NEWS BRIEF

ORBCOMM CANADA SERVICE AGREEMENT

Jan.31, Washington - ORBCOMM Global today announced a new service agreement with ORBCOMM Canada Inc., the first non-U.S. company authorized to offer satellite-based, two-way global messaging and positioning service using the ORBCOMM low Earth orbit satellite constellation. Most of the early business for ORBCOMM Canada will be focused in western Canada, and will centre around the natural resource industries.

In a related release, ORBCOMM Global announced it is beginning commercial services on February 1st. ORBCOMM Global is a joint venture of Orbital Sciences Corporation and Teleglobe Inc.

CANADIAN MARCONI SATCOM

Jan.26, Montreal - Egyptair, the Egyptian national airline, recently selected Canadian Marconi's High-Gain Satcom Antenna for its new Boeing B777-200 aircraft. The antenna enables passengers to make telephone calls from the aircraft en-route. Outgoing messages are sent through one of the Inmarsat satellites, and relayed to a ground station into the telecommunications network.

RADARSAT UPDATE

RADARSAT commissioning activities continue with an operational capability expected by late March. The spacecraft has experienced a few minor anomalies, the most notable being a drop in the RF output of one of the two S-band transmitters.

PAYETTE NOMINATED TO NSERC

Jan.18, Ottawa - Industry Minister John Manley announced the appointment of Canadian Astronaut, Julie Payette, to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. NSERC is the national body for providing funding to basic research in science and technology.

EVENTS

CSA President, Mac Evans, will be speak at a SEDS York (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space) lecture open to the public. February 6th, 5:30 pm, Senate Chamber - 9th Floor Ross Building, York University. More information at this site.

MAJOR CONTRACTS AWARDED OCT.1.95 - NOV.30.95

  Contractor  Project                              Amount
  ---------------------------------------------------------------
  Bristol Aerospace Ltd.                          $342,400
     OEDIPUS project - Phase E/F range support
     and flight analysis

  McGill University                                277,096
     Development of spacelab flight and supporting
     science for the Torso Rotation Experiment (TRE)
     (Dr. D. Watt, Aerospace Medical Research Unit)

  Universitˇ Laval                                 213,572
     Metal fractal aggregates in microgravity
     (Dr. R.J. Slobodrian, Department of Physics)

  Universitˇ Laval                                 201,351
     17B-estradiol dehydrogenase and fructose-1,6-
     bisphosphatase:  Crystallization of proteins
     in microgravity and medical applications
     (Dr. S-X Lin, Facultˇ de Mˇdecine)

  Universitˇ de Montrˇal                           199,000
     Crystallization of biologically important proteins
     in low gravity (Dr. J. Sygusch, Dˇpartement de
     biochimie)

  Guignˇ International Ltd.                        180,547
     Modifications to the space-drumsTM payload for
     December 1995 DC-9 microgravity flight

  MAYA Heat Transfer                               133,678
     Advanced algorithms for radiation analysis

  Spar Aerospace Ltd.                              117,680
     Development of advanced methods for structure
     qualification of spacecraft

  AL Consultant                                    107,000
     Space station operations and utilization support

  Com Dev Atlantic Ltd.                            106,505
     Development and demonstration of an asphirical
     telescope mirror system

  MPB Technology Inc.                               85,600
     STEAR 9 - Strategic technology in automation
     and robotics - "opportunities" - Phase I:
     Feasibility study

  Aastra Aerospace Inc.                             85,600
     STEAR 9 - Strategic technology in automation
     and robotics - Development and demonstration
     of piezoelectric motor technology - Phase I:
     Feasibility Study

  Canpolar East Inc.                                85,576
     STEAR 9 - Strategic technology in automation
     and robotics - "Kinaesthetic Textiles" - Phase I:
     Feasibility study

  Hymarc Ltd.                                       84,554
     STEAR 9 - Strategic technology in automation
     and robotics - "Autonomous tasks control using 3D
     vision sensors" - Phase I:  Feasibility study

  Sensor Technology Ltd.                            83,170
     STEAR 9 - Strategic technology in automation
     and robotics - "The development of piezoelectric
     and electrostrictive sensors and actuators for
     incorporation into smart structure" - Phase I:
     Feasibility study

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