May 6, 1997 Vol. 1 - No. 2 ============================== THE ORBITAL REPORT ON-LINE ============================== Space Executive's Weekly News Digest This issue of Takyon International's latest on-line newsletter was published in cooperation with New Space. (www.newspace.com) OReOL covers space industry news, market trends, and provides the necessary background information for immediate analysis. Please feel free to contact us for any comment. === HEADLINES === * McDONNELL DOUGLAS' DELTA 2 launch vehicle successfully returned to flight on May 5, lofting the first five-satellite cluster of the IRIDIUM global mobile telephony constellation. Launch occurred at 14:55 UT from Vandenberg AFB, California. Three launch attempts had to be scrubbed on the three previous days due to high altitude winds and an unidentified technical problem. This was the first Delta 2 launch since the failure of Delta 241 on January 17 which caused the loss of a US$43-million Navstar Block 2R positioning satellite due to reple- nish US Air Force's Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation. According to a preliminary failure report released last week, the mishap was caused by the burst of one of the vehicle's nine solid strap-on boosters. Cause of the booster's failure is still unknown but the US Air Force cleared the vehicle to resume launch activities on April 30. The first five 689-kg satellites of the IRIDIUM system will be used to test command and control capabilities as well as basic hardware and software. Over the next 15 months, 61 more satellites are slated for launch atop 7 more Delta 2s and 3 Russian Protons. Five more Delta 2s and several Chinese CZ 'Long March' vehicles are also scheduled to launch spares. The constellation is intended to reach global opera- tional capability in September 1998, i.e. several months before its competitors GLOBALSTAR and ICO GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS. The US$3.4- billion Iridium system which, unlike its contenders, relies on inter- satellite links, is backed by IRIDIUM LLC, a consortium of 17 investor organizations from the US, Europe, Asia, South America and the Middle East. === BUSINESS === * THE BOEING CO. has announced its intention to invest up to US$100 million to acquire a 10% share in TELEDESIC CORP., of Kirkland, Washington state, and lead the development of its US$9-billion Ka-band broadband communication satellite constellation. TELEDESIC plans to launch up to 840 satellites in low Earth orbit, 288 of which could be in orbit as soon as 2002 to provide initial worldwide high-rate data transmission service capability. Founded in 1994 by billionaires Bill Gates and Craig McCaw, TELEDESIC was awarded an operating license from the FCC on March 14. * ETISALAT, the United Arab Emirates national telecommunications operator, has downselected only three candidates for the procurement of its US$850-million THURAYA geostationary mobile telephony satellite system. The remaining competitors are AEROSPATIALE, HUGHES and LOCKHEED MARTIN. A bid by ALCATEL was not retained. A firm contract for one or possibly two satellites is expected in July with a launch circa 2000. * SURREY SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY LTD (SSTL), of Guildford, Great-Britain, was awarded a US$5.2-million contract by US AIR FORCE's Space & Missile Systems Center, in Los Angeles AFB, for the procurement of a single satellite to be launched atop a US vehicle in November 1999. * INTEGRAL SYSTEMS INC. of Lanham, Maryland, was awarded a contract from SHINAWATRA SATELLITE PLC, of Nonthaburi, Thailand, to provide the Backup Satellite Control Facility for the THAICOM satellite network. ********************************************************************** * New Space has teamed up with ICAP Int'l to publish a FREE Internet * * directory of nearly 400 space companies. A companion CD-ROM ($59) * * gives instant access to the basic directory plus over 15,000 pages * * of scanned literature. Check these web sites for complete info: * * www.newspace.com/industry www.newspace.com/icap * ********************************************************************** === MARKETS === * PANAMSAT CORP., of Greenwich, Connecticut, has decided to delay again the launch of its PAS-6 satellite which was due to ride an ARIANE 42P vehicle on May 13. SPACE SYSTEMS/LORAL, of Palo Alto, California, which manufactures the satellite, is experiencing problems with a power system similar to that of PAS-6. A problem with the same equipment was reported late last year and has already caused the launch of PAS-6 to slip from December to May. This launch is now tentatively scheduled for August. ARIANESPACE thus had to reshuffle its launch manifest and will proceed with the launch of the INMARSAT 3-F4 mobile communication satellite and India's INSAT 2D communication satellite on an ARIANE 44L on June 3. * AT&T has decided to withdraw an earlier application to the US FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (FCC) for a license to build and operate the VOICESPAN network of 12 Ka-band broadband communication satellites. The US operator, which sold its SKYNET satellite venture to LORAL recently, intends to focus on its telephone carrier activities. * SPACE SYSTEMS/LORAL has begun the manufacturing of two Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS) broadcasting satellites for CD-RADIO INC., of Washington, DC. These two 3,500-kg RADIOSAT are planned for launch in 1999 on a yet-to-be-decided vehicle. CD-RADIO, which applied for an FCC operating license in 1992, has paid US$83.3 million for it on April 1. AMERICAN MOBILE RADIO CORP. (AMRC), of Reston, Virginia, which paid US$89.9 million for a similar license, holds a US$528- million agreement with HUGHES. === TECHNOLOGIES === * NASA has cleared its MARS GLOBAL SURVEYOR spacecraft en route to Mars for a planned aerobraking maneuver after its injection in Martian orbit due on September 11. Despite a partially deployed solar array, the probe will be able to use atmospheric drag to circularize its orbit. * NASA has selected 14 projects for Phase 2 SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) program's grants. About US$8.4 million will be awarded to 13 small companies to develop innovative concepts. ********************************************************************* * The Orbital Report On-Line is a great way to get your message out * * to space executives all over the world. For more info, visit our * * web page at http://www.newspace.com/oreol -or- send e-mail to * * requests@lists.newspace.com with only the words "info oreol" in * * the message body. * ********************************************************************* === PREVIEW === * Early May CHINA GREAT WALL INDUSTRY CORP. (CGWIC) is expected to resume launches of its CZ 'LONG MARCH' family of vehicles. A CZ-3A vehicle is planned to boost the DONG FANG HONG 3A2 (DFH-3A2) satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit from Xichang, Sichuan province. * May 9 NASA is due to issue a report to the US CONGRESS regarding the interruption of the STS-83 shuttle mission only 4 days into flight in early April. * May 10 LOCKHEED MARTIN's LMLV-1 should return to launch, to loft NASA's TRW-built LEWIS experimental remote sensing satellite. * May 11 A McDonnell Douglas DELTA 2-7925 vehicle is scheduled to loft the THOR 2A direct broadcasting satellite for TELENOR of Norway from Cape Canaveral, Florida. * May 15 Space shuttle ATLANTIS is due to lift-off from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, for the 6th SHUTTLE-MIR docking mission. * May 15 A consortium of four Russian banks will release a Rbl800- billion (US$140-million) loan to help financing the completion of the SERVICE MODULE due for launch in December 1998 as part of the INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION. The Orbital Report On-Line is published 3 to 4 times per month by Takyon International (RCS Paris B 401 465 398) 34, boulevard Exelmans, 75016 Paris, France Phone: +33 (0) 146 566 490 * Fax: +33 (0) 146 561 355 Editorial hotline: +33 (0) 607 995 056 E-mail: orbirep@worldnet.net Chief Editor: Stefan Barensky Technical Contributor: Samuel Szdat © Takyon International - May 1997 Takyon International also publishes The Orbital Launcher Report, a monthly space transportation newsletter. ------------------- End of issue Vol.1, No.2 ----------------------
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