Launch date of 'Garuda-1' satellite delayed
Launch date of 'Garuda-1' satellite delayed
JAKARTA (JP): The launch date of the new 'Garuda-1'
telecommunications satellite owned by PT Asia Cellular Satellite
(ACeS) has been delayed from its Oct. 31 launch schedule, a
company official said on Thursday.
ACeS business development manager Gema Suria told The Jakarta
Post the delay was due to a technical problem found in the
launcher vehicle Proton rocket.
"The satellite launcher company, International Launch Services
(ILS), told us they found a problem in the fueling system of the
rocket's fourth stage," he said.
He said ILS decided to delay the launch in order to replace
all parts alleged affected by the problem.
"This is something beyond our control ... They indicated the
replacement process may take about two weeks," he said, adding
that the satellite was originally scheduled to be launched in
November 1998.
The launch schedule has been delayed four times -- in November
last year due to technical difficulties, in September this year
due to an extended testing process and twice this month on Oct.
21 and Oct. 31.
In a recent statement, ILS said the Oct. 21 to Oct. 31 delay
was due to an adjustment in the valve in the rocket's upper stage
fueling system.
The need for adjustments was discovered during the rocket
fueling process, ILS said, adding that no flaw was found in the
valve.
ILS is a joint venture stock company established in 1995 to
market two of the world's premier launch vehicles, the American-
built Atlas and the Russian-built Proton rockets.
The Garuda-1 satellite is made by the United States aerospace,
defense and telecommunications giant Lockheed Martin Commercial
Space Systems.
It will be launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
on a Proton D-1-e rocket jointly built by Russian Khrunichev
State Research and the Production Space center.
Gema said the satellite had been readied at the Baikonur
Cosmodrome since September this year.
"There are no charges afflicted on us due to the delay. All
maintenance on the satellite during the waiting period is being
handled by the launcher firm," he said.
He said the entire satellite project was worth about US$757
million. The breakdown included a $300 million satellite contract
with Lockheed Martin, a $70 million launch service contract with
ILS, a $70 million insurance package, the $225 million satellite-
based mobile phone nonexclusive contract with the Sweden-based
Ericsson and the $61.5 million in gateways development in
Jakarta, Bangkok and Manila.
He said the Garuda-1 satellite would provide voice, facsimile
and pager services via mobile phones and fixed terminals using
the satellite-based telecommunications for Personal
Communications Services (PCS) system developed by ACeS.
The PCS system will allow any person with a handheld device to
communicate with another person carrying a similar device within
the satellite coverage. The system will also permit persons with
handheld devices to communicate via ground satellite gateways and
normal public switch telephone networks to holders of a cell
phone or a normal fixed telephone anywhere in the world.
ACeS' PCS system is based on the Global System for Mobile
Communications standard and will employ dual-mode handsets (ACeS-
GSM and ACeS-AMPS).
The Garuda-1 satellite is expected to begin commercial
operation in the first half of 2000 and will cover dozens of
countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
The launching of Garuda-1 will add to the number of Indonesian
satellites currently in orbit, including the Palapa B4 and
Telkom-1 owned by state-owned telecoms company PT Telkom, Palapa
C2 owned by PT Satelit Palapa Indonesia (Satelindo) and
Cakrawarta owned by PT Media Citra Indostar.
ACeS is a joint venture company between Indonesian PT Pasifik
Satelit Nusantara, which controls 34 percent of the stake,
Lockheed Martin with 30 percent, the Philippines' Long Distance
Telephone Company with 27 percent and Thailand's Jasmine
International with nine percent. (cst)