Showing posts with label Satellite. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Satellite. Show all posts
Russia Says Foreign Power Behind The Loss Of Country's Most Modern Military Satellite Geo-IK-2
Russia on February 1 launched a high-tech Geo-IK-2 craft to help the military draw a three-dimensional map of the Earth and locate the precise positions of various targets.
News reports said the satellite was a vital part of Russia's effort to match the United States and NATO's ability to target its missiles from space.
But the craft briefly went missing after its launch only to re-emerge in a wrong orbit that left the craft unable to complete its assigned task.
The Russian military and space agency set up a joint task force to probe the accident but it has presented no official results thus far.
One unnamed space official told Interfax however that initial evidence suggested that the craft went off target after one of its booster rockets inexplicably reversed course.
"The probable cause may involve electromagnetic intrusion on the automatic controls," the unnamed space official said.
The official did not identify the country he suspected of trying to derail the Russian military mission. But Moscow frequently accuses Washington of attempting to "militarise" space.
News reports said the satellite was a vital part of Russia's effort to match the United States and NATO's ability to target its missiles from space.
But the craft briefly went missing after its launch only to re-emerge in a wrong orbit that left the craft unable to complete its assigned task.
The Russian military and space agency set up a joint task force to probe the accident but it has presented no official results thus far.
One unnamed space official told Interfax however that initial evidence suggested that the craft went off target after one of its booster rockets inexplicably reversed course.
"The probable cause may involve electromagnetic intrusion on the automatic controls," the unnamed space official said.
The official did not identify the country he suspected of trying to derail the Russian military mission. But Moscow frequently accuses Washington of attempting to "militarise" space.
The space official conceded that there may have been other reasons for the launch failure. These included the wrong operations being programmed into the guidance system and other software mistakes.
But the Russian source stressed that the accident occurred between the first and second burns of the Briz-KM upper-stage booster rocket -- an area in which the craft makes no contact with ground control.
The official suggested that the electromagnetic pulse may have been aimed at the Russian craft "from a land, sea, air or space vehicle."
The Geo-IK-2 mishap came less than five weeks after President Dmitry Medvedev fired two top space officials for a launch failure caused Russia to delay the deployment of its own navigation system.
Investigators said that accident was caused by a basic fuel miscalculation that made the craft too heavy to reach its required height.
The three Glonass satellites would have completed a system whose research had been started by the Soviet Union in 1976.
Turkey Moves To Centralize Electronic Surveillance
Turkey’s intelligence operations and increasing cooperation between the country’s military and civilian intelligence gatherers is under way but will take as long as two years to complete, according to a senior security official.
A senior security official said over the weekend that the General Staff had agreed to a proposal from the civilian government to transfer the administration of the division to the National Intelligence Organization, or MİT.
“A protocol between the military top command and MİT was signed recently,” the official said. “The protocol orders that the military will completely abandon the [surveillance] garrison and the intelligence agency will take over.”
In a landmark move on March 8, Turkish authorities announced they were bringing the military’s electronic surveillance under the management and operational control of MİT, which effectively means a civilian control over such capabilities.
The official added that it could take up to two years before the takeover is complete. “MİT’s surveillance unit is a huge department, and it will take several months before these assets can be appropriately moved to the Bayrak garrison,” he said. “The entire technical infrastructure will be moved, the military and intelligence personnel will be oriented for work under the same roof, and all that means a couple of years before everything runs perfectly.”
During the Cold War, the Bayrak garrison in Gölbaşı, near Ankara, was established as the military’s top electronic surveillance and intelligence asset. Known as the military’s “ear,” the garrison operated under the command of the Turkish General Staff.
A senior security official said over the weekend that the General Staff had agreed to a proposal from the civilian government to transfer the administration of the division to the National Intelligence Organization, or MİT.
“A protocol between the military top command and MİT was signed recently,” the official said. “The protocol orders that the military will completely abandon the [surveillance] garrison and the intelligence agency will take over.”
In a landmark move on March 8, Turkish authorities announced they were bringing the military’s electronic surveillance under the management and operational control of MİT, which effectively means a civilian control over such capabilities.
The official added that it could take up to two years before the takeover is complete. “MİT’s surveillance unit is a huge department, and it will take several months before these assets can be appropriately moved to the Bayrak garrison,” he said. “The entire technical infrastructure will be moved, the military and intelligence personnel will be oriented for work under the same roof, and all that means a couple of years before everything runs perfectly.”
During the Cold War, the Bayrak garrison in Gölbaşı, near Ankara, was established as the military’s top electronic surveillance and intelligence asset. Known as the military’s “ear,” the garrison operated under the command of the Turkish General Staff.
