Satellite

Atronauts on the shuttle Endeavor, dangling in space 230 miles above earth, failed in their first attempt yesterday to snag the stranded Intelstat-6 satellite. They sent the satellite tumbling end over end, anf further efforts were called off until it could be stabilized. Another attempt to capture the craft is expected today. (See article on Page 5A)

Oh, the wonders of science, when our satellite can maneuver close enough to leak fuel on their satellite.Things are getting desperate for I.B.M., which has ordered executives to look more like the people who may buy the product.Bawlmer's inferiority complex is never higher than when celebrating someone of high achievement whose only connection to this town was leaving it at an early age.

The U.N. team held in a Baghdad parking lot by Iraqi troops keeps in touch with the outside world using a sophisticated device called a "land-transportable" communications system, said Judith DelZoppo of theCommunications Satellite Corp.The units, which cost between $36,000 and $45,000 depending on the manufacturer, include a telephone, fax machine, portable computer, radio modulator, small satellite dish and battery pack, she said.Widely used by television organizations during the Persian Gulf war, land transportables pack into two suitcase-sized carrying cases and can be used from almost any point on Earth.

What's the point? -- Google Earth, which offers maps and satellite pictures of more and more localities every day, created a lot of buzz when it launched. As it gets updated, there are ever more oddities visible from satellite to be spotted all over the world. Recent posts have spotlighted giant sculptures in Germany, rooftop graffiti in San Francisco, a crowd in Trafalgar Square and the shadow of a teddy bear recorded on an Oregon beach during a kite festival. What to look for --You can search by locality to see satellite images sorted by place.

After a one day delay due to the weather, and another brief delay Wednesday night, the ORS-1 satellite was launched into orbit from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Virginia's Wallops Island. The Air Force launched the battlefield imaging satellite atop a four-stage, solid-fuel 70-foot-tall Minotaur 1 rocket, the largest ever launched from the Delmarva peninsula. The launch, which happened shortly after 11 p.m., was expected to be visible across the Mid-Atlantic region, with past launches seen as far away as New York, South Carolina and West Virginia.

Integral Systems Inc. of Columbia announced Friday that it will pay $34.7 million to acquire CVG Inc. and its subsidiary, Avtec Systems Inc., both of Chantilly, Va., in an all-cash transaction. Integral Systems provides technology satellite missions of the U.S. Defense Department and others. CVG-Avtec provides satellite-based communications to government and commercial markets worldwide. The acquisition is expected to help Integral expand its client base and product line. CVG-Avtec has about 100 employees, who will be retained in the purchase.

Survive the Eco-Challenge Grab your hiking boots, kayak, canoe, mountain bike and scuba gear and join the Eco-Challenge Expedition Race at www.ecochallenge.com. This unique event features teams of four competing in a round-the-clock, 300-mile race. The first team to cross the finish line intact wins. Developed in 1995 by Mark Burnett, now the executive producer of the "Survivor" television show, the Eco-Challenge promotes respect for others and for the environment. All racers must participate in an environmental service project before racing and follow strict rules for carrying out their trash from the race course.

WASHINGTON -- Lockheed Martin Corp. said yesterday that the Justice Department wants additional information about the No. 1 defense contractor's planned $3.16 billion purchase of Comsat Corp., a satellite company created by the government.Lockheed's proposed acquisition already is opposed by PanAmSat Corp., the world's largest commercial satellite operator.PanAmSat urged the Federal Communications Commission last month to block the transaction so long as Comsat has the sole right to sell services of Intelsat, a global satellite organization, in the United States.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - DirecTV Group Inc., the biggest U.S. satellite-television service, sold a 50 percent stake in a new unit that includes its Hughes Network Systems business to SkyTerra Communications Inc. yesterday. The deal is valued at $360 million. In addition to $251 million in cash, SkyTerra also will give DirecTV 300,000 shares. SkyTerra is an affiliate of private equity firm Apollo Management LP. Hughes Network Systems, based in Germantown, Md., sells satellite-networking services and equipment for credit-card verification and video teleconferencing.