France in Space #230

** 1: ARIANE STILL IN THE RACE

“Arianespace’s profitability is based on Ariane ECA’s dual launches,” said
Jean-Yves Le Gall, Arianespace’s Director General. “This year, we will have
two single launches, which will cost us money. The Company needs about a
hundred million Euros (US$108M) to make additional changes and developments
to Vulcain II. Customers remain confident and the 2003-2004 order book is
full. Ariane 5 ECA is likely to return to space in early 2004. The failure
of Ariane 5 last December has jeopardized the profitability of Arianespace
in the near future, but it does not threaten the European space program,
provided that the Member States do not give up. Competition from the US is
still weak. The US program has secured few contracts. Atlas 5 will launch a
Greek satellite, Hellas-sat II, at a bargain price, and 7 DoD satellites
later on. Boeing’s order book for Delta IV is quite full with 22 DoD
contracts, but the US launcher is too expensive for the business market.”
[La Tribune 02/26/2003]

** 2: TELEMEDECINE IN FRENCH GUYANA

Currently limited to one single area, the telemedicine experience carried
out in Guyana has received the Health Ministry’s green light to expand the
system to eight additional areas. Guyana’s SAMU (ambulance service) has
issued invitations to bid on a contract for additional 7kg (15lbs) portable
suitcases. Based on a 1-year-long partnership with the French Space Agency
(CNES), this suitcase consists of a digital camera that can be fitted to a
microscope, and a laptop computer combined to an Inmarsat transmission
system, a GSM phone and a GPS. Free health centers are now equipped to send
parasitology, cardiology and dermatology data to experts in Cayenne. This
may include thick drop snapshots to detect possible malaria, pictures of
dermatological disorders, ECGs, etc. In French Guyana, only two thirds of
the territory are only accessible by plane or pirogue. Remote diagnostics
have already managed to avoid three sanitary evacuations by helicopters,
each saving approximately 6,000 Euros (US$6,480).
[AFP Presse Release 03/04/2003]

** 3: A NEW PARABOLIC FLIGHT CAMPAIGN

How to perform some experiments in weightlessness without being in space?
With a plane ! Parabolic flights are the only means of reproducing this
situation on Earth. The next campaign organized by Novespace for CNES (4 – 6
March) includes 11 scientists’ and 3 students’ experiments. The
weightlessness resulting from the free fall of the aircraft allows
scientists to have their experiments tested before they are actually flown
on a space mission. Novespace achieved an average of seven parabolic flight
campaigns every year, and it is constantly progressing since 1997, first
year of the A300 ZERO-G commercialisation. The A300 ZERO-G has accumulated
4007 parabolas in 165 flights. It has taken on board an average of 4000
passengers, researchers, engineers and students who in turn have brought 413
scientific, technological or pedagogical experiments on board. Moreover in
2002 the A300 ZERO-G has found itself a new purpose in observation since the
adaptation of a radar system, developed by the American company SPC,. It is
used to observe the burning up on reentry into the atmosphere of the main
cryogenic stage of Ariane 5.
[CNES Press Release 02/28/2003 Novespace Press Release 10/2002]

** 4: ALCATEL SPACE’S COMPOSITE STRENGTHS

“Established in the Cannes Plant, the Space Composite unit demonstrates
Alcatel Space’s commitment to upgrade its production facilities and meet a
demand more focused on increasingly larger communication satellites,”
explained Mr. Jean Zieger, the Cannes Plant Manager. “Except for
electronics, the entire satellite is manufactured in this plant. The Cannes
Plant is the only industrial facility in Europe that can ensure the
production, assembly, integration, tests and shipping of satellites to their
launch area without any break in the ownership chain. Such control is
essential to the reliability of our satellites. Alcatel Cannes is equipped
with white rooms covering a continuous area of 8,000m2 (approx. 9600
sq.yd).” [Air et Cosmos 02/28/2003]

** 5: IN BRIEF

Orbital Recovery Corporation chooses Ariane as Primary Rocket for the SLES
Telecommunication Satellite “Rescue” Space Tug. SLES, standing for
“Spacecraft Life Extension System”, is designed to extend the useful
lifetime of multi-million dollar telecommunication satellites by 10 years or
more, and also is capable of rescuing satellites stranded in incorrect
orbits. [Arianespace Press Release 02/27/2003]

By the end of 2003, the French Space Agency (CNES) will sell its 27% stake
in Intespace, a space test company, to Astrium and Alcatel Space. [Le Fil MC
des Télécoms 02/17/2003]

ESA’s first deep space ground station opened in Western Australia on March
5th. [ESA Press Release 03/05/2003]

Snecma (French Propulsion Company) is also looking to jettison around 1000
of its staff through early retirement and attrition. [Aviation Week & Space
Technology 03/03/2003]

On February 25, 2003, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the US
National Science Foundation (NSF) are signing a historic agreement to
construct and operate the world’s largest and most powerful radio telescope,
operating at millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelength. The Director General
of ESO, Dr. Catherine Césarsky, and the Director of the NSF, Dr. Rita
Colwell, act for their respective organizations. [ESA Press release
02/25/2003]

Astrium estimates at 100 million Euros (US$108M) the cost for a cluster of
three mini-satellites intended to detect ballistic missile launches. [La
Lettre de l’Expansion 03/03/03]

[From AFP Press Release, Air & Cosmos, Arianespace Press Release, Aviation
Week & Space Technology, CNES Press Release, ESA Press Release, Le Fil MC
des Telecoms, La Lettre de l’Expansion, Novespace Press Release, La Tribune]