Monitor

Finland will contribute to this prog- ramme after a transitional period according to the Agency's normal rules, on the basis of its Gross Nation- al Product (GNP).

The Earth Observation Preparatory Programme (EOPP), a five-year prog- ramme which got underway in March 1986 following the recommendations made by the Ministers of ESA Mem- ber States at the Council meeting in January 1985, is designed to prepare

Europe's activities m this field in the years up to the end of this century. The main fields covered arc Polar Orbit Earth Obserw~tion Programmes (for land, ocean, ice and atmosphere), a second generation Meteosat prog- ramme and Solid Earth Programmes. Finland will contribute 1.62% to the overall financial envelope of this Pre- paratory Programme which amounts to 54 Million Accounting Units.

Finland, which ah-eady participatcs

Hermes to ESA The European Space Agency (ESA) decided, when its Council met on 22-23 October 1986, to start up the tlermes preparatory programme. When they met in Rome in January 1985, the European space ministers agreed to include this programme among the Agency's optional prog- famines as soon as possible, this has now been done.

The decision makes it possible to embark on a preparatory programme costing 48 MAU (at 1985 prices); this will lead, during 1987, to a final decision to develop the spaceplane.

This latter decision will be taken at ministerial level, and will fit into a long-term European space prog- ramme, other major components of which - such as Ariane-5 and Col- umbus - are also in the preparatory stage.

The industrial work included in the preparatory programme will aim on the one hand to arrive at a detailed definition of the spaceplane and the associated ground segment require- ments, together with the requisite basic technology studies, and on the other, to continue the Hermes mission and utilization studies and sketch out a first definition of the technology for extra-vehicular activities (EVAs).

An ESA team to take charge of this programme will be set up over the next few months. Part of the staff will work in Toulouse, in close collabora- tion with the French space agency (CNES) to whom the Agency will be delegating a number of tasks.

BNSC contract to Marconi Defence Systems Limited has received a £1 million order from the Royal Signals & Radar Establishment (RSRE) on behalf of the British National-Space Centre (BNSC) for the manufacturc and supply of an advanced satellite communications earth station.

The station will operate in the Ka-band (30/20GHz). These frequen- cies have been earmarked against the time when the demand for fixed satel- lite communications channels out- strips the available spectrum in the currently used C-band (6/4 Gliz) and Ku- band (14/11GHz) frequencies.

The Marconi terminal will bc em- ployed in testing and demonstrating teleconference and other high data rate business services via the Euro- pean Space Agency's giant OLYM-

Source: ESA, 8-10 rue Mario Nikis, 75738 Paris cedex 15, France.

in the Meteosat Operational Progran)- me, has indicated that it also intends, at a later datc, to participate in other ESA Programnles, hi the con ln lun ic : l -

tions field, fin instance. It ha~, also expressed its intention h~ b c c o n l c ~

full Member State of the ,\gone\ within the coming years,

Source: ESA, 8 10 rue Mario Niki,, 75738 Paris cedex 15, France.

Marconi PUS satellite. ()I.YMPUS will carr~ Europe's first Ka-band transponder when it is launched in 1988.

The terminal employs technolog) similar to that which is currently being used by the company m its nmnufitc ture of three TDS-6 transportable earth stations for the European Space Agency under the separate £3 million contract. Thesc are also intended for experimental link-ups via OLYMPUS and subsequent comnlercial satellites of the future.

The station is scheduled for delivery in mid-1988 and will be sited at the Royal Signals and Radar Establish- ment at Defford, UK.

Source: Marconi Defence Systems Li- mited, The Grove, Warren l,ane, Stanmore, Middlesex tIA7 41,Y, UK.

Next generation of satellites Telesat Canada and Spar Aerospace Ltd recently signed a $180.5 million contract for Telesat's next generation of communications satellites. The two spacecraft, Anik Et and Anik E2, scheduled for completion in 1989, wilt be the largest and most powerful dual-band satellites built to date fl~r a domestic satellite company.

Spar, a member of Canada's aero- space industry, will be prime contrac- tor on the project, responsible fl)r the building and testing of the two satel- lites, and providing launch site trans- portation and launch support services. Spar was also prime contractor on Anik D1 and D2, Telesat's current

generation of C-band satellitcs. The two satellites will take between 34 and 37 months to construct, and are ~chc- duled for launch in 199(/.

Telesat, Canada's domestic satellite communications company, currently has six satellites in orbit, including one in storage orbit and one due for retirement. The Anik E spacecraft will meet capacity requirements from 1990 up to the year 2000.

Source:Telesat Canada, 333 River Road, Ottawa, Ontario K IL 8B9, Canada.

76 SPACE POLICY February 1987