2011-12-27 (China Military News cited from Xinhua)

China's homegrown Beidou Navigation Satellite System began providing initial positioning, navigation and timing operational services to China and its surrounding areas from Tuesday, a spokesman for the system said.

Six more satellites will be launched in 2012 to further improve the Beidou system and expand its service area to cover most parts of the Asia-Pacific region, spokesman Ran Chengqi, who is also director of the management office of the China Satellite Navigation System, told a press conference.

China began to build the Beidou system in 2000 with a goal of breaking its dependence on the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS) and creating its own global positioning system by 2020.

So far, China has launched 10 satellites for the Beidou system, with the tenth being lifted into orbit earlier this month.

The Beidou system is compatible and interoperable with the world's other major global navigation satellite systems, according to Ran.

Ran encouraged enterprises at home and abroad to join the research and development of application terminals compatible with Beidou, saying a beta version of the system's Interface Control Document (ICD) could be accessed online starting Tuesday.

19/12/2011 DGA

Les quatre microsatellites du projet Elisa ont été mis en orbite à 700 km d’altitude le 17 décembre 2011 à 4h02, heure de Paris, par une fusée Soyouz tirée depuis Kourou en Guyane.

La phase de mise à poste permettant aux satellites de rejoindre l’orbite définitive de leur vol en formation durera environ 3 mois. A l’issue de cette période, les équipes de la direction générale de l’armement (DGA) installées à Bruz (près de Rennes), en collaboration avec les forces armées, vont explorer pendant au moins 3 ans les moyens d’améliorer la précision et la qualité des informations recueillies. Elisa est un démonstrateur technologique lancé par le ministère de la Défense qui vise à démontrer la capacité à localiser et caractériser des radars au sol depuis l’espace. Le projet Elisa s’inscrit dans la logique engagée il y a 15 ans avec les satellites Cerise et Clémentine poursuivie à partir de 2004 avec le démonstrateur Essaim qui a permis d’expérimenter le recueil de renseignements électromagnétiques dans le domaine des télécommunications.

L’ensemble des enseignements tirés de ces démonstrateurs vise à préparer le programme CERES dont la mise en orbite est prévue d’ici la fin de la décennie. Ce programme permettra de  localiser et identifier des signaux émis par les systèmes adverses notamment pour cartographier les centres de télécommunications et les radars dans les zones de crise, et pour évaluer leur niveau d’activité. Ainsi CERES permettra par exemple de préciser le danger que représentent les radars ennemis afin de garantir la suprématie des avions français, ou encore de déterminer l’architecture des réseaux de communication adverses. CERES contribuera directement à la fonction « connaissance et anticipation » du Livre blanc sur la défense et la sécurité nationale. La France conforte ainsi sa place parmi les pays maîtrisant le recueil de renseignement d’origine électromagnétique (ROEM) depuis l’espace et de leader européen en ce domaine.

La DGA a confié à Astrium et Thales Systèmes Aéroportés la réalisation des quatre satellites et du segment sol.

> Voir le décollage de Soyouz sur le site du CNES

A 20th SPCS space control operator monitors information from the radar at Eglin, AFB recently. Every number on the monitor represents an object the radar is tracking. Using different keystrokes, the space console operator can direct the radar to track what the Joint Space Operations Center needs to maintain space situational awareness. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Dec 14, 2011 by 2nd Lt. Linea Stuckey 20th Space Control Squadron - (SPX)SpaceWar.com

Eglin AFB FL -  The operators of 20th Space Control Squadron have a big job: carry out round-the-clock space surveillance operations with the world's most powerful radar. The squadron's AN/FPS-85 radar helps the Air Force keep track of more than 22,000 orbiting satellites, which is a dizzying task. The 20th SPCS, one of the 21st Space Wing's many geographically separated units, is located on Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

The squadron's mission is to execute space control operations to detect, track and identify space objects to dominate the high ground for America and its allies.

The Mission Operations Center is the focal point for the squadron's space situational awareness operations, radar maintenance, computer operations and physical plant maintenance operations. The MOC is manned by military and government civilians 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Located more than 1,400 miles from Peterson AFB, the squadron relies on its host unit, the 96th Air Base Wing, for security, fire protection and other support.

The radar was initially built in 1962, five years after Sputnik was launched. Four months prior to scheduled testing in 1965, the site burned to the ground in a fire caused by electrical equipment. The radar was quickly rebuilt and operations began in early 1969. The AN/FPS-85 radar is the most powerful radar in the world and is the only phased array radar capable of tracking satellites in deep space orbits.

