France in Space #195
1: FRANCO GERMAN PARTNERSHIP
2: A NEW CONTRACT FOR ARIANESPACE
3: ASTRIUM BUILDS CRYOSAT
4: EADS 2001 STATEMENT
5: SPACE REMOTE MEDECINE TO THE RESCUE OF ISOLATED AREAS
** 1: FRANCO GERMAN PARTNERSHIP
On February 11, CNES (the French Space Agency) and DLR (the German Space
Agency) signed a framework agreement enshrining a “strengthen space
cooperation”. At the Forum on Franco-German research cooperation, attended
by Edelberg Bulmahn and Roger-GŽrard Schwartzenberg, respectively German
and French Research Ministers, CNES and DLR executives expressed their
wishes to strengthen this long-term relationship. The agreement signed by
Alain Bensoussan and GŽrard Brachet, CNES Chairman and Director General
Manager, and by Bernd Hšfer and Achim Bachem, DLR Vice President and Member
of the Board, will help develop pending projects such as GMES, Galileo or
staff transfer. CNES and DLR executives have also decided to collect
information on projects related to new space activities and to brainstorm
on ESA activities. For CNES and DLR, such cooperation will allow to use
different skills, to compare working methods, to explore new space
technique and technologie applications and to carry out more missions while
sharing the costs.
[CNES Press Release and DLR Press Release, 02/10/2002 and AFP, 02/12/2002]
** 2: A NEW CONTRACT FOR ARIANESPACE
Mexican operator Satmex has selected Arianespace to launch its new Satmex 6
satellite from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guyana, in the
first quarter of 2003. The launch contract should be signed shortly. Satmex
6, a Space System/ Loral-built satellite, is currently under construction.
Weighing approximately 5,700 kilograms at liftoff, the satellite will be
positioned at 109.2 degrees West and will carry 36 C-band and 24 Ku-band
transponders. Satmex will use the Satmex 6 satellite to bolster its
telecommunications and Internet transmission capacity for all of Mexico, as
well as other parts of North America and Latin America. “This choice once
again demonstrates our skills and flexibility. Today, Arianespace and
Ariane 5 alone, give operators fast access to space for their heavy
satellites”, said Jean-Marie Luton, Arianespace’s Chairman and CEO. Lauro
Gonzales, Satmex’s President declared “Ariane provides Satmex with the most
reliable solution to launch what will be the largest and most important
satellite for Satmex and Mexico”
[Arianespace Press Release, 02/08/2002]
** 3: ASTRIUM BUILDS CRYOSAT
On February 8, Astrium signed a contract to build the new European
environment and climate satellite CryoSat. The satellite will be put into
polar orbit in April 2004 and will measure, with unprecedented accuracy,
variations in the thickness of the ice caps and of the polar ocean sea-ice
cover. Hence, CryoSat will provide climate researchers with new data on
these uninhabited regions. CryoSat will be the first Earth exploration
mission of the ESA’s “Living Planet” program. Two Russian launchers,
Rockot, with launch site in Plesetsk, Russia and Dnjerp, with launch site
in Ba•konour, Kazakhstan are in the race to launch Cryosat. Astrium,
CryoSat’s prime contractor, is heading a consortium of some thirty firms.
[Astrium Press Release, 02/12/2002]
** 4: EADS 2001 STATEMENT
EADS’ revenue (European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company) increased by
27% in 2001, exceeding its 20% target. The 2001 revenue amounted to 30.8
billion Euros, compared to 24.2 billion Euros in 2000. The sustained vigor
of the US-dollar was one of the reasons of this unexpectedly strong revenue
growth. To the exception of the space sector, all divisions experienced a
roughly double-digit growth. Despite the continuing market volatility, the
Space Division’s revenue was nearly stable at 2.4 billion Euros. The
year-end order book was worth 3.8 billion Euros. The 2001 order intake (1.3
billion Euro) was lower than the exceptional 3 billion Euros in 2000, which
was boosted by two major space telecom contracts. The Division is now
planning to further strengthen its operations efficiency and profitability.
On March 18, 2002, in Amsterdam during the Annual EADS Press Conference the
Company will release a detailed financial statement for 2001, as well as
guidelines for 2002.
[EADS Press Release, 02/06/2002]
** 5: SPACE REMOTE MEDECINE TO THE RESCUE OF ISOLATED AREAS
In Senegal in the course of January 2002, FISSA (Self Supporting Health and
Satellite Task Force) supported by CNES (French Space Agency), its
subsidiary Medes (Institute of Space Medicine and Physiology), and the
University of Tours, the Ministry of Research and Prevention in Senegal and
the Health-Education Association, have carried out a remote medicine
experiment in isolated areas using satellite communication systems.
High-risks patients were examined through a portable remote medicine
station developed by Medes. Data were then transmitted via satellite to the
Regional Hospital Center in Tambacounda and to the OB division of the
Dantec hospital in Dakar. Specialists could hence confirm the remote
diagnostic and send back the results of the examination. Next summer,
life-size clinical validation phase will implement, over a period of
several months, a comprehensive remote medicine network, involving two
medical regions of Senegal and several isolated remote areas.
[CNES-FISSA Press Release, 02/08/2002]
[From Agence France Presse (AFP), Arianespace Press Release, Astrium Press
Release (Astrium), CNES-FISSA Press Release, CNES Press Release, DLR Press
Release, EADS Press Release]
