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Astrium to build ASTRA 1M EADS ASTRIUM NEWS RELEASE Posted: July 23, 2005 SES ASTRA, an SES GLOBAL company, is pleased to announce that it has awarded the contract for the construction of its ASTRA 1M satellite to European manufacturer EADS Astrium, an EADS company. EADS Astrium, as prime contractor for ASTRA 1M, will design and build the satellite and supply both the payload and the platform. European industry will supply the majority of the spacecraft equipment and technology. The satellite will provide a full range of television broadcasting services, including HDTV and other advanced audiovisual as well as broadband services. EADS Astrium will manufacture the ASTRA 1M spacecraft based on its flight-proven and state-of-the-art Eurostar E3000 platform, the latest version of the Eurostar series, which became first part of the SES fleet with the ASTRA 2B spacecraft launched in September 2000. ASTRA 1M will carry 36 transponders for the first five years (32 thereafter) covering the FSS and BSS frequency bands. The spacecraft will feature pan-European as well as Middle East and African coverage. The satellite will be specified for a minimum service life of 15 years. It will have a launch mass of 5300 kilograms, a solar array span of 35 metres once deployed in orbit, and spacecraft power of 10 kW at end of life. The ASTRA 1M spacecraft will be compatible with all flight proven launch vehicles. SES ASTRA will choose a launch service provider in the near future. "We are most pleased to work with EADS Astrium on the ASTRA 1M mission, and building on our fruitful cooperation on ASTRA 2B", said Ferdinand Kayser, President and CEO of SES ASTRA. "Our decision is not least proof of the competitiveness of the European Space industry in general, and EADS Astrium in particular." Antoine Bouvier, CEO of EADS Astrium, said: "We are delighted that SES ASTRA orders again an EADS Astrium satellite. Their decision to select us with an E3000 satellite confirms their confidence in the superior reliability of Eurostar and our industrial capability. We are convinced that this contract heralds a new phase of cooperation with SES ASTRA, who is a world leading operator and is recognized globally for its technical expertise." About SES ASTRA SES ASTRA is an SES GLOBAL company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG). SES GLOBAL wholly owns two market-leading satellite operators, SES ASTRA in Europe, and SES AMERICOM in the US. The Company also holds strategic participations in AsiaSat in Asia, Star One and Nahuelsat in Latin America, and NSAB in Europe. SES GLOBAL can provide outstanding satellite communications solutions via a fleet of 40 satellites across the globe. About EADS Astrium |
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NASA's next voyage to the Red Planet is introduced by project managers and scientists in this news conference from 1 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 21. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will launch in August on a mission to provide the sharpest images ever taken of Earth's neighboring planet. (34min 10sec file)
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Space shuttle Atlantis is hoisted upright and moved into position for mating with the external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters for the second post-Columbia mission, now scheduled for September. (5min 48sec file)
Space shuttle Discovery's seven astronauts arrive at different times on Friday, July 22 at Kennedy Space Center to resume launch preparations.
Technicians work inside shuttle Discovery's cramp aft compartment to troubleshoot the engine cutoff sensor problem. (2min 22sec file)
Expedition 11 commander Sergei Krikalev and science officer John Phillips undock their Soyuz capsule from the Pirs module at 6:38 a.m. EDT, back 82 feet away, fly sideways for 45 feet and then guide the craft to docking with the Zarya module at 7:08 a.m. (30min 57sec file)
As excitement builds for the first space shuttle launch in over two years, this comprehensive video selection captures the major pre-flight events for Discovery and her seven astronauts.