The Italian ministry of defence has let a contract for a second SICRALmilitary communications satellite bus as a precaution against a possible launch failure of the first vehicle.
The contract has been placed with Sitab, a consortium of Alenia Spazio (70%), Fiat Avio (20%) and Telespazio (10%), and takes the cost of the SICRAL to L900 billion ($450 million).
The first SICRAL has been delivered to French space agency CNESfor checks ahead of its launch aboard anAriane, planned for some time betweenJuly and October.
Industry is supporting a second SICRAL bus as "insurance" to reduce any delays if the first launch fails. Although the satellite is insured, it would take at least three years to build a replacement bus. Having a spare available will reduce any delay to a year.
Italian industry is pushing for the entire SICRAL 2 to be funded and launched to create a two-satellite constellation. The defence ministry is lukewarm, however, and reluctant to invest further inthe programme, preferring international joint ventures for its follow-on needs.
Industry, supported by some parliamentary bodies, is suggesting that the SICRAL 2 becomes a dual-role satellite shared between the military and other state organisations, such as the civil protection agency, which would also bear some of the cost. The SICRAL 1 was initially intended to be dual role before other agencies dropped out of the project. As a multi-agency platformSICRAL 2 would have an imaging capability as well as it communications role.
Meanwhile, the defence ministry is preparing for launch of the SICRAL 1 and is completing a tri-service, but air force managed, control centre at Vigna diValle. The armed forces are installing SICRALterminals at its command, control, communications and intelligence centres, as well as on selected aircraft, helicopters and warships.o
Source: Flight International