It tracks near-Earth objects the size of a baseball and deep space objects the size of a basketball. This means the radar is capable of tracking something about a foot across from more than 23,000 miles away and something a couple of inches across from 300 miles away.

Serving as a surveillance squadron and missile warning squadron in previous years, the 20th SPCS has been a space control squadron since 2003. It is one of 29 sensors that comprise the Space Surveillance Network for Air Force Space Command. While other radars have primary missions of missile warning, the 20th SPCS's sole purpose is space surveillance.

The radar collects more than 16 million observations of satellites per year, accounting for 30 percent of the space surveillance network's total workload. The data is collected at U.S. Strategic Command's Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

The 20th SPCS reports administratively to the 21st Operations Group at Peterson AFB and operationally to the JSPOC. The data collected from the AN/FPS-85 is sent to the JSPOC's space situational awareness operations cell, which maintains the data for all Earth-orbiting man-made objects.

By supporting JSPOC's space situational awareness cell, the 20th SPCS's tracking capabilities provide orbital information on enemy satellites and dangerous space debris. Using this information, friendly forces know what satellites are overhead and can optimize mission planning.

The data collected on debris can be used to warn of potential on-orbit collisions with satellites or the International Space Station. By tracking large debris and decaying satellites, data can be sent to the JSPOC to predict where the objects will land if it survives re-entry. The radar is also well positioned to track domestic and foreign launches. Data collected on launches help the JSPOC maintain an up-to-date satellite catalog and overall space awareness.

Although the AN/FPS-85 radar was built a half a century ago, there is still no radar like it in the world. Its unique capabilities allow for tracking of objects that other radars and telescopes would not be able to see. With the Earth's growing field of orbiting satellites and debris, the 20th SPCS's mission is more crucial than ever.

Advances in technology and computers let the users of the radar push its capabilities to its limits to explore innovative ways to dominate the high ground as the nation's Space Situational Awareness Center of Excellence.

12.12.2011 par P. CHAPLEAU Lignes de Défense

ELISA ou ELectronic Intelligence by SAtellite. Les quatre petits satellites (135 kg chacun) du projet Elisa (construits par Astrium et Thales Systèmes Aéroportés) seront mis en orbite, vendredi, par une fusée Soyouz qui doit décoller de Kourou.

Démonstrateur. Elisa est un démonstrateur technologique lancé par la DGA et constitué de quatre satellites volant en formation à 700 km d'altitude capables de localiser et caractériser des radars au sol. Mais la Défense ne "s'interdit pas" une activité opérationnelle.

CERES pour 2020. Selon la DGA, pendant au moins trois ans, "les équipes de la DGA installées à Bruz (près de Rennes), en collaboration avec la Direction du renseignement militaire (DRM), vont explorer les moyens d'améliorer la précision et la qualité des informations recueillies (...) L'ensemble des enseignements tirés de ces démonstrateurs vise à préparer le programme CERES dont la mise en orbite est prévue d'ici la fin de la décennie. CERES permettra par exemple de préciser le danger que représentent les radars ennemis afin de garantir la suprématie des avions français, ou encore de déterminer l'architecture des réseaux de communication adverses".

La France entend ainsi "conforter sa place parmi les pays maîtrisant le recueil de Renseignement d'Origine Electromagnétique (ROEM) depuis l'espace et de leader européen en ce domaine".

TOKYO, 12 décembre - RIA Novosti

Le Japon a lancé avec succès un satellite-espion Radar-3 depuis le cosmodrome de Tanegashima, a annoncé lundi l'agence aérospatiale japonaise JAXA.

Le satellite Radar-3 est destiné à recueillir des informations sur la Corée du Nord. En septembre dernier, le Japon a déjà lancé un satellite de reconnaissance optique Kogaku-4, équipé de caméras télescopiques de grande résolution capables de discerner un objet de 60 cm. Avec la mise en orbite du Radar-3, le Japon sera capable d'obtenir des images y compris la nuit et à travers des nuages très épais.

Les deux satellites ont été construits par Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

Selon les médias japonais, la mise au point du satellite Radar-3 a coûté près de 517 millions de dollars et son lancement - 133 millions de dollars.

Spain's Minister for Defence, Carme Chacón (left), and her Norwegian counterpart, Grete Faremo, signed the agreement for the joint development of HisNorSat in September 2010. Credit: Spain's Minister for Defence photo

1 December, 2011 By Peter B. de Selding - spacenews.com

LONDON — Norwegian and Spanish military authorities expect to select a builder of a large X- and Ka-band telecommunications satellite before the end of the month as part of a bilateral effort in which Norway is investing around $200 million, the project’s Norwegian manager said Dec. 1.

