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.

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