Next generation imaging satellites launching soon

WorldView-2 will be launched aboard a Delta II launch vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB). The launch vehicle will deliver the satellite into orbit where the satellite will begin its mission of collecting and recording high-resolution, commercial, digital Earth imagery from space.

United Launch Alliance provides the Delta II launch vehicle and mission services under a commercial launch service contract administered by Boeing Launch Services for DigitalGlobe, located in Longmont, Colorado. The first of the DigitalGlobe next-generation class of imaging satellites, WorldView-1, was launched by a Delta II in September 2007.

WorldView-2 is the first high-resolution 8-band multispectral satellite commercially available. Along with the four typical multispectral bands, blue, green, red and near infrared, WorldView-2 is introducing the following new color bands for enhanced multispectral analysis: red edge, coastal, yellow and near infrared 2. Operating at an altitude of 770 kilometers, WorldView-2 will provide half-meter panchromatic resolution and 1.8-meter multispectral resolution.

Highly detailed satellite imagery is currently used for a host of applications:
- Precise map creation
- In-depth image analysis
- Urban planning
- Internet portals and navigation technology
- Environmental monitoring/Disaster assessment and response
- Oil and gas exploration

Source: SatNews

BGan perfect for disaster situations

Governments in central America are learning how to sharpen their disaster response using BGAN.

The Disaster Management Workshop from 21-23 September familiarised government officials with Inmarsat's mobile voice and broadband data communications service.

The goal was to equip communications officials with a working knowledge of BGAN so they can quickly and effectively use Inmarsat's network in an emergency.
During the workshop, Inmarsat guided 30 engineers and technicians from the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama.
"BGAN has proven to be an indispensable tool during times of crisis, providing voice and high-speed data connectivity when all other communications options fail," said Diane Cornell, Inmarsat vice-president of government affairs.

"Once familiar with the equipment, first responders can generally be on the network making voice calls and using the internet within five minutes of arrival at the site of a disaster."

In 2008 when Hurricanes Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike battered the region, a BGAN-equipped emergency communication centre established in Haiti supported more than 30 aid organisations.
BGAN helped to transmit more than 11,200Mb of data for situation reports, needs assessments, medicine lists and other vital information.

Source: Inmarsat

This Cube Isn't Cheese

It's official — The date of the first ever Swisscube satellite launch is planned for next Wednesday September 23 according to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO); liftoff is expected at 8:23 a.m., Swiss time.

Switzerland's first satellite, named SwissCube, will travel on the PSLV (C14 mission) from Satish Dhawan Center near Chennai. This picosatellite (10x10x10 cm3, 1 kg) has been developed at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland in collaboration with several other swiss engineering schools, universities and private industry; the University of Neuchâtel and five universities of applied sciences in western and German-speaking Switzerland. RUAG Space provided extensive support to the students during the construction of the satellite. About 200 students participated in the elaboration, fabrication and tests of the satellite.

The SwissCube scientific mission will focus on the observation of the airglow phenomena, a photoluminescence of the atmosphere occurring at approximately 100 km altitude. The objectives are thus to observe oxygen emission in order to characterize the airglow intensity as a function of the observation angle, the altitude, the latitude and the local time. The minimum science duration is 3 months, with an extended science mission of duration up to one year. This project further validates the successful collaboration between India and Switzerland.

Source: SatNews

Alliance To Facilitate Development Of Two-Way Satellite Data Solutions For Improved Tracking, Messaging And Emergency Communications

Iridium Satellite LLC (Iridium) is joining with mobile satellite industry companies and the emergency response community to form the ProTECTS (Promotion of Two-way Emergency Communication and Tracking Systems) Alliance. The primary goal of the alliance is to foster the rapid and orderly adoption of portable, two-way satellite-based location, tracking and messaging technologies.

The alliance will provide a forum for addressing issues affecting the suppliers and users of these vital safety devices. It also will seek to foster the development and deployment of bi-directional satellite data solutions meeting the requirements of the growing population of government and business organizations using portable tracking devices, as well as the public-safety community.

