Aerospace Diary

Posted by Neelam Mathews April 3, 2012 A commercial Launch Services Agreement between Antrix Corporation Ltd, the commercial arm of ISRO and ASTRIUM, was signed recently. Under this agreement, an advanced Remote Sensing satellite – SPOT -6 –  weighing nearly 800 kg, built by ASTRIUM, will be launched on-board ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), during the second half of 2012. Along with SPOT – 6 satellite, the PSLV, in its 'core alone' configuration, will also carry other co-passenger payloads. This Launch Services Agreement signed between ANTRIX and ASTRIUM is a part of the Long Term Agreement signed between the two agencies in September 2008. In November 2010, under a commercial contract between ANTRIX and ASTRIUM, an advanced communication satellite HYLAS was successfully built by ISRO and ASTRIUM together for a EUROPEAN customer.

Aerospace Daily Nov 30, 2010 PROGRAMS Arianespace orbited two communications satellites on Nov. 26 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The two spacecraft were Intelsat 17, launched for international satellite operator Intelsat, and Hylas 1, for the European operator Avanti Communications. The flight marked the 54th Ariane 5 launch. Intelsat 17 is being maneuvered to its parking orbit of 68.5 deg. East longitude as a replacement for the 16-year-old Intelsat 702. Manufacturer Space Systems/Loral reports Intelsat 17’s solar arrays deployed nominally and its thrusters were fired twice to begin the maneuver into geosynchronous orbit. The spacecraft will provide video and network services across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Intelsat 17 weighed 5,540 kg. (12,200 lb.) at launch and is fitted with a hybrid C- and Ku-band payload with a design life of 18 years. It will deliver a wide range of communication services for Europe, the Middle East, Russia and A...