Dale M. Gray is the president of Frontier Historical Consultants. Frontier Status reports are a free weekly annotated index chronicling the progress of the emerging "space frontier".
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Understanding the Frontier
Space Launch Initiative
Frontier Processes at Work
Current Space Development as a Manifestation of Historic Frontier Processes
Why has the U. S. State Department Declared War on the American Satellite Industry?
Congress is Closing The Wrong Barn Door
Intelligent Life in Washington
Wither Iridium?
High Flight from the High Country
Robotic Spacecraft: Loaded for Bear or Barely Loaded?
Wanted: Freedom
Go Web, Young Man!
Imponderables
"Why", asked the Mad Hatter, "is a raven like a writing desk?"
Forging Plowshares into Spears
Amateur Rocketry Takes Flight
Why Compton Had to Die
The New Frontier
Previous postings are archived at:FSR Archive and ASI.org
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Frontier Status 216
August 18, 2000
by Dale M. Gray
Frontier Historical Consultants
This week the space frontier featured an Ariane 4 launch of
two communications satellites and a Titan 4B launch of an
NRO payload. The Shuttle Atlantis moved out to the launch
pad in preparation for its September 8 launch. The pair of
Cluster II satellites have reached their polar orbits and will
now begin their study of Earth's magnetosphere. In the
private sector, Orbcomm's fiscal problems continue.
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Highlights of the week of August 18 include:
- Ariane 4 launched August 17.
- Titan 4B launched August 17.
- Atlantis moves to launch pad 39B August 14.
- NASA opens control room training center
SHUTTLE
Atlantis
The Shuttle Atlantis, mated with its External Tank
and solid rocket boosters, was moved from the Vehicle
Assembly Building High Bay 2 to launch pad 39B on the
evening of August 13 / 14. The Shuttle had been placed in
the High Bay as part of a test of the Safe Haven. The VAB
now has the capability to hold three launch configured
Shuttles in the event of extreme weather. The project to
modify the VAB began in July of 1998 (NASA; Spaceflight
Now).
The seven-member crew of STS106 arrived at Kennedy
Space Center on August 15 for a series of media events and
the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT). On
August 18, the seven-man crew of Atlantis conducted the
TCDT. The mock launch concluded with a simulated main
engine cut-off and emergency egress exercise. Atlantis is
scheduled to launch its eleven-day ISS supply mission on
September 8 around 8:31 a.m. EDT (NASA).
Discovery
The October 5 launch of the Shuttle Discovery
may be delayed by problems with a piece of equipment to be
delivered to the International Space Station. A Control
Moment Gyro on the manifest has been found to be
defective. The CMG is part of the Z-1 Truss, which is the
Shuttle's main cargo. The CMG is a vital piece of
equipment that can help control the attitude of the station
using electrical power saving fuel for the thrusters.
Managers hope the equipment can be fixed without affecting
the launch schedule. A decision about a possible delay will
be maid by next week (Florida Today; NASA).
ISS Launch Window
NASA has reviewed the number of
possible problems that could lead to an on the pad
cancellation of Shuttle launches to the International Space
Station. Because of the orbit of the ISS, the Shuttle has a
five to ten minute window of opportunity to launch. The
review of potential problems has revealed few problems that
can be resolved in five minutes that can't be solved in only
2.5 minutes. Because the middle of the launch window is
the most efficient time to launch, NASA is recommending
that the launch window be shortened to minimize the amount
of fuel required to rendezvous with the Station. The new
launch window will also increase the ability of an under
performing Shuttle to complete its mission and dock with the
station (
Spaceflight Now).
ISS
In the week since the docking of the Progress supply
vessel with the orbiting International Space Station,
controllers on the ground have pressurized the vestibule
between Zvezda and the Progress. Tests found no leaks.
Propellant and oxidizer lines between the two were also
tested. On Thursday, following the tests, propellant and
oxidizer was transferred to tanks on the Zvezda module. A
command error during the transfer accidentally shut down
the attitude control thrusters, but the 2.5-hour shut down
posed no problems for the station. The thruster system was
reactivated following the transfer. Controllers also
confirmed from external camera views that one of two
docking targets on the exterior of Zvezda failed to completely
deploy. On Tuesday and Thursday the engines of the
Progress were used to increase the orbit of the station. Two
more firings may occur next week to fine-tune the orbit in
preparation of the Atlantis docking (SpaceDaily.com).
