Arianespace has received a Services & Solutions contract with Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems for the launch of Japanese satellite BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R. BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R will be launched during the first half of 2011 by an Ariane 5 from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The satellite is being launched on behalf of Japanese operators B-SAT Corporation and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation within the scope of a turnkey launch contract with Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems. This is the 26th contract that Arianespace has won in Japan out of a total of 35 commercial GTO satellite launch contracts open to competition. Weighing about 3 tons at launch, BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R will be positioned in geostationary orbit at 110 degrees East and will provide direct TV broadcast links and telecommunications services for all of Japan.
Arianespace Must BSATisfied With New Sat Contract
More Tests Set For Brazilian—Chinese EO Sats
Brazil's National Institute of Space Investigations (INPE) has initiated additional tests on two satellites that are expected to be launched in five years as part of a joint program with China. The INPE announced on its web site that scientists are testing dynamic resistance, sine-wave, and acoustic vibrations on the satellites of the Chinese-Brazilian Remote Vigilance Program (CBERS). The tests are being conducted in the INPE labs in the southern city of Sao Jose dos Campos. The satellites CBERS-3 and CBERS-4 are scheduled to be launched in 2010 and 2013 respectively.
The CBERS program was established in 1988 to allow China and Brazil to develop, build, launch, and operate satellites together. The first satellite, CBERS-1, was launched in 1999 and operated for four years until August of 2003. CBERS-2, was launched in 2003, and fulfilled its five-year mission in orbit on Oct. 22. CBERS-2B, the third of its kind, was launched on Sept. 19,2007. The CBERS is currently part of the world's main Earth-observing mission program that includes the U.S. Landsat, the French Spot and the Indian Resource Sat. Brazil uses satellite images to monitor the deforestation of the Amazons and to get agricultural information and, this year, also started to provide free satellite images to Latin American and African countries.
(Image: CBERS satellite, courtesy of China Brazil Earth Resources Satellite/INPE.)
GVF Focus On Maritime Satellite Broadband Communications, Need Now More Than Ever
Recent headline news of the latest of a growing number of acts of high-seas piracy — the latest incident off the Horn of Africa — has brought a renewed emphasis on the vital and increasing importance of the freedom and security of the oceans.
The hijacking of the Sirius Star, a Saudi Arabian super tanker carrying US$100 million worth of U.S.-bound crude oil, is a notable illustration that the high-seas are a prime means of transporting our globalized trade goods. This renders our ability to communicate effectively while on the ocean surface just as important as at times when we undertake our economic activities and social pursuits on dry land, activities that are more and more dependent on information and communications technology-related efficiencies aboard vessels on the high-seas. This latter point is the key premise behind an innovative conference — jointly organised by the Global VSAT Forum (GVF) and its partner organisation UK-EMP — which will address a range of topics that are at the cutting-edge of satellite broadband communications in the maritime environment.
Recognizing the need for the development of a networking platform, within which the role of the satellite communications industry in meeting the very latest broadband communications applications requirements of various industry segments in the maritime sector could be discussed, the organisers of the Broadband Maritime: New Communications Networking Offshore & the High-Seas 2009 (BM 2009) conference have selected Singapore as host city in recognition of its premier status in the shipping and ports industries. The conference organizers are delighted to announce BM 2009 will be held in association with Inmarsat, internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field, operating a constellation of geostationary satellites designed to extend phone, fax, data communications and broadband applications all over the world, including in the maritime space. GVF and UK-EMP are also delighted to welcome Intelsat as a sponsor and supporter of the Singapore event.
Euroconsult Examines Global Expenditures For Space Programs In Detailed Report
Euroconsult has announced that world government space program expenditures are at a historical high of more than $62 billion dollars in 2008, with planned satellite launches in the next ten years to increase 38 percent over the previous decade.
According to Euroconsult’s new report Government Space Markets, World Prospects to 2017, governments have clearly entered a new phase of investment, committing to the development of a new generation of programs worldwide. Furthermore, government space program expenditures worldwide are expected to grow at 4.5 percent per year through 2012, reaching nearly $70 billion. The development of governments’ space markets is driven by the growth of countries committing to space projects — about 40 countries in 2008, twice as much as a decade ago — as well as the expansion of governments’ nominal investments into their space programs around the world.
