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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>Dear CCSDS Community:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>Today, Wednesday, August 11, 2004, CCSDS
Public Affairs disseminated a press release entitled “CCSDS:
International Space Communications Standards Organization Surpasses 300<sup>th</sup>
<st1:City w:st="on">Mission</st1:City>” to major <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> news outlets
and international space-targeted media.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>You may read the release below or find it
at <a href="http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=14789">http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=14789</a>
.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>Congratulations to all CCSDS participants
whose hard work over the years made surpassing 300 missions possible.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>Best regards,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>Penelope Walz<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>Tel +1 301 474 5424<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><font size=2 color=navy
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>penelope.walz@btas.com</span></font></st1:PersonName><font
size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on"><font size=2
color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:navy'>630 Ivy Lane, Suite 720</span></font></st1:address></st1:Street><font
size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><font size=2
color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:navy'>Greenbelt</span></font></st1:City><font size=2 color=navy
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'> <st1:State
w:st="on">MD</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode w:st="on">20770</st1:PostalCode></span></font></st1:place><font
size=2 color=navy face=Verdana><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Verdana;
color:navy'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=3
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=3
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=3
color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:navy;font-weight:bold'>The Consultative Committee
for Space Data Systems (CCSDS)<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><b><font size=3
color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:navy;font-weight:bold'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=right style='text-align:right'><b><font size=3
color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:navy;font-weight:bold'>PRESS RELEASE</span></font></b><b><font
face=Tahoma><span style='font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'><o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2
color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>For immediate release<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><font size=2
color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:navy;font-weight:bold'>CCSDS: International Space Communications
Standards Organization Surpasses 300<sup>th</sup> <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Mission</st1:place></st1:City> <o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2
color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on"><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>WASHINGTON</span></font></st1:State></st1:place><font
size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;
color:navy'>, August 11 (CCSDS Secretariat) – Today the Consultative
Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) announced that more than 300 missions
have elected to use the committee’s internationally developed standards
and protocols to enable reliable communications in space. And the number
continues to rise.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'> Supported
by NASA, the CCSDS is dedicated to furthering interoperability in the
international space community through the development of standardized
techniques for handling space data. Founded in 1982, the world’s 10
major space agencies originally created the CCSDS as a forum to discuss common
problems occurring in space communications. Since then, the organization
has grown into an international working collaborative that includes the ten
original member agencies, 22 observer agencies and over 100 industry associates
worldwide. Industrial associates develop compatible products to meet the
requirements of CCSDS enabled missions and ground-support complexes. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>“Since
its inception, the CCSDS has operated mostly ‘behind the scenes’ to
improve communications in space and to enable the build-up of reusable
international mission support infrastructure,” said Adrian Hooke of
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Pasadena</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">Calif.</st1:State></st1:place>,
and a founder of the CCSDS. “To now know that over 300 missions
have chosen to use CCSDS’ communications protocols is truly an exciting
milestone for this organization.” <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>CCSDS
standards and protocols reduce project costs, and enhance cross support,
interoperability and data communications. Earlier this year,
Proximity-1, a short-haul delivery protocol developed by the CCSDS, became the
first standard space communications protocol able to reliably operate in the
proximate environment between a Mars bound asset and an orbiter. In fact,
all Mars spacecraft and, for the past 15 years, virtually all deep spacecraft,
have implemented CCSDS standard data communications protocols on their
long-haul links back to Earth.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>The
most widely used standards include CCSDS recommendations for exchange of
spacecraft telemetry and telecommand information, including mechanisms for
interconnecting ground stations, control centers and mission archives in
support of data sharing. From the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, the
first mission to move towards adoption of CCSDS standards, and the
International Space Station, the largest international scientific project to
date, to today’s newsmaker Cassini-Huygens, missions worldwide have benefited
from CCSDS collaboration. Yet despite their popularity, each carefully
engineered CCSDS standard is available to the world free of charge. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'> “A
high level of international cooperation and information sharing occurs
throughout our membership,” explained Dr. John D. Kelley of NASA
Headquarters, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Washington</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">D.C.</st1:State></st1:place>, and the CCSDS’ General Secretary
and Chairman of the Management Council. “It’s been our key to
success in developing the sort of high-quality standards and protocols that the
space community regularly chooses to adopt.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>The
original national member space agencies represent <st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region>,
the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United Kingdom</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region
w:st="on">France</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Germany</st1:country-region>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Italy</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Brazil</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Russia</st1:country-region>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region> and the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region></st1:place>,
as well as the multi-national European Space Agency. One of the first
organizations to recognize the benefits of international cooperation in space,
the CCSDS will continue to foster a collaborative environment for the
advancement of space communications into the future. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>About the Consultative Committee for
Space Data Systems (CCSDS) <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>In
1982, the world’s major space agencies recognized that future data system
interoperability would be enhanced through the development of standardized
techniques for handling space data and established the Consultative Committee
for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) as a forum where common space data system
standards could be developed.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>Over
two decades later, CCSDS has grown into an organization of international
cooperation and information-sharing comprised of ten member
agencies, 22 observer agencies and over 100 private industry associates from
around the world. Data communications protocols developed by CCSDS now
fly on over 300 international missions, including every spacecraft associated
with the Mars mission. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><font size=2 color=navy
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'>For
more information about the CCSDS or to find CCSDS standards, please visit the
CCSDS web site at http://www.ccsds.org.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
11.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=2
face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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