| Title: | Space Exploration |
| Notice: | Shuttle launch schedules, see Note 6 |
| Moderator: | PRAGMA::GRIFFIN |
| Created: | Mon Feb 17 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Thu Jun 05 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 974 |
| Total number of notes: | 18843 |
From: [email protected] (Wales Larrison) Newsgroups: sci.space Date: 1 Apr 91 03:49:14 GMT Organization: Universal Electronics Inc. This is the sixth in an irregular series on news from the commercial space business. The commentaries are my own thoughts on these developments. Posted in 5 messages (My apologies - message length restrictions at my up-load point). Contents - 1- OSC REVEALS PROTOTYPE COMMERCIAL COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE 2- ARIANE-5 PROGRAM ON SCHEDULE 3- NEW NASA/USAF HLLV PLANNED TO HAVE COMMERCIAL ROLE (2 msgs) 4- SOVIETS MAY BUY WESTERN COMSAT TECHNOLOGY 5- NASA SUED FOR BREECH OF COMMERCIAL CONTRACT BY HUGHES Articles ------------------------------------------------------------------ OSC REVEALS PROTOTYPE TO COMMERCIAL COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE Orbital Sciences Corp (OSC) recently showed off its experimental precursor of a small, low-orbiting store/dump communications satellite. As described by OSC, the ORBCOMM-X satellite is about 35 lbs in weight and use about 8 watts of power. It is planned for launch as a "hitchhiker" smallsat payload on an upcoming Ariane-4 launch in May. The Ariane will deploy the ORBCOMM-X satellite into a polar orbit of about 480 miles altitude while inserting another polar orbiting satellite. The ORBCOMM-X satellite will demonstrate the capability to receive a communications from its ground station in Virginia, store it, and then retransmit it to the ground on its next pass. This will demonstrate prototype operations for a proposed network of 20 similar satellites to provide continuous data communications, messaging, and position determination to customers worldwide. [Commentary: OSC has had a division of its organization working on this small communications satellite for some time. This system can be seen as two things - a potential competitor to the Motorola Iridium system, and as a potential competitor to Geostar/Locstar, It should be noted that the proposed OSC system would not provide the cellular phone service that Iridium would provide, but would compete directly with the Geostar system. As Geostar has run into financial problems, this system might have some attraction for the U.S. market, but between Locstar in Europe, and other competitors entering the market in the U.S., it might find hard going to enter into these markets. Similarly, Iridium has the ability to preempt much of this market - if they can lock up the international market through the international consortium they are rumored to be trying to construct for the Iridium system. However, the ORBCOMM system would require less orbital frequency spectrum, and might be a little easier to sell on the international market. But it would not offer the same services as Iridium. Either way, this would only influence a future business area for OSC, and the jury is still out on both systems. It should also be noted the Soviet Union has also offered to sell a polar-orbiting store/dump communications satellite system at bargain basement prices. I don't believe this system offers the same capabilities as advertised for the OSC ORBCOMM system or the Iridium system, but it has the advantage of being proven in service. A similar (identical?) system is used for USSR global military and intelligence communications, and a constellation of satellites is on orbit (they are not for sale). There have been no takers for this system yet, but the satellites (and presumably launch services for them) are now for sale on the market.] ARIANE-5 PROGRAM ON SCHEDULE Arianespace, the firm which currently launches about 60% of the commercial satellites on the market, is on schedule to provide an up-dated version of its Ariane rocket. The current Ariane 4 rocket, which was first launched in 1988, will be replaced with the Ariane- 5. This vehicle will be composed of a large cryogenic core rocket, with 2 large solid rocket boosters, and with its larger payload capability and volume will be able to boost three medium-sized satellites or the European Hermes manned spaceplane. Tests on the new engines needed for the Ariane-5 are underway, with Arianespace expecting to complete full scale tests of the new HM60 cryogenic engine, new large solid rocket motors, and some structural mockup tests. The solid and liquid motor tests are expected to be completed by the end of 1994. If the current schedule is maintained, the first flight of the Ariane-5 will be in early 1995. The expected price for Ariane 5 payloads was projected by Arianespace President Charles Bigot to be equivalent to that of the Ariane 4. But he also claimed the Ariane 5 will have higher reliability (98%) and should reduce insurance rates and launch costs. [Commentary: European governments and agencies - primarily France and Germany - are spending about $4 B on this development. The Ariane-5 vehicle is being developed as a core program of the European Space Agency (ESA), and Arianespace will be given a new launch facility and the qualified vehicle to operate. Furthermore, since most of the European demand is government (either ESA, national space agencies, or national PT&T agencies) Arianespace will be guaranteed a market sufficient to operate the Ariane-5. Any additional launches they obtain will reduce the costs of launching the European satellites. Japan has also taken this route, forming the Rocket Systems Corp to provide an equivalent to Arianespace for the NASDA H-2 rocket. This points out a problem with equal trade with Arianespace. General Dynamics has put over $400M into the improved Atlas launch vehicle system (and is now losing money). Now they will have to compete with a new system developed by European government agencies and given to their competitor. Is this fair? I can't fault GD's objections, but similarly, the Atlas was originally designed as an ICBM, and the European perspective is that they are merely providing the same support the US government has provided in the past. My opinion is if this is the European perspective, then the U.S. government (Congress, NASA and DoD) should aggressively support the existing US launch companies with R&D, directed technology studies, and lots of "technology demonstration" and "prototype" contracts to provide the same playing field with Japan and the U.S. (These contracts should also go to companies like OSC, Amroc, SII, etc. who have small but crucial new technology systems they are trying to develop.) In the long run, this is not a good solution, as it merely perpetrates the current market conditions, but without it in the short term, U.S. launch companies will be forced to operate at a severe disadvantage, and they will probably end up being driven out of the business. Another option is for the U.S. to form a national launch consortium or company which would act as the Arianespace or Rocket Systems Corp in the U.S. This is probably a better solution than that listed as above, but still could cause some problems in the long term. This is going to be a hot topic for U.S. space policy for the next several years.] NEW NASA/USAF HLLV PLANNED TO HAVE COMMERCIAL ROLE [I have not been covering the new "Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle" plans being discussed between the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and NASA because there was little commercial activities being discussed for