SSI News
On a sadder note: Hugo Chavez – the man who warned against Martian capitalism – has passed away
Venezuela’s charismatic left-wing President Hugo Chavez has died from cancer at the age of 58. While his world reputation was mixed, given the company of dictators he kept and due to his apparent distaste of free speech, Hugo Chavez nevertheless remained much loved by many Venezuela’s people, especially for redirecting Venezuala’s oil wealth to the poor of his country. Chavez become most famous for making rabble-rousing diatribes against the “Yankee empire” and against the then US President George W. Bush in particular. Nevertheless, in reality, this was more of pantomime stance, as, in truth, Venezuela continued to sell oil to America. With respect to space, Flightglobal’s Hyperbola column briefly reported Chavez’s warning that Earth faced the same “desertification” fate as Mars if it did not give up its capalist ways. In a televised speech, Chavez suggested that a capatlism and imperilism may have affected a civilisation on Mars, which, in turn, may have ruined the planet.
Hispasat revenues rise on the back of Amazonas revenues
The Spanish satellite operator Hispasat S.A. haas posted profits for 2012 of €200.3 million ($270.4 million) reprsesenting an increase of 6.85% over the previous year. More that half of the revenues came from its Amazonas satellite revenues over North and South America. Profitabilty remained considerable with the firm’s EBITDA rising by more than 4% over the previous year to more than $161 million.
On a lighter note: refreshing honesty from a space public relations man
While a certain major European satellite services company was recently keen to crow about their newly acquired award of a long term defence communications contract, it provided little information about the contract’s terms and conditions in its news release. As such, Flightglobal’s Hyperbola column requested more information about type of contract involved. The company’s public relations man’s refreshingly honest initial reply was: “Oh bo***cks!.. I don’t know!”. He then added: “I will have to get back to you on that one.” We are pleased to report that he did just that and gave us the info we needed. Honesty and efficiency in one afternoon…he is a man to watch.
Next Soyuz manned space mission will use fast track approach to International Space Station
Having proved the concept on previous Progress cargo missions, Roscosmos and NASA have agreed that the next Soyuz manned space mission, Soyuz TMA-08M, will use a fast rendezvous approach method to reduce its launch-to-docking time with the International Space Station from two days to less than six hours. The Soyuz TMA-08M spacecraft will be launched at 2043 GMT on 28 March, shortly after the International Space Station passes over the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome near Tyuratam in Kazakhstan.
Mars is in danger of being struck by a comet in October 2014
According to NASA, there is a chance that the newly discovered comet, Comet 2013 A1 (Siding Spring), could strike the planet Mars on 19 October 2014. Original estimates of trajectory of the comet generated by the Near-Earth Object (NEO) Program Office at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena indicated that the comet would pass within 186,000 miles (300,000 kilometers) of Mars. However, the latest trajectory estmates now have it passing about 31,000 miles (50,000 kilometers) from the Red Planet’s surface and NASA does not rule out the possibility of a strike. Rob McNaught discovered this new comet on 3 Jan 2013, at Siding Spring Observatory in Australia.
Analysis: Astrium’s Vizada acquisition is now bearing revenue fruit
Some years ago, satellite and launch vehicle maker Astrium made the correct analysis that its satellite services clients were making more revenues and profits than they were. Apart its decision to get involved in providing military communicaitons on a commercial basis via its Paradigm operation (now part of Astrium Services) its decision to buy the communicaions and service provider Vizada has further benefited its revenues and profits. In late January Astrium reported that it was due to its 2011 acquisition of Vizada that its revenues risen rapidly with a16.9% increase in revenue for 2012 to €5.8 billion ($7.8 billion) compared to the previous year.
Mars Curiosity Rover is recovered after computer glitch
Following problems with its A-Side computer (symptoms of a corrupted memory location were being shown) on 28 February 2013 the Mars Curiosity Rover was switched to the redundant onboard computer on the B-side computer. This swap caused the rover to fall into a safe mode. Curiosity exited safe mode and resumed using its high-gain antenna on 2 March 2013.
Arianespace gets launch orders for two Australian NBN comsats
The European launch provider Arianespace has been awarded a two launch order contract for two NBN communications satellites by the Australian satellite operator NBN (National Broadband Network). The satellites, NBN 1A and NBN 1B are desiigned to offer broadband Internet services to remote outback regions of Australia. They will be launched on two separate Ariane 5 launches in early and late in 2015 from the Ariane 5 launch site in French Guiana. Weighing in at 6,000kg each, the two satelites are being built by Space Systems/Loral in Palo Alto, California. Their design life is 15 years each.
Dragon CRS-2 docks with International Space Station after thruster issue fixed
Following a one day delay due to a fault with SpaceX Dragon CRS-2 thruster system, on 3 March, the Dragon CRS-2 unmanned cargo freighter was grappled by the robot arm at 1051GMT a linked up with the ISS’s Harmony module at 1356 GMT. This fulfills the terms of its cargo delivery contract with NASA. The thruster issue, which reported knocked out three out of four thruster pods on Dragon CRS 2, has now been fixed. A blockage in helium pressurant line to the oxidiser tank had caused low pressure which only allowed one pod of thrusters (out of four) to be used. The blockage was removed by cycling a valve to cycle the pressure. This managed to clear the blockage.
Newly launched SpaceX Dragon CRS-2 has serious thruster fault – UPDATED
The SpaceX Dragon CRS-2 cargo capsule was initially successfully launched by an Falcon 9 launch vehicle at 1510 GMT from Cape Canaveral on 1 March 2013. The initial orbit achieved was 329 x 199km at an inclination of 51.66 degrees. As part of its NASA funded commercial mission, the spacecraft was then to rendezvous with the International Space Station to be docked after being grappled by the station’s robot arm. However, it has emerged that a thruser anomaly delayed the spacecraft opening its solar arrays.
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