TelAstra, Inc. sells nine products that are described in this section.

1. Communications Satellite Databases
   You won't need to repeat the effort that went into this project. Data was collected for 41 years. Assembly and processing has required more than 2400 hours. The data has been expanded, corrected, and improved through 25 editions.
   As you know, price information is not widely distributed by contractors. Digging it out is often difficult and costly. Now you will find that many of your studies are easy. The hard part has already been done. A full range of satellite data has been collected and prepared as computer files.

   Chapter A Shows Commercial Satellite Market Prices

   The Satellite Price Database shows the breakdown of prices paid to builders of communications satellites. Satellite delivery prices are separated from the price of launchers, earth stations and other cost elements. Actual and current delivery schedules are compared to original estimates. This data is provided as computer files and is far more complete than the data available from any other source.
   Eleven (11) inflation adjustment tables are included to account for changing economic conditions. Inflation tables are now provided for the U.S. Exchange rates are tabulated over a 41 year period.
   You can use this information to project probable satellite prices, incentive payments, and the price per satellite based on past records. Your cost estimates, cost models, and perceptions can be verified with hard numbers. You can make a more accurate assessment of the time required to develop and launch satellites. You can estimate realistic schedules when implementing a new generation of satellites.
   The Mass Database separates the subsystem masses, dry mass, station keeping fuel, apogee fuel, and launch mass. Each subsystem reflects the same elements. This information can be used to compare the relative masses and complexity of spacecraft. You can compare the mass of its subsystems to the mass of alternative designs.
   The Power Database provides a breakdown of the power load for each subsystem as well as the solar array power capability at end of life. The solar array area and mass are also provided when available. Battery mass and battery depth of discharge are listed. You can assess the status of several contractors' technologies.

Chapter A (Satellites & Subsystems) V24.5 (May 2008)

633 Contract Profiles including alternative names, customers, contractors, price breakdowns, total mass, and power capability
143 Mass & Power Budgets
Original Delivery Estimates & Actual Schedules
Exchange Rates for 7 Countries

Click here to get a sample of the valuable information found in Chapter A (.DOC file, ~45KB)

Chapter B Lists Anomalies & Payload Performance

   The Spacecraft Anomaly Database provides detailed information on a large number of events which have disabled or caused difficulty on satellites. Data identifies satellite name, launch date, anomaly, severity, cause, COST IMPACT and 35 other data fields. You can check the reliability claims of satellite manufacturers.
   The Subsystem Price Database provides the breakdown of prices by subsystem and major cost element. Costs for hardware are separated from the costs of program management, systems engineering, and product assurance.
   You can use the Antenna Database to predict achievable gain, G/T and EIRP. Empirical data includes coverage area, isotropic and effective gain for each antenna. Number of feeds, antenna aperture dimensions, antenna mass, beam isolation, polarization type and isolation are tabulated.
   The Power Amplifier Database includes the key parameters for TWTA and Solid State Amplifiers. Gain and efficiency are of major design significance. The records also include the redundancy configuration and vendors for each program.
   The Filter Database provides the technical data for a wide variety of filter types. The information includes the materials used for construction and the number of filters of each type used on each satellite. You can evaluate filter technology, estimate filter mass and establish filter specifications.

Chapter B (Anomalies & Payload) V 23.5 (May 2008)

Detailed Data on 1355 Anomalies that have an estimated total value of $15.07 billion
56 Subsystem Prices & Data on 182 Antennas
Parameters for 348 Microwave Filters
Descriptions of 672 HPAs

Click here to get a sample of the valuable information found in Chapter B (.DOC file, ~45KB)

Chapter C Launch Data Failures, Status, & Lifetime

   The World Launch Database and Russian Launch Database provide complete data on all spacecraft launches to April 30, 2006. Satellite programs are listed in alphabetical and chronological order. Each record contains 25 fields of data: launch dates, international launch designation, alternative payload names, launch vehicle authority/agency, launch vehicle designation, lifetime, orbital data, current status and current satellite longitude for each geostationary payload.
   Current information describes the performance of spacecraft after delivery. Notes and references are included to indicate known failures and anomalies during the launch and operational phases of the program. Insurance payments are provided by program for satellite or launch failures. Insurance underwriters will find this information extremely useful in understanding and assessing risks.
   The Future Launch Database gives prices for many future launches. Planned launches are listed in Future Launch Data Base. A brief description of current pricing practices is included. You can examine this information and estimate the cost for launching satellites.

Chapter C (Launch Records and Vehicles) V 20.5 (May 2008)

Orbital Locations, Status, Problems, & Lifetime
Dates & Parameters:All 6305 Launched Satellites to 31 August 2008
Dates & Prices for 280 Future Launches

Click here to get a sample of the valuable information found in Chapter C (.DOC file, ~45KB)

Chapter D (Business, Market, and Technical Trends) (August 2008)

This part provides graphical displays of trends including: the number of transponders in service, transponder demand, operator revenues, satellites in service, growth trends in transponders per satellite, power, and mass. The CD Rom includes a set of Excel spreadsheets that contain the following figures. Each figure is associated with an Excel file.