While industry officials had thought that the Spanish economic crisis and the recent change of government would stop the HisNorSat project in its tracks, Norwegian and Spanish officials were in Madrid the week of Dec. 1 negotiating the contract’s final details, Commander Trond Hermansen said.

Hermansen is manager of the Norwegian Military Satcom Program, in which Norway has agreed to invest some $600 million over the next five years. In addition to the satellite to be built with Spanish and Norwegian payloads, the program includes the procurement of 300 satellite communications terminals for Norwegian land, air and maritime platforms, and ground infrastructure, Hermansen said here during the Global Milsatcom conference organized by SMi Group.

The Norwegian-Spanish linkup stunned military and civilian officials in Europe and elsewhere when it was first announced some two years ago. Two officials said the arrangement included the sale of military hardware and other offsets in a broader military agreement between the two countries in which the satellite is only a part.

The Spanish government that negotiated the HisNorSat agreement was recently swept out of power amid Spain’s acute financial crisis. The level of support within the new government for the program remained unclear. 

Hermansen said he was confident that a contract will be signed to build a satellite carrying 40-45 transponders and weighing between 5,500 and 6,000 kilograms. He said the Norwegian share of the satellite is expected to cost about $200 million.

Key to the agreement was Spain’s provision of the satellite’s intended orbital slot at 29 degrees east.

 Hermansen said studies in Norway that were validated by outside auditors concluded that the capital expenditure in a new satellite would be far less expensive than continued leasing of commercial satellite capacity on the spot market, or even under long-term leases.

He declined to divulge how much bandwidth Norway’s military expects to use, saying only that the cost of building and operating, for 15 years, a dedicated Norwegian payload would be “clearly less expensive” than leasing comparable capacity.

Hermansen said Norway invited project proposals from several companies proposing private-public partnerships along the lines of what the British Defence Ministry has established with the Skynet military satellite communications program, and as part of bilateral agreements. The Spanish offer from the company Hisdesat was clearly the most attractive.

Hisdesat, a minority shareholder in the U.S.-based Xtar company, which is majority-owned by Loral Space and Communications of New York, has had difficulty filling the capacity on the two Xtar satellites.

The HisNorSat satellite, once in orbit, will carry almost all of Norway’s military satellite communications traffic except for operations in the Arctic that are beyond the reach of a geostationary satellite. For these, Hermansen said, Norway will continue to lease L-band capacity.

Similarly, communications for Norway’s future F-35 jet fighters — Norway has purchased several dozen F-35s from manufacturer Lockheed Martin — will be handled by some other satellite system, perhaps the U.S. Mobile User Objective System constellation now under construction.

Norway will continue to get its UHF capacity from the 28-nation NATO alliance, which has leased bandwidth from the national military satellite telecommunications systems of France, Britain and Italy.

Norway’s defense budget is some 39 billion Norwegian kroner, or $6.7 billion at current exchange rates. But some 40 percent of the budget goes to operating costs, including satellite bandwidth leases. Hermansen said Norwegian authorities have set as a goal the reduction of operating costs, even if that means increased investment costs.

In addition to its territory in the Arctic, and its station in the Antarctic, Norway has a need for communications with its troops deployed as part of the NATO alliance. Hermansen said Norwegian forces are in the Balkans as part of the ongoing multinational effort there, in Afghanistan with NATO troops, and in various locales in Africa and the Middle East.

The launch of 10th Beidou Satellite

2011-12-02(China Military News cited from nasaspaceflight.com and by Rui C. Barbosa)

A record breaking 16th successful launch of the year for China took place at 21:07 UTC on Thursday, when a Long March 3A (Chang Zheng-3A) launch vehicle orbited a new navigation satellite – another for the BeiDou-2 Compass satellite navigation range – from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, in Sichuan Province.

This launch was the 16th successful orbital launch this year for China, breaking the previous launch record of 15 successful missions in 2010. Taking into account the launch failure on August 18th, this was the 17th space launch for China this year.

The satellite that was orbited is the fifth BeiDou-2 IGSO (Inclined GSO) satellite of the system. The satellites were developed in the basis of the DFH-3B satellite platform and have a lifespan of eight years.

This constellation of Compass satellites will consist of 35 vehicles, including 30 MEO (21,500 km orbits) and IGSO (inclined at 55 degrees) satellites and five GSO satellites.

The Compass Navigation Satellite System (CNSS) is China’s second-generation satellite navigation system approved by the Chinese government in 2004, and is capable of providing continuous, real-time passive 3D geo-spatial positioning and speed measurement.

