Launch date of 'Garuda-1' satellite delayed<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The launch date of the new 'Garuda-1'
\ntelecommunications satellite owned by PT Asia Cellular Satellite
\n(ACeS) has been delayed from its Oct. 31 launch schedule, a
\ncompany official said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
ACeS business development manager Gema Suria told The Jakarta
\nPost the delay was due to a technical problem found in the
\nlauncher vehicle Proton rocket.<\/p>\n
\"The satellite launcher company, International Launch Services
\n(ILS), told us they found a problem in the fueling system of the
\nrocket's fourth stage,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said ILS decided to delay the launch in order to replace
\nall parts alleged affected by the problem.<\/p>\n
\"This is something beyond our control ... They indicated the
\nreplacement process may take about two weeks,\" he said, adding
\nthat the satellite was originally scheduled to be launched in
\nNovember 1998.<\/p>\n
The launch schedule has been delayed four times -- in November
\nlast year due to technical difficulties, in September this year
\ndue to an extended testing process and twice this month on Oct.
\n21 and Oct. 31.<\/p>\n
In a recent statement, ILS said the Oct. 21 to Oct. 31 delay
\nwas due to an adjustment in the valve in the rocket's upper stage
\nfueling system.<\/p>\n
The need for adjustments was discovered during the rocket
\nfueling process, ILS said, adding that no flaw was found in the
\nvalve.<\/p>\n
ILS is a joint venture stock company established in 1995 to
\nmarket two of the world's premier launch vehicles, the American-
\nbuilt Atlas and the Russian-built Proton rockets.<\/p>\n
The Garuda-1 satellite is made by the United States aerospace,
\ndefense and telecommunications giant Lockheed Martin Commercial
\nSpace Systems.<\/p>\n
It will be launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
\non a Proton D-1-e rocket jointly built by Russian Khrunichev
\nState Research and the Production Space center.<\/p>\n
Gema said the satellite had been readied at the Baikonur
\nCosmodrome since September this year.<\/p>\n
\"There are no charges afflicted on us due to the delay. All
\nmaintenance on the satellite during the waiting period is being
\nhandled by the launcher firm,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the entire satellite project was worth about US$757
\nmillion. The breakdown included a $300 million satellite contract
\nwith Lockheed Martin, a $70 million launch service contract with
\nILS, a $70 million insurance package, the $225 million satellite-
\nbased mobile phone nonexclusive contract with the Sweden-based
\nEricsson and the $61.5 million in gateways development in
\nJakarta, Bangkok and Manila.<\/p>\n
He said the Garuda-1 satellite would provide voice, facsimile
\nand pager services via mobile phones and fixed terminals using
\nthe satellite-based telecommunications for Personal
\nCommunications Services (PCS) system developed by ACeS.<\/p>\n
The PCS system will allow any person with a handheld device to
\ncommunicate with another person carrying a similar device within
\nthe satellite coverage. The system will also permit persons with
\nhandheld devices to communicate via ground satellite gateways and
\nnormal public switch telephone networks to holders of a cell
\nphone or a normal fixed telephone anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n
ACeS' PCS system is based on the Global System for Mobile
\nCommunications standard and will employ dual-mode handsets (ACeS-
\nGSM and ACeS-AMPS).<\/p>\n
The Garuda-1 satellite is expected to begin commercial
\noperation in the first half of 2000 and will cover dozens of
\ncountries in the Asia-Pacific region.<\/p>\n
The launching of Garuda-1 will add to the number of Indonesian
\nsatellites currently in orbit, including the Palapa B4 and
\nTelkom-1 owned by state-owned telecoms company PT Telkom, Palapa
\nC2 owned by PT Satelit Palapa Indonesia (Satelindo) and
\nCakrawarta owned by PT Media Citra Indostar.<\/p>\n
ACeS is a joint venture company between Indonesian PT Pasifik
\nSatelit Nusantara, which controls 34 percent of the stake,
\nLockheed Martin with 30 percent, the Philippines' Long Distance
\nTelephone Company with 27 percent and Thailand's Jasmine
\nInternational with nine percent. (cst)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/launch-date-of-garuda-1-satellite-delayed-1447893297",
"image": ""
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