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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 1058.PDF
THURSDAY APRIL 16, 1964 Number 2875 Volume 85 Editor-in-Chief MAURICE A. SMITH DFC Editor H. F. KINO MBE Technical Editor W. T.GUNSTON Air Transport Editor J. IM. RAMSDEN Production Editor ROY CASEY Managing Director H. N. PRIAULX MBE In this World News International Squadron Air Commerce Airline Profile: ME A Short Questions Air versus Rail in Europe Straight and Level Letters Sport and Business Missiles and Spacefligrht Industry International Service Aviation issue 596 598 6OO 607 612 614 617 618 620 621 626 628 Ififfa Transport Publications LU, DorsetHouse, Stamford Street, London, SE1; telephone Waterloo 3333 (Telex 25137).Telegrams FUghtpres London Telex. Annual subscriptions: Home £4 15s.Overseas £6 5s. Canada and USA *15.00. Second Class Mall privileges authorizedat New York, NY. Branch Offices: Coventry, 8-10 Corpora-tion Street; telephone Coventry 25210. Birmingham, King Edward House, NewStreet, Birmingham 2; telephone Mid- land 7191. Manchester, 260 Deansgate,Manchester 3; telephone Blaokfriars «12 or Deansgate 3595. GlUfow, 123Hope Street, Glasgow C2; telephone Central 1265-8. Bristol, 11 Marsh Street,Bristol 1; telephone Bristol 21491/2. New York, NY: Thomas Skinner A CoPublishers) Ltd, HI Broadway 6; telephone Dfcby e-1197.© Hiffe Transport Publications Ltd, f 1HS4. Permission to reproduce Illustra-tions and letterpress can be granted only under written agreement. Brief extractsor comments may be made with due »CKnowledgement. Official Orpin of the Royal Aero Club First Aeronautical Weekly in th» World Founded in 1909 Early Birds ... THE prospects for a world-wide system of communication satellitesare now quite clear, following last week's international conference on satellite communications held in London. The US Communications Satellite Corporation has detailed its plans and has outlined how these could form the basis of an international operation; and the European countries have emphasized their need for technological, as well as financial, shares in the enterprise. In effect, the USA is inviting the other countries of the world to partici- pate in the development and operation of a global system of space com- munications. The first step will be the signing of an agreement to do this, and in particular to evaluate the synchronous system covering the North Atlantic which will be initiated by the US Comsat Corporation next year. This is based on an adaptation, known as Early Bird, of the Hughes com- pany's Syncom spacecraft. It will be experimental; but, if the quality of transmissions proves to be of commercial standard, and if the operating costs are comparable to those of cables, this system would "go com- mercial" in its latter stages. By 1966-67 the second phase of the operation, widening from a North Atlantic link to a global system, would begin. Two highly relevant points which emerged at the London meeting were that (1) the nature of this, system is not yet decided—it might be synchronous, or low-altitude, or both—and (2) the eventual overall system might well embrace a number of sub-systems: these would provide a self-contained if limited service, but would be designed also to play an integral part in the overall system. ... and Late Starters With realistic objectives and the initial timetable defined in this manner, here is Europe's opportunity. The fact that the initial steps into com- mercial space communications are based on US hardware is a fundamental fact of life which it is pointless to bemoan. More than three years ago the USA had six distinct types of communication satellite under development; it is hardly surprising that the Americans are about to reap the benefit of this. Britain could have had her own experimental communication satellite, launched by a British rocket, in orbit before now, if she had so desired. Instead, the subject of communication satellites slipped between four Government departments and the design studies gathered dust. Now the international negotiations are in progress, and we have to catch up. The GPO has authority to invest up to £15m, if the terms are right. In the second and later phases of the proposed system there will be scope for European brainpower and hardware, as well as for financial investment and profit. This could involve not only the design and con- struction of spacecraft, but also the use of European launch vehicles— particularly if an equatorial launch site is developed. For the first time there is the prospect of the European Launcher Development Organi- zation selling more than four of its three-stage vehicles (the European Space Research Organization will require only four ELDO vehicles for its initial eight-year programme). And there is the prospect, at long last, of satellite launchers based on Black Knight being developed. The series of intergovernmental talks now going on is aimed, realisti- cally, at setting up the system first and establishing a formal international organization later. Progress appears to have been unexpectedly good at the London conference; the prize is a new, worthwhile and literally world-embracing project.
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