Telecomunication satellite

Raoul" wrote in message
om...
I was browsing thru the launch backlogs at www.space-launcher.com and
saw a lot of contract of (former)upstart telecom firms. It must be a
very interesting time before everyone was out of money.... But I was
wondering if there are still firms considering launching a new network
(ico?) and when Globalstar and Iridium are forced to launch
replacements: will it generated substantial activity (maybe a
life-line for kistler/any other upstarts)? Had the technology advanced
far enough to make new networks profitable again/are there any
prospects of new technologies that will?

Thnx

Ps. Is there any good website about the history of the rise and fall
of the satellite telcom. boom

I'd think future constellations would use much much smaller sats.

iirc - they could launch 4, or 6 iridiums on a Delta II at one time

I'd suggest they might end up putting 12 on a single launch in the future
for comparable services / networks.

BUT - the market isnt really there

Doug

In article ,
Raoul wrote:
wondering if there are still firms considering launching a new network
(ico?)...

There are still people thinking about low-altitude comsat networks, mostly
for special applications rather than telephone service, but funding is
very hard to come by.

Geostationary comsats, on the other hand, are in a bit of a slump but are
still basically a healthy business.

and when Globalstar and Iridium are forced to launch replacements:
will it generated substantial activity...

Iridium has already launched replacements, on Russian rockets. The level
of activity for such things is low and there is a strong preference for
proven launchers.

That last has always been a problem, in fact: such systems' budgets
generally are *not* dominated by launch costs, so an unproven new launcher
which happens to cost a bit less is not really very appealing to them.
The potential costs of delays due to launch failures loom much larger than
the actual price for the launches.
--
MOST launched 1015 EDT 30 June, separated 1046, | Henry Spencer
first ground-station pass 1651, all nominal! |

(Henry Spencer) wrote in message ...
Iridium has already launched replacements, on Russian rockets. The level
of activity for such things is low and there is a strong preference for
proven launchers.

That last has always been a problem, in fact: such systems' budgets
generally are *not* dominated by launch costs, so an unproven new launcher
which happens to cost a bit less is not really very appealing to them.
The potential costs of delays due to launch failures loom much larger than
the actual price for the launches.

I think that for launching in-orbit spares a cheaper but riskier
launcher would be aceptable since a delay is not so determinant.

Andrés.

Henry Spencer wrote:

There are still people thinking about low-altitude comsat networks, mostly
for special applications rather than telephone service, but funding is very
hard to come by.

Of course, Orbcomm already has such a specialized little LEO network and is
reportedly doing quite well.

--
Dave Michelson