|
January 2010
SATELLITE UPDATES
ISRO
PLANS 36 LAUNCHES
ISRO
is planning 36 launches during the next 6 years, according
to Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Director P S Veeraraghavan.
The growing Indian Space Program includes the development
of a reusable launch vehicle, to provide quality services
at competitive cost, he added. ISRO launched 12 foreign
satellites during the last 3 years, including 6 nano
satellites at a cost of Rs 101.60 crore.
ISRO
also plans to launch a Naval satellite in 2010-11, which
would provide communication facility to various naval
vessels.
ISRO
plans to send humans into space and undertake planetary
exploration within the next decade.
Partnership
with aerospace Indian industries was likely to grow
with the expanding activities of Indian Space Programme
and ISRO's foray into the International Space market.
Presently, more than 500 small and medium industries
partner with ISRO.
INTELSAT
15 LAUNCHED
Sea
Launch has launched the Intelsat 15 satellite using
a Land Launch vehicle at the Baikonour Cosmodrome in
Kazakhstan. Sea Launch is currently operating under
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection proceedings.
Once
IS-15 is operational, in the first quarter of 2010,
it will replace Intelsat's 709 satellite at 85 degrees
East.
Intelsat
15 (IS-15), was built by Orbital Sciences Corp has only
Ku Band transponders for video and data services. Customers
will use IS-15's capacity to distribute in-demand services
that include cellular backhaul, wireless communications
to remote locations, broadband networking for enterprise
applications, IP trunking and video services for DTH
programming.
Of
the IS-15's 22 Ku-band transponders, 5 are owned by
SKY Perfect JSAT Corp.
Bulk
Ku band capacity on IS-15 has also been sold to Etisalat
UAE.
SES
ORDERS 4 NEW SATS
SES
has ordered 4 multi-mission satellites from Astrium
to provide replacement as well as incremental capacity
for its SES Astra and SES World Skies divisions.
The
new satellites, to be designated Astra 2E, Astra 2F,
Astra 2G and Astra 5B, will allow the release of the
existing satellites at two orbital positions (28.2 and
31.5 degrees East) and add new capacity as well as fleet
deployment flexibility for the SES group over the coming
years.
The
satellites are scheduled for launch between 2012 and
2014.
NIGERIAN
OBSERVATION SAT
The
National Space Research and Development Agency of Nigeria
has ordered a small Earth observation satellite, to
be manufactured by Surrey Satellite.
Nigeriasat-2
will join Nigeriasat-1 part of the country's Disaster
Monitoring Constellation (DMC) and space imaging applications.
VIASAT
BUYS WILDBLUE
ViaSat
has completed its acquisition of WildBlue Communications
for $568 million in cash and stock.
The
acquisition, initially announced in October, will involve
the integration of ViaSat's ground network technology
with WildBlue's operational and distribution platform,
serving more than 400,000 customers in the United States.
WildBlue's Ka-band broadband service will also use capacity
on the ViaSat-1 satellite, set for launch in early 2011.
UKRAINE
COM-SAT ORDERED
The
National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU) has contracted
MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) a $270-million
deal to build and launch a communications satellite
and ground-control centres for 2 other satellites. The
new satellite will be used to broadcast television signals
and for high-speed internet in Ukraine "and (in)
surrounding areas" that are still under negotiation.
This
is one of the largest orders in MDA's history and comes
less than a month after securing another satellite contract
for $200 million from Russia.
SES
WINS PROTOSTAR 2 AUCTION
SES
has bought the ProtoStar 2 satellite in an auction,
against a winning bid of $185 million in cash for the
satellite.
ProtoStar
2, launched in May, carries 27 Ku-band and 13 S-band
transponders and is located at 107.7 degrees East. The
spacecraft will be integrated into the global SES satellite
fleet, providing incremental capacity over Asia.
In
November, Intelsat won the auction for ProtoStar 1 with
a bid of $210 million.
IS-23
ORDERED
Orbital
Sciences has been selected by Intelsat to build the
Intelsat 23 (IS-23) communications satellite. IS-23
will be the 10th Intelsat satellite built by Orbital.
IS-23
will to provide communications services for the Americas,
Europe and Africa through 15 Ku-band and 24 C-band transponders
from 53 degrees West. The satellite is scheduled to
be launched in late 2011.
IRAN'S
HOMEMADE SAT IN FEB
Iran
plans to unveil Toloo, its new national satellite, in
early February, according to a statement released by
Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi.
Toloo
is under construction by the Iranian Electronics Industries
Co. The satellite is Iran's second following the launch
of Omid, its first lightweight telecommunications satellite,
in February.
"The
great achievements made by Iran's defense ministry in
the electronics field has both increased Iran's deterrent
power and ended the monopoly of some countries in this
complicated field," Vahidi said.
The
United States has been highly critical of Iran's satellite
program, claiming that it is a cover-up for a nuclear
weapons program while urging the international community
to tighten sanctions on the country.
BOLIVIA'S
CHINESE SAT LAUNCH IN MARCH
Bolivia
expects to construct and launch Tupac Katari, the country's
first telecommunication satellite and cooperative project
with China, within 3 years.
The
$300 million project will be funded by secured credit
from a Chinese bank.
FRANCE
WARNS SAT PROVIDER ON HAMAS TV
The
Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel, or CSA, which
regulates the electronic media in France, warned Eutelsat
that al-Aksa TV violates the 1986 French media law that
"prohibits all forms of incitement to hatred or
violence on the ground of race, religion or nationality,"
according to a statement from the Washington-based Foundation
for Defense of Democracies, which lobbies for the removal
of terrorist-run broad-casters from satellite providers.
Eutelsat
and the Saudi-run Arabsat are the only satellite providers
carrying al-Aksa, Hamas' TV channel.
The
Coalition Against Terrorist Media has led the campaign
that removed Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV from all but three
of 13 satellite providers worldwide.
ARIANE
LAUNCHES HELIOS 2B
Arianespace
launched the Helios 2B military observation satellite,
in mid December.
Built
for the French Ministry of Defense by EADS Astrium,
is the second satellite in France's next-generation
space-borne observation system for military applications
that will be used in conjunction with Belgium, Spain,
Italy and Greece. The satellite features a very-high-resolution
optical imaging instrument produced by Thales Alenia
Space.
SPACE
DATA ASSOC.
Satellite
operators SES, Intelsat and Inmarsat have established
the Space Data Association (SDA). It is open to all
satellite operators and other participants. The non-profit,
satellite operator-led organization is dedicated to
sharing critical operational data in support of satellite
operations, improving flight safety and preserving the
space environment. n
|
