[Satellite TODAY 08-17-10] SES World Skies signed a three-year capacity deal with The Nature Conservancy for capacity on the NSS-9 satellite, SES World Skies announced Aug. 17.
     The Nature Conservancy will use capacity to link researchers studying the Palmyra reef islands with the outside world, including a link to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) worldwide tsunami alert system and to the Nature Conservancy’s offices in Hawaii.
     The three-year agreement is a renewal of the original contract signed in 2006, when The Nature Conservancy and the Palmyra Atoll Research Consortium asked SES World Skies to provide reliable connectivity throughout one of the world’s most isolated island systems.
     Located 1,000 miles south of Hawaii, remote Palmyra Atoll is a national wildlife refuge and part of the recently-designated Pacific Remote Islands marine national monument. “Our satellite connection is the lifeblood of a vital international research operation in Palmyra. The value of the reach and reliability of the satellite connectivity is immeasurable considering the long-term impact many of the island discoveries may have on our conservation efforts worldwide,” Rico Gomez, director of internal affairs for The Nature Conservancy in Hawaii, said in a statement.