For established government space programs, security has become a key driver, pushing budgets higher and increasingly — encouraging dual use funding and/or Public Private Partnerships. This has also led to more complex implementation schemes in the US, Europe, Japan or Russia. New leaders India and China have reached milestones in developing a new generation of systems targeting applications including space science and manned spaceflight, once reserved to the established government space programs. In the coming years they could contribute significantly to new capabilities in space exploration.
After a first wave of programs focused on low-cost projects (often Earth Observation), many emerging government space programs are now considering their next generation programs, often implying large investment to expand capabilities in applications such as SatCom. Countries such as Nigeria and Thailand were among the first to do so, and other countries such as Venezuela and Angola are following suit.
“Government space programs are driven by long-term strategic national objectives which are typically less influenced by short-term economic downturns,” remarked Steve Bochinger, Director, Institutional Affairs at Euroconsult. “However, governments could restrain spending on non-priority space program budget items or may find it more difficult to attract private partners to co-fund Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) projects,” he noted. “On the other hand, the economic slowdown may induce governments to increase their investments on infrastructure-related programs to support their economies, as the November Ministerial Council of the European Space Agency demonstrated” he concluded.
Civil space programs currently benefit from the majority of funding with nearly $33 billion spent by over 40 countries worldwide. In comparison, ten countries invest in defense-related programs for a value of $29 billion. However, 95 percent of this spending is concentrated in the U.S. Global government spending on defense programs is likely to catch up to civil program spending in the next five years, with most countries’ defense spending generally trending upward. Satellite-related applications are clearly driving growth in government programs worldwide with a large number of countries committing to developing or acquiring satellite systems for their own use in specific programs.
Earth observation is the number one satellite-based application worldwide, with government spending $6.7 billion in 2008, i.e., 20 percent of government non-classified investment in space. Lower cost satellites and ability to address local issues has made EO the top priority application for a number of countries, particularly emerging space programs. Strong growth is expected to continue in civil programs, while expenditures for defense and security programs are likely to stabilize at current budget levels.
Investments in satellite communications (Satcom) programs have been growing steadily, reaching 6.6 billion spent in 2008 for both non-classified defense and civil programs. Overall, 128 satellites are planned for launch in the next decade driven by the defense sector as well as projects in developing countries. Satellite navigation (satnav), $2.6 billion in 2008, has been the fastest growing application in terms of public-sector investment (+21 percent per year over the past five years). In addition to GPS next-generation satellites developed in the United States, Europe, Russia, India, Japan, and China are investing in a new satellite navigation system that should boost the expenditures to $3 billion in 2010, with 144 satellites expected to be launched for navigation applications between 2008 and 2017, i.e., over double that of the past decade.
Manned Spaceflight represents the largest space budget item worldwide with $11.6 billion invested in 2007, an 8 percent increase over 2006. While this is largely due to the U.S. program at NASA, Russia is also increasing its capabilities to service the Space Station and India and China are investing in this area. While all programs are currently under review, it is expected that the U.S. will continue supporting NASA’s development of the Constellation Systems. Emerging space programs, large and small, are bringing new energy to space science, which will drive growth in the number of scientific satellites launched over the next decade (105 satellites planned for launch over 2008-2017 compared to 84 the last decade). However, stagnation or decreases in budgets at major space agencies are not likely to be offset by growth from these newcomers.
This 11th edition of Government Space Markets, Forecasts to 2017 provides an exhaustive assessment of government space programs, financing, and strategic trends for all key government space applications including perspectives for the next ten years. (Applications include Satellite Communications, Earth Observation, Satellite Navigation, Space Science, Manned Spaceflight, Launcher Development, and other Defense Applications). The report serves as a unique qualitative and quantitative benchmark of leading and emerging government space programs around the world.
