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ESA—Arianespace contracts
Monitor Satellites in the business world A new study of the US market forecasts revenues for private satellites space segment revenues, networking services, and ground segment - at $8.35 billion in 1995, up from a 1984 market worth $564 million. Annual sales of private satellite network earth stations are now estimated at $315 million and are expected to increase to $1.2 billion by 1995. Satellite Private Business Network Terminals in the US 1985-1995, a new Frost & Sullivan study, adds that the long-term potential for the market is much greater, as revenues are based on a correlation between telecommunication operating revenues and GNP. Based on this, potential private satellite network revenues are estimated at $7.7 billion in 1985, rising to $15 billion in 1995. Customers for private satellites cover all economic sectors, from agriculture to manufacturing to government, and hundreds of large corporations are direct users of private satellite networks with onpremises earth stations. The report maintains that satellite transmission has certain advantages over other methods of communications. Distance and terrain pose no obstacles to satellites, and satellite systems offer complete interconnectivity in that any receiver station located within the satellite's footprint can receive the signal - in a microwave system, construction in rugged or hostile terrain can be costly and interconnectivity is difficult. The advent of fiber optics for terrestrial transmission is, however, posing a threat, but the study states that 'it will be a number of years before nationwide fiber-optic networks will be in place, and for point-tomultipoint or multipoint-to-point transmission, thin-route communications, and communication to remote areas, satellites are more costeffective'. Private satellite networks offer business voice, data, facsimile, and audio
SPACE POLICY May 1986
and video teleconferencing services. According to Frost & Sullivan, there are eight domestic satellite systems now in operation, and all operators have private network offerings. There are currently 287 transponders available for private networks, with about half of this figure for private business networks; in 1980, transponders for private business networks accounted for only 20% of total satellite capacity. The 297-page report includes complete competitive information, includ-
ing market share. California Microwave and M/Acom are currently leading suppliers of satellite terminals, each owning 13% of the market. Harris and Equatorial follow with 11% each, with Vitalink owning 7%. The report which costs $1750, includes discussions of technology, competition, marketing techniques, and a look at how each industry makes use of satellite communications.
Source: Customer Service, Frost and Sullivan, 106 Fulton Street, New York, NY 10038, USA, or Frost and Sullivan, 104-112 Marylebone Lane, London WIM 5FU, UK.
ESA-Arianespace contracts ESA has recently signed three new contracts with Arianespace, two for future launches and one for technical assistance for the launch of passenger satellites on the first flight of Ariane 4. The two launch contracts concern the launch of ECS-4 - scheduled for the second quarter of 1986-and of Hipparcos-scheduled for June 1988. ECS-4 will replace ECS-3, lost due to the launch failure of Ariane V15 on 12 September 1985. The spacecraft was in production at that time and was scheduled for launch in early 1987. Its completion has been accelerated and Arianespace is providing the earliest possible launch slot in accordance with the relaunch conditions contained in the ECS-3 launch contract. Hipparcos, which is one of ESA's scientific projects, will be dedicated to the extremely important task of providing measurements of the positions, annual proper motions and parallaxes of some 100 000 pre-selected stars. From its position in the geostationary orbit, the satellite will scan the whole sky systematically and repeatedly throughout its two and a half year lifetime.
The third contract provides for technical assistance by Arianespace for payload operations for the first Ariane 4 launch. The first flight of Ariane 4, which is an integral part of the Agency's Ariane 4 development programme, will be carried out under ESA's responsibility. This launch, scheduled to take place during the third quarter of 1986, is designed to demonstrate the operational capability of Europe's most powerful launcher to date, Ariane 4. ESA is supplying part of the payload for this launch with Meteosat P2, a refurbished spacecraft from the pre-operational series designed to bridge a possible gap between Meteosat 2 and the first of the operational meteorological spacecraft, MOP-l, scheduled for launch in late 1987. Additional payload elements comprises Amsat Phase III-C, the second unit of the third generation of the radio amateur 'Oscar' series and a telecommunications satellite which remains to be selected.
Source: ESA, 8-10 rue Mario Nikis, 75738 Paris Cedex 15, France.
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SPACE POLICY May 1986
and video teleconferencing services. According to Frost & Sullivan, there are eight domestic satellite systems now in operation, and all operators have private network offerings. There are currently 287 transponders available for private networks, with about half of this figure for private business networks; in 1980, transponders for private business networks accounted for only 20% of total satellite capacity. The 297-page report includes complete competitive information, includ-
ing market share. California Microwave and M/Acom are currently leading suppliers of satellite terminals, each owning 13% of the market. Harris and Equatorial follow with 11% each, with Vitalink owning 7%. The report which costs $1750, includes discussions of technology, competition, marketing techniques, and a look at how each industry makes use of satellite communications.
Source: Customer Service, Frost and Sullivan, 106 Fulton Street, New York, NY 10038, USA, or Frost and Sullivan, 104-112 Marylebone Lane, London WIM 5FU, UK.
ESA-Arianespace contracts ESA has recently signed three new contracts with Arianespace, two for future launches and one for technical assistance for the launch of passenger satellites on the first flight of Ariane 4. The two launch contracts concern the launch of ECS-4 - scheduled for the second quarter of 1986-and of Hipparcos-scheduled for June 1988. ECS-4 will replace ECS-3, lost due to the launch failure of Ariane V15 on 12 September 1985. The spacecraft was in production at that time and was scheduled for launch in early 1987. Its completion has been accelerated and Arianespace is providing the earliest possible launch slot in accordance with the relaunch conditions contained in the ECS-3 launch contract. Hipparcos, which is one of ESA's scientific projects, will be dedicated to the extremely important task of providing measurements of the positions, annual proper motions and parallaxes of some 100 000 pre-selected stars. From its position in the geostationary orbit, the satellite will scan the whole sky systematically and repeatedly throughout its two and a half year lifetime.
The third contract provides for technical assistance by Arianespace for payload operations for the first Ariane 4 launch. The first flight of Ariane 4, which is an integral part of the Agency's Ariane 4 development programme, will be carried out under ESA's responsibility. This launch, scheduled to take place during the third quarter of 1986, is designed to demonstrate the operational capability of Europe's most powerful launcher to date, Ariane 4. ESA is supplying part of the payload for this launch with Meteosat P2, a refurbished spacecraft from the pre-operational series designed to bridge a possible gap between Meteosat 2 and the first of the operational meteorological spacecraft, MOP-l, scheduled for launch in late 1987. Additional payload elements comprises Amsat Phase III-C, the second unit of the third generation of the radio amateur 'Oscar' series and a telecommunications satellite which remains to be selected.
Source: ESA, 8-10 rue Mario Nikis, 75738 Paris Cedex 15, France.
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