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Автор volod, 22.08.2008 19:46:00

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Новый

Цитироватьhttp://www.avia.ru/news/?id=1267135913

26 февраля, AVIA.RU – Пропускная способность российской спутниковой группировки к 2015 г вырастет более, чем в 2 раза благодаря созданию и выводу на орбиту новых космических аппаратов, сообщает Роскосмос.
 
Как рассказал  исполняющий обязанности генерального директора ФГУП "Космическая связь" Юрий Прохоров, при этом спутниковый ресурс группировки, которым будет располагать Российская Федерация, учитывает перспективные потребности российских пользователей и дальнейшего развития сетей спутниковой связи и вещания.

В настоящее время общая пропускная способность спутниковой группировки составляет порядка 10 тыс МГц.

Программа восполнения и развития орбитальной спутниковой группировки реализуется планомерно. Спутники создаются в рамках Федеральной космической программы России до 2015 года, с учетом потребностей ФЦП "Развитие телерадиовещания на 2009-2015 гг." До 2015 г предусмотрено изготовление и вывод на геостационарную орбиту не менее 8 космических аппаратов на базе различных платформ.
Просто клоуны.
С учетом того, что в 2010-2011 г. не полетит ни одного ГПКС-овского КА, за три года они запустят "не менее 8 космических аппаратов"?!
 :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  
Вот ЦиХ и MDA радуются такой перспективе!

Pol

http://www.space-travel.com/reports/India_Plans_To_Send_Two_Astronauts_Into_Space_999.html

India Plans To Send Two Astronauts Into Space

-
by Staff Writers
Bangalore, India (PTI) Feb 23, 2010
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to send two astronauts to space within six to seven years, ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan said.
"ISRO plans to send two astronauts into space in six to seven years," he said after launching a mobile telemedicine unit at Muttom in Kanyakumari district.

He said India was among the leading countries in the world in space research, designing the most modern satellites in keeping with latest advances in technology

These satellites are very helpful in communication and distance, he said.

Radhakrishnan said the Nano satellites designed by students of Satyabama University, Chennai, would be installed in the PSLV rocket, to be launched in June or July.
С уважением, Павел Акулаев

Pol

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/ICESat_Notable_Moments_In_Science_999.html

ICESat's Notable Moments In Science

by Staff Writers
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Feb 25, 2010

Over the last decade, NASA has launched a series of satellites to monitor the health of our planet. One such satellite - the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) - has provided a sustained, big-picture look at ice thickness at Earth's polar regions.
Now, after seven years in orbit and 15 laser-operation campaigns, ICESat has stopped collecting science data. The last of three lasers on the satellite's Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) ceased emitting light on Oct. 11, 2009. Attempts to restart the lasers have ended, and NASA is pursing options for satellite decommissioning.

"ICESat's loss is disappointing and it comes at a critical time," said Tom Wagner, cryosphere program manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

"But we can't lose sight of the fact that ICESat and its team of talented scientists and engineers helped us see the Earth's polar ice caps in a new way. Those observations are feeding a new generation of models to help us figure out where the planet is headed.????"

As the world's first laser-altimeter satellite, ICESat has measured Earth's surface and atmosphere in "unprecedented 3-D detail," said Jay Zwally, ICESat's project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

"ICESat has been an outstanding success, despite disappointing limitations in the laser lifetimes. Scientific advances have been made in measuring changes in the mass of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, polar sea ice thickness, vegetation-canopy heights, and the heights of clouds and aerosols."

In the Arctic, for example, scientists used ICESat to map Greenland's dramatic surface elevation, rising to 4,000 meters above sea level. They watched as thin, seasonal sea ice replaced thick, older sea ice as the dominant type in the Arctic Ocean.

In Antarctica, scientists achieved a comprehensive inventory of lakes that actively drain or fill under the ice. At both poles, they have tracked glaciers along the coast of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets as they empty into the sea.

Despite the end of ICESat's mission, NASA's observations of Earth's polar regions continue. Operation Ice Bridge began in 2009, becoming the largest airborne survey of Earth's polar ice ever flown. For the next five years, instruments on NASA aircraft will target areas of rapid change to yield an unprecedented 3-D view of Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets, ice shelves, and sea ice. The mission will bridge the gap in satellite data until the launch of ICESat-2, planned for 2015.

"Operation Ice Bridge is allowing us to get much higher resolution data over smaller, targeted regions," said Lora Koenig of NASA Goddard, and acting project scientist for the Ice Bridge mission.

Targeted information from aircraft combined with the broad and consistent coverage from satellites contribute to a more complete understanding of Earth's response to climate change, helping scientists make better predictions of what the future might hold.
С уважением, Павел Акулаев

Pol

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Thales_Alenia_Space_To_Build_Jason_3_Operational_Oceanographic_Satellite_999.html

Thales Alenia Space To Build Jason-3 Operational Oceanographic Satellite

by Staff Writers
Cannes, France (SPX) Feb 25, 2010

Thales Alenia Space announced to have signed with French Space Agency (CNES), the contract to build the Jason-3 satellite.
The Jason-3 operational oceanographic mission involves a quadripartite collaboration between the two meteorological organizations Eumetsat and NOAA, acting as the leaders of the program, and CNES and its American counterpart NASA.

Jason-3 will allow the continuity of high precision ocean topography measurements beyond TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1 and Jason-2, which are now operational in orbit. It will also provide a bridge to an operational mission to enable the continuation of multi-decadal ocean topography measurements. Jason 3 will offer the same ocean measurement accuracy as Jason 2, including near coastal zones, as well as lakes and rivers.

Based on the Proteus platform, Jason-3 features the Poseidon-3B altimeter, also developed by Thales Alenia Space in Toulouse. The Poseidon-3B dual-frequency altimeter continues to be the key instrument in this spaceborne observation programme. Included in the core mission, Jason-3 will embark the DORIS precise orbit determination system, an Advanced Microwave Radiometer (AMR), a GPS payload (GPSP), and a Laser Retro-reflector Array (LRA).

