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2007 – Demand Drivers and Growth Areas

Satellite-related products and services form the largest portion of the space industry, driven primarily by the use of communication and positioning satellites.
Commercial communications satellites provide both fixed and mobile satellite services. Fixed satellite services (FSS) are those where the ground receiver is stationary, pointed at one spot in the sky. Mobile satellite services (MSS) uplink and downlink to mobile users

More Efficient Shipping By Air

UPS is working with Aviation Communications and Surveillance Systems to develop landing patterns that separate planes by time, rather than distance, for maximum efficiency at the shipping company’s hub in Louisville, Kentucky.

View Satellite Images of What’s Below While Flying–Wait a Minute…

Air France began a partnership with ESA in 2007 to show satellite images of the countries, cities, and terrain below the airplane to passengers. Air France plays CD-ROMs with synchronized images of the flight path below on routes between Paris and Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, and Singapore.

Transoceanic Flights with High-speed Internet

Satellite communications are enabling new comforts for long-distance commuters and airline customers. JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Blue of Australia are among the airlines that offer satellite TV.

Find The Coveted Parisian Parking Spot

A service, launched in December 2006 in Paris, helps drivers locate the closest available parking spot with the help of GPS signals. Approximately 120 participating garages relay availability data to a centralized database. Drivers with GPS-enabled phones can download data and receive precise directions to the closest available space.

Improving Taxi Service In New York? When Satellites Fly

New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission imposed a new mandate requiring new technology, including GPS receivers and credit card terminals, in all 13,000 taxis in the city. Some taxi drivers and taxi companies have objected.

Waiting at the New York Bus Stop with GPS Accuracy

GPS is also being applied to public transportation challenges. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City began a pilot program to track buses with GPS devices, and use this data to calculate and display estimated arrival times at bus stops.

Real-time Traffic Updates for Your Commute

The role of consumer GPS units for personal cars is evolving from static maps and directions to dynamic content. Innovative new technologies are using additional connectivity provided by wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) or cell networks for real time traffic updates and accurate information on points-of-interest.

Brazil Uses Satellite Network for Rural Schools

Satellite communications enable a growing number of distance learning and tele-education programs. In 2007, the Brazilian education network, enabled by Hughes Network Systems’ HughesNet, completed rollout in the state of Amazonas.

Moon Exploration from the Desktop

Google Moon, originally released in July 2005, was updated in 2007 with high-resolution imagery from NASA, including images and tours of Apollo landing sites.