NASA Selects Telenor Satellite Services and Verso Technologies for Satellite Communications Modernization

Telenor Satellite Services, a subsidiary of Telenor of Norway (Oslo Stock Exchange:TEL and NASDAQ:TELN), and Verso Technologies (NASDAQ:VRSO) announced today that they have been selected by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to provide digital voice and data satellite communications equipment and service to all of its Trans Atlantic Landing Sites. The Trans Atlantic Landing Sites are used as emergency landing locations for the Space Shuttle during launch. Telenor Satellite Services is partnering with Verso Technologies to provide mission critical voice communications between all ground stations during the launch process using Verso’s NetPerformer SDM-9230 products. The project will leverage the NetPerformer’s ability to support radio tone keying for communications between the ground stations and the space shuttle, low bit rate voice for communications between ground stations, and redundancy to ensure that communications are not lost during the launch process. The selection of Telenor Satellite Services and Verso is part of NASA’s program to upgrade the emergency satellite communications capabilities at its Trans Atlantic Landing Sites for communicating via satellite during Shuttle launches and provides Space Shuttle personnel at these sites the most reliable and cost-effective methods of communicating and sending data to and from locations in the U.S. Under the terms of the two-year agreement, Telenor will supply Global Area Network satellite communications equipment for the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and all the remote sites, as well as installation assistance, system configuration, and operator training sessions. Verso will provide hardware, software and support services to Telenor in support of NASA. The satellite communications are routed through Telenor’s Southbury, Connecticut, teleport. The Southbury facility has served as the conduit for NASA’s satellite communications to its Trans Atlantic Landing Sites since 1988 when the Space Shuttle returned to space following the Challenger accident. "Telenor Satellite Services has a proven track record of reliability and dependability with NASA and we are delighted that they have again selected Telenor to participate in the modernization of satellite communications to the Trans Atlantic Landing Sites,” said Morten Tengs, chief executive officer of Telenor Satellite Services. "Today our Southbury facility continues to provide a crucial role to the shuttle program providing communications supporting these emergency landing field sites.” "Our selection by NASA demonstrates the reliability and performance of our product,” said Monty Bannerman, chief executive officer, Verso Technologies. "Increasingly, Verso is becoming a known provider of mission critical satellite communications throughout the world, with this project coming on the heels of supplying satellite communications on China’s recent manned flight missions.” NASA has multiple Trans Atlantic Landing Sites for the Space Shuttle should the craft experience an emergency during or shortly after take-off and need to make an emergency landing on the east side of the Atlantic Ocean. Shuttle emergency landing sites include Moron Air Base and Zaragoza Air Base in Spain, and Istres Air Force Base in France.