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SatMagazine

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Title:
SatMagazine
Alternate title:
Sat magazine worldwide satellite magazine
Place of Publication:
Sonoma, CA
Publisher:
SatNews Publishers
Publication Date:
Frequency:
Monthly
regular
Language:
English
Physical Description:
volumes : illustrations ;

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Subjects / Keywords:
Artificial satellites in telecommunication -- Periodicals ( lcsh )
Artificial satellites in telecommunication ( fast )
Genre:
periodical ( marc )
serial ( sobekcm )

Notes

Dates or Sequential Designation:
Vol. 1, no. 1 (April 2003)-
General Note:
"Your satellite connection to the world."

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Source Institution:
University of Florida
Holding Location:
University of Florida
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Copyright, SatMagazine. Permission granted to University of Florida to digitize and display this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Resource Identifier:
173221287 ( OCLC )
ocn173221287

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University of Florida
Digital Aerospace Collection

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SatMagazine Worldwide Satellite Magazine February 2013 North American Satellite Markets Image: Artistic rendition, TDRS-M satellite

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We reserve the right to edit all submitted materials to meet our content guidelines, as well as for grammar and spelling consistency. Articles may be moved to an alternative issue to accommodate publication space requirements or removed due to space restrictions. Submission of content does not constitute acceptance of said material by SatNews Publishers. Edited materials may, or may not, be returned to author and/or company for review prior to publication. The views expressed in SatNews or opinions of SatNews Publishers. All rights reserved. All included imagery is courtesy of, and copyright to, the respective companies or named individuals. Published monthly by SatNews Publishers 800 Siesta Way Sonoma, CA 95476 USA Phone: (707) 939-9306 Fax: (707) 838-9235 2012 SatNews Publishers Jos Heyman Hartley Lesser Jose Del Rosario Bert Sadtler Pattie Waldt Daniel Welch Publishing Operations Silvano Payne Publisher + Writer Hartley G. Lesser Editorial Director Pattie Waldt Executive Editor Jill Durfee Sales Director, Editorial Assistant Donald McGee Production Manager Simon Payne Development Manager Dan Makinster Technical Advisor Chris Forrester Senior Contributing Editor Alan Gottlieb Senior Contributing Editor Bob Gough Senior Contributing Editor Jos Heyman Senior Contributing Editor Giles Peeters Senior Contributing Editor Mike Antonovich Contributing Editor Victoria Battison Contributing Editor Richard Dutchik Contributing Editor Bert Sadtler Contributing Editor SatMagazine. February 2013, Vol. 5, #10 2 SatMagazine February 2013 Safe + Sound (SS/L) ............................................................................................... Page 06 Betterment Through Backhaul (Gilat) .................................................................. Page 06 ................................................................................. Page 06 A Spatial Excursion Campaign (XCOR) ............................................................... Page 08 The Early Birds (Northrop Grumman) .................................................................. Page 08 JPSS-1 Passes CDR (Ball Aerospace) ................................................................. Page 08 Secures Beams (NAGRA & HD+) .......................................................................... Page 10 Kits + Phones (Blue Sky Network) ....................................................................... Page 10 No Folding Required (exactEarth) ........................................................................ Page 10 Turned On To Save Lives (ESA) ........................................................................... Page 11 Uplinks, Satellites + Fly-Aways For Sports (SIS LIVE) ....................................... Page 12 Ideas Welcomed (Hughes Network Systems) ..................................................... Page 12 Moving MUOS (Lockheed Martin) ......................................................................... Page 12 One Gone, Two On orbit, One Enroute (ScanEX + CNES) ................................. Page 13 ................................................................................. Page 14 Anomaly Analysis (Roscosmos + ILS) ................................................................ Page 15 Veggie Tracker Testing (ESA) ............................................................................... Page 16 Taking Leave Of Thor II (Telenor) ......................................................................... Page 16 Testing A Mirror On The Webb (Ball Aerospace) ............................................... Page 17 Coming In The March Issue .................................................................................. Page 56 InfoBeam .................................... Page 37 Advantech Wireless ................................................. Page 09 ANACOM, Inc. ........................................................... Page 13 Arabsat Satellite ....................................................... Page 05 Comtech Xicom Technology, Inc. .......................... Page 17 Comtech EF Data ..................................................... Page 27 CPI SATCOM Products ............................................ Page 29 EADS Astrium Limited ............................................. Page 03 Harris Corporation ..................................... cover + Page 07 MITEQ Inc. / MCL ...................................................... Page 23 Newtec CY ................................................................. Page 11 NSR (Northern Sky Research) ................................ Page 49 Space Foundation (NSS) ......................................... Page 33 Superior Satellite Engineers (SSE) ........................ Page 21 Teledyne Paradise Datacom LLC ........................... Page 15 Index To Advertisers

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SatMagazine. February 2013, Vol. 5, #10 Page 18 Satellite Spotlight: TDRS K, L + M The next-generation series of Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) provides NASA with crucial crosslink communications capability between... Page 24 Missions To Mars With the landing of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) on Mars, on August 6, 2012, it is appropriate to have a look at... By Jos Heyman Page 32 Executive Spotlight: Andrew Matlock, NewSat Limited Andrew Matlock has a work history that spans 25 years across the telecommunications and technology sectors. Page 36 Is Ka-Band The KuKiller? A pproximately 18 months ago, I had the opportunity to work a research project that looked at cellular and WiFi connectivity onboard. .. By Daniel Welch Page 40 Satellite Spotlight: Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership Suomi NPP is building a bridge to a new era of Earth Observations (EO). By Aries Keck + the Suomi NPP Science Team Page 52 NSR Analysis: SCADA/M2M Under Threat From Cellular In December of 2012, SkyBitz announced the Falcon Series GXT100, a new global positioning satellite (GPS) asset tracking solution...By Jose Del Rosario Page 54 Sadtler On Careers: Shifting The Recruiting Paradigm Companies today must re-assess their talent needs in order to remain competitive and drive growth. By Bert Sadtler Page 56 What Is A GPS Simulator? environments, and designed with the emerging capabilities of... Page 50 SatBroadcastingViable Solutions For E-Learning The challenge is that delivery of video content to the classroom, or to video distribution to customers, is usually... 4 SatMagazine February 2013

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6 SatMagazine February 2013 InfoBeam Safe + Sound Space Systems/Loral (SSL) has announced that the Amazonas 3 multi-mission satellite, designed and built for HISPASAT Group, has arrived at the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The satellite is scheduled to be launched aboard an Ariane 5 launch vehicle by Arianespace. Amazonas 3, which was completed and delivered ahead Ka-band payload for broadband service in Latin America. Amazonas 3 is designed to provide a wide range of telecommunications services and mobile telephone networks, and broadband in the Americas, Europe, and North Africa. When launched, the satellite will be positioned at the orbital location of 61 degrees West longitude. Amazonas 3 has 33 Kuand 19 C-band transponders, and 9 Ka-band spot beams. The satellite is based on the highly reliable SSL 1300 space-proven platform, which provides the range of applications and technology advances. The spacecraft is designed to deliver service for 15 years or more. # Photo of Amazonas 3. Courtesy of Space Systems/Loral. Hughes Network Systems has now shipped more than 487,000 broadband satellite terminals in 2012. These are the most terminals shipped in a single year, bringing its cumulative number of satellite terminals shipped worldwide to more than 3.3 million. Large and small enterprises across virtually all vertical sectors, along with government and multi-national organizations rely on Hughes for an everexpanding range of broadband networking solutions. speed satellite Internet service in North America is growing at an accelerated rate since the launch of HughesNet Gen4 service in October of 2012, powered by the EchoStar XVII Ka-band satellite with JUPITER high throughput technologywith more than 200,000 HT terminals shipped in the last quarter of 2012. Every one of those 3.3 million terminals is a testament to the trust placed in Hughes by our customers for their communications solutions, said Pradman Kaul, president us to innovate and continually advance our satellite technology and servicesensuring they succeed, so we succeed. And in 1986, nor has the pride in our people who make it happen. # Betterment Thru Backhaul Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (NASDAQ: GILT) has signed an agreement with Huawei for the delivery of its SkyAbis cellular backhaul solution to a leading Southeast Asian Mobile Network Operator (MNO). As part of the project, Gilat will supply and install a SkyEdge II hub, SkyEdge II Pro VSATs, and related services including remote site installation. The majority of the sites will replace older SCPC modems that are currently in use. The SkyAbis network will support both 2G and 3G BTS/ Node B sites as part of a major upgrade to the Mobile Network infrastructure, and will provide and higher throughputs. The cellular backhaul solution enables the network operator capacity through the use of the SkyAbis Dynamic Allocation Multiple Access (DAMA) capabilities, which allocate satellite capacity to the site, as and when required. This also enables the operator to expand the network to additional sites, where previously it was not economically feasible #

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8 SatMagazine February 2013 InfoBeam A Spatial Excursion Campaign entering the main stream and looking (and smelling) quite good! United Kingdom-based Unilever Group and Space Expedition Corporation (SXC) Lynx Mark II suborbital themed AXEApollo campaign cologne, body spray, shower gels and other personal care products. from a drawing just after the Super Bowl on February 3rd, and the 21 other winners are derived from a year long, 60 country, promotional campaign. That larger campaign includes a 100+ person December 2013 space camp for early stage winners in Orlando called the AXE Apollo Space Academy (A.A.S.A.). The campaign also includes legendary Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin and a 30 second Super Bowl advertisement. # The Early Birds Northrop Grumman Corporation has completed early delivery of two Global Hawk unmanned aircraft to the U.S. Air Force. Global Hawk allows military commanders to receive highresolution imagery, survey vast geographic regions and pinpoint targets on the ground. Both aircraft were delivered ahead of schedule. In 2012, three new Global Hawks were delivered to the delivered aircraft completed installation of additional sensors that will allow them to gather multiple types of intelligence data during a single mission. A total of 37 Global Hawks have been delivered to the Air Force. Global Hawk carries a variety of ISR sensor payloads that allow military commanders to gather imagery and use radar to detect moving or stationary targets on the ground. The system also provides airborne communications and information sharing capabilities to military units in harsh environments. range makes the system ideally suited to take on many different ISR missions. Global Hawk has hours and has been used over and Libya. # JPSS-1 Passes CDR Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has successfully completed the delta Critical Design Review (CDR) for the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS-1) spacecraft. The four-day review was held December 10-13, 2012, and included more than 100 Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Headquarters, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and JPSS instrument providers. The review team congratulated the JPSS-1 team for demonstrating is progressing well and will be ready to provide the nation with critical environmental data when quarter 2017. The CDR delineated the design differences between JPSS-1 and its predecessor, the Ball-built Suomi National Polarorbiting Partnership (S-NPP) satellite to allow for full-scale JPSS-1 spacecraft production. Early Production on JPSS-1 has been underway since mid-2012. The JPSS operational weather system includes the satellites and sensors that support civil weather and climate measurements in the afternoon orbit, as well as a ground system. These satellites deliver approximately 90 percent of the information collected for numerical forecasting models that generate critical weather forecasts and convey warnings to the public about climate and weather events. In addition to the spacecraft, Ball Aerospace will manufacture, test and deliver the Ozone for JPSS-1. Both the JPSS-1 satellite bus and the OMPS instrument are similar to those for Suomi NPP, which successfully launched in October 2011 and is returning images and data that provide critical weather and climate measurements of the complex Earth system. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical missions for national agencies such as the Department of Defense, NASA, NOAA and other U.S. government and commercial entities. The company develops and manufactures spacecraft, advanced instruments and sensors, components, data exploitation systems and RF solutions for strategic, tactical # JPSS-1 spacecraft artist rendering. Credit Ball Aerospace.