it. This new development, may desire being brought to folk's attention though.] The biggest new development in space transportation over the last year has been the proposed joint development of a new launch system called the National Launch System "NLS" by the NASA and DoD. This system was originally envisioned to provide two roles - a replacement/ backup to the USAF Titan-4 system, and a capability to launch supplies and expansion modules for the NASA Space Station. Current discussions between the two agencies have focused on defining the relative roles of the two agencies in the program, and establishing a baseline design to be pursued. Apparently, NASA and the DoD are nearing agreement on a common system and should be ready to present the preliminary specifications and joint management plan to the National Space Council within a few weeks. Both organizations have included $175 M within each organization's budget request to Congress to begin work towards this system in the next fiscal year. The remaining differences are claimed to center around the eventual systems requirements - with the USAF needing only about 20- 50,000 lbs capability by about 2005 (primarily driven by the Titan-4 replacement role), and NASA pushing for 50,000 - 150,000 lbs capability for Space Station and some early Lunar missions. NASA is also talking about being needing to be able to "gracefully grow" the system into the 250,000- 500,000 lb capability to support future Mars missions. As discussed by NASA and the DoD, the NLS would draw upon existing components (shuttle external tanks for the core structure, shuttle or Titan solid rocket boosters, and Titan-4 shrouds) as well as the Advanced Launch System (ALS) technology development program (new lower cost STME cryo engine, new avionics, launch processing, and system automation) to provide a launch capability by 1999. The eventual goal for the goal for the system will be to reduce launch costs to $300/lb and the infrastructure for the system must be designed to support a launch rate high enough to achieve this. Both the NASA and DoD are describing this vehicle as having commercial applications at the lower end of its launch capability range (20,000 lbs or more). And both organizations have stated there is "commercial interest" in this vehicle. [Commentary: If the NLS is desired to be of commercial interest, then I disagree with this approach. Designing a system for DoD and NASA needs, and then trying to kluge it into a commercial launch system is a recipe for disaster. Since the design point for the vehicle will be in the 50,000-100,000 pounds (or higher) range, then reducing its capability will add parasitic weight and cost to a commercial launcher, competing in a cost-sensitive market. My opinion is that the government should remove themselves from the detailed design business, and just state they wish to purchase a launch capability of XX in 1999 and beyond, with a market of YY lbs per year. This market guarantee would have to be approved by Congress, of course, but would allow the commercial launch companies (Martin, GD, McDonnell, Rockwell, OSC, etc.) to team and compete for this system. Rather than having to kluge up a system from DoD and NASA launch systems (Shuttle and Titan), the commercial companies could use the ALS and existing systems to come up with a cost-driven solution. This would also pretty much solve the issues over the "NASA/DoD Joint Management Plan", since the services would be provided as commercial launch services, requiring much less government oversight of the contractors. Costs should also be pretty much the same or less - and I think that the government could fund two launch teams into a "launch off" of competing prototypes for about the same money. (This would probably require some coordination between the two systems to allow them to use the same basic launch facilities, though - a good role for the government). This would also encourage the competing teams to consider commercial applications - as a backup if they should lose the competition, and to figure out faster, better ways to recoup their prototyping costs. But I am not impressed with the commercial prospects for the NLS. It's another system designed by the government, built by the government, to be operated by the government, for government needs - and giving lip-service to kluging a "commercial version" is only political maneuvering. Let's get real, folks.] SOVIETS MAY BUY WESTERN COMSATS In a rather surprising development, representatives of the Soviet Union are reported to be checking out the possibility of buying Western hardware as the basis for a new Soviet domestic satellite communications network. Apparently, the Soviets have approached two firms in Germany and Spar Aerospace in Canada to act as suppliers for a proposed new Soviet Ku-band domestic network known as "Romantis" This system would be coordinated by a Soviet entity called Informcosmos. As proposed, Glavcosmos and Intersputnik would consult to this organization (of Soviet communications bureaus), installing western Ku-band transponders on Soviet satellites (previously's Intersputnik's responsibility) and launching them on Proton rockets (presumably Glavcosmos' responsibility). Up to 300,000 ground stations have been proposed to link with this system, and the Canadian and German firms approached have also proposed to provide these as part of the package (or provide the technology and expertise for them). Key issues still be resolved with this venture include the split of who builds what ground stations with whose technology, technology transfer issues under COCOM restrictions on space hardware transfer to the Soviets, and Soviet payment in non-convertible currency. Current turmoil in responsibility between the Russian Republic and the central Soviet government have also complicated this issue. [An interesting development with interesting ramifications - but one which will probably not pay off for some years. This Soviet business venture is even more speculative than average since the Soviets have been very proud of their space hardware expertise, and have been trying to sell their communications satellite technology on the world market. Buying western hardware or technology will soak off hard-to-find hard currency, and is a challenge to the Soviet space bureaucracy. Adding the current confusion in Soviet vs Republic responsibility means it will be difficult to find anyone with the resources and authority to approve and fund such a system. Also, the Soviets have in the past been very insistent in providing their own satellite systems, including forming a competitor to the Intelsat international telecommunications system called Intersputnik which used all-Soviet hardware. This program would be the death knell for Intersputnik.] NASA SUED FOR BREECH OF COMMERCIAL CONTRACTS BY HUGHES On Friday, 22 March 1991, Hughes Communications Galaxy Inc filed a suit against NASA for over $288 M on claims of damage in shifting 10 satellites from the Space Shuttle after the Challenger accident. Hughes claimed it had chosen the Space Shuttle to launch their satellites after a competition between it and the Ariane, signed a launch services contract with NASA on 5 Dec 1985 to launch 10 satellites on the shuttle, beginning in December 1987. However, after the Challenger accident, all commercial payloads, including the Hughes satellites were removed from the Shuttle manifest, under a revised government policy for shuttle usage. Instead of using the Shuttle, the Hughes satellites flew on Ariane and U.S. ELVs, but to date 4 of the original 10 satellites have not flown. There were terms in