MICROCOM'S SPACE NEWSFEED 1 December 2002<br />Space Industry News from Around the World<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Brought to you by Microcom Systems Ltd, consultants in satellite communications since 1985. http://www.microcomsystems.co.uk<br /><br />Publishers of the Handbook of Satellite Services in Europe, the definitive guide to European satellite communications: http://www.microcomsystems.co.uk/pubs/ssie.html. October 2002 issue now available. Also available online - get a temporary password to review the Handbook by sending a blank email to review@microcomsystems.co.uk.<br /><br />Check out other web resources from Microcom Systems:<br /><br />Satellite Industry Links: the largest free satellite and space industry directory on the web http://www.satellite-links.co.uk<br /><br />Satellite on the Net: white papers, industry events, launch information and book reviews http://www.satelliteonthenet.co.uk<br /><br />Jobs in Space: space industry recruitment http://www.space-jobs.co.uk<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />CONTENTS<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />SATCOMS:<br />New Irish Commission for Communications Regulation Established<br /><br />SCIENCE:<br />Galileo Tape Failure After Amalthea Fly-by<br /><br />TECHNOLOGY:<br />Boeing to Complete X-37 Development and Flight Test<br /><br />LAUNCHES:<br />Astra 1K<br />AlSat-1, Mozhaets, Rubin-3-DSI<br />Launch Schedule<br /><br />BUSINESS:<br />Intelsat Completes Acquisition of Lockheed Martin's World Systems Business Unit<br />NASA Awards JPL Contract<br />New Skies Implements Share Repurchase Programme<br /><br />PRODUCTS AND SERVICES:<br />iDirect Introduces Latest Software<br /><br />PEOPLE:<br />NASA Names Deputy Head of Aerospace Technology<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Bolton Associates - Corporate Strategies applies 21st. Century thinking for the Earth Observation, SatCom and Environment Industries that penetrate new markets using creative commercial Risk models and innovation.<br /><br />Visit us at http://www.BoltonAssociates.com and/or download our Power Point presentation http://www.microcomsystems.co.uk/ads/EOConsult.ppt [131Kb]<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />SATCOMS<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />New Irish Commission for Communications Regulation Established<br /><br />(29 November 2002) A new Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has been formally established, taking over the functions of the Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation (ODTR).<br /><br />The new three person commission is headed up by Chairperson Etain Doyle, John Doherty, formerly Head of Market Operations, ODTR and Isolde Goggin former Member of the Competition Authority.<br /><br />ComReg, as the Commission will be known, is the statutory body charged with the licensing and regulation of the electronic communications industry in Ireland and also has responsibility for regulating the postal sector.<br /><br />Comreg will remain at its present address in the Irish Life Centre and phone number and fax numbers will remain the same. There will be a change to email and website addresses to @comreg.ie.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />SCIENCE<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Galileo Tape Failure After Amalthea Fly-by<br /><br />(25 November 2002) Flight controllers have returned NASA's Galileo spacecraft to normal operation after the spacecraft put itself into a precautionary standby mode about 16 minutes after flying near Jupiter's inner moon Amalthea on November 5.<br /><br />The veteran spacecraft is now functioning properly, except for its tape recorder, which is used for storing data for later transmission to Earth. The Galileo flight team is conducting tests to diagnose the problem with the tape recorder and developing possible commands to get it working again.<br /><br />During the Amalthea flyby, the orbiter sped through an environment of intense natural radiation close to Jupiter. Hits by radiation triggered Galileo's onboard computer to enter a "safe" mode, which causes the spacecraft to suspend most activities until receiving further instructions. At least five events occurred that each individually would have put the spacecraft into this standby mode. The problems were diagnosed and a new sequence of commands was sent to Galileo. Normal operations, including the real-time collection of scientific data from the magnetometer instrument, resumed on November 13.<br /><br />One possible cause for the tape recorder malfunction is radiation damage to a light-emitting diode or an optical transistor in the circuitry that controls the recorder's motor. Diagnostic tests indicate the situation is not the same as previous times when tape in the recorder has become stuck.<br /><br />In the hours before the Amalthea flyby and the minutes afterwards, Galileo's scientific instruments gathered information about the energy fields and charged particles of the magnetic environment close to Jupiter and about dust particles that make up a "gossamer" ring around the planet. Most of that information is recorded on the tape recorder, so getting the data into the hands of scientists depends on reviving the tape recorder.