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10 SatMagazine February 2013 InfoBeam Secures Beams NAGRA and HD PLUS GmbH, a subsidiary of satellite provider SES and operator of HD+ new, over-the-top (OTT) catch-up service of private channels (Mediathek), HD+ Replay, further extending protection partnership from satellite to Internet TV. multi-device and multi-network DRM solution, NAGRA MediaAccess PRM (Persistent Rights Management), to secure high-value content delivered over-the-top to consumers equipped with an HD+ SmartTV set-top box (STB). HD+ Replay is based on the HbbTV standard enabling a rich and intuitive user experience. STB Inverto VOLKSBOX Web Edition+ is already on the market, with further set-top box manufacturers expected to be available soon. HD+ Replay initially includes content from RTL NOW and VOX NOW, with SUPER RTL NOW having been added in December. The HD+ satellite service MediaAccess content protection since its launch in 2009 and has grown ever since. As of September 30, 2012, it served more than 2.8 million households in Germany, a 45 percent growth over the same period in 2011. # Kits + Phones Blue Sky Network and its reseller partner, S4A (Solutions For Aviation), have announced the issuance of a Supplemental system on C-212-200 Airbus military aircraft. by the European Aviation Safety satellite phone system, the Kit 2. products are based on voice communication and tracking solutions over the Iridium satellite network. The Kit 2 provides an FAA antenna and cable that can be connected with either the Iridium 9555 or Iridium Extreme satellite phone, both of which can be plugged into the antenna outlet for use in the aircraft. The Iridium 9555 offers a voice, two-way SMS, and short email communication solution for users. The Iridium Extreme to withstand the toughest environments and enables voice communication as well as GPS tracking services via Blue Sky Through the Iridium satellite network, Blue Sky Network provides pole-to-pole voice communication on Airbus Military C-212-200 aircraft. # No Folding Required site is designed to illustrate in an interactive environment the applications of S-AIS in solving real-world issues across the maritime industry. At the heart of each story, from satellites. More information can be overlaid using the various map layers, building greater context into the ship map and demonstrating how a combination of situational information and empirical satellite data can be combined to gain insight and knowledge about key maritime issues. Each of these web-based map applications combines data delivered using standard information formats. Interoperability can often be a bottleneck, hampering the integration of disparate data sources, such as S-AIS, particularly in the geospatial world. By developing and using delivery methods that comply with the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), such barriers are removed. Web-based delivery of S-AIS data enables it to be embedded within ad-hoc customization of data based on geography, time, and AIS message attributes. The customization and combination of data sources with simple narrative and multimedia delivers an interactive map-based platform to explore the worlds of S-AIS. #

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11 SatMagazine February 2013 InfoBeam Turned On To Save Lives Four Galileo In-Orbit Validation satellites in medium-Earth orbit, the minimum number needed search and rescue package shows it to be working well. Its activation begins a major expansion of the space-based CospasSarsat network, which brings help to air and sea vessels in distress. Galileo navigation satellites launched together on 12 October constellation to host SAR search and rescue repeaters. These can pick up UHF signals from emergency beacons aboard ships and aircraft or carried by individuals, then pass them on to local authorities for rescue. Once the satellites reached their 23 222 km-altitude orbits, a rigorous test campaign began. The turn of the SAR repeater aboard the third Galileo satellite came on January 17th. At this stage, our main objective is to check the repeater has not been damaged by engineer Igor Stojkovic. The the repeater on and checking its were as predicted. The following day involved sending a signal to the repeater using the UHF in Belgium, then picking up the reply from our L-band antenna. diameter, so the shape of the relayed signal was captured in great detail, out of all proportion to surrounding noise. We can precisely measure its power, the time the relay took and so on, Igor added. More detailed system testing will follow, to completely prove this new type of SAR payload in orbit. Galileo. This international system has been taking the search out of search and rescue for more than three decades, saving some 31 000 lives along the way. Cospas System for the Search of Vessels # Artistic rendition of four Galileo In-Orbit Validation satellites in medium Earth orbit.

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12 SatMagazine February 2013 InfoBeam Uplinks, Satellites + Fly-Aways For Sports SIS LIVE has signed a new contract with European Tour Productions to provide worldwide satellite services for their golf coverage until the end of 2018. This coverage includes satellite services, uplink trucks Europe and the Middle East, as well as co-ordination of local uplink providers and satellite services for events in South Africa, Asia and Australasia. The agreement allows increase the coverage in Europe with redundancy; all from one antenna uplink trucks. Tony Coxon, Head of Production operations at European Tour Productions said In conjunction with SIS LIVE we have moved our delivery from MPEG2 to MPEG4 over the last couple of years. This transition was made in practically seamless manner and we now deliver HD signals to Sky and the rest of the world. We, therefore, had contract with SIS LIVE to include our coverage up to the end of 2018. We will continue to use the excellent SIS LIVE team as well as the dual uplink truck, of its MPEG4 upgrade, to help us deliver the forty or so live four day golf tournaments that we produce annually. SIS LIVE has worked with European Tour Productions on all its golf coverage since January of 2004 and, since March 2008, SIS LIVE has also provided Internet access, ISDNs and telephone lines using its iDirect platforms on IS907 and IS905. This move has given European Tour Productions and its clients a more consistent, solution. The system uses satellites, therefore, the remoteness of each location has no impact on the service. SIS LIVE provides European Tour Productions with its own dedicated telephone numbers so as soon as the uplink dish is deployed, phones and Internet are immediately available for everyone in the TV compound. # Moving MUOS Lockheed Martin has successfully completed required system testing on the second satellite in the Objective System (MUOS), designated MUOS-2. The satellite has been placed in storage to await its scheduled launch date in July 2013. The MUOS constellation will and secure communications for simultaneous voice, video and data servicessimilar to the capabilities experienced today with smart phones. launched February 24, and the associated ground system are currently providing legacy on orbit capability, followed by the launch of MUOS-2 in 2013. constellation is expected to achieve full operational capability in 2015. In the spring of 2013, Lockheed Martin will remove the satellite from storage, perform installations and conduct a in Sunnyvale, California, prior to shipping MUOS-2 to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, for its launch aboard an Atlas V rocket. MUOS satellites are equipped with a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) payload that provides a 16-fold increase in transmission throughput over the current Ultra High Frequency (UHF) satellite system. Each MUOS satellite includes a legacy UHF payload that is fully compatible with the current UHF Follow-on system and legacy terminals. This dual-payload design ensures a smooth transition to the cutting-edge WCDMA technology while the UFO system is phased out. # Ideas Welcomed Hughes Network Systems, LLC has received an order from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide satellite broadband RadNet program. Under the order, Hughes will provide 50 sites with 12 months of satellite broadband service. The RadNet system monitors radiation levels of air, drinking water, pasteurized milk and precipitation across the United States. The EPA will upgrade its existing network with the addition of Hughes satellite broadband technology during 2013. AIDA mission concept The Hughes solution includes its HN9000 broadband satellite terminal and a dedicated Access Gateway, supporting expansion and potential conversion into a private network. Hughes will install and deliver satellite broadband services each month. By providing a dedicated Access Gateway at the Hughes Network Operations Center in Germantown, Maryland, EPA will have improved manageability and visibility into the network about its health, and be able to operate their sites like a private network, said Tony Bardo, assistant vice president of government solutions at Hughes. #

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13 SatMagazine February 2013 One Gone, Two On Orbit, One Enroute On Friday, January 11, 2012, commercial operations of SPOT 4 satellite were terminated. The joint decision on the cessation of commercial satellite operations was made by the SPOT 4 ownerCNES (French Space Agency) and the satellite operatorAstrium GEO-Information Services. The satellite has been operating for almost 15 years (177 months) since its launch in March of 1998. More than 6.8 million images of the Earth have been acquired since operations began. Nonetheless, the SPOT space program continues to develop. ScanEx Research & Development Center carries on direct reception and processing of SPOT 5 satellite data satellite operations are estimated to be effective until 2015. In addition, commercial operation of the new SPOT 6 satellite will start soonits data received and processed by 17, 2012, using the UniScan ground station at the Moscow remote sensing center. Now UniScan ground stations can be supplied to interested organizations for SPOT 6 data reception (and similar SPOT 7 satellite datathis satellite is to be whereas already installed stations can be upgraded to support the new satellites. SPOT 6/7 data processing software has been developed by ScanEx RDC within the frames of the international cooperation agreement with Astrium GEO-Information Services company. ScanEx company has exclusive rights to receive and data on the territory of Russia and Belarus. In addition to the SPOT program, Astrium GEO-Information Services is the worldwide commercial operator of the very high resolution satellites Pleiades-1A and Pleiades-1B. # Image credit EADS Astrium.

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14 SatMagazine February 2013 InfoBeam DubaiSat-1, the UAE-owned and operated Earth observation satellite, has relayed a high-quality image of the area in Dubai that will be developed into the recently announced Mohammed Bin Rashid City. The satellite, which was launched by the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST), will monitor the MBR City project and provide images every month to The high-resolution images relayed by DubaiSat-1 are a valuable resource for infrastructure planning and development across the country. These images provide spatial information essential to decision-making on urban and rural planning, transport and utilities development, mapping and environmental conservation initiatives. EIAST, as part of its mandate of conducting research using satellite data, has been mapping some of the major construction projects in Dubai. The satellite images also complement existing Geographic Information System (GIS) databases and enable environmental changes and natural hazards in addition to identifying water quality in the Gulf. DubaiSat-1 is a key element in the development process taking place in Dubai. The satellite highlights the commitment of EIAST to create a knowledge-based economy by leveraging satellite technology said Salem Al Marri, Head of Marketing and International Affairs at EIAST MBR City, announced in November this year, will feature world-class leisure and retail facilities and provide an integrated environment for the development of entrepreneurship and innovation. The landmark project will be located between Emirates Road, Al Khail Road and Sheikh Zayed Road. DubaiSat-1 was a joint project between the UAE and South Korea, developed with a focus on knowledge transfer to the UAE team that participated in building the satellite. EIAST had launched DubaiSat-1 in July 2009, and since then, the satellite has been transmitting images that are of great value in several areas. EIAST is currently working on a joint development programme with the Satrec Initiative of South Korea. Sixteen UAE engineers, currently stationed in South Korea, have been working on the design, development, testing and manufacturing of the satellite. The participation of UAE engineers in the project has increased by 100 per cent compared to DubaiSat-1 and it is hoped DubaiSat-2 will take EIAST to the next level in space research. Additionally, The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) showcased a model of DubaiSat-2 at The Dubai Mall in December of last year as part of the 41st UAE National Day celebrations to highlight the advances made by the nation in the space industry. EIAST has also launched a competition for students to design a logo for DubaiSat-2, its second satellite mission. The competition is open to students of all ages and nationalities studying at any school, university or college in the UAE. The designer of the winning logo will receive a Mac laptop. His Excellency Ahmed Al Mansoori, Director General of EIAST, said, Through our showcase of DubaiSat-2 at The Dubai Mall and the logo design competition, we are further strengthening awareness on the greatest achievements of EIAST, strides that the UAE has made in space research. Our space initiatives are in line with the vision of the UAE leadership to strengthen knowledge about advanced technology among the UAE youth especially with DubaiSat 2 being developed by Emirati engineers. The DubaiSat-2 project is a joint development program between EIAST and Satrec Initiative of South Korea. Sixteen UAE engineers have been working on the design, development, testing and manufacturing of the satellite. # DubaiSat-1 rendition DubaiSat-2