The satellite will be placed in the same orbit as Jason-2, at an altitude of 1,336 kilometres with an inclination of 66 degrees, to provide virtually blanket coverage of all ice-free ocean surfaces. Its weight at launch is 553 kilogrammes, with 550 W of power and pointing accuracy of 0.15 degrees (half-cone). Its launch is expected for mid 2013 for a mission life of 3 years.

Thales Alenia Space is Europe's leader in climate change monitoring and is at the heart of environmental initiatives. The company, as a key player, has helped oceanography to become operational. The huge system of surface and deep-water currents drives massive exchanges of heat and energy through all the oceans of the planet and can be considered as one of the main engines of Earth's climate. Poseidon altimeters played a key role in the depiction and understanding of this phenomenon.

The Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission, built by Thales Alenia Space and launched in November 2009, will provide regular maps of sea surface salinity, showing where and when large amounts of fresh waters are introduced in the cycle, for instance through rains, about 90% of which are estimated to fall over open sea.

To complete the global understanding of the water cycle, CryoSat, will feature a unique instrument, the Siral interferometry radar altimeter - to monitor the thickness of sea ice and ice shelf's.

Through GMES and the Sentinel satellites program, Thales Alenia Space is already working on the next generation of satellites that will continue monitoring the water cycle at a global scale. For more than 20 years, Thales Alenia Space has been in the forefront of efforts to meet major environmental challenges, whether meteorological or oceanographic. The company is also a worldwide leader in high-performance optical and radar payloads, for civil and military use.
С уважением, Павел Акулаев

Pol

http://china-defense.blogspot.com/2010/03/china-to-launch-space-station-module.html

Wednesday, March 03, 2010
China to Launch Space Station Module
 
March 3, 2010
China to Launch Space Station Module
By MARK McDONALD

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/world/asia/04space.html

HONG KONG — The Heavenly Palace, the first module in China's permanent space station, will be launched next year, a senior aerospace official confirmed Wednesday.

The official, Qi Faren, said the craft, an orbiting laboratory known in Mandarin as Tiangong-1, would initially serve as a docking station for other spacecraft. His remarks were carried by Xinhua, the official news agency.

A model of Tiangong-1 was publicly unveiled during New Year celebrations last year. The 8.5-ton laboratory is expected to be 30 feet long, with a crew of three taikonauts, the Chinese term for astronauts.

The China National Space Administration said it plans three docking missions with the lab next year.

The space agency's long-range plans include a 20-ton permanent space station that will incorporate Tiangong-1, as well as a separate lunar mission by 2022.

China successfully launched its first satellite in April 1970, a craft called Dong Fang Hong-1, or The East Is Red, which was sent into orbit by a Long March-1 rocket. China's first manned spacecraft went aloft in October 2003 and made 14 orbits of the Earth. The country's first spacewalk took place 18 months ago.

Aerospace experts and military officials say the Chinese military space program has made major advancements in recent years, notably when it tested an antisatellite system in 2007, using a ballistic missile to shoot down one of its own weather satellites 540 miles up.

Charles P. Vick, a senior analyst at GlobalSecurity.org, said in a white paper that China's "space station programs have clearly won out in government planning priorities over the lunar aspirations."

China has long insisted that its intentions in space are peaceful, although the head of the Chinese Air Force, Gen. Xu Qiliang, appeared to have gone somewhat off-message when he said in November that international "military competition has shifted towards space."

"Such a shift is a major trend now, and such expansion is a historical inevitability," he said, in remarks quoted by state-run media. "To some extent, if you control space you can also control the land and the sea, and you will be in an advantageous position."

Meanwhile, American military planners have expressed concerns and uncertainty about China's intentions.

"Where they're heading I think is one of those things that a lot of people would like to understand better, what their goals and objectives are," said Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, the head of United States Strategic Command, following General Xu's remarks. "But they certainly are on a fast track to improve their capabilities.

"Clearly, I think what we've all come to understand is that space is a contested domain. It used to be looked at like a sanctuary. And clearly that's not the case today."
С уважением, Павел Акулаев

Salo

http://www.spacenews.com/satellite_telecom/100305-orbital-acquisition-bring-business.html

03/5/10 06:34 PM ET
Orbital Chief: Acquisition Could Bring Over $1B in New Business Within Reach
By Warren Ferster


Orbital Sciences Chief Executive David W. Thompson. Credit: Space News photo by Chris Maddaloni

WASHINGTON — Orbital Sciences Corp. is counting on its acquisition of General Dynamics Corp.'s satellite manufacturing business to strengthen its hand in upcoming competitions to build medium-class low-orbiting satellites for U.S. government customers, in both the national security and civil arenas, senior company officials said.

The $55 million all-cash deal, announced March 4, was not aimed at any one competition in particular, David W. Thompson, chairman and chief executive of Dulles, Va.-based Orbital, said in an interview. "More generally ... over the next one to two years I think there will be several promising opportunities that this will make us much more capable of pursuing and much more competitive for winning," he said.

During a conference call with analysts March 5, Thompson said there are six to seven government opportunities over the next 18 months, representing $1.25 billion to $1.5 billion worth of business, that Orbital will be able to address as a result of the acquisition.

Orbital's national security business has been its fastest growing in the past two years, and Thompson noted that one of the attractive features of the General Dynamics operation is that 80 percent of its employees are cleared for highly classified work. But in the coming years the business mix is expected to be fairly balanced between civil and national security customers, with NASA poised to increase spending on scientific satellites, especially for Earth observation, he said.

During the conference call, Orbital officials said the acquisition, assuming it closes in early April as expected, should add $50 million to the company's revenue in 2010, and up to $100 million in 2011.

Formerly known as Spectrum Astro, General Dynamics' satellite division currently is part of GD Advanced Information Systems and is located in Gilbert, Ariz. The company builds small to medium-size satellites, primarily for U.S. government customers but also for the occasional commercial client. Some of its recent satellites include NASA's Fermi astronomy telescope, the Near Field Infrared Experiment (NFIRE) satellite for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and the GeoEye-1 commercial imaging satellite for GeoEye of Dulles.

