Earlier this July participants of the second international SpaceTech Space Systems Engineering Program presented the MediaGlobe system for an audience of European space professionals. MediaGlobe provides an innovative multimedia broadcasting service that is based on a new information distribution concept. The MediaGlobe design is the result of the SpaceTech Central Case Project, an interactive design project in which the SpaceTech participants apply the end-to-end systems engineering skills and methods acquired in the SpaceTech Programme.
The services offered by MediaGlobe are centred on the "store and play"
idea. Data broadcasted via satellite is received and stored in dedicated
end-user equipment to be re-played at the users¿ convenience, thus
offering a unique level of flexibility and convenience. The end-users
pay per view and select products (i.e. movies,TV programmes, software,
data products) via an Electronic Programming Guide. A Customised User
Profile utilises the user¿s viewing preferences to optimise the stored
selection of programmes. The non real-time broadcasting concept allows
transmission of time-compressed data, decreasing the time to access the
bouquet of information available to the user.
The MediaGlobe space segment consists of three geo-stationary satellites
covering selected areas in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America. The
satellites are connected via high capacity inter-satellite links and use
on-board multiplexing, allowing local data providers to up-link their
data via simple and economic dedicated stations. The system uses Ku-Band
up- and down-links, taking advantage of existing technology and
addressing a selected niche of the Direct-To-Home market which is
expected to reach up to 38 Millions households in Europe by 2002. The
end-user equipment consists of a standard (60 cm) satellite dish, a
Direct Video Broadcasting compatible integrated receiver decoder plus a
MediaGlobe Storage and Ordering Box. The total equipment cost for the
end-users will be in the order of $10 a month.
The MediaGlobe design was very well received by the audience which
included representatives of Alcatel, CNES, DASA, DLR, Telespazio and the
European Space Agency. The result of the first SpaceTech Central Case
Project, an Automatic Meter Reading system for energy companies, was
recently picked up by California based DBS Industries who considered the
design to be a valuable resource for their E-SAT design. Moreover, DBS
Industries appointed one of the SpaceTech participants as Executive Vice
President of Engineering.
SpaceTech is an international postgraduate programme, leading to the
unique certified Master degree in 'Space Systems Engineering' and has a
strong focus on market-oriented and cost-conscious end-to-end systems
engineering.