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15 SatMagazine February 2013 Anomaly Analysis Roscosmos management has reviewed and approved the report provided by the Russian working group investigating the Proton launch anomaly during the Yamal 402 mission and have provided the report to Khrunichev State Research and Space Production Center (Khrunichev). most probable root cause of the anomaly and the required corrective actions will be released to International Launch Services (ILS) after the report clears Russian security during the week of January 21st. The Russian working group, convened by Roscosmos, included independent experts from TsNIIMash (Central Machine Building), the leading institution of Roscosmos to support design, development and research into rocket and space articles, and M.V. Keldysh Research Center, the leading Russian entity for rocket engines. ILS has formed a Failure Review Oversight Board (FROB) which will review the and corrective action plan, in accordance with U.S. and Russian government export control regulations. The FROB will begin in Moscow on January 30th and consists of ILS customers, industry subject experts, and insurance industry representatives. The FROB will provide an independent review of the investigation, root cause and corrective actions required prior After the conclusion of the FROB, the FROB report will be briefed to ILS customers and the launch insurance industry. The anomaly occurred burn of the Breeze M engine during a planned 9 hour and 15 minute mission. The fourth burn ended about four minutes early and the spacecraft was subsequently separated. The spacecraft, built by Thales Alenia Space for Russian satellite operator Gazprom Space Systems, was successfully maneuvered to its orbital position and was declared fully operational on January 8th, 2013, after completing its on orbit tests. #

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16 SatMagazine February 2013 InfoBeam Veggie Tracker Testing The European Space microsatellite is now assembled and is midway through testing to ensure it is fully spaceworthy. The miniature Earth-observer, designed to chart global vegetation every two days, will be launched in April. The testing at the specialised Intespace facility in Toulouse, France, includes rigorous conditions and the hard vacuum and temperature extremes it must endure in orbit. assembly was completed by prime contractor QinetiQ Space at its facility in Kruibeke, Belgium last month. Building the satellite was a complex operation. Although smaller than a cubic metre, the satellites carries a wide-angle telescope for its main Earthmonitoring instrument, a pair optic connector experiment, a prototype radio transmitter based on the semiconductor gallium nitride, and a test receiver to the globe. However, Proba-V also marks a departure from previous technology demonstrators Proba-1 in 2001 and Proba-2 in 2009. Both later became operational missions once the outstanding performance of their main instruments became clear. This time, Proba-V has been conceived as a quasi-operational mission from the start, serving a waiting community of users. a miniaturised version of the full-sized Spot-5 satellite, intended to extend its nearly 15-year continuous record of observationsdating back to the previous Spot-4 mission, launched in 1998. There are more than 10,000 registered users of Vegetation products worldwide, and the data have contributed to hundreds of Despite being much smaller than the original Vegetation observes compatible spectral bands while delivering a spatial resolution three times sharper. nitride. Often described as the most promising semiconductor since silicon, gallium nitride offers higher power levels and radiation resistance. Proba-V will also be the detect Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast signals from aircraft, building up a global # The fully-integrated Proba-V microsatellite at QinetiQ Space Belgium in December of 2012. Photo courtesy of ESA. Artistic rendition of the Proba-V in action. Courtesy of ESA. Taking Leave Of Thor II Telenor Satellite Broadcasting (TSBc) has successfully de-orbited Thor II to a graveyard orbit, after a six-day maneuver which was completed on January 10, 2013. TSBc chose to de-orbit Thor II, after more than 15 years of successful operation. Thor II orbit more than 350 km above geosynchronous orbit where satellites are intentionally placed at the end of their operational life. communications satellite that and launched and was put into orbit by a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral in May 1997. #

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17 SatMagazine February 2013 Testing A Mirror On A Webb The telescope is critical for future infrared observations and will serve as the premier observatory of the next decade. Since May of 2012, the AOS optical system for the James Webb Telescope has undergone a series of tests including thermal and vibration, followed by cryogenic testing to demonstrate that it can withstand the rigorous vibration environment of the rocket launch and remain precisely aligned in order to function at extremely cold temperatures in space. The AOS will remain at Ball Aerospace to be used during actuator drive unit and AOS source plate assembly. This AOS of the James Webb Optical Telescope Element to complete integration and test activities at Ball Aerospace. Each optical element that Ball Aerospace is building for the Webb is extremely sophisticated and the successful completion of another milestone brings us one day closer to the space observatory, said Ball Aerospace President and CEO David L. Taylor. The AOS is a precision beryllium rectangular optical bench that houses the tertiary primary mirror. The AOS is surrounded by a shroud that eliminates stray light, and two large radiator panels that keep the assembly cold. This subsystem collects and focuses the light from the secondary mirror and feeds it into the science instruments. Ball is the principal subcontractor to Northrop Grumman for the optical technology and lightweight Webb Telescope. In total, Ball has designed 18 beryllium primary mirror segments, secondary and mirror, and several engineering development units. In September 2012, Ball began the process of shipping mirrors to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland. The remaining mirrors will arrive at Goddard this year, awaiting telescope integration in 2015. The Webb is on track for an October 2018 liftoff. The Webb telescope is critical for future infrared observations and will serve as the premier observatory of the next decade. #

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18 SatMagazine February 2013 T he next-generation series of Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) provides NASA with crucial crosslink communications capability between Earth-orbiting spacecraft and control and data processing facilities on the ground. Satellite Spotlight: TDRS K, L + M Pre-Launch Customer NASA NASA NASA Spacecraft Boeing 601HP Boeing 601HP Boeing 601HP Launch TDRS-K TDRS-L TDRS-M Date 2012 2013 2015 On-Orbit Life 15 years 15 years 15 years

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NASA has returned to Boeing to build its next-generation series of Tracking and Data Relay Satellites ( TDRS ). Boeing was originally awarded a contract to build NASAs TDRS-K series in December of 2007. Previously, Boeing built the three satellites in the TDRS-H, I and J series for NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Launched between 2000 and 2002, these satellites continue to provide excellent service. The newest TDRS award for Boeing continues its role supporting NASAs key programs over a period that spans more than four decades. The new Boeing-built TDRS-K series spacecraft will augment the earlier TDRS constellation that serves as NASAs means of continuous, high-data rate communication with the Hubble Space Telescope the International Space Station Boeing has teamed with General Dynamics which will update and modify the existing TDRS system ground terminals. The ground terminals, known as the White Sands Complex provide the primary two-way communications link between the TDRS satellites and the user control centers and data processing facilities. General Characteristics The TDRS-K series of satellites will incorporate a modern model spacecraft includes Boeing 702HP -class electronics, which are the standard for Boeings current satellite product line. These new satellites will again provide high data rate Ka-band service capability. Boeing will integrate its patented and innovative springI and J satellite series, into the new TDRS spacecraft. into their original cupped circular shape on orbit. The steerable, single-access antennas can simultaneously transmit and receive at S-band and either Kuor Ka-band, supporting dual independent two-way communication. Boeing will build the TDRS-K series of satellites at the of this writing, the TDRS-K is set for launch on January 29th, from NASAs Kennedy Space Center. The TDRS-L will be ready for launch this year and the TDRS-M will be ready for Launch Logistics Cape Canaveral as technicians started assembling the Atlas 5 rocket for communications satellite into orbit. The United Launch Alliance (ULA) -manufactured rocket will push the TDRS-K into space to reinforce NASAs communications network. Liftoff is targeted for January 29th shell. Photo courtesy of Boeing + NASA. 19 SatMagazine February 2013 Photo of an Atlas first stage hoisting operation. Courtesy of NASA.

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20 SatMagazine February 2013 Complex 41 Putting the two-stage rocket together got underway when Vertical Integration Facility for stacking operations. The booster was secured aboard its mobile launcher, anchored on small supports that protrude from the platform. At liftoff, explosive bolts free the rocket and those supports will retract into the platform walls as the vehicle powers its way off the pad on Known as the Common Core Booster the stage was pulled by a semi-truck up the road from the Operations Center rotated vertically, then maneuvered into the building and stood upright on the mobile platform. The stage is equipped with a dual-nozzle RD-180 main engine that will burn kerosene fuel The interstage adapter installation is next, securing the upper stage. When the cryogenic upper stage is hoisted atop and liquid oxygen, will perform the necessary burns to achieve orbital velocity and then shape the orbit for deployment of navigation unit that serves as the rockets guidance brain. boosters and different sized nose cones to match the cargos mass and size. The spacecraft arrived from the Boeing factory on The satellite was encapsulated into the rockets nose cone ULA and its customers have opted to delete the condensing the prelaunch timelines for such rockets, except for planetary missions. Rollout to the launch complex occurs the day before liftoff, launch day, leading to cryogenic liquid oxygen and liquid will provide ample performance to carry the Boeing-built satellite to orbit. 25 Years Of TDRS History This space-based system ultimately replaced an extensive network of ground tracking stations deployed for the Apollo back, establishing itself as a reliable resource for NASAs space shuttle and other customers. connect to the Internet. Soon, more TDRS satellites joined the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System, forming a constellation of nine NASA satellites that, today, provides nearly continuous tracking and spacecraft, launch vehicles, long duration balloons, and a research station in Antarctica. coming from the shuttle or International Space Station, they 20 SatMagazine February 2013 In April 1983, the first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite, bay on mission STS-6. Image credit NASA. Satellite Spotlight: TDRS K, L + M Pre-Launch (Cont.)

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21 SatMagazine February 2013 take communications for granted, said Badri Younes, NASA deputy associate administrator for Space Communications and Navigation. They dont know the capabilities that NASA leverages in getting this data down to the ground. stunning images from the Hubble Space Telescope It has delivered pictures, television, voice and data from more Station. The TDRSS network has delivered large volumes of and investigations into global climate change. Other TDRSS users have included the Automated Transfer Vehicle Solar Mesosphere Explorer Solar Maximum Mission Compton Gamma Ray Observatory Terra Landsat SWIFT Earth Radiation Budget Satellite Cosmic Background Explorer Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer Aqua and Aura to meet expanding user requirements and provide new on duty today, returning data from the National Science Foundation activities at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica. Artistic rendition of the Hubble Space Telescope 21 SatMagazine February 2013

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Satellite Spotlight: TDRS K The Launch At the culmination of all of the trials and tribulations and the hard work involved in building a satellite and preparing the launch vehicle, that day finally arrives when all comes to successful fruition. Janury 30th was that date, and TDRS-K successfully launched from Cape Canaveral. 22 SatMagazine February 2013

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A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket successfully launched the first of three, nexgen, Boeing-built ,NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-K) payloads at 8:48 p.m., EST, on January 30th from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral. This was the first of 13 ULA launches scheduled for 2013, the 35th Atlas V mission, and the 67th ULA launch. ULA and our mission partners are honored to work with the outstanding NASA team and we are proud of the vitally important data relay capabilities that were safely delivered today, said Jim Sponnick ULA vice president, Mission Operations. This mission was launched aboard an Atlas V 401 payload fairing. The Atlas booster for this mission was powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 engine and the Centaur upper stage was powered by a single Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne ( PWR ) RL10A-4 engine. the network that routes voice calls, telemetry streams and television signals from the International Space Station as well as science information from the Hubble Space Telescope and other orbiting spacecraft. With this teams innovative and ever-present focus on delivering mission success and best value through Perfect Sponnick The ability for ULA to reduce its processing time both during manufacturing and at the launch sites, offers our launch opportunities to ensure their payloads are delivered ULA program management, engineering, test, and mission support functions are headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Manufacturing, assembly and integration operations are located at Decatur, Alabama, and Harlingen, Texas. Launch TDRS-K bolsters our network of satellites that provides essential communications to support space exploration, said Badri Younes deputy associate administrator for Space Communications and Navigation at NASA Headquarters in Washington. It will improve the overall health and longevity of our system. With this launch, NASA has begun the replenishment of our aging space network, said Jeffrey Gramling TDRS provide even greater capabilities to a network that has become from older satellites in the TDRS system, including redesigned telecommunications payload electronics and a highperformance solar panel designed for more spacecraft power design change, the return to ground-based processing of data, will allow the system to service more customers with evolving communication requirements. The next TDRS spacecraft, TDRS-L is scheduled for TDRS-M s manufacturing process will be NASAs Space Communications and Navigation Program part of the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at the agencys Headquarters in Washington, is responsible for the space network. The TDRS Project Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the TDRS development program. Launch services were provided by United Launch Alliance NASAs Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center was responsible for acquisition of launch services. 23 SatMagazine February 2013

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Missions To Mars by Jos Heyman, Senior Contributing Editor 24 SatMagazine February 2013 Artistic rendition of the Mariner-4 approaching Mars W ith the landing of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) on Mars, on 6 August 2012, it is appropriate to have a look at previous U.S. missions to Mars. Mars is relatively easy to study as it is close to the Earth and has no clouds which obscure its surface. Its generally red appearance led it to being associated with war and when its two tiny moons were discovered they were named Phobos (fear) and Deimos (terror). Mars is also of interest as it is possibly the only other planet in the solar system that may, once, have harbored forms of life.