At the end of 2009, the backlog at the General Dynamics group was about $150 million, with the biggest program being the satellite platform for NASA's Landsat Data Continuity Mission, according to Thompson. He said the program recently passed its design phase, meaning hardware construction is ready to begin. NASA plans to launch the satellite in mid-2013.

It remained unclear at press time whether General Dynamics will build the follow-on to GeoEye's GeoEye-1 satellite. Speaking March 3 during the International Commercial Remote Sensing Conference here, GeoEye Chief Operating Officer William Schuster said the company had authorized work to begin on the GeoEye-2 satellite platform. However, he did not identify the manufacturer, and GeoEye spokesman Mark Brender declined to provide additional details. Work on GeoEye-2's main imaging camera began more than two years ago.

The General Dynamics acquisition does not require any external approvals because the price did not meet the required thresholds, Thompson said, adding that it will be financed using cash on hand. Of the purchase price, which is less than half the value of General Dynamics' $116 million fixed-price contract to build the Landsat platform, Thompson said, "We think it's a reasonable valuation of the business. We're happy with it but I don't think it's a steal."

In a press release, Orbital said General Dynamics-built satellites have ranged in mass from 500 kilograms to 4,000 kilograms and typically are designed for three years to seven years of operation in various low Earth orbits. During its history, Orbital has competed with General Dynamics for many of these same kinds of missions, but Thompson said Orbital's government satellites, particularly in recent years, typically have been toward the smaller end of the scale.

Over the last decade, most of Orbital's growth has come in building medium-class geostationary orbiting telecommunications satellites for commercial customers, Thompson said in the interview. "On the other hand, GD's growth by and large has come from developing and building what I would call medium-class low orbiting satellites, which generally we don't do," he said.

Orbital could have developed low orbiting satellites in the 2- to 4-metric-ton class on its own, but this would have cost $25 million to $30 million in research and development funding, plus additional costs for capital equipment, and taken up to two-and-a-half years, Thompson told analysts. With the General Dynamics acquisition, Orbital can offer a proven product much sooner to its government customers, he said.

"This is part of a strategic initiative for Orbital which you see reflected in a number of areas," including the Taurus 2 medium-lift rocket and a larger variant of Orbital's Star geostationary communications satellite platform, both of which are under development, Thompson said in the interview. "These are all examples of moving, not away from our traditional markets in what you might call small space but adding ... a new dimension that might be called medium space," he added.

During the conference call, Thompson said these moves together should double the size of Orbital's addressable market in the next few years.

Michael Hamel, Orbital's senior vice president for strategy and development, said the acquisition serves another element of the company's growth strategy, which is to "move up the value chain" with key customers. "They've [General Dynamics] been intimately involved over a number of years with the Missile Defense Agency, most recently on the NFIRE program, and as we look to the future that seems like an area that the Department of Defense really wants to make greater investments in –- space-based sensing and control elements for the integrated missile defense," Hamel, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant general, told Space News. "That's just one example."

During the conference call, Hamel identified missile warning and tracking as well as space surveillance as growth areas that the acquisition will help Orbital address.

Orbital said that as part of the deal, it will get a 12,150-square-meter manufacturing, integration and test facility in Gilbert that was completed in 2005. The state-of-the-art facility, which Orbital said has special security provisions for working on highly classified programs, is located 16 kilometers from Orbital's rocket-manufacturing plant in Chandler, Ariz.

"Upon closing of the acquisition, about 325 new employees will join Orbital, most of whom are engineers, technicians and program managers, many with security clearances for sensitive U.S. Government programs," Orbital said in its press release.

Thompson said he did not expect there to be any significant layoffs or facility closures as a result of the acquisition.

Houlihan Lokey, a financial services firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions, advised Orbital on the deal, Orbital said in its press release.

Turner Brinton contributed to this story from Washington.
"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"

Salo

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1003/07orbital/index.html

General Dynamics acquisition a boon for Orbital Sciences
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: March 7, 2010

The acquisition of the General Dynamics space division will strengthen Orbital Sciences' pursuit of contracts for larger government satellites, according to senior company officials.

   
Examples of General Dynamics-built satellites. Credit: General Dynamics
 
"This acquisition represents a major strategic development for Orbital," said David Thompson, Orbital chairman and CEO. "Simply put, it will allow us to substantially accelerate our already strong growth in the national security space systems market, and also broaden our involvement in such civil government space applications as Earth science, weather forecasting, climate monitoring and astronomy missions."

Orbital Sciences announced last week it was purchasing the satellite manufacturing unit of General Dynamics. Orbital is paying $55 million in cash, and officials expect to close the deal by early April, according to Garrett Pierce, Orbital vice chairman and chief financial officer.

Orbital leaders said the acquisition will add about $50 million in revenue this year, plus up to $100 million to the company's bottom line in 2011.

Thompson called the agreement a "compelling strategic fit" in a Friday conference call with investment analysts.

The addition of the General Dynamics spacecraft manufacturing unit will bolster Orbital's chances of winning up to $1.5 billion in new government satellite contracts.

"As we look out over the next 18 months, there are six or seven identified pursuits that this transaction will, I believe, significantly strengthen our competitive position in pursuing," Thompson said. "They are fairly well balanced between civil government opportunities with NASA and NOAA, and national security opportunities."

Thompson said Orbital would not have held a high chance of winning, or even pursuing, the contract opportunities made possible by the General Dynamics acquisition. The half-dozen pursuits Thompson discussed would have been "a bit of a stretch" for Orbital before the General Dynamics purchase.

Officials did not mention specific contracts that are now in Orbital's reach after last week's announcement.

General Dynamics' space business includes a collection of satellites for civil government, national security and commercial imaging customers. The division traces its roots to Spectrum Astro, an independent company purchased by General Dynamics in 2004.

