People

GLOBALSTAR Names New General Manager

Globalstar LLC named Greg Tees the new general manager of Globalstar Europe Satellite Services. Tees will oversee Globalstar’s European business operations from the company’s Dublin office. He will work to sharpen Globalstar’s European focus on marine markets and applications, expanding Globalstar points of presence and launch remote asset-tracking applications.

ORBITAL Names New Board Member

Orbital Sciences Corp. announced that James Roche, former secretary of the U.S. Air Force and senior defense industry executive, has been appointed the 13th member of the company’s board of directors.

Roche served as the secretary of the U.S. Air Force from 2001 to 2005. Prior to his appointment, Roche worked at Northrop Grumman from 1984 to 2000, where he ended his tenure with the company as its corporate vice president and president of its Electronic Sensors and Systems sector. Prior to joining Northrop Grumman, Roche was the Democratic staff director of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Services

DISH NETWORK Launches American Muslim Network

Echostar Communications Corp. added Bridges TV, an English-language American Muslim network, to its Dish Network direct-to-home satellite television programming lineup. Bridges TV fuses American culture with the values of Islam to produce family oriented television.

EUMETSAT Boosts Meteorology Outside Of Europe

Eumetsat, the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, is making meteorological data available to users beyond its core user group of Europe’s weather services.

More than 1,000 users worldwide can now receive data from Europe’s latest geostationary Earth observation satellite, Meteosat-8, via the EUMETCast distribution system. Data from the new spacecraft, called Meteosat Second Generation satellites, are provided on 12 channels or "eyes" and include 20 times the information of the old generation satellites.

EUMETCast works via digital video broadcast technology. Data is available for a coverage area that includes Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the east coast of the North American continent.

NEWTEC DIAMOND To Enter Chinese Satellite Communications Market

Newtec Cy. NV, a Belgium-based satellite telecommunication equipment company, and Diamond Electronics (HK) Co., Ltd, an established international Chinese multi-functional manufacturing company, created the joint venture company Newtec Diamond Satellite Communications (HK) Co., Ltd.

Its aim is to serve the Chinese satellite communication market by providing satellite communication products and fully integrated solutions. Newtec Diamond Satellite Communications intends to actively participate in the process of selecting the optimum standards for future satellite communication applications in China. The selection support to the Chinese telecommunications authority will be provided by exchanging ideas and sharing experience in such selection process.

SPACENET Unveils Connexstar SE Satellite Broadband Service

Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd.’s Spacenet Inc. subsidiary introduced Connexstar SE, a product that uses the Gilat Skyedge very small aperture terminal (VSAT) platform to provide next-generation speed, security and services for satellite broadband connectivity.

Connexstar SE is designed to meet a broad range of business connectivity needs, offering varying service levels, speed options and specialized terminals with speeds up to 4 mbps downstream and 2 mbps upstream. Other features include built-in accelerated virtual private networks, AES-type encryption for increased security, direct VSAT-to-VSAT mesh connectivity for improved real-time applications and standard compatibility with DVB-RCS and DVB-S.

TAIDE Opens Gateway In Kenya

Taide, a subsidiary of Telenor Satellite Services, opened an international gateway in Nairobi, Kenya. The gateway, a joint project with local service provider Kenya Data Networks, offers a carrier-class alternative to the Kenyan marketplace for international communications.

The facility, which opened with more than 50 percent of the capacity already in use, allows Internet services providers, calling card operators and corporate customers international Internet protocol (IP) access for services and virtual private networks, as well as access to the public switched telephone network over IP.

WILDBLUE Rolls Out Service

Wildblue Communications Inc. rolled out its satellite Internet service, providing high-speed Internet connections to homes and small businesses in rural communities in the continental United States not currently served, or underserved, by other high-speed Internet providers. Wildblue initially will be available through participating members of the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC).