the LSA under which disputes between Hughes and NASA could be resolved, but Hughes claims their attorneys have exhausted these procedures, including written appeal to the NASA administrator. Thus, the filing of the lawsuit in U.S. Claims Court in Washington for $288,454,000 in extra costs for launch service, added insurance and satellite reconfiguration costs after they were forced to rehost their satellites onto other launch vehicles. NASA General Council has stated they will probably dispute this claim. [Commentary: I wish Hughes good luck with this suit, although I do not think they will receive much satisfaction with it. They did incur some major costs post-Challenger, and the government policy rushed out at that time did not consider how the changes of the government policy would affect the commercial world. Besides Hughes, several other satellite communications companies had to incur substantial additional costs, as well as the whole field of commercial upper stages which would have used the Shuttle was wiped out. (OSC almost went under at this point). I think the Presidential policy implemented then was hurried and not well thought out - and I am glad someone with money is calling the government to task on this. If they do win, they open up the door for suits from GE Astro, OSC, and other firms - probably with potential liabilities of another $200-500M or more (another 8-10 satellites, with additional liabilities for lost business). However, I don't think they will have much luck with this suit. These suits have not had much of a success rate in the past, and most government contracts do not have termination liability clauses built into them (They can be "terminated at the convenience of the government"). But I have been surprised by some recent successes of firms suing NASA. ] ----------------------------------------------------------------- Wales Larrison Space Technology Investor "There are some men, who in a 50-50 proposition, insist on getting the hyphen too..." -- Wales Larrison Internet: [email protected] Compuserve: >internet:[email protected] --------------------------------------------------------------------------
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 720.1 | NASA and INTEC sign agreement to explore ways to facilitate satellite salvage | PRAGMA::GRIFFIN | Dave Griffin | Tue Jun 30 1992 21:03 | 83 |
Bill Livingstone
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. June 30, 1992
RELEASE: 92-99
NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin today signed an
agreement with International Technology Underwriters
(INTEC) to explore ways the insurance industry can assist
in financing human and robotic satellite rescue and
repair missions.
INTEC also will look at options for providing
incentives in the construction of commercial satellites
to make them easier to rescue and repair if problems
develop.
"While NASA has worked closely with private industry
in the retrieval and repair of satellites, much more can
be done," Goldin said. "Satellite rescues have relied
solely on the Space Shuttle. But its orbit is limited to
a few hundred miles in altitude and cannot retrieve
satellites in geosynchronous orbit."
"We need to consider new approaches to salvaging
satellites that will encourage the further
commercialization of space, such as robotic rescues in
high and lower orbits," Goldin said.
James W. Barrett, Chairman of INTEC, noted that, "The
insurance industry has had a great tradition of salvage
in the maritime field and similar concepts must be
explored for the benefit of the continued expansion of
commercial and civil space enterprise."
Specifically, provisions in the agreement include:
o INTEC will explore creative methods the insurance
industry can take to assist in financing "human or
robotically conducted salvage missions. It also
will look at ways to encourage owners of commercial
spacecraft to buy satellites incorporating certain
features that make their rescue and repair easier.
o NASA will provide historical data to INTEC on
civil spacecraft that have suffered partial or total
failure and would have been worthwhile to salvage;
o INTEC will attempt to determine how many failed
spacecraft might have been salvaged; and
o INTEC will present its initial findings and
recommendations to NASA within 90 days.
"In several cases, technical problems with satellites
could have been easily fixed. But their salvage was not
attempted because of the unavailability of suitable
boosters or equipment," Goldin said.
Those attending the signing of the Memorandum of
Understanding at the Rayburn House Office Building
included Congressman George E. Brown, Jr. (D-CA)
Chairman, House Committee on Science, Space and
Technology; Congressman Robert S. Walker, (R-PA) Ranking
Committee Minority Member; NASA Administrator Daniel S.
Goldin; Jim Barrett, Chairman and CEO, INTEC; Aaron
Cohen, Acting Deputy Administrator of NASA; Brian Dailey,
Executive Secretary, Space Council; Arnold D. Aldrich,
Office of Space Systems Development; George Abbey,
Special Assistant to the Administrator; Jack Mannix,
Associate Administrator for Commercial Programs; Edward
Frankle, NASA General Counsel; and Courtney Stadd,
Senior Director for Commercial Space, Space Council.
Also attending were Rick Hauck, President,
International Technology Underwriters, Inc.; Bruce
Campbell, Office of Management and Budget; Kent
Stansberry, Space Policy Director, Office of Strategic
Defence Space & Verification Policy, Office of the
Secretary of Defense; Stephanie Meyers, Norm Bowles,
Dept. of Transportation; and Jim Frelk, Director, Office
of Space Commerce, Dept. of Commerce.
| |||||
| 720.2 | NASA selects 31 ACTS experiments | PRAGMA::GRIFFIN | Dave Griffin | Tue Aug 18 1992 16:35 | 177 |
Barbara E. Selby
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. August 17, 1992
Linda S. Ellis
Lewis Research Center, Cleveland
RELEASE: 92-134
NASA has selected 31 experiments from the public and private sectors
for inclusion in the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS)
Program. Scheduled for launch in early 1993, this national communications
facility will operate as an orbiting testbed for the next generation of
commercial communications satellites.
Planned for a 2-year experiment period, the ACTS program offers a
unique opportunity for commercial, governmental and academic organizations
to experiment with and validate new communications satellite technologies.
"The ACTS program is a successful relationship in which industry,
academia and government have joined together to lead America's innovation
in unprecedented communications technologies," said John G. Mannix, NASA
Assistant Administrator for Commerical Programs. "Such initiative restores
this country's preeminence in an increasingly competitive world market."
Developed to support future high-risk communications needs which fall
outside the sponsorship capability of the private sector, the ACTS is
pioneering technology developments that will provide better service, lower
cost, greater convenience and improved reliability.
The ACTS system incorporates advanced technologies such as a
baseband processor which acts as an onboard computer providing memory
and processing aboard the satellite. This device electronically sorts and routs
traffic from points of origin to points of destination without the necessity of
going through a ground station.
Another feature is an onboard microwave switch matrix that can route
high volume traffic at much higher data rates than current communications
satellites, thus allowing communications between supercomputers or the
distribution of high-definition television signals.