Recent General Dynamics spacecraft include the Fermi gamma ray space telescope, the commercial GeoEye 1 Earth observation satellite, and the NFIRE experimental missile defense satellite.


Artist's concept of the Landsat Data Continuity Mission satellite. Credit: General Dynamics

The Landsat Data Continuity Mission, scheduled for launch in 2012, is also being developed and manufactured by General Dynamics. The company is also a contractor for several classified programs, according to Michael Hamel, Orbital's senior vice president of corporate strategy and development.

The average mass of General Dynamics satellites is about four times larger than typical Orbital spacecraft built for low Earth orbit, according to Hamel.

"As a result, the combination of Orbital's existing and acquired spacecraft platforms will give us market-leading products across a full spectrum of [the] small to medium-class range for low Earth orbiting satellites," Hamel said.

Thompson said the General Dynamics acquisition would save Orbital up to $30 million in investment and two years of work required to develop similar capabilities in-house.

"This represents an opportunity for Orbital to immediately establish a fairly strong presence in the medium segment without the time and [research and development] expense of creating such a product line on our own," Thompson said.

Orbital will also add General Dynamics' 325-person workforce and take control of a 135,000-square foot production facility in Gilbert, Ariz.

"It will address our mid- and long-term manufacturing capacity needs for larger satellites in both government and commercial markets, while also adding an experienced team of top-notch engineers and program managers with high-level security clearances to help us address both immediate and longer-term market opportunities," Thompson said.
"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"

Pol

http://www.examiner.com/x-5429-DC-Space-News-Examiner~y2010m3d1-New-Arlingtonbased-satellite-service-plans-first-launch

New Arlington-based satellite service plans first launch
March 1, 5:05 PMDC Space News Examiner

A new satellite service named OverHorizon, based in Arlington, Va., has selected a European rocket to launch its first communications satellite into orbit, according to a press statement released by Arianespace.

OverHorizon is a new satellite operator addressing the global mobile broadband satellite communication market.

OverHorizon has chosen European satellite launch service Arianespace to launch its first communications satellite, OHO-1, into Earth orbit.

Jean-Yves Le Gall, chairman and CEO of Arianespace, and James Gerow, president of OverHorizon LLC, announced Monday the signature of the launch service contract for the OHO-1 satellite.

OHO-1 will be launched into geostationary transfer orbit in mid-2012, using an Ariane 5 launcher from the Guiana Space Center, Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, South America. Orbital Sciences Corp. and Thales Alenia Space will build the satellite jointly.

OHO-1 will weigh about 3,200 kilograms at launch, and will carry a Ku-band payload for two-way broadband communications with small terminals. These terminals can be installed on moving vehicles, including cars, trucks, boats, aircraft, etc. The satellite's design life exceeds 15 years.
С уважением, Павел Акулаев

Pol

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Swedish_Nanospace_Leads_The_European_Development_Consortium_999.html

Swedish Nanospace Leads The European Development Consortium

by Staff Writers
Stockholm, Sweden (SPX) Feb 12, 2010
Measuring the amount of remaining fuel in a car is easy. Doing the same on a satellite in orbit, however, is more complicated. Since 2007, NanoSpace has developed a concept for this purpose. European Space Agency (ESA) now invests 2 million EUR in the continued development of the system, a project which will be managed by NanoSpace and involve partners in Germany, Norway and France.
The propellant of a telecommunication satellite in orbit is normally enough for 15 years' operation. When it runs out of propellant, the satellite is replaced.

With the uncertainty in presently used gauging systems, a six months' margin is typically needed when taking a satellite out of operation. With a more precise gauging system, the operational time could be extended.

"A working satellite in orbit could be worth a 100,000 EUR a day. A system that contributes to more reliable planning and extended satellite lifetime would be very valuable for satellite owners", says Tor-Arne Gronland, CEO of NanoSpace.

"One difficulty is the weightlessness, which causes the liquid propellant to virtually fly around in the tank", says Pelle Rangsten, head of engineering and project manager at NanoSpace. "As in all space business, the requirements for accuracy and reliability are also extremely high."

NanoSpace already has a patent for the propellant gauging system, one important aspect on which ESA based its decision. NanoSpace also has a leading position in Europe in its field, micro-electro-mechanical systems for space applications.

Among other projects, NanoSpace has delivered advanced rocket thrusters to the Swedish Prisma satellites, scheduled to be launched in April 2010.
С уважением, Павел Акулаев

Pol

http://www.physorg.com/news186852270.html

Air Force eyes mini-thrusters for use in satellite propulsion
March 3, 2010



A prototype of a miniature electrospray thruster with four rows of ion emitters is shown here. The thruster is contained within two black plates each measuring about one square inch. Credit: Dr. Paulo Lozano, MIT

Mini-thrusters or miniature, electric propulsion systems are being developed, which could make it easier for the Air Force's small satellites, including the latest CubeSats, to perform space maneuvers and undertake formidable tasks like searching for planets beyond our solar system.

With Air Force Office of Scientific Research funding, researchers led by Dr. Paulo Lozano at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are considering the advantages of electric propulsion over more traditional chemical rocketry. As a result, they have discovered "ionic liquid ion sources" which are the core elements of the mini-thruster.

In addition to the benefits anticipated for small satellites, the technology may have applicability in completely different areas.

"Fast-moving ions coming out from the mini-thrusters can be used to etch semiconductors to create patterns in the nanometer scale, to fabricate computer chips or small mechanical devices," said Lozano.

The team is interested in the properties that allow advances in travel between different orbits in space and the ability for spacecraft to self-destruct upon controlled re-entry, therefore preventing the creation of additional space debris.

Lozano predicts that he will have a mini-thruster prototype developed in about four or five months and he expects the technology to become a reality in the next two years. He plans to begin measuring the velocity of the ions and their energy as soon as the prototype is ready to determine the thrust and efficiency of the engine. Later this year, the team will begin looking at how to integrate mini-thrusters to flight hardware.


