ORBITS: News Briefs…

Crawford Keeps On Truckin’

Crawford Satellite Services’ Transportable Earth Station from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral will cover six shuttle launches, live. The space shuttle feeds will be provided via three Ku-band trucks located at Cape Canaveral, Jupiter and Wallops Island, Virginia. This will continue through 2008. Crawford transmitted the first two lift offs, the Atlantis STS-117 and Endeavour STS-118—Atlanta, Georgia—August 28, 2007



Russian Version Of GPS Bullish For Bears & Blackjack

State tests have ended… and Russian manufacturers will soon start to build a line of new navigation systems. Based on the Russian Federation Ministry of Defence’s Global Navigation Satellite System (Glonass), the ultimate plan is to have 24 satellites form a constellation for worldwide use, especially in the aviation and maritime industries. Nearly $380 million has been purposed in the Russian federal budget for Glonass development, with the Tupolev-160 (Blackjack supersonic, swing-wing heavy bomber) and the Tupolev-95 Bear (strategic bomber and missile platform) targeted for the units—Zhukovsky, Russia—August 28, 2007



Know Where You Are When You Game On

It’s not just games when you own a Sony Playstation Portable (PSP). Sony has announced a new peripheral for their popular device, that being a satellite navigation instrument. Now you can have your games and your location, too! This accessory should be ready early next year for retail sales. Called Go! Explore, the GPS receiver attachment will require software UMB for user-selected maps. Sony collaborated with NavNGo and TeleAtlas to make this device possible. Support will be offered for 11 languages, and maps will be upgradeable through the PLAYSTATION Network.