AAI Unmanned Aircraft to Use ViaSat Satellite Network

AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and ViaSat will work together to develop a beyond-line-of-sight satellite communications technology to be used in a new unmanned AAI aircraft. UAS specializes in the design and manufacturing of unmanned aircraft. It is a division of Textron Systems.

The project seeks to combine airborne and terrestrial satellite communications solutions from ViaSat and the advanced aircraft command and control technologies from AAI. The project will also use ViaSat’s Internet Protocol-based security and networking technology.

The Forward Airborne Secure Transmission and Communication (FASTCOM) system is a joint project of ViaSat, AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Overwatch. The wireless cellular network ensures safe transmission of smartphone data. The 3rd and 4th generation communications capability of the network is expected to improve military communications in battlefields.

Steven Reid, AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems' President and General Manager, said that collaborating with ViaSat will help the company maintain its competitiveness in system development and integration. The UAS will play a crucial role in the battlefield, he said.

Paul Baca, ViaSat Global Mobile Broadband’s Vice President and General Manager, said that the satellite carrier is capable of providing dedicated bandwidth for transmission of UAS video in the battlefield.

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Thuraya Satellite Phone Provide Emergency Communications to Philippine Province

The Office of Civil Defense of the Cordillera Administrative Region (OCD-CAR) , Philippines has set up a Thuraya satellite telephone at the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) to be used by emergency response staff at the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council(PDRRMC). PSDWO usually serves as the Disaster Coordinating Center for the PDRRMC during flood, typhoons and other natural calamities.

According to Engineer Jojo Valera of the OCD-CAR, the satellite phone will serve as communications tool of last resort when all local networks are not operational due to bad weather.

The Thuraya satellite telephone will enable the response group to communicate with regional and national DRRMC. The satellite phone also supports text messaging in addition to voice calls. The phones are also being used in other regions Regions 1, 2, 3 and Metro Manila.

2012 World Radiocommunication Conference

The US promises to promote the discussion of new spectrum band allocation for broadband mobile service providers at the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12) , a global marathon meeting of major telecommunications firms. The event started in Geneva on January 23.

Decker Anstrom, the head of US delegation to WRC-12, said the US representative will give priority in tackling the spectrum crunch at the one-month long quadrennial meeting. The event is hosted by the United Nations’ International Telecommunications Union.

Although WRC-12 is unlikely to reach a decision on the spectrum crunch, the meeting is a necessary step in outlining technical tasks need to address bandwidth scarcity over the next three and a half years so that the industry can look forward to WRC-2015 as time for making big decisions.

Skycasters Improves Teleport Capacity With New Antenna

Satellite Internet provider Skycasters has finished its new 8.1m uplink antenna which boasts of higher gain than the company's existing 6.3m antennas. The new antenna is expected to increase Skycasters' redundancy and teleport reliability.

The Vertex-made antenna has an aluminum reflector fixed to a skeleton structure which keeps it in the right position, allowing it to focus electromagnetic waves on the feed. The reflector stands almost four stories tall. It had to secure clearance first from the FAA before its construction began. The gigantic antenna is supported by a kingpost weighing two tons.

Prior to this teleport improvement, the company had added a new UPS system, an advanced fire suppression system, and brand-new diesel generator. The new UPS system comes with an external bypass switch, so it can prevent costly losses due to downtime. The teleport's new fire suppression system is more eco-friendlier than the previous Halon-based system.

Skycasters teleport supports VPNs, corporate data services and other satellite-based communication services commonly used in emergency and disaster relief operations, public safety agencies and rural communications.

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Satellite Communications Asia: Launch Date of Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 Spacecraft Announced

The  China National Space Administration  is scheduled to launch the Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 spacecraft in 2012. This has been confirmed by  Spokesman Zhang Wei at a press conference held in the capital city of Beijing during the  release of a white paper titled "China's Space Activities in 2011.” However, the agency refused to provide the exact date.

On Thursday, the Chinese government released the report which detailed the development of the local space industry since 2006. I also outlined the ambitious space projects of the government for the next five years.

State Council Information Office’s  "China's Space Activities in 2011” was the third white paper on Chinese space industry . The first was released  in 2000, followed by another in 2006.

During the recent years, space projects have become a priority of the Chinese government in line with national development. The Chinese government said that its space activities are for peaceful and exploration purposes.
China is rapidly becoming a world leader in space technology. It has ranked among international pioneers in satellite technology recently, and more growth opportunities are expected to be seen in the near future.

China promises to  cooperate with the international community to maintain a peaceful and clean outer space, the document states. The white paper cited space transportation system, human spaceflights, Earth satellites and deep-space exploration as some of the priorities of the space agency. The government is also planning to make space laboratories, space freighters and manned lunar missions.  

In the  next five years, the agency will create orbiters for soft landing on the moon, roving and surveying, followed by collection of samples on moon's surface to be studied in ground laboratories, the white paper said.
Building a space infrastructure frame comprising observation satellites, navigation and positioning satellites, and communications and broadcasting satellites are also part of the plan. There will also be special deep-space project demonstrations, including mission to Mars.

China  is a signatory to 66 international space cooperation agreements along with more than 20 states and regions, and 44 of these agreements are in effect, Zhang said.  Zhang stressed the openness has always been the center of China’s space program.

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