1.Direct Broadcasting Satellite Television Subscriber Growth
2.Satellite Radio Subscriber Growth
3.Industry Revenues by Service Segment
4. Annual Fixed Satellite Service (FSS) Operator Revenues
5.Growth of Satellite Data Services
6.Growth of Mobile Satellite Subscribers
7.Annual Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) Operator Revenues
8.Fixed Satellite Service Revenue per satellite
9.Trends of Satellites Ordered by year
10.Satellites Ordered by year
11.Cumulative Satellite Contract Awards (prior five years)
12.Annual Number of Satellites and Launches
13.Satellites per launch
14.Manufacturers market share by year
15.Space Manufacturer Revenues
16.Total Revenue of the Top 50 Space Manufacturers
17.Annual Number of Satellites Ordered and Launched
18.Satellite Delivery Schedule Trends
19.Satellite Delivery Plans versus Actual Performance
20.Specific Cost of Satellites (Price versus Mass)
21.Transponders Retired, Ordered, and Launched by Year
22.Transponders Ordered and Launched by year with Forecast
23.Transponder Supply and Demand
24.Transponders per Satellite Trend
25.Number of Satellite and Launch Vehicle Failures
26.Insurance Premium Trends
27.Satellite Power Growth Trend
28.Satellite Mass Growth Trend
29.Average Satellite Mass Growth
30.Satellite Design Lifetime Trends
31.Specific Satellite Cost

Terms and Conditions

Communication Satellite Databases is offered as a complete, unbroken set. The entire product consists of Chapters A to D. The new product is provided as files on a CD Rom, with an Adobe Acrobat version of the report that can be printed by the end user. This substantially reduces shipping costs. The price for the Communication Satellite Database set is US$2780.00, FOB Palos Verdes, California.
We will send an invoice for payment by check or wire transfer. Sorry, we are not able to accept credit card orders.

2. Investing in Mobile Satellite Services (MSS)
This multi-client report is a business and financial evaluation of the next generation of MSS. This report is a definitive work that includes:

Evaluation of 22 current and proposed MSS systems. Expanded monographs are provided for Inmarsat, Iridium, ICO Global, and Globalstar. Considerable attention is placed on identifying the "lessons learned" from these systems.

Market demand forecasts are provided along with explanations for why some of the past estimates have not been achieved. We provide realistic estimates and a solid rationale for market demand and take-up rates.

Discussion of all the business and financial issues that have surrounded this business segment. The report includes assessments of the prospects for each system, the relative capacity and cost per circuit for each of the systems.

Description of numerous service applications.

71 figures, tables, and illustrations.

Airtime tariffs and equipment prices.

First edition, February 2000, 129 pages. $200.00

Second edition, October 2001, 258 pages. $895.00

Addendum / update to report, 10 pages, no additional cost.

Download the complete Table of Contents (.DOC, ~55KB)

3. Investing in Broadband Fixed Satellite Services (FSS)
Nearly every company will benefit from high-speed digital access to the Internet. Many companies will invest in multimedia systems. This is an enormous opportunity for investors, suppliers of space hardware, launch services, and Earth terminals. Our company has integrated and expanded four comprehensive reports on multimedia systems into this new up-to-date definitive document. The purpose of these studies is to provide an independent assessment of the multimedia market. We examine the case for investment in the proposed satellite systems. The report provides data and financial analyses that should be considered in the strategic decision making process: investment levels, product definition, timing competitive positioning, and satellite strategy.

Clarifies pivotal issues and risks; Detailed descriptions of 53 FSS constellations.

IRR, capacity, cost/bit and schedule evaluations.

178 figures, graphs and illustrations.

First edition, August 1997, 123 pages. $200.00

Part 2, September 1998, 137 pages. $200.00

Fourth edition, October 2001, 128 pages. $895.00

Addendum / update to report, 8 pages, no additional cost.

Download the complete Table of Contents (.DOC, ~45KB)

4. Investing in Digital Audio Radio Services (DARS)
Several satellite audio broadcasting systems are in various stages of implementation. At present, the audio fare available to automobile occupants, especially in the FM band, has severe geographical limitations. Only within 50 to 80 kilometers (30 to 50 miles) of major cities is there a reasonably diverse offering of broadcast material. Even then, devotees of a particular type of programming often have limited choice. In traversing highways that pass a succession of smaller cities, it is periodically necessary to search the FM band for a new station of interest as the previous one fades out. In vast areas of the world, where inter-city distances are quite large, radio transmissions of adequate strength are simply not available. The advent of satellite radio broadcasting promises to remedy these shortcomings. This report evaluates the business prospects for XM Satellite Radio / AMRS, Sirius Radio / Satellite CD Radio, and Worldspace (Afristar, Asiastar, and Ameristar.)

Examination of market demand.