The satellite's electronically hopping spot beams will focus narrow,
high-powered beams on isolated locations. These spot beams are useful for
linking geographically dispersed areas and make it possible to reduce the size
and substantially lower the cost of the ground station. The satellite also will
use radio components at Ka-band, a new and uncrowded frequency band for
commercial use in the United States.
Experiments in the ACTS program will test a variety of applications.
American Express plans to transmit and receive data at high speeds through
the ACTS small ground stations testing the technology for possible use in a
future operational system.
In other experiments, the Mayo Foundation will use ACTS to
demonstrate medical support to remote communities and to transfer high-
definition imagery. The National Science Foundation's Palmer Station in
Antarctica will transmit data and images used for scientific research.
Georgetown University is creating a high-speed, interactive education
network in South America.
The ACTS experiments program is sponsored by NASA's Office of
Commercial Programs, Washington, D.C., with project management provided
by NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland.
Selected from 50 proposals submitted in response to an August 1991
Experiment Opportunity Announcement, the experiments are:
o "Video and High Definition Television Transmission (HDTV)," C. V. Girod,
The Public Broadcasting Service, Alexandria, Va.
o "Georgetown Hemispheric Intercultural Network for Knowledge (G-
Think)," Rev. Harold C. Bradley, S.J., Georgetown University, Office of Federal
Relations, Washington, D.C.
o "Hopping Beam Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) Operation
Observations," Robert Ridings, COMSAT Laboratories, Network Technology
Division, Clarksburg, Md.
o "Application of the NASA ACTS Satellite System to the Practice of
Medicine in an Integrated Group Practice," Dr. R. R. Hattery, M.D., Mayo
Foundation, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Rochester, Minn.
o "Prototype Intelsat Operations," A. M. Goldman, Jr., COMSAT World
Systems, Washington, D.C.
o "High Bit Rate Modem Evaluation," Kerry D. Lee, Motorola, Inc., Strategic
Electronics Division, Chandler, Ariz.
o "Low Bit Rate Transmit Window Characterization," Kerry D. Lee, Motorola,
Inc., Strategic Electronics Division, Chandler, Ariz.
o "Coding Gain Evaluation," Kerry D. Lee, Motorola, Inc., Strategic
Electronics Division, Chandler, Ariz.
o "ACTS Mobile Terminal (AMT)," Tom Jedrey, NASA Jet Propulsion
Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
o "Disaster Recovery, Backup and Communications Augmentation
Experiment Using ACTS," Don Flournoy, Institute for Telecommunications
Studies, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
o "Public Switched Network Restoration," Frank Dixon, National
Communications System, Arlington, Va.
o "Public Switched Network Trucking," Frank Dixon, National
Communications System, Arlington, Va.
o "Isolated User Access," Frank Dixon, National Communications System,
Arlington, Va.
o "Secure Mobile Communications," Frank Dixon, National Communications
System, Arlington, Va.
o "Quantify ACTS End-to-End Communication System Performance," Robert
D. Cass, National Telecommunications and Information
Administration/Institute for Telecommunication Studies, U.S. Department of
Commerce, Boulder, Colo.
o "Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Via ACTS," Lt. Col. Mick
Hanratty, AIRMICS, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Ga.
o "Army ACTS Experiments," Maj. Mary Kaura, USARSPACE, Colorado
Springs, Colo.
o "Applications of Small Earth Stations in Conducting Telescience and
Telemedicine," Gerald R. Taylor, Ph.D., Johnson Space Center, Pace
Biomedical Research Institute, Houston
o "Real-Time, High-Bandwidth Data Links," Dr. Stephen Horan, New Mexico
State University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Las
Cruces, N.M.
o "Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Experiments," Moorthy
Hariharan, COMSAT Laboratories, Network Technology Division, Clarksburg,
Md.
o "Direct-To-Premise ACTS Based Video Services," Dr. Vason P. Srini,
Dataflow Systems, Division of Innovative Configuration Inc., Berkeley, Calif.
o "ACTS Experiments Proposal," Frederick Weber, Orion Satellite Corp.,
Rockville, Md.
o "Supercomputer Networking Applications," Dr. Burton I. Edelson, The
George Washington University, Institute for Applied Space Research,
Washington, D.C.
o "Protocol Evaluation for Advanced Space Data Interchange," Quoc T.
Nguyen, The MITRE Corp., McLean, Va.
o "Traffic Modeling, Channel Characterization, Coding and Modulation on
ACTS," Y. Bar-Ness, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, New
Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, N.J.
o "Low-Cost Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Network," Dr.
Kermit Reister, Center for AeroSpace Technology, Weber State University,
Ogden, Utah
o "Availability Comparison Between Ku and Ka Satellite Technologies," Allen
R. Neely, American Express, Phoenix, Ariz.
o "Satellite Communications for Transmission of Corrections to GPS Users,"
Sally L. Frodge, U.S. Army Topographic Engineering Center, Fort Belvoir, Va.
- "Advanced Applications to Validate ACTS Technologies," Dr. David Y. Y. Yun,
University of Hawaii at Manoa, Information Technology Division, Honolulu,
Hawaii.
o "Testing of ACTS Onboard Technologies for Selected Hybrid Networking
Applications," Dr. John S. Baras, University of Maryland Center for the
Commercial Development of Space.
o "Scientific Research on the Antarctic Peninsula," Raymond C. Smith,
National Science Foundation Division of Polar Programs.
