Transponder demand

A recent market survey* indicates that after more than 20 years of continuous growth, transponder demand decreased by 0.9 per cent in 2001, but grew albeit slightly (+2.5 per cent) in 2002 to a total of 5143 units (36 MHz equivalent).

The main customers of the satellite operators, namely telecommunication operators, Internet service providers and the broadcasters, have been hurt by the economic downturn of the past two years. The most established transponder markets are reported to have experienced a lull while Internet trunking continued to grow:

• broadcast of television channels (2067 transponders in 2002, +1.4 per cent)
• voice and data trunking (1808 transponders in 2002, -0.3 per cent)
• video contribution (771 transponders in 2002, -0.4 per cent)
• Internet trunking (419 transponders in 2002, +35.6 per cent)
• Internet direct access (78 transponders in 2002, +28 per cent).

The good news is that there is still a significant growth potential in transponder demand. In the next ten years, growth is expected to be driven by television and video services and by Internet services, both for trunking and direct access. By 2012, transponder demand should reach a total of 7917 units.

First signs of recovery were observed early this year. Further reductions in transponder lease prices are seen as necessary in fuelling growth in transponder demand. Price decrease is expected to continue in the short-term under the pressure of customers and because of overcapacities still growing in several regional markets.

Europe’s Ariane-4 launcher ended its 15-year career successfully on 15 February 2003 placing a communications satellite into orbit ITU 030075/© 2003 ESA - CNES - Arianespace

A glance at satellite launches in the first quarter of 2003

When Ariane-4 honourably retired from service…

Europe’s Ariane-4 launcher ended its 15-year career successfully on 15 February 2003 placing a communications satellite into orbit. The Ariane-4 launcher has made a total of 113 successful launches and placed 182 satellites into orbit. On board historic Flight 159 was an Intelsat 907 satellite that is to provide Internet link-up, telephony, television and corporate networking services to the Americas, Europe and Africa over the next 13 years. During its lifetime, the Ariane-4 launcher put a total of 23 Intelsat satellites into orbit. Flight 159 lifted off from the launch pad at Kourou (French Guiana) with each booster adorned with a green clover leaf bearing the inscription “good luck with the last flight”. Now that Ariane-4 has been “honourably retired from service,” its place will be taken by generic Ariane-5 launchers. —Source: European Space Agency (ESA).

New generation satellite for Asia and Australasia

AsiaSat 4, was successfully launched by an Atlas IIIB rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida (United States) in April 2003. AsiaSat 4 carries a total of 28 C-band and 20 Ku-band transponders, operating in the fixed-satellite service (FSS) and broadcasting-satellite service (BSS) frequency bands. It is designed to provide a number of satellite applications, such as direct-to-home television, VSAT for private business network and broadband and IP solutions. In addition, AsiaSat 4 offers part-time and occasional access for news agencies and broadcasters to relay news, live sports or special events across the footprints. —Source: AsiaSat.

Successful liftoff for Ariane-5

On 10 April 2003, Flight 160 of the Ariane-5 launcher successfully placed its two payloads into orbit.

The first payload to be released into orbit, 27 minutes after launch, was the INSAT-3A satellite, weighing 2950-kg at liftoff. This satellite contains a meteorological observation mission together with a search and rescue payload, and will also provide telecommunication and television transmission services for India.

INSAT-3A was closely followed 11 minutes later by the 1760-kg PanAmSat GALAXY XII satellite, designed to provide telecommunication links between continental United States, Alaska and Hawai. The launch was from Kourou. — European Space Agency (ESA).