Provided by Air Force Office of Scientific Research
С уважением, Павел Акулаев

Salo

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1003/12muos/

Navy considers backup plans after another MUOS delay
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: March 12, 2010

The U.S. Navy says it will not start launching its next-generation MUOS communications satellites until September 2011.

As a result, military space officials are racing to develop several options to diminish a pending gap in critical tactical mobile communications.


Artist's concept of a MUOS satellite. Credit: Lockheed Martin

The Mobile User Objective System, or MUOS, satellites will replace an aging mix of obsolete military satellites. Managers estimate narrowband communications capabilities will "degrade below the required level of availability" by January 2011. Without mitigations, the narrowband capacity would remain unacceptably low until the first MUOS satellite is ready for operations, according to the Government Accountability Office.

But U.S. troops will have to wait nearly a year longer than expected due to difficulties in MUOS satellite development.

"MUOS is in the midst of another delay," said Navy Vice Adm. David Dorsett, deputy chief of naval operations for information dominance.

"Last year, you were informed that MUOS was going to be delayed about 11 months," Dorsett told the Senate Armed Forces Committee's Subcommittee on Strategic Forces during a Wednesday hearing. "It looks like our estimate at this point is that the first MUOS satellite now is expected to be launched in September 2011, with an on-orbit capability in December 2011. That's about a 10-month delay from what you were briefed previously."

The MUOS program will consist of four operational satellites and one on-orbit spare. The spacecraft are built by Lockheed Martin Corp.

In prepared testimony, Dorsett and Gary Federici, a deputy assistant secretary of the Navy, said the military's narrowband satellite communications constellation currently includes eight UHF Follow-On, or UFO, spacecraft, two residual previous generation Fleet Satellites, the LEASAT 5 platform launched in 1990, and leased capacity on the United Kingdom's Skynet 5C satellite.

Once launched, MUOS satellites will provide "worldwide tactical narrowband netted, point-to-point, and broadcast voice and data services in challenging environments include double canopy foliage, urban environments, high sea states, and all weather conditions," according to Dorsett and Federici's testimony.

The spacecraft are also designed for mobile communications with hand-held terminals, UAVs, missiles, aircraft and remote sensors.

Navy officials are considering commercial solutions to ensure warfighters experience no communications outages.

"Looking at a commercially-hosted payload is the right approach," Dorsett said. "It reduces the risk that we otherwise would have. Last year, we made a decision that we could afford more risk. With the additional delay of MUOS, we made a decision that no longer could afford that risk."

Dorsett, also the Director of Naval Intelligence, said more MUOS delays without mitigations would place "the entire joint force at a level of risk that, frankly, would not be appropriate."

"We really want to explore that [commercial] option," Federici told the Senate panel. "It could be a hosted for a lease, or it could be a purchase."

Opening up part of the UHF spectrum reserved for government use would be beneficial to commercial operators and should be "part of the calculation," Dorsett said.

A mysteriously secretive U.S. government satellite named PAN launched in September was the source of much speculation linked to the potential gap between heritage narrowband satellites and the delayed MUOS program.

Some observers concluded PAN, which is based on a commercial Lockheed Martin satellite bus, may be designed to bridge the gap between the two systems, particularly in the Middle East region. But no military or civilian government agency claimed ownership of PAN, a rare circumstance in recent space history.

The Navy is developing and implementing other options to optimize communications capacity on existing satellites, including reconfiguring the UHF payload on the newest UFO spacecraft to increase the number of channels available for use. The military may also lease another narrowband channel on a SICRAL communications satellite owned by the Italian government.

Officials are also pursuing upgrades to ground terminals and seeking a bandwidth-sharing deal with Australia. The experimental TacSat 4 mobile communications satellite may also provide some limited narrowband capacity after its launch in late 2010.
"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"


Pol

http://china-defense.blogspot.com/2010/03/european-officials-poised-to-remove.html

Saturday, March 13, 2010
European Officials Poised To Remove Chinese Payloads From Galileo Sats
 
http://www.spacenews.com/policy/100312-officials-poised-remove-chinese-payloads-galileo.html
05:33 PM ET

European Officials Poised To Remove Chinese Payloads From Galileo Sats


MUNICH, Germany — The European Commission appears set to order the builders of the initial four Galileo navigation satellites, now in final assembly, to remove their Chinese-built search-and-rescue payloads as part of an evolving security and technology-independence policy, European government and industry officials said.

Similar motivations will prevent the builders of the full 30-satellite Galileo constellation from purchasing search-and-rescue terminals from Canada's Com Dev despite Canada's status as an associate member of the 18-nation European Space Agency and Com Dev's acknowledged expertise in the technology, officials said.

Galileo program managers, anticipating a commission ruling they say they still have not received, have begun designing replacement hardware that would have the same weight as the Chinese gear and would not further delay delivery of the four Galileo In-Orbit Validation spacecraft.

The four satellites are in final assembly and test by a manufacturing consortium led by Astrium Satellites and Thales Alenia Space. Their launch date has recently slipped to early 2011 for the first two, and mid-2011 for the remaining pair.

A European Union decision to offload the Chinese-built hardware could serve as a metaphor for the European Commission's relations with China in the Galileo program.

When Galileo was viewed as a private-sector development with public-sector financial participation, European Commission program managers sought Chinese participation in pursuit of Chinese cash in the short term and privileged access to China's market for positioning and timing applications in the longer term.

That business model collapsed, however, and Galileo was transformed into a 100 percent taxpayer-financed project. Galileo's managers also became aware of the security considerations implicit in the construction of a global positioning, navigation and timing satellite network.

China was, in effect, disinvited from Galileo, a decision that was reinforced by China's move to build its own global system, called Beidou/Compass.

At the Munich Satellite Navigation Summit here March 10, a Chinese government official bluntly asked the European Commission why it no longer wanted to work with China, and when China's cash investment in Galileo would be returned.