The system was initially used to provide high-accuracy positioning services for users in China and its neighboring regions, covering an area of about 120 degrees longitude in the Northern Hemisphere. The long-term goal is to develop a global navigation satellite network similar to the GPS and GLONASS by 2020.

The satellites transmit signals on the: 1195.14-1219.14MHz, 1256.52-1280.52MHz, 1559.05-1563.15MHz and 1587.69-1591.79MHz, carrier frequencies.

The previous BeiDou-2 ‘Compass’ launch took place on July 26 when a Chang Zheng-3A orbited the ‘Compass-I4′ (37763 2011-038A) satellite.

This was the 22nd flight of the CZ-3A Chang Zheng-3A launch vehicle. The CZ-3A is a three-stage liquid launch vehicle, which has inherited the mature technology of the CZ-3 Chang Zheng-3. An upgraded liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen cryogenic third stage has been developed to enable CZ-3A performing greater geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) capability.

The CZ-3A is equipped with a more flexible and sophisticated control system which supports substantial attitude adjustments to orient the payloads before spacecraft separation and provides adjustable satellite spin-up rotation rate. It has paved the way for the development of CZ-3B Chang Zheng-3B and CZ-3C Chang Zheng-3C, and become the basic type of GTO launch vehicles.

The CZ-3A is mainly used for GTO missions; it also can be used for LEO, SSO and polar orbit missions, as well as dual-launch and multiple-launch missions. The launch capacity of the CZ-3A to GTO is 2,650 kg, the lift-off mass is 241,000 kg, the overall length is 52.5 meters, the diameter of first stage and second stage is 3.35 meters, the diameter of third stage is 3.0 meters, and the maximum fairing diameter is 3.35 meters.

The first stage and second stage of CZ-3A employ storable propellants, i.e. unsymmetrical dimethy1 hydrazine (UDMH) and nitrogen tetroxide (N­2O4), and the third stage uses cryogenic propellants, i.e. liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX).

On the first stage the CZ-3A uses a DaFY6-2 engine with 2961.6 kN of thrust, while the second stage is equipped with a DaFY20-1 main engine (742 kN) and four DaFY21-1 vernier engines (11.8 kN each). The third stage is equipped with two YF-75 engines (78.5 kN each).

The fairing diameter of the CZ-3A is 3.35 meters and has a length of 8.89 meters.

CZ-3A consists of rocket structure, propulsion system, control system, telemetry system, tracking and safely system, coast phase propellant management and attitude control system, cryogenic propellant utilization system, separation system and auxiliary system, etc.

The launch success rate of CZ-3A is 100 percent since its maiden flight on February 8, 1994 when it successfully launched two experimental satellites (the Shi Jian-4 and the Kua Fu-1, a DFH-3 model). And it was awarded the “Gold Launch Vehicle” title by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation in June 2007.

This was the 153rd successful Chinese orbital launch, the 153rd launch of a Chang Zheng launch vehicle, the 8th launch from Xichang in 2011 and the 67th orbital launch from Xichang.

The Xichang Satellite Launch Centre is situated in the Sichuan Province, south-western China and is the country’s launch site for geosynchronous orbital launches.

Equipped with two launch pads (LC2 and LC3), the centre has a dedicated railway and highway lead directly to the launch site. The Command and Control Centre is located seven kilometers south-west of the launch pad, providing flight and safety control during launch rehearsal and launch.

Down range Tracking and Control stations of the launch center are located in Xichang City and Yibin City of Sichuan Province, and Guiyang City of Guizhou Province. Each of them houses tracking and measurement equipment for the powered phase of a launch vehicle flight.

Other facilities on the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre are the Launch Control Centre, propellant fueling systems, communications systems for launch command, telephone and data communications for users, and support equipment for meteorological monitoring and forecasting.

During 1993-1994 Xichang underwent extensive modernization and expansion, in part due to the requirements of the CZ-3 launcher family and in part to meet commercial customer needs.

The first launch from Xichang took place at 12:25UTC on January 29, 1984, when the CZ-3 Chang Zheng-3 (CZ3-1) was launched the Shiyan Weixing (14670 1984-008A) communications satellite into orbit.

Before the end of the year China plans two more launches. The launch of the NigComSat-1R communications satellite for Nigeria is schedule to take place on December 19. Launched by a CZ-3B/E Chang Zheng-3B/E rocket from Xichang, this satellite will replace the NigComSat-1 satellite that lost power from the southern solar array and latter failed in November 2008 due to a technical error of the satellite’s northern solar array.

