France In Space – Issue 154 8 March 2001
1: GOOD YEAR FOR SNECMA IN 2000
Snecma Group’s results increased in 2000, mainly with the strengthening of its positioning through the purchase of Labinal Group and Hurel-Dubois Group. Snecma’s consolidated revenue amounted to 5.65 billion Euros against 4.86 billion Euros in 1999. This 16% growth is mainly due to acquisitions realized over the year. As for financial results, 2000 saw a 23% growth of the net result at 318 million Euros against 258 million in 1999. Snecma group’s perspectives for 2001 are good: the revenue should increase by 15% and the operational and net results should also increase. [Snecma, 2/28/01]
2: EUTELSAT AWARDS E-BIRD CONTRACT TO BSS
On February 28, Eutelsat signed a contract at its Paris headquarters with Boeing Satellite Systems (BSS) for fast delivery of È-Bird, a new satellite optimized for IP access networks with satellite return links capabilities. Due for launch in the second quarter of 2002, e-Bird will be positioned in geostationery orbit at 25.5 degrees East and will provide 20 active Ku-band transponders connected to four spot beams over the European region. The satellite will have a contracted service life of 10 years and is a spin-stabilized Boeing 376 HP. With the signature of the e-Bird contract, Eutelsat is securing capacity on seven new satellites, of which the first, Eurobird, is due for launch by Arianespace on an Ariane 5 rocket on March 8. [Eutelsat, 2/28/01, Les Echos, 3/01/01]
3: ALCATEL SELLS ITS FIRST PRIVATE SATELLITE TO INDIA
The French satellite manufacturer Alcatel Space will provide to the Indian telecommunication operator Agrani Satellite Services a satellite dedicated to Direct Television Services, Internet access and telecommunications in India and border countries. Alcatel Space will not have to build the satellite since it already exists: it is the ThaÔcom 4 satellite built in 1997 for the Thai operator Shinawatra, as an option included in the purchasing of ThaÔcom 3. Alcatel had integrated ThaÔcom 4 before the order was confirmed and Shinawatra was unable to purchase the satellite due to the 1997 financial crash in Asia. The satellite, built on a Spacebus 3000 platform, was kept in Alcatel Space facilities in Cannes waiting to be sold. Equipped with 24 C-band transponders and 14 in Ku-Band, the satellite should be renamed Agrani 2 and should be launched during the third quarter of 2002. [AÈronautique Business, 2/22/01]
4: CNES ORGANIZES “RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY FOR ORBITAL SYSTEMS”
On Friday March 2nd, the Centre National d’…tudes Spatiales (CNES) organized in Toulouse the traditional annual forum called ‘Research and Technology for orbital systems’. The French Space community gathers and fine tunes Research & Technology programs (R&T) lead by CNES as well as propositions on new research and innovation axes to prepare future orbital systems. The objective of CNES’ R&T activity is to develop and focus scientific and technical researches in the space sector. CNES’ R&T multi-annual plan is structured around 13 research areas, including Earth observation, Telecommunications, Location and Navigation by Satellite, Science of the Universe and Science in microgravity. [CNES, 2/26/01]
5: APPLICATION OF NEURAL NETWORK IN SPACE
The Centre National d’…tudes Spatiales (CNES), CEA (French Atomic Energy Commission) and ONERA (French Office for National Aerospace Research) are joining forces on the project of a spring class on Neural Networks. The first session will take place from March 12 to March 21 near Toulon (South East of France) under the name ‘Neural networks and their applications to aeronautics, space and environment’. The objective is to provide to participants a solid basic training on neural networks. In the space sector for example, satellites take on board neural networks to carry out complex tests or filter data to be transferred on Earth. Some show robustness thus enabling them to resist to space radiations. CNES, CEA and ONERA wanted to create such a training to boost new applications to this new technology in the here-above mentioned sectors. Therefore they have asked professors and scientists from their own laboratories and French universities to participate in this class. [CNES, 2/28/01]
