Yamal 402 rocket launch goes wrong

On Saturday, the Thales Alenia Space-built Yamal 402 satellite failed to reach its orbit after the Proton rocket carrying the bird encountered a problem during the fourth and final burn. The US-based International Launch Services and Russia’s Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center have already begun investigating why the Proton Breeze M’s upper stage engine’s final burn ended four minutes early, and then separated from the Yamal 402.

The Yamal communications satellite was developed for Moscow-based Gazprom Space Systems. Thales is currently looking for a solutions to salvage the spacecraft. Gazprom has been using SES Astra’s 1F satellite since August of last year, awaiting the Yamal 402’s launch into orbit. According to reports, the failed communications satellite was built to service the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

 

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Eutelsat launches 21B satellite

French-based satellite communications company Eutelsat has successfully launched its 21B satellite into orbit, replacing the 21A at the 21.5° East location. According to the company, Eutelsat 21B will be ready for commercial operations by the middle of December while the 21A will be moved to serve a different location.

 

Photo source Space Fellowship

 

The new satellite, which was built by Thales Alenia Space took off via an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana last Saturday evening. Eutelsat 21B carried 40 Ku-band transponders which will deliver wide-beam coverage across North Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. It will also provide high-power beam for all the regions excluding Europe.

According to Thales Alenia Space, the new satellite was designed to carry 50 percent more capacity than Eutelsat 21A. According to Eutelsat Chief Executive Michel de Rosen, the 21B vessel is part of the company’s expansion plan aimed at increasing commercial flexibility and overall resources. The new satellite is also the first of seven that will be launched by the satellite company by mid-2015.

 

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Australia, still lagging behind the Space Race

The space race started decades ago and yet it seems Australia has been lagging behind. Despite surging bandwidth prices, the nation down under is still struggling in the creation of any concrete space policy to give it a voice in the international space community.

 

Over the past five years, the demand for satellite bandwidth has increased, and prices have also firmed up especially since Australia has no firm space policy. The country has always been seen as supplicant to their allies, and in particular, to the United States own policy in space, letting them do the heavy lifting.

 

 

 

But the Government is hoping to change the nation’s image when it comes to the sky. There are already plans for the development of a Satellite Utilisation Policy, a new program that aims to correct the awkwardness between Australia and the space domain. Rather than focus resources on space activities, the new program aims look into space technology instead, allowing the country to participate in the development of new roads for space.

 

According to David Ball, CTO of NewSat, the plans should consider the increase competition in the space technology market, and look into how the country’s establish relations with the Middle East and Asia. Government personnels in some regions of conflict in the Arab states currently rely on satellite communications services from down under.

 

Ball also explained that aside from increased competition, it’s becoming more and more difficult to buy quality capacity. Satellite technology is crucial in a myriad of day to day services including GPS, timing signal for credit cards, as well as location services part of mobile applications. Australia’s role in space diplomacy has to be more tangible to resolve all these issues.

 

Supply for bandwidth demands have failed to keep up, pushing segment prices almost up to 100% in just five years. Industry experts say that Australia needs to have a singular focus at the international level. The only question which remains is if the government can still afford space legislations with a budget already strained from the global financial crunch, and domestic fears over the fading mining boom.

 

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