The other launch schedule for December will orbit the ZiYuan-1 (2C) Earth resource satellite using a Chang Zheng-4B launch vehicle from Taiyuan.

30/11/2011 Yann-Antony Noghès, à Bruxelles – La Tribune.fr

La Commission européenne a proposé mercredi d'affecter 7 milliards d'euros dans le budget commun de l'UE, sur la période 2014-2020, aux programmes européens de radio-navigation par satellite Galileo et Egnos.

Bruxelles a annoncé ce mercredi sa stratégie pour financer les coûteux programmes spatiaux européens. La Commission a proposé "d'affecter 7 milliards d'euros pour assurer l'achèvement de l'infrastructure de navigation par satellite et pour assurer l'exploitation des systèmes jusqu'en 2020". Les projets Galileo et Egnos (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) devraient ainsi être financés à partir du budget européen 2014-2020.

En revanche, les caisses européennes sont vides pour l'autre grand chantier spatial, GMES, le programme européen de surveillance de la Terre, pour lequel "un budget estimé de 5,8 milliards d'euros est jugé nécessaire". La Commission compte proposer de le financer "en dehors du cadre financier européen". Le commissaire européen à l'Industrie, Antonio Tajani, préconise "d'établir un fonds GMES spécifique", avec "des contributions financières des vingt-sept Etats membres de l'Union européenne en fonction de leur revenu national brut". Cela nécessitera "un accord intergouvernemental entre les Etats membres de l'Union". Le programme "sera coordonné par la Commission et sa gestion financière pourrait être déléguée à l'agence du GNSS européen".

Cette proposition devrait rencontrer une vive opposition de Paris. A la mi-novembre, à l'initiative du ministre en charge de l'espace Laurent Wauquiez, huit pays (France, Royaume-Uni, Allemagne, Italie, Espagne, Suède, Pays-Bas et Finlande) ont écrit à la Commission pour demander que GMES soit financé par le budget de l'UE. Selon eux, la manoeuvre de Bruxelles revient à "dissimuler" certains postes budgétaires et pourrait "être interprétée comme le signe d'un désengagement de l'UE à l'égard des secteurs stratégiques majeurs". Ce qui "ne pourrait que conduire à la fragilisation", du projet GMES, "tant en matière de financement que de gouvernance". Malgré cette mise en garde, Bruxelles s'apprête à proposer de passer par un accord intergouvernemental.

Glonass is Russia's answer to the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS, and is designed for both military and civilian uses. Both systems allow users to determine their positions to within a few meters.

Nov 29, 2011 Moscow (RIA Novosti)

Russia sent another Glonass-M navigation satellite into orbit on Monday, said Alexei Zolotukhin, spokesman of Russian Space Forces.

The Soyuz carrier rocket with the satellite on board was launched from the Plesetsk space center earlier in the day.

Mission control specialists have been holding a steady connection with the satellite, Zolotukhin said. The satellite's onboard systems are operating normally.

The Glonass-M will augment a group of 30 Glonass satellites already in orbit. This was the last launch of a Glonass satellite this year.

Glonass is Russia's answer to the U.S. Global Positioning System, or GPS, and is designed for both military and civilian uses. Both systems allow users to determine their positions to within a few meters.

Russia's Glonass system currently has 23 operational satellites, while a total of 24 is needed to provide global coverage.

On November 4, three reserve Glonass-M satellites were launched from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan after three Glonass-Ms were destroyed in a failed launch last year.

Galileo sat constallation

22.11.11 20minutes.fr

Nicolas Sarkozy a promis ce mardi à Toulouse de donner, malgré la crise, «un nouvel élan» à la politique spatiale de la France au nom de la défense de la «souveraineté» du pays et d'un secteur industriel vital pour son économie et son avenir. «Alors que la crise fait peser de lourdes contraintes sur nos finances publiques, la solution de facilité aurait été de réduire nos investissements. C'eut été sacrifier le futur», a déclaré Nicolas Sarkozy dans un discours prononcé à l'occasion du 50e anniversaire de la création du Centre national d'études spatiales (Cnes), l'agence spatiale française.

«Si l'espace est pour nous une priorité, c'est parce qu'il n'y a pas de souveraineté française en ignorant cet enjeu» et que ce secteur «représente une part importante de notre économie», a-t-il plaidé. Le chef de l'Etat a ainsi rappelé que «le budget spatial de la France (civil) aura augmenté de 16% entre 2007 et 2012», passant de 1,4 à 1,6 milliard d'euros, «alors qu'il avait stagné jusque-là», et qu'une enveloppe de «un demi milliard d'euros» avait été consacrée au secteur spatial sur les 35 milliards mobilisés dans le cadre du grand emprunt pour les «investissements d'avenir».

