A Russian expedition that aims to be the first to conquer the Himalayan mountain K2 during winter will send back live video reports of its progress via BGAN. The expedition, led by veteran climber Victor Kozlov, will attempt to reach the summit from the Pakistan side and without supplementary oxygen. The world’s second highest peak […]
A Russian expedition that aims to be the first to conquer the Himalayan mountain K2 during winter will send back live video reports of its progress via BGAN. The expedition, led by veteran climber Victor Kozlov, will attempt to reach the summit from the Pakistan side and without supplementary oxygen.
The world’s second highest peak is also know as “Savage Mountain” because it is extremely difficult to climb and has claimed many lives. The team left Moscow on December 9, 2011, and will begin the tricky winter ascent in early January. Nine climbers in groups of three will attempt to reach K2’s summit at 8,611 metres (28,251 ft).
The last attempt during the winter, in 2003, led by the Polish climber Kshishtof Velistky, who reached 7,750 metres (25,476 ft) before the expedition was abandoned.
BGAN is already being put to good use, transmitting store-and-forward video reports of the expedition’s journey to base camp. Inmarsat partner MVS is providing satellite airtime, the satellite equipment plus a laptop and a Tandberg field video codec to edit and format the video for live TV broadcasts.
MVS sales and marketing manager Elena Lu-Ke-Su said: “From now until March, the expedition will have an estimated 20 live on-air transmissions of 20 minutes each, as well as sending 24 store-and-forward files averaging 375 MB apiece.”
In addition to BGAN, the expedition will also be keeping in touch using two IsatPhone Pro handheld satellite phones.