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25 SatMagazine February 2013 Mariner Series The Mariner series of interplanetary spacecraft consisted of a number of essentially dissimilar spacecraft which explored the Mariner-3 it was to take photos of the planet, undertake occultation studies and carry out other interplanetary experiments. After this initial failure, Mariner-4 which had been photos of the Martian surface these photos showed many craters, a feature which was later proven to be an exception. There was no evidence of volcanic activity or water radiation belt was found while a very thin atmosphere, consisting and -4 carried a camera with transmission device, a solar plasma probe, an ionization chamber, a radiation detector, four Geiger-Mueller counters, a helium vector magnetometer, a cosmic ray telescope and two cosmic dust detectors. The success of the Mariner-4 mission was followed by Mariner-6 and -7 They passed Mars on the 27th and planet. Instruments on board detected carbon-dioxide, carbon-monoxide, and atomic hydrogen, oxygen and carbon in the upper atmosphere. The surface temperature was measured as Both spacecraft carried two for thermal mapping, an ultraviolet spectrometer to identify chemical constituents of the upper atmosphere, an infra-red spectrometer to measure the lower atmosphere and the surface composition and a celestial mechanics experiment to determine the mass of and Mars. After the launch failure of Mariner-H the Mariner-9 spacecraft was was placed into an orbit around mission provided a wealth of data on the planet, although initially images offered little detail of the surface due to a prevailing dust storm. It was not until one year later that the spacecraft revealed the true surface of the planet: valleys wide, and the highest volcano known in the solar system, Nix Olympica photos also showed intriguing wind erosion patterns which kept scientists busy with analysis for years.

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26 SatMagazine February 2013 Valles Marineris It was apparent that the earlier Mariners happened to have observed very untypical regions of Mars. Now the hemispheres were seen to be quite different, although the dividing line was The southern hemisphere was found to be heavily cratered, ancient and inactive and resembled the Moon. The northern hemisphere, on the other hand, appeared geologically made observations of the two moons of Mars and the images obtained revealed them to be irregularly shaped. The instrumentation of Mariner-9 consisted of an infra-red interferometer spectrometer for studies of the planets surface and composition, its atmospheric constituents, temperature, etc., an infra-red radiometer to measure the surface temperature, an ultraviolet spectrometer to study the atmospheric composition, structure and temperature, as well as two television cameras. instruments on the spacecraft were closed down on October Viking Series consisting of an orbiter, to be placed in a Martian orbit, and a lander to land on the surface of Mars. The latter provided the most spectacular images of the planets surface following their boom, a surface sampling instrument, a seismometer, a biology instrument, a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer The three life experiments were based on the assumption that life was carbon based and was probably in the form of microbes or bacteria. In one experiment, a sample of soil was in an atmosphere of carbon-dioxide and carbon-monoxide labeled with a radioactive tracer. The unused tracer was then any organic material, releasing any tracer that had been amount was such that it was probably due to chemistry rather than biology. In another experiment, a sample of soil was fed liquid nutrients rich in vitamins and amino acids labeled with a days. Measurements were then made of any gases resulting from the consumption of the nutrients. An early release of carbon-dioxide was detected, probably due to biology rather than chemistry. In the third experiment, a sample was put into a liquid nutrient of organic compounds and inorganic salts. It was krypton and carbon-dioxide. The atmosphere was sampled at intervals for hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, methane and carbonmonoxide. It was found that carbon-monoxide and oxygen were expelled, which was probably due to chemistry. The overall conclusion of the life science experiments was that the results were ambiguous and could be explained either by chemical reactions or by primitive life forms. Data collected by the landers also showed that the winds were generally less than 20km/h but that, during storms on the southern The surface is red in color and has a wide variety of rocks. Analysis of the as well as aluminum, magnesium, calcium, sulphur and other elements. It was estimated that 42 percent of the oxygen was bound up in compounds, such as iron oxides, which accounts for the red color. spacecraft to the horizon. Images were in black/white, color and in three were no lines found on any of the images. Viking-1 Landing Site The orbiters carried two narrow angle television cameras for high resolution imaging, an atmospheric water detector to map the atmosphere of Mars and to detect any water, an infra-red thermal mapper, and radio equipment to be used in occultation experiments to provide data on the planets size, gravity, mass, density and other physical characteristics. The Valles Marineris The Viking-1 landing site Missions To Mars (Cont.)

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27 SatMagazine February 2013 results obtained by the orbiters showed dense carbon-dioxide clouds over the poles during the summer. In the winter, these condensed as ice causing a drop in the atmospheric pressure. It was found that the polar caps have water ice as well as the Imagery revealed large surface channels scoured by surface movement. The entire surface of Mars was mapped with resolutions ranging from 200 to 8m. The study of the atmosphere revealed that the constituents were the same at high altitude as at the was detected so that the solar ultraviolet radiation reached the surface, breaking water down into HO and O. Both Phobos and Deimos were examined by the orbiters. The moons are probably former asteroids that came near Mars and were captured by the planet. In particular, Phobos was mapped using high resolution and was found to be quite dark and may consist of carbonaceous chondrite with an outer layer of rock. Mons Olympus Viking-1 48 degrees 0 W. Viking-2 of operation. Mars Observer The Mars Observer was a 2487kg spacecraft that was to undertake a mapping mission of the planet, which would The spacecraft was nicknamed the USS Thomas O. Paine. Contact with the spacecraft was lost prior to the Martian past Mars into a solar orbit. Mars Global Surveyor Mars Global Surveyor solar panels suffered too much stress. The aerobraking phase alignment of the Sun was incorrect for mapping and it was start. Budget restrictions, at that point in time, prevented the extension of the observation program beyond the one year time period. However, following excellent results, the mission was extended to April 2002. Mons Olympus Artistic rendition of the Mars Observer

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28 SatMagazine February 2013 After the observation program, the satellite continued to be used as a data relay station for subsequent lander craft until, was a 890kg Mars exploration spacecraft consisting of a cruise vehicle, an entry vehicle and a lander. The lander included the named Sojourner The 890kg spacecraft made a successful landing on Ares Valles at Sojourner + Yogi Sagan Memorial Station. The next day, the Sojourner was released. Although intended to operate only for one week, when contact was lost. The mission was formally terminated Mars Climate Orbiter climatic changes in the martian atmosphere. Mars Global Surveyor Mars Pathfinder pre-launch preparation Sojourner and the rock Yogi Mars Climate Observer Missions To Mars (Cont.)

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29 SatMagazine February 2013 Mars Climate Observer However, a navigation error brought the spacecraft in at a been destroyed by the Martian atmosphere. Mars Polar Lander Mars Polar Lander was to touch down in the south polar region of Mars between the suspended from a parachute, to conduct a primary mission, which was to last three months. The spacecraft reached and the lander separated as scheduled, however, contact was lost. Using images provided by the Mars Global Surveyor the Mars Polar Lander was eventually located on the surface of Mars. 2001 Mars Odyssey Originally referred to as the and placed in an orbit around spacecraft maneuvered into a degrees, which was reached on During its primary mission, months), it provided scientists with the most detailed and complete global maps of Mars to that date, with daytime and nighttime infra-red images at a resolution of water deposits and surface textures and minerals. It also provided a communications relay for the Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers. In August of 2004, NASA app roved an extension of the provide an additional Mars year of information. In addition, the spacecraft Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission by monitoring atmospheric conditions at the arrival of that spacecraft. Odyssey also analyzed potential landing sites for the Phoenix mission. Mars Explorer Rover Mars Explorer Rover missions were launched. The two spacecraft were similar to technique was adopted, using a parachute and airbags to s all designed to analyze rocks and soils. The MER-A also named Spirit landed on Mars on January 4, 2004, at Gusey Crater degrees W, a site which was later named as the Columbia Memorial Station Spirits primary mission started on January

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30 SatMagazine February 2013 In March 2009, while traversing a low plateau called Home rover moving again failed and, in November 2009, another wheel failed. Using the remaining wheels, Spirit was moved to angle in such a way that it would get the maximum amount of solar energy during the Martian winter in order to continue as a stationary science platform. establish contact with vehicle. Last contact was on March 22, and electrical connections had all been damaged by the cold temperatures of the Martian winter. It had traveled a total of 7.7km. platform. Its primary mission was completed in May of 2004. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was launched Lockheed Martin. It was placed in an orbit around Mars to search for evidence that water had persisted on the surface of Mars for a long period of time. It also zoomed in for extreme close-up photography of the Martian surface, analyzed minerals, looked for subsurface water, traced how much dust and water are distributed in the atmosphere, and monitored daily global weather. Other experiments scanned underground layers for to determine their composition and origins, tracked changes in atmospheric water and dust and checked global weather every day. The orbiters primary spacecraft continued to be used as a communications relay. Mars Polar Lander 2001 Mars Odyssey Mars Explorer Rover Missions To Mars (Cont.)

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31 SatMagazine February 2013 Phoenix Launched on August 4, 2007, Phoenix was a Mars lander built for NASA by Lockheed Martin Space Systems The objectives of the mission included the study of the history of water in the Martian polar regions and to search for evidence of a habitable zone as well as to assess the biological potential of the ice-soil boundary. The spacecraft made use of a lander structure, subsystem components and protective aeroshell originally built for the Mars Surveyor 2001 Lander spacecraft that had been on-board computer, which controlled descent and landing and guided the spacecraft to its landing site. A cruise assembly, heat shield protected it from the high temperatures. deployed, followed with the jettisoned heatshield. The landing radar was activated and the spacecrafts legs extended. At an and then used its thruster to decelerate further. When Phoenix began traveling at a constant velocity. The landing engines were turned off when sensors located on the footpads of the the robotic arm of the lander collected Martian arctic soil and dropped it into the TEGA to vaporize any water that would be in the sample. Baking at lower temperatures did, however, not indicate any water. The temperature was later increased to search for minerals that decompose at different temperatures. As the oven could only be used once, there were no further experiments of this nature. Phoenix successfully accomplished its primary threemonth mission and two bonus months of operations before contact was lost in November of 2008. Images taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter indicated that carbon dioxide ice deposits had settled on the landers two circular solar panels, which caused the panels to snap off or bend. The About the author Jos Heyman is the Managing Director of Tiros Space Information, a Western Australian consultancy specializing in the dissemination of space for use by educational as well as commercial organisations. An accountant by profession, Jos is the editor of the TSI Space News Phoenix

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32 SatMagazine February 2013 32 SatMagazine February 2013 Executive Spotlight: Andrew Matlock, NewSat Limited A ndrew Matlock has a work history that spans 25 years across the telecommunications and technology sectors. He has worked as Regional Manager for Calcomp Inc, (a division of Lockheed Martin), was CEO and co-founder of Inspar Pty Ltd and co-founded successful start-up ventures in the United States of America and in Australia. Andrew joined NewSat in 2007, becoming Vice President of Sales in June of 2008. Through strong leadership, effective communications and genuine interpersonal skills, Andrew has built a successful, process-driven and scalable global sales team to support NewSats future growth.