Paul Verhoef, the European Commission's satellite navigation program manager, sought to explain.

Europe's decision to invite China to invest in Galileo, Verhoef said, "was with a number of purposes in mind, and in a different context. Some nations [outside Europe] wanted to participate in the construction of the system as part of a public-private partnership. But Galileo subsequently was made into a public procurement with public-procurement rules."

Verhoef added: "China's ambitions also had changed. China originally said it was designing is own smaller, regional system for military use. Then China moved to a global civil system. It is one thing to work together in one context. It is quite another in another context. But our two systems can still cooperate."

The former Galileo partners are now embroiled in a dispute over the radio frequencies their separate navigation constellations will use for their encrypted, quasi-military service, which for Galileo is called the Public Regulated Service (PRS). Chinese officials refer to their PRS equivalent simply as the Authorized Service.

Satellite navigation system sponsors would like to be able to locate their government-only service on radio spectrum not used by any other navigation system. That way, they can jam all other navigation signals in a conflict zone or during an emergency while retaining the use of their own service.

"For the authorized service, spectral separation is beneficial," said Jiao Wenhai of the China Satellite Navigation Office in Beijing during a March 10 presentation here. "But due to the limits of the spectrum, it is difficult to achieve."

China has begun deploying its Beidou/Compass satellites. The full system is designed to include five geostationary-orbit satellites, three satellites in inclined geosynchronous orbit for northern coverage and 27 satellites operating in medium Earth orbit. An initial capacity to serve Asia is expected to be in place by 2012, with full system deployment by 2020, Jiao said.

In an interview, Jiao said that despite some two years of negotiations with Europe and the United States to find separate spectrum slices for the U.S. GPS military code, Europe's PRS and the Chinese Authorized Service, no solution has been found because of the physical limits of available radio spectrum.

Europe and the United States agreed on the locations of their encrypted services in 2004. Verhoef said Europe and Russia — whose Glonass constellation is nearing full in-orbit operational status — are "well advanced" on the issue. "We're still in discussions with China," he said.

P.S. Даже не знал, что Китай принимает участие в создании Galileo
С уважением, Павел Акулаев

Pol

http://www.reallyrocketscience.com/node/1377?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ReallyRocketScience+%28Really+Rocket+Science%29

Major Satcom, Ready to Ship

"This reflects the Air Force's strong commitment to providing superior protected satellite communications capabilities for the war fighter." That's what Steve Tatum wrote in response to the news of the USAF's pending request for $6.5 billion to get the Advanced EHF program into space. The first one launched in September:

The Air Force said it will request four years of funds totaling $6.5 billion for a Lockheed Martin Corp. military communications program that plans to launch its first satellite in September after six years of delays.

The funding request for fiscal years 2012-2015 will follow $598 million sought for fiscal 2011, according to an e-mail from Gary Payton, the Air Force's top civilian for space programs. The six-satellite program is budgeted at a total of $9.9 billion.

The request, part of the Pentagon's current five-year budget plan, reflects the Air Force moving forward with a program endorsed by Defense Secretary Robert Gates now that delays and technical problems have been worked out.

Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed Martin and its top subcontractor, Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman Corp., have been awarded contracts to build the first three satellites. They may get contracts for a fourth that the Air Force budgeted for next year and two more planned by 2014. The Air Force budget figures show that the service may buy a seventh satellite starting in fiscal 2015.

The Advanced EHF program calls for six satellites, capable of withstanding shocks from a nuclear attack, to allow secure communications between top commanders including the president. It also would provide transmission of tactical communications such as real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data.

 

Good day at the office for Lockheed Martin (and subcontractor Northrup Grumman). How "advanced" is this system? Dude.

The B-2 is being upgraded, using fiber connections -- inside the aircraft.  A single AEHF spacecraft will provide more capacity than the entire Milstar system currently on-orbit -- combined.

С уважением, Павел Акулаев

Pol

Не нашел, где живет TerraSAR-X, бросаю сюда:

http://www.reallyrocketscience.com/node/1378?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ReallyRocketScience+%28Really+Rocket+Science%29



What the International Space Station looks like in the X-band, via The Planetary Society...

 On March 13, 2008, the International Space Station (ISS) passed across the field of view of Germany's remote sensing satellite, TerraSAR-X, at a distance of 195 kilometers.

In contrast to optical cameras, radar does not "see" surfaces. Instead, it is much more sensitive to the edges and corners which bounce back the microwave signal it transmits. Unless they are directly facing the radar spacecraft, smooth surfaces such as those on the ISS solar and radiator panels, do not reflect a strong signal to the detector, so they appear dark. Yet the bright spots outlining edges and corners clearly show the shape of the ISS. The central element on the ISS, to which all the modules are docked, has a grid structure that presents a multiplicity of reflecting surfaces to the radar beam, making it readily identifiable. This image has a resolution of about one meter.

Credit: German Aerospace Center (DLR)
С уважением, Павел Акулаев

Pol

http://www.ilslaunch.com/news-031710

INTERNATIONAL LAUNCH SERVICES AND TELESAT
ANNOUNCE THE ILS PROTON LAUNCH
OF NIMIQ 6 IN 2012
 

RESTON, VA / Ottawa, Canada, March 17, 2010 – International Launch Services (ILS) and Telesat, one of the world's largest fixed satellite services operators, announced today a contract for the ILS Proton launch of Telesat's Nimiq 6 satellite scheduled for mid-2012.  
 
Nimiq 6 is an all Ku-band satellite with 32 high power transponders that will be located at 91 degrees West Longitude.  The 5 metric ton spacecraft is now under construction at Space Systems/Loral and will utilize their flight proven 1300 platform over its planned mission life of 15 years. Nimiq 6 is fully leased to Bell TV for the satellite's lifetime to serve the fast growing number of Bell TV subscribers across Canada.
 
The Proton vehicle is Russia's premier heavy lift launcher and is built by Khrunichev Research and Space Production Center of Moscow, the majority owner of ILS and one of the pillars of the Russian space industry. Proton has a long heritage with 354 launches performed since its maiden flight in 1965.
 