Canadian Arm
On August 16, Canada formally delivered
the Mobile Servicing System that will be used on the
International Space Station. The system includes the Space
Station Remote Manipulator System, which is the next
generation of the space shuttle robotic arm. The station's
robotic arm is 17 meters long and has seven motorized
joints. The arm can be moved from port to port around the
station wherever it is needed. The system also includes the
Mobile Base System, which moves on rails the length of the
station and the Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator ,
which is also known as the Canada Hand. The arm has been
in KSC since 1999, and has been in final development by
Canadian and NASA workers since that time. The arm will
be the first component to be installed when it is delivered by
the Shuttle Endeavor (STS-100) in April of 2001 on
assembly mission 6A. A spacewalk by Canadian Chris
Hadfield and U.S. astronaut Scott Parazynki will install the
arm on the station. The arm will be used to handle large
objects, assist in the docking of the Shuttle and aid in the
construction of the station. The arm is part of Canada's $1.4
billion contribution to the station (
NASA;
Florida Today).
ISS Crew Recovery Exercise
International Space Station
crew search and rescue was the subject of this year's
SAREX 00 exercises in the Arctic. Search and rescue crews
from the U.S. Alaskan Command, Alaska Air National
Guard, Alaska Army National Guard, Canadian air forces
and Russian air forces joined forces on August 15 to 19 on
the Arctic SAREX 00 field training exercise. The training
was designed to improve the capabilities of the teams to
work together to find and rescue crew of the International
Space Station in the event of an evacuation and Arctic
landing. The exercise took place in Russia in the Leningrad
military district's Levashovo Airfield, Lake Kheproyorve
and Kasimovo Airfield. This was the seventh combined
Arctic SAREX (Dept. of Defense PR;
Spaceflight Now).
Control Room
With the advent of around-the-clock use of
Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center to monitor ISS
activities, training using the actual Mission Control is no
longer possible. Last week NASA opened the new Mission
Control Training Center. The facility provides detailed
replicas of the Shuttle and Space Station control rooms. The
rooms will provide realistic training for the controllers who
will be monitoring the Shuttle missions and maintaining
constant contact with the Station (SpaceViews).
LAUNCHES
Ariane 44LP
On August 17 an Ariane 4 rocket carrying
Brazilsat B4 and Nilesat 102 was launched from Kourou,
French Guiana at 7:16 p.m. EDT. The rocket was
configured with two liquid and two solid rocket boosters.
Brazilsat was deployed 22 minutes into the flight. The two
solid boosters completed their burn and separated in the first
90 seconds of flight. The liquid boosters followed at 150
seconds into flight. The four Snecma Viking 5 engines of
the first stage cut off around three and half minutes into the
flight. The Viking 4 engine of the second stage started
thereafter. At T+6 minutes, Arianespace confirmed the
second stage had separated and the third stage Snecma HM
7B engine was ignited. The third stage completed its long
duration burn at T+19 minutes. Nilesat 102 was deployed
26:45 minutes into the flight. Flight 131 was the first launch
for Arianespace in four months. The gap in flights was due
to delays in satellite deliveries (Florida Today; Reuters;
Frontier Status archives;
Arianespace;
Spaceflight Now;
Space.com).
The Brazilsat B4 was built by Hughes Space &
Communications for Embratel. The 1,750-kg satellite will
provide television and other telecommunications services for
throughout South America. Total cost for the satellite,
launch and insurance was reported at $150 million (Reuters).
Nilesat 102 was built in France by Astrium. the 1800-kg
satellite will provide direct-to-home television from North
Africa to the Far East. The satellite, launch and insurance is
estimated to have cost over $200 million (Reuters).
Titan 4B
On August 17, a Titan 4B rocket was launched
from the Vandenberg AFB SLC-4E. The launch of the
rocket, nicknamed "Julia Ann" was delayed one day by a
ground equipment issue. The cargo was an NRO payload.
After a successful flight, the second stage released the
payload into orbit. This is the second successful Titan 4B
launch this year (Florida Today; Lockheed Martin PR;
Spaceflight Now).
LAUNCH SYSTEMS
Delta 3
The Delta 3 launch system is poised to return to
flight on August 23 at 7:00 a.m. EDT. The rocket has no
commercial payload, but will be carrying a 4,309 kg dummy
satellite, DM-F3 (Delta Mission Flight Three), that will
provide some scientific data. The satellite has been painted
with black stripes and triangles with reflective surfaces
added. The change in appearance of the previously white
satellite is part of an USAF and the Colorado Center for
Astrodynamics Research (CCAR) at the University of
Colorado experiment on observing satellites from the
ground. The satellite will provide information on payload
dynamics and thermal standards and models. The satellite
will also be used as a calibration target for radar and optical
analyses. The $85 million launch is a demonstration mission
to assure potential users that the vehicle's problems have
been resolved (Space.com; Boeing PR;
Spaceflight Now).
