SSI News
Arianespace gets SKY Perfect JSAT multi-launch deal (corrected)
The Japanese satellite operator SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation has formed a Multi-Launch Services Agreement (MLSA) with European launch operator Arianespace. The deal signed in Paris on 11 September between Shinji Takada, Representative Director, President and Chief Executive Officer of SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation, and Jean-Yves Le Gall, Chairman and CEO of Arianespace, is effectively a block booking of launch slots by SKY Perfect JSAT to ensure that it can get its satellites launched on time. According to Arianespace, since 1986 the launch operator has won 27 contracts in Japan out of the 36 open to competition, giving it a market share of 75%.
“Big Brother” concerns persist but continuous satellite tracking of cars looks likely
While the loss of privacy in this increasingly Orwellian “Big Brother” surveillance age concerns many, most recently after the revelation that many UK schools are using CCTV cameras in school toilets and changing rooms, other types of continuous surveillance that would have been previously resisted in times past are now becoming accepted as “normal”. Car insurance is one sector where this is happening after a significant uptake in “Telematics” policies which employ continuous surveillance via satellite tracked “black box” car devices.
Breeze-M (Briz-M) upper stages recalled for checks following Proton M failure
Russian news wires (Interfax, RIA Novosti etc) report that the head of the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, Vladimir Popovkin has announced that the agency has ordered the recall of an entire batch of Breeze-M (Briz-M) upper stages so that they can been stripped down and checked out fully. It was a fault on an upper stage from this batch that led to the latest Proton-M launch failure on 6 August. That failure lost the Telkom-3 and Express MD2 satellites abouard which, according to the Flightglobal/Ascend database were insured for $185 million and $37.3 million respectively.
Breeze-M (Briz-M) upper stages recalled for checks following Proton M failure
Russian news wires (Interfax, RIA Novosti etc) report that the head of the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, Vladimir Popovkin has announced that the agency has ordered the recall of an entire batch of Breeze-M (Briz-M) upper stages so that they can been stripped down and checked out fully. It was a fault on an upper stage from this batch that led to the latest Proton-M launch failure on 6 August. That failure lost the Telkom-3 and Express MD2 satellites abouard which, according to the Flightglobal/Ascend database were insured for $185 million and $37.3 million respectively.
Hispasat chooses Arianespace to launch its Amazonas 4A and Hispasat AG1 satellites
Hispasat has signed contracts with Arianespace for the launch of the Amazonas 4A and Hispasat AG1 launch contracts. Under the contractrs Amazonas 4A will be launched by an Ariane 5 or Soyuz rocket in early 2014 from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana. Built by Orbital Sciences Corporation using a GEOStar 2.4 platform, this satellite will be located at orbital position 61 degrees West.
Hispasat chooses Arianespace to launch its Amazonas 4A and Hispasat AG1 satellites
Hispasat has signed contracts with Arianespace for the launch of the Amazonas 4A and Hispasat AG1 launch contracts. Under the contractrs Amazonas 4A will be launched by an Ariane 5 or Soyuz rocket in early 2014 from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana. Built by Orbital Sciences Corporation using a GEOStar 2.4 platform, this satellite will be located at orbital position 61 degrees West.
ITU gives OK to Avanti in dispute over Hylas 2 position (Corrected)
Avanti Communications has received confirmation from the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau that the ITU filing for the use of spectrum by Hylas 2 at 31 degrees East location (where the satellite is currently located) has been accepted and notified in accordance with ITU rules.
SPOT 6 Earth observation satellite is successfully launched by India’s PSLV
The French-built 712kg SPOT 6 Earth observation satellite was successfully launched by an Indian PSLV launch vehicle. The lift off from the Sriharikota launch site took place on 9 September at 0423 GMT. The launch was delayed slightly by two minutes due to the need to ensure a miss with passing space debris. The SPOT 6 spacecraft was built by Astrium and will have maximum resolution of 1.5m, putting it firmly in the there Earth observation class rather than lower resolutoin remote sensing closs. The imagery is to be marketed by Spot Image S.A.
remote sensing closs. The imagery is to be marketed by Spot Image S.A.
Personnel moves: New leaders for Khrunichev and Thales Alenia Space
Vasily Nikolaevich Sychyov has been appointed Executive General Director, Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center – Russia’s main launch vehicle producer. He replaces Vladimir Nesterov whose resignation was formally accepted by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin early this month (some news reports say he was dismissed). Nesterov resigned after the latest upper stage launch failure to the Proton M launch vehicle in August.
Neil Armstrong is to be buried at sea
It has been announced that the late Apollo 11 commander , Neil Armstrong, who became famous as the first man to set foot on the Moon, will be buried at sea. The sea-burial will be made after an official rememberence service to take place at the Washington National Cathedral, Washington D.C. on 13 September. The sea burial will be apt as Armstrong was a US Navy fighter bomber pilot during the Korean War. It is thoughtthat the burial itself will be a private family affair. A private memorial service has already been held earlier in September in Cincinati, Ohio, where family, friends and fellow Apollo astonauts attended.
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