People

BOEING: Pioneer Inducted To Hall Of Fame

Harold Rosen, a consultant and former 37-year employee of The Boeing Co., was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, OH.

Rosen was selected for his pioneering work developing the world’s first commercial communications satellite and his subsequent contributions to satellite communications.

 

DNE: Adds Homeland Security Team

DNE Technologies Inc. formed a new sales development team whose focus will be on Homeland Security and other emergency response communication systems. To support this effort, it added Virginia Palmer-Skok as business development manager and Stephen Varani as sales representative for the mid-Atlantic region.

Palmer-Skok joins DNE from Lucent Technologies, where she was senior market development manager and senior product marketing manager.

Varani joins DNE from Acterna, where he was district sales manager, responsible for sales of communications test products to U.S. government intelligence agencies.

 

LOCKHEED MARTIN: Presents New Leadership Team

Rick Masoni, currently the executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS) will also serve as vice president, business development. Masoni joined Lockheed Martin in early 2002. He previously served as executive vice president and vice president of engineering. In his new role, he will be responsible for managing the company’s business development team and its major functions.

LMCSS’ government and commercial programs units were combined into a unified organization headed by Mark Pasquale, vice president, formerly director of commercial programs. Additionally, the engineering and operations were combined into one organization under Charles Krisch, vice president of engineering and operations.

Pasquale has nearly 20 years of spacecraft experience at Lockheed Martin, the last six in program management for Commercial Space Systems.

During his 23 years with LMCSS, Krisch gained cross-functional management experience including engineering, manufacturing, product assurance, operations and program management.

 

LORAL: Elects Executive Vice President

Richard Townsend was elected executive vice president and chief financial officer of Loral Space and Communications. Townsend, formerly senior vice president and CFO, joined Loral in October 1998. He is responsible for overseeing all finance and treasury functions.

Townsend joined Loral from ITT Industries, a defense electronics and engineering company, where he served as corporate controller and director of strategy.

 

MSV: Names VP Of Systems Engineering

Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV) appointed Santanu Dutta as vice president of systems engineering at MSV. He will be responsible for the system architecture for MSV’s next- generation system.

Dutta previously served as development manager in Ericsson Mobile Platforms Systems Analysis and Research Division.

 

NSTAC: Appoints President From Boeing

President George W. Bush appointed Boeing Integrated Defense Systems President and CEO Jim Albaugh to the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC).

The NSTAC provides industry-based analysis and recommendations to the President and the executive branch regarding policy and enhancements to national security and emergency preparedness telecommunications.

 

ORBITAL SCIENCES: Strengthens Board Of Directors

Orbital Sciences Corp. appointed Edward Crawley, professor and head of the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department at M.I.T., to the company’s board of directors.

In addition to his teaching, research and administration duties at M.I.T., Crawley also leads the M.I.T./Cambridge University Cooperative Institute, is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the NASA Advisory Council, and is a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

 

PATRIOT ANTENNA: Names VP Of Canadian Operations

Jaime Bartlett was appointed vice president of Canadian Operations for Patriot Antenna Systems.

Bartlett was formerly the international director of sales for Norsat International Inc.

 

POLARSAT: Appoints Chairman

Polarsat Inc., a privately-held company focused on the manufacturing of satellite communications terminal equipment and systems, appointed Lionel Hurtubise to the position of chairman of the board of directors of Polarsat Inc.

Hurtubise, chairman of Ericsson Canada Inc., holds a number of positions in national and regional institutions dedicated to high technology.

 

SPACE IMAGING: Makes Executive Appointments

Space Imaging appointed Charles (Chuck) Stees to the position of chief financial officer. In addition, the company named Mark Brender vice president of corporate communications.

Stees will be responsible for the overall management and direction of Space Imaging’s long-term financial plan.

Before joining Space Imaging, he was vice president of marketing, sales and strategic planning for Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems.

Brender was promoted to vice president of corporate communications. In his new role, Brender is responsible for Space Imaging’s corporate communications programs. He joined Space Imaging in 1998 and most recently was the executive director of government affairs and corporate communications.

Services

ANDREW: Opens Facility In Mexico

Andrew Corp. opened a 100,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Reynosa, Mexico. The new facility will make microwave and satellite earth station equipment for North American and export markets and will initially employ approximately 200 people.

