The Emirates Institution for Advanced Science & Technology announced that the clustered launch of a satellite group that includes DubaiSat-1, originally scheduled for July 25, has been rescheduled by the International Space Company to July 29, 2009.
The latest "read" at the launch company's website was the the preparations for the Dnepr-DubaiSat-1 launch were progressing well at the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The integration of DubaiSat-1, UK DMC-2, Deimos-1, NanoSat-1B, AprizeSat-3 and AprizeSat-4 satellites with the Space Head Module (SHM) adapters and SHM close-out were completed on July 17th, 2009. SHM electrical tests were finished on July 23rd. The SHM/launch vehicle mating was successfully performed on July 24th and SHM/launch vehicle electrical checkout activities were carried out on July 25th. Final launch preparations were being completed on July 28th. The launch is now scheduled for July 29th at 22 hrs 46 min, Moscow time. The reason for the new launch date was to complete additional safety and security tests. DubaiSat-1 is the first remote sensing satellite to be owned by the United Arab Emirates and will provide up-to-date monitoring of spatial and Earth data.
During the 1992-2003 timeframe, a team of Russian and Ukrainian companies, together with the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD), were involved in developing a commercial space launch system based on the technology of the SS-18 ICBMs that were being withdrawn from service. The decision to build such a launch system was preceded by a number of scientific research and preliminary design efforts, which resulted in a conclusion that the most promising and cost effective solution for payload orbital insertion would be a space launch system based on the SS-18 heavy ICBM with minimum modifications of the original missile. ISC Kosmotras was assigned the role of a team leader to build and commercially operate this SS-18 ICBM based space launch system and the entire program was given the name ‘Dnepr’. The main features of the Dnepr Program are as follow:
The Dnepr Program team incorporates leading Russian and Ukranian rocket and space companies. Major team members include Central Scientific and Research Institute of Machine Building (TSNIIMASH), Design Office of Special Machine Building (KBSM), Design Office of Transport Machine Building (KBTM), JSC ASKOND, JSC Corporation Rosobschemash of Russia and Yangel State Design Office Yuzhnoye (SDOY), Makarov Yuzhny Machine Building Plant (Yuzhmash) and Research and Production Enterprise Khartron-Arkos of Ukraine.
Cluster Launch Aboard Dnepr Launch Vehicle Re-Set To July 29th
Stupendous Sun Transit Photo Of The ISS + Endeavour
This is certainly one of the most incredible space photos every realized... this photo was making the rounds internally at NASA, and was then sent "outside" the agency.
This quality of photo is the norm for such pros as Thierry Legault and information has been received from inside NASA that he did, indeed, shoot this incredible shot of the International Space Station and Endeavour crossing the sun. If you would like to view more of Mr. Legault's superb astrophotography, visit his website by selecting the fantastic photo above.
Mr. Legault is an engineer who lives near Paris who started his digital imaging in 1994... a Hi-SIS 22 that was 14-bit and had no shutter. He currently uses a SBIG STL-11000M CCD camera with AO-L system that is equipped with large and narrow band filters. He also uses a reflex Canon 5D, webcams from Philips as well as Astrovid video cameras. He is pictured here with his equipment, which includes Takahashi refractors, which he uses for large field, deep-sky imaging — in this case, FSQ-106 and TOA-150 with large size corrector. To visit Thierry's website, access this direct link.
Gilat Satellite Networks Gets SATisfaction In Argentina
Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. will provide Servicio Satelital S.A. with a Gilat SkyEdge II satellite communications network to enable broadband Internet connectivity at hundreds of sites nationwide.
The sites will include schools, oil & gas firms and retail lottery locations. The new network will also be used to provide communication services for telecommunications operators and ISPs that need satellite connectivity in the region. Servicio Satelital is Argentina's largest provider of satellite-based broadband services. Servicio Satelital has deployed Gilat's VSATs at nearly 2,000 sites nationwide. This contract represents Servicio Satelital's first deployment of a Gilat SkyEdge II network in Argentina. Gilat VSAT networks have successfully provided broadband Internet connectivity at tens of thousands of schools worldwide since 2006, helping governments maximize the quality of educational programs.
Gilat's SkyEdge II is a multi-service platform enabling the delivery ofhigh-quality voice, broadband data and video services for diverse environments including enterprises, rural networks, cellular backhaul and government network applications. SkyEdge II is a standards-based system using DVB-S2 and DVB-RCS. With better efficiencies and full adaptivity for both the inbound and outbound channels, it provides higher performance that serves the growing requirements of a range of end-users. Gilat's diverse portfolio of SkyEdge II VSATs are all supported by a unified platform, offering service providers the most suitable product for their application needs as well as the flexibility to evolve their networks. The newest addition to Gilat's SkyEdge II portfolio is NetEdge(tm), a dedicated solution for multi star networks, specifically designed to meet the needs of corporations and cellular backhaul applications.
Bringing mini-VSAT Broadband To Australasian Waters
KVH Industries, Inc., (Nasdaq: KVHI) expects their mini-VSAT Broadband coverage for the Australia and New Zealand region to go live in August 2009, following the successful completion of service testing on the Intelsat IS-2 satellite.
The new coverage area will provide the first significant support for mini-VSAT Broadband service in the southern hemisphere. This is the latest milestone in the KVH and ViaSat Inc. (Nasdaq: VSAT) joint effort to provide affordable mobile broadband connections around the globe. In addition to providing service for the KVH TracPhone® V7, the KVH and ViaSat joint effort also expands network coverage to the ViaSat Yonder mobile network for in-flight broadband to business and commercial aircraft. The mini-VSAT Broadband service, along with the KVH TracPhone V7 antenna, comprise the first end-to-end 24-inch VSAT hardware, service, and support package available for maritime communications. Together, KVH and ViaSat are already offering Voice over IP phone service and Internet access as fast as 512 Kbps (upload) and 2 Mbps (download) at fixed monthly rates to mariners throughout North America, the Caribbean, the North Atlantic, Europe, the Northern Pacific, and the Persian Gulf.
“Together with our recently announced coverage for Asian waters and the Indian Ocean, the anticipated addition of service for Australia and New Zealand represents a significant expansion of our increasingly popular mini-VSAT Broadband Internet and voice service to a major commercial and recreational maritime region,” explained Brent C. Bruun, KVH’s vice president of sales and business development. “We believe that our seamless mini-VSAT Broadband network, together with our compact 24-inch (60 cm) commercial-grade antenna and fixed-rate monthly airtime pricing, offers unique benefits to commercial and leisure mariners with regard to hardware and service costs as well as the value that comes with an affordable broadband data connection for crew morale, shipboard operation, regulatory compliance, and more.”
SatBroadcasting + Related: EchoStar Is A True Citizen Pleaser
EchoStar Satellite Services, a division of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), now has an agreement to deliver its ViP-TV™ video transport service to Citizens Cablevision Inc., a full service provider of digital television programming in Virginia and a wholly owned subsidiary of Citizens Telephone Cooperative — Citizens will receive transport of up to 42 popular HDTV channels to its IP headend. Citizens provides broadband data, video, and voice services to residents and businesses in Southwest Virginia. Citizens Cablevision sought a platform that would enable it to offer competitive video services using its existing IP network. EchoStar’s ViP-TV transport service offers a secure, MPEG-4 encoded IP stream of approximately 275 popular, broadcast-quality TV and music channels from a satellite located at 85 degrees West. ViP-TV can also provide satellite-delivered local TV channel aggregation in a telco’s designated market area in both high definition and standard definition (where available).
