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Technology Stocks : ViaSat -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: bryston who wrote (696)	9/25/2000 10:27:00 AM
From: bryston	Respond to of 1112

Astrolink development continues: satnews.com <TRW Begins Production of Astrolink Ground-to-Space Interface Following Successful Design Review Redondo Beach, Calif./Sept. 20, 2000/Satnews/ -- TRW has launched production of the Space Applications Interface (SAI), a key ground-to-space interface for the Astrolink global broadband telecom system. The go-ahead follows the successful, on-schedule conclusion of the SAI's critical design review, or CDR, which verified that TRW's SAI design meets Astrolink's requirements. "SAI is the first major Astrolink element to complete CDR," said Paul Borzcik, vice president and program manager of TRW's Astrolink program. "We've gotten the green light to begin procuring hardware and developing the software modules for integration, leading to system test and delivery of the first SAI in 2001." Astrolink satellites will provide Internet, multimedia and data network services to businesses and consumers beginning in 2003. TRW is developing the digital-switching, bandwidth-on-demand communications payloads for the Astrolink satellites. The SAIs, which TRW is building under a separate contract to Astrolink International LLC, will function as part of Astrolink's four regional network control centers, providing the crucial ground interface for controlling and managing the orbiting satellite payloads. The CDR involved all major participants in Astrolink's development including Astrolink International; TRW; Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications and Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems; Telespazio S.p.A., a company of the Telecom Italia Group, which is responsible for the ground segment; COMSAT Laboratories; and Ericsson. The CDR demonstrated that TRW's design for the SAI meets all Astrolink requirements. The reviewers examined in detail the myriad interfaces, both hardware and software, that comprise the SAI. TRW is also building the Astrolink payload emulator, a testbed that provides ground system developers with a means of verifying ground-to-payload interfaces well before the satellites go on orbit. Both the SAI and the emulator will play a key role in integrating and validating the Astrolink ground segment. TRW Space & Electronics Group is the world leader in digital, bandwidth-on-demand satellite payloads. TRW Inc. provides advanced technology products and services for the global automotive, aerospace, telecommunications and information systems markets.>