Orbits: News Briefs… APSCC Show – Azerbaijani Satellite – China Aids Nepal – ICG Meeting – Motorola & Iridium –

Getting More Info On The Asian Satellite Markets
The Asia-Pacific Satellite Communications Council, the APSCC, has their 2007 Satellite Conference and Exhibition running from September 18th through the 20th at the Millennium Hilton in Bangkok, Thailand. This gathering will encourage conversation about new opportunities as well as the challenges in Asian business environs. APSCC 2007 will feature CEO Roundtable Discussions, 9 panel discussions, conference sessions as well as providing in-depth looks at cutting-edge satellite technology. Also under the conference microscope, concerns and issue rising in the region. To obtain additional program info and/or to register, head over to https://www.apscc.or.kr/event/apscc2007.asp—Seoul, Korea

>Azerbaijani Satellite Not Ready For Prime Time… Yet!
The government of Azerbaijani has received a request from the Azerbaijani communications and Information Technologies Ministry that emphasizes the need for a national communications satellite. The proposals included technical details and capacity information. Although not specific in allocating the cost to the government for such a spacecraft, the ministry coordination department officer stated launching such satellites costs between $100 to $160 million in world practice. The technical parameters data will be submitted to the International Telecommunications Union (IT) later this month.

Early Reporting For Natural Disasters In Nepal
The Chinese Meteorological Administration will donate a set of China FY-2D data receiving and processing systems to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology of the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology of the Nepal government in Katmandu. According to the official Chinese Xinhua news agency, China handed the system to Nepal to assist in forecast weather more accurately and to reduce casualties from natural disasters.

Ensuring Global Navigation Is Truly Global
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs is promoting the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG) second meeting in Bangalore, India, on September 6th and 7th. Hosted by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the participants will review and discuss Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and their applications. From safety and economic development, to search and rescue, geodesy, land management and sustainable development will be targeted for discussion. Compatibility, interoperability, integration of these services into national infrastructures, especially in developing countries, will also be addressed. The United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) established the ICG in December of 2005.

Motorola Avoids Billion Dollar Bullet
A New York court has ruled against the creditors of once-bankrupt satellite firm Iridium. Finding in favor of Motorola, Inc., U.S Bankruptcy Judge James Peck said last Friday that even though the capital markets turned out to be “terribly wrong” about Iridium’s hopes of huge profits from satellite communications, the start-up’s ability to raise money in the market means it was not “insolvent” during a critical period. In a story published in The Canadian Press’ online new section, the ruling takes Motorola off the hook in a lawsuit where Iridium’s creditors were attempting to force the company to return $3.7 billion it was paid to build Iridium’s 66-satellite constellation. In his decision favoring Motorola, Judge Peck stated that what counts in evaluating the start-up’s solvency is “Iridium’s success in the capital markets in raising impressive amounts of debt and equity.” Motorola spun off Iridium seven years before the satellite-phone service was launched.

Footer