B4U Buys Onto AsiaSat-3S
Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat) has announced B4U Broadband (India) Private Limited (B4U) has signed a contract to deliver two Hindi television channels, B4U Movies and B4U Music, through AsiaSat’s C-band full transponder MCPC (Multiple Channels per Carrier) platform on AsiaSat-3S. Under the agreement, AsiaSat provides C-band capacity and transmission services to deliver B4U’s television signals to AsiaSat’s Tai Po Earth Station in Hong Kong, for uplinking onto AsiaSat-3S’s full transponder MCPC platform. Aboard South Asia’s most popular television platform AsiaSat-3S, B4U now enjoys instantaneous access to all cable and pay TV.
DMCii Competition Now Underway For EO Data Delivery For Projects
Satellite imaging provider DMC International Imaging (DMCii) will provide free DMC constellation satellite imagery for scientists to support global environmental monitoring projects.
Scientists are invited to compete for the opportunity to use the DMC multi-spectral data in their research projects. Applications will be judged on their contribution to international environmental research by an international panel of scientists chaired by Professor Alan O'Neil from the National Centre for Earth Observation. DMC constellation data will be awarded to five U.K. and 5 Spanish science projects. The provision of data will be coordinated by DMCii in the U.K. and Spanish company Deimos Imaging in Spain, which will soon join the DMC with its new satellite DEIMOS-1.
Satellite imaging is a powerful tool for monitoring land use. It offers a valuable "eye in space" for monitoring and recording environmental change on a global basis. DMCii has previously provided free data to the science community, from which scientists have produced excellent results which include monitoring the burning of peatlands in Indonesia. The DMC constellation of five satellites work together to image large areas of the Earth. As several satellites and their respective owners (Algeria, China, Nigeria, Turkey, U.K.) cooperate together, the constellation can image a given geographical location frequently to identify changes or make the most of cloud-free periods. This unique combination makes the constellation highly effective for monitoring land use.
The multi-spectral sensors on-board the five spacecraft capture accurate images of the Earth, in visible spectral bands as well as infra-red. This additional information is used by scientists to identify specific detail, such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data which assesses whether the target being observed contains live green vegetation or not. For more than four years, DMCii has acquired images enabling Brazil to monitor deforestation in the Amazon Basin. The DMC constellation has also contributed to the EC's landmark Global Monitoring for Environmental Security (GMES) project.
Halt! Who GOES-R?
All ready to go and then — no go. Lockheed Martin was told by NASA to stop work on the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-R) satellite, due to a protest filed by Boeing with the U.S. Government Accountability Office over the December 2, $1.09 billion satellite award. The GAO is the investigative arm of the U.S. Congress and has the authority to review government acquisition actions and recommend corrective actions, including termination of improper awards. Another company that lost out in the bidding was Northrop Grumman. No comment from them whether they are contesting the choice of Lockheed Martin.
NASA, in coordination with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) December 2, selected Lockheed Martin Space Systems to build two satellites for NOAA's GOES-R program. The first launch of the GOES-R series is scheduled for 2015. Data from the NOAA satellites will be used for weather forecasting and environmental, space and solar science.
A Boeing official said the company learned "very little" from a December 10 contract debriefing from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on why Lockheed Martin was chosen over Boeing. Based on what it did hear, Boeing concluded, "We offered a superior proposal under the disclosed evaluation criteria." GAO has 100 days to respond to the company's protest.
Boeing built the current generation of GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite) weather satellites on its older 601 platform, and offered a modularized version of its current commercial bus, called the 702B, for the new series. The cost estimates of the next generation constellation of three to eight GOES-R spacecraft increased from an originally budgeted $6.2 billion to $11.4 billion, resulting in the space agency to pare back its plans launching two spacecraft, with options for a third and fourth. The current lifecycle baseline cost is $7.7 billion.
GOES-R will provide about 50 times more weather and climate data than the current series, and is noticed by solar- and space-viewing instruments in addition to the traditional Earth views. However, mounting costs prompted NASA to cancel the Hypersonic Environmental Suite, intended to provide detailed atmospheric measurements of temperature, humidity and pressure. The agency still hopes to fly an equivalent instrument at some point in the future.
Acquisition Accomplishment — Dassault Aviation + Thales
The French government and Dassault Aviation have signed an agreement paving the way for Dassault Aviation to acquire Alcatel-Lucent’s stake in Thales, joining the French government as core shareholder in Thales.