Appraisal of three DARS systems.

First edition, October 2001, 66 pages. $695.00

Addendum / update to report, no additional cost.

Download the complete Table of Contents (.DOC, ~45KB)

5. Demand for Launch Services
In recent years, demand estimates for launch services have been based upon the large numbers of proposals for constellations of communications satellites. The predicted surge in launches has led to the preliminary development of several new launch vehicles. NASA has been examining new launch vehicles including a second generation Space Shuttle and unmanned reusable vehicles. Investors must determine if the projected launch demand estimates are realistic. Some of these vehicles might be unnecessary, i.e., we may be developing excess launch capacity.
This report evaluates several published launch projections by comparing past estimates to actual experience. The study shows that several established sources are unreliable for making business decisions. This report also independently reviews the launching trends and the expected launch vehicle supply over the next 20 years. It estimates a realistic demand for launch services and the need for future vehicles. It also examines the economic elasticity of launch service pricing.

Assessment of published launch projections

Independent estimates of demand and supply

Examination of launch price elasticity

First edition, October 2002, 112 pages. $895.00

6. Satellite Antenna Programs
This software package computes the antenna system temperatures for use in the receive side of system link budgets. It also includes the derivation of G/T for Earth Stations. This new product is both a comprehensive user's guide and software for calculating antenna temperatures.
The software is provided as an Excel workbook that contains embedded charts and spreadsheets. The software is for use by communications systems engineers for general or particular trade off studies before going into detailed more complex link performance calculations. The frequency range is from 100 MHz to 100 GHz. Three antenna types are covered in the software:

Directive antenna: reflector, array, or horn used for many communications satellites and for earth stations. It includes all the effects of atmospheric propagation and ground reflections at various elevation angles.

Toroidal pattern antenna: generally used for telemetry, command, emergency or normal functions on 3-axis or spinning satellites.

Omnidirectional antenna.

Calculates antenna temperature and G/T.

Satellite Antenna Programs. $595.00

Download more information (.DOC, ~40KB)

7. Satellite Sizing Models
   Many satellite systems engineers need a software model that will match satellite requirements with an economic solution.
   The report presents a systematic approach to sizing a communications satellite beginning with the EIRP, coverage, frequency band(s) and number of RF channels as input requirements. The process begins with sizing the antenna(s) and determining the total HPA RF power and HPA DC input power. The payload power and mass are then determined. The total bus mass and power requirements and the individual bus components are determined from the payload power and mass requirements. The orbit fuel and AKM fuel masses are determined from the satellite dry mass. Data and useful references are then provided for selection of the range of available launchers and associated costs.
   The report includes cost curves for the payload and bus components, the complete satellite, and the schedule. In summary, the report provides a manual of statistical data and a useful plan for sizing a satellite for top level performance.

Calculates subsystem mass, power and cost.

Complete 700 page report and appendix.

233 Lotus 1,2,3 files.

Satellite Sizing Models. $595.00

8. Graphic SPACELINK Budgets
Most link budgets are prepared using spreadsheet software. The formulae are often modified to view special cases - changes that can be easily forgotten by the time a new case is analyzed. SpaceLink provides a standard means to prepare a link budget and to quickly verify spreadsheet link budgets:

Guides the user in the preparation of a communications satellite link budget for common types of digital transmission systems.

Software is written in robust Microsoft Visual Basic language providing standard, familiar Windows menus and interfaces.

Program is ideal for Laptops, Windows are sized to fit a laptop screen and look even better on large screens that can display multiple windows.

Easy to use - for anyone familiar with Windows and the preparation of link budgets.

A training tool for students - the manual contains the formulas based on industry standard practice. Specific ITU references are provided.

Software displays and prints uplink, downlink and end-to-end link budgets. Also prints link budgets to files for later insertion into reports.

ITU propagation model including water vapor, oxygen, clouds, and rain-attenuation.

Link polarization (Linear Polarization and Circular Polarization) accounts for rain attenuation, antenna polarization couplings loss and polarization discrimination.

SPACELINK. $595.00, call for site license.

Download more information and program images (.DOC, ~150KB)

9. FastBeams - Satellite Antenna Coverage Planning Software

GENERAL FEATURES

Operates in Microsoft, Windows environment. Software is designed for easy use and does what is needed with no unnecessary frills.

Software aids in the design of shaped beam coverage polygons, individual circular or elliptical spot beams or beam lattices with a triangular grid (Figure 1).

Satellite antenna beams are displayed on the world map with zoom capability.

Coverage polygons are displayed on a longitude, latitude equiangular map. The world map can be centered either at 0 degrees longitude or at 180 degrees longitude, prior to zooming.

Individual spot beams or a beam lattice can be displayed either on longitude, latitude equiangular map or in universal u,v coordinates.

The plotted image, including the map can be saved into a file for later insertion into a document.

Software produces data files for use as input to other analysis software.

Click here for a screenshot of the FastBeams application at work (.GIF, ~70KB)