| |||||
| 720.3 | Russian commercial capsule to land off Washington | VERGA::KLAES | All the Universe, or nothing! | Thu Oct 29 1992 14:38 | 32 |
Article: 2771 From: [email protected] (UPI) Newsgroups: clari.local.washington,clari.tw.space Subject: Russian space capsule to splash down near Washington state Date: 14 Oct 92 15:22:06 GMT SEATTLE (UPI) -- A capsule from a Russian rocket is to land in international waters off the coast of Washington state in November, if all goes to plan. Seattle promoter Bob Walsh says the Soyuz rocket is to lift off Nov. 20 in Russia. He said the unmanned capsule will splash down four days later about 200 miles west of Tacoma, south of Seattle. Walsh said the ``goodwill mission'' is to demonstrate the commercial space potential for Russian rocketry. He said the capsule will contain messages to Western businesses from Russian President Boris Yeltsin and European leaders, and samples of Russian, European and U.S. products. Walsh said Tuesday the capsule will be retrieved Nov. 24 by the Russian Navy ship Marshall Krylov, which will transport it to Seattle. Walsh said it's hoped the capsule would then be donated to the Boeing Co.``s Museum of Flight. The rocket launch is known as Space Flight Europe-America 500 to commemorate the International year of Space and the 500th anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the Americas. Walsh was a key organizer of the Goodwill Games in Seattle in 1990. The competition brought athletes from the United States and then-Soviet Union together to promote international cooperation. | |||||
| 720.4 | Commercial capsule launch set for November 15 | VERGA::KLAES | All the Universe, or nothing! | Fri Nov 13 1992 14:41 | 27 |
Article: 2811 From: [email protected] (UPI) Newsgroups: clari.local.washington,clari.tw.space Subject: Russian friendship rocket to launch Sunday Date: Fri, 13 Nov 92 7:48:47 PST SEATTLE (UPI) -- A Russian rocket that is to splash down off the Washington coast is scheduled to take off Sunday. Organizers of the friendship effort said the three-stage rocket will be launched from Russia's Plesetsk military space center. The journey will end Nov. 24 with the rocket landing about 150 miles west of Seattle. Spokeswoman Gretchen Nelson in Seattle said the 3,300-pound capsule will orbit Earth for one week before descending by parachute to the Pacific Ocean. The capsule will be brought to Seattle to be displayed at the Boeing Co.'s Museum of Flight. Promoters said the Soyuz rocket will carry a capsule containing gifts and commemorative items, including messages from Russian President Boris Yeltsin and European leaders and samples of Russian, European and U.S. products. The event promotes conversion of Soviet defense technology to commercial uses and mark the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's trip to the Americas. | |||||
| 720.5 | RESURS-F satellite set for launch today | VERGA::KLAES | All the Universe, or nothing! | Sun Nov 15 1992 16:37 | 101 |
Article: 2812 From: [email protected] (MICHAEL COLLINS) Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.international,clari.tw.space Subject: Russian businessmen arrange promotional space flight Date: Sun, 15 Nov 92 5:56:44 PST PLESETSK COSMODROME, Russia (UPI) -- A top-secret base used for launching spy satellites and missile tests was transformed Sunday into the site of an unusual private promotional launch to carry advertisements and messages of goodwill to the United States. A Soyuz rocket carrying a Resurs-F satellite was to lift off shortly after midnight from the frozen launch site about 600 miles north of Moscow. The satellite was to remain in polar orbit of the Earth for six days before a return capsule is scheduled to land in international waters about 200 miles off Seattle. If all goes well it will be picked up and taken to Seattle by the Russian naval electronic specialty ship Marshal Krilov. A consortium of Russian businessmen organized the unusual private space flight with significant help from state military and space enterprises struggling to adapt to a post-Cold War economy and the reduction of massive state subsidies. They did it, organizers said, simply to show that such a project could be accomplished in a new Russia with private money, to promote business and military conversion projects and to inspire entrepreneurs to think big after seven decades of stifling communism. ``It is the great Russian dream now to have plenty of sausage and eggs, to have a normal breakfast. But now we have a lot of rockets, more rockets than eggs,'' said Gennady Alferenko, the head of the private Foundation for Social Innovations and chief promoter of the project. ``What should we do?'' he continued. ``This will show that we can do anything, we hope it will be a start ... If this project is a success it will be a good model that a group of private Russian citizens can complete a global (military) conversion project.'' The space flight has no practical purpose other than to carry an eclectic payload of more than 1,000 pounds -- including everything from official letters of goodwill to picture postcards, Russian painted eggs, promotional products and toys and a zoology textbook -- from Russia to America. It also includes a stuffed dog named Digswell, a character from a British children's book whose connection to the space project was a bit vague. Key partners in the consortium for the space flight -- called Europe- America 500 to mark the anniversary of Christopher Columbus' voyage to the New World -- were the top Russian aerospace design bureau and the Progress rocket factory in the city of Samara. Those state-funded enterprises, along with the entire former Soviet military-industrial complex and space program, are scrambling to survive amid the slowdown in state orders that always kept them near the top of the Soviet budget while the country was fighting the Cold War against the United States. But while the state industries and the military provided the expertise and equipment that has been used for intercontinental ballistic missiles and spy technology, organizers say it was private businessmen who actually footed the expenses of the flight. Major investors in the project include the St. Petersburg Bank and Ilya Baskin, one of the country's first millionaire entrepreneurs. ``I consider it one of the best investments in my business career,'' Baskin says to cynics who ask if the expensive promotion is worthwhile when many Russians are struggling to survive the transition to a market economy. ``The idea is not really conversion of industry, but conversion of people.'' Baskin, who started his fortune with a small private enterprise making children's clothes, said he also planned to use the ``trust we gained from the military-industrial complex'' in future money-making ventures -- a bonus on top of the ``great pleasure'' he got for his unspecified investment. None of the officials will say how much money is actually being spent. Alferenko said a similar project in the West would cost at least $250 million, but he added in the Russian economy it would not add up to that much. Organizers insisted not a kopeck of state money is being spent on the project, although it would have been impossible without the massive state enterprises and military launch, tracking and search and rescue facilities in place. Several expected sponsors apparently pulled out of the project before it got off the ground, but the organizers say there was no lack of funding -- although there were some signs of payment delays and other problems. Alferenko said the consortium was paying to rent facilities including the cosmodrome and the Marshal Krilov with its 400 sailors. Organizers even got the military to allow foreign and Russian reporters -- watched closely by military escorts and leather coated plainclothesmen -- to view the launch at the northern space port, which in the past was so secret neither the cosmodrome nor its adjoining town of about 35,000 people appeared on most maps. | |||||
