Sat-ND, 7.8.97

• from: owner-sat-nd@tags1.dn.net
• Date: Thu, 07 Aug 1997 23:55:54 GMT

 

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Editorial note

Here we go again. Sat-ND is back to normal -- but what's normal these days? Anyway, there's extremely good news as Nick Abbot is back on Virgin 1215 with his phone-in show, at least for a few weeks. IMHO, this was simply the best radio show I've ever had the fortune of listening to. Now he's back after a two-year, er..., holiday on medium wave in the UK, via satellite in Europe and via Real Audio world-wide. The show is on at weekdays from 1800 to 2100 GMT. Don't expect too much yet as most calls up to now were more or less crap -- but that's not Nick's fault, is it? Even with mostly morons and children calling, his show is still more entertaining than anything else on TV or radio.

Virgin Radio: http://www.virginradio.co.uk/

Nick Abbot: http://www.compura.com/nick-abbot/home.html

Oh, by the way: I still haven't answered a lot of Emails. If your inquiry was really important, would you mind resending it please?

LAUNCHES

Ariane launch tomorrow

The 98th Ariane flight is scheduled for early on Friday when an Ariane 44P is to put PAS-6 into orbit.

The satellite will provide direct television broadcast services to South America for the Connecticut-based global satellite operator. PAS-6 was built in the United States by Space Systems/Loral for PanAmSat.

Kakehashi launch delayed

Japan will postpone the launch of the Kakehashi telecommunications satellite which was planned for this summer.

According to the Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA,) the launch will take place next February. The reason for the delay is an ongoing investigation into the loss of the Earth observation satellite Midori, a.k.a. Adeos. Last June, Midori's solar panel stopped supplying energy. Experts say that exact results of the investigation won't be available before the end of August which made it necessary to postpone the Kakehashi launch. The new satellite has the same kind of solar panel on board.

H2A catches LEO trend

Got something cute and fluffy you want to be shot into a low-Earth orbit (LEO,) such as a small satellite? Just call Rocket System Corp. of Japan which announced they would take orders as from this summer.

Rocket System is owned by 73 firms, including Mitsubishi Heavy and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. It utilises Japan's indigenous H2A rocket to launch commercial satellites -- especially small ones such as LEO satellites for use in cellular phone communications systems. Launches will take place from 2001 or later.

Of course, the H2A is capable of launching satellite biggies or, alternatively, about five small satellites. But you can't just squeeze them into the rocket and close the flap (or whatever it is that gets closed there.) Before the H2A can handle those multiple launches, a special mounting device has to be developed, in this case by. Mitsubishi Heavy.

Hundreds of those LEO satellites are expected to be launched around 2002, and the best part (from the viewpoint of a launch service provider) is that they have a relatively short life span and need to be replaced frequently.

As mentioned, Japan's H2A is also capable of putting larger satellites into a geostationary orbit and has so far received orders for launching 20 of them.

SATELLITES

Loral, CD Radio come together

Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) received an order from CD Radio Inc. to build a third digital audio radio service (DARS) satellite for CD Radio's satellite-to-car radio broadcast system.

Loral is currently building two DARS satellites for CD Radio, and has an option for a fourth satellite, bringing the total value of the program to more than US$350 million.

The satellite will serve as a ground spare to CD Radio's two-satellite constellation, scheduled for launch in 1999. The award brings the total number of satellites based on SS/L's FS-1300, three-axis stabilized spacecraft that have been built or ordered to 62, including 24 currently in production.

At the same time, Loral announced invested about US$25 million into CD Radio, buying approximately 15 percent of the company's outstanding common stock. To make thing generally confusing, CD Radio has also obtained US$45 million in financing from Loral Space & Communications, Ltd. Loral will defer US$20 million in payments to be made in connection with the Company's satellite contract for three years.

CD Radio, based in Washington, D.C., is the winning bidder for one of two FCC national satellite radio broadcast licenses. The company is developing a satellite-to-car 50-channel radio service for the broadcast of music and other programming to motorists throughout the United States.

Orbview 2 feels fine

Orbital Imaging Corporation (ORBIMAGE,) the Earth-imaging subsidiary of Orbital Sciences Corporation, today reported that it has successfully completed the first phase of its post-launch engineering check-out of the OrbView-2 satellite and ground system.

The OrbView-2 satellite has performed as expected since its launch into low-Earth orbit aboard a Pegasus XL rocket on August 1. ORBIMAGE has maintained excellent communications with the orbiting spacecraft and determined that its main systems and subsystems are functioning normally. [Why not perfectly?] Likewise, the ground system that tracks and communicates with the OrbView-2 satellite has also operated as planned.