La première industrie spatiale en Europe

«La France possède la première industrie spatiale en Europe (...) ce serait folie que de ne pas donner à cette filière les moyens de se développer», a poursuivi Nicolas Sarkozy, précisant que «l'emploi dans ce secteur s'est développé de 6% sur ces quatre dernières années».

Lors de son plaidoyer, le président a également insisté sur «l'effet d'entraînement puissant» de l'espace sur le reste de l'économie. «Un euro investi dans l'espace créé près de 20 euros pour le reste de l'économie (...) nous devons faire le choix de l'innovation, a-t-il souligné. Nous devons avoir l'ambition de conserver notre avance technologique et industrielle.» Au titre des priorités, Nicolas Sarkozy a d'abord jugé «indispensable de préparer l'avenir des futurs lanceurs européens pour continuer de garantir notre accès autonome à l'espace».

Une enveloppe de 83 millions d'euros débloquée pour Ariane 6

Il a rappelé que l'Etat avait déjà débloqué une enveloppe de 83 millions d'euros pour le successeur du lanceur lourd Ariane 5, Ariane 6, pour un coût total estimé à 1,5 milliard d'euros. La France s'est engagée à en verser la moitié mais les premiers financements européens prévus pour combler le reste de la facture tardent à être décidés. Nicolas Sarkozy entend aussi «conforter la filière française des satellites de télécommunications» et «d'observation» de la Terre, aussi bien civils que militaires, citant le succès du programme européen Galileo de géolocalisation, le concurrent du fameux GPS américain.

Le chef de l'Etat a enfin insisté sur «l'exploration de l'espace». «Notre objectif prioritaire n'est pas d'envoyer des astronautes au-delà de l'orbite terrestre dans un futur proche mais d'amplifier l'exploration scientifique de notre système solaire», a-t-il assuré, citant les satellites Herschel et Planck et le vaisseau cargo européen ATV, piloté depuis Toulouse. Face à la concurrence grandissante de la Chine et de l'Inde, Nicolas Sarkozy a plaidé pour des «grands projets fédérateurs» européens en matière spatiale. «Il faut que l'Europe ne baisse pas la garde», a-t-il jugé.

2011-11-18  xinhua

Les missions spatiales chinoises ne comprennent aucun programme répondant directement aux besoins de la défense nationale, a indiqué vendredi un responsable du programme spatial.

Toutefois, les développements technologiques dans l'aérospatial peuvent servir à la fois aux secteurs civil et militaire, a expliqué Wang Zhaoyao, directeur adjoint du Bureau du programme spatial habité de Chine, à l'occasion d'une conférence de presse.

"Par exemple, un satellite de communication peut aussi bien être utilisé pour diffuser des signaux TV que des communications militaires", a-t-il précisé.

En réponse aux critiques faisant état d'un manque de transparence des missions spatiales chinoises, M. Wang a indiqué que le pays avait consenti d'importants efforts pour présenter ses missions au reste du monde et que la Chine continuerait de coopérer avec les autres pays sur la base du respect mutuel, des bénéfices réciproques et de la transparence.

La Chine a achevé avec succès sa première mission d'amarrage spatial lorsque le vaisseau inhabité Shenzhou-8 a atterri jeudi au terme de 17 jours dans l'espace. Au cours de cette mission, Shenzhou-8 a mené deux amarrages avec le module laboratoire Tiangong-1.

Photo: WILLIAM G. HARTENSTEIN

Nov 16, 2011 By Amy Butler - aviation week and space technology

Washington - The U.S. Air Force is kicking off a series of meetings with industry in the coming weeks to outline the path for would-be competitors to break into the typically exclusive U.S. government launch sector, potentially creating a healthier and more cost-effective rocket market in the next decade.

Lt. Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski, commander of the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), has signed off on a first-ever detailed guide for certifying companies seeking to compete for U.S. government launches.

This document, long awaited by potential contenders, will provide a detailed outline of what Pawlikowski says are the “mechanics” that new entrants must follow to gain certification to loft various payload types—from experimental systems that are more risk-tolerant to high-cost monoliths such as the Space-Based Infrared System that require foolproof mission assurance. The guide will not be publicly disseminated, she says, owing to sensitive data protected by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, she says.

In the coming weeks, SMC plans to hold an industry day for potential entrants. Each must provide a statement of intent—including the company’s reliability, accuracy and selected orbits to which they can launch—to kick off the certification process.

