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Aviation History
1996
1996 - 1712.PDF
SPACEFLIGHT UK envisages future in Earth observation ADRAFT PLAN looking at future UK space policy has confirmed a continued commit ment to remote-sensing Earth- observation programmes, which could form the second fully com mercialised space industry, after communications (Flight Inter national, 10-16 April). The plan was released by UK space minister Ian Taylor at the sec ond Space Policy Forum in London. After receiving comments on the policy document, Taylor plans to issue the final plan in August. His commitment to mov ing space science further into die commercial arena has been wel comed by the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council. Science spending represents about $77 million of the space budget. The UK minister does not fore see an increase in the present 1997 $295 million UK space budget to 2000, but the commitment to remote-sensing technologies is indicated by the projected $155 million for it in the budget, rising to $172 million in 1999. Taylor arrived at die Forum with news of a $10.9 million increase in the 1996 budget (Flight Inter national, 3-9July), in addition to the $4.3 million he had committed ear lier, primarily for the enhanced Ariane 5 Mark 2 programme. The additional funding increases the UK's support for die European Space Agency's satellite-navigation and technology and applications programmes. The European glob al-navigation satellite system re ceives extra UK spending of $5.5 million, while $3.04 million goes into applications and $3.08 million in general-technology support. • NEWS IN BRIEF • MORELOS FOR HUGHES Hughes has won the $90.5 mil lion contract to build the new- generation Morelos 3 com munications satellite for Mexico, bearing Lockheed Martin and Space Systems Loral. The Hughes-built, HS- 376 Morelos 1 and 2 were launched in 1985. Japanese H2 may be used as Artemis launcher for Europe TIM FURNISS/LONDON ADEAL WHICH could include die free launch of the European Space Agency's (ESA) troubled Artemis communications-technol ogy satellite aboard a Japanese H2 booster is being negotiated between the European and Japanese space agencies. The deal would be part of a wide-ranging agreement between the two agencies. Japan would also use the Artemis as part of the agree ment, which is expected to be rati fied at the end of this year, says ESA. The deal may save the Artemis programme, which is under threat as a result of being 350 million ECUs ($280 million) over budget. No funds have been allocated for its originallyintended Ariane 5 launch in 1997. The Alenia Spazio-built satellite will be used to demonstrate laser intersatellite links, L-band mobile communications and data- relay payloads. Other areas of co-operation will include data access from, and the use of, each nation's communica tions and Earth-observation satel lites. Those could include Japan's Adeos satellite, technological ex changes on die H2 and Ariane 5 automated transfer-vehicle pro grammes, and the sharing of space- station utilities. • Date set for Ariane 5 report The first Ariane 5 headsfor disaster THE REPORT of the official enquiry into the loss of the European Space Agency's (ESA) first Ariane 5 booster after launch from Kourou, French Guiana, on 4 June, is due to be released on 15 July. The second Ariane 5 launch is still scheduled for October. The accident report is expected to cite malfunctions in two modi fied Ariane 4-class laser-gyro iner- tial-guidance system (IGS)- align ment software packages. The Sextant Avionique IGS fit ted to the Ariane 5 may not have been evaluated fully under a simu lated, new, Ariane 5 launch envir onment, say industry sources (Flight International, 26 June-2 July). European commercial- launch firm Arianespace expects to take delivery of die third Ariane 5 for commercial operations, possi bly starting in February 1997, should flight 502 be successful. The ESA-funded Ariane 502, designated flight V93, will carry an Amsat satellite as a test payload and, possibly, the Atmospheric Re entry Demonstrator capsule. The company says that, follow ing the order of an extra 25 Ariane 4 boosters in 1995/6 — in addition to the 50orderedin 1988 —itwill be able to fulfil launch commit ments, even if the Ariane 5 pro gramme is delayed. A total of 16 Ariane 4s remains to be flown, and 12 Ariane 5s are on order for Arianespace. ESA is considering a proposal to fly a new science mission in 2000, called die Phoenix, to replace die four $500 million Cluster satellites lost on the Ariane 501. The mission would use a refurbished Cluster structural model, with three new Cluster craft. • NASA selects new Millennium targets NASA's FIRST New Mil lennium craft, the Deep Space 1, equipped with an ion- propulsion system and to be launched in July 1998, will flypast the asteroid McAulliffe and the comet West-Kohoutek-Ikemura, NASA has announced (Flight International, 10-16 January). Another New Millennium spacecraft will be flown in forma tion with the Landsat 7 remote- sensing satellite, to be launched in December 1998, to evaluate an advanced hyperspectral-imaging instrument which could extend die data-set beyond the Landsat series. Two micro-penetrators, developed under the New Millennium pro gramme, will be carried aboard die Mars Surveyor Lander, to be launched injanuary 1999. The 2kg sensors will be dropped from the spacecraft 110km above the Red Planet and, upon impact, will pen etrate the Martian soil to a depth of 2 m (Flight International, 20 Dec ember, 1995-2 January). • •llk'l*MUIIU4Mlk'M!IU> No Date Spacecraft 35 15Jun Intelsat 709 36 20Jun Columbia 20 Type Comsat Science Launcher!*) Ariane 4 (6)+ STS78 (5) Country!*) Europe (6) USA (18) Launch site!*) Kourou(6) KSC (5) + Ariane 44P model f 2) Note: maiden Ariane 5 launch csrryingfour Cluster satellites failed on 4 June. SoyuzU launch from Plesetsk failed on 20 June. Last satellite launch log: Right International, 12-18 June 24 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 10 - 16 July 1996
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