AstroVision International, Inc. was originally incorporated as a Colorado Corporation in 1992. In 1995, the Federal Communications Commision (FCC) granted AstroVision an experimental license to operate radio stations on Earth and in geostationary orbit. After working with several Mississippi organizations to study the technology required to produce AstroVision’s imagery, we moved to Stennis Space Center, Mississippi in 1997 to work with the NASA Commercial Remote Sensing Program Office to develop our products. NASA then awarded AstroVision a contract to supply simulated data to be evaluated for future purchases by that agency's Earth Science Enterprise Office. On the basis of these products, NASA and AstroVision entered into another contract for use of future AstroVision data and services.

• Recent Accomplishments
• Founder

Recent Accomplishments

AstroVision has already accomplished the following key milestones:

• Moved from a seed stage to a venture-backed company.
• Received our FCC License and Authorization for use of 160 MHz of X-band frequency.
• Received amended Department of Commerce license for two orbital slots covering North and South America and the central and eastern Pacific.
• Negotiated a commercial term sheet and draft contract with a customer.
• Assembled the core management group.
• Initiated camera construction.
• The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issue three patents that protect the unique concept of truly real-time color imagery from geostationary orbit.
  Direct broadcast imaging satellite system apparatus and method for providing real-time, continuous monitoring of Earth from geostationary Earth orbit
  Direct broadcast imaging satellite system apparatus and method for providing real-time, continuous monitoring of earth from geostationary earth orbit
  Direct broadcast imaging satellite system apparatus and method for providing real-time, continuous monitoring of earth from geostationary earth orbit and related services

Founder

Dr. Malcolm LeCompte, who holds a Ph.D. in Astrophysical, Planetary, and Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Colorado, had a dream to use imaging technologies developed for interplanetary exploration to provide real-time, true color satellite images of the Earth.

LeCompte is well versed in the technologies used to probe the solar system. He earned his doctorate while working at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space and Physics at the University of Colorado in the early 1980s, where he analyzed Mars data from NASA's Mariner 9 and Venus data from the NASA Pioneer Venus orbiter. When a drop in funding for planetary exploration in the early 1980s left LeCompte without portfolio at the lab, he applied for astronaut training (LeCompte is a Naval Reserve Flight Officer), only to be cut in the final selection round. He then went to Harvard, where he did post-doctorate work before moving to private industry.

LeCompte worked out an arrangement with his employer that allowed him to pursue his dream one day a week in return for a 20 percent cut in pay. He began conducting basic market and technical research, looking at the options for placing a camera in space, and identifying customers that would pay for the live satellite images.

LeCompte's perseverance paid off with the creation of AstroVision.

More on LeCompte's Dream
LeCompte Biography