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33 SatMagazine February 2013 SatMagazine (SM) You have been involved in telecommunications and technology sectors for over 25 years and have spent the last seven years working in the satellite industry. What do you think the biggest change in the industry has been so far? Andrew Matlock Over the last decade, I have seen how global demand for satellite capacity has grown exponentially, far outstripping supply. The market is currently experiencing a transformation, similar to what happened 20 years ago when C-band spectrum this reason, demand for next generation Ka-band satellite capacity is expected to grow, especially across high demand regions, such as the Middle East, Asia and Africa. SM How did you decide that NewSat was where you wished to develop your career? Andrew Matlock NewSat is such a dynamic, growth-driven organisation and its Founder and CEO, Adrian Ballintine is a visionary entrepreneur who is dedicated to growing and transforming NewSat into a global satellite operator. I joined NewSat because I saw an opportunity to become involved in the development of its teleport business and, later, in the Jabiru Satellite Program Upon the acquisition of its teleports in Perth Western Australia and Adelaide South Australia, NewSat had two great assets which needed to be developed. I wanted to progress the teleport business and build a successful team which understood the products we were dealing with inside out. Now, NewSat is expanding its satellite capabilities with the Jabiru Satellite Program, starting with the launch and operation of Jabiru-1 me the opportunity to work on and grow this new and very exciting side of the business. NewSat is a truly customerfocused business, which I enjoy. I expect to work at NewSat for many years to come. SM Looking over your career at NewSat, what would be some projects that have brought you the most satisfaction? Andrew Matlock One of the projects which has brought me great satisfaction was the redevelopment of our sales team and building an understanding of our services and products in the market from acquiring teleports in Adelaide and Perth to establishing a reputation as the partner of choice for governments, has recorded year-on-year record growth over the last several years and it has been fantastic to be an integral part of it. Being involved in the development of the Jabiru Satellite Program is another great aspect of my job. Taking it from a concept contracts has been a very exciting and rewarding journey. SM 2012 has been an exciting year for NewSatcan you tell us a bit about what has been happening? Andrew Matlock to grow, starting with the signing of new blue chip customers across the Middle East, Asia, Australia and the USA, which on customers across resources, construction, maritime, military and government verticals, combined with high levels The teleport business kickWheatstone Project one of the worlds largest liquid natural gas ( LNG ) projects located off the North West coast of Western Australia. In addition, NewSats Adelaide and Perth teleports were rated 2012 World Teleport Association s Awards for Excellence NewSat experienced 29 percent We have also acquired the rights to an additional orbital slot, taking the total to eight premium orbital slot assets. SM project progressing? Andrew Matlock continued to achieve key milestones towards the launch Coverage map: Jabiru-1, image courtesy of NewSat

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34 SatMagazine February 2013 of Jabiru-1. To date, NewSat has signed US$601 million pre-launch customer contracts for Jabiru satellite capacity across enterprise and government customers, including a US$180 million contract with leading Asian satellite operator, MEASAT NewSat also secured the services of Lockheed Martin and Lockheed Martin completed Preliminary Design Review for a ~US$280 million direct loan and received a promesse de and South Asia. The satellite will provide much needed new capacity to these high demand regions, through a range of multi-spot, regional and steerable beams. SM What is the current Americas market like for NewSat? What will be the growth drivers for the future? Andrew Matlock Clients in the Americas continue to be strong contributors situated geographically to continue supporting requirements in Africa, Europe and the Middle East and support the upcoming We are also experiencing a surge in Communications-On-TheMove ( COTM ) requirements and our clients continue to expand their existing networks by leveraging our teleport infrastructure. deal of interest from users in the maritime and aeronautical communities, particularly to augment capabilities in high areas of interest. NewSats access to satellites with coverage that band allows us to support growing needs in various regions and markets. Additionally, we are seeing an increase in requirements from the video community. The wide reach of our teleports allows us to help clients redistribute content across a variety of markets and regions. SM How will Jabiru-1 assist the Americas market? Andrew Matlock expansion of U.S. clients in the commercial and military increased bandwidth needs from enterprise clients and will allow the growth of existing networks restricted today by the lack of clean Ku-band. The U.S. Department of Defense ( DoD this demand. However, even with this expansion, predictions are that a shortfall in the next few years will allow Ka-band capacity providers such as NewSat to complement the WGS user communities. commitments which will position certain clients to have that cannot be met by WGS. Australias position as a strong U.S. ally puts us in a better position than other providers of Ka-band capacity in the region. SM What do you believe are three growth areas in the global satellite industry? Andrew Matlock A major growth area is Ka-band. The increased spectrum available at Ka-band when compared to C-and Ku-band makes the move to Ka-band a natural decision given the strong demand for connectivity. requirements will be a huge growth area in the next decade. We have also seen an increase in customer demand for content distribution over satellite. This is because satellite has a competitive advantage over point to point terrestrial from one point to many. SM What is in store for NewSat in 2013? Andrew Matlock a global satellite operator. We will continue to work closely with Lockheed Martin every day as the Jabiru-1 satellite is being built and will focus on achieving further key milestones for the Jabiru Satellite Program. provide some much needed Ku-band capacity over Australia, Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea. We will continue to grow our teleport business and reach out to high demand markets around the world across oil and gas, mining, maritime, aeronautical, military, government and enterprise. Our sales team is constantly More info at the NewSat website http://www.newsat.com.au/ Executive Spotlight: Andrew Matlock (Cont.) Coverage map: Jabiru-2, image courtesy of NewSat

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Is Ka-Band The KuKiller? A pproximately 18 months ago, I had the opportunity to work a research project that looked at cellular and WiFi connectivity onboard commercial aircraft. With a number of solutions available to allow connectivity in the skies, many airlines were understandably confused as to which of these they should adopt in the future, especially given the unmitigated disaster that was Connexion by Boeing. Retrofitting just one aircraft with the necessary equipment to enable passengers to wirelessly connect to the Internet is very costly and it is therefore imperative that the right decision is madeeven more so in these austere times. by Daniel Welch, Senior Consultant, Valour Consultancy 36 SatMagazine February 2013

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name suggests, ATG networks are only feasible over heavilytravelled land masses making satellite solutions a necessity on transoceanic routes. As such, long-haul airlines have had to decide whether to invest in Lor Ku-band based systems if However, long-haul airlines are not the only ones in a quandary. Southwest Airlines a prime candidate for the Gogo solution given that it operates domestic routes in the U.S., has opted for a Ku-band system provided by Row 44 While each technology inevitably has its pros and cons, there is no doubt that the major talking point when it comes to connectivity on the move surrounds coming Ka-band capacity, which was, and probably still is, widely-perceived to be a killer Indeed, JetBlue Airways is collaborating with ViaSat to In the maritime industry, Ka-band has been hailed as a game changer, offering ship operators a higher bandwidth service and potentially, data transmission costs that are much lower than their current solutions. However, Ka-band is not a cure-all wonder solution that will make highspeed satellite capacity available, affordable and practical to all vessel operators. In fact, one could argue that its emergence has been overhyped and that Ku-band remains just as viable, if not more viable than Ka-band in a number of instances. Because of this is a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of Ka-band systems and highlight scenarios where it may not prove to be the optimal solution. Disadvantages mainly because the reader is likely to be more familiar with the advantages. Rain Fade The term rain fade is, in fact, a bit of a misnomer as atmospheric snow or ice, in addition to rain, absorbs any radio frequency from more signal degradation, or fade, than other technologies. too, is vulnerable to rain fade, although less so than Ka-band. To counter signal losses, Ka-band systems, such as Inmarsat s Global Xpress ( GX ), tend to use multiple focused spot beams to cover an area, rather than rely on a single wide beam to blanket an entire continent. In the aeronautical world, rain fade isnt an issue as aircraft typically spend the majority of their time above the clouds and above the rain. Coverage Ka-band satellites currently in operation are regional in nature ViaSat-1 Likewise, KA-SAT a high throughput satellite ( HTS ) owned by Eutelsat Clearly, none of these are really viable options for oceangoing vessels. On the other hand, GX as its name suggests, will provide global coverage when full operations commence traversing the now more navigable Northwest and Northeast regions. Such vessels will need backup communications. Iridium with its Low Earth Orbit ( LEO the bill perfectly. The companys next generation of satellites, called I ridium NEXT bandwidth at the poles. To provide the space infrastructure for the Global Xpress network, three new Inmarsat-5 satellites are under construction at Boeing, based on its flight-proven 702HP platform. 37 SatMagazine February 2013

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Lack Of Backup In the Ku-band world, there are multiple satellite operators. normally a problem. As Inmarsat is (or will be) the only feasible maritime Ka-band provider for the time being, there is not likely be a back-up Ka-band satellite to rely upon and maintain continuity of service. Back-up connectivity will surely be provided by the companys lower bandwidth L-band satellites. Cost Of Satellites Ka-band satellites tend to be more expensive than Ku-band satellites. To recoup the higher CAPEX involved with launching these birds, will the operator be tempted to charge more for the service? Advantages Unused Spectrum Unlike lower frequencies such as Kuand C-band, Ka-band satellite services are not yet heavily subscribed. One of the biggest selling points, therefore, is this unused spectrum and this coupled with the use of multiple spot beams allows for much higher frequency reuse, multiplying the data throughput that can be achieved. use the same frequency band more than once in any given geographic location. As these beams cover a small area, with little overlap, providers can re-use frequencies in each individual beam to provide greater total capacity, without the need to increase allocated bandwidth. Another upside of this approach is that spot beams can be aimed wherever they are needed. On the downside, multiple data from one spot beam and then downlinking it via another requires signal switching which adds to the complexity and cost of the satellite. More Bandwidth = Cheaper Service? With Ka-band, there will be more available bandwidth. More bandwidth is essential for implementing and operating dataintensive applications like enterprise resource planning systems, remote IT solutions and video conferencing. The savings across all areas of the business is important to note when quantifying the ROI from installing a new satellite system. However, while proponents of Ka-band systems have come to the conclusion that more bandwidth equates to less expensive capacity that can be sold to a greater number of users at a lower cost, the economics do not stand up to scrutiny (in the maritime world) according to others. can rely upon large numbers of subscribers in each spot beam as it is focused over a heavily-populated land mass. On the other hand, focusing spot beams over parts of the world with provide service, but to a much smaller number of subscribers. Does that mean Ka-band be less expensive? Perhaps not. Less Interference Ka-band typically has the upper hand over Ku-band when it comes to interference. This is because Ku-band satellites are often spaced as little as two degrees apart from one another and antennas have to be designed so that they do not transmit to non-target satellites. Ka-band satellites are positioned further apart and are less susceptible to adjacent satellite interference (ASI). Less Expensive Antennas/Installations A common rule of thumb is that as frequency bands increase, antenna sizes go down. It is estimated that a Ka-band antenna will be around half the cost of a Ku-band satellite, while occupying will need to be dry-docked before a system can be installed. Ka-band systems will, therefore, be smaller in size, less expensive, easier and quicker to install, resulting in a lower What Is Most Important? depend on the unique requirements of the end-user. Quite frankly, I do not believe that the end-user cares too much whether their system is L-, C-, Ku-or Ka-band. What is most important is the quality and cost of service. In some instances, Ka-band may not be the optimal solution. What is likely is that vessel operators will need to rely upon multiple connectivity technologies. This could bode support C-, Kuand Ka-band frequencies in wide and spot capacity to GX, the system is not going to be a global one. aeronautical business. About the author Daniel Welch is a Senior Consultant and possesses several years most recently spent two years working the client side, analyzing industry covering the industrial automation market, with a key focus on operator terminal products (HMI devices). Dan holds a BA (Hons) Business Studies degree from Leeds Metropolitan University and is an all round sportsman. Photo of KA-SAT undergoing electromagnetic testing in Astrium facilities. 38 SatMagazine February 2013 Is Ka-Band The KuKiller? (Cont.)