“The ProTECTS Alliance will advocate for industry standards based on two-way satellite data links,” said Patrick Shay, vice president and general manager of Iridium’s data division. “Soldiers in the field, disaster relief workers, pipeline inspectors in remote oil fields, helicopter pilots fighting forest fires, scientific expeditions in the Antarctic and sailors on the high seas are all relying on satellite location technology as a critical safety lifeline, and the interactive
bi-directional data link helps ensure their distress messages are heard and that help reaches them.”

Source: Iridium Satellite LLC

Free maritime Emergency Calling launching soon

A new maritime safety service for all FleetBroadband users - 505 Emergency Calling - will be launched across the world on 1 October.

Inmarsat FleetBroadband customers who call 505 will be connected automatically to a coast guard rescue centre wherever they are in the world.
Inmarsat's head of maritime safety, Peter Blackhurst, said: "505 Emergency Calling is a short code dialling service for people who use FleetBroadband services and terminals.

Quick and simple
"It puts them straight through to a 24-hour operational Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) so they can speak to the right person if they have an emergency on board, such as their boat being in difficulties or a medical emergency.

There is no subscription or call charge for the 505 Emergency Calling - and it can be activated immediately just by dialling 505.

James Instance, Rescue Centre manager at Falmouth Coast Guard in the UK said: "505 is an easy number to remember because of its similarity to SOS. We welcome any service at the heart of maritime safety - any delay in safety communication can mean the difference between recovering bodies or rescuing people.

"After dialling 505, voice calls will be connected via Inmarsat directly to one of the selected MRCCs located strategically around the globe. These centres are manned 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and are charged with giving advice and providing assistance to vessels in distress."

Source: Inmarsat

South African satellite to arrive in space soon

SumbandilaSat, a South African built satellite will be launched into space on Tuesday with the help of a Russian Soyuz rocket from Baikonur Kazakhastan. The satellite cost R26 Million and weighs 81Kg. It was built by the help of the Stellenbosch University's engineering faculty.

SumbandilaSat will assist in managing disasters (floods and fires), food security (crop yield estimation), health (prediction of outbreaks), safety and security, water resources and energy security. Carrying high resolution cameras, it will produce images to be used for agriculture, mapping of infrastructure and land use, population measurement and the monitoring of dam levels. The information will be streamed to the satellite applications centre at Hartbeeshoek, near Pretoria.

Source: TechCentral

Ship in Middle East uses FB150

An offshore supply ship has become the first vessel in the Middle East to benefit from Inmarsat's latest broadband maritime service, FleetBroadband 150.

Zakher Marine International is introducing the newest member of the FleetBroadband family to its fleet in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the increased data demands it has experienced recently.

The cost-effective150kbps service will enable the vessels to deal with data communications to and from its on-shore office and offer more flexibility when using the internet.

A further five FB150 terminals will be installed on its offshore tugs this month.
"With FB150 we know that business communication will be reliable, consistent and of the highest quality."

Kyle Hurst, maritime market manager for Inmarsat, said: "The FleetBroadband success story continues to develop, led by the global adoption of FB150.

Source: Inmarsat

Satellite Communication Print Advert

Featured in this months issue of Techsmart magazine.

Satellite operator of the year

A panel of industry experts has named Inmarsat as Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) Operator of the Year at the Annual Awards for Excellence in Satellite Management.
Presented each year at the World Satellite Business Week, the awards recognise outstanding achievement and are among the industry's highest tributes.

Award winners are selected by a jury of industry experts from global satellite research and analyst firm Euroconsult, Space News and Satellite Finance, using rigorous quantitative and qualitative standards to reach their decision.

Strong impact
"The Awards for Excellence in Satellite Management recognise companies who have made a particularly strong impact on the satellite industry through their vision, growth, profit or innovation," said Pacôme Revillon, chief executive officer of award sponsors Euroconsult.

Source: Inmarsat

Telkom beaten by a pigeon?

Most people have by now heard the news of the pigeon called Winston. A certain company decided to finally test the speed of Telkoms ADSL service by racing their own pigeon 'Winston' against the download speed of Telkoms ADSL line. The idea was to place the data on a memory card and attach it to the pigeon who would then fly from point A to point B. During the flight the company would start a download of the same file via the ADSL line. The size of the file was quite large and, of course, the pigeon won.