The agreement follows authorization by the French Ministry of the Economy, Industry and Employment and a ruling by French stock market authority AMF that the operation does not require Dassault Aviation to launch a mandatory takeover bid. Relations between the French government and Dassault Aviation will be governed by a shareholders’ agreement virtually identical to the current agreement between the French government and Alcatel-Lucent, under which the French government maintains a dominant position in relation to Dassault Aviation. All of Alcatel-Lucent’s commitments with regards to preserving the French government’s strategic interests in Thales will also be guaranteed by Dassault Aviation. Following this transaction, and once Dassault Aviation has acquired the 5.1 percent stake in Thales currently held by Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault, the “public sector” and Dassault Aviation will together control 53 percent of the capital and 61 percent of the voting rights in Thales. This will give Thales a stable shareholding base, anchored in a long-term vision. Strengthening the partnership between Thales and Dassault Aviation will create a world-class French center of excellence in strategic technologies, aerospace, defense and security, mirroring entitles formed by the United Kingdom, Italy and Sweden around core companies.
Ravens Receive OK For Flights In Italy
Italy has certified the U.S. Raven UAV (RQ-11B) for use by military and civilian operators in Italian air space. Currently, Ravens are in the air more than 300,000 hours a year for combat missions (mainly in Iraq and Afghanistan). More than 9,000 Ravens have been delivered or are on order. The Raven B (RQ-11A), that was introduced this year, weighs a little more (4.3 pounds), but has much better sensors as well as the option of carrying a laser designator. The 4.2 pound Raven A is inexpensive (approximately $35,000 each) and can remain airborne for 80 minutes at a time. The UAV is also battery powered, silent, with either a color day vidcam or a two color infrared night camera payload. Both cameras broadcast real time video back to the operator, who controls the Raven via a laptop computer.
The Raven can travel as quickly as 90 kilometers an hour, but usually cruises at between 40 and 50 for distances as much as 15 kilometers from the craft's controller. The Raven is made of Kevlar, the same material used in helmets and protective vests. On average, Raven can survive about 200 landings before an element of the craft needs to be replaced. While some Ravens have been shot down, the most common cause of loss is the communications link failing (as the aircraft flies out of range, usually) or a software/hardware failure on the aircraft. The flight control software has a "failsafe" mode — when the radio link between aircraft and operator is lost, the aircraft will immediately head for the location from where it was launched. Raven B has a rescue beacon in the tail that transmits a location signal. The big advantage with Raven is that the craft is simple, reliable, and it works. A complete system (controller, spare parts and three UAVs) costs $240,000. The UAV can be quickly disassembled and secured into a backpack. To take off, the operator starts the motor and then throws the Raven into the air. This can be accomplished from a moving vehicle. The controller allows the operator to capture video, or still pictures, and transmit them to other units or a headquarters. The operator often does this while the Raven is flying a pre-programmed pattern using GPS. The operator can also fly the Raven, which is often used when pursuing hostile gunmen.
Terrorist Trend Results In Indian Subsurface Alarm With UAV/SatCom Dependancy
Underwater terrorism is the new worry for the Indian Navy even as it struggles to wriggle out of the Mumbai embarrassment.
The Western and Eastern Commands of the Indian Navy have approached the Defence Development and Research Organisation (DRDO) to rework an old gadget developed during the days of the Kargil tension. The device is an acoustic alarm that sounds in ear-bursting frequencies strong enough to effect a driller-through-the-eardrum feel in any swimming fidayeen or enemy diver. The Navy used an experimental model of this gadget to insulate its aircraft carrier during the Kargil War. The instrument deploys a string of sensors around the ship and is activated when one of them detects a suspicious movement. Sources in the Navy also confirmed that a decision to e-fence all Naval ports has been taken in view of the never-before strategies being innovated by terrorists.