The garrison employs more than 50 civilian and well-trained personnel who also will be transferred to MİT’s disposition. It also operates two vessels for electronic surveillance; these too will be transferred to the intelligence agency.
Some of the garrison’s tasks included critical radio operations as well as interceptions. Meanwhile, MİT, which reports directly to the prime minister, has its own Electronic and Technical Intelligence Unit, or ETI. The security official said ETI would completely move to the Bayrak garrison, together with its personnel and intelligence-gathering assets. “The protocol means that MİT’s ETI will take over the control of the military’s main intelligence-gathering and interception unit,” he said.
Cutting costs
A military official said the transfer and takeover is the result of lengthy deliberations that led to the idea that running a separate electronic intelligence unit meant duplication, overlapping and unnecessary costs for the military.
“We trust that MİT will run the garrison as efficiently as the military, and a centralized unit will mean savings in an extremely costly work,” he said. “MİT has the capabilities to perform all kinds of electronic surveillance duties. It would have been a waste of resources if we ran a separate network for the same purpose.”
The security official said the new system would make sure that the military collects intelligence from MİT. “MİT has several clients, and now the military is on the list. In a way, for the military, this is outsourcing for better efficiency,” he said.
“In any case, both institutions work for a single goal. Single-source intelligence gathering for military and/or nonmilitary intelligence purposes will not hinder efforts for the common goal,” the security official said.
The Bayrak garrison is not the Turkish military’s only intelligence asset. The General Staff also will rely on a soon-to-be operational military satellite, the country’s first, for intelligence-gathering missions. Under present provisions, the Gokturk military satellite will remain under the General Staff’s control.
Turkey two years ago signed a nearly $345 million contract with the Italy-based Telespazio for the construction of Gökturk, which is scheduled to be launched in 2013. The Italian defense giant Finmeccanica owns 67 percent of Telespazio, and the rest of the shares belong to France’s Thales.
China Launches Eighth Satellite For Indigenous Global Navigation
A Long March-3A carrier rocket carrying the "Beidou," or Compass, navigation satellite took off at 4:47 a.m. Sunday from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
It will join seven other satellites already in orbit to form a network which will eventually consist of more than 30 satellites.
The launching of the satellite marks the establishment of a basic system for the navigation and positioning network, said an unidentified spokesperson for the Xichang Satellite Launch Center.
China will launch more satellites within the coming two years to finish a regional network to provide navigation services with high precision and credibility for industries and sectors such as mapping, fishery, transportation, meteorology and telecommunication, in the Asia-Pacific regions, the spokesperson said.
The network is scheduled to be able to provide global services by 2020.
China successfully launches Haiyang-2 maritime satellite
The orbiter, Haiyang-2, was boosted by a Long March-4B carrier rocket from the launch center in the city of Taiyuan in Shanxi Province.
The satellite is for the supervision and survey of the maritime environment, an important measure for prevention and reduction of maritime disasters.
China moves to help Bolivia launch satellite
China and Bolivia took further steps on Wednesday toward launching a telecommunications satellite for the South American country.
Speaking in Beijing that day, Ivan Zambrana, executive general director of the Bolivian Space Agency, told China Daily that China will provide Bolivia with a group of services related to a telecom satellite. Those will include help in building and launching the satellite; in building a monitoring station and in training Bolivian workers to operate the device. The services will cost the Bolivian government about $294 million.
"If we had signed satellite contracts with developed Western countries, it would have cost at least $350 million for the whole project," Zambrana said.
On Dec 13, 2010, the China Great Wall Industry Corp, the country's sole commercial organization selling satellites and commercial launch services, signed a contract for a satellite project with the Bolivian government. To help Bolivia pay for the work, China Development Bank has agreed to give the country a loan.
The project is being carried out by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, a State-owned enterprise group that is the administrative body of China Great Wall Industrial. Among the company's well-known products are Long March rockets and Shenzhou spaceships.
"China provides one-stop service for the satellite project, which brings much convenience to Bolivia because we don't have to sign many contracts with different companies," Zambrana said.
He said unlike many Western companies, which would seek to keep aerospace technology secret, China plans to teach Bolivian workers how to build air stations and to take advantage of solar and wind power.
Bolivian President Juan Evo Morales Ayma said at the ceremony on Wednesday that the satellite will allow Bolivian citizens, especially those living in mountainous regions, to enjoy the benefits of telecommunications.
Ma Xingrui, president of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, said the satellite will promote the Bolivian government's ability to communicate during emergencies and for defense purposes.