Contracts

EMS Wins ISRO Contract

EMS Satellite Networks’ Defense and Space Systems division won a contract from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to provide a front-end switch assembly (FESA) for the Oceansat 2 satellite. The contract is valued at $1.6 million. FESA, a Ku-band duplexer, will consist of a transmit and receive module that will direct the transmit signals from primary and redundant traveling wave tube amplifiers to the Oceansat 2 antenna and the receive signals to primary and redundant receivers. Oceansat 2, designed by ISRO, will be the next-generation satellite-based ocean observation system that will study surface winds and ocean surface strata.

NEWTEC Signs With INTV

Newtec announced that INTV, a satellite access service provider in Prague, Czech Republic, signed a contract for the delivery of a two-way satellite DVB-RCS multi-service provider platform.

The platform will be used by INTV to deliver satellite broadband services to existing customers as well as provide an access platform for other Internet service providers in the Czech Republic who want to provide two-way satellite broadband services to regional, national and international customers. The services will comprise of Internet access, voice over Internet protocol as well as accelerated virtual private networks.

NORSAT Wins Military Business

Norsat International Inc. shipped portable satellite terminals for use by a military organization in Asia, the company announced. The terminals will enable high data-rate communications among bases. The size of the order is approximately $350,000.

Technology

AMERICAN ANTENNA Unveils New Liberty Series Earth Station Antenna

American Antenna unveiled the 4.0-meter Liberty Series earth station antenna. The new high gain 4-meter antennas are comprised of 12 polyester/acrylic pre-painted aluminum alloy panels and are available in fixed and motorized mounts.

The new 4-meter antenna, which supports most popular feed platforms, is the latest in the 5-meter and 6.1-meter Liberty Series line of earth stations. (American Antenna Inc.; 4707 Roosevelt St., Glen Park, IN 46408; Tel: 219/985-4000; Fax: 219/985-4001; Web: http://www.americanantenna.com)

GLOBECOMM Introduces Auto-Explorer Broadband Terminal

Globecomm Systems Inc. unveiled its broadband terminal designed to meet airline cabin baggage requirements. The 0.77-meter terminal is contained within a pair of suitcases and can be set up in less than 15 minutes.

The system comes with auto-acquisition and terminal management software and can receive Internet protocol data rates ranging from 64 kilobits per seconds to 9.1 megabits per second.

The terminal can broadcast at data rates from 64 kbps to 2 mbps.

The system is intended to support military and peacekeeping forces but also has applications in telemedicine, distance learning and satellite newsgathering fields, Globecomm said. (Globecomm Systems Inc., 45 Oser Avenue, Hauppauge, NY 11788; Tel: 631/231-9800; Fax: 631/231-1557; Web: http://www.globecommsystems.com)

INTOREL Introduces Device-Driver Development Kit

Intorel unveiled its Visionic Driver Developer Kit (DDK), which allows the system integrators and third parties to build their own device drivers for Visionic.

The DDK includes a GUI environment, a C/C++ translator and a testing suite.

Intorel will also introduce in Spetember the new Visionic SNMP Agent permits complete access to any device, and its parameters, in the NMS system from any SNMP compliant NMS. (Intorel, 41 route des 3 Cantons, L-4970 Dippach-Gare, Luxembourg; Tel: +352 26 37 05 01; Fax: + 352 26 37 05 02 ; Web: http://www.intorel.com).

TAMPA MICROWAVE Introduces Mini Satellite Simulator

Tampa Microwave introduced the Mini Satellite Simulator, a single band simulator that provides an alternative to leasing time on a spacecraft.

The simulator provides a training and evaluation tool for satellite earth terminals or satellite newsgathering trucks. The simulator accepts input signals from uplink terminals at C-, X-, Ku-, or Ka-band and translates them to corresponding downlink frequencies before retransmitting them. (Tampa Microwave, 12160 Race Track Road, Tampa, FL 33626; Tel: 813/855-2251 x 103; Fax: 813/855-7741; Web: http://www.tampamicrowave.com)