 

GLOBECAST: Forms Government Service Group

Globecast created a new Government Services Group in the United States to deliver a full-range of global satellite, terrestrial network and integrated value-added services to the U.S. federal government, local and state governments and related non-governmental organizations.

Globecast’s U.S. unit will tailor the company’s global satellite and terrestrial network capabilities to accommodate government communications, including closed video networks, data communications, disaster recovery, mobile communication services, homeland security, IP connectivity and other secured network services.

 

INMARSAT: Launches New Fleet Members

Inmarsat Ltd., made available the two newest members of the Fleet family of services, Fleet F55 and Fleet F33. Designed to provide a powerful communications solution for small to medium-sized vessels, the new fleet services incorporate global voice and a range of fax and data services.

 

ND SATCOM: Founds U.S. Subsidiary

ND Satcom AG of Germany, a global supplier of satellite based broadband VSAT, broadcast and military communication network solutions, founded ND Satcom Inc. as a U.S. subsidiary. The facility in Dallas, TX, will house sales, operations, engineering and customer support staff.

ND Satcom AG appointed Christopher Morris as president and CEO of its American subsidiary. Robert Scott will be filling the position as vice president of sales.

 

TELENOR: Extends Satellite Service

Telenor Satellite Services is delivering Ku-band satellite service into the Caribbean and the coastal regions of the United States and South America using space segment on the Satmex 5 satellite.

Telenor’s expanded Ku-band service opens the possibility of high-speed data communications, LAN and WAN connectivity, and Internet access via satellite for a variety of smaller vessels and offshore facilities.

Contracts

@CONTACT: Invests In Wildblue

@Contact LLC, a provider of satellite broadcast services, completed its investment in Wildblue Communications. Other investors included Liberty Satellite and Technology Inc., Intelsat, National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative and Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers. A total of $156 million was invested in Wildblue by all parties.

 

AGS: Signs Agreement With JSAT

Americom Government Services (AGS) and JSAT Corp. (JSAT) signed a business collaboration agreement to mutually support each company’s pursuit and execution of U.S. government- related satellite-based communications services in the Asia-Pacific region. Based on the agreement, JSAT will support AGS in securing contracts for U.S government related services by providing transponder capacity.

 

INTELSAT: Contributes To DC School

Intelsat donated $200,000 to the Columbia Heights Educational Campus, a project to build a joint new school facility and enhance academic programs for the Bell Multicultural High School and the Lincoln Multicultural Middle School.

In addition to school construction, Intelsat’s contribution will allow Bell Multicultural High School to establish a new pre-engineering program and lab. The program is designed to encourage students to pursue engineering studies after graduating from high school.

 

IRDETO ACCESS: Selected by Brazilian NORTV

Irdeto Access was selected by digital programming provider NORTV Telecommunicoes Ltda. The Brazilian company purchased the Irdeto M-Crypt conditional access system to provide digital MMDS pay-TV services to customers in the Londrinas region of the Parana state of Brazil.

The MMDS network will support a 30-km coverage area spanning the cities of Cambe, Rolandia, Ibipora and Jataizinho and is now fully operational. The company also plans to expand its conditional access services to include interactive television programming, TV and Internet convergence applications, gaming and distance learning.

 

LOCKHEED MARTIN: Partners With Spectrum Astro

Lockheed Martin and Spectrum Astro signed a partnership agreement to pursue the development of GPS 3, the next generation global positioning satellite system.

GPS 3 will address the military transformational and civil needs across the globe, including advanced anti-jam capabilities, improved system security and accuracy and reliability.

 

MICROSPACE: Donates Satellite System To USC

Microspace Communications Corp. donated a complete satellite network package to the Digital Cinema Laboratory (DCL), a unit of the Entertainment Technology Center at the University of Southern California.

Microspace is providing a complete high-speed satellite transmission network and a reception terminal to bring its Velocity satellite service to the DCL and help support the lab’s evaluation of digital cinema delivery, security and projection systems.

 

NEW SKIES: Partners With KMS/Falconstream

New Skies Satellites N.V. and KMS (Kuwait Messaging Services)/Falconstream, a Kuwaiti information technology firm that provides Internet connectivity services via satellite, signed a long-term multi-transponder, multi-satellite agreement to offer high-speed Internet access services to more than 2,000 customer sites throughout the Middle East, the Indian region and North Africa.