Later this week, ORBIMAGE will initiate the second phase of the OrbView-2 satellite check-out, during which the satellite moves to a higher-altitude orbit, approximately 700 kilometers above the Earth, where it will operate for the duration of its mission. Once the OrbView-2 satellite reaches its final orbital position, ORBIMAGE will activate the SeaWiFS instrument, which will begin to collect multi-spectral images of the Earth. ORBIMAGE expects to begin offering these images to its commercial and scientific research customers beginning in mid-September.

Orbital Sciences goes elliptic

Ellipso -- no, I haven't heard of that LEO system for quite a while. What I heard last was that experts rated it as a pie in the sky anyway. Were they wrong?

Orbital Sciences Corporation has been selected for a major new contract by Mobile Communications Holdings, Inc. (MCHI), to act as the prime contractor for the development and manufacture of 17 satellites for the FCC- licensed Ellipso "Big LEO" world-wide communications system. As part of a multi-faceted agreement that includes an equity investment in MCHI, Orbital will design, develop, construct and test the first-generation Ellipso satellites. Total contract value, which includes satellite manufacturing, as well as possible roles in launch services and terminal hand-set manufacturing, could exceed $400 million. The 17 satellites are planned to be delivered over the next several years.

MCHI, headquartered in Washington, DC, is designing and developing the fully licensed Ellipso system. It will consist of a constellation of 17 advanced, lightweight satellites that will orbit the Earth in highly inclined elliptical and equatorial orbits. The resulting world-wide communications network will enable users to receive and transmit high-quality digital voice and fax communications from hand-held, vehicle-mounted or fixed-site telecommunications equipment at very low access and usage costs. [Just name one LEO system that will not.] MCHI is progressing toward an expected launch date in 2000, with initial service later that year.

Their list of suppliers and contractors is nothing but impressive. Lockheed Martin Management & Data Systems has been selected to supply the Earth stations while L-3 Communications Corporation will develop and integrate the user terminal, communication interfaces and Earth system software and hardware components. For the satellite manufacturing segment, Orbital's team members with major subcontracting roles include Spectrum Astro, Inc. which will supply the spacecraft power subsystems, and Israel Aircraft Industries, which will provide the attitude control subsystems. In addition, Harris Corporation will provide the satellites' primary communications payloads.

But now for the pie-in-the-sky bit. For the sake of simplicity, here's just a small piece of Sat-ND, 12.10.96:

"[The] satellite system Ellipso is interesting because it reportedly also involves South African companies. According to the South African Newspaper Mail and Guardian, the consortium is backed by the African National Congress and trade unions.

"There's a small problem, though. A report by the University of Colorado says the system won't work in South Africa at all. What's more, Ellipsat [that's what the operating company was called back then] CEO David Castiel reportedly said that his 'business plan can do without the people on Easter Island.'"

South Korean satellite newcomers

South Korea's Ministry of Information and Communications has issued temporary licenses to Hyundai Electronics Co., Ltd.and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. to lease domestic communications lines using satellites.

Hyundai Electronics plans to develop its own satellite. The company hopes to acquire technology from U.S. and Italian companies to get its its own satellite by 2000, and it will begin its satellite communications leasing service from the following year.

Samsung, on the other hand, plans to operate a satellite-equipment leasing business by participating in multinational satellite ventures. The company said it intends to buy 5 to 10 percent of the Space Way Asia Pacific project in order to secure some of its satellite capacity. Samsung will start offering a satellite-equipment leasing business in 2000.

Both companies can expect to be granted full licenses within three years after having completed preparations for their projects.

DIGITAL

The end of AlphaStar

The digital DTH service AlphaStar has stopped broadcasting as Loral Loral SkyNet has bought back their Telstar 5 transponders.

As reported, AlphaStar is under receivership. Bidders participating in a recent auction failed to make any acceptable bids to acquire the business as a going concern. As a result, a previously announced backstop deal with Loral SpaceCom Corporation will be completed. AlphaStar Canada Inc, and its U.S. counterpart, AlphaStar Television Network Inc., as a conseqeunce had to stop broadcasting today.

Tee-Comm Electronics Inc. and its Canadian direct-to-home broadcasting subsidiary, AlphaStar Canada Inc., have been operating under Ontario Court supervision since May 21, 1997. AlphaStar Television Network Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of Tee-Comm, has been operating under the protection afforded by Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code since May 27, 1997. Throughout this period, AlphaStar Canada and AlphaStar U.S. have continued to provide programming services to their respective subscribers. Just a few days ago, the service was transferred from Telstar 402R to Telstar 5.

Since AlphaStar sought court protection, the receiver and AlphaStar U.S. have worked together to market the AlphStar businesses in order to find a going concern buyer or buyers. They just could not be found. Accordingly, the Loral deal, which provides for the immediate return to Loral of the transponders on satellites Telstar 402R and Telstar 5, has been approved by the Ontario Court and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and was scheduled to close today.

