Tim Furniss/LONDON
US COMPANY Echostar has withdrawn its satellite from China's launch manifest, following the failure of the Long March 3B booster and the loss of the Intelsat 708 satellite on 14 February. The 3B did not undergo a pre-launch test, it has been revealed
The Echostar 2 will fly on an Ariane 4 in September (Flight International, 6-12 March), resulting in alterations to Arianespace's original 1996 launch manifest.
Although the Echostar 2 is not a confirmed launch contract, Arianespace has secured a deal to launch three Alcatel Espace-built satellites. Ariane has been selected to launch the three WorldStar system spacecraft in 1998-9.
The addition of the AfriStar 1, the AsiaStar 1 and the CaribStar 1 to its contract list brings to 41 the number of satellites to be launched, maintaining Arianespace's 50%-plus commercial-launcher market lead. Its unconfirmed contracts are for the Skynet 4F and the Meteosat Second Generation 2 and 3.
The Ariane 42P/V85 is due to launch Telesat Mobile of Canada's M-SAT 1 satellite into geostationary-transfer orbit on 19 April.
The Intelsat 709 communications satellite may fly the V87 Ariane 4 in June - possibly delaying the Arabsat 2A and Turksat 1C - instead of being carried on the scheduled September, bargain-price, second Ariane 5mission.
The first commercial Proton launch of the Astra 1F satellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome since Russia's Proton became part of ILS International Launch Services, has been delayed from 28 March to 9 April, after a leak was discovered in one of two helium tanks, aboard the Hughes-built spacecraft. The helium is used to pressurise the satellite's on-board fuel system.
Source: Flight International