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40 SatMagazine February 2013 Satellite Spotlight: Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership S uomi NPP is building a bridge to a new era of Earth Observations (EO). Understanding, monitoring and predicting the course of longterm climate change and short-term weather fluctuations remain tasks of profound importance. Economic competitiveness, human health and welfare, and global security all depend in part on our ability to understand and adapt to environmental changes. by NASA Sumoi NPP Science TeamAries Keck, writerEllen Gray, Patrick Lynch, Cynthia OCarroll, Adam Voiland, editorsoriginal website design by Debbi McLean + Kevin Millerintro illustration by Ryan Zuber

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41 SatMagazine February 2013 Over the last dozen years, NASA has launched a series vegetation, ice and the atmosphere. Now NASA is helping to create a new generation of satellites to extend these global environmental observations. A critical next step in this transition is the Suomi National satellite began in a partnership between NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the reorganized and part of the system became the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS), which NASA is developing for NOAA. planets climate. Suomi NPP measurements will be used to map land cover and monitor changes in vegetation productivity. The satellite tracks atmospheric ozone and aerosols as well as takes sea and land surface temperatures. Suomi NPP monitors sea ice, land ice and glaciers around the world. In addition to continuing these data records, Suomi NPP is also able to Change + The Earths Climate System degree Celsius. The timing of this increase coincides with human activities that release unprecedented amounts of to as greenhouse gases because they are known to trap is likely worldwide temperatures will increase at least two This change in average temperature over such a short time period is very unusual. Long-term records found in tree rings and ice cores show that the global average temperature is usually stable over periods of time that can be thousands of years long. A change of a degree or two may seem small, but incremental increases in the overall temperature of the long-frozen sea ice in the Arctic is melting and glaciers are getting smaller all over the world. Another result of warmer temperatures may be that, because warmer air holds more Suomi NPP. Photo courtesy of Ball Aerospace. Suomi NPP is in a polar orbitcircling the Earth from the North Pole to the South Pole and back, about 14x per day

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42 SatMagazine February 2013 more frequent. That being noted, its important to keep in mind behaves over both short time scales (weather) and long time scales (climate). The difference between weather and climate and extremes. Beyond daily weather changes, there can be in our climate requires consistent and reliable monitoring over decades-long timescales. Suomi NPP extends decades-long records of climate aerosols, sea and land surface temperature, the productivity of the biosphere and changes in land cover. Scientists want to observe these major climate drivers and responses components affect one another and how climate change may be affecting them both individually and in combination. NASA satellites have been making key cloud measurements for three decades. Since the composition of clouds can vary greatly, they can have a strong positive or a surface. This variation in cloud effects combined with their ephemeral nature means that quantifying climate changes impact on cloud cover and clouds impact on climate remains measures cloud-top height, cloud temperature, and water and ice content in clouds. It also measures how clouds absorb or scatter light; an important factor in determining how much solar back to space. productivity, extending the successful and widely used data records of NASAs Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), a similar instrument launched vegetation indices and are used to estimate leaf area and the sunlight absorbed for photosynthesis. These data products have become indispensable inputs for climate, hydrologic and biogeochemical models, land cover and land cover change detection, agricultural and ecological research and applications, of recently observed decadal-scale trends of increased vegetation productivity in the northern hemisphere when compared to the southern hemisphere. These trends may be caused by a lengthened growing season over the past two decades and widespread drought during the past decade that decreased productivity in the southern hemisphere. contribute to research of multi-year climate oscillations such as temperature, a measurement useful in climate, hydrological and ecological models and as an indicator of trends in the through the stratosphere. Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) Clouds and the Earths Radiant Energy System (CERES) Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrlS) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Satellite Spotlight: Suomi NPP (Cont.)

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43 SatMagazine February 2013 A Sentinel When Disaster Strikes it released a massive plume of ash and sulfur dioxide. NASA satellites tracked the ash cloud as it swept across the Atlantic over a century. NASA satellites provided detailed records in Arizona history, burning over half-a-million acres in the American Southwest. NASA satellites measured drought conditions, tracked smoke clouds and recorded the burned areas it left behind. and research scientists. One striking example of how data from satellites assisted with disaster the Gulf of Mexico. The spill was the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. NASAs Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) made daily quantitative measurements of the region impacted by the spill. Using MODIS instruments aboard NASAs Terra and Aqua satellites, scientists tracked the slick as it changed due to the amount of oil spilled, the use of oil dispersing chemicals and changes in weather, water currents and other events. Suomi NPP now extends our ability to track similar disasters and acquire data that are crucial to design including imagery, cloud and aerosol properties, albedo, land surface type, vegetation index, ocean color and land and sea surface temperatures extending important long-running data disaster effects and recovery processes from such events as visible/near-infrared radiance at night from sources on or visible observations of clouds and other phenomena at night. emissions from events like volcanic eruptions by measuring not only ozone, but also sulfur dioxide and airborne particles called aerosols. The combination of two Suomi NPP instruments, the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) instruments, monitors storms like hurricanes/typhoons. Suomi NPPs Eyes + Ears: The Instruments ocean and atmosphere and, as a result, Suomi NPP serves as an important link between the observing satellites and the next generation of climate and weather satellites. Suomi NPP observes the 24-hour day, once in daylight day. Suomi NPP sends its data once an orbit to the ground station in Svalbard, Norway and continuously to local direct broadcast users. When will the Antarctic ozone hole recover? Scientists think the ozone layer over Antarctica could return to 1980 levels by about 2070. Significant improvement isnt expected until about 2025, but the ozone hole isnt getting larger. Just a few degrees can make a big at the end of the last ice age, when the northeastern portion of the United States was covered by more than 3,000 feet of ice, average temperatures were only 5 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than today. During the ICESCAPE missions first field campaign in summer 2010, scientists collected optical and chemical data during a stop amid sea ice in the Chukchi Sea. Researchers returned in 2011 for another look at how climate change is impacting Arctic ecosystems.

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44 SatMagazine February 2013 VIIRS radiometric imagery in visible and infrared wavelengths of the from 22 channels across the electromagnetic spectrum, are surface temperature and other surface features. A variety of the pace and impacts of climate change. Atmospheric scientists use some of these channels to observe clouds and small to monitor phytoplankton and sediment in the seas. Terrestrial ecologists use it to monitor forest cover and productivity and ice experts use it to track changes in polar sea ice. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS) currently operating on two NASA satellites, Terra and Aqua. CERES and heat emitted by our planet. This solar and thermal energy are key parts of whats called its atmosphere, they warm up. Clouds and other light-colored surfaces like snow and ice additional cooling comes from space. Its crucial for scientists to understand this complex The changing role of clouds in this system is one of the biggest unknowns in climate science. So scientists need long-term, stable data sets to make accurate projections of global climate change. Suomi NPPs a multi-year record of the amount of energy entering and atmosphere. A total of four other CrIS The Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) work together, providing global temperature and moisture. These advanced atmospheric sensors create cross-sections of storms and other weather conditions, helping with both short-term nowcasting and long-term forecasting. CrIS measures continuous channels in the infrared region and has the ability to measure temperature over its predecessor instruments on operational satellites, and comparable accuracy to the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on Aqua. NOAA will be using CrIS for numerical weather prediction and, because it is a brand new instrument, its use on Suomi NPP provides Vegetation across the United States as viewed (NDVI), a tool that scientists use to measure productivity, vegetation health, land cover and other aspects of vegetation on land. This is one part of a model used to predict mosquitoes and will assist in tracking West Nile Virus. Image by NASA/Goddard Space Flight CenterScientific Visualization Studio Pine Beetle damage to forests in British Columbia, Canada June 26 July 11, 2006. Red indicates the most severe damage, green indicates no damage and gray indicates non-forested areas. Milder winter temperatures and drier summers are among the factors in increasing rates of pine beetle infestation in North America. Image created using NASA data and MODIS measurements. Satellite Spotlight: NPP (Cont.)

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45 SatMagazine February 2013 a real-world test of the equipment before NOAAs upcoming Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) missions. ATMS The Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) works in both clear and cloudy conditions, providing high-spatial-resolution microwave measurements of temperature and moisture. ATMS has better sampling and two more channels than previous instruments like the Advanced Microwave Sounding Units (AMSU), and it combines all of their abilities into one instrument. Working in concert, CrIS and ATMS together comprise the Cross-track Infrared Microwave Sounding Suite (CrIMSS). OMPS of global ozone distributions, including the ozone hole. It also monitors ozone levels in the troposphere, the lowest layer of our atmosphere. OMPS extends out 40-year long record ozone layer measurements while also providing improved vertical resolution compared to previous operational instruments. Closer to the ground, OMPSs measurements of harmful ozone improve air quality monitoring and when combined with cloud predictions; help to create the Ultraviolet Index, a guide to safe levels of sunlight exposure. OMPS has First responders and used satellite data to track the record-setting 2011 Wallow Fire in the American Southwest that burned more than 700 square miles (about 1,800 square kilometers) and resulted in the evacuation of 6,000 people. Charred land and smoke plumes from the Wallow fire are visible in this image acquired by MODIS aboard the Aqua satellite on June 8, 2011

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46 SatMagazine February 2013 two sensors, both new designs, composed of three advanced hyperspectralimaging spectrometers. Watching The Weather Hurricanes, tornadoes, Noreasters, typhoons; snow, rain, sleet and clear bright sunny days. What we call weather is actually how our atmosphere behaves at a certain time and place. The atmospheric factors that make up weather include temperature, moisture, atmospheric pressure and wind, and they change from minute-to-minute, hour-to-hour, day-to-day and season-to-season. The information Suomi NPP collects on atmospheric conditions, hurricanes/typhoons, snowstorms and other weather events will be sent very quickly to forecasters for immediate inclusion into numerical weather models. The Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) and the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) aboard Suomi NPP produce global sets of high-resolution temperature and weather. CrIS focuses on measurements in clear conditions, while ATMS is a passive microwave radiometer that can collect data even when it is cloudy. These measurements of moisture and temperature tracking storms as they are happening, and long-term weather forecasting, i.e. predicting possible weather events a few days in advance. Additional infrared sensors on CrIS provide the high-resolution data scientists use to understand major climate Clouds and the size of the water, dust and other particles inside the clouds are measured by Suomi NPPs information can be used to help characterize the amount of water held within clouds, a feature that can lead to better predictions of rainfall. In addition, Suomi NPP data help us plan responses to collecting long-term data of land vegetation. Combining these data records can help scientists predict and plan for famine relief efforts, disease outbreaks or track changes in which give scientists better weather prediction ability, as well as great A Vigilant Eye On Ozone Ozone is an atmospheric gas that plays two very different roles blocks dangerous ultraviolet radiation coming from the sun. In our lower atmosphere, ozone is a harmful air pollutant. continues decades-long ozone records and consists of two viewing, instrument that looks beneath the satellite and maps the total amount of ozone between the ground and the top of the atmosphere. The second is a newer and more experimental atmosphere from an angle thus giving scientists more detail about the vertical distribution of ozone. common in refrigerants and certain spray cans. Above: Severe flooding along the Mississippi River. Landsat 5 image of the borders of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri and Arkansas on May 12, 2006. (Right) Landsat 5 image of same area on May 10, 2011. Satellite Spotlight: Suomi NPP (Cont.)

