The U.S. Air Force transported its second Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) satellite to Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., Jan. 20 via C-5 aircraft. The spacecraft will now undergo verification testing and encapsulation into the nose cone of a launch vehicle in preparation for liftoff. An Atlas V is scheduled to launch the satellite Mar. 9. Boeing is under contract to produce six WGS satellites. The first has been operational over the Pacific for more than a year.
Pacific Century Place Marunouchi 17/18F 1-11-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 100-6218, Japan Tel. (81-3) 5219-7777; Fax (81-3) 5219-7877 www.jsat.net Horizons-1 Telecommunications, VSAT networks. Orbital location is 127° W geosynchronous. 24 Ku-band transponders are jointly owned by JSAT and PanAmSat, while 24 C-band transponders are owned entirely by PanAmSat. 2018 EOL.
(B-SAT) Parkside-Yamamotokan 1-16-4, Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku Tokyo 151-0063, Japan Tel. (81-3) 5453-6521; Fax (81-3) 5453-6524 www.b-sat.co.jp BSAT-1a, BSAT-1b Direct-to-home TV broadcasting. Orbital location for both is 110° E. Each transmits on four Ku-band channels and carries eight transponders. 2009 EOL. BSAT-2a, BSAT-2c Direct-to-home TV broadcasting. Orbital location for both is 110° E. Each transmits on four Ku-band channels and carries eight transponders. 2013 EOL.
Konya Yolu 40. Km. Golbasi Ankara 06839, Turkey Tel. (90-312) 615-3000; Fax (90-312) 499-5115 www.turksat.com.tr Turksat 1C Broadcasting, business services, cable programming, direct-to-home TV broadcasting, Internet access, multimedia, telecommunications, VSAT networks. Orbital location is 42° E geosynchronous. Transmits on 16 channels in Ku-band. Spacebus-2000 model. Launched 1996.
The Pentagon isn’t planning to conduct its usual formal Fiscal 2010 budget presentation, which would normally take place Feb. 2. Government agencies and departments are required by law to transmit their budget plans to Congress on the first Monday in February. But the White House Office of Management and Budget waived that rule last April to give the new administration time to craft its own budget. The waiver applies to all federal agencies and departments. A Defense Dept.
William J. Lynn, 3rd, Obama’s choice for the No. 2 spot at the Pentagon, says he plans to review the draft Fiscal 2010 defense budget request as soon as possible. But that may take a while now that Lynn’s Senate confirmation has hit a snag—thanks in part to the man who nominated him. On his first full day in office, Obama signed an executive order toughening the rules for lobbying the administration by officials who leave government.
The U.S. Navy gave Pratt & Whitney a $4-million follow-on contract for flight management that covers engine readiness for the Naval Strike Air Warfare Center’s F100-powered F-16 Aggressor Sqdn., based at NAS Fallon, Nev. This addition to the April 2003 initial agreement covers one year with multiple extension options that could bring the potential value of the award to $27.5 million.
General Electric is investigating the causes of another gearbox failure in a GE90-115B, which forced the crew of an Air France Boeing 777-300ER to fly for about 2 hr. on one engine while diverting to Lajes in the Azores on Jan 4. The 777 was en route from Paris to Fort-de-France, Martinique, when the transfer gearbox in the No. 1 (port) engine failed.
2 Kaufman St. Tel Aviv 615000, Israel Tel. (972-3) 796-0600; Fax (972-3) 516-3430 www.imagesatintl.com EROS A, B Earth resource observation satellites. Commercial remote sensing, intelligence, homeland security, national development, civilian applications. Each located in near-polar LEO at approximately 510 mi. Eros A carries 1.9-1.2-meter-resolution pancromatic sensors. Eros B carries 0.7-meter-resolution pancromatic sensors. Eros A launched 2000; 10-year design lifetime. Eros B launched 2006; 10-year design lifetime.
Larry Dickerson/Forecast International/www.forecastinternational.com
Russia’s crushing victory over Georgia in the 2008 “August War” will be remembered more for its shortfalls than its successes. But the conflict did shine new light on an often-ignored segment of the tactical missile market.
Robert V. Dahl (Project Director, Air Cargo Management Group)
What a difference a year makes! Just 12 months ago, there was considerable optimism in airfreight circles based on expectations of increasing demand for air cargo services and the prospect of new types of freighters entering the market.
Kingfisher Airlines on Jan. 19 launched daily nonstop services from Bangalore and Chennai to Colombo, Sri Lanka, using new Airbus A320 aircraft. The two new services are aimed at both leisure and business travelers, and will help support closer bilateral trade and tourism ties, says Siva Ramachandran, Kingfisher vice president of global sales. He adds that his carrier seeks to further expand its presence in the Sri Lankan market.
AEROSPACE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORP. (Taichung) (www.aidc.com.tw): Produces various helicopters and aircraft, primarily under license agreements. Aircraft include the Ching-Kuo Indigenous Defense Fighter, F-5E/F fighter under license to Northrop Grumman, and AT-3 Tzu-Chung military trainer/close support aircraft. Helicopters produced include the Bell 205/UH-1H.
1601 Telesat Court Gloucester, Ontario K1B 5P4, Canada Tel. (613) 748-0123; Fax (613) 748-8712 www.telesat.ca Anik F1 Broadcasting, business services. Orbital location is 107.3° W geosynchronous. Carries 36 C-band and 48 Ku-band transponders. 2015 EOL. Anik F1R Broadcasting, business services. Orbital location is 107.3° W. Carries 32 Ku-band and 24 C-band transponders. 2020 EOL.