<br /><br />Information about Galileo's path of movement during the flyby is already on the ground. Researchers are analysing it to determine whether it will give a clear indication of how Amalthea's gravity affected the spacecraft, which would provide an estimate of that moon's density and a clue to its composition.<br /><br />Galileo, launched in 1989, has been orbiting Jupiter since 1995 - nearly five years longer than planned for its original prime mission. Passes through Jupiter's radiation belts have exposed the orbiter to more than four times the cumulative dose of radiation it was designed to withstand.<br /><br />The Amalthea encounter was Galileo's final flyby. The spacecraft has nearly depleted its supply of the propellant needed for pointing its antenna toward Earth and controlling its flight path. While still controllable, it has been put on a course for impact into Jupiter next September. The manoeuvre prevents the risk of Galileo drifting to an unwanted impact with the moon Europa, where it discovered evidence of a subsurface ocean that is of interest as a possible habitat for extraterrestrial life.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />TECHNOLOGY<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Boeing to Complete X-37 Development and Flight Test<br /><br />(25 November 2002) Boeing has been awarded a NASA contract to continue development of the X-37 reusable spaceplane and conduct atmospheric and orbital flight tests.<br /><br />Under this US$ 301 million Space Launch Initiative contract, which includes options through 2006, Boeing Phantom Works will complete the final assembly of the X-37 Approach and Landing Test Vehicle and conduct an atmospheric flight test in April 2004. The contract also initiates a design for an additional X-37 long-duration orbital vehicle, currently scheduled to be inserted into low Earth orbit by a Delta II booster in July 2006.<br /><br />All Boeing X-37 activities are structured to mature technologies needed for a future orbital space plane, and are designed to reduce risks for future reusable space transportation systems.<br /><br />Currently in final assembly at the Boeing Phantom Works X-Vehicle Assembly Facility in Palmdale, California, the X-37 is 8.4 in length and has a wingspan of 4.6 feet. During April 2004, the X-37 Approach and Landing Test Vehicle will be dropped from a NASA B-52H at 13,700 m and perform an autonomous landing on an Edwards Air Force Base runway. The test will verify the X-37's flight dynamics and also extend the flight envelope beyond the low speed/low altitude tests carried out successfully by the sub-scale X-40A Space Maneuver Vehicle during 2001.<br /><br />When fielded, the unpiloted and autonomously operated X-37 will be the only X-vehicle capable of conducting continuous on-orbit operations for up to 21 days. In addition, the vehicle will serve as a test bed for approximately 30 airframe, propulsion and operation technologies and gather test data in the Mach 25 (re-entry) region of flight.<br /><br />Within the airframe itself, a variety of experiments and technologies will be tested, including a highly durable high-temperature thermal protection system and important new aerodynamic features. Its modular design also includes a 2.1 m by 1.2 m bay for other experiments.<br /><br />The X-37 government team is led by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, and also includes NASA's Ames Research Center, Kennedy Space Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, Langley Research Center, Dryden Flight Research Center and the US Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />LAUNCHES<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Astra 1K<br /><br />Launched: 25 November 2002<br />Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan<br />Launcher: Proton<br />Orbit: LEO, apogee: 300 km, perigee: 300 km: inclination: 51.6°<br />International Number: 2002-00A<br />Name: Astra 1K<br />Owner: SES Astra<br />Contractor: Alcatel Space<br /><br />This commercial communications satellite was to have been placed in geostationary orbit, however, having fired successfully to place the satellite in low Earth orbit in a circular parking orbit (175.5 km altitude inclined at 51.6°), the Block DM upper stage failed to fire twice to place Astra 1K in a geostationary transfer orbit.<br /><br />The Block DM stage then separated from the spacecraft making a complete recovery of the mission impossible.<br /><br />The Block DM was commanded to jettison its 15 tonne load of fuel in preparation for an uncontrolled re-entry into the atmosphere. The Block DM has now burnt up on re-entry over North America.<br /><br />Astra 1K was to have been the world's largest communications satellite and was to have been placed at 19.2° E. It carries 52 Ku and 2 Ka band transponders and was intended to replace three satellites: Astra 1B, Astra 1C and Astra 1D and would have been used as an in-orbit spare for four others. Astra 1K is based on Alcatel's Spacebus 4000 platform and had a mass at lift off of 5,250 kg, a height of 6.6 m and an array span, when deployed, of 37 m.