2012
2012 – MSS Satellite Design Activities
MSS providers offer satellite-based communications directly to consumers through devices such as mobile phones. Traditionally, these satellites have provided basic voice and data services to receivers aboard ships and in other places underserved by terrestrial facilities, such as isolated rural… Thank you for visiting The Space Report! The Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity, Packed…
2012 – Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) Space Activities
One MSS industry leader, Iridium, is implementing a major network upgrade. In June 2010, Iridium selected France’s Thales Alenia Space as prime contractor for its second-generation satellite constellation, named Iridium NEXT. The upgraded network will consist of ## active and ## spare satellites, scheduled for launch between 2015 and 2017.[
2012 – Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) Satellite Design Activities
The number of FSS satellites has increased tremendously over the past five years due to the growth of several applications that drive the need for satellite capacity. Deregulation of international markets has sparked the licensing of many cable and DTH providers that provide customers with cont… Thank you for visiting The Space Report! The Authoritative…
2012 – Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) Space Activities
GEO satellites can allow a signal to be beamed over a wide fixed coverage area, with the potential to reach a third of the Earth’s surface. They are thus ideal for FSS operators, who often use them to send a single data stream to many stationary antennas in one or more continents. FSS satellites provide DTH video or internet services, corporate network connectivity, broadcast video distribution, and secure communications for the military. Of the ## total active satellites in 2012, ## are communications satellites.
NASA Refining Ultrasound for Athletic and Spinal Injuries
NASA’s Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity (ADUM) research team developed training modules and remote guidance techniques that would allow astronauts to perform accurate ultrasounds on patients after just minutes of training.
Curiosity’s X-Ray Instruments Identify Earth Minerals
Since instruments developed for spaceflight often need to withstand harsh conditions and be small and lightweight, they can be used in new or enhanced applications on Earth. By the time the Curiosity rover landed on Mars in August 2012, one of its instruments had already inspired a portable tool for geologists on Earth.
This Shoe Tracks You and then Phones Home
The Aetrex Navistar is a shoe that can be used to track patients with diseases such as Alzheimer’s or dementia who are at risk of wandering off and becoming lost. Using a GPS receiver and cellular transmitter located in the heel of the shoe, position information is transferred automatically to a secure server.
Earth Observation Data in the Russian War on Drugs
Russia is working to use remote sensing data from satellites to identify narcotic plants as they are being cultivated. Researchers hope to distinguish between particular plant species by subtle differences in the way they reflect light.
Astronaut Retinal Camera Finds Use In Earthbound Examinations
Provizion Optics developed a retinal camera attachment to be used by astronauts in orbit to study the effect of zero gravity on their eyes. Although originally designed for use in space, the device’s ability to go anywhere and send images to medical professionals located elsewhere made it a convenient way to examine people’s eyes on Earth.
NASA’s Particle Detection Methods A Weapon Against Dirty Bombs
Scientists from the University of New Hampshire and the Michigan Aerospace Corporation have adapted space technology to detect radioactive and fissile materials that can be used in nuclear devices, including “dirty bombs,” which spread harmful radioactive material into the environment.