| 720.6 | Commercial capsule in Earth orbit | VERGA::KLAES | All the Universe, or nothing! | Mon Nov 16 1992 18:43 | 130 |
Article: 2466 Newsgroups: sci.space.news From: [email protected] (Glenn Chapman) Subject: Russia's Europe-America 500 sample return mission launched Sender: [email protected] Organization: CSS, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 16:33:16 GMT Radio Moscow announced the successful launch of the Europe-American 500 sample capsule, which will land near the USA. This is a special flight of the Photon style sample return type probe, usually devoted to space processing flights. In this case the capsule is filled with items to send "good will messages" in celebration the voyage of Columbus. After 5 days (Nov. 21st) the capsule with land about 300 Km (190 mi) off the US's Pacific coast and be recovered by a Russian satellite tracking ship. The Photon capsule will then be brought to Seattle, Wash., by about Nov. 26th, where it will be put on display. Note that the Photon usually comes down on land, rather than this water type recovery. This is apparently a "publicity" type program organize by Photon, the Russian company that manufactures the hardware. Glenn Chapman School Eng. Science Simon Fraser U. Burnaby, B.C., Canada Article: 2813 From: [email protected] (MICHAEL COLLINS) Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.international,clari.tw.space Subject: Promotional Russian space flight launched Date: Sun, 15 Nov 92 14:49:22 PST PLESETSK COSMODROME, Russia (UPI) -- A Soyuz rocket carrying advertisements and messages of goodwill to the United States roared into the night sky early Monday in a private launch from a top-secret base designed for spy satellites and intercontinental ballistic missiles. The unique promotional launch went off without a hitch on time at 12:45 a.m. with the 100-foot tall rocket leading a spectacular tail of flame into cloudy skies above the frozen launch site about 620 miles north of Moscow. The rocket, carrying a Resurs-F satellite, was to remain in polar orbit for six days before a return capsule lands in international waters about 200 miles off the coast of Seattle. If all goes well it will be picked up and taken to Seattle by the Russian naval electronic specialty ship Marshal Krilov. A consortium of Russian businessmen organized the unusual private space flight with significant help from state military and space enterprises struggling to adapt to a post-Cold War economy and the reduction of massive state subsidies. They did it, organizers said, simply to show that such a project could be accomplished in a new Russia with private money, to promote business and military conversion projects and to inspire entrepreneurs to think big after seven decades of stifling communism. ``It is the great Russian dream now to have plenty of sausage and eggs, to have a normal breakfast. But now we have a lot of rockets, more rockets than eggs,'' said Gennady Alferenko, the head of the private Foundation for Social Innovations and chief promoter of the project. ``What should we do?'' he said. ``This will show that we can do anything, we hope it will be a start...If this project is a success it will be a good model that a group of private Russian citizens can complete a global (military) conversion project.'' The actual space flight has no practical purpose other than to carry a varied 1,100-pound payload from Russia to America -- everything from letters of goodwill from Preident Boris Yeltsin and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to picture postcards, Russian painted eggs, promotional products and toys and a zoology textbook. Key partners in the consortium for the space flight -- called Europe- America 500 to mark the anniversary of Christopher Columbus' voyage to the New World -- were the top Russian aerospace design bureau and the Progress rocket factory in the city of Samara. Those state-funded enterprises, along with the entire former Soviet military-industrial complex and space program, are scrambling to survive amid the slowdown in state orders that always kept them near the top of the Soviet budget while the country was fighting the Cold War against the United States. But while the state industries and the military provided the expertise and equipment that has been used for intercontinental ballistic missiles and spy technology, organizers say it was private businessmen who actually footed the expenses of the flight. Major investors in the project include the St. Petersburg Bank and Ilya Baskin, one of the country's first millionaire entrepreneurs. ``I consider it one of the best investments in my business career,'' Baskin says to cynics who ask if the expensive promotion is worthwhile when many Russians are struggling to survive the transition to a market economy. ``The idea is not really conversion of industry, but conversion of people.'' Baskin, who started his fortune with a small private enterprise making children's clothes, said he also planned to use the ``trust we gained from the military-industrial complex'' in future money-making ventures -- a bonus on top of the ``great pleasure'' he got for his unspecified investment. None of the officials will say how much money is actually being spent. Alferenko said a similar project in the West would cost at least $250 million, but he added in the Russian economy it would not add up to that much. Organizers insisted not a kopeck of state money is being spent on the project, although it would have been impossible without the massive state enterprises and military launch, tracking and search and rescue facilities in place. Several expected sponsors apparently pulled out of the project before it got off the ground, but the organizers say there was no lack of funding -- although there were some signs of payment delays and other problems. Alferenko said the consortium was paying to rent facilities including the cosmodrome and the Marshal Krilov with its 400 sailors. Organizers even got the military to allow foreign and Russian reporters -- watched closely by military escorts and leather coated plainclothesmen -- to view the launch at the northern space port, which in the past was so secret neither the cosmodrome nor its adjoining town of about 35,000 people appeared on most maps. | |||||
| 720.7 | Commercial craft returns to Earth off Washington | VERGA::KLAES | All the Universe, or nothing! | Tue Nov 24 1992 16:26 | 38 |