This is an opening for Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and its Falcon 9 to eventually challenge the United Launch Alliance (ULA), a Boeing/Lockheed Martin venture that holds a monopoly over large-class Air Force payload launches. Additionally, an Alliant Techsystems/EADS Astrium team and Orbital Sciences Corp. are expected to compete for work.

Interested companies will work with SMC to develop a certification path. Though the Air Force will help guide the process, the service will not spend money developing the rockets, as it did with the Atlas V and Delta IV a decade ago. “We really want to have [the competitors] leverage as much of their commercial activity as we can,” says Pawlikowski. “The whole idea of having competition is what has got us interested in doing this new-entrant criteria. But we want competitors that have a viable business base.”

ULA was born out of a government-condoned monopoly blending onetime competitors Lockheed Martin, with its Atlas V, and Boeing, with its Delta IV. The Air Force gave both companies at least $500 million to develop their vehicles, and both added their own funds. Though forged at a time when the launch market was thought to be robust enough to support these big players, the two later merged when forecasts turned out to be far rosier than reality.

A decade ago, the service was fostering competition among two U.S. launch titans; now it is forced to sustain the monopoly while also attempting to introduce new players into the market.

The near-term opportunity for new entrants is a contracting vehicle that will be up for grabs as the current Minotaur agreement expires. Pawlikowski says the center is working on developing the request for proposals for the orbital-suborbital small and medium space-lift program (OSP-3) contract, which supports a variety of launch activities requiring various booster sizes.

Once only focused on those two classes, Pawlikowski intends to add a third to OSP-3 specifically for these new entrants; these missions will not be accessible to ULA. “We will target for that contract missions that are more risk-tolerant than our big missions,” she says.

One option proposed by the Pentagon in the fiscal 2012 budget is to set aside $135 million to loft NASA’s Deep Space Climate Observatory, a mission requiring an upper-stage coast and reaching the L1 Earth-Sun Lagrangian point roughly 932,000 mi. away. Lawmakers are split on whether to support the proposal; but if it passes, Pawlikowski plans to compete that mission in fiscal 2012, which concludes next Sept. 30.

While gaining experience is one way to gain certification, there are other options. “The more history they have, obviously the more confidence we will have,” says Pawlikowski. “But if they don’t have a lot of history, then we are more than willing to dig into their technical data” for verification.

The path to certification will vary depending on the company’s record and willingness to allow the Air Force to review its technical data. Ultimately, SMC plans to award indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts to multiple vendors in each category of the OSP-3 contract vehicle if there are enough companies certified.

In a parallel path, the Air Force is continuing its effort to reduce the cost of buying ULA rockets. The service came under scrutiny after its fiscal 2012 budget plan suggested negotiating a multiyear buy of 40 rocket cores from ULA over five years. The goal was to stabilize orders for industry, which was intended to reduce risk and generate savings. Government auditors, however, said the strategy was proposed without enough data to bolster a sound rationale.

Since then, the Air Force revised its approach to the Fiscal 2013-17 road map and asked ULA to devise a “cost matrix” that provides a range of options that do not limit the service to a buy of a specific number of vehicles. The range is from 6-10 per year for 3-5 years, according to Maj. Tracy Bunko, an Air Force spokeswoman. “This data will allow the Air Force to balance the rate and commitment decision with our fundamental priorities: operational requirements with emphasis on mission assurance, price, and encouraging competition,” she notes, adding that the Air Force had revised its strategy in advance of the criticism outlined by the Government Accountability Office.

Pawlikowski says her service intends to award this contract to ULA next spring.

Guaranteeing an amount of work for the incumbent would seemingly be at odds with a plan to reduce costs by introducing more choices. But Pawlikowski says the Air Force is trying to get the best out of both efforts—reducing the cost of near-term buys from ULA while also setting up the conditions for competition to further lower prices.

The forthcoming ULA contract is Phase 1 of a two-pronged strategy. “That approach deals with getting a price matrix [from the] vendor to understand where the break point is in quantities,” she says. “Where the tie-in is to our new-entrants [strategy] is that we do not intend to put every launch vehicle that we think we are going to need to buy in the next five years on that block buy. There will be opportunities for additional purchases of [Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle]-class rockets” outside of those outlined for ULA.

These parallel paths are intended to foster, around 2018, a competition with more experienced providers, including ULA and others, as Phase 2 of the strategy. “We are hopeful that by that ’18 timeframe, we will have contenders that are viable, and they won’t be completely blocked out before then,” the general says. “If they become certified earlier than that, we will have these other launches for them to compete for.”

