Satellite Technology Feature Article
November 17, 2009
exactEarth Selects KSAT to Provide Satellite Ground Station Services
By Anil Sharma, TMCnet Contributor
exactEarth Ltd., a data services subsidiary of COM DEV International (News - Alert) Ltd., has entered into a long-term agreement with Norway’s Kongsberg Satellite Services AS, a commercial satellite services company.
As part of the pact, KSAT will provide downlinking services at its Svalbard Satellite Station facility to capture data from exactEarth’s planned constellation of AIS satellites.
SvalSat is one of the world’s only established commercial station capable of downlinking on every satellite orbit.
exactEarth’s agreement with KSAT ensures that its customers will have up-to-date, reliable access toAutomatic Identification System data.
“Our agreement with KSAT offers us the best possible downlinking solution,” said Peter Mabson, president of exactEarth.
Mabson said that the company has established a long-term relationship with a world-leading service provider, while at the same time eliminating the need to construct ground-based antenna system.
He said that KSAT is also an established provider of satellite based Earth Observation services such as oil spill detection and ice monitoring to the Norwegian and International markets so this strategic partnership will open up new opportunities for both companies.
exactEarth Ltd. is a data services company that leverages advanced microsatellite technology to deliver monitoring solutions characterized by high performance, reliability, security, and simplicity.
Officials said that KSAT as part of the agreement will build a dedicated tracking station, including an antenna system with a 7.3 meter dish, at its SvalSat site for use of the company.
KSAT will also provide backup downlink capabilities using some of their existing antenna systems.
“We are excited to partner with exactEarth and to provide their ground station at SvalSat,” said Rolf Skatteboe, president of KSAT.
Skatteboe said that exactEarth’s space-based AIS solution will provide improved visibility into worldwide maritime traffic, and the company looks forward to playing a role in delivering that information to the global community.
He said that KSAT is the prime contractor for the European Maritime Safety Agency oil spill detection service, and adding real time AIS information is a logical next step in the development of this service.
Anil Sharma is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Anil’s articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Michael Dinan