From: DECWRL::"[email protected]" "Glenn Chapman" 24-NOV-1992 12:17:39.03 CC: Subj: Russian Photon capsule lands in Pacific & comes to Seattle Radio Moscow on Nov. 22 announced the successful splashdown of the Europe-American 500 sample capsule, which was launched on Nov. 16th (see Nov. 16th posting for launch details). This was a 5 day special flight of the Photon space processing style sample return probe. In this case the capsule is filled with items to send "good will messages" in celebration the voyage of Columbus. The capsule with landed about 300 Km (190 mi) off the Washington state Pacific coast and was recovered by a Russian satellite tracking ship. The ship will be docking in the Seattle area today (Nov. 24) and apparently will be open for visitors. A Tacomo TV stationed showed news clips this morning of the Photon capsule being lifted out of the sea onto the ship. Photon is a spherical capsule which is derived from the first Vostok capsules, not the more modern Soyuz bell shaped return system. The capsule will be on display in Seattle. In other activity on board the Commonwealth of Independent States Mir space station cosmonauts Anatoli Solovyov and Sergei Avdeyev Anatoli Artsebarski and Sergei Krikalev (up for 120 days now) ejected a small satellite from the air lock on Nov. 23. Meanwhile the CIS has been holding discussions with the European Space Agency concerning cooperative space programs. According to a Radio Moscow report agreement has been reached which will see 3 ESA cosmonauts visit the Mir space station in the next few years. Also $50 million in contracts will go to Russian space companies. Glenn Chapman School Eng. Science Simon Fraser U. Burnaby, B.C., Canada % ====== Internet headers and postmarks (see DECWRL::GATEWAY.DOC) ====== % From: Glenn Chapman <[email protected]> % Subject: Russian Photon capsule lands in Pacific & comes to Seattle | |||||
| 720.8 | RE 720.7 | VERGA::KLAES | All the Universe, or nothing! | Wed Nov 25 1992 11:24 | 49 |
Article: 2817 From: [email protected] (UPI) Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.international,clari.tw.space,clari.local.washington Subject: Russian spy ship docks in Seattle, delivers space capsule Date: Tue, 24 Nov 92 15:01:37 PST SEATTLE (UPI) -- A Russian missile-tracking ship turned over Tuesday to city officials a space capsule filled with gifts in front of hundreds of well-wishers assembled for a trade conference. A dockside ceremony at the Port of Seattle complete with brass band greeted the 680-foot Marshal Krilov, which actually arrived in Seattle's harbor a day earlier due to a much quicker recovery of the splashed down space capsule than expected. The spherical Resource 500 capsule was carried into orbit by a Soyuz rocket launched Nov. 16 from the Pesetsk cosmodrome near Archangelsk outside of Moscow. It splashed down 100 miles off the coast of Washington on Sunday. The space flight had no practical purpose other than to carry a payload of gifts and messages. Included were letters of goodwill from President Boris Yeltsin and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, a stuffed space dog named Digswell, Russian painted eggs, promotional products and a Christmas gift for President-elect Bill Clinton. The gifts were handed to city officials and the capsule was to be moved to the Museum of Flight in Boeing Field Friday. The capsule was picked up Sunday by the Marshal Krilov in just three hours. The opeartion's efficiency highlighted a major theme of the mission: Russian aerospace expertise is ripe for commercial applications in the West. ``We were top secret -- the people who were designing and constructing the spacecraft. We don't want to be secret anymore,'' Dimitri Koslov, chief of the space construction bureau in the city Samara, told a dockside news conference. Some 300 Russian dignitaries and business people will attend a Russian-American Business Opportunity Conference Wednesday. On Thursday, they and 400 Russian sailors will be hosted for Thanksgiving dinners at the homes of Rotary Club and church group members. Other festivities associated with the Europe-America Spaceflight-500 event include public tours of the Marshall Krilov, the Resource-500 capsule's participation in a holiday parade and a wedding in front of the capsule at the Museum of Flight. | |||||
| 720.9 | Arnold ad in space | VERGA::KLAES | Life, the Universe, and Everything | Wed Mar 03 1993 15:25 | 53 |
Article: 2973 From: [email protected] (UPI) Newsgroups: clari.tw.space,clari.local.california,clari.news.top Subject: 'Last Action Hero' to be first ad from space Date: Tue, 2 Mar 93 13:18:00 PST LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- Columbia Pictures said Tuesday it has been chosen to be the first advertiser in space, with ads for its fantasy film ``Last Action Hero'' slated for a privately funded May launch. The ads for the movie, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, will be placed on the main fuselage of the Conestoga rocket, its booster rockets and on the payload, which will orbit Earth for two years conducting microgravity experiments. Columbia, a unit of Sony Corp., won out among numerous other bidders for the right to place signage on the rocket in a promotion that was developed by Space Marketing Inc., an organization set up to help fund the costs of the mission. ``After reviewing many possible promotional partners for this historic event, Columbia Pictures was chosen for their ingenious creativity that represents the same goals as the American space program,'' said Mike Lawson, president of Space Marketing. Columbia plans to release ``Last Action Hero'' on June 18 as one of the key movies in the summer blockbuster season. Schwarzenegger plays a movie hero who has to deal with an 11-year-old boy being blasted out of his theater seat and into the movie, while the film's villains escape to the real world. ``Thematically, we think the ad is highly appropriate, in that both the space vehicle and the main characters in the movie are transported from one world to another,'' said Sid Ganis, executive vice president of the studio and its president of marketing and distribution. ``We're also obviously excited about breaking new ground in the advertising world.'' The May launch is the first of three Commercial Experiment Transporter (COMET) missions, which have been planned by NASA to provide businesses with more access to space. The first mission will include 11 experiments ranging from growing plants and crystals to studying the effects of exposing materials to a space environment. Space Marketing has also set up a 900-number program for messages to be sent into space on the rocket for $3.50 each. The program will also include a contest in which two winners will push the button launching the rocket from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Columbia said Schwarzenegger is scheduled to join the winners at the launch. | |||||
| 720.10 | Not The First Ad In Space | LHOTSE::DAHL | Customers do not buy architectures | Wed Mar 03 1993 17:16 | 9 |
RE: <<< Note 720.9 by VERGA::KLAES "Life, the Universe, and Everything" >>> > LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- Columbia Pictures said Tuesday it has been >chosen to be the first advertiser in space... Gee, I guess they don't count the SONY logo in the Japanese flight to Mir, and all the General Dynamics, McDonnell Douglas, OSC, etc. logos on numerous NASA flights, as advertisements. -- Tom | |||||
| 720.11 | Report on ship trip to recover Russian satellite | VERGA::KLAES | Life, the Universe, and Everything | Mon Apr 05 1993 18:00 | 117 |
