with inflight broadband. It took them longer than we expected to book their flight, as it were, but now Panasonic and Intelsat have announced that they are teaming up to bring broadband to air travelers:

Panasonic, known for delivering state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment technology, is introducing an advanced satellite transmission platform that will allow airline passengers the ability to access Internetbased information and entertainment. The service, Panasonic eXConnect, provides passengers Internet connectivity.

The platform will leverage Intelsat’s existing GlobalConnexSM Broadband service that is available on Intelsat’s global fleet of 53 in-orbit satellites, and regional teleport facilities. By utilizing Intelsat’s existing infrastructure, Panasonic will be able to introduce eXConnect in key regions around the world, providing an efficient and cost-effective means to scale the network capacity as demand grows.

Panasonic eXConnect enables two-way broadband connectivity that provides a wide range of applications useful to both the passengers and crew such as VPN, live TV, shopping, streaming media, tele-medicine, operational applications and personal devices integrated to the airline’s in-flight entertainment systems. With data rates comparable to ground public WIFI hotspots, eXConnect offers airlines the opportunity to further differentiate their in-flight product with a valuable service to their passengers.

ARINC is also working to put a wifi cloud up there with the regular puffy whites. They introduced their own inflight broadband service in Germany back in March: 

ARINC’s Oi connectivity enables passengers to surf the Internet (by the hour, day, or flight leg), access e-mail during flight, chat over Instant Messenger, watch real-time news and sports flashes, hear bulletins—all on their own personal laptops. They can even watch and download the latest Podcasts. ARINC’s Oi technology makes optimum use of Inmarsat Swift satellite communication services.

Passengers merely switch on their PCs and can connect instantly via a wired or wireless cabin backbone to the Oi Web Portal. The Portal is fully customized to each airline’s requirements, supporting a combination of free view or paid applications. Oi will feature a range of price points to suit most budgets, and ARINC expects webmail prices will be under US$10 a flight, with larger attachments requiring an extra charge.

$10 bucks really isn’t that bad for email access per flight leg, considering Sebadoh recently shelled out $3 for a mere half ounce of peanuts that lasted about 2 minutes. 

What about the other services we’ve blogged about in the past, like the Row 44 platform being pursued by Alaska Airlines? We hear Row 44 is moving up, but it’s not yet full.

Things are looking up for the satcom industry.

SES just announced that its first quarter net profit rose 24% in Q1 of 2008.

That surge is reflective of a larger industry-wide trend, and rising demand for satellite-based communications.
As Businessweek puts it, satellite is sexy again:

Some of the biggest names in tech have tried—and failed—to win at satellite communications. Remember Teledesic, a venture begun by wireless pioneer Craig McCaw and Microsoft (MSFT) co-founder Bill Gates aimed at constructing a constellation of hundreds of satellites that transmit high-speed Internet services? Or how about Iridium, or ICO Global Communications (ICOG), or Globalstar (GSAT)?

Those are among myriad efforts to use satellites to beam phone calls and broadband access that were ultimately scrapped or ended up in bankruptcy court, having lost billions of dollars. "Over the history of the industry, there have been a number of ventures that have been restructured and scratched," says Rich Power, an analyst at consulting firm Pike & Fischer.

Yet somehow, satellites are sexy again. Many of the companies that ended up in Chapter 11 have reemerged and are once again drawing investors’ interest. In the past half-year, private equity firms including Harbinger Capital Partners and Silver Lake have poured billions of dollars into satellite companies. In February, BC Partners, Silver Lake, Intelsat management, and other investors acquired satellite broadband provider Intelsat for $17 billion. In March, the Gores Group and other private equity investors snapped up satellite services and networking provider Gilat Satellite Networks for $475 million.

But if satellite is sexy again as an investment, how does one stay up to date with what’s moving and what’s not in the satellite sector?

The Motley Fool site has ten symbols tagged as satellite companies — which is a good start, but not exactly a comprehensive list.

That’s why we’ve created the Really Rocket Science Index — to give investors and satcom fans the ability to track the movement of the satellite sector as a whole.

The Really Rocket Science Index tallies the current stock prices of major satellite companies throughout the world. Currently, 28 companies comprise the index, from Boeing and Hughes to SES and Gilat.

The RRSI is updated daily, and will live on the right hand side of our home page. Click here to see the full list of companies on the RRSI and to view a feed of the latest news from indexed companies. 

