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Sat-ND, 14.6.96

Sat-ND 96-06-14 - Satellite and Media News

This service is provided free of charge for personal use. It may be
reproduced for non-commercial reasons only, provided the following notice
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"(c) Copyright 1996 by Sat-ND, http://www.sat-net.com/pck/"
Please send any contributions and comments regarding Sat-ND to
Peter C. Klanowski, Fax +49-451-5820055, pck@LyNet.De

This issue is sponsored by TELE-satellite, Europe's Satellite Magazine 
Have a look at their homepage! >> http://www.TELE-satellit.com/ <<


Since the unsuccessful Ariane flight 501 on June 4, a large part of the
rocket's remainders have been found and inspected. According to the
European Space Agency (ESA), investigations "revealed the existence of a
malfunction relating to the inertial platforms in Ariane-5 operating
mode". An ESA spokesman added, it was too early to say whether the defect
caused the launcher to change its course, leading to the well-known
sequence of events. Earlier, a software glitch was suspected to have
caused the launch failure.
The next Ariane launch is still expected to place on Saturday when
INTELSAT 709 will be put into orbit. Earlier, INTELSAT considered
launching the satellite with the second Ariane 5 flight. They chose Ariane
4 instead when, several months before flight 501, the Ariane 5 schedule
got significantly delayed.

Société Européenne des Satellites (SES) has confirmed the launch of their
ASTRA 1G satellite aboard a Russian Proton rocket. It is due to take place
in the second quarter of 1997. SES has established what it calls a "dual
launch strategy", using both Ariane and Proton rockets for their
satellites. The Proton launches are provided by International Launch
services, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and the Russian companies
Khrunichev and RSC Energiya. Recently, SES had also booked six launches
with the European launch provider Arianespace.

China hopes to revive its ailing commercial launch business with three
satellite starts his year. In the first days of July, APSTAR 1A is due,
brought into orbit with an Long March 3 rocket. "This rocket has been used
more than 10 times and is proven to be good," a spokesman for China
Aerospace Corp. insisted. Further launches are now scheduled for late July
and early October.

When PanAmSat owners hinted they might sell off the company two months
ago, at least half a dozen companies expressed their interest. Among them
were satellite builders and operators such as Hughes Electronics, Loral
Space & Communications, Rupert Murdoch and his US partner MCI, and even
Luxembourg's Société Européenne des Satellites (SES). 
So far, nothing has happened, although PanAmSat so far is the only
commercial satellite operator capable of reaching every part of the world.
Four satellites are operational, four more should be in orbit by the end
of 1998. PanAmSat stocks have slipped notably since the announcement of
the sale, mainly owing to the fact that no deal hasn't been announced yet.
Analysts say the price is still too high, and possible buyers think so,
too. 
The Wall Street Journal quoted SES spokesman Yves Feltes confirming that
Europe has become too small for his company. According to Feltes, PanAmSat
had "the kind of global presence we're looking for. But it remains to be
seen whether the price is acceptable." On the basis of current stock
prices, the 81 percent held by Mexico's Televisa SA and the family of the
late company founder René Anselmo would cost US$3.5 billion. May be just
too much for only four operational satellites. A complete sell-off becomes
increasingly unlikely, while chances for a partial deal rise. And just in
case that won't work either, there's still the opportunity to get rid of
the multibillion asset though another stock offering.

Finally, the end is near for analogue television broadcasts on Deutsche
Telekom's DFS 3 (23.5°E). Before the end of the year, transmissions will
completely be switched to digital MPEG 2. There still seems to be a
problem with two channels that aren't yet contained in any of the digital
TV packages planned (Vox and Wetter- und Reise-TV). Telekom's digital
radio package DSR remains on DFS 3 while some other analogue audio
services are expected to move to DFS 2 (28.5°E).
(Holger Zeissler/pck)


Zeroes and Ones

As from Monday, US cable channel USA Network should be available on the
World Wide Web. The site is expected to contain programming information
and some online games.
http://www.usanetwork.com/

On EUTELSAT II-F3 (10°E), broadcasts from an Iran opposition group can be
seen at 11.162 GHz h every evening. Starting times vary from day to day,
but there is also a Web site (Home Page of the Supporters of National
Council of Resistance of Iran) on the Internet. (Norbert Schlammer/pck)
http://www.iran-e-azad.org/

Radio and the Internet are growing together. There are many international
radio services available on the net, and there are even radio shows about
the Internet on the Internet. But I was quite surprised when I received an
email by Glen L. Roberts telling me that he was doing a weekly Internet
radio show – on shortwave! Broadcasts come live from Oil City,
Pennsylvania (USA), and during the show an IRC channel is set up for
listener interaction.
So, if anybody of you still has a shortwave radio, try tuning to WWCR on
9.475 MHz next Sunday at 2000 UTC. I can't tell you what to expect, but
you might want to get a first impression at
http://pages.ripco.com:8080/~glr/net.html


Re: Sat-ND, 12.6.96
>INTELSAT 707 (1°W)
>At least in North Germany, the reception of Israel 1 on
>11.134 GHz v has become impossible owing to a FilmNet
>test card that appeared on the very same transponder,
>but in horizontal polarisation mode.
No No - It's VERTICAL and therefore has replaced it :-)
Dee <darrell@reed.u-net.com>


Thanks to our contributors --
Norbert Schlammer: 100415.3560@compuserve.com
Holger Zeissler: Holger.Zeissler@darmstadt.netsurf.de

========================================================
Copyright 1996 by Peter C. Klanowski, pck@LyNet.De. All rights reserved.

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