Recent years have seen China Great Wall sign two contracts with the Nigerian government for telecom satellites. The company also built Venezuela's Venesat-1 spacecraft and is making the governments of Laos and Pakistan a satellite each.
Zhao Xiaojin, head of the aerospace department at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, said China will help developing countries build up their aerospace industries.
"We encourage and help the countries to start their satellite industries from small-scale satellites," Zhao said. "We will provide not only service related to satellite manufacturing and launching, but also personnel training and transfers of technology, which will help the countries build up their own satellite industries."
Zambrana told China Daily that China plans to help Bolivia launch a second satellite in the next three years.
"It will be a remote-sensing satellite that runs in a low orbit, which could be used for civilian services such as detecting minerals and oil, forecasting natural disasters, and so on," Zambrana said.
(China Military News cited from China Daily) --
Speaking in Beijing that day, Ivan Zambrana, executive general director of the Bolivian Space Agency, told China Daily that China will provide Bolivia with a group of services related to a telecom satellite. Those will include help in building and launching the satellite; in building a monitoring station and in training Bolivian workers to operate the device. The services will cost the Bolivian government about $294 million.
"If we had signed satellite contracts with developed Western countries, it would have cost at least $350 million for the whole project," Zambrana said.
On Dec 13, 2010, the China Great Wall Industry Corp, the country's sole commercial organization selling satellites and commercial launch services, signed a contract for a satellite project with the Bolivian government. To help Bolivia pay for the work, China Development Bank has agreed to give the country a loan.
The project is being carried out by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, a State-owned enterprise group that is the administrative body of China Great Wall Industrial. Among the company's well-known products are Long March rockets and Shenzhou spaceships.
"China provides one-stop service for the satellite project, which brings much convenience to Bolivia because we don't have to sign many contracts with different companies," Zambrana said.
He said unlike many Western companies, which would seek to keep aerospace technology secret, China plans to teach Bolivian workers how to build air stations and to take advantage of solar and wind power.
Bolivian President Juan Evo Morales Ayma said at the ceremony on Wednesday that the satellite will allow Bolivian citizens, especially those living in mountainous regions, to enjoy the benefits of telecommunications.
Ma Xingrui, president of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, said the satellite will promote the Bolivian government's ability to communicate during emergencies and for defense purposes.
Recent years have seen China Great Wall sign two contracts with the Nigerian government for telecom satellites. The company also built Venezuela's Venesat-1 spacecraft and is making the governments of Laos and Pakistan a satellite each.
Zhao Xiaojin, head of the aerospace department at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, said China will help developing countries build up their aerospace industries.
"We encourage and help the countries to start their satellite industries from small-scale satellites," Zhao said. "We will provide not only service related to satellite manufacturing and launching, but also personnel training and transfers of technology, which will help the countries build up their own satellite industries."
Zambrana told China Daily that China plans to help Bolivia launch a second satellite in the next three years.
"It will be a remote-sensing satellite that runs in a low orbit, which could be used for civilian services such as detecting minerals and oil, forecasting natural disasters, and so on," Zambrana said.
(China Military News cited from China Daily) --
Pakistan’s First Communications Satellite PAKSAT-1R launched
Pakistan’s first Communications Satellite PAKSAT-1R, as a part of Pakistan’s Space Programme 2040, was launched on Thursday at 2117 hrs on board China’s Satellite Launch Vehicle from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. Besides others, launch was witnessed by Secretary Defence Lt Gen Syed Athar Ali (R), Secretary Foreign Affairs, Salman Bashir, Director General, Strategic Plans Division Lt Gen Khalid Ahmed Kidwai (R) and Ambassador of Pakistan to China, Muhammad Masood Khan, said a press release issued here.
PAKSAT-1R has a total of 30 transponders, 12 in C-band and 18 in Ku-band.
The satellite will be deployed at 380E in the Geo-stationary orbit and it will replace the existing satellite PAKSAT-1.
PAKSAT-1R has a design life of 15 years and will provide TV broadcasting, Internet and data communication services across South and Central Asia, Eastern Europe, East Africa and the Far East. This satellite now enables extending of communication services to all areas of Pakistan.
The National Command Authority (NCA) recently approved Pakistan’s Space Programme 2040 during its meeting at the Strategic Plans Division (SPD) on 14 July 2011.
Earlier, the contract for the development of PAKSAT-1R was signed between Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) in October 2008 during the visit of the President of Pakistan to China.
Pakistani engineers have worked closely with their Chinese counterparts during all stages of development of the satellite in China. Some experimental units developed at SUPARCO have also been integrated on the satellite for technology evaluation.
China and Pakistan have enjoyed more than 20 years of cooperation in Space Science, Technology and Applications.
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