"Meteori padaju!!" That’s what Radivoje Lajic has been saying for months (that’s Croatian for "the meteors are falling"). The news item, via Daily News & Analysis:

A Bosnian man whose home has been hit an incredible five times by meteorites believes he is being targeted by aliens.

Experts at Belgrade University have confirmed that all the rocks Radivoje Lajic has handed over were meteorites. They are now investigating local magnetic fields to try and work out what makes the property so attractive to the heavenly bodies.

But Lajic, who has had a steel girder reinforced roof put on the house he owns in the northern village of Gornja Lamovite, has an alternative explanation.

He said: “I am obviously being targeted by extraterrestrials. I don’t know what I have done to annoy them but there is no other explanation that makes sense.”

The Daily Mail is reporting he thinks he’s being targeted by aliens. What are the odds of five meteorites hitting the same house? Must be astronomical. Although he’s got rock-solid evidence, could his neighbors be playing tricks on him?  Consider also the idea of the Bosnian Pyramids:

Inhabitants in Visoko have been fascinated by the hill for thousands of years. Anthropologists discovered that Visoko has a rich history and that it was the center of organized human settlements in the Middle Ages. German and Bosnian archeologists found 24 000 Neolithic artifacts which are 7 000 years old.

Visocica hill is 2120 ft (650 m) high and has a triangular form. Back in time, the medieval fortress was constructed by Bosnian kings at the top of the hill. The fortress was built over an old Roman Empire observation post which was made over the ruins of a prehistoric settlement. In other words, the hill can be used as a typical illustration of cultures building on top of other cultures.

There are no records of any civilizations in Europe attempting to build pyramids. Local and international experts dispute the theory about Bosnian pyramids. They claim that ancient civilizations in Bosnia were not capable of constructing colossal structures as the Bosinan pyramids.

However, Mr. Osmanagic claims that the hill has 4 perfectly formed slopes pointing toward the cardinal points, a plane top and an entrance complex (not yet discovered). 

Could have been built by extraterrestrials? Is Bosnia littered with space rocks? If you find this intriguing, attend the International Scientific Conference for the Bosnian Valley of the Pyramids this August, in Sarajevo.

Sky Angel, the "faith and family" direct broadcast satellite service currently available on Echostar 3 at 61.5° West, is moving all the way to an IPTV platform in the United States:

Nancy Christopher, Sky Angel’s VP for Corporate Communication, [says] "Yes, we will be transitioning Sky Angel to a broadband Internet protocol called Internet Protocol Television (IPTV). It’s a proven technology that’s widely used in Europe and Asia and gaining popularity in the U.S. We already deliver our service into Canada using this technology."

IPTV provides viewers value-added services and conveniences such as the ability to set up their own equipment (no outside dish or antenna or professionally installed equipment needed), to retrieve programs that have already aired, much like a personal video recorder, and to utilize Video on Demand. IPTV enables programs to be viewed on conventional TVs, personal computers and handheld instruments, which will provide viewers the benefit of receiving programs at home and on the go. Enhanced programming, additional channels and more choices of programming packages for individual subscribers are other features afforded by IPTV.

The move is not without its controversies, as some of the comments over at Phil Cooke’s blog indicate. Some lifetime subscribers question whether abandoning satcom means abandoning Sky Angel’s vision of spreading the Gospel throughout the world. But with Sky Angel having already transferred their licenses to Echostar, the deal is done.

Defenders of the move note that more channels will be made available at the same price on the IPTV platform. Sky Angel just last week added the CBS College Sports network to its line up; and, unlike some cable operators, Sky Angel on IPTV will include the much-in-demand NFL Network.

Of course, Sky Angel’s news and religious channels will continue to provide coverage of major religious events, like the Pope’s upcoming visit to the United States. 

The move to IPTV isn’t the first time Sky Angel has been among the first to set up shop on the borders of new broadcasting technologies:

Sky Angel led the way in exploring and then utilizing another cutting-edge technology known as direct broadcast satellite (DBS) when DBS was in its infancy back in the 1980’s. Sky Angel was actually the second company to apply to the FCC for a DBS license back in 1981 when DBS was actually untested technology. Back then, frequency spectrum and orbital slots were yet to be assigned, and there was no satellite manufacturer with a high-power DBS satellite design; the DBS technology was widely opposed by television station and cable industry trade groups back then. Of course, DBS came into its own during the ’90’s. In 1999, Sky Angel became the sole surviving DBS pioneer from that first round of nine 1981 DBS licensees when USSB merged with DirecTV (DISH and DirecTV acquired their licenses later).

You can learn more about Sky Angel on their corporate website.