<br /><br />SES Astra has full insurance coverage (reported to be more than US$ 217 million) for Astra 1K and the launch failure will not affect existing services at 19.2° E. Astra 2C, already operational at 19.2° E, offers comprehensive back-up for the Astra low-bands at this slot and will remain there until further notice. Interactive Ka band services will continue to be provided by the existing Ka band payload on Astra 1H.<br /><br />SES Astra satellite controllers have now raised the altitude of the satellite to some 300 km to prevent the satellite succumbing to atmospheric drag and re-entering the atmosphere whilst rescue plans are made. Unfortunately, recovery will probably be impossible and the satellite will most likely be declared a total loss.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />AlSat-1, Mozhaets, Rubin-3-DSI<br /><br />Launched: 28 November 2002<br />Site: Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia<br />Launcher: Kosmos 3M<br /><br />International Number: 2002-054A<br />Orbit: LEO, apogee: 700 km, perigee: 700 km<br />Name: AlSat-1<br />Owner: Algerian Centre National des Techniques Spatiales (CNTS)<br />Contractor: Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd<br /><br />International Number: 2002-054B<br />Orbit: LEO<br />Name: Mozhaets<br />Owner: Mozhaisky military academy, St. Petersburg, Russia<br />Contractor: Mozhaisky military academy, St. Petersburg, Russia<br /><br />International Number: 2002-054C<br />Orbit: LEO<br />Name: Rubin-3-DSI<br /><br />AlSat-1 is the first satellite in the 5 satellite Disaster Monitoring Constellation which will supply imagery for disaster relief agencies. It is also Algeria's first satellite. AlSat-1 carries specially-designed Earth imaging cameras which provide 32-m resolution imaging in 3 spectral bands (NIR, red, green) with an extremely wide imaging swath of 600 km on the ground that enables a revisit of the same area anywhere in the world at least every 4 days with just a single satellite. It has a mass of 95 kg.<br /><br />Mozhaets is an amateur radio satellite which also carries a GPS receiver which will be used for research into developing navigation equipment for the Glonass and Navstart navigation systems. It was designed and constructed by students from the Mozhaisky Military Academy, St Petersburg, Russia. It has a mass of 90 kg.<br /><br />Rubin-3-DSI collects launch vehicle environmental and performance data. Having performed its task, the 45 kg satellite remains attached to the body of the Kosmos 3M in orbit.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />BUSINESS<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Intelsat Completes Acquisition of Lockheed Martin's World Systems Business Unit<br /><br />(25 November 2002) Intelsat has announced the closing of the acquisition by Intelsat Global Service Corporation and its affiliates of the World Systems business unit of Lockheed Martin. The companies have recently received regulatory, FCC and other approvals.<br /><br />The acquired assets include existing service contracts with World Systems' customers for Intelsat capacity, earth stations in Clarksburg, Maryland and Paumalu, Hawaii used for satellite fleet management, and the teleport facilities and related assets of Comsat Digital Teleport Inc in Clarksburg, Maryland.<br /><br />The addition of the earth station and teleport assets to Intelsat's network brings Intelsat closer to completing assembly of a ground-based infrastructure to complement its existing global satellite fleet. GlobalConnex Solutions, a portfolio of services offered over Intelsat's satellite/terrestrial end-to-end network, is already serving customers around the world.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />NASA Awards JPL Contract<br /><br />(26 November 2002) NASA completed negotiation of a new cost-plus award fee contract to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for the operation of the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The contract will run five years and have a value of approximately US$ 8 billion.<br /><br />The contract extends the JPL agreement beyond the current expiration date of September 30, 2003. The contract includes a new award-term provision that, based on performance reviews, may extend the contract period of performance for up to an additional five years.<br /><br />Consistent with the agency's "One NASA" initiative, the new contract will more closely align JPL's policies and procedures with those of other NASA centres.<br /><br />JPL, NASA's only federally funded research and development centre, conducts research expanding human understanding of the Earth, the Sun, solar system, stars, planetary systems, galaxies and the formation and evolution of the Universe. JPL also manages NASA's Mars Exploration Program, which is operating two spacecraft orbiting the red planet and planning a series of ambitious missions over the next decade, including twin rovers scheduled for launch next year. JPL's other responsibilities include support to NASA's applications, space science, Earth science and other high-value science programs.