Telkom-1 satellite gets go-ahead for launch<\/p>\n
By Christiani Tumelap<\/p>\n
KOUROU, French Guiana (JP): After a four-month delay, the
\nTelkom-1 satellite owned by state telecommunications firm PT
\nTelkom will be launched from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou,
\nFrench Guiana on August 4.<\/p>\n
In addition to the delay, there was also a significant change
\nto the launching plan.<\/p>\n
The French space launch firm, Arianespace, said Telkom-1 would
\nnot be launched together with the Asiastar satellite of the
\nUnited States' Worldspace on Arianespace's most advanced and
\npowerful Ariane 504 rocket as initially planned.<\/p>\n
Arianespace launch mission director Didier Casse said Telkom-1
\nwould instead be launched alone on the Ariane 42P rocket, a
\nrocket developed earlier with a lower payload capacity designed
\nto carry small and medium-sized satellites.<\/p>\n
He said the decision to switch to Ariane 4 was made because
\nAsiastar was again delayed from launching due to technical
\nproblems in its solar panel system.<\/p>\n
"The switch, however, will not in any way affect the quality
\nof launch services as promised by Arianespace from the
\nbeginning," he announced during a media visit to the launch site
\nin Kourou last week.<\/p>\n
The original contract, signed in April 1997, required the
\nlaunching of Telkom-1 satellite on an Ariane 504 rocket in April
\nthis year from the company's launch site at Europe's Spaceport in
\nKourou.<\/p>\n
Arianespace's director of customer service, Baard Eilertsen,
\ninsisted Ariane 4's quality and capability was nothing to worry
\nabout.<\/p>\n
He said the Ariane 4 generation rockets had proved their
\nreliability with 44 consecutive successful launches since March
\n1995.<\/p>\n
Ariane 4 rockets were recently named by the AIRCLAIMS
\ninternational research organization as the most reliable launch
\nvehicle, he said.<\/p>\n
"Ariane 4 was ranked first in launch reliability with the
\nhighest score of 0.972 percent, followed by U.S. rockets Delta II
\nwith 0.965 percent, Atlas 0.937 percent and Proton 0.941
\npercent," he said.<\/p>\n
Telkom's field office manager for the Telkom-1 satellite
\nproject in Kourou, Dodiet Hendrojono, said the company had no
\nobjection toward the switch to Ariane 4.<\/p>\n
He said the switch was the best option since it would
\nfacilitate the Telkom-1 launching immediately without having to
\nwait for a co-passenger.<\/p>\n
"We are very much in favor of this plan because we can't
\ntolerate any more delays in the launch schedule," he said, adding
\nthat Telkom-1 was actually ready for launch since January after
\nits completion of manufacturing by the American company Lockheed
\nMartin.<\/p>\n
"Besides, Arianespace will face a penalty if Telkom-1 was
\nlaunched after August this year," he said.<\/p>\n
Dodiet added the switch in launch vehicle from Ariane 5 to
\nAriane 4 would not affect the payload in the contract between
\nTelkom and Arianespace.<\/p>\n
"The contract originally requires either the Ariane 5 or
\nAriane 4 rocket for launching. Ariane 5 was chosen at the time
\nbecause of its immediate availability," he said.<\/p>\n
Alexandre Mademba-Sy, an Arianespace engineer, said at the
\nlaunch operations division that Ariane 5 was technically more
\nsophisticated than Ariane 4.<\/p>\n
"Ariane 5 is originally more simple and reliable. It is also
\nmore powerful in that it can send a bigger satellite higher into
\norbit," he said.<\/p>\n
Ariane 5 has a payload capacity into geostationary transfer
\norbit of 5.9 metric tons to 6.9 tons, while Ariane 4 has between
\n2.07 tons and 4.9 tons.<\/p>\n
"The manufacturing and operational costs of Ariane 5 are also
\nhigher than Ariane 4. But it will be cheaper for customers to use
\nAriane 5 because they don't have to pay it all by themselves, but
\nshare it equally with co-passengers," he added.<\/p>\n
Alexandre said either Ariane 5 or Ariane 4 would send Telkom-1
\nto the same designated spot in orbit with the same procedures
\ndespite technical differences.<\/p>\n
Dodiet said Telkom-1 was expected to start commercial
\noperations in September to cover countries in the Southeast Asian
\nregion, as well as northern Australia.<\/p>\n
The Telkom-1 satellite project is worth about US$191.4
\nmillion, which consists of $84.8 million for the satellite's
\nprocurement from Lockheed Martin, $90.1 million for the launch
\ncontract with Arianespace, $15 million for an insurance package
\nwith local firm Jasindo and $1.6 million for consultancy services
\nwith Canadian firm Telesat.<\/p>\n
The satellite, weighing 2,655 kilograms at liftoff and
\ncarrying 24 C Band transponders and 12 Extended C Band
\ntransponders, will be the third Indonesian satellite launched by
\nArianespace, after the Palapa C2 in May 1996 and Cakrawarta in
\nNovember 1997.<\/p>\n
The satellite is specially developed to replace another Telkom
\nsatellite currently in orbit, the Palapa-B2R, which is due to end
\nservice in mid-2001.<\/p>\n
Telkom-1 will provide various telecommunications services,
\nincluding multimedia and high-speed internet, satellite telephony
\nnetwork, backbone transmission and analog or digital broadcasts
\nfor 20 years.<\/p>\n
Dodiet said Telkom-1 was originally designed to serve 15 years
\nunder the previous Ariane 504 bi-satellite launch arrangement.<\/p>\n
But since Telkom-1 will be the only satellite to be carried on
\nthe Ariane 42P rocket, it can fill its fuel to the maximum level
\nof 400,000 kilograms to extend its period of service.<\/p>\n
"So you see, the switch from Ariane 540 to Ariane 42P was not
\na bad thing after all. It gives us an advantage, too," he said.
\n(cst)<\/p>",
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