This past week, Boeing released the final report on the May
1999 failure of the second flight of the Delta 3 system. The
report confirms the interim report's findings that pointed
towards the failure of a braze in the combustion chamber of
the RL 10B-2 upper stage engine. The engine, which fires
twice during flight, may have partially failed during the first
firing. The shut down may have been further damaged
during shutdown. When the engine was called on for its
second burn, it failed catastrophically -- sending its satellite
payload into a useless orbit. The report listed corrective
actions to assure such an accident will not recur. These
actions include an improved braze process and ultrasonic
inspection of the welds. Procedures to assure these
measures were properly implemented were completed in
April of 2000 (Boeing; SpaceViews).
The report can be downloaded at:
Boeing Delta Report.
TECHNOLOGY
Project Orion
British magazine "New Scientist" reported
Saturday that NASA is planning to test a high power laser on
a Shuttle mission in 2003. The laser will be used to "sweep"
orbiting 1-10 cm objects out of the path of the International
Space Station. The Station is designed to absorb impacts
from objects smaller than one cm, and can be moved to
avoid larger objects that can be tracked from the ground.
The $200 million laser project would track objects on course
for the station, heat them with a laser and then push them
aside. An international treaty banning the use of laser
weapons in space is expected to be an obstacle for the project
(SpaceDaily.com; New Scientist).
Space Inflatables
In May of 2001, a Russian submarine
may be used as a launch platform for the next test of
Inflatable Reentry and Descend Technology (IRDT). The
submarine was chosen because it offers flexibility in the
landing site. Tests in February of 2000 had mixed results.
A small IRDT was recovered from deep snow, but found to
be damaged. A larger IRDT attached to the Fregat upper
stage could not be located. In the spring, a set of tanks was
recovered in the landing area, but officials speculate that
locals may have scavenged the rest of the IRDT and upper
stage. The next test of the system will test several upgrades
and will likely use Woomera, Australia as a landing zone.
The $700,000 test will use a converted Volna missile to put
the 308-kg satellite mock-up in a sub-orbital trajectory. The
IRDT will inflate to about 8 meters during landing
(Space.com).
SATELLITES
Cluster II
Let the orbital dance begin. After five days and
five orbital maneuvers, the second set of Cluster II satellites,
Rumba and Tango, have been inserted into their operational
polar orbits. The orbit was reported to be 17,200 x 120,600
km with a period of 57 hours. The pair of satellites are
orbiting in formation with the previously launched Salsa and
Samba. The distance varies from 125 km to 2,000 km.
While the spacecraft are in their proper orbits, a series of
trim maneuvers will place the four satellites in a tetrahedral
formation. During the past week instrument covers were
released and rigid booms extended in preparation of
gathering data. During their two-year mission, the quartet
will be used to obtain a three-dimensional picture of the
various solar plasma field boundaries in the Earth's
magnetosphere and to study near-Earth space (AW&ST
6/12/96; ESA;
Spaceflight Now Mission Status;
Spaceflight Now Article).
OBSERVATORIES
China
China has announced that they have begun
construction on a new observatory dedicated to the detection
of Near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). The 1.2-meter telescope
will be used to gain precise orbital information on NEAs to
determine risk of collision with Earth. Upon completion the
observatory will join the international network of
observatories monitoring the objects (Xinhua News Agency;
SpaceDaily.com).
INTERNET IN THE SKY FRONTIER
iSKY / WildBlue
iSKY, the satellite broadband Internet
company recently announced that it would be changing its
name to WildBlue. Market research demonstrated that the
name WildBlue and motto "Broadband. Within Your
Reach" were distinctive and appealing to consumers. The
company plans to provide broadband Internet services to
homes and small offices in the U. S. with plans for
expansion in Canada and Latin America (PRNewswire;
WildBlue Web Site).
Internet Radio
As the ground-based Internet becomes more
clogged with traffic, streaming audio files are hitting more
and more traffic jams -- resulting in stuttering or stoppage.
Viacom's MTV Networks is using a satellite solution to
bring music to the ears of SonicNet.com users. Audio
stream is beamed to the Loral Skynet Telstar 7 satellite from
Tulsa, Oklahoma and then distributed to 135 network hubs
operated by AOL, Excite@Home and other ISPs. These
providers can then direct the streaming data to the people at
their PCs. The satellite solution to terrestrial Internet traffic
jams has become a significant tool in the expansion of
quality Internet services. iBeam Broadcasting, which
provides satellite service to MTVi, has signed up 250
Internet content providers in the last nine months (NY
Times).
BUSINESS
SpaceHab
SpaceHab was recently awarded a contract to
provide three additional experiments in the company's
Double Module set to be launched on Shuttle mission STS-
107. The additional experiments are valued at more than $1
million, raising the total value of the SpaceHab contracts for
the mission to $36.9 million. The experiments include
ESA's $992,000 European Research in Space and Terrestrial
Osteoporosis (ERISTO), a $83,000 Japanese student
experiment (JUSTAP S*T*A*R*S), and a Japanese / US
Protein Crystal Growth (JUSPRO) experiment for $40,000.