Article: 60475 From: [email protected] (P. Douglas Reeder) Newsgroups: sci.space Subject: John Sheehan & Russian Space Mission to Seattle Date: 4 Apr 93 13:57:27 GMT Organization: Div, Grad & Curl [ The following article first appeared in StarSeed, the newsletter of the Oregon L-5 Society, and is reprinted by permission of the editor. ] Russian Space Mission to Seattle by John Sheehan I've covered many exciting and curious events as a videographer. Most began, as this one did, with a last minute phone call. Bob Walsh & Associates, the master promoters who brought Seattle the "Goodwill Games", asked me if I would like to videotape the recovery of a Russian satellite. As part of "Europe America Space Flight 500", the event was being billed as "the final chapter ending the Cold War." And so, after checking my equipment and renting extra batteries, I drove to the airstrip at Grays Harbor. Eight other journalists and I were shuttled by helicopter 25 miles off the Washington coast to a mysterious Russian ship. My partner in the helicopter that day was Tim Crosby, a photojournalist from Edmonds who had traveled to Siberia for Outside Magazine. Once in the air the dark shape of a large ship loomed on the horizon. Before we could get our bearings we were deposited on a rolling deck. The "Marshal Krylov" is a 680 foot missile tracking ship, until recently top secret and off-limits to foreigners. We were welcomed aboard by Commander Alexander Rosskazov on behalf of Captain Vadim Yevgenievich Shardyn. Soon we were taken on a short tour of the ship which included a theater with a balcony, a steam bath ("bahnya" in Russian), and a ships museum featuring models of space vehicles such as "Buran", the Russian shuttle craft. Our first night at sea was spent sailing into the teeth of a fierce wind storm. Gales of 60 knot winds and 40 foot seas tossed the huge ship about like a cork. Luckily, I had taken my Dramamine so I wasn't too uncomfortable. Still it took me most of the next day to acquire my "sea-legs" and stop bouncing off of bulkheads. As I recovered, the other American observers and I covered the routine of the Russian sailors as they went about their work. Aside from the obvious language barriers, I found the Russian sailors a lot like the seamen that I served with in the U.S. Coast Guard. Many are very young (as I was) and see naval service as a way to travel abroad and see world. They were curious about America and told me that their only impressions of The United States, other than the bleak news stories fed to them under the previous regimes, came from the violent American action films which are sadly as popular in Russia as they are here. On Sunday morning we gathered in the impressive "Capsule Descent Communications Center" and watch a 40 foot screen as the re-entry began. Soon however, we realized that the data on the screen was being updated by hand. The telemetry with the capsule and tracking was actually being relayed to the ship from Moscow via radio telephone. The actual recovery itself, though, was a daring bit of seamanship. As the ship bucked in heavy seas, the deck crew struggled to swing a boom with a steel cable net over the side, all the time battling howling winds. With great effort they succeeded to scoop the 3 ton satellite out of the water and hoist it onto deck. Once secured in its cradle, the payload was checked by grim technicians from Samara, where the satellite was built. This Siberian city, once secret and officially off limits, is devoted entirely to aerospace manufacturing. With their mission completed and the visit to Seattle ahead of them, the crew relaxed and celebrated with a talent show in the theater. The show featured a rock band, a guitar strumming balladeer, and the triangular "ballalyka" accompanied by a button accordion. The next morning, as we sailed through the straights and into Puget Sound, many of the sailors pointed to the Olympic Mountains and commented on how much the geography reminded them of Kamchatka peninsula, where the "Krylov" is based. But as the tall buildings of Seattle loomed up before them, they seemed to realize that they truly were visiting an American city of heroic proportions. Many of the men came out on deck and took pictures of th eir comrades at the rails with the Space Needle over their shoulders. My videotape of the recovery appeared on several major networks including CNN. Tim Crosby's photos were featured in Newsweek and the German magazine Der Stern. One of my friends, upon hearing of my adventure, remarked "Oh gosh, we only see things like that on TV!" I had to remind her that some one like me has to be there with a camera before it can be shown. -- Doug Reeder Internet: [email protected] Div, Grad & Curl USENET: ...!tektronix!reed!reeder programming & derivative work I am actively seeking scientific programming contracts. Article: 60476 From: [email protected] (P. Douglas Reeder) Newsgroups: sci.space Subject: Oregon L-5 meeting: 2 pm, Sat. April 10, old OMSI Date: 4 Apr 93 13:52:52 GMT Organization: Div, Grad & Curl Our April 10 meeting is our quarterly Space Update at the OMSI Annex (old OMSI building), for which we have two special presentations. Videographer John Sheehan was aboard the Russian recovery ship for a good-will satellite drop offshore from Seattle and is producing a video documentary of the project. He will tell us about his experiences and hopefully have some video footage to show us. Seattle Lunar Group Studies' Hugh Kelso and associates will be here to present some of their work in preparing for lunar settlement. This well- respected group is a spin-off of the now-defunct Seattle NSS chapters. -- Doug Reeder Internet: [email protected] Div, Grad & Curl USENET: ...!tektronix!reed!reeder programming & derivative work I am actively seeking scientific programming contracts. | |||||
| 720.12 | RE 720.9 | VERGA::KLAES | Life, the Universe, and Everything | Mon May 10 1993 16:30 | 46 |
Article: 3131 From: [email protected] (UPI) Newsgroups: clari.tw.space,clari.local.california Subject: Columbia affirms plans to buy first ad in space Date: Thu, 6 May 93 18:15:00 PDT LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- Columbia Pictures said Thursday it plans to go ahead with the first ad in space, promoting the movie ``The Last Action Hero,'' even though the rocket launch has been pushed back to August. When the studio originally announced the deal in March, it hoped a Conestoga rocket bearing the ad would lift off by mid-June to coincide with the release of the movie, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and rated as a potential blockbuster. Columbia, a unit of Sony Corp., said, ``The new date will help promote the picture not only in its domestic theaterical run (which begins June 18 and is expected to last through the summer), but also as the film is released in major territories around the world (late summer and early fall) and in preparation for the home video release (late 1993). ``The studio has always envisioned this is a worldwide opportunity, and it continues to fit nicely into our worldwide marketing plans,'' the studio said. Columbia said the launch had been delayed for unspecified engineering reasons. A published report earlier this week had said that it would be pushed back from June. The launch is the first of three Commerical Experiement Transporter (COMET) missions, which have been planned by NASA to provide businesses with more access to space. The first mission will include 11 microgravity experiments in such areas as growing plants and crystals. The ads for the movie will be placed on the main fuselage, its booster rockets and on the payload, which will orbit Earth for two years. Columbia won out among numerous other bidders for the right to place signage on the rocket in a promotion that was developed by Space Marketing Inc., an organization that was set up to help fund the costs of the mission. In the film, Schwarzenegger plays a movie hero who has to deal with an 11-year-old boy being blasted out of his theater seat and into the movie, while the film's villains escape into the real world. | |||||