There was an incident reported off Iraq about a midget submarine being used to smuggle a two-man crew into waters where U.S. ships were berthed. Though that mission was not fully successful, some damage was done, unnamed sources said. The DRDO has decided to speed up its Nayan program that is aimed at installing a multi-layer electronic protection along coasts berthing high-value and strategic targets. Nayan will feature seabed sensors that transmit to a land-based control room either through a satellite or a low-cost UAV. The DRDO is trying to set up a central command in Delhi to monitor all major ports. As a first step, the Navy will spread the Nayan cover over its Seabird project in Karwar. The installation at ports will be done only after a new system to regulate traffic at a outer sea choke point is installed, sources said.
(Source: Express Buzz, Manoj K. Das.)
Buono Fortuna Boeing With COSMO-SkyMed Project
The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA], through the Company's commercial launch business, has received a contract to launch the fourth satellite for the COSMO-SkyMed (Constellation of Small Satellites for Mediterranean basin Observation) program for Thales Alenia Space Italia, prime contractor of the Italian Space Agency. The COSMO-SkyMed spacecraft is expected to be launched in 2010 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on a Delta II vehicle in the 7420-10 configuration. Boeing Launch Services will procure the launch vehicle and related support from United Launch Alliance, a Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture. To support a rapid initial operating capability, Boeing successfully launched the first three COSMO-SkyMed satellites from Vandenberg within the 17-month period between June 2007 and October 2008.
Thales Alenia Space Italia developed the COSMO-SkyMed program for the Italian Space Agency and the Italian Ministry of Defense. This is an end-to-end Earth-observation system comprised of four medium-sized satellites and supporting ground stations, which provide orbit-control systems and data reception and processing. The system takes imagery of the Earth using an X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument capable of operating in all visibility conditions. Thales Alenia Space has provided Delta II tanks to Boeing since 2001 and built the Cupola and Harmony Node 2 elements of the International Space Station (ISS) for the European Space Agency. Boeing is the prime contractor for the ISS.
Ariane 5 Successfully Launches Twins For Eutelsat
An Ariane 5 ECA launcher lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport at Kourou, in French Guiana, on its mission to place two multi-role telecommunications satellites for Eutelsat into geostationary transfer orbits. Lift-off of flight V186 took place at 23:35 CET/Paris on 20 November (22:35 UTC/GMT; 19:35 UTC-3/Kourou). The satellites were accurately injected into the correct transfer orbits about 30 minutes later.
The payload was comprised of Hot Bird™-9, which will deliver television signals and interactive services to DTH antennas and cable networks throughout Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, and W2M, which will provide television broadcasting and data network services to the same regions using a fixed antenna, while a steerable beam will be re-oriented in-orbit to deliver services as required. The payload mass was 9220 kg; the satellite masses totalled 8340 kg, with payload adapters and dispensers making up the additional 880 kg. The client is Eutelsat. Arianespace and Europe’s Spaceport are planning as many as eight launches during 2009, which will make it the busiest year ever for the Ariane 5 launch vehicle. The ability to sustain high launch rates has already been demonstrated as during the 12-month period from August 2007 to August 2008, there were nine launches (V177 to V185, inclusive).
The Ariane 5’s cryogenic, liquid fuelled main engine was ignited first. Seven seconds later, the solid fuel rocket boosters were also fired, and a fraction of a second later, the launch vehicle lifted off. The solid boosters were jettisoned 2 min: 20 sec after main engine ignition, and the fairing protecting the payload during the climb through the Earth’s atmosphere was discarded at 3 min: 16 sec. The launcher’s main engine was shut down at 8 min: 57 sec; six seconds later, the main cryogenic stage separated from the upper stage and its payload. Four seconds after main stage separation, the engine of the launcher’s cryogenic upper stage was ignited to continue the journey. The upper stage engine was shut down at 24 min: 55 sec into the flight, at which point the launch vehicle was travelling at 9308 m/s (just over 33 500 km/h) at an altitude of 708 km and the conditions for geostationary transfer orbit injection had been achieved. At 26 min: 44 sec after main engine ignition, Hot Bird™-9 separated from the launcher’s upper stage, followed by W2M at 32 min: 10 sec.
(Photo, top, shows the Ariane 5 ECA for flight V186 on the launch pad, and is courtesy ESA/CNES/Arianespace/Activité Photo Optique Video CSG. Image, above left, is of the Hot Bird-9 satellite. Image, above right, is of the W2M satellite.)