KMS/Falconstream is using Ku-band capacity on the NSS 6 satellite to deliver Internet traffic, via New Skies’ IPsys Internet connectivity services, directly to end users as well as businesses, ISPs and telecom companies.

 

NORSAT: Wins Major Military Contract

Norsat International Inc. won a competitive bid to supply key components for use in military shipboard satellite terminals.

The contract, worth in excess of Cdn $1 million (U.S. $721,000), is with a military customer that previously purchased 24 Norsat SecureLink satellite terminals. The name of the customer cannot be disclosed due to contractual agreements.

Under the same contract, the client has the option to purchase an additional Cdn $800,000 (U.S. $577,000) of the same components within the next 19 months.

 

SATLYNX: Signs Deal With T-Systems

Luxembourg-based Satlynx and T-Systems signed an agreement for the provision of broadband access over satellite. This agreement enables T-Systems to offer Satlynx two-way- broadband connections for satellite services to be used for communications networks of international companies.

 

SKYSTREAM: Secures Financing

Skystream Networks has secured $25 million in private funding. The investment was led by 3I US. Other investors included IVP, Mayfield and Norwest Venture Partners.

The capital from Skystream’s new investors will further enhance the company’s success in developing networking hardware and software for the delivery of advanced video and IP services including broadcast entertainment services, such as video on demand and broadcast television over broadband networks, digital signage and corporate training.

 

SES ASTRA: Signs Contract With Hellas Sat

SES Astra, Hellas Sat Consortium Ltd. and Hellas Sat S.A. signed two contracts for Astra TechCom services covering the Hellas Sat satellite.

Astra is contracted to provide telemetry, tracking and command services for the Eurostar 2000+ type satellite. For a period of 12 months, Astra will ensure full control of the satellite from its headquarters in Betzdorf, Luxembourg, and the Thermopylae earth station in Greece. During this period, Astra will be in charge of the continuous operation of the satellite in orbit, including spacecraft bus, payload and orbital control management.

Astra also signed a contract to provide, install, and integrate two ground control stations for Hellas Sat, located in Greece and Cyprus respectively. After completion of the two stations, the in-orbit control of the satellite will be transferred from Astra to Hellas Sat.

 

VIASAT: Wins Contract To Expand Network

The Beijing Application Institute of Information Technology (BAIIT), in China awarded a $5.7 million contract to Viasat Inc. for the Phase 2 expansion of its private network to more than 300 remote sites. BAIIT will use StarWire VSAT networking products to build the network for video, IP data and telephony services.

BAIIT is building networks, integrated with terrestrial circuits, using fixed-beam, high-powered Ku-band satellite transponders to provide three different services: television video gathering from remote sites; high-speed point-to-point IP data; and full-mesh telephony services.

Technology

FRANCE TELECOM: Enhances SkyFile

The SkyFile free satellite software, designed by France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications for Inmarsat data applications, is now also available for Iridium services. According to the company, SkyFile is a service particularly adapted to maritime use and enables the user to compress electronic data by up to 80 percent, reducing transmission time.

The new SkyFile software version enables Inmarsat and Iridium customers worldwide to exchange messages and data on the seven oceans. This can be achieved using the Inmarsat-A, -B, M4, -M, Mini M, -Fleet and Iridium terminals. (France Telecom Mobile Satellite Solutions, BP 14, 16 bd du Mont-d’Est, F-93 161 Noisy-le-Grand; Tel: +33/5-5622-3231; Fax: +33/5-5683-8101; Web: http://www.francetelecom-mobilesat.com)

 

XYTRANS: Releases Off-The-Shelf ODU

Xytrans Inc., a producer of high-frequency RF subsystems for wireless broadband communications, released its latest two-way satellite (VSAT) outdoor unit (ODU) that integrates a Ka-band block upconverter with standard off-the-shelf Ka-, Ku- or X-band receivers.

Xytrans markets its VSAT ODUs to manufacturers of satellite hubs and terminals who are working to rollout broadband satellite services to homes and small businesses as early as 2004. (Xytrans Inc., 55422 Carrier Dr., Suite 201, Orlando, FL 32819; Tel: 407/345-8008; Fax: 407/370-9218; Web: http://www.xytrans.com).