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47 SatMagazine February 2013 This destruction of the ozone layer is most extreme over the South Pole where theres an actual ozone hole in springtime. In the agreement restricted other chemicals and thus led to the protection of the ozone layer. OMPSs ability to take accurate, long-term measurements of ozone allows it to play a key role in tracking the evolution of the ozone layer, as it builds on the legacy of decades of ozone observations pioneered by continued by NASA and other agencies, most recently the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) launched aboard NASAs Aura spacecraft in 2004. Tracking Changes overlapping and interconnected. Because Suomi NPP includes a range of observations, it helps us get a sense of the bigger picture. surface temperatures not only provides details about the ocean itself, it also helps us understand the amount of moisture in the atmosphere, which then can change the amount of rain, which then can change land use and vegetation productivity, which then can change Suomi NPPs instruments observe the entire globe twice every 24-hour day and record many different visible and infrared radiometric imagery of the land, atmosphere, ice and ocean. make up clouds and the concentration of those particles. Clouds and aerosols remain two of the model. ATMS and the CrIS work together to provide highduring both cloudy and clear conditions. Continuing the data record of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on Aqua, CrIS will also add to its ability to collect high-resolution data These two climate features are called Southern Oscillations and are characterized by changes in the temperature of the surface combined with changes in the surface air oceans and high pressure; La low pressure. Both occur and often cause extreme and droughts in other parts of thunderstorms and increase rainfall, while they also suppress the upwelling of the cold, nutrient-rich waters that opposite effect, resulting in drier conditions in some areas, but increased snowfalls in the Northern United States and Canada. In the winter of 2007in which snow fell nearly every single day, setting many seasonal snowfall records. Understanding the connections between weather, climate drivers and the worldwide climate requires a vast amount of data. Suomi NPP contributes to these long-term records while also providing the type of immediate data that meteorologists use to create weather forecasts. The information it collects on hurricanes/typhoons, snowstorms and other weather events also is used by researchers to create long-term records of extreme weather events. These long-term records of the strength and frequency of extreme weather events provides crucial information to scientists looking to establish a connection between them and climate change. One use of that data is evaluating the performance of computer models of weather a massive snowstorm that dumped about two feet of snow on This hindcast shows how satellite observations can help us better understand what weather conditions create a storm and shows how NASA computer modeling efforts can use detailed satellite information to improve weather and climate prediction. In addition, NASA scientists work with colleagues at NOAA through the Joint Center for Satellite Data Assimilation to accelerate

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48 SatMagazine February 2013 the use of SuomiNPP data in weather forecasting. In all, Suomi NPP is a powerful tool that will assist us to enhance the data that underlies our nations weather forecasting system as well as help us to comprehend, track and forecast the course of long-term climate change and improving our knowledge of how Glossary + Resources aerosols Aerosols are tiny solid or liquid particles that are suspended in the air. They include dust, smoke, salt and sea spray, and air pollution. Air Quality Index (AQI) The Air Quality Index is a daily report on local air conditions. In the Protection Agency. It calculates air quality monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particle pollutants (aerosols) and groundbased ozone. The AQI is measured on a scale of 0-500 where higher numbers mean a higher health risk. Aqua A NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) satellite that collects information evaporation from oceans, water vapor in the atmosphere, clouds, precipitation, soil moisture, sea ice, land ice and snow cover. Aqua also takes measurements aerosols, vegetation, land cover, phytoplankton and dissolved organic matter in the oceans, and temperatures of the land, air and ocean. It launched on May 4, 2002. ATMS The Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) instrument aboard Suomi NPP provides highspatialresolution microwave data to take measurements of temperature and humidity in both clear and cloudy conditions. Aura Aura is an NASA Earth Orbiting satellite that studies ozone, air quality and climate and is designed exclusively to conduct research on the composition, atmosphere. It launched on July 15, 2004. CALIPSO The Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and (CALIPSO) satellite that studies clouds and atmospheric aerosols and the weather, climate and air quality and weather monitoring. Launched on April 28, 2006, CALIPSO is a joint NASA and French mission. CERES Radiant Energy System (CERES) is an instrument aboard Suomi NPP that Earth and heat emitted by our planet. CloudSat A satellite that uses radar to observe clouds and precipitation from space. It launched with CALIPSO on April 28, 2006. carbon previously used in spray cans, Partially as a reaction to the discovery signed an international treaty called the Montreal Protocol to phase out their use. CrIS The Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) is an instrument aboard Suomi NPP that produces high-resolution, three-dimensional temperature, pressure and moisture E arth Observing System (EOS) The Earth Observing System is a satellites designed to make long-term land surface, oceans, biosphere and atmosphere. E l Nio A climate pattern that occurs temperature are warmer than usual. energy budget light and other energy as it moves into and out of our planet. This includes the heat and light from the sun that hits atmosphere, snow and ice. geostationary orbit An orbit around a body, in this case Earth, that is directly above its equator and one that rotation so that the position of the remains constant. ground stations A series of facilities around the world that will provide command, control, communications, data processing and operations for satellites. Suomi NPP ground station, the Svalbard Satellite Station (SvalSat) in Norway. Satellite Spotlight: Suomi NPP (Cont.)

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49 SatMagazine February 2013 infrared Light that has a wavelength longer than visible light and shorter than microwave radiation. This form of electromagnetic radiation is between 0.74 micrometers and 300 micrometers and includes most thermal or heat radiation, thus measuring infrared light can measure heat. Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) The next generation of U.S. polarorbiting environmental satellites. Suomi NPP is the forerunner to this satellite system. JPSS will do both climate and weather monitoring. La Nia microwave A type of electromagnetic wave whose wavelength is as long as one meter or as short as one millimeter. On Suomi NPP the ATMS instrument uses and measures microwaves. Suomi NPP I Building a Bridge to a New Era of Earth Observations Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) A key instrument aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites. Each MODIS instrument images the entire Earth every one to two days in visible and infrared wavelengths, one in a morning orbit and the other in an afternoon orbit. OMPS atmosphere. ozone A chemical compound made up of three oxygen molecules, health hazard. ozone hole An opening in the protective ozone layer that occurs above Antarctica from September to December. The cause of the hole and other losses of ozone in the upper atmosphere, the stratosphere, are unique conditions of the Antarctic stratosphere in the springtime. polar orbit The curved path around a body that moves from pole to pole. For the Earth, this means an orbit that travels from the North Pole to the South Pole and back. Satellites in polar orbits, when combined with the system that includes all the incoming energy from the sun, mostly in the radiometer A device that detects the amount of energy given off by an wavelengths of light depending on what they want to measure, from microwave to infrared to visible light to ultraviolet radiation. sounding A way of investigating an environment by measuring a stimulus, often an electromagnetic wave or a sound wave, emitted by a source, whether naturally-occurring or intentionally created, and then stratosphere The stratosphere is a layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere. Its lower boundary lies between 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 Sulfur dioxide (SO2) atmosphere, the troposphere. swath A long but narrow strip, usually of the surface of something. Because Suomi NPP travels around the Earth from pole to pole as the planet rotates, it measures large swaths of the Earth beneath it. Terra the oldest of the three Earth Orbiting System satellites, a group that also includes Aqua and Aura. Terra launched in 1999 with a 6-year mission life, but it continues to operate. Instruments aboard Terra include MODIS and CERES. troposphere The troposphere is the layer of atmosphere that runs from the ground to about 10 to 15 kilometers (about 6 to 9 miles) above the Ultraviolet Index (UI) A standard measurement of the strength of forecasts to help people protect themselves from excessive exposure. ultraviolet Ultraviolet radiation is light that is just beyond the short radiation that drives atmospheric chemistry and causes sunburns, among other biological effects. VIIRS The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite is the largest instrument aboard Suomi NPP and it collects visible and infrared images of Earth in 22 different spectral bands. visible light Light that humans can see. Human eyes perceive light 780 nanometers. volatile organic compounds Volatile organic compounds are chemicals made up of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon that evaporate from liquid to gas very quickly. They include paints and solvents, and are associated with health problems when breathed in unventilated areas. VOCs react with nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the presence of sunlight to produce ozone, an air pollutant at ground level. Suomi NPP websites http://science.nasa.gov/missions/suomi-npp/ http://jointmission.gsfc.nasa.gov/

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SatBroadcasting Viable Solutions For E-Learning The Internet has changed the e-Learning paradigm by introducing interactivity and multiple communication threads such as chat, video, audio, and desktop sharing into the educational realm. Likewise, video content delivery over existing Internet access networks has penetrated developed markets at an extremely fast pace. These new applications require large amounts of bandwidth, which is quite costly in remote sites where no terrestrial infrastructure is readily available. Most Internet based applications like this are unicast; the application generates a single stream for each user, therefore, the number of streams increases with the number of users and the network can serve only as many users as bandwidth allowsthis severely limits scalability. T he challenge is that delivery of video content to the classroom, or to video distribution to customers, is usually done with platforms that are based on broadcasts over the air that do not allow for interactivity. The trade-offs of low cost satellite DTH systems such as these is a lack of bi-directional functionality that is required for modern, distance-learning interaction, newsgathering activities, and content distribution networks. 50 SatMagazine February 2013

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A Solution Is @ Hand a single source to many receivers in a network. The destination address of a multicast packet is always a multicast group address. This address comes from the IANA block 224.0.0.0 using a multicast group address, while many receivers same group address. Multicast is a scalable content while conserving network resources. NewComs shared satellite networks are specially designed to support types of applications. The combination of iDirect Multicast features in the network and several IP streaming and e-Learning platforms that support multicast solves the scalability limitations of unicast in shared satellite networks. The primary advantage of multicast over unicast is that it replicates the video stream closest to users at the last possible point in the network, as opposed to unicast, which replicates a single video stream for each user at the source. Multicast uses network servers, routers, without the time delays inherent to unicast systems. The primary advantage of NewComs multicast over shared satellite networks is that it allows for at the remote level, which facilitates conditional access mechanisms over E-Learning networks IPTV CDN Radio Broadcast Services Emergency Broadcast Services Live and pre-recorded occasional video multicast over iDirect Networks Multicast Marvels Typical e-Learning platforms require a received or sent per participant. In a multicast environment, the video stream is received by all participants and counted only once within the multicast domain, regardless of the number of participants. Inexpensive IP video and audio streaming applications can multicast their media streams to multiple end points, using very little bandwidth compared to individual streams delivered to each remote end. http://newcominternational.com/ 51 SatMagazine February 2013