ILS President Frank McKenna said, "ILS has a longstanding history with Telesat beginning with the first ILS Proton launch of Nimiq 1 over ten years ago, Canada's first direct broadcast digital TV satellite. Having just launched Nimiq 5 for Telesat last fall, ILS and Khrunichev are honored to have the opportunity to again work with the Telesat and Space Systems/Loral teams on the Nimiq 6 program."
 
"Since our first Nimiq satellite on an ILS Proton, Telesat has counted on ILS to deliver the reliability and on-time performance that have made them an industry leader," said Dan Goldberg, Telesat's President and CEO. "We look forward to working closely with ILS, Khrunichev and Space Systems/Loral on the successful launch of Nimiq 6 in mid-2012"
С уважением, Павел Акулаев

Pol

http://www.ilslaunch.com/satellite-2010-update-commercial-launch-providers-panel

Satellite 2010 Update:  
Commercial Launch Providers Panel
"The Launch Vehicle Manifesto: New Options for Evolving Requirements"
 

During the Satellite 2010 conference in National Harbor, Maryland,  March 15-18, ILS President Frank McKenna participated as a panelist during the session on commercial launch vehicles, entitled "The Launch Vehicle Manifesto: New Options for Evolving Requirements" held on March 16. The session, hosted by Owen Kurtin,  Co-Founder and Principal of The Vinland Group LLC, covered a range of topics and issues surrounding the commercial launch sector.  Other participants included Jean Yves Le Gall, Arianespace, Kjell Karlsen, Sea Launch, and Yin Liming, of China Great Wall Industry Corp.

The following is a summary of ILS remarks and key discussion points made during the panel.

Performance is Key
McKenna's opening statement addressed Proton's track record of over 350 launches over 45 years since its maiden flight in 1965. With its first commercial flight in 1996 with the Astra 1F satellite, ILS Proton has been serving the commercial marketplace for 15 years with 57 launches to date. Proton's evolutionary system has been improved and enhanced over time. The consolidation of the Russian space enterprises under Khrunichev and the unified Quality Management System (QMS) has contributed to the robust launch rate of 7-8 commercial and 3-5 Federal annually.  McKenna said the talented professionals of ILS and Khrunichev work together to provide the best overall value for global customers on each and every launch.

What Sets ILS Apart
Addressing the differentiators with ILS compared to other providers, McKenna cited several factors that sets ILS apart to optimally serve the dynamic commercial satellite market:

•Schedule Performance and Reliability-ILS Proton's track record for launching on-time for customers is unmatched. To date, there have been 20 consecutive Protons in 20 months; Proton is the only launch provider with this robust tempo and record of achievement.

•Proton production rate-with 12-14 systems produced and ready to launch annually, this is the highest level of production in Proton history. This translates to real value for our customers with on-time delivery.

•Flexibility-ILS has the unique ability to assist customers who need to launch within a critical timeframe with a dedicated launch produced atsuch a high throughput in the factory.  For example, the W7 satellite for Eutelsat and AsiaSat 5 for AsiaSat were  integrated and launched within record time.  Additionally, ILS is able to accommodate both the SES and Intelsat Multi Launch Agreements flexibly and effectively, meeting  customers'  schedules to support their business plans.

Oversupply and Market Rationalization
Currently, the level of supply with the two main players in the market, ILS and Arianespace, can adequately support the level of demand with 20-22 commercial satellite launches per year.  Periods of oversupply in the marketplace have proven to be detrimental to the commercial launch business and leads to instability and rationalization.  This was demonstrated with the exiting of the Atlas and Delta vehicles from the commercial market which now exclusively serve the more profitable US Government market.  The Sea Launch bankruptcy is another example of commercial launch oversupply .  While Sea Launch was a technological accomplishment, it was a "train wreck" from a business, financial and management standpoint and resulted in widespread damage to the customers, shareholders, suppliers, and the commercial launch industry, said McKenna.

The credibility issues that have occurred will take years to repair and hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in what is likely to be a down business cycle. McKenna said he did not see the business rationale behind supporting the reemergence of Sea Launch into the commercial launch market given the negative effect it would have on the industry with market oversupply. "The markets will rationalize," said McKenna, "You need to capture business on the up cycle. I think we are on a very rocky road if we increase capacity at this time," he said. ILS/Proton has weathered the storms and will continue to add the strong foundation that customers can depend on for years to come.

Achieving the Right Balance in a Dynamic Marketplace
With a healthy backlog of 22 missions and a concurrent Federal program run by Khrunichev, ILS is a strong, sustainable business.  The evolution of the market is based on comparative economic advantages.  "It is imperative to achieve the right balance and develop a price structure that works," said McKenna.  He added that is it important to expand your level of services to serve new growth opportunities, as ILS has, but that heavy lift will still be the primary offering.

McKenna said, "Our job is to support the market," and added "we are ready for both the up and down cycles and for new competition."
С уважением, Павел Акулаев