A lot of people complain about the Telkom service but I for one find it suitable for my needs. If I was using mission critical equipment I may find another service provider. Satellite Broadband Internet would probably be my choice over regular ADSL.

Satellite Broadband Internet is not new. It is a very reliable form of Broadband and different to the norm. It can also be a lot faster than regular broadband. You can even choose a mobile option called BGan. This is a device which I have mentioned numerous times in my blog. You may not recognise the name but if you have ever watched CNN and seen a reporter reporting live from Iraq or Afghanistan live via satellite, chances are, that he or she is using the BGan to stream live video. For more info about BGan you can visit our BGan website.

BGan helps fire-fighters

Global fire-fighters may soon use BGAN to tackle deadly summer wildfires that destroy property and claim lives around the world.

A new partnership between Inmarsat and San Diego State University (SDSU) is developing and testing solutions to extend the availability of Geographic Information System (GIS) data for fire teams operating in remote locations.
GIS translates geographic information into maps, globes, reports and charts enabling the user to better interpret the data available.

Inmarsat is working with the university's Immersive Visualization Center ("Viz Lab"), which is part of the university's homeland security programme.
"By delivering dynamic, real-time information about fire perimeters, weather and ground conditions, Inmarsat and the SDSU Viz Lab will enhance the ability of incident commanders to protect lives and property and improve the safety of fire-fighters in the field," said Inmarsat's vice-president of global government services, Rebecca Cowen-Hirsch.
Previously, GIS information critical for remote firefighting could not be made available with any degree of reliability, explained Rebecca.

But now Inmarsat's global BGAN network can deliver data at high speed to teams operating beyond the reach of terrestrial-based landline and wireless networks using highly-portable BGAN satellite terminals.

Source: Inmarsat

Inmarsat Network Upgrade

The Classic Aero services are now available over Inmarsat's latest generation I-4 satellites. As a result, air transport, business, VIP and government users of Classic Aero can now access SwiftBroadband through a single antenna and set of avionics.
This enhancement to the Inmarsat network allows users to enjoy the benefits of satellite-aided air traffic control alongside SwiftBroadband-based high-speed connectivity for passenger and crew applications.

The Classic Aero services are currently used in more than 8,000 airliners, business jets and military aircraft for operational and safety-critical services, such as Acars and CPDLC (Controller-Pilot Datalink Communication) links between the flight deck and air traffic control.

The Classic services now available over the Inmarsat-4 (I-4) satellites in addition to the Inmarsat-3 constellation are C8400 voice plus Data-2 (for Acars and CPDLC) and Data-3.

Source: Inmarsat

Stream Live

The Streambox Live Service will change how the world captures and receives live video.

Streambox Live Service Key Features:
• Streambox Live Service enables 512 KBPS video feeds to support broadcast-quality SD Video
• Free, easy-to-use, consumer friendly mobile encoding software for mobile phones, Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh computers
• Digital Rights Management - contributors and broadcasters can set video rights for control and video access for live and archived video
• Streambox Live Service supports automated and ad hoc live video routing for playout on Streambox decoders and Streambox Media Player
Streambox Live Service operates seamlessly with Streambox's industry-leading platform of SD and HD broadcast-quality video encoders, decoders, as well as its complete line of broadcast and distribution servers.

Protect your satellite phone

Pelican cases are now available from us. These cases can Keep your satellite phone and accessories protected at all times, they are engineered to perform and be dependable in the most extreme environments. They can also be used for all kinds of equipment that needs the ultimate protection.

Below is a story from a user of a Pelican case:
David used a Pelican case to carry his sensitive equipment - GPS, housing, cameras, phone, sea maps, tide charts… “I dropped the box a long way back from the waters edge before running in. Before I knew it, I was out helping to save boats and people caught in the churning, powerful waters. I suddenly thought of my box that was out in that disaster probably flooded and ruined! The next day, the box was found 2 km's south west of the island. I opened it… and with a bit of a shock I found everything bone dry, and in working order with only missed calls on my cell phone. All the rest of my gear was gone, but that box was the most important to me. Thank you very much; keep up the good work!” David Brown, Dive Master. Hampshire UK. 2005

Source: Pelican