Project Exploration is a Chicago-based non-profit organization whose goal is to make natural science accessible to the public, especially urban youth. In October 2003, University of Chicago paleontologist Dr. Paul Sereno and 11 team members crisscrossed northern Niger’s Sahara desert in search of Africa’s youngest dinosaurs. The National Geographic Society and the David and Lucille Packard Foundation sponsored the expedition, and the National Geographic Society Education Foundation supported the Project Exploration “Dinosaur Expedition 2003” Web site initiative. Through the site, the team communicated daily with school children and teachers to provide a window into real-life science in action for tens of thousands of visitors.

Getting connectivity at the research sites was indispensable in achieving the timely, educational goal of the project, as well as for dealing with all the obstacles that such an expedition could encounter. In such remote and underserved areas as the Sahara desert, satellite is the only way to communicate with the rest of the world.

Mike Hettwer, Systems Manager at Project Exploration, recently spoke with Satellite Business Solutions magazine and shared how satellite technology made Project Exploration’s mission possible in safe conditions.

Mike Hettwer
Systems Manager
Project Exploration

PROBLEM:
To Educate And Connect From A Remote Location

Satellite technology is the only communications means in remote areas such as the Sahara desert. When Hettwer looked at the technology, his main concerns were that the communications could be made easily, cost-effectively and in a reliable fashion in what he describes as the harshest environment on Earth. “We get 90 mile-per-hour sand storms, and a typical day is 120 degrees [F],” he says. Yet the equipment has to perform and the team must be able to communicate with nearly 900 school students via e-mail, post updates to the Web site, deliver features to publications including the Chicago Tribune and National Geographic, and attend to logistics and emergency needs. Data to be transmitted would include pictures, stories from the field and short videos, which would not be very bandwidth-consuming. Another need for the team was to be able to locate themselves and the sites of their discoveries in the desert.

SOLUTION:
Delivering Timely Content With A Regional BGAN Platform

Project Exploration had used satellite technology in previous expeditions, but in 2003, Hettwer chose to use a Regional Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) after seeing its widespread use by photojournalists in the field.

Using Telenor Satellite Services’ BGAN system, the expedition was able to contribute to the Project Exploration Web site and accomplish its educational goals. “The whole BGAN packet program was extremely cost-effective,” says Hettwer. “With a cost of 10 cents per e-mail, the BGAN even allowed the team to stay in touch with loved ones.” And should any problem arise, the expedition could connect easily with Telenor’s customer care department for support.

The expedition also used the M4, ISDN data/voice phone, which allows speech-grade voice and 64 Kbps data transmissions. “We used [the M4 phones] up until the two last expeditions, when the BGAN became available,” Hettwer says. “Now we use the BGAN all the time, and when we need to do voice we have the M4 setup right next to it.”

Finally, the expedition used GPS units to map their discoveries in the field and locate themselves.

As for reliability, “The satellite systems themselves work no matter what. Whoever does the engineering is doing great job. We’ve never had a system break down. […] The M4 and the BGAN are just so unbelievably reliable,” says Hettwer.