The remaining assets of AlphaStar Canada and AlphaStar U.S., including the Milton, Ontario and Oxford, Connecticut uplink stations and real estate, manufacturing facilities and the inventory of set-top decoders and antennas, will continue to be offered for sale by the receiver and AlphaStar U.S. over the next several weeks.

Digital high-speed

There's more testing of digital high-speed transmissions via geostationary satellite nowadays, sometimes even with astonishing results.

NDS Ltd., a provider of end-to-end solutions for digital broadcasting, and Associated Press TV (APTV) recently conducted a world-wide test of NDS' Data Broadcasting Network (DBN,) utilising three geostationary satellites: TDRSS 4, Spacenet 3, and AsiaSat 2.

The result was just smashing even though just a quarter of a single transponder's bandwidth was used: data were transmitted at 6 Mbps in addition to a sample 2 Mbps video signal from APTV.

The transmitted data included

• The Sunday Times Internet edition with multimedia enhancements (15 MByte in 20 seconds)
• Fox baseball clip (5.4 MByte in 7 seconds)
• TV Guide Promo (5 MByte in 7 seconds)
• Simpson's MPEG video clip (3 MByte in 4 seconds)

Oh great, I hear Internet users yell, when can I subscribe to that service? Never, of course. This has nothing to do with Internet over satellite -- this was more or less like a TV broadcast that involved no interaction and went just one way. It was point-to-multipoint, which may be nice for professional companies who want to provide their businesses all over the world with internal information, or for news agencies which are in a similar situation.

CHANNELS

How private is "private" TV?

Admit it: you always wanted to know how "private" TV stations are set up in Malaysia. What a coincidence! Malaysia just announced that a private TV station will be set up, covering the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT).

The new TV station would be able to disseminate more information on the activities of the IMT-GT, said Information Minister Mohamed Rahmat. He believed that the private TV station would contribute towards the development and progress of the TV industry in the country.

The new station, the fourth "private" one in the country, was approved by the government at a cabinet meeting last week. Minister Rahmat will meet officials of the station's operator soon to discuss the format of the TV station and the involvement of Indonesia and Thailand.

Does that sound "private" to you? Anyway, key licenses for commercial TV in Germany, for example, were issued just that way, and I guess it's been the same in many Western countries.

LAW & ORDER

India: more confusion

We've had the Indian media law, then a surprising DTH dish ban. What's next? A broadcast law, of course. Or is it all the same, and no law has actually been passed anyway? I just don't get it.

Indian officials now were quoted as saying that a bill allowing private broadcasters to beam radio and television programmes from within the country was likely to be approved by parliament in November. Information and Broadcasting Minister Jaipal Reddy told a seminar on the planned broadcast law that he was "reasonably confident that we will be able to adopt the bill in the winter session of parliament."

However, the DTH dish ban is for real, keeping Rupert Murdoch's Star TV out of India for the time being. Reddy said the government was not opposed to DTH services but added they should be subject to regulation. "Therefore we first need the regulatory authority," he said.

QUICKIES

WebTV -- BDB -- Canal+ -- Iran -- Palestine

• The U.S: Justice Department approved the proposed acquisition of WebTV Networks by Microsoft in a deal valued at US$425 million. "The investigation confirmed that a number of other companies, several of whom are significant participants in the computer or consumer electronics industries, have or will soon enter the market with competitive products and alternative technologies," the department said in a brief statement.
• British Digital Broadcasting picked Castle Transmission International to provide 15 terrestrial digital TV channels. The service expects to launch in the United Kingdom next year. Castle Transmission, a consortium that includes Castle Tower Corporation and Telediffusion de France, acquired the BBC's domestic radio and television transmission business earlier this year.
• French pay-television company Canal Plus is in talks with a French press group about setting up a TV news channel. The daily newspaper "La Tribune" says that the planned channel would be designed to compete head-on with LCI, a channel controlled by another commercial French TV company, TF1. The newspaper report says Canal Plus is talking to the Amoury group, which publishes the papers "Le Parisien" and "L'Equipe."
• According to Israeli radio, "Opponents of the [Iranian] regime" will be able to use the Amos-1 communications satellite one hour a day, rising to three hours a day soon. The radio channel of a unnamed Iranian opposition group will be uplinked from London. Although there is an official ban of satellite reception, many Iranians tune in regularly to foreign radio stations, Israeli radio said.
• The Israeli Broadcast Authority (IBA) has refused government suggestions to jam Palestinian radio and TV broadcasts. Motti Kirschenbaum, IBA director, was quoted as saying he had to mind his own business and keep out of those of other broadcasters. The Israeli government claimed Palestinian media outlets were promoting terrorist activities. According to the government, the IBA is in possession of jamming equipment [would be interesting to know what they used it for in the past.]

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