NASA Selects Telenor and Verso for Satcom Modernization
ROCKVILLE, MD, March 29, 2007 - Satnews Daily - The U.S.’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has selected Telenor Satellite Services and Verso Technologies to provide digital voice and data satellite communications equipment and service to all of its Trans Atlantic Landing Sites.
The Trans Atlantic Landing Sites are used as emergency landing locations for the Space Shuttle during launch. NASA has multiple Trans Atlantic Landing Sites for the Space Shuttle should the craft experience an emergency during or shortly after take-off and need to make an emergency landing on the east side of the Atlantic Ocean. Shuttle emergency landing sites include Moron Air Base and Zaragoza Air Base in Spain, and Istres Air Force Base in France.
Telenor Satellite Services is a subsidiary of Telenor of Norway (Oslo Stock Exchange: TEL and Nasdaq: TELN). Verso (Nasdaq: Verso) is a global technology provider of Next Generation Network solutions offering a core-to-edge product portfolio primarily for
telecommunications service providers.
Telenor Satellite Services and Verso Technologies will provide mission critical voice communications between all ground stations during the launch process using Verso's NetPerformer SDM-9230 products. The project will leverage the NetPerformer's ability to support radio tone keying for communications between the ground stations and the space shuttle, low bit rate voice for communications between ground stations, and redundancy to ensure that communications are not lost during the launch process.
The selection of Telenor Satellite Services and Verso is part of NASA's program to upgrade the emergency satellite communications capabilities at its Trans Atlantic Landing Sites for communicating via satellite during Shuttle launches and provides Space Shuttle personnel at these sites reliable methods of communicating and sending data to and from locations in the U.S.
Under the terms of the two-year agreement, Telenor will supply Global Area Network satellite communications equipment for the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and all the remote sites, as well as installation assistance, system configuration, and operator training sessions. Verso will provide hardware, software and support services to Telenor in support of NASA.
The satellite communications are routed through Telenor's Southbury, Connecticut, teleport. The Southbury facility has served as the conduit for NASA's satellite communications to its Trans Atlantic Landing Sites since 1988 when the Space Shuttle returned to space following the Challenger accident.