STS-107 is slated for launch in June of 2001 (
SpaceHab Web Site).
Orbcomm
This past week, the Orbcomm Global LP missed
interest payments on $170 million in bonds. The bonds will
technically go in default after a 30-day grace period. The
company had hired Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Securities
Corp. as an advisor as it explores recapitalization
alternatives. Bonds plunged to 15 cents on the dollar last
week. Orbcomm maintains a fleet of 35 satellites that allow
customers to track mobile assets and monitor utility meters.
In January, Teleglobe Canada and Orbital Sciences
restructured their ownership of Orbcomm with Teleglobe
receiving 60 percent. Along with ownership Teleglobe was
responsible for further capital investment. This support has
since been withdrawn causing a severe cash flow problem
for Orbcomm (Dow Jones Newswire).
SPACE STOCKS
The stock listing is for informational
purposes only and not intended for trading purposes.
Frontier Status shall not be liable for any errors or delays in
the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.
Additional stocks may be listed by request
(dalegray@micron.net).
| Company |
Ticker |
Friday Close |
Previous Friday |
Change |
| Boeing |
BA |
45.6875 |
49.625 |
-3.9375 |
| EchoStar |
DISH |
40.6250 |
40.5625 |
0.0625 |
| GlobalStar |
GSTRF |
8.4375
| 7.625 |
0.8125 |
| Hughes Electronics |
GMH |
31.0 |
28.5625 |
2.4375 |
| Lockheed Martin |
LMT |
27.9375 |
29.625 |
-1.6875 |
| Loral Space |
LOR |
6.6250 |
6.1875 |
0.4375 |
| Motorola |
MOT |
36.25 |
35.0 |
1.25 |
| Orbital Sciences |
ORB |
10.0 |
10.9375 |
-0.9375 |
| Sirius |
SIRI |
50.3750 |
49.25 |
1.125 |
| SpaceDev |
SPDVE.OB |
1.3438 |
1.0938 |
0.25 |
| SpaceHab |
SPAB |
5.8125 |
5.125 |
0.6875 |
| TRW |
TRW |
50.4375 |
51.125 |
-0.6875 |
COMING EVENTS
- August 23 - Delta 3, DM-F3, SLC-17B, Cape Canaveral Air
Force Station, Florida.
- August 23 - Zenit-2, Kosmos, Complex 45, Baikonur,
Kazakhstan
- August 25 - ISC Kosmotras Dnepr, 5 satellites, Area 109,
Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
- August 26 - Proton K/ Block DM-2, Globus-1, Baikonur,
Kazakhstan.
- August - GSLV (Indian Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle), Sriharikota, India.
- September 5 - ILS Proton/Blok DM, Sirius -2, Baikonur,
Kazakhstan.
- September 6 - Ariane 4 (flight 132), Eutelsat W1, ELA-2,
Kourou, French Guiana.
- September 8 - Shuttle Atlantis, STS-106 (ISS 2A.2b),
SpaceHab Double Module, pad 39-B, Kennedy Space
Center.
- SpaceFest 2000, Sand Point Park, Titusville, Florida.
- September 14 - Titan II, NOAA L G-13, SLC-4W,
Vandenberg AFB.
- September 21 - Soyuz-U, Progress M2 (ISS flight 2P),
Baikonur, Kazakhstan.
- September 14 - Ariane 5, Astra 2B and GE-7, Kourou,
French Guiana.
- September 19 - Shuttle Discovery, landing, Kennedy Space
Center.
- September 20 - Sea Launch Zenit 3SL, Thuraya, Equatorial
Pacific.
- September 24 - Ukrainian Zenit-2, Badr-2/Meteor-
3M/Maroc-Tubsat/Reflector, Complex 45, Baikonur,
Kazakhstan.
- October 6 - Pegasus XL, HETE 2, Kwajalein Missile
Range.
- October 6 - Shuttle Discovery, STS-92 (ISS 3A), Kennedy
Space Center.
FRONTIER CENSUS REPORT
The space population remains at the baseline of
zero. Humans have spent a total of 268.5 man-days in orbit
in the year 2000. The first element of the International Space
Station has been in orbit for 638 days. The occupation of
the International Space Station is expected to begin in early
November, 2000.
SOURCES
SERVICES
73 articles archived; 47 used
(c) Copyright Dale M. Gray August 18, 2000.
Dale M. Gray is the president of Frontier Historical
Consultants. Frontier Status reports are a free weekly
annotated index chronicling the progress of the emerging "space frontier". Send subscription requests
(subscribe or unsubscribe).
Previous postings are archived by
Simone Cortesi and
at the Artemis Society
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- E-mail server provided by Jim Sealy, Jr.
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