<br /><br />JPL uses instrument observations from space vehicles as the primary tools for planetary exploration, investigations and science programs. These missions are supported by ground-based research and laboratory experiments. Earth sciences include research into interactions of our planet's oceans, atmosphere, continents and the effects of solar energy in order to gain an integrated understanding of the total Earth system.<br /><br />The new contract provides JPL and Caltech with greater clarity in their relationship with NASA and other government agencies. It focuses JPL on its core mission with incentives for performance and returns full management to JPL of the Deep Space Network, which communicates with interplanetary spacecraft. The management change will assure greater reliability for the network and more management clarity. In addition, JPL now has the ability to review and comment directly on NASA policies that affect their performance thus improving JPL's ability to accomplish its missions and providing NASA with advice on the impacts of new policies.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />New Skies Implements Share Repurchase Programme<br /><br />(25 November 2002) New Skies Satellites NV has begun implementing a share buyback program. New Skies management plans to hold the repurchased shares as treasury stock.<br /><br />Subject to prevailing market and trading conditions and, as and when appropriate, the renewal of authorisations from New Skies' shareholders, New Skies expects to repurchase up to 10% of its issued share capital, or approximately 13 million shares.<br /><br />Goldman Sachs International and ABN AMRO Rothschild will be advisors to New Skies on the share repurchase program, with Goldman Sachs acting as sole broker for the company. The program will be available to all New Skies shareholders, including those holding ordinary shares in registered or bearer form, as well as those holding American Depository Shares (ADSs).<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />PRODUCTS AND SERVICES<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />iDirect Introduces Latest Software<br /><br />(25 November 2002) iDirect Inc, a privately held company that develops broadband IP hardware and software that enables fast, reliable bi-directional Internet connections via satellite, has unveiled its newest software, version 3.1.<br /><br />iGuard allows critical business communications to be securely transmitted in IP (Internet Protocol) format over the satellite segment, allowing secure RF transmission while enabling iDirect's industry-best TCP acceleration layer to work unimpeded.<br /><br />The NMS, completely re-designed for version 3.1, provides state-of-the-art monitor and control over iDirect networks. Features such as multicast firmware download, simultaneous configuration change activation, QoS profiling, and early-warning problem detection give network operators the fine grain control and visibility required for world-class customer support. Two new components of the NMS, the iReporter, a web-based reporting tool, and the SNMP proxy interface, give Network Operators even more power and scalability as networks grow.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />PEOPLE<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />NASA Names Deputy Head of Aerospace Technology<br /><br />(26 November 2002) Dr J Victor Lebacqz, Associate Director for Aerospace Programs at NASA's Ames Research Center has been named Deputy Associate Administrator for the Office of Aerospace Technology at NASA Headquarters in Washington.<br /><br />In his new position as Deputy Associate Administrator, Lebacqz will assist Dr Jeremiah Creedon, Associate Administrator for Aerospace Technology, in developing integrated, long-term, innovative agency-level technology for aeronautics and space. Lebacqz will also assist in developing new commercial partnerships that exploit technology breakthroughs.<br /><br />Lebacqz began his federal career in 1978 as an aerospace engineer conducting flight and simulation research at Ames. Since then, he has held a variety of Ames management positions including Chief of Flight Dynamics and Controls Branch; Chief of Flight Management and Human Factors Division; and Director of Aviation System Capacity Program and the Aerospace Operations Systems Programs. He received bachelor, master and doctoral degrees in aeronautical engineering from Princeton University.<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Press releases should be sent to: newsfeed@microcomsystems.co.uk<br /><br />**********************************************************************<br /><br />Microcom makes no charge for this service and makes no payments for the use of material. Microcom makes no warranties about the quality of this free service and accepts no liability for mistakes and errors. 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All copies must contain this copyright notice.<br /><br />Microcom Systems Ltd<br />PO Box 21<br />Haverhill<br />Suffolk CB9 0NZ<br />United Kingdom<br /><br />info@microcomsystems.co.uk<br />http://www.microcomsystems.co.uk