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SatComms Provides Inmarsat Communications to Antarctic Heritage Expedition
LONDON, February 14, 2011/PRNewswire/ --
- BGAN Satellite Data & Video Capability Supports Mawson's Legacy
Just as Australian explorer and pioneer Douglas Mawson was at the
forefront of Antarctic exploration, his legacy is being kept alive by the
Mawson's Huts Foundation, charged with the protection and promotion of
Australia's Antarctic heritage. Beyond the horizon and in the most hostile
conditions known to man, Mawson's Huts Foundation looked to a modern-day
technical pioneer, SatComms, to support their latest expedition to the
Antarctic, with cutting-edge Inmarsat BGAN technology to assist with final
confirmation of the exact location of Mawson's historic mono-plane.
David Jensen, Chairman and CEO of Mawson's Huts Foundation said: "It's a
remarkable find in remarkable circumstances and thanks to SatComms and BGAN,
we can relay details of its confirmed location and hopeful recovery, in
real-time to both TV and global media agencies alike direct from the hostile
depths of Antarctica."
The inclusion of Inmarsat BGAN technology in this expedition will allow
live voice, data and video communications to be sent from Antarctica by the
expedition to a global audience as they battle to confirm the exact location
of Mawson's historic monoplane and plan its recovery. The plane was the first
Vickers aircraft ever made in the UK and a relic of Sir Douglas Mawson's
1911-14 expedition. It was first approximately located in Antarctica thanks
to freakish luck after a three-year search; an Australian heritage carpenter
stumbled on the fragmented remains of the craft on New Year's Day at Camp
Denison, its cast iron framework revealed by an unusually low tide and
reduced ice cover.
Nearly a century after it was abandoned by Mawson, the old Vickers was
spotted sitting among rocks in a few centimetres of water during one of the
lowest tides recorded at Commonwealth Bay and thanks to Inmarsat BGAN &
SatComms, the next chapter in its history will be documented by the miracle
of satellite technology - in real time.
Piers Cunningham, Commercial Director of SatComms said: "We are extremely
pleased to be working with Mawson's Huts expedition to Antarctica, especially
on this historic race to potentially recover and document a valuable and
irreplaceable part of Australia's Antarctic heritage. With SatComms expertise
and the provision of cutting-edge satellite technology, this historic
occasion can be witnessed by all from the comfort of their homes. I am sure
Douglas Mawson would have marvelled at this use of technology, to bring his
endeavours into the minds of his fellow Australians 100 years after his
initial expeditions."
"BGAN has been used to cover a broad range of news from the remote
corners of the world, but this is certainly a first," said Perry Melton,
Chief Operating Officer. "We are delighted for BGAN to play its part in
relaying this important discovery to Australian viewers and to those around
the world who have been captivated by the fascinating history behind it."
About Mawson's Huts Foundation
The Mawson's Huts Foundation is a not for profit registered
charity established in 1997 expressly to conserve the huts. It has financed
and organised eight major expeditions to Cape Denison with teams also working
at the site this summer and during the Centenary of Mawson's departure from
Hobart in December 1911. The Foundation works in partnership with the
Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) to conserve the historic huts.
http://www.satcomms.com.au
Source: SatComms
Media Contacts: Piers Cunningham, Tel +61(0)7-5439-1800; David Jensen AM, +61(0)2-9321-8242
SatComms Provides Inmarsat Communications to Antarctic Heritage Expedition
LONDON, February 14, 2011/PRNewswire/ --
- BGAN Satellite Data & Video Capability Supports Mawson's Legacy
Just as Australian explorer and pioneer Douglas Mawson was at the
forefront of Antarctic exploration, his legacy is being kept alive by the
Mawson's Huts Foundation, charged with the protection and promotion of
Australia's Antarctic heritage. Beyond the horizon and in the most hostile
conditions known to man, Mawson's Huts Foundation looked to a modern-day
technical pioneer, SatComms, to support their latest expedition to the
Antarctic, with cutting-edge Inmarsat BGAN technology to assist with final
confirmation of the exact location of Mawson's historic mono-plane.
David Jensen, Chairman and CEO of Mawson's Huts Foundation said: "It's a
remarkable find in remarkable circumstances and thanks to SatComms and BGAN,
we can relay details of its confirmed location and hopeful recovery, in
real-time to both TV and global media agencies alike direct from the hostile
depths of Antarctica."
The inclusion of Inmarsat BGAN technology in this expedition will allow
live voice, data and video communications to be sent from Antarctica by the
expedition to a global audience as they battle to confirm the exact location
of Mawson's historic monoplane and plan its recovery. The plane was the first
Vickers aircraft ever made in the UK and a relic of Sir Douglas Mawson's
1911-14 expedition. It was first approximately located in Antarctica thanks
to freakish luck after a three-year search; an Australian heritage carpenter
stumbled on the fragmented remains of the craft on New Year's Day at Camp
Denison, its cast iron framework revealed by an unusually low tide and
reduced ice cover.
Nearly a century after it was abandoned by Mawson, the old Vickers was
spotted sitting among rocks in a few centimetres of water during one of the
lowest tides recorded at Commonwealth Bay and thanks to Inmarsat BGAN &
SatComms, the next chapter in its history will be documented by the miracle
of satellite technology - in real time.
Piers Cunningham, Commercial Director of SatComms said: "We are extremely
pleased to be working with Mawson's Huts expedition to Antarctica, especially
on this historic race to potentially recover and document a valuable and
irreplaceable part of Australia's Antarctic heritage. With SatComms expertise
and the provision of cutting-edge satellite technology, this historic
occasion can be witnessed by all from the comfort of their homes. I am sure
Douglas Mawson would have marvelled at this use of technology, to bring his
endeavours into the minds of his fellow Australians 100 years after his
initial expeditions."
"BGAN has been used to cover a broad range of news from the remote
corners of the world, but this is certainly a first," said Perry Melton,
Chief Operating Officer. "We are delighted for BGAN to play its part in
relaying this important discovery to Australian viewers and to those around
the world who have been captivated by the fascinating history behind it."
About Mawson's Huts Foundation
The Mawson's Huts Foundation is a not for profit registered
charity established in 1997 expressly to conserve the huts. It has financed
and organised eight major expeditions to Cape Denison with teams also working
at the site this summer and during the Centenary of Mawson's departure from
Hobart in December 1911. The Foundation works in partnership with the
Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) to conserve the historic huts.
http://www.satcomms.com.au
Source: SatComms
Media Contacts: Piers Cunningham, Tel +61(0)7-5439-1800; David Jensen AM, +61(0)2-9321-8242