Le développement de Hayabusa 2 devrait recevoir 7 milliards de yens pour 2012

Crédits : JAXA

10/11/2011 bulletins-electroniques.com

Le Centre stratégique de politique spatiale a publié fin octobre un document présentant les demandes budgétaires initiales pour l'année fiscale 2012 (qui débute en avril au Japon) de chaque ministère impliqué dans le programme spatial du Japon. Comparé aux années précédentes, la remise de ces demandes de budget a eu environ un mois de retard en raison de la catastrophe ayant frappé le Japon en mars 2011.

Le budget global réclamé par l'ensemble des ministères pour leurs activités spatiales en 2012 est de 271,6 milliards de yens (environ 2,5 milliards d'euros). A titre de comparaison, le budget initialement voté pour l'année 2011 était de 307,8 milliards de yens (presque 2,9 milliards d'euros). La demande pour 2012 représente donc une baisse de 11,8% par rapport au budget de l'année précédente. Toutefois, à ces 271,6 milliards s'ajoutent 54,4 milliards de yens sollicités dans le cadre d'une "demande spéciale pour la renaissance du Japon", ainsi que 16,9 milliards de yens de "demande de dépenses pour la reconstruction". Le budget total réclamé pour le spatial s'élève donc au final à 342,9 milliards de yens (3,2 milliards d'euros), soit une augmentation de 11,4% comparé à l'année précédente. Il n'est toutefois pas certain que les ministères touchent la totalité des sommes désirées. En effet, lors des demandes budgétaires initiales pour 2011, 339,7 milliards de yens (3,2 milliards d'euros) avaient été réclamés mais une somme moindre avait finalement été attribuée.

Le ministère consacrant le plus gros budget à l'espace est le MEXT (Ministère de l'éducation, de la Culture, des Sports, des Sciences et de la Technologie) avec une demande de 208,6 milliards de yens (plus de 1,9 milliards d'euros), soit 61% du budget total. Parmi les projets proposés par le MEXT figurent notamment : l'approvisionnement de la Station Spatiale Internationale (ISS) avec le cargo HTV et le développement de sa future évolution HTV-R intégrant une partie récupérable ; la construction d'un réseau de satellites d'observation de la Terre avec les missions ALOS-2 et 3, GPM/DPR, GCOM-W et C, EarthCARE/CPR et GOSAT ; l'utilisation du module japonais Kibo de l'ISS ; l'amélioration de la fiabilité des lanceurs et des satellites, ainsi que de la sécurité des installations qui leur sont dédiées ; la mission Hayabusa-2 pour le prélèvement et le retour d'échantillons d'un astéroïde ; le lanceur léger à propulsion solide Epsilon ; le développement de petits satellites scientifiques ; le satellite d'astronomie X ASTRO-H ; la mission d'exploration de Mercure Bepi Colombo, en partenariat avec l'ESA ; la R&D dans le domaine des centrales solaires orbitales ; l'utilisation de satellites pour obtenir des renseignements en cas de catastrophe.

3 milliards de yens ont été demandés pour financer la mission Bepi Colombo

Crédits : JAXA

Le deuxième plus important acteur du budget spatial est le Secrétariat du Cabinet qui souhaite dépenser 68 milliards de yens (634 millions d'euros) pour les frais liés aux satellites de renseignement du programme IGS (Information Gathering Satellite). Pour sa part, le Cabinet demande 4,7 milliards de yens (44 millions d'euros) dont 4,1 milliards (38 millions d'euros) seront consacrés au système de positionnement par satellites QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System).

Au total, pas moins de 11 ministères ont fait des demandes de budget pour divers projets en rapport avec l'espace. Ainsi, le Ministère de l'Economie, du Commerce et de l'Industrie (METI) espère par exemple financer la R&D sur les capteurs hyperspectraux, sur les technologies de détection à distance des ressources pétrolières, sur la miniaturisation de radars à synthèse d'ouverture très haute résolution, ainsi que sur la promotion des systèmes spatiaux japonais grâce à la réduction de taille des satellites. Pour sa part, le Ministère de la Défense souhaite entre autres financer l'utilisation d'images satellite et de télécommunications par satellite, ainsi qu'un programme de défense contre les missiles balistiques.

Le Ministère des finances va désormais étudier en détail les demandes budgétaires initiales de chaque ministère jusqu'à la fin de l'année, puis publiera une version provisoire du budget. Celui-ci pourra encore subir des révisions à la demande de députés ou de ministères, avant que le budget final ne soit voté à la Diète au début de l'année prochaine.