Pol

http://www.federalspace.ru/main.php?id=2&nid=9794

На орбиту выпустят спутник с начинкой, разработанной в вузе Курска

:: 24.03.2010

Космонавты во время выхода в открытый космос с Международной космической станции (МКС) в ручном режиме запустят на орбиту микроспутник Arissat-1 — аналог ранее запускавшегося «РадиоСкафа» — старого скафандра с установленной внутри научной аппаратурой, сообщили в РКК «Энергия».
«В связи с тем, что на станции не осталось старых скафандров, которые можно использовать как оболочку для радио- и научной аппаратуры, мы сделали раму размером 50х50х30 см, такую, чтобы она проходила в люк, на всех шести сторонах разместили солнечные батареи, а внутри — различное оборудование», — сообщил «Интерфаксу» главный специалист РКК «Энергия», технический руководитель проекта, праправнук Константина Циолковского Сергей Самбуров.
Космонавты, по его словам, во время выхода в космос в ноябре-декабре текущего года, осуществят «ручной старт» аппарата, то есть руками запустят спутник в свободный полет по орбите.
Радиостанция, установленная на аппарате, будет передавать телеметрию на частоте радиолюбительской связи 145 МГц, четыре видеокамеры будут транслировать вид Земли из космоса. Кроме того, в связи с тем, что в 2011 году празднуется 50-летие полета в космос Юрия Гагарина, с Arissat-1 будут транслироваться фразы о юбилее, произнесенные детьми из разных стран.
Научная составляющая микроспутника — датчик для измерения частиц, находящихся в околоземном пространстве — разработан в Курске, в Курском государственном техническом университете.
Планируется, что Arissat-1, получивший за свою форму шутливое название «РадиоШкаф», проработает на орбите от шести до девяти месяцев. Самбуров рассказал, что часть радиооборудования для спутника изготовлена в США.
 
http://www.dddkursk.ru/lenta/2010/03/23/007876/
С уважением, Павел Акулаев

Salo

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1003/27iridium/

Iridium puts out bulletin seeking hosted payloads
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
Posted: March 27, 2010

The U.S. Air Force is answering a call from Iridium to put payloads, experiments and sensors on the company's next-generation satellites, a top military official said this week.


Artist's concept of a satellite in Iridium's contemporary fleet. Credit: Iridium

"We've looked at a couple of different potential applications of secondary hosted payloads on Iridium," said Gary Payton, undersecretary of the Air Force for space programs.

Iridium is in talks with government and international agencies for hosted payloads that would use extra room, power and communications capacity on the company's NEXT constellation, which is scheduled to begin launching in 2014.

"We think this is a great opportunity that's only going to come around once in a decade, or even longer," said John Campbell, Iridium's executive vice president for government programs. "We're anxious to find the right payload out of the many that we've looked at."

Campbell, also a retired Air Force general, is leading Iridium's negotiations with U.S. government agencies interested in utilizing the extra satellite space.

Payton said the Air Force's best match with Iridium involves experiments from the Space Test Program, the military's acquisition service for innovative technology demonstrations in orbit.

"We've got a list of around 40 to 60 STP space experiments, and many of them are finished and just sitting in clean rooms waiting for a ride," Payton said in an interview Thursday. "The Iridium idea might be a good way to work off a lot of those secondary experiments from the Space Test Program."

Space Test Program experiments have previously flown on dedicated small satellites as secondary payloads on military launches.

"A lot of these experiments really don't care what orbit they're in," Payton said. "They just want to get into space and see if their technology can or cannot work in space.

The Iridium NEXT constellation will include 66 satellites flying 485 miles above Earth in near-polar orbits. They craft will be spread apart to provide global mobile voice and data communications continuity as the company's current fleet of satellites is retired.

Iridium is in final negotiations with Lockheed Martin and Thales Alenia Space for the prime contract to build the fleet. But Iridium will first have to acquire financing for the project.

"We are now actively engaged in securing funding for NEXT with two export credit agences. Clearly, an important component of vendor selection will be the level of ECA support, and Lockheed and Thales are fully engaged in this process," Matthew Desch, Iridium's CEO, told investment analysts in a March 16 conference call.

Desch said he hopes to award the development and construction contract this summer. Iridium expects to finalize a list of suitable hosted payloads by the fall of 2011, according to Campbell.

The Air Force funded an Iridium study last year analyzing how the NEXT constellation could accommodate space situational awareness sensors capable of tracking other objects in orbit.

Space is rapidly becoming more bottlenecked with dead satellites, disposed rocket parts and loose debris from intentional and accidental orbital collisions. Air Force officials say it is critical to know where these objects are and what they are doing.

"While there's a great volume of space there in which they can move, they're all traveling at a very high rate of speed. As space becomes more congested, it's even more important that we understand where these objects are and what they're doing," Air Force Gen. Robert Kehler told a Senate strategic forces subcommittee earlier this month.

Kehler is the commander of Air Force Space Command, the organization responsible for air traffic control in space.

Payton said the best solution for the space situational awareness mission is the continued development of a potential fleet of Space Based Space Surveillance, or SBSS, satellites. The first SBSS demo mission is scheduled to launch this summer.

"From what I've seen of the space situational awareness applications on Iridium, I don't think we honestly gain that much, assuming we get SBSS on-orbit successfully," Payton said.

According to Campbell, no final decisions have been made on space situational awareness or any other payloads on Iridium NEXT.

Other applications for the military include space weather monitoring. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is also discussing placing Earth observation and science instruments on Iridium NEXT satellites.

Researchers could also use GPS radio signals between Iridium and navigation satellites in higher orbits to measure atmospheric profile data on humidity and temperatures.

"Many of those sensors wouldn't take up the whole payload size, weight and power allocation. Some of them were actually very nice fits to fly multiple missions," Campbell said. "I think most likely what we'll find is we'll fly a mix of payloads, or potentially even multiple payloads on one satellite."

Campbell said each satellite has about 110 pounds of mass reserved for hosted payloads. Secondary instruments would also receive about 50 watts of continuous power and a communications rate of about 1 megabyte per second.

"We really have done quite a bit with the government over the last couple of years to find the right mission for NEXT," Campbell said Friday.
"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"

Salo

http://www.cnews.ru/news/line/index.shtml?2010/05/12/390482

12.05.10, Ср, 12:21, Мск

Компания Lockheed Martin объявила о заключении контракта на создание геостационарного спутника связи для Вьетнама VINASAT-2.

Аппарат будет создан на базе платформы А2100 и оснащён 24 транспондерами Ku-диапазона. Запуска аппарата намечен на 2012 год, точка стояния - 131,8 градуса восточной долготы. Расчётный срок эксплуатации аппарата - 15 лет.

Спутник VINASAT-1 для Вьетнама компания Lockheed Martin произвела в 2008 году.
"Были когда-то и мы рысаками!!!"