[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 56 (Tuesday, May 9, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E680]]


      IN HONOR OF THE ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY SATELLITE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 9, 2000

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call the attention of my 
colleagues to one of the nation's most successful technology transfer 
programs impacting our daily lives and which promises economic 
advantage to our great country in the very competitive area of 
telecommunications. This project, call the Advanced Communications 
Technology Satellite (ACTS), is the culmination of a decade of 
satellite technology development by NASA. The ACTS mission will 
conclude in June 2000 after 81 months of operations far exceeding its 
4-year design life. Before this innovative flight project reaches its 
operational conclusion this summer, permit me to share with you more 
about its outstanding contributions and examples of how our government 
research spurs industry growth and jobs, and continues the worldwide 
preeminence of our technology base.
  The explosion of the Information Age and the evolution of the 
National and Global Information Infrastructure has created a critical 
need for the next generation of communications satellites. The ACTS 
Project centers around an experimental payload that incorporates an 
architecture of advanced technologies typical of what will be found in 
the next generation of commercial communications satellites. NASA 
funded this development to maintain America's dominant position in 
providing communications satellites to the world. This project has been 
led by a dedicated team of researchers and technologists at NASA's 
Glenn Research Center, which, I am proud to say, is within my 
Congressional district.
  Mr. Speaker, permit me to tell you more about this success story in 
space. The technologies selected for ACTS were those that had the 
potential to enhance dramatically the capabilities of the next 
generation of satellites. The technologies ACTS pioneered included use 
of a previously unused high frequency band (called Ka-band which is 20/
30 GHZ.), a futuristic dynamic hooping spot beam antenna, advanced on-
board processing and switching, and automatic techniques to overcome 
increased signal fades experienced at these higher frequencies.
  After its launch in September 1993, NASA partnered with major 
corporations and small businesses, academia, and other governmental 
agencies to demonstrate the new technology in actual user trials. An 
experiments program involved over 200 organizations that used the 
satellite for demonstrations, applications, and technology verification 
across the far reaches of our nation. With an ever-increasing global 
economy, ACTS was used to demonstrate wideband communications in five 
other countries (Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, and Antarctica).
  Applications over the satellite have been done to improve living 
conditions and ensure a safe and prosperous life style in areas such as 
telemedicine by transmitting data-intensive imagery for linking urban 
medical specialists to underserved areas of the U.S.; control of power 
grids for electric utility companies using ultra-small terminals to 
pool the grid in remote areas; distance learning utilizing high-quality 
interactive video and audio for delivery of advanced degree, continuing 
and remedial training to all people without regard to location; 
integrating design teams for business and industry; natural exploration 
by connecting remote research equipment over high-speed links with 
major companies analysis facilities; and personal and airborne mobile 
communications services including technologies enabling advanced 
passenger services onboard the U.S. commercial airline fleet.
  The innovative technologies proved that on-demand, integrates 
communications are viable, economical, and of national importance for 
the future of communications. The ACTS users have transformed this 
space technology into commercial products and services. As a result of 
the program, the satellite industry is on the cusp of initiating whole 
new constellations of satellites that represent a market size in the 
$10s of billions that use many of the concepts developed and verified 
through the ACTS program.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to share other success stories of how ACT has 
benefited this country in the area of satellite manufacturing. Motorola 
used ACTS-type on-board processing and Ka-band communications in the 
first operational system using ACTS technology--Iridium, and continues 
to include these technologies in the next generation wideband system. 
Hughes Space and Communications' Spaceway system will utilize an ACTS-
like spot beam antenna at Ka-band frequencies to provide low-cost, 
global high-speed, communications to both residential and commercial 
users. Loral's Cyberstar will also incorporate Ka-band ACTS-type 
technology. Lockheed Martin's nine-satellite Astrolink system being 
developed includes such advances as Ka-band, on-board processing, and 
spot beam technology. The Teledesic system will provide service with a 
network of hundreds of satellites using on-board switching to route 
information between satellites and users. All of these systems show 
that our country's satellite manufacturers are integrating the ACTS 
design concept and technologies into their communications systems. This 
increases the number of highly technical jobs in the U.S. and improves 
the balance in trade with the strong international market for 
communications satellite systems.
  Thank you Mr. Speaker for allowing me the opportunity to salute this 
special project with my colleagues. I congratulate NASA and the men and 
women who developed and operated this satellite technology for the 
benefit of our nation. It's because of their personal dedication that 
this country benefits.

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