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52 SatMagazine February 2013 NSR Analysis: SCADA/M2M Under Threat From Cellular I n December of 2012, SkyBitz announced the Falcon Series GXT100, a new global positioning satellite (GPS) asset tracking solution for 3G/4G cellular networks with seamless North American coverage. With this launch, SkyBitz indicated that it is able to provide additional cost-effective solutions for complete asset visibility to its customers. by Jose Del Rosario, Senior Analyst, NSR, Manila The announcement is noteworthy for two reasons: First, SkyBitz participates in the largest market vertical in the SCADA/M2M market (the North American Transportation/Cargo sector), and it is also one of the key players in this vertical. Second, it has exclusively used satellite solutions in targeting its customers prior to the December 2012 announcement. The inclusion of cellular 3G in its portfolio is certainly a strategic move where two (among many) advantages are garnered by SkyBitz: Higher bandwidth solutions and offerings using 3G/4G cellular can be achieved. Lower costs to support higher bandwidth services will likewise be achieved. The question raised not only for SkyBitz but for all players serving the North American market is clear: Will satellite SCADA/M2M solutions be replaced or lose substantial market share to cellular 3G/4G? In NSRs view, cellular offerings will impact the satellite SCADA/M2M proposition over time, particularly in the Transportation/Cargo sector as outlined in the graph on this turn negative towards the end of the forecast period despite the increase in in-service units. The impact will be gradual, however, and not highly disruptive, giving time for the industry to make the necessary adjustments in dealing with the cellular threat. Heres why: Orbcomm offered a dual mode solution using satellite and cellular technologies to serve its large customer base, which

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53 SatMagazine February 2013 The long haul trucking industry in North AmericaCanada and the U.S.is still susceptible to blind spots in cellular coverage within the region, necessitating the continued use of satellite platforms to plug these coverage holes. The long haul trucking market extends through the Americas due to trade agreements like NAFTA such that blind spots become even more prevalent. Satellite solutions offer simpler billing and coverage advantages compared to cellular networks where roaming agreements, signal handoffs and other technical, regulatory and business aspects have to be taken into account. Finally and perhaps most importantly, satellite solution costs are coming down and are also beginning to support higher bandwidth offerings such as BGAN M2M, which offer similar services as cellular 3G. Moreover, on the horizon are next-generation satellite solutions that include Iridium NEXT and various players in the HTS camp that will offer higher-level bandwidth services for a fraction of The Bottom Line The SkyBitz move to offer cellular 3G/4G should certainly be lauded. In its latest SCADA/M2M via Satellite, 3rd Edition report, NSR noted that terrestrial integration in order to avert terrestrial competition may be key to continued growth. NSR recommended that the satellite SCADA/M2M industry should incorporate terrestrial wireless solutions to their portfolio in order to gain market competitiveness. However, this does not mean that satellite offerings will be quickly eroded by cellular offerings. Both technologies can, and should, co-exist with each complementing the other in a standalone, hybrid or dualmode offering. It should be noted that cellular SCADA/M2M has been around for more than a decade and despite its presence, the satellite-based SCADA/M2M market has continued to grow in all verticals, including Transportation and Cargo. Competition has been posed by cellular technologies, but the customer base of satellite SCADA/M2M has by nature deployed satellite and terrestrial wireless solutions as complementary platforms. Over time, however, as cellular coverage continues to improve, and other business aspects begin to be resolved, SCADA/M2M customers will likely begin to increasingly deploy cellular solutions and thus erode the satellite value proposition. About the author Mr. Del Rosario is a senior member of the consulting team where and market forecasting for the commercial and government satellite communications sectors. He conducts ongoing research with specialization in policy analysis, economic indicators, regulatory initiatives and end user demand trends. In addition to authoring numerous syndicated reports in his areas of focus, Mr. Del Rosario has been involved in a wide range of strategic consulting projects, from high throughput satellites (HTS), hosted payloads, wireless backhaul, SCADA/M2M/LDR and multi-mission satellite programs.

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Sadtler On Careers: Shifting The Recruiting Paradigm C ompanies today must re-assess their talent needs in order to remain competitive and drive growth. The satellite communications industry faces challenges and remains ripe with new opportunities. The right talent can make a huge impact. Employers need to get it right and make a great hire. To assist with career searches, we asked Bert Sadtler of Boxwood Executive Search to discuss various aspects regarding the processes of recruitment and hiring as well as how Companies can retain crucially-needed talent. Boxwood is located in the Washington DC region and has success in senior level recruitment in satellite communications, government contracting, and within the intelligence community. Boxwood also provides a consulting solution for the analysis and improvement of the employers current recruitment process. If you would care to submit a recruitment, hiring, or retention question for Bert to answer, please email your question to BertSadtler@BoxwoodSearch.com. by Bert Sadtler, Contributing Editor Nothing stands still, certainly not in business where the paradigm is in a constant shift. Human Resource Departments have companies have changed the HR responsibilities as the business paradigm shifts. Granted, technology has made its impact. However, technology is nothing more than a tool. Business keeps changing. Critical talent is needed for companies to grow and enjoy success. Shouldnt we be asking Do we need to adjust our process in order to target and attract the best talent? 54 SatMagazine February 2013

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management and recruiting require two completely different skill sets. Consider the following: The traditional recruitment process has been implemented The classic approach is to bundle the following responsibilities Employee relations 401K Plans Compliance with employment regulations Recruitment and hiring of talent must focus their priorities internally and could be regarded as spending their time playing defense. As the defensive mindset requires having a deep understanding of the employers internal issues, the defensive player is generally someone who is most comfortable spending At the same time, the acquisition of talent has become is on for employers to repeatedly get it right and make a great hire where a successful hire is measured six months after the business discussions with business units in order to solve business problems pproach With the paradigm shift toward a deeper and diverging focus, does your companys HR team frequently spend time attending and participating in business functions and events? Is your HR team involved in understanding and solving business problems? Is this a realistic expectation? How can the Defensively focused HR Department effectively implement Offense focused recruiting? Therefore, under the shift in the recruiting paradigm, how can the HR Department be expected to fully implement the responsibility of playing defense and offense at the same time? The paradigm is shifting HR and Recruiting to be more opposing then complimenting. It would be like playing center on an NBA basketball team in the morning and then riding a racehorse in the afternoon. New adopters and nimble thinking employers are developing models which provide HR with the tools and focus to continue to role focused on critical acquisition of great talent and aligning recruitment as an integrated business unit member. Best practices recruiting is evolving out of HR and into its own separate discipline where it solves business problems by attracting and acquiring the right talent in direct partnership with the business units. Metrics to measure recruitment success and successful recruitment performance rewards will closely mirror the metrics and rewards of the companys business performance models. When it comes to hiring the right talent, the stakes are high. You can be an NBA center. You can be a Triple Crown jockey. Trying to be both means you are likely to not do either very well. About Boxwood Search There is a battle for senior level talent. A great hire can make a long term positive impact and a failed hire can prove to be talent? It is more than just networking within the community of friends and business associates. It requires focusing on results through a process oriented approach. We are committed to reaching a successful outcome. Our recruitment method has a dedicated resource and discrete trusted advisor. Through candidates and motivate them to consider the opportunity. We will screen candidates against key criteria, analyze technical present our recommendations. Upon making the offer, we are the employers advocate and an active participant in communicating with the candidate until offer acceptance has been secured. Results are guaranteed. 55 SatMagazine February 2013

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56 SatMagazine February 2013 A s GPS receivers are built into more mission-critical devices for difficult application environments, and designed with the emerging capabilities of a multitude of GNSS constellations and augmentation systems, developers and manufacturers need better ways to guarantee performance. Thats where a GPS simulator comes in. While the test engineer has a variety of choices for testing GPS-based positions, navigation and timing functions of their integrated GPS receivers, simulation offers the most flexibility, compared to testing with over-the-air signals (live sky), or record and replay solutions. Having complete control over the generation of GPS signals is the only way to have confidence in your hardware and softwares ability to performunder any condition. What Is A GPS Simulator? 56 SatMagazine February 2013

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To understand a GPS simulator, it is helpful to understand some of the details of GPS transmissions. The GPS hours, broadcasting navigation data on different frequencies. GPS is just one of several global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) in operation, or soon to be in operation. Most message that contains synchronized time, the satellites orbital data (ephemeris) and data on the expected positions of all the satellites in the constellation (almanac). It is from this data that receivers can accurately calculate their distance from several satellite signals at the same time to achieve its navigation solution through trilateration. GPS simulators are radio frequency generating instruments that are capable of transmitting the same exact data as GPS satellites. However the value of a GPS simulator is in the ability to change a wide variety of parameters right from the test bench: Data from the satellite : Date/Time via the clock parameters Ephemeris and almanac Conditions as seen by the receiver: Number of satellite signals Power level Atmospheric and antenna errors through models Multi-path conditions Position of the receiver Start position (latitude, longitude and elevation) Trajectory (motion path ) It is the combination of all these parameters that make up a scenario for a GPS simulator. All Spectracom GPS simulators can generate simple single-satellite signals to verify receiver signal acquisition and validate assembly. Some Spectracom GPS simulator models can simultaneously generate signals frequencies, and satellite-based augmentation systems (Japan), and GAGAN (India). These GPS simulators even adjust signal transit time and relativistic effects to simulate receiver motions to ensure the system is capable of performing under any trajectory. save scenario parameters through the front panel, through and start. The GPS simulator automatically generates the an antenna. Testing can be controlled remotely or automated using a variety of instrument interfaces and a SCPI command protocol. Without a GPS simulator, attempts to test receivers with over-the-air signals or record-and-replay solutions would be limited to the satellites available at a particular time and place, and under current conditions. Testing remote locations or high velocities would be costly, time-consuming or impractical. And with live sky signals, test parameters would never be repeatable. Editors note Content is copyright Spectracom and is reproduced with the Companys permission. Why Simulate GPS RF Signals? #1 Test GPS RF signals anytime, anywhere from the convenience of your bench You can test GPS receivers by creating and maintaining the infrastructure to pipe live-sky GPS signals from a roof-top antenna to your test bench, or you can test your product in the parking lot of your facility. Sometimes easy (small devices). Sometime hard (rolling aircraft out of the hanger). Always inefficient. Alternatively, save time and money with GPS signal simulation. Test your device virtually any place and time. #2 Test any environmental condition Testing with GPS signals from the live-sky limits the test to existing environmental conditions. Only what exists on that date, time and place. Only those satellites. Testing with a record-replay box is limited to the recorded environment in the same way. Simulation allows the control of any parametercreating and saving scenarios so testing is repeatable across every scenario set that you want to maintain. Only then do you have confidence that your product will perform in the conditions you design to. #3 Test receiver movements without taking a step Sure field trips are fun, but tell that to the tester verifying GPS receive performance at highway speeds. Worse yet, at aircraft speeds! GPS simulation allows you to quickly test any motion pattern from portable consumer electronics to UAVs and missiles. Save the cost of rocket fuel. Simulate. #4 Understand problematic error sources Live-sky signals will include whatever impairments to the signals that exist at that particular time and place, however fleeting such as those from atmospheric conditions, signal obscuration, or multipath/fading. And worse, those impairments are unknown to the tester. Understand exactly how your device performs under a variety of error sources. Simulation eliminates fear of the unknown. 57 SatMagazine February 2013

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In The Next Issue Of SatMagazine... Inmarsat Pricing Rises Again On March 1st... Bulk Carriers and Low Volume Users to be hard hit Broadband and E & E prices are going up again. On March 1st, vessels using less than 200MB per month of Fleet Broadband, typically Bulk Carriers, will see an 18 percent price hike. The trickle down effect is that this forces clients, who will then be paying an amount close to the 200MB Entry Plan price, to choose to upgrade. This results in a dramatic 50 percent price rise and an additional annual cost per vessel of around $3,900 per year in addition to the increase already imposed last May. In the March edition of SatMagazine Gottlieb International Group Alan Gottlieb will examine Dont miss this important and crucial article! 58 SatMagazine February 2013


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